Noah’s loud voice cut through the applause. “But now that it’s on her leg, how do we get it back?”
Jorge shrugged and held up his hands in a ya-got-me gesture.
There was laughter all around. Only Daniel’s face remained impassive, his gaze glued to Cal Danniger’s hand on the garter as he helped Lyssa take it off and toss it to the kids.
A few seconds later, Noah and Jorge were holding the garter between them. “Are they going to cut the cake soon?” Jorge asked.
Gideon appreciated how quickly, and happily, kids jumped from one thing to the next. They didn’t stew, didn’t wallow, didn’t hold grudges, didn’t wither with regret.
He’d been like that once.
“There’s more dancing first,” Rosie told them.
“Dancing?” Noah moaned. “But we’re ready for cake now.”
“Me too,” she said with a laugh. “But maybe if we dance hard enough, we’ll forget about dessert for a little while.”
She was so close, so sweet, her warmth overwhelmed Gideon’s senses. Before he lost every shred of self-control, he managed to step away without anyone noticing.
“Okay,” he heard Jorge say, “but only if Gid dances with us too.” And then a beat later, “Where’s Gid?”
But Gideon was melting into the shadows.
He’d already let himself touch—and be touched by—Rosie too many times today. He couldn’t dance with her, even if it was with the boys.
If he pulled her into his arms again, if he held her close, if he closed his eyes and imagined, he would never be able to let her go.
* * *
Rosie saw Gideon fade away when he thought no one was watching. He’d come back out for the boys if they went after him, but she understood that today had been huge for him—walking Ari down the aisle, giving her away, having to smile and chat with so many strangers.
So she took the boys’ hands and said, “Let’s dance with Ari and Matt and Chi. I bet Lyssa and Kelsey will join in too.”
Once they were out on the dance floor, she spotted Gideon on the fringes. He nursed a beer he never seemed to finish. Watching. Hiding out. As though he didn’t realize he was as much a part of the family as Sebastian or Will or Daniel—when it was so very obvious to Rosie that he was.
Chapter Nine
At last, the cake had been cut—Ari and Matt loved the robot cake toppers Rosie had found—the last dance had been danced, the limo was waiting to take the newly married couple to the airport, and Rosie and Chi had helped Ari pack up her wedding dress. Doreen, Matt’s driver, would take everything, including the presents, back to their house for when the couple returned from their honeymoon.
Ari was alone in the bride’s tent, changed into traveling clothes—comfy jeans and a top—when Gideon found her wiping tears from her eyes.
His heart seized. “What’s wrong?” Everything was supposed to be perfect. He needed everything to be perfect for his sister, couldn’t bear for anything to mar her special day.
She gave him a wobbly smile. “Oh, nothing. It’s just silly.”
“Did someone say something to you?” He’d find whoever had hurt her and—
She put her hand on his arm. “It’s nothing like that. Matt has never left Noah for two whole weeks. He’s really nervous about it.”
Ah, now he understood. Gently, he asked, “Are you sure Matt’s the only one who can’t bear to leave Noah behind?”
Another tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t know if I can go,” she admitted. “Two weeks.” She made it sound like two years. “We’re supposed to be a family. He should be coming with us.”
“Oh, honey.” He folded her into his arms, hugged her tight. Gideon rarely felt like he had the right words. Right now, however, he knew exactly what his sister needed. “You are a family. But sometimes you need alone time too, just you and Matt. Especially when you’re celebrating your marriage. There will be so many other times that Noah will be with you, so many trips to Disney World and anywhere else you guys want to take him. You can even take him back to Iceland on a later trip.”
“I know you’re right,” she said, her voice muffled against his tux, “but I keep thinking we should have scheduled just a week, rather than two.”
“It’s your honeymoon.”