“Yes,” he said, trying to keep his tone equable. “I think of you and Corinna almost like more cousins among the big D’Alessandro clan.”
“Oh. Well.” BiBi stumbled a little, almost humorous in her realization that her comments hadn’t accomplished quite what she’d had in mind. “We aren’t—”
Jason’s phone buzzed from the holder on his belt. He reached for it and checked the ID screen. “That’s my office. I should probably take it. Excuse me, ladies.”
He turned away, telling himself he and Madison could talk later. In private, he hoped.
Dinner was served on round tables covered with red-and-white gingham tablecloths and set in a circle around a blazing bonfire. While the guests indulged in barbecue and “fixin’s” or vegetarian entrees and salads, they were serenaded by a more than decent cowboy band. Several of the hands who’d helped out during the day turned out to be musicians, as well. Madison was delighted to see Mickey sawing a bow across a battered fiddle. She knew he wouldn’t call it a violin.
She sat at a table with the Polanskis and Hannah Thatcher, leaving two empty chairs on the other side of the table from Madison. Allen Burleson slid into the seat next to Hannah, flirting with her in a way that soon had her blushing and giggling. Seated between Lila and Hannah, Madison was glad Allen’s attentions had moved away from herself. Hannah seemed to enjoy the attention, and if it bothered her that he’d flirted with Madison first, she didn’t let it show.
Madison was chatting with Lila about the day’s events when she heard Jason’s voice. “Is this seat taken?” he asked, addressing the group as a whole when he nodded toward the empty chair between Allen and Tommy.
Everyone at the table, with the exception of Madison, spoke in unison to invite him to join them. Realizing her silence could be taken as rudeness, she quickly added her own welcome. He gave her a quick look and an almost imperceptible nod, then slid into the chair.
When he spoke, it was to ask Lila, “How are you? Have you had a good time today?”
“I’ve had a lovely time,” she replied eagerly. “Did you see my Tommy ride the bull? Seven and a half seconds!”
“I saw. Great job, Tom. I only made it to six,” Jason answered with a wry chuckle. “The operator gave me a ride that darned near dislocated my shoulder.”
“I made it to seven,” Allen said with no little pride. “He pushed it hard for me, too, but I held on. Thought I’d go the whole eight, but my hand slipped on the rope. I think it might have gotten a little loose with the riders before me.”
“Great job, Allen,” Jason conceded easily. “Mike held on for the eight-count. I guess he was the only one who did so today.”
Lila shifted in her chair, something she’d been doing since Madison had sat beside her.
“Are you uncomfortable?” Madison asked her quietly.
Lila grimaced somewhat apologetically. “I’m always uncomfortable these days,” she admitted. “I might have overdone it a little today. My back is really hurting.”
“Can I get you anything, honey?” Tommy asked, his expression solicitous. “They’ve got hot water and tea bags on the drinks table. A hot drink usually helps you relax.”
Lila beamed at him. “That would be perfect, thanks, sweetie.”
He touched her hair when he stood to fetch the drink. A brief, light, almost absentminded stroke that still spoke volumes about his feelings for his pregnant wife, as far as Madison was concerned. She’d seen her brother touch his adored bride in much the same manner, and Seth do the same with Meagan. Just a fleeting moment of private connection in an otherwise public venue. Sweet, she thought with a silent sigh. Maybe someday someone would connect with her that way.
She focused intently on her dinner after that random thought, telling herself not to be like everyone else and get too carried away with all this wedding stuff.
“So what’s the plan after dinner?” Allen asked while they were eating desserts—a choice of several fruit cobblers with freshly made soft-serve ice cream. “Are we headed back to the hotel soon?”
Pressing a hand to her side, Lila pushed her dessert away barely tasted. “No, there’s an hour of group singing and storytelling around the campfire before we head back.”
“Oh.” Allen looked more resigned than enthusiastic. “BiBi sure planned a full day, didn’t she?”
“You up to another hour, honey?” Tommy asked, studying his wife’s face with increasing concern. “You’re looking pretty pale.”
Madison had just been thinking the same thing. Something about Lila’s expression didn’t look quite right to her. She suspected the woman was in more discomfort than she was letting on. “Are you okay, Lila?”
Hand still pressed to her lower side, Lila nodded, but without a great deal of assurance. “The pain in my back is getting worse,” she confessed. “Maybe if someone could find me a more padded chair or something? I’m sure I’ll be fine—I don’t want to ruin the evening for everyone else.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” Madison told her. “Maybe we should take you inside the ranch house. I was told there are rooms in there for dining and dancing and other activities when the weather’s too bad for outdoor events. I bet there’s a couch or at least an easy chair you can use to rest before the bus ride back to the hotel.”
Privately she wondered if Tommy shouldn’t arrange different transportation for his wife. The bus didn’t seem to be the most comfortable conveyance, as nice as it had been.
Buck, the ranch host, appeared at their side, and Madison realized that Jason had signaled him. “Something I can do for you?” Buck asked.
Giving Jason a glance of gratitude, Madison repeated her suggestion for a comfortable place for Lila to rest. Lila demurred again, visibly self-conscious with the attention, but Buck nodded obligingly. “Of course. If you’ll follow me, ma’am and sir, I’ll find you a comfy place to hang out for the next hour and a half or so until we load the buses. We’ve got a nice lounge area inside, and I’ll have someone bring you some herbal tea, if you’d like.”