“I’m fine. I want you to enjoy yourself. This is your night.”
Her brow furrowed and her eyebrows pushed together as she stared up at him. “And not yours?”
“Of course it is. I only meant that you’re surrounded by your family and friends and I want you to enjoy yourself.”
She smiled, kissed him on the cheek and then settled back at his side as they were besieged my more congratulations.
“Ashley! Ashley!”
Devon turned to see a young woman barreling through the crowd practically dragging a man in her wake. He looked a bit harried but wore an indulgent smile. Devon stared a moment and then realized that whomever the woman was, she bore a striking resemblance to Ashley and she had every appearance of sharing many of the same personality traits. Probably one of her many cousins.
“Brooke!” Ashley cried. She put out her hands just as Brooke careened to a halt and Brooke grabbed hold, beaming from ear to ear.
“Guess what, guess what?” Brooke said breathlessly.
“Oh, don’t make me guess. You know I’m horrible at it!” Ashley exclaimed.
“I’m pregnant! Paul and I are going to have a baby!”
Ashley’s shriek of excitement could be heard over the entire room. Devon winced then quickly glanced around as everyone stared their way.
“Oh, my God, Brooke! I’m so excited for you! When? How far along are you?”
“Just ten weeks. I had to tell you as soon as I found out, but then you’ve been so busy with Devon and then I heard you guys were getting married and I didn’t want to intrude—”
“You should have texted me at least,” Ashley said. “Oh, Brooke, I’m so thrilled for you. I can only imagine how excited I’ll be when I become pregnant. I hope our babies are close together and can be playmates!”
Ashley had grown louder and louder, her exuberance drawing the attention of the others, who cast indulgent smiles in Ashley’s direction.
She was animated and talking a mile a minute, throwing her hands this way and that, and nearly crashed into a passing waiter. Only Devon’s and Cam’s quick lunge for the tray of drinks prevented complete disaster. Ashley continued, oblivious to the chaos around her.
Then she impulsively hugged Brooke again. For the third time. Then she hugged Paul. Then she hugged Brooke again, the entire time wringing her hands in excitement.
Cam chuckled and shook his head. “You’ve got quite the chore on your hands, Dev. Keeping up with her is going to wear your stick-in-the-mud ass out.”
“Don’t you have somewhere else to be and someone else to torture?” Devon muttered.
Cam glanced Ashley’s way once more and Devon swore he saw genuine affection in his friend’s eyes.
“She’s cute,” Cam said as he put his wineglass aside.
“Cute?”
Cam shifted uncomfortably. “She’s sweet, okay? She seems…genuine and you can’t ask for more than that.”
Devon stared agape at his friend. “You like her.”
Cam scowled darkly.
Devon laughed. “You like her. You, who doesn’t like anyone, actually like her.”
“She’s nice,” Cam muttered.
“But you don’t think I should marry her,” Devon prompted.
“Shh, she’s going to hear you,” Cam hissed.
But Ashley had already drifted away from Devon and was solidly ensconced in a squeal-fest with Brooke as others had heard the news and had descended. She wasn’t going to hear an earthquake if a fault suddenly opened up under the building and sucked everyone in.
