Inside Out (9 page)

In the end, they’d chosen the more expensive dress that Elise wanted for them originally, and she’d agreed to let it be a gift while also putting a lot more energy into the planning of the party and wedding as her way of saying thank you.

“You look so pretty. The dress fits you perfectly and makes you look all hubba hubba and stuff.” Elise sidled up to Ella and put her arm around her shoulders.

“I don’t know how I let you talk me into this dress.” She looked at her reflection and then back to Elise. “And speaking of pretty, good lord, Elise, you look amazing.”

“
Pffft.
I look fine. Brody’s gonna love this dress because my boobs are on display. You know how he feels about boobs.”

Ella snorted. “I’m pretty sure it’s a basic male preference. Most of the time anyway.”

Raven came into the room, the scratchy velvet of her voice filled with concern as she spoke to Erin.

Elise and Ella’s eyes met in the mirror. “She’s really good to Erin, you know. And she loves Brody,” Elise murmured.

“Not in that way,” Ella said, then remembered that moment with Cope earlier when he’d said the same thing.

Elise laughed. “Doesn’t matter if she does. She can’t have him.”

“You make him happy when you make an effort with her.”

“Don’t tell her this, but she’s not half bad once she stops being such a bitch. It’s just that for her, apparently it takes like two years to warm up to a new person. She and I actually had a fifteen-minute conversation wherein not a single bit of sarcasm or biting commentary was used. I don’t think we’ll ever be as close as you and I. And there’s only one you, so there’s good reason for that. But I think we’re beginning to achieve some genuine like for each other.”

Elise put her head on Ella’s shoulder a moment; the tenderness of the gesture made Ella reach up to squeeze Elise’s hand. “Thank you for being my friend. Truly, Elise, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Elise sniffled. “You’re going to make me cry. Stop it. Rennie will be here shortly and then Brody and there’ll be more tears.”

“Time to face the makeup music,” Raven called from the other room.

“Onward and upward.” Elise dabbed her eyes with a tissue and headed out into the room where Raven was.

Raven had a huge train case opened up and set on a table near the large wall of windows. “Elise, you first. Adrian just poked his head in to say Brody was on his way to pick up Rennie and your parents, so let’s get you set so you’re ready when they arrive. There’s a photographer milling around down there too.”

Elise sat in the chair, and Raven began to work on her.

“I think you should put hot rollers in your hair, Ella. So it’s all sleek and poofy without looking like you’re rushing a sorority. There are some on the counter in the bathroom already heated up. You know, just in case you decided you needed them. I like to be prepared like a Boy Scout.” Erin smiled sweetly.

“You’re bossy.”

“I know. But I’m pregnant, and no one is going to stop me. This here’s what’s called taking advantage. You’ll look pretty either way, but why not knock Cope off his feet?”

With a snort, Ella opened the door for Todd who, true to his word, brought a sandwich in for Erin.

“It smells way better in here than any other place in the house. Can I stay?” He looked to Erin, trying to appear pitiful, and Ella laughed, heading into the bathroom to deal with those curlers.

She watched them in the mirror, laughing when Ben strolled in, tossed a bakery bag to Erin and then got on the bed on her other side. “If he gets to stay, I do too.”

Some time later, Raven did her makeup, even doing something to Ella’s hair to keep it smooth and in place.

“You’re good at this.” Ella looked at the other woman. “Thank you.”

“My aunt ran a beauty shop out of her kitchen. I learned a few things about hair and makeup from her.”

“Really? Where at? Here in Seattle?”

“Happy Bend, Arkansas. Not much happy, though there was a bend in the road here and there.” Raven shrugged. “Don’t know why you’re worried about wearing dresses; your legs are nearly as nice as Elise’s, and your rack is very impressive for such a lean woman. Men like that. So what’s the deal with Cope?”

“I knew you were putting on your company manners,” Ella said, raising a brow in Raven’s direction.

“I’m trying!” Raven threw her hands up.

Ella laughed. “Tell you what, I know you are. And I appreciate that. You can be who you are with me. I’m no threat to you, and for what it’s worth, even though you can be a total bitch, I like you. You’re a survivor. I don’t know your story, but I know you have one.”

