The defiant words made her blush and heat. For the first time in her life, she was ready to defy her stepmother, to refuse her father's wishes. It was frightening and powerful at the same time. But, for the first time, she had something worth fighting for.
Jace.
Chapter Twenty-Five
It was close to midnight, and Ella couldn't sleep. Her mind was racing from the day. Jace. The helicopter. What happened next. She couldn't sit still, let alone lay in bed and try and sleep.
So, she went to the lobby bar and took over for the bartender. The bartender was more than happy to get off a couple hours early and get out of cleaning up, especially since there was only two customers left.
Everything was quiet after the hustle and bustle of the wedding the day before. Ella was glad. Wiping down the bar and putting everything into place was soothing. She wished she could clean and organize her thoughts as easily, but Jace had her completely tangled up.
The tax man, still wearing the same dark suit and thin tie- or one exactly like it- stood up and left the perfect amount of cash with a ten percent tip neatly on the counter. Ella groaned as she remembered she hadn't given his card to Delores yet. The fact that he was still here troubled her. What kind of trouble was Delores in?
“You look like you need a drink,” the lone patron remarked, stealing her attention away.
“Unfortunately, I don't think it would help me
much,” Ella replied, topping off his drink. She recognized him as Jace and Madelyn's father. He looked so much like Jace, yet entirely different. Where Jace looked bright and energetic, his father looked worn and defeated.
“You're smarter than me, then,” the man replied. His words were just slurred enough that Ella was glad he wasn't driving and it was a short walk to his room. “I'm Charles, by the way.”
“It's nice to meet you, Charles.” Ella poured him a glass of water to go with his whiskey just as Madelyn walked across the bar. “I'm Ella.”
“Hey, Daddy,” she greeted him, coming close to kiss his cheek. She wore a simple pale pink dress that looked far more tropical than the local climate supported. “I thought I would find you here. Hi, Ella.”
“Hi, baby girl,” her father said, his face lighting up as he kissed her back. He turned back to face Ella. “So you're the infamous Ella I've been hearing about.”
“Infamous?” Ella repeated. “I don't know if I'd call myself infamous.”
“Maddy was telling me how Ella the angel saved her wedding,” he said.
“I just did what any good friend would do,” Ella replied, picking up a wet tumbler and drying it off.
“You did far more than that,” Charles replied as Jason walked in and wrapped his arm around his bride. “You gave my daughter the perfect wedding. You made her happy.”
Ella wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, but the compliment made her blush.
Another man's voice came from across the room. “There you are,” Madelyn's new husband Jason said. He pressed a kiss on Madelyn's temple and she glowed with pleasure. “You ready? We're all packed and ready to go.”
“Yup, just saying goodbye.” Madelyn smiled at her father. “Take care, Daddy. I'll see you when we get home. Don't be too difficult for Ella.”
“I wouldn't dream of it. I'm never difficult for pretty bartenders who save my daughter's happiness,” Charles promised, making Madelyn laugh.
“Oh, Daddy. I'll see you soon,” Madelyn promised. She smiled at Ella. “Bye, Ella. I'll call you when we get back. We need another girls' night.”
“I'd like that. Have a great trip, Madelyn. Bye, Jason,” Ella replied. “Have the best honeymoon ever!”
The happy couple laughed and headed out of the bar to escape into a world all their own. Ella watched them go, drying the glass for far longer than it needed. Watching the two of them was almost disgustingly sweet, but at the same time wonderful. She wondered for a moment if she and Jace looked like that.
“I'm so damn proud of that girl,” Charles said softly. He cradled his drink in his hand as if it were his child to protect. “I wasn't the best father in the world. But I'm going to change that.”
Ella didn't say anything. The way he moved reminded her of Jace, and she found herself wondering what had happened to make Charles so different from Jace. She knew how Jace felt about his father, but she was trying her best not to let that cloud her judgment on the man.
“I'm a failure as a father. My son will be the first person to tell you that,” Charles continued. There was a soft heartache to his voice that made Ella sad. “But, this wedding and seeing my daughter so happy has changed things. I want to be better. I'm going to be better. I can't change the past, but I can be there for my kids in the future.”
“That's a good thing,” Ella said quietly. She'd heard a lot of drunken promises at this bar, but she hoped this was one that would come true. She hoped he could do it. “I need to go grab some more cleaning cloths. I'll be right back.”
Charles nodded as she headed to the small storage space behind the bar. She could still see Charles sitting at the bar, staring into his drink and promising change as Delores walked up.