Change of Heart (35 page)
Authors: Jude Deveraux
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
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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