The décor inside the Denver event center ballroom nearly took Emma’s breath away. The annual fashion show and luncheon featured a Nutcracker theme, and unlike the overwhelming tackiness of the décor on her father’s house, this event was so elegantly styled, her Grinch-like heart almost grew in size.
Live models, dressed as soldiers and ballerinas, stood posed on platforms, rotating and shifting positions every thirty seconds, the painted-on expressions on their porcelain-looking faces never faltering. Their movements were smooth and elegant as they changed from one stance to the next. Their costumes alone were breathtaking, and the vibrant colors and attention to detail were surprising. Never having attended the event before, Emma was impressed by the level of planning that had obviously gone into one of the University Hospital’s biggest annual charity fundraisers.
“Last time I attended, the models were dressed like snow angels for the snow globe theme,” Jess said excitedly, taking in their surroundings.
Emma was happy to see that her sister was in a good mood and not at all depressed as Emma thought she might be, attending that year without their mother.
It was the main reason she hadn’t brought up the fiasco of Friday night’s dinner. Yet. She would though. Jess wasn’t off the hook for that.
Though it was harder to remain upset with her sister when Jess had unknowingly done Emma a favor. That evening two nights before had certainly gotten to Ash, made him start to sweat a little about losing her. It had obviously put the idea in his head that he could.
A real date, he’d said.
He’d invited her to the NHL award ceremony the following weekend. Not as his best friend, but as his date. It was a step in the right direction and had given her hope. She knew not to expect big gestures from Ash. Baby steps.
She smiled as she and Jess entered the main dining area for the event.
The catwalk in the center of the room had a castle backdrop, and the runway was covered with glistening white felt that looked like a winter wonderland. The walls were bathed in projected images of a toy shop, and it felt as though they really were stepping inside a kid’s sugarplum dream. Around the runway were round tables of ten with numbers in the center.
“Every year gets better,” Jess said, accepting two glasses of Champagne with cranberries floating in them from a waiter’s tray and handing her one.
“I’ll admit, it’s a lot more impressive than I’d thought it would be.”
Jess beamed, and suddenly Emma was glad she’d agreed to go. With her travel and training schedule over the years, the two hadn’t gotten a chance to become close, like other siblings did. She’d left home to train in Breckenridge when Jess was twelve. And their vast differences in interests kept them from connecting…but maybe it was time they found something to connect on.
Maybe this yearly event could be a start. She felt a sharp pang in her chest as she thought of the previous events she’d never gotten to experience with their mom. And suddenly, she was the nostalgic mess for something she’d never even experienced.
“We’re seated near the left side of the stage,” Jess said, checking the table numbers. “This way.”
Emma followed and smiled in greeting to the other ladies already sitting at the table. On her seat was a gift bag full of expensive items from the event’s organizers and sponsors. The bag alone was worth the two-hundred-dollar ticket, which her sister had insisted on paying.
“Hi,” Jess said, setting her purse down under the table and removing her winter coat. “I’m Jess, and this is my sister, Emma.”
Introductions were made, and an event official approached the table with an envelope. “Hi, everyone. Here is your donation envelope. Feel free to slide in anything you’d like and pass it along. We’ll draw names for the centerpieces from these envelopes once the fashion show is over.”
“The centerpieces are donated from a local artist for the event. Each year, I tried to win and I never did. Maybe this will be my year,” Jess said.
The centerpiece was a beautiful tall statue of a ballerina and the Nutcracker soldier, missing one of his wooden legs. The soldier was holding the ballerina in one arm, and touching her face with his other hand, his tender gaze staring deep into hers. The dancer’s right leg was lifted and her head was titled delicately to the side as she returned the lovestruck expression. Emma swallowed an unexpected lump in her throat. An injured hero and the woman who loved him. The sentiment struck her at her core as she saw herself and Asher in the beautifully sculpted art piece.
Next to her, Jess slid her tiny envelope of cash into the bigger envelope and handed it to her. “Could you pass it along?”
Emma hesitated, then opened her purse and removed a twenty-dollar bill, slid it inside her own tiny envelope, and wrote her name on the outside, ignoring Jess’s look of surprise. “What? The money goes to charity, right?” In truth, she was shocked at how much she wanted to win that centerpiece. It was inspiring in the oddest of ways.
“Okay, we’ll go with that,” Jess said with a knowing look that made Emma shift her attention to the runway stage.
The fashion show started as the delicious three-course lunch was served by waiters who drifted through the room like ghosts, and Emma couldn’t believe how much she was enjoying both. The chocolate raspberry mousse for dessert melted on her tongue, and she closed her eyes to savor the taste. She could admit when Jess was right, and she’d been right about how wonderful the event was. Definitely the way to start the holiday season. Her festive mood had finally arrived, and she was certain they’d just started their own holiday tradition.
