poking out. Our plates were white and set upon gold chargers, and every second table was set with a shimmering gold table runner.
“I feel like we’re at a royal banquet,” Peter said to me after we finished eating dinner. He leaned back in his seat with his glass of red wine and swirled it around. “I’ve never been at such a nice event before.”
“Vanessa has good taste. Or rather, Kim does. I’m not sure who had more influence on this.”
The music changed and couples took to the dance floor in the middle of the patio. Peter got to his feet and asked me to dance.
I looked from his extended hand up into his eyes. “I’m not a very good dancer.”
“Neither am I,” he admitted.
I smiled, put my hand in his, and let him lead me to my feet and through the tables to the dance floor. Rhys and Vanessa were out there, along with Kim and Rick. Jack and Hailey were who knows where. She probably had her feet up somewhere and had stripped out of her dress into something cooler. I wouldn’t blame her if she’d gone down to one of the pools to cool down.
That didn’t sound like a bad idea.
Maybe later.
Peter pulled me in close, put a hand on my waist, and began guiding me around the dance floor.
“For someone who can’t dance and has a bad habit of being a bull in a china shop, you’re pretty graceful,” I said.
Peter winked. “It’s the wine.”
“Ah, the truth comes out.”
He gave me a slow twirl and spun me back to him. We ended with my back to his chest, and we stayed like that for a moment, swaying side to side to the gentle rhythm of the music while other couples milled around us.
I stepped out, ducked under his arm, and came around beside him to trail my fingers over his shoulders. He watched me walk around him until I stopped in front of him once more. He gathered me up, pulled me in close, and rewarded me with a kiss.
“I’m glad you’re here with me,” I whispered.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“It wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without you.” I meant it. Not only would the wedding have been less enjoyable without Peter, but I also would have had to deal with all the questions about arriving single, as always.
I’d also have been forced to contend with questions about becoming an auntie soon. I didn’t want to face that right now.
Peter looked down at our feet. I noticed that something seemed to be on his mind. His movements slowed and his hand on my waist slid a little lower. He was lost in thought.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
He looked up at me. “Wrong? No, not at all. Sorry.”
“What were you thinking about?”
For a second, I thought he wasn’t going to answer me. He got a far-off look in his eyes before he sighed and met my gaze. “My family is here in LA. At least what’s left of them is. And when I left for St. John, I had no intention of coming back here until my three months were up. But, now that I’m here…” He trailed off. “I don’t know. It wouldn’t seem right to go back home without stopping in to visit them.”
My heart did a little hop step. “Home? The island already feels like home to you?”
Peter smiled. “Part of it does.”
It was a good thing he had a hold of me because my heart soared so high my feet felt like they left the floor.
Chapter 25
Peter
The morning after the wedding was a little gloomy. The clouds were heavy with low-lying thick white clouds that turned dark and stormy over the ocean. It wasn’t raining, but I suspected it might only be a matter of time before it started.
The hotel room still managed to feel bright and airy when I cracked my eyes open and stared up at the smooth white ceiling. Katie was sound asleep beside me. Her deep steady breaths were peaceful background noise as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes with the heels of my hands.
The clock on the nightstand read that it was quarter past seven in the morning.
Part of me wanted to roll back over, pull Katie in close, and fall back asleep.
Another part of me wanted to get out of bed and go see my brother so I could get this day over with. Visiting my family had been on my mind during the entire reception