CHAPTER THREE
“And now to give the toast to the groom, please welcome our Maid of Honor, Scarlet Lindquist.”
Scarlet rose to her feet and made herself smile at the Master of Ceremonies, Ethan’s brother-in-law Graham. She clutched her wineglass with sweaty palms. The second toast she’d had to give in as many days and her nerves were on edge. In her line of work, she often had to speak in public and make presentations to clients, but she was completely confident and in control in her work life.
Right now, she was anything but in control. There was so much at stake, namely her sister’s happiness. If she said something Ethan, or his family, took offence to, it may affect Harper’s marriage.
God, she hoped Harper was doing the right thing.
Graham smiled encouragingly and handed her the mic. Scarlet’s hands shook as she began. “What can I say about Ethan? I haven’t known him long, but in that short time he’s demonstrated his generosity and kindness. And if you look over at the lodge construction site, you’ll know he’s a man who’s not afraid to take risks.
“He’s also willing to take the biggest risk of all – love. Ethan accomplished a feat no other man has ever managed before. He made my sister fall in love with him. I know that if Harper loves him, he must be very, very special.”
Her throat clogged with tears. She hadn’t expected to get so emotional. She paused for a moment and ducked her head. From the corner of her eye, she saw Cameron give her a reassuring wink. Surprised, she blinked at him, then raised her head and looked out at the fifty or so people gathered to celebrate the wedding.
“On behalf of my sister Maggie, I’d like to welcome Ethan into our family.” She lifted her wineglass. “To the groom.”
“To the groom.”
With the exception of the bride and groom, everyone in the room stood and offered a toast. Scarlet noticed that once more Cameron’s wineglass was empty. Maybe he was more of a beer guy.
Ethan got up from his chair and enveloped her in a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Your welcome means a lot to me.”
“Just make her happy, okay?”
“I will. I swear.”
Scarlet kissed his cheek. Despite the money, and despite the lies he’d told Harper when they’d first met, she believed him.
When she and Ethan sat down, Graham spoke into the mic. “And now for the toast to the bride, I give you the best man, Cameron Hainstock.”
Cameron got to his feet and walked to the podium, taking his empty wineglass with him. Butterflies danced in Scarlet’s stomach. She had no idea what he was going to say, but she hoped he didn’t embarrass Harper by making some crude remark about money.
He stuck his hand in the pocket of his suit pants, looking every inch the confident, self-assured male. His grey suit jacket fit perfectly across his broad shoulders, the cut of the pants accentuating his lean hips and powerful thighs. Scarlet swallowed and looked away. The last thing she needed to obsess about was Cameron Hainstock’s body.
“I don’t have any prepared remarks,” Cameron began. “But I wanted to say that I’ve never seen my brother happier. I wish both of you much success in the new venture you’ve embarked on with the lodge project. But mostly, I wish you much happiness in your life together. May you always love each other as much as you do right now.” He picked up his glass and held it high. “Welcome to the Hainstock clan, Harper. To the bride.”
“To the bride.”
Scarlet swallowed some of her wine, relieved no damage had been done. Harper rose to give Cameron a kiss on his cheek. Over Harper’s shoulder, he winked at her. When he sat down without looking her way again, she wondered if she’d imagined it.
Ethan and Harper stood together at the podium holding hands. “We’d like to thank everyone for coming and for making this such a special day for us,” Ethan said.
“We’d especially like to thank our families for everything they’ve done,” Harper said. She smiled at Scarlet and Maggie. “Thank you, my darling sister Maggie for all your work on the wonderful food you created, and to my work family over at Miller’s Resort for letting us use their kitchen to prepare it. It was a fabulous meal and I love you all.” She paused while people applauded. “And to my sister Scarlet, thank you for transforming this dreary tent into a beautiful fairy wonderland. If anyone could perform a miracle like that, it’s you. I love you both so much.” Her voice choked with emotion.
Ethan put his arm around her shoulders and accepted the microphone from her. “I want to thank my family as well. For Cam, Drew and Tessa for being in our wedding party, for Graham’s skills as Master of Ceremonies, and to Carrie and Lydia for making us all look pretty and getting us to my wedding on time. Without your support, today and every day, I’m not sure how I’d get by. I love you all.” He waited while everyone applauded. “That concludes the speeches for this evening. Now we can party!”
The dishes were quickly gathered and the food from the buffet tables packed in containers and taken away. The buffet tables were folded and removed from the wooden floor to allow for dancing. A four-piece band, set up in one corner of the tent, began to play. Graham, as Master of Ceremonies, announced the first dance.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Ethan Hainstock will now dance their first dance as husband and wife.”
The assembled group clapped and cheered as the bride and groom stepped onto the floor. The singer crooned the old Elvis song “I can’t help falling in love with you.” Ethan and Harper didn’t take their eyes off each other as they slowly waltzed their way around the small dance floor.
“They look so in love,” Maggie whispered.
