CHAPTER 63
Evander
I don’t know if it’s the cavernous size of the venue or size of the crowd or the addition of the Travis boys, but this reception ends up being a lot wilder than Cal and Victoria’s affair.
We go from rap to country to classic rock, and then from New Wave to Frank Sinatra to smooth jams. And then back again.
MeeMaw Phyllis cuts a rug with Finn. Dad twirls Emma until she’s dizzy.
All the women and girls—Victoria, Summer, Phoebe, Emma, Phyllis, and Jasmine, who’s on a wedding cake-fueled sugar high at this point, get out on the floor for the song “It’s Raining Men.” They’re joined by neighbors and friends and employees and women I’ve never seen before in my life.
There’s as much hysterical laughing going on as dancing. It’s almost as if they’re enjoying an inside joke.
Finn shouts in my ear, “Should I be worried about Jasmine?”
“Hell yes!” I tell him.
Later, Jasmine dances with Bo, then Jake, and then her Uncle Declan. It occurs to me that all the Travis brothers could become Jasmine’s uncles. For real. And sooner than anyone might think. What’s one little girl going to do with ten uncles?
Phoebe and I dance all night. Stevie Wonder. Eminem. Willie Nelson. Bob Marley. The Clash. Some G-rated Snoop Dogg. Dolly Parton.
The party is winding down. I see Declan sprawled out in a chair with Jasmine asleep on his lap. Summer’s face-down on the tablecloth.
The last song of the night is Eric Clapton’s “Change the World.” I pull Phoebe out onto the dance floor and into my arms as the lights dim. I nudge her with my hip and pull her tight, spin her and sway with her. She melds into my body, seems to know how I’ll move before I do.
“I love you, Phoebs,” I tell her.
“I love you right back, Van.”
Just to retaliate, I dip her. Lower this time. And the kiss I drop on her mouth is so hot that I half expect Jake to kick a few folding chairs across the arena and come at me.
Then I pull her back into my arms and we’re moving together again.
“What have you decided about a possible second date? Yay or nay?”
“Fuck yay,” she says.
After I stop laughing, I ask her, “What are you doing in four days? On December 30th?”
“I don’t know, what are you doing?”
“I’m picking you up and we’re heading off to have an adventure.”
She pulls back to look at me.
“You have time off, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“Your dad’s fine with it. I checked.”
She tips her head and blinks at me in disbelief.
“Do you have a passport?” I ask.
“Uh, yes.”
“Good. Passport. I.D. That’s all you’ll need. We’ll figure out the rest later.”
“Where are we going?”
“That’s up to you. Noon, December 30th. I’ll pick you up. Be well rested.”
The guests are leaving. I walk Phoebe to meet her brothers at the coat check and manage to sneak a goodnight kiss. Her lips are soft against mine.
Before she turns to go, I whisper in her ear, “Bring the dress.”
I look around. Everyone’s filing out. Finn and Emma are nowhere to be seen. I didn’t see them sneak out of their own party, but I suppose they have a right to some downtime on their wedding night.
Wedding night. I nearly forgot.
I find Declan, Special K, and Cal at a table. Summer’s taken Jasmine to the bathroom.
“Everything ready?” I rub my hands together.
Declan shrugs. “I guess.”
Special K yawns.
“How early are they leaving in the morning?” Cal falls back against the chair and stretches.
“I can’t believe the level of apathy I’m seeing right now.”
“I’m tired and hungry,” K says.
“Where’s Victoria?” Cal asks. “I gotta go home.”
“Revenge, Cal. What happened to your insatiable desire for revenge?”
Summer and Jasmine walk over to us.
“She has something she wants to talk to you about.” Summer gestures to Jasmine. “Go ahead. Tell them.”
“This is very serious,” Jasmine says to us.
Wasn’t this kid fast asleep just moments ago? How is she suddenly all perky and determined like this?
“What’s up, Pinkie?” I ask.
She points to a chair. “Sit down, Uncle Evander.”
“Sure.”
“Listen very carefully.” Jasmine’s dark curls are tousled.
Her blue eyes are fierce as she makes eye contact with each of us individually.
“My daddy has been through so much since I was born. He’s been sad and lonely and he’s sacrificed his own happiness for me.
And now—finally—he’s found the most wonderful woman in the world and he deserves a chance to start his new, happy life without being kidnapped. ”
“Roger that,” Summer says. She’s been hanging out with SEALs too long.
“And let’s not even start with Emma!” Jasmine throws her hands in the air for dramatic effect.
I know that Declan thinks she has a career in Naval intelligence, but I can see her as a trial lawyer.
“Emma has had a very hard life and the last thing she needs is some sort of crisis after her wedding. Please let her have the fairytale—without the kidnapping.”
Cal is suddenly alert. Declan stands. Special K looks guilty.
“When did you turn thirty-five?” Cal asks.
“What are you getting at, Jasmine?” Declan asks.
Summer groans at his question and looks down at Jasmine. “They really can be dense sometimes. Just let ‘em have it.”
Jasmine points at Cal first, saying, “Do not…”
Then she points at Special K. “Even think…”
Then Declan. “About…”
And me. “Destroying their wedding night, or their wedding morning! And if you do, you will regret it.”
At first, no one says anything. Then Declan asks, “Wait. How did you know we were planning something?”
Jasmine laughs. “You think I don’t know what goes on around here? I heard what you did to Uncle Cal. This ranch may be a thousand square miles big, but nobody can keep a secret.”
“That is not true,” Cal says. “We have a secure conference facility in my home with cameras and biometric locks and an alarm and—.”
“Yes, but other than your work, you don’t have secrets.” Jasmine crosses her arms. “I know what you’ve been planning for Dad, and I am telling you, do not do it. That is all.”
She turns on her little white leather shoes and heads for the exit.
Summer snaps her fingers at us and runs after Jasmine.
The four of us hang back.
“I’m getting something to eat,” K says, standing and walking away.
“Fuckity, bye,” Declan says.
Cal gets up and stretches, but suddenly spins around and smacks his palms on the tablecloth. “You,” he growls, all up in my face. “You will not get the same courtesy. Remember what I said. Marked. Man.”
He stalks off.
I sit there for a while. I loosen my tie and prop up my shoes and think about all the details I’ll need to finalize in the next two days. I’ll be calling in a fuck ton of favors, but I’ll make it work.
I wander out eventually, thanking the catering staff and disc jockey as I leave. I tell them to help themselves to the bar.
Then I make my way back to the house in the dark.
No secrets?
Marked man?
Not this guy.