“Smart man.”
After cake and dessert are served, Gil and Izzy decide to head home, as Gil is exhausted.Mason, who struck out with Emma’s friend, decides to accompany them back to Travis Ranch.The rest of her brothers hang around.
I stand with Phoebe at the edge of the dancefloor as the disc jockey invites Finn and Emma to take center stage for their first dance.
The overhead lights soften, and the shimmer of the Christmas lights take over.The first chords of Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” fill the arena.A few bars in, I fear another tissue shortage is imminent.
It’s a touching moment, and I feel Phoebe’s soft hand reach out for mine.I pull her close to my side and lower my lips to her hair.
I’m a man with a plan.A plan that’s developing at a fast clip.A plan that’s so good, and that will include so many twists and turns, that I’m about ready to laugh out loud.
“Are you enjoying our first date, Phoebs?”
She looks up at me, surprised.“Thisisour first date, isn’t it?”
I smile.“Might I interest you in a second?”
“It depends.”
“On?”
“Whether you’re a good dancer.”
“Challenge accepted.”
CHAPTER 63
Evander
I don’t know if it’s the cavernous size of the venue or size of the crowd or the addition of the Travis boys, but this reception ends up being a lot wilder than Cal and Victoria’s affair.
We go from rap to country to classic rock, and then from New Wave to Frank Sinatra to smooth jams.And then back again.
MeeMaw Phyllis cuts a rug with Finn.Dad twirls Emma until she’s dizzy.
All the women and girls—Victoria, Summer, Phoebe, Emma, Phyllis, and Jasmine, who’s on a wedding cake-fueled sugar high at this point, get out on the floor for the song “It’s Raining Men.”They’re joined by neighbors and friends and employees and women I’ve never seen before in my life.
There’s as much hysterical laughing going on as dancing.It’s almost as if they’re enjoying an inside joke.
Finn shouts in my ear, “Should I be worried about Jasmine?”
“Hell yes!”I tell him.
Later, Jasmine dances with Bo, then Jake, and then her Uncle Declan.It occurs to me that all the Travis brothers could become Jasmine’s uncles.For real.And sooner than anyone might think.What’s one little girl going to do with ten uncles?
Phoebe and I dance all night.Stevie Wonder.Eminem.Willie Nelson.Bob Marley.The Clash.Some G-rated Snoop Dogg.Dolly Parton.
The party is winding down.I see Declan sprawled out in a chair with Jasmine asleep on his lap.Summer’s face-down on the tablecloth.
The last song of the night is Eric Clapton’s “Change the World.”I pull Phoebe out onto the dance floor and into my arms as the lights dim.I nudge her with my hip and pull her tight, spin her and sway with her.She melds into my body, seems to know how I’ll move before I do.
“I love you, Phoebs,” I tell her.
“I love you right back, Van.”
Just to retaliate, I dip her.Lower this time.And the kiss I drop on her mouth is so hot that I half expect Jake to kick a few folding chairs across the arena and come at me.
Then I pull her back into my arms and we’re moving together again.