Scarlet linked fingers with her sister. “I know.”
Her chest tightened. The way Ethan was looking at Harper, like she was his life, his everything, made her chest ache with longing.
She closed her eyes. You had your chance, and you threw it away. Twice.
Graham spoke into the mic again. “Would the rest of the wedding party please join the happy couple?”
Ethan’s nephew Drew was at Maggie’s side immediately, holding out his hand. Scarlet stifled a grin. He was a good-looking kid, but she was pretty confident he didn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hell with her beautiful younger sister.
Maggie politely accepted his hand and let Drew lead her out onto the floor. A moment later, Cameron was beside her.
“Would you like to dance?”
She looked up at him. His mouth was unsmiling and his dark eyes didn’t give any hint as to what he was thinking. The idea of being in his arms caused gooseflesh to rise on her arms and her stomach to flutter in excitement.
She gave herself a mental scolding. Stop it. She didn’t even like Cameron Hainstock. He could be abrupt and rude, and she still worried he’d cause Harper trouble in her marriage.
But he was also over six feet of hard-muscled male and she was only human. A few butterflies in the stomach didn’t mean anything.
Scarlet gave a quick nod and got to her feet. She suppressed a shiver when his hand rested on the small of her back. A moment later, they were out on the dance floor and she was in his arms.
“I saw your face,” he said.
“Excuse me?”
“You were afraid I was going to say something to embarrass your sister during my toast.”
There was no use denying it. “The thought had crossed my mind.”
“I would never embarrass Ethan on the most important day of his life. He tells me he loves Harper, and I have to accept it.”
Abrupt and rude. “How very big of you.”
To her amazement, he laughed. The smile transformed his face, making him look years younger, and almost…nice.
“You surprise me, Scarlet Lindquist.”
“Really? How’s that?”
“For one thing, you have a sense of humor.”
“I’ll have you know, I have a fabulous sense of humor. Everyone says so.”
“Secondly,” he said, ignoring her comment, “you were kind to my daughter. I appreciate that.”
“She’s a sweet little girl. Why wouldn’t I be kind to her?”
He kept his voice low. “Because I questioned the reason they were getting married so quickly.”
Yep, abrupt and rude. “And you thought I’d try to get back at you through Tessa?”
“The thought had crossed my mind,” he said dryly, mimicking her words.
“Wow, you really have a low opinion of me, don’t you? You think I’m so petty I would be mean to an innocent child so I could stick it to you?”
“Don’t take it personally. I’m suspicious of the motives of most women. I make an exception for my sister and my niece, and of course my daughter.”
Scarlet stared up into his face. He was serious. He must have been hurt pretty badly for him to distrust the entire female gender. “Well, as long as it’s nothing personal.”
He grinned and spun her around. Scarlet laughed. At least she knew where she stood with Cameron.
Tessa ran out onto the dance floor and Scarlet watched as she tugged on Ethan’s suit jacket. He picked her up and twirled her and Harper in a circle. Harper laughed and kissed Tessa’s cheek.
“She’s going to make you put her on your exception list,” Scarlet said. “You’ll never meet anyone more loving and genuine than Harper.”
Cameron looked at her, then back at Harper, all traces of humor gone from his face. “I sure as hell hope you’re right.”
Cam usually wasn’t much for dancing, but tonight was special. He danced with Lydia and Carrie and Maggie. He waltzed with Harper and told her she made his brother very happy. The glow of pure joy on her face gave him hope for Ethan’s future. Maybe Scarlet was right about her.
He danced with Scarlet several more times. He liked the way they fit together, the way she seemed to anticipate his every move. It was fun to have a partner so in sync with him.
But it was only a dance.
All three of the Lindquist sisters danced with Tessa and from what he could tell, his little girl had a ball. But it was nearly midnight, way past her bedtime. He looked around the tent for her.
Apparently, his little princess had turned into a pumpkin. From across the tent, he saw her curled in Scarlet’s arms, sound asleep. Scarlet had kicked off her heels and stretched her legs onto another chair, but she had to be uncomfortable. As he walked toward them, before she realized he was watching, she kissed Tessa’s hair.
The simple gesture was filled with tenderness and affection. A strong sensation of longing nearly brought him to his knees.
He shook it off, angry with himself. It meant nothing. He’d only reacted that way because he’d never seen Laura show as much warmth toward Tessa. He forced himself to calm down before he approached Scarlet.
With his emotions in check, he knelt beside her chair. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she whispered. Her smile was tired. “Turns out Tessa is a party pooper. She told me she was going to dance all night, but here we are.”
“Yeah. Here we are.”
Their gazes met and locked. They were so close he could see green flecks in her blue eyes, smell her light floral perfume. He looked away and stood up. “I should get her home. The limo is waiting to take us back to my place.”
Scarlet nodded. “She’s had a big day.”
