His Sister's Wedding (22 page)

In the dining room, she could see a table that held a punch bowl screaming of red
Koolaid next to nut cups shaped like wedding bells. Even the mints were in heart-shaped
containers flanking a sheet cake which proclaimed "Eternal Love."

Despite the excess of sentimentality, Aunt Mary seemed kind-hearted enough. Her smile
was warm and welcoming and she took pains to introduce Lillie to everyone.

Apparently the whole extended family had been invited. Lillie thought, trying to keep
track. By the time she and Aunt Mary made the circuit of the room, she'd met three
uncles, four aunts, an elderly grandparent in a wheel chair and at least six cousins
ranging in age from twenty-five to forty.

Even Janet was there, to Lillie's surprise. Luke and Melanie's mother sat in a chair
in a far corner talking to an elderly woman.

"And here's Melanie's Uncle Roy," Aunt Mary proclaimed enthusiastically.

Lillie offered her hand to the older gentleman and exchanged a few words before she
became aware of Luke standing beside her.

"Hi," he said, his dark eyes fastened on her face.

Lillie moistened dry lips.

"Hello." She met his gaze, the ability for normal conversation deserting her.

Fortunately, Aunt Mary was chattering away beside her, distracting the elderly relative
she'd just introduced.

"How have you been?" Luke asked, the softness of his tone like the stroke of velvet.
He took her arm and turned her away from the others.

"Fine," she said, feeling suddenly warm and edgy.

A slow, sensual smile curled Luke's mouth. "I see you managed to wash the crumbs out
of your hair."

Laughter rose in Lillie's throat. "Yes," she said. "But I had to call Maud four times
before she'd guarantee not to put something ugly in Scott and Melanie's cake."

"I'm still surprised she didn't make us scrub the floors," Luke said, his eyes alight
with amusement, his hand warm on her arm. "I figured we'd have to do detention, at
least."

Lillie chuckled breathlessly, a giddy excitement racing through her like a drug. "Or
get sent to the principal's office. I can't believe I started something as juvenile
as a food fight. Although you did deserve it."

"I just made an innocent remark," Luke insisted, his expression guileless as his fingers
lightly stroked the sensitive underside of her arm. "And then you slapped me in the
face with a slab of angel food cake."

"Swiss Amaretto," Lillie corrected with a choke of laughter, trying to ignore the
glowing sensations his touch roused. "Angel food would have bounced right off your
face."

"Whatever." He leaned closer, an intimate smile on his face. "You've got a mean way
with pastry."

Looking into his eyes, Lillie realized why she found herself in this predicament.
Regardless of his occasional insensitivity and his refusal to trust himself to love,
when she was with Luke she felt amazing things. Even in the midst of this prosaic
gathering, her heartbeat jumped with the exhilaration of just being with him.

He leaned closer, the warmth of his body seeming to envelop her.

"Have you been thinking about what I asked you?" he asked, his voice husky.

"Yes," she answered, her own voice low.

"Well, maybe we can get together and talk after this thing is over," Luke murmured.

"Oh, Luke!" Aunt Mary trilled, glancing around and spotting him with Lillie. The elderly
woman clutched at his arm as she dabbed at her eyes with a lacy handkerchief. "Isn't
it wonderful that Melanie's marrying such a nice boy."

"Wonderful," Luke responded, his face deadpan as he tolerated his aunt's effusive
embrace.

Lillie hid a smile, familiar enough with Luke to know how little he was enjoying his
aunt's display. Still, he was polite, only lifting his brow when Aunt Mary went on
and on about how amazing it was to see little Melanie all grown up.

"Everybody! Everybody listen!" Aunt Mary called out. "Find a seat now. We have a little
game to play."

Sitting at the end of the couch, Lillie was very aware of Luke choosing the folding
chair next to hers.

"Now everyone take a piece of paper and a pencil," Aunt Mary instructed, passing the
supplies around, "and write down the one thing you hate the most about doing housework."

After exchanging a few puzzled glances, the shower guests obediently bent to their
task. The next few moments were filled with the sounds of pencils on paper punctuated
by an occasional chuckle.

Lillie thought a moment, nibbling nervously on the end of her paper as she tried to
ignore Luke's presence at her elbow. Positioning her piece of paper on her knee, she
finally wrote
I hate that it gets you all sweaty and hot.

Beside her, Luke scribbled something on his paper.

"If you're all done, pass your notes back to me," Aunt Mary directed, clearly enjoying
her role as taskmaster.

The scraps of paper were passed around hand to hand to where Aunt Mary stood next
to Melanie's chair.

"Now," the elderly woman giggled, "we all know how important communication is to a
good marriage. So in order to get Scott and Melanie off to a good start, we are going
to have the bride read all the things she hates most about
sex.
"

Melanie and Scott groaned as the rest of the room erupted in a mixture of chuckles
and snorts of laughter.

"I hate all the scrubbing," Melanie read in a resigned voice, not looking at Scott.
"You get it over with and then it just has to be done again the next week."

Laughter rippled through the room with each piece of paper she read.

"I hate that it gets you all sweaty and hot."

Lillie laughed as the room exploded in mirth. She couldn't have written a better one
if she'd tried.

When the last scrap of paper had been read, Aunt Mary, brushing the tears from her
cheeks, called everyone to attention.

"Now we're going to let the happy couple open their gifts." Aunt Mary beamed at Scott
and Melanie. "But first, I just want to say how thrilled I am to be able to help these
two wonderful young people celebrate their joyous union. There is no greater treasure
than love." She dabbed at her eyes. "With all the unhappiness in the world today,
it's wonderful that Melanie has found someone as special as Scott."

