“Pardon me, dear. Do you mind?”
I turned to see a smiling Deborah Townsend staring at me, questioning. She looked gorgeous with her sparkling blue eyes, dark hair that was pulled off of her lightly made up face, in her long off-the-shoulder powder blue gown.
“How about I take this handful of a man off your hands just for a little while?”
I looked between Aaron and his mother, realizing it was time for the groom’s dance with his mother.
“Please.” I nodded just before pivoting to leave the dance floor. I felt Aaron’s eyes on my back the entire time.
I went straight to the bride and groom’s table, picking up a glass of champagne that had been left for us. I thought about swiping the glass that had been left for Aaron knowing that he wasn’t going to touch it but I nixed that idea. I went to look for Kyle and Kennedy, but stopped when I saw them running around Aaron and his mother as they danced. A second later they were taken by the hand by Joshua and Tyler and began playing. A tug in my heart started.
“It’s strange, right?”
I turned, a little startled. I squinted at the woman who’d come up on my side without my noticing.
“Michelle, right?”
She nodded, smiling, her caramel skin shining due to the light makeup she wore. She was Carter’s, Aaron’s older brother, wife.
“What’s strange?” I questioned.
“That.” She nodded in the direction of Kyle, Kennedy, and now Diego playing with Aaron’s three brothers and his father. “I was a single parent for six years before Carter. You get used to them being totally dependent on you. Then once you get married, they’ve suddenly got this big family they can rely on.”
I glanced over at the children and then back at Michelle, giving her a half smile. She was right.
“You’d think I was happy about it, right?”
She laughed. “Being a single parent is hard work. It’s tough. But they’re your babies so you don’t question it. Then overnight you become a family and suddenly they’re not as reliant on you. It’s an adjustment, but you get used to it.”
I nodded.
“I just wanted to give my congratulations.” She looked out at Aaron and his mother who were finishing their dance.
“Thanks,” I murmured.
“I, uh…” She paused. “Well, you’ve certainly…um, Aaron seems like quite a catch.”
I gave her a genuine grin. “No, he doesn’t. He’s scary as hell.”
Michelle’s eyes bulged and she gaped at me, startled.
I giggled. “It’s okay. I said it so you wouldn’t have to.”
Her shoulders slumped as she blew out a breath, relieved. “I don’t know him that well.”
I nodded. “Not many people do.” For a short period in time, I thought I was one of the lucky ones who had gotten to know him—therealAaron Townsend—but I was wrong.
Michelle asked me about the children’s schooling and we moved from the topic of my husband to safer territory. I was grateful to talk about something other than my new marriage, especially since I was still trying to wrap my own head around it all.
****
Aaron
“She looks beautiful.”
Warm jealousy rose in the pit of my stomach at my brother’s words. I turned to face Joshua, whose eyes were still trained on Patience and Michelle as they talked near the bride and groom’s table at the head of the dance floor.
“Take your eyes off my wife.”
