Page 32 of No Place Like Home (Orlinda Valley #3)

Summer

T he wedding was perfect, and having Rowan across from me made it even better. His tight-cut hair, the scruff that covered his face, his brown eyes, and the perfectly fitted tux made him look like a billionaire businessman—yet more handsome and hot than any billionaire businessman I could imagine.

We sat at the head table and watched as Kora and Kai took their first dance as husband and wife.

Then Kora danced with her father, and Kai surprised everyone when he asked Tonya to dance with him, since he didn’t have a mother.

She was shocked speechless and beamed. She might be a pain most of the time, but she loved her people big, and she deserved to be in the spotlight.

“Now the bride and groom want the wedding party to join them on the dance floor,” the DJ announced.

The couples walked hand-in-hand onto the dance floor, and as soon as Rowan wrapped one arm around my waist and pulled me close, my heart fluttered, and my knees went weak—but the look he gave me made my insides liquify.

I couldn’t pull my eyes from his. How could he look at me like that and still have composure on this floor?

Or expect me to? Shoot, I was having a hard time not ravaging his lips on the spot or pulling him from the dance floor and finding a storage closet—or better yet, a large tree or stable stall—to take advantage of him. He was too delectable to ignore.

“What’s going through that mind of yours?” Rowan asked as we spun slowly to the beat of the music.

“If you really want to know,” I snickered, “I was wondering where I could take you to let you have your way with me. You in that tux is . . . mmm, mmm, mmm.” I skimmed my tongue over my lips and got the exact reaction I was hoping for: his mouth on mine.

I could tell how much he wanted what I wanted. I could feel it in his kiss. The need, the desire, the want. I pulled away just enough to say, “People are watching.”

“Good,” he said. “Let them watch.”

My eyes trailed over his face as we swayed in each other’s arms. This seemed all too familiar. “Do you remember prom?” I asked.

“How could I forget it,” he said. “I’d just broken up with Melinda and your boyfriend had dumped you, so you wore the dress you’d already bought, I wore the tux I’d already rented, and we went together.”

“Yeah, we did. We danced the entire night. It was so much fun, as far as a high school dance went. It didn’t feel like this, though.”

Rowan’s eyes held mine. “Maybe for you, but I was at prom with my dream girl.”

I was his dream girl. My heart swooned, yet it didn’t seem possible. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

He pulled away more. “I was afraid I’d scare you off, and then I would have also lost my best friend. ”

He was probably right. My headspace sucked senior year, well all through my teen years. I didn’t think I was worthy of anything and was lost in my depressed world.

But now, I had to know something, “Why tell me now?”

I didn’t get an answer.

“Okay, lovebirds,” the DJ interrupted, “let’s get this party started and open up the dance floor.” He turned up a fast tune and the floor filled quickly.

Rowan gestured to the tables and I gladly obliged. “I need to use the lady’s room and grab a drink. Want me to grab you anything?”

“A beer, please.” He kissed me. “Hurry back.”

I was beaming and floating on a cloud. Who knew being with an amazing man could make a woman fell like this. My eyes caught Kora and Kai, and Darlene and Bryson on the dance floor. Okay, Kora and Darlene. That’s who.

There was a spring in my step when I got out of the restroom and stopped at the bar to order our drinks. I doubted anything could bring me down to earth, and I wasn’t going to complain.

Lance joined me as I waited for my drinks. I glanced at his face. It was swollen and bruising. “I’m surprised you’re still here,” I said, wincing. “Thought you’d need to go lay down. It looks like it hurts.”

“Just a bit.” He asked the bartender for a beer. “Can’t miss this wedding, though.” Lance leaned against the bar. “Don’t know what you did to get Rowan to bow at your feet, but he’s pretty smitten with you.”

“Smitten?” I asked, and thanked the bartender as he placed our drinks on the counter.

“Yeah. He must be, with how quickly he was willing to stand up for you. ”

I shrugged. “Yeah, well he shouldn’t have to stand up for me.” I narrowed my eyes. “What did you say that got him so pissed off?”

“Doesn’t matter. Just trying to rile him up, you know—pick on him like the good ol’ days.”

“Yeah, well looks like that was a piss-poor idea.”

“Nice language.”

“No worse than the trash you date.”

“You would know.”

Yeah, that dig hit home, but there was no way I’d ever let Lance know how much his words hurt. “What you think of me has never bothered me. Too bad you can’t have some of your mother in you. I guess Lilly took all the good DNA.”

Lance took a deep sip of his beer, and I walked back to the table, which had been filled in at one end with James, Lena, Madelyne, Darcie, and Skylar. I sat next to Skylar and gave Rowan his beer.

