Нора Робертс - Midnight Bayou

"It's special," she said, "so I save it for special. It was a beautiful wedding, Declan. You did a fine job getting this place ready for it. You're a good friend.”

"I have lots of good qualities, which makes you a very lucky woman. I've missed you the last couple days.”

"We've both been busy."

"Stay tonight." He caught her hand, seeing denial and excuses in her eyes. "Angelina, stay tonight.”

"Maybe. You've got a lot of people you should be talking to.”

"They're all talking to each other. Where's Miss Odette?”

Lena scowled. "Your mother swept her off somewhere.”

"You want me to find them, cut Miss Odette loose?”

Pride stiffened her spine, her voice. "My grandmama can hold her own against your mama any day of the week.”

"Oh yeah?" Amused, Declan narrowed his eyes in challenge. "If they get physical, my money's on Colleen. She's got a wicked left. Why don't we get some champagne and go find them? See what round they're in.”

"If she hurts my grandmama's feelings-was "She would never do that." No longer amused, Declan gave her shoulders a little shake. "What do you take her for, Lena? If she went off with Miss Odette, it's because she'd like to get to know her.”

"I suppose that's why she dragged your daddy into my place. So she could get to know me better.”

"They were in your place?”

"My bar, yeah." Annoyed with herself for being annoyed, Lena reached out to take a flute from a waiter passing champagne. "She came in to check the place out, and me with it. So, she got her an eyeful, and a damn good martini. And I set her straight.”

He experienced the jittery male panic at the image of the two most important females in his life squaring off. "What the hell does that mean?”

"I said what I had to say, that's all. We understand each other fine now.”

"Why don't you bring me up to date so I can understand you fine, too?”

"This isn't the time or the place.”

"We're going to find the time and the place.”

Because she heard the temper in his voice, she shrugged. Then smiled and traced a finger down his cheek. "Now don't get all riled up, cher. We got us a party here. You and me, we can fight anytime.”

"Okay, we'll schedule it in for a little later." He caught her chin in his hand. "I can't figure out who you're selling short, Lena. Me, my family or yourself. Let me know when you've got the answer.”

He bent, brushed his lips over hers. "See you later.”

The reception moved into the ballroom, and still managed to spill onto the galleries, onto the lawn. For the first time in decades, the house filled with music and laughter. Racing children, crying babies, flirting couples and gossiping friends filled the great room, relaxed in the shade of white umbrellas at tables around the gardens or plopped down on the gallery.

Declan liked to imagine the house absorbing all that positive energy, even into the dark corners of the rooms he'd kept locked.

"Declan." Effie laid a hand on his arm. "May I have this dance?”

"Did somebody kill Remy?" He led her out on the floor. "I figure that's the only way he'd let you more than a foot away from him." He kissed her hand before taking her into his arms. "Can't blame him. When you've got the most beautiful woman in the room, you keep her close.”

"Oh, Declan." She laid her cheek on his. "If I wasn't madly in love with my husband, I'd make such a play for you.”

"If you ever get tired of him, let me know.”

"I want to thank you for everything you did to give me this perfect day. I know my mama, my sister and I drove you a little crazy the last couple weeks.”

"Has it only been a couple weeks?" He laughed. "It was worth every hour I hid in closets so none of you could find me.”

"I'm so happy. I'm so happy, and I love you. I love everybody today," she said with a laugh. "Everyone in the world, but today, next to Remy, I love you best of all so I want you to be happy.”

"I am.”

"Not enough." She turned her lips to his ear. "Declan, there's something in this house that's just not finished. I didn't think I believed in that sort of thing, but … I feel it. Whenever I'm here, I feel it. I feel it even today.”

He could feel the tremor move through her, rubbed his hand over her back to soothe it away. "You shouldn't think about it today. You shouldn't worry today.”

"I'm worried for you. Something … it isn't finished. Part of it, somehow part of it's my fault.”

"Yours?" He eased her back now so he could see her face, then circled her toward one of the corners. "What do you mean?”

"I wish I knew what I meant. I only know what I feel. Something I did, or didn't do for you. It doesn't make a bit of sense, but it's such a strong feeling. The feeling that I wasn't there for you when you needed me most. I guess I'm a little afraid something bad's going to happen again if it's not all made right. So, well, as silly as this sounds, I just want to tell you I'm sorry, so awfully sorry for letting you down however I did.”

"It's all right." He touched his lips to her forehead. "You couldn't know. Whatever it was, if it was, you couldn't know. And sweetheart, this isn't a day for looking back. It's all about tomorrow now.”

"You're right. Just … just be careful," she said as Remy walked up and gave Declan a mock punch.

"That's my wife you're holding, cher. You go get your own girl.”

"Good idea.”

He hunted up Lena, found her in a clutch of people. The red of her dress was like a sleek tongue of flame over her dusky skin. He imagined his reaction to it, to her, transmitted clearly enough as he saw that knowing and essentially female look come into her eyes as he stepped toward her.

He turned slightly and held out a hand to her grandmother. "Miss Odette, would you dance with me?”

"Day hasn't come when I'll turn down a dance with a handsome man.”

"You look wonderful," he told her when they took the floor.

"Weddings make me feel young. I had a nice talk with your mama.”

"Did you?”

"You're wondering," she said with a chuckle. "I'll tell you we got on just fine. And she seemed pleased when I told her I saw how you'd been raised up right the first time I met you. She paid me back the compliment by saying the same about my Lena. Then we chatted about things women often chat about at weddings, which would likely bore you-except to say we agreed what a handsome young man you are. And handsome young men should find more reason to wear tuxedos.”

"I could become a mamtre d'. But they get better tips when they have a snooty accent, and I'm not sure I could pull that part off.”

"Then I'll just have to wait until your own wedding to see you all slicked up again.”

"Yeah." He looked over her head, but Lena had moved on. "This one's working out pretty well anyway. I was a little panicked that the storm last night would screw things up.”

"Storm? Cher, we didn't have a storm last night.”

"Sure we did. A mean one. Don't tell me you slept through it.”

"I was up till midnight." She watched his face now. "Finishing the hem on this dress. Then I was up again 'round four when Rufus decided he needed to go outside. I saw lights on over here then. Wondered what you were doing up at that hour. Night was clear as a bell, Declan.”

"I … I m/'ve dreamed about a storm. Pre-wedding stress." But he hadn't been up at four. Hadn't been up at all, as far as he knew, after midnight-when he'd walked through the house to turn off all the lights before going to bed.

Dreams, he thought. Wind and rain, the flash of lightning. The yellow flames of the fire in the grate. Pain, sweat, thirst. Blood.

Women's hands, women's voices-Effie's? –giving comfort, giving encouragement.

He remembered it now, clearly, and stopped dead in the middle of the dance.