She fiddled with the edge of the tablecloth. “And what were you thinking, Mr. Jennings?”
The final note of the song played out, and Levi swept Mia into a dramatic dip to the applause of the delighted crowd. The quartet struck up another tune, and guests were invited to join the couple on the dance floor.
Finally. He held out his hand to Grace. “I’ve been waiting all night for this.”
The dancing went on a long while—almost long enough for Wyatt to get his fill. Finally the bride and groom tossed the bouquet and garter, then cut the cake. It wasn’t even ten o’clock yet, but Wyatt sensed their eagerness to be off and away.
A short while later they disappeared inside the house to change. Grace went inside with Molly to say their private good-byes while the rest of the party lined up outside the back door.
Soon the crowd cheered as the couple exited the house in their travel clothes and ran down the lawn hand in hand. They continued all the way to the end of the pier where they slipped into the waiting floatplane. Moments later they took off across the water and lifted into the dark sky. They were headed to Charlotte where they’d catch a flight in the morning and set off for a romantic week in Paris.
The crowd slowly dispersed after that, and Wyatt helped their friends and neighbors clean up. It wasn’t quite midnight when he was walking Grace to her door.
She looked satisfied but tired as she turned at her door and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you for being my plus one tonight. It was a lot of fun.”
“Thank you for inviting me. You’re a good dance partner.”
“Is it awful that I’m glad to have the wedding behind us? It’ll be good to get back to some normalcy and focus on finding a buyer for the inn.”
“Normalcy is good. You’re excited about that bungalow, aren’t you?”
“And afraid I’m going to lose it. Pamela’s having an open house tomorrow. Pray that nobody puts in an offer?”
“Of course. But have a little faith. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.” Wyatt took her face in his hands and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
Grace gave a contented sigh.
He didn’t let the kiss go on and on but made proper use of the time. Then he pulled away and brushed her cheek with his thumb. “You’re tired. I’ll let you get to bed.”
“I’m so sleeping in tomorrow.”
“Late service?”
“Deal.”
“I’ll plan on hiking afterward.” He was running out of time and starting to feel a little desperate. His leave was officially up in a week and two days, and he was no closer to a resolution.
“I wish I could go with you.”
“I know.” He set a kiss on her brow and said good night.
It was only as he closed his own door that he realized he’d never answered Grace’s question about what he’d been thinking earlier. That was just as well, because he’d been thinking that he might be falling in love with the woman.
A pleasant sensation spread throughout him at the thought. He’d never felt this way, as if he were floating. Who knew it would take a woman like Grace to reach a place so deep inside him?
But even as he enjoyed the heady feeling, an ache pressed in, bringing his feet back down to the ground. Because his and Grace’s lives were not compatible, and no amount of wishing would make it otherwise.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Molly led the Johnson brothers down the inn’s staircase. They’d spent almost two hours poring over every inch of the place, and she’d been very careful to avoid the subjects that had gotten her in trouble with her siblings.
John and Jake were nice guys in their midtwenties. They seemed slightly out of place in their city-slicker suits and trendy haircuts, but they were from Chicago after all. They were so young to be buying an inn, but Molly had gathered from their conversation that they were trust fund babies.
John was an accountant and all about the details. Jake was all business and married to a woman who was interested in running the restaurant portion of the business. How would Miss Della feel about that?
There was nothing wrong with them per se. They were polite and very interested. They asked good questions and made positive remarks. They just seemed so . . . business oriented, using words like assets and investments. They didn’t ask