“Well, if it isn’t the most beautiful princesses of Orlinda Valley—and James, of course,” I said.

“Hi Summer,” Darcie said. “We saw you kissing my Uncle Rowan.”

“Yeah,” James said, his voice suspicious. “Why were you kissing him? You aren’t married.”

I glanced at Rowan, and he hid his face in his beer, a sexy smirk plastered on it.

“Duh,” Madelyne said as she rolled her eyes dramatically. “You don’t have to be married to kiss.”

“Yeah,” Skylar agreed. “Don’t you know anything?”

“Boys are so stupid,” Darcie said.

“I’m not stupid. Kissing is gross, and you shouldn’t kiss anyone until you’re ready to have babies,” James insisted .

“Uh, who told you that?” I asked.

“My grammy, and she knows everything.”

“I love Grammy,” Madelyne said, “but she said that Summer had a bad attitude, and that’s not true.” She turned to me. “You don’t, Summer.”

“Attitude? What’s that?” James asked.

“OMG, James. You really don’t know anything, do you?” Darcie teased.

“Y’all . . .” I tried to calm them down as Rowan shook with laughter. I gave him a side-eyed glance. He was no help.

James leaned toward Darcie. “Not true!” He yelled. “You’re just a mean old little witch.”

“Kids.” I put my hands on each of them. “We can’t talk to each other like this. Especially on Aunt Kora and Uncle Kai’s wedding day. That’s not nice. If you want to talk things out, you should do that, but yelling isn’t the answer.”

“So, we should fight and break each other’s noses like Uncle Rowan did to Lance?” asked James.

“What?” Darlene bellowed, suddenly paying attention to the kids’ conversation. “No, James. Not acceptable.”

I laughed and some of the concern oozed from my chest. “James, your mom’s right. You should never fight. Your uncle was sticking up for a friend.”

“Oh, so when someone picks on one of the girls at school, then I can punch them in the nose?” James asked.

“Good God, James,” I said, and glanced at Bryson or Rowan for help. They still were useless. “No, you can’t. Now, why don’t you each see if your grandmas will get you a piece of cake? ”

“Yay, we can have cake!” they cried as they bounded away toward the grandmothers.

I watched the kids run across the pavilion, then took a big swig of my drink. Damn, they were a handful.

“You’re so good with those kiddos,” Darlene said. “I can’t wait till you get to meet our baby. You’ll have to babysit.”

I laughed. “Of course! You know I loved sitting for James and Darcie.”

Darlene took a sip of water and spoke over the top of her glass. “You’d make a great mother one day, Summer. I’ve always known that.”

I shrugged. “Maybe, but no time soon.”

“Watch out, Rowan,” Bryson quipped, “or she’ll have you getting ready for a child soon. Even without marriage.”

“I don’t think we need to talk about that,” Rowan said as he choked on his drink.

“Why, don’t you want to be a dad?” Jamison asked.

“Of course I do. More than anything. Someday. But . . .”

And that’s all I heard. Rowan wanted to be a parent more than anything.

My heart, which was still floating from Rowan’s closeness just minutes ago, plummeted in my chest so hard it was like a plane crashed in my gut.

I didn’t even feel this upset when Lance was putting me down at the bar.

I glanced around at everyone, wondering if they’d seen my shift in mood, and then tried my best to keep up with the conversations around me, but failed miserably.

Lilly sat close to Jamison, his arm draped over the back of her chair, and Bryson leaned his elbows on the table, head of the conversation as usual .

Couples were everywhere. I glanced around the room, and my eyes fell on Leila and Adler, who sat with the book club ladies, deep in conversations as the kids ate their cake.

Leila was also pregnant, due in February.

Then, of course, there were Kora and Kai, snapping pictures with guests, both of them glowing.

I would guarantee she’d be pregnant by Christmas. I knew they didn’t want to wait.

Everyone happy. Everyone a family.

Darlene was talking to Rowan, and I caught part of their conversation.

“I’m glad you’ll be here to be a part of this one’s life from birth.

She’ll need her uncle around to keep her grounded and keep her daddy from going ballistic.

You’re the focused and calm one of the three, Rowan,” Darlene said as she rubbed her small belly. “Well, usually.” She winked.

Jamison agreed. “You’re like Dad that way. He had so much patience and was always so even-keeled.”

“He had to be,” Bryson said. “Look at Mom. Talk about opposites attracting.”

The music picked up tempo and the DJ announced it was time to do some line dancing. Lilly and Darlene pulled me on the floor, soon followed by the guys, and all talk of children was forgotten.