Awakening Veronica (8 page)

Travis McDaniel, in the flesh. The heart-pounding, sex-personified flesh.

He smiled at her again, a smile that couldn’t be mistaken between a man and a woman, and her heart responded with another whoop-whoop and her panties went from damp to drenched in the next heartbeat. She shifted her gaze to the utterly sexy man with silver sideburns standing next to Travis. Sweat broke out all over her body, gluing her knit dress to her at the sensual warmth in
his
gaze. Grace had identified him a few minutes before as the man she would be talking with later about her research into domination and she’d gone weak in the knees.

What were the odds that two such masculine, handsome men would both look at
her
like that?

Surely I’m hallucinating.

The crowd shifted and the men’s eyes traveled up and down her form in a way that left her fevered and more than a little self-conscious. Unable to bear the scrutiny of her less than appealing frumpiness, she moved to shield herself from their gaze.

Please, guys, let me have the fantasy a little longer.

Her hand shook as she repositioned her eyeglasses and turned her attention to the wedding.

She’d had a greater purpose in coming to this event. A ménage wedding—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She needed to soak up every second of it for later reference.

The bride was glorious in a dress that Grace had told her had also been worn by the bride’s mother decades before. But beyond the beauty of the dress, the happiness in the bride’s features was palpable, nearly ethereal, as she neared her grooms, one of which she would be wedding legally in this ceremony.

Veronica watched the grooms as they gazed at their bride and tears stung the backs of Veronica’s eyes at the nonverbal way they responded to her. The “official” groom, Cody, the tallest of the three with long wavy black hair, looked at his bride with heat in his eyes that was nearly palpable, his eyelids going to half-mast in a way that Veronica found utterly transfixing.

Veronica had learned that the three men had known each other most of their lives, and had grown up together in the foster care system and considered each other as brothers.

Next to Cody stood Heath, who exuded an irresistible sex appeal. Veronica found his pale green eyes to be especially noteworthy. She wondered if she’d have the guts to ask him for a quick photo opportunity after the wedding, and immediately doubted it. She’d just have to commit their pale green color to her memory.

Heath grinned and his eyes took on a decidedly mischievous twinkle as he watched Maizy approach. Chancing a quick glance at Maizy, Veronica noted the fresh blush deepening in Maizy’s cheeks.

As the bride proceeded, the guests moved in behind her, filling the aisle, insulating the wedding party from the world outside in a way that Veronica found surprisingly easy to tolerate. She wouldn’t abandon this moment, no matter how anxious she felt.

A sort of euphoric fullness welled in Veronica, replacing the nerves, as the part of her that was inherently a writer wished for the chance to press “stop” on the moment so she could jot down some notes.

Continuing her perusal, Veronica was struck by the emotion in the eyes of the third groom. His warm, golden-brown eyes were slightly bloodshot and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. Veronica’s heart tripped as she realized he was holding back tears at the sight of his future wife, and she was surprised when a tear trickled all on its own from her eye, in empathy for a man she hadn’t even met yet.

Moments like these she’d learned to guard with all her heart, for preservation later in the written word. She’d met very few people who would truly understand how she felt. She knew this because she’d been teased unmercifully since a young age for
feeling
everything
so strongly. It had been a blessing when she’d finally discovered a creative outlet for that soul-deep sensory input in writing.

The wedding between Maizy and Cody proceeded, their hands clasped as they said their vows.

Veronica noticed as Maizy spoke that although she was addressing Cody, all three men’s body language responded to her words. It was fascinating to watch, yet she felt for Heath and Spencer, who were undoubtedly holding back their true feelings for the sake of the guests present who weren’t fully aware of all the facets of Maizy’s relationship.

A fresh wave of heat flowed over her which she at first attributed to the emotions of witnessing the intimate ceremony. But her gaze was drawn once more to the distractingly handsome men across the aisle, only to discover that they were no longer standing where they’d been earlier before the crowd had shifted.

The tumult that had been simmering inside her flared into a bonfire as she sensed the crowd repositioning behind her. Curious, she turned her head and looked up into Hank’s pale-gray eyes, shadowed with concern, and then into Travis’s mahogany-brown eyes. They’d moved to stand close behind her—both of them. She trembled when she felt Travis’s hand slide around hers. The grasp felt so comforting she had to fight the urge to lean against him.

Eleven years. She responded to him this way after eleven years.

A silent gasp escaped her as his other hand slid in a caress from her shoulder, down her spine, to her waist and she heard his slow, almost imperceptible inhalation near her ear and a soft groan.

He’s sniffing me?

He squeezed her hand and she realized she’d tightened her grip on him. Loosening her hold, she looked up at him but found that he was watching the ceremony with a smile on his face. She faced forward again and caught Grace watching her, eyes twinkling with mischief, from where she stood with her men, next to Kate. Veronica knew that look because she saw it on Kate’s face often enough. A disgruntled murmur rippled through the crowd behind her, distracting her from the ceremony again.

“Jezebel!
Adultress
! You must repent!” a shrill voice suddenly screeched from farther up the walkway, coming closer. The crowd stepped back from the source of the clamor, and Veronica got a brief glimpse of a woman marching down the walkway, fire and brimstone in her eyes, with just a little crazy added in to make things interesting. She looked intent on reaching the foursome standing with the minister, shocked and angered expressions on their faces.

“You’re going to hell, Maizy Owen! God will strike you down for your sins! This wedding must not take place!” She lifted a picket sign that had the words
Keep Divine Pure—Say No to Polyamory!
written on it in bold block letters.