An older man stumbled towards them, stretching his hand toward Scarlet. “Miranda? Oh, God, you’re alive! I thought you were dead. I was so afraid you were dead.”
The man had long graying hair and reeked of stale booze. He staggered into Cam, intent on reaching Scarlet. Cam grabbed his arm, not wanting this drunk to touch Scarlet or Tessa.
“No Willy, I’m not Miranda,” she said gently. “I’m Scarlet, her daughter. My mother is gone, remember?”
His face twisted in anguish. “Gone?”
“She drowned in the lake, remember? A long time ago.”
For a moment, Willy stared at her. Then, his face crumbled and sobs wrenched his body. He would have collapsed onto the floor, but Cam held him up.
“Who’s this guy?”
“Willy Eklund. He used to work for our grandfather at the lodge years ago. It looks like he’s had too much to drink. He…he has a problem with alcohol.”
A nice way of saying he was a drunk. The bartenders shouldn’t have let him have so much to drink.
Cam grabbed Willy by the scruff of the neck, ready to throw him out. He wouldn’t let him cause a scene and spoil the wedding.
Scarlet reached up and touched his arm, her eyes pleading. “Please. Don’t hurt him.”
As she spoke, two men he’d seen around Minnewasta, but didn’t know, appeared at his side. “We’ll make sure he gets home safely so he can sleep it off,” the taller man said. They grabbed Willy under his arms and half carried, half dragged him out the back entrance of the tent. Fortunately, not many of the guests noticed what had happened.
“I’m glad they’re driving him home. I’d hate for him to be out on the road in his condition.”
Cam’s jaw clenched. He’d been that guy, the one who drank too much and then got behind the wheel. The knowledge shamed him now.
He pushed away the shame. That was a different life, and he was a different man. He stood a little straighter and turned to Scarlet. She was resting her chin on Tessa’s head, a despondent expression in her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Everyone says I’m the one who looks the most like my mother.”
He heard the pain in her voice. He sank to his haunches beside her chair once more. “I’ve been told I look exactly like my dad when he was my age.”
Unfortunately, his looks weren’t the only thing he’d inherited from his father.
She looked at him as if she understood what he meant. “It’s a burden, isn’t it?”
He was saved from having to reply when Ethan and Harper stepped hand in hand onto the middle of the dance floor. Graham handed Ethan the cordless mic.
“The band tells us they’re going to play one more song before packing up, so we’d love to see everyone out on the dance floor one last time. We’re hosting a brunch at Miller’s Golf Resort tomorrow morning at eleven, and we’d like to invite everyone to attend. Thank you for making this such wonderful day for us. Please drive home safely.”
Cam turned to Scarlet, hoping his face didn’t show his chaotic thoughts. “Here, let me take her from you. She must be heavy.”
He scooped Tessa into his arms and held her securely against his shoulder with one arm. She woke, her eyes at half-mast. “Love you, Daddy. To the moon and back.”
He kissed her forehead and repeated the mantra they used every night she spent with him. “To the moon and back, pumpkin.”
She went back to sleep, once more as limp as a ragdoll. Despite the encounter with Willy, or perhaps because of it, he wasn’t ready for the night to end. At least, he didn’t want Willy’s drunken performance to be the last thing either he or Scarlet remembered. Before he could change his mind, he held his free hand out to Scarlet.
“You heard the man. It’s the last dance. Tessa would be disappointed if we didn’t take her out for one more spin.”
She smoothed Tessa’s poufy skirt, a smile tugging at her lips. “So, it’s Tessa who would be disappointed?”
“Of course. What can I say? I’m an indulgent father.”
She chuckled and grasped his hand, and he led her out onto the floor.
He twirled them around in a slow circle, careful not to jar his daughter and wake her. Without her heels, Scarlet felt almost petite in his arms. But she fit perfectly there. Like she belonged. He tugged her a little closer.
Idiot! What are you doing? Scarlet Lindquist didn’t even like him. The two of them had simply been caught up in the romance of the evening. And if he was honest with himself, lust was his predominant emotion. She was an incredibly beautiful, desirable woman. It was only natural he’d be attracted to her. He wasn’t dead yet.
The song ended and the band said their goodnights. Scarlet put her hand on Tessa’s back. “I guess it’s time to get this little one home.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Will you be coming to the brunch tomorrow morning?”
“Yes. The whole family will be there.”
“That’s good. I guess I’ll see you then.”
“Yes. Where are you staying tonight?” A second after the words left his mouth he realized how inappropriate they were. He didn’t want her to think he was asking for an invitation.
The thought brought him up short. Was he asking for an invitation?
A tiny frown wrinkled her forehead. “Maggie and I are staying in one of the cottages overlooking the lake. Ethan and Harper are in the other one.” She pulled away. “Thanks for the last dance. I’ll see you tomorrow at brunch.”
With that, she hurried back to the table to find her shoes. A few moments later, she joined Maggie and they walked out of the tent together. Without sparing a second glance at him.