Blue Colla Make Ya Holla (62 page)

“I could use that drink now,” Joanne whispered to Nate.

“Any preferences?”

“Something with alcohol,” she deadpanned.

Without another word, he stood and made his way to the bartender. He was back in less than a minute, and he put a glass of white wine in front of her.

“Thanks,” she said before gulping half of the drink down. The wine settled hard on her stomach, which gave a lurch. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to keep it down.

Nate leaned in to her and put a hand between her shoulder blades. “Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded but took another big gulp of wine and grimaced when it didn’t settle any easier. “Yeah, just needed some sustenance to get through that.” She pointed with the wine glass to the front where Stan was just taking the mic.

Joanne stared into her wineglass as Stan told the story of how he and Joanne had introduced the couple. She didn’t hear a word he said. She didn’t need to. She could feel his stare boring into her. She didn’t look up. She couldn’t. Thoughts of Ash and Aaron’s happiness brought tears to her eyes at the idea of what she and Stan had lost.
Because of his lies. Damn him.
She blinked rapidly, forcing the tears away and refusing to let them go. She would not cry at her best friend’s wedding.

When someone else began speaking, Nate touched her hand. She jerked her attention to him. “I take it you could use another one of those.” He indicated her glass.

Joanne nodded, relieved. “God, yes.”

He stood and left. Without him beside her, Joanne felt bereft and exposed. She glanced around, making sure Stan wasn’t going to ambush her again. She didn’t see him among all the people, and her tension eased just a bit.

Nate came back and sat down another wine glass and a plate of finger foods. “I thought you could use something in your stomach,” he said.

Joanne smiled gratefully and took a nibble of a stuffed mushroom. She didn’t want to eat. She wanted to get drunk and forget. Food would just hinder that mission. She didn’t want to seem rude though.

As more and more people began to tell their stories of the happy couple, the atmosphere in the room got lighter. At each subsequent story, Joanne sunk further and further into her chair. She and Ashlyn had been best friends since fourth grade. They had been quite a pair, always making jokes, playing pranks, and generally getting into as much trouble as possible. Many of the stories the guests told revolved around one or more of those instances.

Joanne bit her lip and glanced from under her lashes at Nate.
What does he think of all my childhood antics?
They were so embarrassing to look back on. When Ashlyn’s mother took the mic, Joanne knew she was in trouble.

She dropped her head into her arms on the table. “What’s wrong?” Nate’s voice tickled her ear.

“Nothing,” she mumbled.

As Ash’s mom told the story of how she had caught them both in a double dare to kiss as many boys in their fifth grade class as possible, everyone laughed and hooted in appreciation. Joanne felt the heat spread from her middle, up her neck, and into her face. She knew her pale skin was a bright red now. She heard a chuckle next to her, and she groaned in embarrassment.

“So you’ve always been quite a wild child, huh?” he said, laughing.

“I can’t believe you’re hearing all these stories about me.”

Nate laughed again, and she felt his arm fall across her shoulders before his breath tickled her ear again. “Would it help if I told you embarrassing stories about me?”

Joanne lifted her head to peer at him. He was smiling, and he looked genuine. She sat up, but Nate kept his arm around her shoulders. It was warm and comforting, and Joanne admitted to herself that she liked the feeling.

“Yes, actually. That would help. I feel like all my dirty secrets have been exposed to you, while I know nothing about you.”

“Okay, then. How about this?” He proceeded to tell her about the time he’d stolen a neighbor’s bicycle just so he could get to the store to buy his mom a Christmas present. The cops had caught him before he ever got to the store. They let him off with just a warning since he planned to return the bike. Then the officers drove him to the store so he could buy the gift before taking him home. His mom had first been scared, then angry, and finally happy at his thoughtfulness.

Joanne watched his expressive face as he told the story, captivated by the way he threw himself into the storytelling. He’d had an interesting childhood it seemed, growing up with a single mom. She could see where he got his caring nature.

After several such stories, Joanne found herself laughing and realized she’d forgotten about her earlier embarrassment. She’d even forgotten about Stan and her heartbreak. That thought sobered her. Nate noticed her change of attitude immediately.

“Why don’t we dance?” He nodded his head to the dance floor. The DJ was playing an upbeat tune, and the dancers were having fun.

Joanne nodded. Dancing seemed safe enough, as long as it wasn’t a slow dance. She needed to have fun, to laugh, just like Nate had been making her do tonight. He was pretty good about getting her mind off her problems.

Nate led her to the dance floor, and Joanne let loose and let herself have fun. She was out of breath and laughing when the DJ switched to a slow song. She started to leave the floor when Nate caught her arm.

“Where are you going? I thought we were having fun.”

Joanne hesitated in answering. “We are. I just…I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” she admitted.

He gently pulled her closer to him. “What are you afraid of?” he asked in a low voice.

“Nothing,” she protested.

Nate put a large hand on her waist and another on her neck, shifting them subtly closer. “Are you sure?” His thumb brushed the pulse point under her ear. “Your pulse tells a different story.”