The crowd gasped and from behind her, Veronica heard Hank curse softly under his breath as the woman continued shrieking. He held up his hand to stay the grooms, and Jack and Adam, when they parted from their group, and said, “I’ll handle it. This shouldn’t take long.” He slid his Stetson onto his head and looked down at Veronica. “My apologies, ma’am. I’ll be back.”

She nodded unconsciously, wondering why he would apologize to her but didn’t have time to ask as he stalked up the walkway in a long-legged, decidedly purposeful gait.
He called me ma’am.

The woman managed to draw close enough to point her finger at the bride. “Maizy Owen, you are shaming your entire family! Harlot!
Jezebel
! Defiler! You should be ashamed!” She stared at the grooms, an odd shifting of emotion apparent in her eyes. She was indignant, to be sure, judging by her red-cheeked fury, but there was some other emotion mixed in, as she once more turned her anger on Maizy and continued her harangue of the bride.

Interesting. Not one word of condemnation for the grooms.

Veronica watched as Maizy hung on to Cody’s hand and stayed Heath and Spencer with her other hand, refusing to allow them into the fray. She looked up the walkway and said, “It’s only one woman. Hank can handle her.”

One of the guests, a short little man with an even shorter wife, muttered, “Ten bucks says it’s that lunatic, Tabitha Lester.”

“Harlot!
Adulteress
—what? Sheriff, I’m exercising my right of free speech! This is a public place!
What
? Wait! You can’t do that!”

The guests were now chattering amongst themselves and the volume increased as the woman continued her tirade, slowly losing volume as Hank escorted her from the premises.

A couple of minutes later, a Divine County sheriff’s patrol car pulled onto the side street where the entrance to the garden was located and came to a stop. Veronica couldn’t see much over everyone’s heads but she heard the sound of a car door slam and then the crowd shifted and grew quiet as Hank returned and waded into the center of the gathering.

“I’m sorry for the disturbance, folks,” he called out.

From the front, Amelia Owen, Maizy’s mother, called out, “Was it Tabitha Lester?”

Hank nodded with pursed lips and then chuckled when she turned to her husband and held out her hand. Mr. Owen rolled his eyes, pulled his wallet out, and slid a twenty-dollar bill into her hand. She smiled and slid it into her purse.

The minister stepped forward, a look of disbelief on his face. “Sheriff, can we continue now?”

Hank removed his cowboy hat and nodded. “Yes, sir. She was the only protestor.”

“Who would protest a wedding and call such despicable names to such a lovely bride?” Grandma Kate asked, sounding quite put out.

Veronica stroked Kate’s shoulder as Maizy’s mother provided the answer. “Someone who’s bat-shit crazy and needs to get her own man.”

Several guests chuckled and the murmurs gradually dwindled to silence as the ceremony continued without further interruption. Belatedly she realized that she’d been so busy observing and mentally cataloging the action that she hadn’t even turned to Travis, or said anything at all.

He must think I’m totally rude for not even saying hello to him.

She glanced over her shoulder at Travis, feeling a little guilty, but all he did was gently squeeze her hand, which she’d been holding the whole time, and smile as he watched the ceremony. Her negligence must not have bothered him.

He’d grown a full beard, which looked good on him. His dark brown hair was flecked with a little gray here and there but his beard was brown with lots of red in it and matched his eyebrows. She thought the combination was really sexy.

She turned back to the ceremony, mentally kicking herself again for not focusing, which was nearly impossible as Hank resumed his place behind her, next to Travis.

The minister pronounced Cody and Maizy man and wife and presented them to the assemblage to boisterous applause. Veronica watched with avid curiosity as Heath and Spencer joined the throng, giving—and receiving—hugs, kisses, and well wishes from the guests. It was a subtle form of acknowledgment that didn’t make a big splash or draw attention, even when both men had their chance to kiss and hug Maizy.

They were the epitome of cool and classy as they each held her in turn and kissed her with chaste restraint. Veronica wondered if it was her imagination or if she really saw the promise of erotic fulfillment in Maizy’s eyes as she looked up at both of them and embraced them.

Remembering that Travis still held her hand, she turned to them. Both men smiled, and Travis said, “Hello, Veronica. It’s been a long time.”

“You remembered me?”

“Of course. This is Hank Stinson, the Sheriff of Divine County, and my oldest friend.”

Hank smiled and her heart gave several deep thuds as he held out his hand. His gaze was so warm, and his sensual smile both put her at ease and sent the butterflies in her stomach into aerial maneuvers as he shook hands with her. “Hello, Veronica. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He turned his attention to Grandma Kate and said, “It’s good to see you again, ma’am.”

“Hello, Hank, dear. Good to see you again, too. With the exception of that troublemaker, Maizy’s wedding was simply lovely,” Grandma Kate replied as Ethan made his way over to speak privately with her.

Unsure what to say, Veronica bit her lip and her insides quivered as both their gazes dropped to her mouth. Hank finally broke the silence between them. “Grace told me you had questions that I might be able to answer.”

“Yes, sir.” Veronica looked down and realized that Hank still held her hand and he didn’t seem inclined to release it. “I understand the answers to my questions are of a personal nature and I’d be happy to meet with you privately, if you’d prefer.”

“That would be preferable, actually. Then we can talk at length and I can find out what it is you truly need to know.” He cast a glance around the crowd. “I’m afraid we’d be interrupted repeatedly if we tried to talk here.”

Veronica nodded, resigning herself to the role of observer at the gathering again. She understood if he and Travis wanted to party. Although there seemed to be more men than women at the gathering, she’d noticed several gorgeous women in attendance and assumed he’d come to socialize.

Travis slid his hand around her waist and drew her close, turning up the heat simmering inside her. “Great, then that leaves us plenty of time to get caught up, get to know each other better, and make use of that dance floor they’ve set up.”