Lillie saw Scott shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

The next half hour was filled with the rustling of wrapping paper and the chattering
of the guests, punctuated by Melanie and Scott's sincere thanks as each wedding gift
was revealed. Lillie watched from her seat on the couch, appreciative that so many
of Melanie's family seemed supportive of the couple.

Used to being at wedding functions in her professional capacity, she found herself
gathering up discarded dishes and making her way to the kitchen.

The cheerful room was at the back of the house, the top of its chrome-legged dinette
scattered with party goods. In contrast to the rest of the crowded house, only two
people were there. Aunt Mary stood by the sink, smiling up at Luke as she rinsed out
several punch cups.

"You don't seem so upset anymore about Melanie's getting married," Aunt Mary said.

"No," Luke admitted slowly. "I'm still worried that it's a mistake, but she's determined
to make it work and I only want the best for her."

"So," the elderly woman said to him, an arch smile on her face, "a little bird told
me that we may soon have the joy of celebrating your surrender to Cupid's nuptial
ties."

Luke set his cup on the counter top. "You've been listening to gossip."

"Now don't be shy," Aunt Mary insisted, glancing over her shoulder at him. "Love always
wins out. And Lillie's such a beautiful girl, it's no wonder she's stolen your heart."

Standing out of sight in the shadowed hallway, the stack of plates still clutched
in her hands, Lillie held her breath.

"Now, Aunt Mary," Luke drawled. "You know I don't have a heart to steal. I do, however,
have a few other available parts."

"Oh, love finds everyone sooner or later," Aunt Mary exclaimed, slapping at his shoulder.

"Not me," he replied dryly. "I don't ever plan on falling in love. I fall into really
great sex, instead. It's less complicated."

Lillie stood unseen in the kitchen doorway, the roaring in her ears muffling the rest
of their conversation. She was dimly aware of making her way back into the living
room where Scott and Melanie were opening their presents, but everything inside her
seemed suddenly cold.

So that was that. Maybe Luke wouldn't pour out his heart to a rarely-seen, overly-sentimental
aunt, but he'd framed his response to her question in the coldest, most dispassionate
of terms.

She'd been a complete fool.

Lillie set the stack of dishes on a small table and walked slowly back to the couch.

How easily Luke had dismissed loving her. With that nimble turn of phrase, he'd defined
just how he saw their relationship. Their future together.

She'd been an idiot to think he could have changed, to think that he might really
love her and just be unable to say the words.

No matter how much he claimed to value her, he didn't love her. Wouldn't let himself
give her any power over his heart.

As the minutes ticked past, her mind recovering itself like a prizefighter after a
stunning blow, Lillie's confusion cleared. In its place came a darkness and despondency
that seemed to engulf her. She felt herself lost in it, gripped with a terrible lethargy
that felt almost like shock.

She didn't even respond when Luke came to sit next to her and lifted her hand from
the arm of the couch, intertwining his fingers in hers. Her body registered the contact
in a distant, informative way.
He's touching me, holding my hand after informing his aunt so casually that all he
wants from me is sex. He doesn't give a damn about me.

The roaring in her ears grew louder. She knew that Luke leaned toward her and said
something, but she couldn't even register his words, much less respond. Across the
room, the mound of discarded wrapping paper grew. Lillie saw the interplay of emotion
on Scott and Melanie's faces, the laughter and appreciation as they opened their gifts.

With the tick of each second, the numbness in her shifted to a deafening outrage.
Luke sat next to her, relaxed in his chair, his hand holding hers, his thumb stroking
her in slow, loving movements. She stared at him, noting his brief frown when she
didn't respond to his comment.

It was unfathomable to her that he could disclaim her so casually and yet sit there
as if nothing had happened. Would he have said anything different had he known she
was listening? At least this way, she'd heard his honest response.

Lillie pulled her hand away, stifling the tremendous urge to hit him and run out of
the room. Keeping her eyes focused on the engaged couple across the room, she determinedly
ignored Luke's puzzled frown. For Scott's sake, she had to hold herself together when
all she wanted to do was leave before she exploded.

There was no way she was going to talk with Luke after the shower. She'd probably
end up killing him on the doorstep with all his relatives standing around in astonishment.

She'd never felt such fierce anger in her life. Her body seemed to tremble with it.
He got no points for honesty. He was an emotionally-retarded sexual menace and she
wanted to see him hurt, to watch him writhing in pain.

In a way, the hurricane of wrath consuming her brought relief. If she just concentrated
on hating Luke, the gaping hole in her chest didn't hurt so badly.

The rest of the shower seemed to pass in slow motion, a nightmare she knew she'd always
remember. Eventually all the presents were unwrapped and the "thank you" speeches
given.

Lillie edged forward on the couch, a car revving at the start line. Moving fast was
important because Luke would be right behind her.

Returning from the kitchen, Aunt Mary stood next to Melanie's chair. "I really appreciate
all of you being here. It shows how important family is when we all come together
to celebrate special moments. I know Carl regretted not being able to be here for
his little girl's shower."

Gripping her purse in her lap, Lillie's eyes were glued to the woman's face.

"Well, thank you all for coming," Aunt Mary said at last.

On her feet in a flash, Lillie made a beeline for her elderly hostess.

"Lillie," Luke said as she vaulted forward.

Not pausing, she managed a garbled "thank you," shook Aunt Mary's hand and submitted
to the woman's hug.

"Lillie," Luke called, struggling through the cluster of people.

"Thanks again," she mumbled to Aunt Mary before escaping out the door.

*   *   *

Unlocking the door, Lillie let herself into the house. It was long past midnight,
the early morning hour when darkness seemed to suck her into an alternative universe,
isolated and alone.