Page 72 of Holiday Unscripted
“I smell a rat,” Evie accuses, looking at us trying to see if we’ll give anything up. When the door opens, I hear a couple of gasps coming from the aunts’ tables in back.
“Is that?” Elizabeth asks, putting her hand on my arm. “Is that Lexi?” She mentions her cousin who, from what I gathered the last couple of months from conversations here and there, left her husband who was controlling her.
“It is,” Ariella confirms. “She was nervous about coming.”
“What?” Jack snaps out. “Why?”
“This is the first wedding she’s been to since she left her husband,” Ariella explains and I see her father, Viktor, walking over to her mother.
“Well, trouble just got here,” Elizabeth says, pushing away from the table, “Zara is here.”
“She’s the one with the cowboy husband?” Evie asks Jack, who nods his head.
“He’s the definition of save a horse and ride a cowboy,” Evie declares, earning a glare from Jack. “I mean he’s nothing compared to you, but….” She leans over to kiss him. “He’s high up on that list.”
“Good to know if I ever kick the bucket,” he hisses, “you’ll be okay to move on.”
She puts her hand on his cheek. “Never.”
“Gross.” Elizabeth fake vomits to the side as the waiter comes over and pours champagne in our glasses.
Everyone is now in their seats as they stopped on their way to the table, giving hugs and kisses on the way. I put my arm around Elizabeth’s chair, as if I’ve always done it, and she looks over at me. Someone hits their crystal glass and everyone goes quiet while Zack gets up to talk. “Speeches,” Elizabeth mumbles, coming to whisper in my ear, “shouldn’t we be saving this for tomorrow?”
“Shh.” My thumb rubs up and down her side arm as Zack gives a speech, welcoming Macy’s relatives into the family.
“Isn’t that bad luck?” Elizabeth leans in again. “Like she didn’t say I do, what if she has second thoughts?” I look down, trying not to burst out laughing. “What happens if she doesn’t show up? Will he give another speech?”
I look over at her, seeing the light in her eyes and wanting nothing more than to lean in and kiss her. I’m debating it all when I hear everyone else say, “Cheers.”
She breaks the eye contact to grab her glass and then waits for me to do the same before clinking it with mine. “To hoping she shows up,” Elizabeth toasts and Ariella chokes from beside us.
I shake my head, taking a long sip of the chilled champagne. The first dish comes out as we talk about everything. Zack and Denise get up from their chairs and head to the dance floor, followed by a few other couples. I put my napkin on the table at the same time Jack puts his. He pushes away from the table and holds out his hand to Evie, who takes it without a question. The two of them head to the dance floor.
I do the same and hold out my hand, Elizabeth just looks up at me. “Yes?” She smirks.
“Can I have this dance?” I ask her and she puts her own napkin beside her plate.
“I guess so, it will keep up the appearance that we’re making a truce.”
I hold her hand in mine as I lead her to the dance floor, my arm wrapping around her waist, and I bring the hand that holds hers, folding it up as I hold it on my chest. “Isn’t this better than the two of you at each’s other throat?” Zack says from beside us.
“The answer is yes, Elizabeth,” my mother hisses. “Now is when you both answer yes.”
“I didn’t start it,” Elizabeth tries to defend herself.
“Well, you didn’t not start it,” I correct her, and she tries to rip her hand out of mine, but I squeeze my hand to keep hers closer to mine.
“This is about to be the shortest truce in the history of all truces,” she hisses and stops when I wink at her. “Don’t you even with that.”
“Oh, look,” Jack says and points up. I look up to see a mistletoe above our heads. “It’s customary to kiss.”
“They aren’t going to kiss,” Zack states.
“I don’t know,” Evie adds, a sly grin on her face, “it’s customary to kiss.”
I look at her and bend my head, and I can see her eyes widen until I move my head to the side and kiss her cheek. “There, are you all happy?” she says. “Crisis averted. Nothing bad is going to happen. Well, unless Macy decides she doesn’t want to be part of this crazy and takes off.”
“Bite your tongue,” Zack hisses as he moves away from us.
