Chapter Thirty-Two
Saoirse did not want to go to this party. Who gave a shit if her mother was celebrating her first anniversary with her sixth husband? Wasn’t it ridiculous at this point anyway?
But her mother would never pass up an opportunity to be the center of attention or to spend money and dress up and have people shower her with compliments.
The only thing she was glad about was that Arthur would be there with her. And wow did he look crazy handsome.
Silver hair with its slight curl, clean shaven, and his studious and sophisticated thick-framed black glasses. He was so appealing in his tux it should be illegal. Hell, some of the things they did together probably were illegal in some states but that was neither here nor there.
The way he looked at her as he handed her out of the car at the door to her mother and David’s country club was almost reason enough to have come. Almost. She also maybe liked how she looked in the dress Arthur had taken her shopping for.
She’d mostly looked at the blue ones since she knew that’s what her mother would want her to wear but she couldn’t stop looking at a champagne-gold sequined dress that she thought had enough of a pink tone to make her not look washed out. It was backless, had a big-ass bow tied at the back, and a poufy princess skirt that went down to the floor.
After being in the changing room for what seems like hours, frowning at her reflection in the mirror in yet another staid navy gown, there’d been a knock on the door. When she’d opened it, Arthur had been standing there holding the beautiful champagne dress.
“Doesn’t seem like you’ve been having much luck with those so I grabbed this one. I thought you’d look like a princess, even more than usual. Will you be a good girl for Daddy and try it on?”
How could she refuse? And after he’d insisted that he would be purchasing that one for her and he expected her to wear it to the party, here she was. Feeling pretty and sparkly, and she hadn’t even minded much the way the women at the salon had fussed over her and tsked at the state of her cuticles.
As they walked in, Arthur leaned down and murmured in her ear, “Just remember princess, you need to let Daddy know when you need to use the potty right away. I don’t want you having any accidents. You’re welcome to eat as much as you like, but you need to ask permission to drink anything other than water. Too much soda isn’t good for baby girls’ tummies and you’re too little to have grown-up drinks. Also, I don’t want you to spill on your pretty new dress and ruin it.”
“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered back, feeling her face flush.
She wanted to hold Arthur’s hand and hide behind him but she settled for placing a hand on his forearm, being able to feel the strong muscles through his jacket and crisp white dress shirt.
If she were being completely honest, she’d rather be at home being given a bath or having her daddy read her a story. But if she had to be here, at least Arthur had said there was no reason for her to leave his side if she didn’t want to.
“Arthur!” someone called out, and she and her daddy turned at the same time to see who it was.
She didn’t recognize the man who was walking toward them and waving a big hand, but she did recognize the woman he was with. Sable Hollingsford had been a few years ahead of her in school and they’d been at Clover Hills Middle School together. Sable had left for boarding school so she hadn’t been at the high school by the time Saoirse arrived.
Sable was still very pretty, very elegant, and if Saoirse were to guess—pregnant. The man she was with was quite handsome although he also looked sort of like a lumberjack someone had stuffed into a suit.
“Jethro,” Arthur said, holding out a hand that the big man shook before pulling her daddy into a man-hug. One-armed, short, with some pounding on the back. Saoirse stood there with her hands knitted in front of her hoping this Jethro guy would let go of Arthur so she could have him back.
“Good to see you. Didn’t know you’d be here,” Jethro said, stepping back and settling his arm possessively around Sable’s hips. They had wedding rings on. Oh, that was right.
Her mother had said something about there being a big scandal when Sable Hollingsford married a farmer. So maybe lumberjack hadn’t been so far off. Outdoorsy, worked with plants, same difference.
“Didn’t expect to see you here either.”
“Oh, I don’t get invited to these things. Sable does. I’m just here to hold her purse and eat the shrimp cocktail,” Jethro grinned.
“Jethro, I don’t know if you’ve met Saoirse. She’s Renata’s daughter. Saoirse Sullivan, this is Jethro Del Bosque, he owns—”
“Oh, Del Bosque’s Garden Center. I love your flowers,” she said and then immediately felt stupid.I love your flowers? Who said something like that? And in front of fancy pants Sable Hollingsford no less. Although Sable had married Jethro who was neither a farmer nor a lumberjack, but owner of the upscale garden center she liked to go to during the winter to walk through the greenhouses.
But Sable didn’t make a face. No, with her other hand cradling her rounded belly, Sable offered Saoirse her own hand. “I like the flowers there too. And hi Saoirse, I’m not sure you remember me from school. I was Sable Hollingsford, now Sable Del Bosque.”
Saoirse gave her a shy smile. “Of course I remember you. Nice to see you again.”