Change of Heart (35 page)

Authors: Jude Deveraux

BOOK: Change of Heart

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While they’d been away, dealing with Orin, new speakers had been set up and instead of local kids playing, some men in their forties, maybe fifties, were on the stage. Their faces had lines and wrinkles that only decades of substance abuse could produce. Their leather outfits looked as though they’d been through a lot of partying. One guy with a guitar nodded at Eli, then looked at Chelsea and gave a thumbs-up.

She looked at Eli. “Friend of yours?”

“He’s needed help a couple of times, so he owes me.” Eli pulled her into his arms, her back to his front. “I think you’ll like their music.”

Abruptly, the band stopped playing. There was a drumroll, and everyone turned to look toward the back. The gym doors opened with a crash. Standing in a spotlight was Scully, wearing a tuxedo. He was flanked by two beautiful young women wearing short, revealing dance costumes.

As the band began again, this time very loud and throbbing, exciting, Scully and the girls danced into the room. Everyone stepped back to watch.

The dance show the three people put on was nothing short of spectacular. It was a story of the two beautiful young women fighting over the guy in the tux. The girls pranced and mock-fought, and Scully—who had mastered the art of looking disdainful—tried to make up his mind over which woman he wanted.

The dancing and the music had everyone clapping and cheering. Which woman should Scully choose?

When the girls seemed about ready to get into a brawl, Scully stepped away from them and walked toward the surrounding crowd. They parted to let him pass.

Scully walked to Abby, who was standing by her mother. Her eye makeup had run a bit, but that just made her look more like a beautiful damsel who desperately needed rescuing.

As the music pounded, Scully held his hand out to her.

With a smile that dazzled, Abby accepted his hand and walked with him to the center of the floor. When the music slowed, Scully began to dance with Abby in an old-fashioned ballroom style. He dipped her, flung her out to the end of his arm, then pulled her back. It didn’t take Abby long to begin to add moves of her own. Everyone around them was clapping, smiling, cheering.

When the music stopped, Scully pulled Abby to him and kissed her full on the mouth.

The entire school erupted into cheers. As Eli’s two pretty cousins slipped sparkling crowns onto the heads of Scully and Abby, confetti rained down from the ceiling, covering everyone.

Again, the crowd parted as, holding hands and wearing their crowns, Abby and Scully left the gym.

“Limo outside?” Chelsea asked Eli.

“Oh, yeah. And midnight pizza.”

Turning, Chelsea put her arms around Eli’s neck. “I think that was the nicest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do. Do you know that I love you?”

“No,” he said softly. “I don’t. Before I believe it, you’ll have to tell me every day for the rest of my life.”

“I will,” she said and kissed him. “I promise.”

Eli smiled at her, took her hand in his, and led her out the door, through the parking area, and to the football field.

“I think we should see to Nolan and Grace,” Chelsea said. “They’ve had a traumatic evening and they came with us. How are they going to get home?”

“I gave Nolan my car keys,” Eli said.

“Then how—?” She didn’t finish because Eli gave a whistle. “I didn’t know you could whistle. When did you—?” Her eyes widened.

From the dark of the goalpost came a horse, a magnificent creature as black as a moonless midnight. It wore a black saddle emblazoned with silver that caught the light and threw it back.

The horse stopped by Eli, bowing its head to him. In one quick leap, he vaulted into the saddle, then with a smile, he bent and offered his hand to Chelsea. “Together,” he said.

“Yes. Together,” she answered, then took his hand and let him pull her up behind him. The slit in her gown parted, exposing her bare leg almost to her hip. Her face was pressed against his back, her arms tightly around his waist.

Eli gave one long, lingering caress to her skin, then he nudged the horse forward, and they rode away into the still darkness of the night. Together. Forever.

About the Author

Photograph © Kim Jew

Jude Deveraux
is the author of more than forty
New York Times
bestsellers, including the novels in her Edilean series:
Moonlight Masquerade
,
Stranger in the Moonlight
,
Moonlight in the Morning
,
Heartwishes
,
The Scent of Jasmine
,
Lavender Morning
,
Days of Gold
, and
Scarlet Nights
. There are more than sixty million copies of her books in print worldwide. She lives in North Carolina. Visit her interactive website at
www.jude-deveraux.com
or check the Jude Deveraux Fan Page on Facebook, where she posts daily updates about her writing.

FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR:
authors.simonandschuster.com/Jude-Deveraux

MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT

SimonandSchuster.com

BOOKS BY JUDE DEVERAUX

The Velvet Promise

Highland Velvet

Velvet Song

Velvet Angel

Sweetbriar

Counterfeit Lady

Lost Lady

River Lady

Twin of Fire

Twin of Ice

The Temptress

The Raider

The Princess

The Awakening

The Maiden

The Taming

The Conquest

A Knight in Shining Armor

Holly

Wishes

Mountain Laurel

The Duchess

Eternity

Sweet Liar

The Invitation

Remembrance

The Heiress

Legend

An Angel for Emily

The Blessing

High Tide

Temptation

The Summerhouse

The Mulberry Tree

Forever . . .

Wild Orchids

Forever and Always

Always

First Impressions

Carolina Isle

Someone to Love

Secrets

Return to Summerhouse

Lavender Morning

Days of Gold

Scarlet Nights

Scent of Jasmine

Heartwishes

Moonlight in the Morning

Stranger in the Moonlight

Moonlight Masquerade

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