“Jane knew he wouldn’t make an ass of himself out on the dance floor anyway,” Mac continued. “It’s not his thing.”
“He asked me to dance.”
Mac faltered a step. “He did?”
She nodded. “I told him I already promised you this one.”
“You turned him down?” The evil laugh that escaped her friend didn’t go unnoticed. More than a few people surrounding them eyed him oddly. “I’m sure that pissed him off. No one tells Cam no.”
“Well, I did.” Chloe lifted her chin, pride filling her. It felt good, denying Cameron. After all, how many years had he unknowingly denied her? Her snub felt like a sort of payback.
“Huh.” Mac twirled her in a circle, her diaphanous skirt flaring about her legs. The bridesmaid dresses they wore were a deep plum color, strapless, unlike anything she’d worn in her life. She felt like a fairy princess—and she wasn’t even the bride. “He’s watching us,” Mac added.
“He is not.” She couldn’t believe it. Cameron McKenzie watching her? Had hell frozen over?
But when she glanced over Mac’s shoulder, she saw Cam, still in the spot where they’d left him. Still with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He’d discarded his tuxedo jacket earlier, the bowtie was long gone, too, and he’d rolled up his sleeves. Revealing tanned, strong forearms covered in golden hair. Arms she ached to feel wrapped around her.
Instead she danced with his brother, one of her dearest, oldest friends. There’d never been anything remotely romantic between her and Mac, with the exception of that one night long, long ago. She’d come home from college, gone out with a bunch of friends at the local Pine Tree Bar, and gotten horribly drunk. Mac had been kind enough to drive her back home to her parents’ house. Had leaned over with a goofy grin and tried to kiss her.
A rather ill attempt it had been, with lots of giggling and exclamations on her part, until they’d finally sprung away from each other, laughing nervously. There hadn’t been a single spark between them. Mac was like her own brother, if she’d had one.
Besides, she only had eyes for Cam, both back then and now.
So stupid.
“He is definitely watching us,” Mac confirmed. “He suddenly got the hots for you or what?”
“Please.” She kept her gaze carefully averted, staring at the tiny black buttons that ran down the middle of Mac’s tuxedo shirt. “Y
ou must be joking. I am not Cameron material.”
“I’ll say,” Mac muttered.
The little sigh that escaped her must’ve been his first clue he’d stepped in it. “You know what I mean.” He laughed nervously, squeezed her hand. “He likes them tall, blond, and dumb.”
“And I’m short, brunette, and smart. I totally get it.” The song ended and she withdrew from Mac’s arms. “Thanks for the dance.”
“Chloe, wait a minute. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” Mac started but she offered him a little wave, desperate to escape.
“See ya.” She fled the dance floor without looking back, pushing through the crowds of people who mingled, trying her best to ignore anyone who called to her as she passed.
But it was so hard, considering how many of them knew her name, who waved at her, trying to get her to come over and chat. She’d lived her entire life in this town. Only left for Sacramento to go to college, and even then she’d come home every chance she got until she graduated. Luck had been on her side when she got the teaching job at the local elementary school. The very school she attended from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Her mother had been thrilled to keep her in town, since her two older sisters had left as soon as they could. Both of them lived clear across the country and visited sporadically, whenever it suited them.
Chloe’s mom needed her around. Her dad had died a year after she graduated college, had suffered with cancer for two years prior. She’d been there for her parents and was still there for her mom.
Even if she’d wanted to leave, like her sisters, she couldn’t have. Guilt would’ve wrapped too tightly around her heart.
Thankfully, Patrick, the oldest McKenzie brother, volunteered to take her mom home, since he had sleepy children on his hands and her mom’s house was on his way home. So she didn’t have to leave the reception. She considered staying till the bitter end her duty as a bridesmaid.
Relieved, Chloe glanced around, caught sight of the open doors that led out to the terrace. She needed fresh air. Needed to collect her thoughts, chew on the fact that Cameron had watched her a little too closely, which she still didn’t understand. Yet she didn’t want to get her hopes up, either.
Maybe by the time she was finished pondering everything, they’d be serving dessert.
If she couldn’t have Cameron, then she could at least have a giant slice of wedding cake.
…