Page 64 of To Belong Together
He shrugged one shoulder. “Kate’s not that confrontational, and we may be friends again after I do my reading.”
Must be some reading. She couldn’t wait to hear it. “Too bad it’s too late for you to be reinstated as a groomsman.”
“The long term is more important than the ceremony.”
Such steady dedication.
“Then you’ve got time. You’ll win her over. You got me here with you, didn’t you?”
Her point seemed to cheer him. He pressed his elbow to his side, squeezing her hand, then jabbed the button to call the elevator.
A few minutes later, they’d reached the restaurant. Strings of lights hung under the black awning, and the windows framed a view of muted lighting, white tablecloths, and espresso-colored floors. A gold-and-black appliqué of the restaurant’s name swirled across the glass door.
John propped it open with the elbow of his bad arm and rested his good hand on the small of her back as she stepped through. She glanced at him to see if the touch meant she’d earned a second glance after all, but he focused on a trio of women by the bar.
A somewhat plain blonde wore a flashy red dress. Another woman stabbed at fruit floating in her drink as she spoke. The first to see John was the petite brunette who had her hair swept into an elegant updo. She said something to her friends, but then a child’s squeal snagged Erin’s attention.
A girl of four or five ran from the banquet table in the dining area. She charged John with sheer delight on her face. He bent to catch her, and Erin winced, but using only his good arm, he swept the girl up without a hitch.
She giggled, wrapped her arms around his neck, and rested her head on his shoulder in a hug before perking back up.
“What happened, Uncle John?” She touched careful fingers to the scar by his eyebrow.
“I was in a car accident.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Some.”
The girl placed her hands on his cheeks, her intent obvious in the glistening puckered lips. Biting back a smile, John bowed his head as if he were about to be knighted, and the child placed a gentle, but probably sloppy, kiss on his nose.
“All right, Ava.”
So intent on watching John and the princess, Erin hadn’t noticed a man approaching. He stopped beside John and helped the girl to the floor.
“Hey, Mark.”
The man patted John’s arm, glanced toward the trio of women, then helped Ava back toward the table, where about a dozen people laughed, talked, and sipped drinks.
A woman said, “You must be Tara.”
Erin turned to find the fruity-drink woman had approached from the bar.
John’s jaw ticked. “Erin, this is my sister Stacy.”
“Oh.Erin. Sorry. I’m terrible with names.” Stacy clasped her in a distracted handshake and tossed a careless shrug.
The blonde in the gaudy dress approached, touched John’s arm, then focused on Erin with soft kindness. Updo Girl followed and gave John a smile that somehow might as well have been a frown.
“My other sisters. Angie.” John lifted his hand toward the blonde then motioned to the petite one with the updo. “And Kate.”
“So you were stranded here by the weather.” Stacy stepped back toward the bar and motioned Erin to follow. “Isn’t it awful? It’s causing so many problems.”
When Erin looked to John for direction, he was nodding hello to a man in the dining room. One of his brothers-in-law? Two couples the right age for his parents lingered at the table too. The woman beaming at John must be his mother. Professionally coiffed and in a tailored dress, she certainly looked capable of holding her own in a boardroom the way John had described. Any or all of the three elderly people might be his grandparents, unless they were with the groom’s side.
Kate waved dismissively toward John as other family members descended on him. “He can fend for himself. Let’s get you a drink.”
Erin didn’t know how to read John’s smile, but he didn’t help her worm her way out of Kate’s invitation, so she accompanied his sisters to the bar.