Raven’s mouth curled into a smile. “Yeah, don’t we all. A bitch, huh?” They began to walk out of the room. Elise and Brody stood in an alcove near the head of the stairs, his arms around her, her face tipped up toward him.

“A
total
bitch. But you’re okay as long as you’re not wreaking havoc with them.” She jerked her head toward the couple. “You seem to have gotten over it.”

“If she’d given me an inch, I’d have taken it. Brody and Erin are my family. I don’t have a lot of people I can count on in the world; they’re two of a very small group. Turns out Elise is good enough for him. She not only loves him, but she gets him, lets him be who he is and trusts him to do the right thing. Which is good, since he’s the right-thing sort of guy. God knows he thinks the sun rises and sets with her and their daughter. They suit him. I can’t deny it.”

Rennie’s laugh floated up the stairs as they went down. “Ella!” Rennie clapped her hands and zoomed over, giving her a big hug. She looked around Ella’s body. “Hi, Raven.”

Rennie was fascinated by Raven. Like she was fascinated with bugs and butterflies and whether or not fairies existed. This wide-eyed interest in everything she did or said seemed to surprise and stump Raven, leaving her flustered and unsure how to react. Admittedly, it was all kinds of fun to watch.

“Hey, kid. How’s tricks?”

Rennie’s eyes widened. “I’ve been meaning to tell my momma that I need a magic set. Then I could do tricks. That would be awesome.”

“Your dad might be better for that pitch,” Cope said as he sidled up to where they stood.

Rennie nodded, tapping her chin with a fingertip in a very fine imitation of the way Brody did the exact same thing. “Hmm. I’m going to have to think on it. Be stratesick. No, strategic, that’s it.”

“Very good idea.” Ella smoothed a hand over Rennie’s hair. “You look pretty today.” Her dress was similar to Elise’s, with a little sweater to match.

“Rennie, honey, are you in here?” Adrian called as he came into the house from the backyard.

“Uncle Adrian! Over here.” Rennie waved, and Adrian started over.

“Baby, we’re doing some pictures outside; you don’t want to miss out.” Adrian held a hand out, and Rennie took it. “Ella, wow, you look fabulous.” He shot her a grin.

Raven had melted away, and Ella knew it was because she and Adrian were like oil and water. He saw her as a potentially destructive influence on his family and asserted a very protective stance around Elise and Rennie. For that alone, Ella would have adored him absent all his other fine personality traits.

“Help yourself to some food and drink. Dinner will start in half an hour or so.” Adrian waved as he and Rennie headed outside.

Once they’d gone, it was just her and Cope. The sounds of the party began to rise—nothing too loud, it was pretty intimate, less than thirty people. But there was a lot of joy in the air, and she felt it too.

5

“Andy, hold up a sec,” Brody called as Cope left the table to get Ella another glass of wine. He’d managed to hog her all to himself for the last forty-five minutes at their little table near the dance floor. Eventually he’d have to share her, but he’d enjoy what he had for the time he had it.

“Nice party, Brody. Congratulations.” Cope smiled. It was good to see his friend so happy. Startling to see the way Brody couldn’t seem to tear himself away from Elise and Rennie for very long. They were his anchor, but not in a negative way. He and Ben had shown Cope just how that sort of connection was unique and special instead of a burden.

“I said something earlier that bugged you. I’m sorry about that. You’ve been my friend a really long time. I’ve never doubted you, or that you were a good guy. I was being protective of Ella, but I went about it wrong.”

“It’s fine. No harm done.” But he appreciated the apology nonetheless.

“Always harm done when you hurt a friend. You’re changing. Not that you were an ass with women in the past, so get that look out of your eyes. You look at
her
differently. Different than the way you looked at the women you’ve been with before. I know what that is. Elise changed
everything
for me. It’s hard and sort of scary sometimes. Hard to let go of who you were to make room for who you can be. And I didn’t make that any easier with the way I acted.”

It was a sore spot, Cope knew, but it did make it better to hear someone he respected say that. To know he was changed by Ella and that it showed.

Adrian approached. “What’s going on? And man, since I’ve had three glasses of champagne and I can claim tipsiness, I have to tell you both that Elise and Ella look amazing tonight. Damn, Brody, your fiancée is freaking beautiful. Don’t know how you rated someone like her. Must be payback for all the nice shit you’ve done for me and Erin since forever.”

