the wedding.
Now, Kemble came up and put his arm around her. His touch made her shiver, but the heat of his arm on her back made her want to lean into him and let his warmth suffuse her. She wasn’t sure he’d want that. “You’ve been a trooper today.”
“Have I?” Only if being a trooper equaled being numb.
“None better.” He left her side to retrieve her small overnight bag from the back of the Escalade. “Let’s go in and get something to eat. I bet you’re as starved as I am.”
“I doubt that,” Jane said. She wasn’t hungry at all, though she hadn’t eaten all day. She was married to Kemble Tremaine. She still couldn’t believe it. She should feel like she belonged at the Breakers now. But she somehow belonged less than she ever did, even though Edwards called her Mrs. Tremaine. She wasn’t Mrs. Tremaine. That would always be Brina. She wasn’t even Maggie or Keelan. They had Tremaine magic.
The door stood open. The house was dim inside. She and Kemble pushed through together. Jane’s low heels clicked across the tile in the foyer.
“I wonder if Mr. Nakamura put champagne in the bar cooler to chill,” Kemble said, taking her hand and drawing her forward. The electric shock she got from his hand wasn’t static electricity. More like sexual electricity, if there was such a thing. It made her blink. I’m a wife. And tonight I’ll have to be a wife to Kemble. She was so not ready for that. That was the other thing that had kept her up all night, besides her mother, and the guilt of taking advantage of his situation. She was a selfish b—witch. Who was also a virgin. Kemble was in for a disappointment if he wanted someone talented at making love. This was going to be a disaster.
The living room lights snapped on. Her heart leaped into her throat. Thirteen people shouted “Congratulations.” Lancelot barked in surprise and outrage. They all wore those stupid conical party hats held on with strings of elastic under the chin in day-glow shiny colors. Even Brian and Brina. They blew tweeters that razzed out like tongues and little whistles that shrieked in odd tones. Tamsen tossed rice at them and Lanyon had what seemed like a bucket of Mylar confetti that he kept dumping in handfuls over them. Little Jesse shrieked with joy as he scooped up the shiny flakes to throw them again. Bagheera, Tamsen’s black cat, batted at the falling glitter. Kemble held up an arm to shield his face, laughing, and Jane ducked her head. It was Brian who finally held up a hand.
“Okay, enough everybody. Don’t drown them.” He came up and put his arm around Jane, nudging Kemble out of the way. “Welcome to the family, Jane.”
That set off another round of cheering. Maggie provided Mr. Edwards and Ernie with party hats, which looked particularly silly on their beefy frames. Jane was blushing so hard she thought she might faint. She shook her head, trying to fend off the others who came up for hugs. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention, ever. “Please, please,” she demurred as Maggie and Keelan kissed cheeks and held her close. “I’m the one who’s honored.”
Brian shook Kemble’s hand, though she saw a shadow cross the older man’s face.
“Jane can keep us in line,” Lanyon grinned, tossing another handful of Mylar.
“Lord forbid,” Jane said fervently. “I’m sure I couldn’t.”
“No one can keep Lanyon in line. Stop with the confetti, little brother.” Drew’s quelling look actually did have some effect. Drew was looking very drawn and tired to Jane.
“Oh, all right,” Lanyon pouted. “I guess the only reason you want me around is because you need some music for the wedding dance.” He stomped over to the baby grand that stood in an alcove under an arched window between some lush ferns. He started to play “Feelings,” until Tristram threw a couch pillow at him, at which point he switched to “You Light Up My Life.”
Tristram rolled his eyes. “I give
Now, Kemble came up and put his arm around her. His touch made her shiver, but the heat of his arm on her back made her want to lean into him and let his warmth suffuse her. She wasn’t sure he’d want that. “You’ve been a trooper today.”
“Have I?” Only if being a trooper equaled being numb.
“None better.” He left her side to retrieve her small overnight bag from the back of the Escalade. “Let’s go in and get something to eat. I bet you’re as starved as I am.”
“I doubt that,” Jane said. She wasn’t hungry at all, though she hadn’t eaten all day. She was married to Kemble Tremaine. She still couldn’t believe it. She should feel like she belonged at the Breakers now. But she somehow belonged less than she ever did, even though Edwards called her Mrs. Tremaine. She wasn’t Mrs. Tremaine. That would always be Brina. She wasn’t even Maggie or Keelan. They had Tremaine magic.
The door stood open. The house was dim inside. She and Kemble pushed through together. Jane’s low heels clicked across the tile in the foyer.
“I wonder if Mr. Nakamura put champagne in the bar cooler to chill,” Kemble said, taking her hand and drawing her forward. The electric shock she got from his hand wasn’t static electricity. More like sexual electricity, if there was such a thing. It made her blink. I’m a wife. And tonight I’ll have to be a wife to Kemble. She was so not ready for that. That was the other thing that had kept her up all night, besides her mother, and the guilt of taking advantage of his situation. She was a selfish b—witch. Who was also a virgin. Kemble was in for a disappointment if he wanted someone talented at making love. This was going to be a disaster.
The living room lights snapped on. Her heart leaped into her throat. Thirteen people shouted “Congratulations.” Lancelot barked in surprise and outrage. They all wore those stupid conical party hats held on with strings of elastic under the chin in day-glow shiny colors. Even Brian and Brina. They blew tweeters that razzed out like tongues and little whistles that shrieked in odd tones. Tamsen tossed rice at them and Lanyon had what seemed like a bucket of Mylar confetti that he kept dumping in handfuls over them. Little Jesse shrieked with joy as he scooped up the shiny flakes to throw them again. Bagheera, Tamsen’s black cat, batted at the falling glitter. Kemble held up an arm to shield his face, laughing, and Jane ducked her head. It was Brian who finally held up a hand.
“Okay, enough everybody. Don’t drown them.” He came up and put his arm around Jane, nudging Kemble out of the way. “Welcome to the family, Jane.”
That set off another round of cheering. Maggie provided Mr. Edwards and Ernie with party hats, which looked particularly silly on their beefy frames. Jane was blushing so hard she thought she might faint. She shook her head, trying to fend off the others who came up for hugs. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention, ever. “Please, please,” she demurred as Maggie and Keelan kissed cheeks and held her close. “I’m the one who’s honored.”
Brian shook Kemble’s hand, though she saw a shadow cross the older man’s face.
“Jane can keep us in line,” Lanyon grinned, tossing another handful of Mylar.
“Lord forbid,” Jane said fervently. “I’m sure I couldn’t.”
“No one can keep Lanyon in line. Stop with the confetti, little brother.” Drew’s quelling look actually did have some effect. Drew was looking very drawn and tired to Jane.
“Oh, all right,” Lanyon pouted. “I guess the only reason you want me around is because you need some music for the wedding dance.” He stomped over to the baby grand that stood in an alcove under an arched window between some lush ferns. He started to play “Feelings,” until Tristram threw a couch pillow at him, at which point he switched to “You Light Up My Life.”
Tristram rolled his eyes. “I give
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