Page 57 of An Unexpected Match
He pressed his hand at the small of her back and guided her to a couple just arriving.
Before long, Arden was listening to Brendan and Lance Warwick discuss the ramifications of not using Brendan’s company’s services versus the expense. When the man’s wife asked if Arden worked for Brendan, she explained the relationship.
Discovering Jenny Warwick had two young children, they were soon talking about summer activities appropriate for preschoolers.
Music drifted in from the back. Cissy Andrews joined them, urging everyone to the backyard.
“We have an area for dancing. And the buffet tables are full, you’ll get first pick.”
She chatted briefly with Jenny and Arden, then moved on to another group.
The backyard was huge, with a canopy over the food tables to the left, a five-piece combo playing in the rear, complete with dance floor laid out near the band. Colorful Japanese lanterns illuminated every inch.
When Brendan asked her to dance, Arden felt excitement shimmer through her. It was a slow tune, and she moved into his arms without hesitation. She was here to make memories, and what better one than dancing with the man she loved?
Their steps meshed perfectly. She relaxed and enjoyed the movement, enjoyed the feeling of his arms around her, the feel of his muscular chest against hers, the scent of aftershave he’d splashed on.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked, his voice soft in her ear.
Arden closed her eyes and imagined what it’d be like to be with him forever. To go to bed together and spend the night wrapped in each other’s arms. To hear his voice in the darkness saying things only she would ever hear.
Nodding, she didn’t want to break the spell. It was magic. Being with him, dancing, meeting his friends and acquaintances. Bittersweet memories, she thought with a pang, as she realized she wouldn’t share this with him again.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said about Lannie and her pictures,” he said after a moment.
Arden opened her eyes and pulled back enough to see his face. “What?”
“That Hailey and Avery need photos of their mother, so they’ll know what she looked like to remember she was their mother.”
She nodded. She cherished the photographs she had of her parents. It was so hard to remember them. If she didn’t have the photographs, she knew she'd no longer be able to see their faces.
“Thursday night, I got the box down from the closet to choose a couple of photos. I’d packed them all away when she died. It was weird. I looked at them last night and it was easier than I thought it’d be,” Brendan said.
Easier and yet difficult, he remembered. Lannie was young and pretty when she died. She'd been happy in their marriage, in the life they’d made together. At least he had that.
But Lannie was forever gone. It was time to move on.
He drew Arden closer, involuntarily comparing the two women.
Lannie had been much shorter. Arden was easier to dance with, their steps matching, her head resting against his cheek.
And the feelings he felt around Arden were different. She threw him more times than not with her outspoken views, her wild schemes and her zest for living. It shook him up.
And he needed that, he admitted. He’d kept a tight control on his emotions for three years. Almost depriving his children of their remaining parent.
Which brought up the thought of what if something happened to him? Who would love his daughters as he did? Who would take care of them and help them grow into womanhood?
He knew his parents would step in, or Ella. But maybe his children needed something different, something that Arden brought.
The song ended, and Arden stepped back, smiling up at him. Brendan had the strongest urge to kiss her. But not here, not during a party with a hundred guests or more.
When he kissed her, he wanted it to be in the privacy of their home.
He’d told her he didn’t want an affair. But now he wondered if he’d known it was a lie. He wanted Arden Glover, and that surprised him to his core.
Chapter Thirteen
Arden awoke on Saturday morning in a wonderful mood. The party had been terrific. Dreamily, she remembered how she and Brendan had danced the night away. She’d met more people throughout the evening and found everyone friendly and easy to talk with. Brendan had seemed to enjoy himself as well.