“Just making amends.” Brody tipped his head in Cope’s direction.

Because he was never really angry to begin with and because he knew his friend cared about him and Ella both, he made a joke to ease the mood. “He’s making sure I’m not mad because I’m keeping an eye on his bike for the few days he’s taking Elise out to the coast.”

“Speaking of romance and stuff, this thing with you and Ella, it’s pretty wow. I believe there was eye-fucking last night.” Adrian sent him a raised brow.

“That was the only kind. I’m taking my time with her.”

Adrian laughed. “Well, you turned it up full blast. She deserves that.”

Cope nodded. “She does.”

“I need to get popcorn because this will be amusing. Maybe I’ll swoop in and snag her. Take her to some swank resort on a private island. Spoil her mercilessly and have sex with her a few thousand times.”

“Ha. If you could walk again after I broke your legs.” It was a good thing Cope knew Adrian wouldn’t do anything like that. Jealousy was an odd sort of feeling. Not entirely unpleasant, but pretty unusual. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt jealousy over a woman.

Adrian’s brows rose. “Wow. You
are
gone for her. About damned time you took yourself seriously and stopped fucking every woman who crossed your path.” Adrian’s smile was rueful then. “We’re getting too old for that shit.”

“I don’t regret what I was before. I didn’t have an epiphany or a checklist as to when I’d fall for a woman in a big way. She’s always been special. Always been different. Maybe it’s that she was my friend first. I don’t know.”

“Nothing to regret.” Adrian shrugged, diffusing Cope’s defensive-ness. “You and I like women a lot, and unlike my ugly brother here, we have an unusual amount of talent with the fairer sex.”

Brody rolled his eyes. “It’s that she sees you. All of you down to the bone.”

That was exactly it.

“Humbling, that. Scary, because underneath is where you put all the shit you don’t want others to see and judge. So she’ll make you a better man because you want her to see you that way.” Brody shrugged.

Adrian stood there quietly for long moments, along with Cope.

“Yeah. That’s it, I guess. You’re pretty smart for an old guy.”

“Oh, go on then, cover your emotions with humor.”

Cope realized for the millionth time just how fortunate he was with his family. The one he’d been born to and the one he’d made with his friends.

“And now I’m off in search of a drink for that gorgeous redhead I’m wooing.” He paused and looked at the Brown brothers. “Thanks.”

“Meh. Just don’t fuck up my bike.”

Just across the yard, Ella stood with Elise. “You just, god, you glow with love for that man, and he’s mad for you.” Elise’s smile in response to her comments made Ella give in and hug her friend. “I’m so happy for you. What you have together is so special. You and Rennie have your prince charming.”

Elise’s laugh had some tears in it. “I know. I have to keep pinching myself because he always seems too good to be true. But he’s mine. Damn, Ella, that hunk of thousand-watt hot over there is all mine.”

Both women looked to Brody, where he stood with Adrian, their heads close, laughing about something. Trouble most likely, but the best kind. Brody wore a pinstripe suit. He cleaned up very well. He even had a pocket square, red with white silk. He’d told her earlier that the red was for Elise and the white for Rennie. The man really was a dream. Adrian looked ridiculously handsome in his paler pinstripe suit, his hair longer than his brother’s. Even in the years she’d known him and Erin too, there were times when she had to pause when she remembered they were both so famous.

“Don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but holy crapweasels, he’s so hot.”

Elise tipped her head back and laughed. “He is. He totally is.” She linked her arm through Ella’s. “And speaking of hot, it’s
not
my imagination that Cope has been looking at you all day like he wanted to take a big bite of you. I’m thrilled for you.”

They walked through the crowd. Not so much a crowd, just a group of their closest friends. Laughter and conversation littered the air, falling into the place between the notes of the music the DJ was playing.

“This is all so lovely.”

Elise nodded. “It’s amazing to me that I have all these people who love me, love my kid, love the man I love so much.” Elise motioned at the guests. “I’m glad you’re here. Now, you were about to tell me what’s going on with you and Cope.”

“I don’t know. I don’t!” she said quickly when Elise turned to her and raised a single brow. “He seems different. But I’m different too. Or I’m trying to be. Anyway, I’m not Raven.” She tipped her head to where Raven and one of her friends had set up camp near Cope and flirted with him madly.