“Oh my God—that winter coat is gorgeous,” Jess whispered excitedly next to her as a new song started and a single model appeared on the runway in a red wool coat that reached the floor, with a big fur-trimmed hood and brass buttons along the front. Jess jotted down the store name on her napkin and tucked it into her purse.
Guess they were making a trip to LaDeserie in downtown Denver after they left here.
But then the model removed the coat to reveal a dark green, strapless evening gown. Emma’s eyes widened. It was beautiful. Floor length and form-fitting with the slightest flare at the bottom, it was breathtaking. Tiny flecks throughout the fabric caught in the overhead runway lights and created a shimmering, glistening effect.
“That dress would look amazing on you, dear,” the older woman next to her whispered.
Emma shook her head. She hardly had the same lines and curvy figure as the model wearing it. She’d need two padded bras to pull off the cleavage pouring over the top and an extra three inches of height to accommodate the length…Could she walk in six-inch heels?
The broken ankle was tempting.
“I agree, Em,” Jess said. “It’s the perfect color for you and you’re so tiny…It’s too bad there isn’t an event in Glenwood Falls you could wear it to.”
Maybe not one in Glenwood Falls…She discreetly wrote the name of the store on her napkin as well and stashed it in her purse. Not buying it later that day with Jess might be a challenge, but she didn’t want to ruin their day of bonding with talk of Asher. But that dress was suddenly the only thing she wanted to wear to the NHL award ceremony. For their date.
What would he think if he saw her in that dress? Would he finally see her in a different light?
As the last model left the runway, the event organizer took to the stage with their donation envelopes. “Okay, it’s time to announce the winners of the centerpieces. Thank you to everyone who donated.”
Emma sat straighter as the table numbers were called and a winner was announced. Her hands clenched in her lap as their table number was called. There were only ten of them at the table. Her chances weren’t terrible…
“The winner for table forty-two is…Jessica Callaway,” the announcer said, with a smile in their general direction.
“Yay!” Jess said, clapping her hands along with everyone else.
Disappointment filled Emma’s chest, but she forced a smile. Great. Now she’d have to see the centerpiece at her sister’s house. Each one was designed by the local artist exclusively for the event, so any hope of getting one for herself was nonexistent. She was happy her sister finally won, but it would be easier if the beautiful, hauntingly symbolic statuette that had her emotions raging were in someone else’s home for the holidays.
They are just statues.
“Congrats, Jess.”
Her sister reached forward to collect her prize, carefully picking up the wooden statuette and accepting the congratulations of the other ladies around the table. Then, sitting back down, she placed it in the oversized gift bag the organizers had provided and handed it to her.
Emma’s mouth gaped.
“For coming with me today,” Jess said, touching her hand.
“Oh no…You won it…” Her protests were half-hearted.
“I want you to have it.” She collected her purse and coat and stood. “Now, let’s get out of here and go get that winter coat for me and that stunning dress for you…so you can wear it for a man I totally think it’s wasted on.”
* * *
Not being able to pick Emma up for their first real date wasn’t exactly getting the evening off to a fantastic start, but unfortunately Asher was in Denver already, getting briefed by the ceremony committee about tonight’s events. Sixteen players were being honored that evening, and Ben’s award was the last one.
So much for calling it an early evening to be alone with Emma. She would be driving into Denver later that day, and he couldn’t wait to see her.
Though he was admittedly nervous as shit.
Since suggesting that they try a real relationship, he had only seen her at his daily hour-long therapy sessions, not wanting them to end up in bed together. Now that they were going to try dating, he figured they should cool it in the sheets. Though how he was justifying that idea to himself he didn’t know.
He paced the back of the event hall, his speech in his hand. He’d written it in the car, on the way, while Jackson drove and his mother and Abby insisted on putting in their two cents on what he should say. No matter how many times he read it, it still sounded lame.
Not an easy task.
“Hey, Ash…you ready?” Juliette asked, coming up behind him. Wearing a headset and carrying a clipboard, she looked organized and in control, as always. “We’re going to quickly run through the order of things to make sure everything goes smoothly at the ceremony.”
“Yeah, I’m good to go.” The speech would have to do. There was no time to write anything new, and he’d captured what he’d wanted to say, anyway. Following Jackson’s advice, he was only thinking of Ben as a brother that evening. One he really was proud of.
He followed Juliette inside the hotel ballroom, and his heart rate increased at the sight of the setup. The three-thousand-square-foot space was decorated in black and silver with white rose centerpieces and thousands of white lights draped from the ceiling. A stage was set up in the front of the room, a big projection screen to play game highlights behind it. Several wine and dessert bars were ready to serve the VIP attendees, and soon Emma would be there. As his date. In a few hours he’d be standing up on the stage presenting his brother with an award, and that was the thing about the evening he was suddenly the least nervous about.