Naomi reached out and gave them each a hug.
“You look amazing,” Erin said. “So pretty. I love your hair. All those gorgeous ringlets.”
“Thanks. Tynan loves it like this. You both look amazing too.”
Erin hoped so. She’d found a dress and matching jacket in one of the charity shops in town and splashed out on shoes and a bag to go with it.
“Are we ready, darling?”
Naomi smiled up at her grandfather. “Ready. Let’s go.”
While Naomi and Enoch waited in the vestibule to be called, Erin took her place inside the ceremonial room with Talia. She wanted to tell herself that her gaze was searching for the bridegroom but couldn’t deny that she really wanted to see Nathan.
Since Naomi had called two days ago and told her that Nathan would be her escort for the day, she been regularly battening down the slowly growing nerves that danced in her stomach. It was stupid of course, because it only meant she would be seated next to him at the official dinner. As always happened at these occasions, everyone mingled and socialized and you never ever stayed solely with the person you were with.
She let her focus drift to the front of the hall, where Caleb and Nathan flanked Tynan. They all looked amazing in their dark gray suits. Briefly, she considered if there had ever been such an enticing display of masculine appeal and raw sexuality in one place before.
Her attention zoomed in on Nathan. She’d only seen him dressed casually before, and he was imposing enough then. Now, he looked amazing. Smiling and joking with his friends, he seemed relaxed yet primed.
It had to be hard to lock all that masculinity and primitive energy inside a formal suit. Because beneath the traditional cloak of civility the suit afforded, Erin sensed there lurked the power and sensuality of a predator.
Predator? Where had that word come from? Almost at once, she realized, that was what sprang to mind whenever she saw him. A primal beast intent on ruling his world and everyone in it. Maybe that was why he unnerved her so much.
Awareness shimmered through her. She could deny all she liked that she wasn’t attracted to him, but she’d be kidding herself. Still, there was no way on God’s green earth she intended to act on it.
Even if, in her wildest imagination, he looked twice at her in that way, she couldn’t cope with someone like him. She didn’t have it in her to handle such a man. He would swallow her up. Eat her alive. And she already knew what that was like.
The door opened and Naomi walked in, her eyes fixed on her soon-to-be husband waiting at the end of the aisle with the rest of the wedding party.
Erin concentrated on the ceremony, trying hard to avoid looking at Nathan again. Unlike Caleb, who stole a few glances across at his wife and shared an intimate smile with her, Nathan kept his gaze focused on the happy couple.
Later, at the reception that followed the short ceremony, Nathan barely paid much attention to Erin until they were seated side by side for the formal dinner. She wondered if his focused attention to his wedding duties was as much because he didn’t want to mingle with her as it was to support Tynan. With Caleb at her other side, Erin felt more like he had been her designated “escort” rather than Nathan. Despite his size and regal stature, she found Caleb far less daunting than Nathan. He chatted easily with her, surprising her with his knowledge of the local area and giving her plenty of suggestions for places to walk Willa.
When he became engrossed with something Talia said, Erin was left alone with no other option than to converse with Nathan. Since there had obviously been something between him and Naomi at one stage, she wondered if he was feeling awkward attending his friends’ wedding. Had he loved Naomi? Had Tynan stolen her away? Erin didn’t like the thought of that any more than she liked being put in a situation where she felt like the consolation prize.
Unable to stand the
“You look amazing,” Erin said. “So pretty. I love your hair. All those gorgeous ringlets.”
“Thanks. Tynan loves it like this. You both look amazing too.”
Erin hoped so. She’d found a dress and matching jacket in one of the charity shops in town and splashed out on shoes and a bag to go with it.
“Are we ready, darling?”
Naomi smiled up at her grandfather. “Ready. Let’s go.”
While Naomi and Enoch waited in the vestibule to be called, Erin took her place inside the ceremonial room with Talia. She wanted to tell herself that her gaze was searching for the bridegroom but couldn’t deny that she really wanted to see Nathan.
Since Naomi had called two days ago and told her that Nathan would be her escort for the day, she been regularly battening down the slowly growing nerves that danced in her stomach. It was stupid of course, because it only meant she would be seated next to him at the official dinner. As always happened at these occasions, everyone mingled and socialized and you never ever stayed solely with the person you were with.
She let her focus drift to the front of the hall, where Caleb and Nathan flanked Tynan. They all looked amazing in their dark gray suits. Briefly, she considered if there had ever been such an enticing display of masculine appeal and raw sexuality in one place before.
Her attention zoomed in on Nathan. She’d only seen him dressed casually before, and he was imposing enough then. Now, he looked amazing. Smiling and joking with his friends, he seemed relaxed yet primed.
It had to be hard to lock all that masculinity and primitive energy inside a formal suit. Because beneath the traditional cloak of civility the suit afforded, Erin sensed there lurked the power and sensuality of a predator.
Predator? Where had that word come from? Almost at once, she realized, that was what sprang to mind whenever she saw him. A primal beast intent on ruling his world and everyone in it. Maybe that was why he unnerved her so much.
Awareness shimmered through her. She could deny all she liked that she wasn’t attracted to him, but she’d be kidding herself. Still, there was no way on God’s green earth she intended to act on it.
Even if, in her wildest imagination, he looked twice at her in that way, she couldn’t cope with someone like him. She didn’t have it in her to handle such a man. He would swallow her up. Eat her alive. And she already knew what that was like.
The door opened and Naomi walked in, her eyes fixed on her soon-to-be husband waiting at the end of the aisle with the rest of the wedding party.
Erin concentrated on the ceremony, trying hard to avoid looking at Nathan again. Unlike Caleb, who stole a few glances across at his wife and shared an intimate smile with her, Nathan kept his gaze focused on the happy couple.
Later, at the reception that followed the short ceremony, Nathan barely paid much attention to Erin until they were seated side by side for the formal dinner. She wondered if his focused attention to his wedding duties was as much because he didn’t want to mingle with her as it was to support Tynan. With Caleb at her other side, Erin felt more like he had been her designated “escort” rather than Nathan. Despite his size and regal stature, she found Caleb far less daunting than Nathan. He chatted easily with her, surprising her with his knowledge of the local area and giving her plenty of suggestions for places to walk Willa.
When he became engrossed with something Talia said, Erin was left alone with no other option than to converse with Nathan. Since there had obviously been something between him and Naomi at one stage, she wondered if he was feeling awkward attending his friends’ wedding. Had he loved Naomi? Had Tynan stolen her away? Erin didn’t like the thought of that any more than she liked being put in a situation where she felt like the consolation prize.
Unable to stand the
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