Page 80 of Sawyer
With a guide. Thea had asked Nanine to walk her down the aisle, and the sight of their beautiful adopted mother proudly marching her down the impromptu aisle they’d created in the restaurant had Sawyer reaching for his own handkerchief. The ceremony was simple and yet achingly beautiful. Jean Luc said his vows in French—the language of his heart—while Thea said hers in English, which were from the same place.
Sawyer listened, rapt, to the words spoken over them, about lives joining and promises being made. These weren’t mere words. They were imbued with love and honor and will. And all the more beautiful because the people saying them meant them with their very souls.
As he watched them exchange rings, it struck him that he couldn’t see wanting to do this with anyone but Phoebe. Yes, it was early, but it was so right. When the time came, they would know. She would walk down the aisle to him, and he would take her hand. Look at her with his whole heart in his eyes. And he would make the promise to love and cherish her forever. It wouldn’t be hard. He couldn’t imagine a better gig.
After the wedding, the happy couple seemed to be lit from the inside. Champagne was passed around. There were toasts to the happy couple, with Fabiana wailing through hers much as she’d feared. Her emotional delivery made her speech more charming somehow. She was a little like Nanine—deeply loving and not afraid to express it. Perhaps that was the true heart of a mother, he thought, and why his own mother was so incapable of being true to the role.
They found their seats—him at the singles’ table with Kyle and Madison and Pierre, whom Thea had insisted must join them as the PRG mascot and Nanine’s unofficial secondchef de cuisine.He wondered…no, he hoped, it would be the last time he’d be at the singles’ table.
Phoebe would be his Plus One for events going forward. He couldn’t wait for her to return.
The meal was a feast of roasted fall vegetables with a creamy Fricassée he dipped his bread into more than once, it was so delicious. The salad of salted beets with caramelized oranges on top of roquefort was a little more Italian than French, but Sawyer had to agree it was top level. He wouldn’t mind being compared tothis. The cheese cart was loaded with specialties from Italy and France, including local cheeses from Fabiana’s hometown. His favorite was the brie with truffles. He could have used a spoon for it and been a happy man.
By the time the couple stood to cut the three-tiered sponge wedding cake filled with lemon lavender cream Thea had baked—at her staunch insistence—he was feeling mellow and grateful to be in the company of good friends. Last year at this time, he’d been alone, having only visited his parents’ house for Christmas Day, a thought that had him feeling even more carefree.
This holiday was one of the best of his life.
Dean hit the music after the meal had been cleared for the couple to have their first dance—the traditional Frenchvalsedes mariés—before shifting to “O Sole Mio.” Pierre started swaying to the rhythm, making Sawyer and Kyle laugh.
“Pierre loves music,” Madison informed them, her doting smile showing just how far she’d fallen for the bird. “Tell them who your favorite singer is, Pierre.”
“Ahora?”Madison nodded to the parrot. “Marc Anthony.”
“No!” Sawyer called out as Madison smiled proudly. “What about Celia Cruz? Miami Sound Machine? Something classic?”
“Ahorameans now, Doc,” Madison told him with an amused smile. “It’s hard to choose a favorite, which is why I always think about who I love in the moment. Because Pit Bull always makes me want to dance.”
The playlist was hodgepodge of American, Italian, and French songs—only Dean could have created it. A professional DJ would have refused. Thea sighed wistfully as “A Whole New World” fromAladdincame on. Sawyer had to muffle his laughter. Little sister did love the Disney. Jean Luc’s family became especially rowdy when afarandolecame on, an old French country dance much like you’d see inPride and Prejudicewith people holding hands in a circle and weaving through each other by ducking under the interlocking hands. Way too complicated for his liking. Then there was a good old-fashioned polka from the Midwest, which Jean Luc pulled off with aplomb. Dude was totally cool to have given Thea that one.
The Plus Ones danced to the slow tunes—even Nanine and Carl. Everyone was cheek to cheek. His table? They drank champagne, although he could see the invisible wall between Kyle and Madison. Kyle’s hand was clenched around the stem of his wineglass, and Madison kept herself entertained with Pierre. They clearly weren’t going to spontaneously get up and dance. Sawyer considered asking Madison to dance, since it would open the door to Kyle doing so, but he wasn’t sure how Madison would react. Likely she’drefuse. So far, she’d managed to keep her cool and her sense of humor despite not looking at Kyle.
Until she suddenly went rigid as a new song came on toward the end of the evening.
Sawyer didn’t recognize it, but Kyle immediately turned to Madison and held out his hand. “You mentioned Marc Anthony earlier. I arranged for a song to be played. Would you dance with me?”
Poor Madison looked like someone had slapped her. Even Pierre cuddled closer. Her eyes were two times their size, and her normal coloring had gone gray. “I…ah…”
She didn’t know what to say, and since she was someone who usually had a flip comeback, Sawyer knew she was shaken to the core.
Kyle didn’t falter. His extended hand remained strong, his eyes equally intent. “It’s only a dance, Mad.”
The long line of her neck moved as she gulped, and then her chin lifted. “Sure thing. But Sawyer… That makes you next on my dance card, so get ready.”
So she was going to try and pretend this was only a friendly dance by dragging him onto the dance floor next? No way.
Everyone was watching as they joined the other couples on the dance floor. Kyle gave her plenty of space, setting his hands loosely on her lean waist while she awkwardly put her hands on his broad shoulders. She might as well have been doing wall push-ups for how comfortable she looked. Thea pulled Dean aside and asked what song it was. He heard his friend reply, “I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You.”
Dude.
No wonder Madison was freaked. Kyle had chosenthissong?
Pierre wandered over across the tabletop, his little body swaying to the music. Sawyer picked up an almond from his dish and fed it to him as they watched the most painful dancein history. He would have to tell Phoebe it was like watching Heathcliff and Catherine fromWuthering Heightsafter they were reunited.
Madison stared at Kyle’s chest the whole time while he looked down at the top of her head. His whole heart was in his eyes, but to give him credit, he didn’t draw her closer or push her to look at him. They shuffled through until the end, whereupon Madison immediately disappeared to the kitchen.
Kyle watched her leave before wandering back to the table and sitting back down. Pierre came over to him and asked if he was all right, to which he responded, “Fine.”
“You want something stiffer than champagne?” Sawyer asked softly.
