the flame, she mused as she got out of the car and led Anthony around the house, following the sounds of people and the smell of charcoal.
Which was a good thing, she insisted to herself, writing off the little clench in her gut as nerves when Damon acknowledged her with a curt nod, unable to tear his attention away from the blonde woman holding his arm and speaking intently to him.
Adele immediately excused herself to join Damon's parents on the other side of the lawn.
A couple of boys who looked to be close to Anthony's age were kicking a soccer ball a few yards away. Anthony stopped and stared longingly. "You can go play," Ellie said.
"I'm a little nerbous."
"I'm sure they're really nice."
As if on cue, Cindy, Anthony's babysitter bounded up and swept Anthony up in a bear hug and gave him a big smacking kiss on the cheek. Anthony wiped it away, giggling the entire time, prompting Cindy to cover his entire face with noisy pecks. "You see those boys over there?" she said, pointing to the soccer players. "They're my cousins, Ian and Billy. Ian's going to be in kindergarten, just like you. I've been telling them all about you."
Anthony went off with Cindy without so much as a second glance.
Ellie watched, smiling, as he joined the other boys in play. Then she looked around at the crowd of forty or so people, all engaged in conversation. The thought of intruding on any of them made her throat go tight again.
Sighting the bar area set up in one corner of the patio, she decided to drop off her offerings and get herself a cup of false courage.
She tucked her beer into the cooler and had just poured herself a clear plastic cup full of red wine when she heard a woman exclaim, "Ellie Tanner! Or Ellie Franklin, I guess I should say. The whole town has been buzzing about your return."
Though she hadn't heard it in over a decade, Ellie would have recognized that voice anywhere. It still made her shoulders bunch with tension and her skin prickle with distaste.
Pasting on a smile, she turned to face Amy Simpson. Ah, my frenemy of old, we meet again . "Actually, I took my maiden name back a few months ago."
Amy's unnaturally blue eyes—they'd been brown back in high school—widened with sympathy that was as real as Lindsay Lohan's lips. "Of course, you would want to associate yourself as little as possible with that horrible situation. We all felt so terrible for you."
Ellie nodded and sipped at her wine. One, two, three...
"You look so tired and worn out. You can just see how it's taken a toll on you."
And there she was, the Amy she remembered. Reeling you in with her saccharine sweetness so she could get you close enough to smack you down. She'd spent the better part of junior high and high school trying to steer Damon's attention away from Ellie and onto herself.
Apparently she'd succeeded, if Damon's intent focus on her earlier was anything to go by. Ellie took a sizable swallow of wine to wash away the sudden bitterness on her tongue.
"Well you look certainly look fantastic, Amy," Ellie said. "You know, whenever I come here I'm always so envious of how comfortable women seem to be with their bodies. In New York, everyone was so focused on being stick thin, I think it really does age you. But you're a prime example of how carrying a couple of extra pounds can keep you looking like you're still in high school." When it came to Amy, Ellie had learned to give as good as she got.
"Thanks," Amy said, her smile going brittle. "I find that skinny might look good on magazines and TV, but when it comes down to it, men like a little to hold on to."
"And you've had a wide enough sample to know."
"Right now only one man's opinion counts," Amy said raising her hand to wave at someone in the crowd, her smile coy.
Ellie knew in her gut who she was waving at, but she turned to confirm it just the same. Damon was looking their way, his expression unreadable as he returned Amy's wave.
"We've been seeing each other for a few
Which was a good thing, she insisted to herself, writing off the little clench in her gut as nerves when Damon acknowledged her with a curt nod, unable to tear his attention away from the blonde woman holding his arm and speaking intently to him.
Adele immediately excused herself to join Damon's parents on the other side of the lawn.
A couple of boys who looked to be close to Anthony's age were kicking a soccer ball a few yards away. Anthony stopped and stared longingly. "You can go play," Ellie said.
"I'm a little nerbous."
"I'm sure they're really nice."
As if on cue, Cindy, Anthony's babysitter bounded up and swept Anthony up in a bear hug and gave him a big smacking kiss on the cheek. Anthony wiped it away, giggling the entire time, prompting Cindy to cover his entire face with noisy pecks. "You see those boys over there?" she said, pointing to the soccer players. "They're my cousins, Ian and Billy. Ian's going to be in kindergarten, just like you. I've been telling them all about you."
Anthony went off with Cindy without so much as a second glance.
Ellie watched, smiling, as he joined the other boys in play. Then she looked around at the crowd of forty or so people, all engaged in conversation. The thought of intruding on any of them made her throat go tight again.
Sighting the bar area set up in one corner of the patio, she decided to drop off her offerings and get herself a cup of false courage.
She tucked her beer into the cooler and had just poured herself a clear plastic cup full of red wine when she heard a woman exclaim, "Ellie Tanner! Or Ellie Franklin, I guess I should say. The whole town has been buzzing about your return."
Though she hadn't heard it in over a decade, Ellie would have recognized that voice anywhere. It still made her shoulders bunch with tension and her skin prickle with distaste.
Pasting on a smile, she turned to face Amy Simpson. Ah, my frenemy of old, we meet again . "Actually, I took my maiden name back a few months ago."
Amy's unnaturally blue eyes—they'd been brown back in high school—widened with sympathy that was as real as Lindsay Lohan's lips. "Of course, you would want to associate yourself as little as possible with that horrible situation. We all felt so terrible for you."
Ellie nodded and sipped at her wine. One, two, three...
"You look so tired and worn out. You can just see how it's taken a toll on you."
And there she was, the Amy she remembered. Reeling you in with her saccharine sweetness so she could get you close enough to smack you down. She'd spent the better part of junior high and high school trying to steer Damon's attention away from Ellie and onto herself.
Apparently she'd succeeded, if Damon's intent focus on her earlier was anything to go by. Ellie took a sizable swallow of wine to wash away the sudden bitterness on her tongue.
"Well you look certainly look fantastic, Amy," Ellie said. "You know, whenever I come here I'm always so envious of how comfortable women seem to be with their bodies. In New York, everyone was so focused on being stick thin, I think it really does age you. But you're a prime example of how carrying a couple of extra pounds can keep you looking like you're still in high school." When it came to Amy, Ellie had learned to give as good as she got.
"Thanks," Amy said, her smile going brittle. "I find that skinny might look good on magazines and TV, but when it comes down to it, men like a little to hold on to."
"And you've had a wide enough sample to know."
"Right now only one man's opinion counts," Amy said raising her hand to wave at someone in the crowd, her smile coy.
Ellie knew in her gut who she was waving at, but she turned to confirm it just the same. Damon was looking their way, his expression unreadable as he returned Amy's wave.
"We've been seeing each other for a few
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