Joanne hadn’t even been aware that her heartrate had skyrocketed as soon as he pulled her closer. Her breath caught in her throat as he swept her backwards in the dance. Instinctively, her hands went around his neck before he pulled her back up to him. He grinned at her shocked expression.

She couldn’t help but return his smile. “You keep doing that and my pulse is in real trouble.”

He moved her around the dance floor smoothly, and Joanne followed without protest. “We wouldn’t want that, would we?”

Joanne didn’t answer, but she wondered if she did want that or not. She didn’t know if the excitement she was feeling was from being near Nate or just that she was with someone new for the first time in three years. As he twirled her around the dance floor, she decided she didn’t care. She was going to enjoy the moment while she could.

Her hands moved from Nate’s neck down to his broad shoulders. She could feel his muscles flexing underneath the suit as he moved them. She remembered the play of his muscles in the thin T-shirt as he hooked up her car the previous morning. It had only been thirty-six hours, yet here she was in his arms.

As one slow song led into another, Joanne leaned into Nate’s hard chest. His heart beat against her ear, and his breath moved her hair. She closed her eyes and let his heat envelope her.

“Joanne?” Nate said.

Joanne opened her eyes to find the slow song had ended. They stood in each other’s arms while the other dancers found the new rhythm. Joanne pulled her head off Nate’s chest and looked up at him. His hazel eyes darkened as he gazed at her. Joanne knew what he wanted, and she blushed before pulling away.

As they left the dance floor, Stan materialized in their path. Crashing back to reality, Joanne sighed. She tried to steer around Stan and ignore him, but he stepped back in her path. “What, Stan?” she spit at him.

He glared at Nate, then held out his hands to Joanne. “Dance with me?” he asked. She shook her head, not trusting herself to say anything. She didn’t want to be alone with him, not for one minute. Her throat closed up with tears threatening to overwhelm her again. If she had to deal with Stan, she didn’t know if she would bawl or rage. Neither would do here at Ash’s wedding. Stan frowned at her lack of response. “You dance with him—a stranger—but refuse to dance with your fiancé? What kind of woman are you?”

“You are not my fiancé. Not anymore. You have no right to question my choice of dance partners. If you wanted that right, you shouldn’t have cheated on me.” Her voice had risen considerably on that last sentence, and she took a shaky breath to calm herself.

“JoJo, I made a mistake. Please, let’s talk about it.”

“A mistake? Which one was that? Sandy? Or Justine? No, I know, it was Lucinda, wasn’t it?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer. “Well? Which
one
was the mistake and which ones were not mistakes?”

Joanne felt Nate’s presence at her back, and his hands landed on her shoulders. “I’m not doing this anymore, Stan. For the last time, we are done. Leave me alone.” She maneuvered to put her arm around Nate’s waist and headed for the bar. Nate’s arm wrapped around her shoulders and made her feel safe from the daggers Stan was shooting at her.

She got a drink and downed it before asking for another. The bartender raised an eyebrow, but did as she asked.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? Maybe it’s time to go home now,” Nate said softly.

“No,” Joanne said vehemently. “I refuse to let him win. I’m staying.”

Nate shrugged. There wasn’t much he could do. She was right in one aspect at least. It wasn’t right for her to leave her friend’s wedding so early. She was the maid of honor, after all.
I’ll just have to try harder to make her forget about that jerk of an ex of hers.
He’d been doing a pretty good job before the guy had interrupted.

When she got yet another drink from the bartender, he took it from her hand. “Why don’t you go congratulate the happy couple. You are the maid of honor, after all. And you’ve hidden yourself in the corner most of the night.”

Joanne pouted. All she really wanted to do was drink until she couldn’t remember her name, much less the pain from Stan’s betrayal. But Nate was right. She had duties she’d been neglecting. “All right,” she agreed reluctantly.

She started to step away from the bar and realized the Nate was still standing there. “Aren’t you coming?” she asked him.

“I didn’t want to intrude.”

“Please, Nate.” Her eyes pleaded with him. “Please don’t leave me alone. If you do,” she glanced around nervously, “I just know Stan will come back. I just can’t deal with him. Not tonight.”

“All right,” Nate agreed. He held out his arm to her, and she gratefully wrapped her hand around it.

“Thanks, Nate. I can never repay you for all you’ve done for me.”

Nate kept quiet, but he was thinking of all the ways he would like to be repaid. Just being with her, seeing her laugh, making her blush, all those things were enough for him. She was beautiful and sweet and kind and, yes, a little crazy. He’d love to get to know her better.

“Oh, Joanne!” Ash cried as they approached. Ash grabbed Joanne in a hug and clung to her. When she pulled away, Ash was beaming through the tears that streaked her cheeks. “This has been the perfect day.” Before Joanne could reply, Ash had turned to Nate and embraced him too. “You came,” she said. “I’m so glad you changed your mind. Are you managing to keep Joanne out of trouble?” She laughed.

“I’m trying, but it’s hard work,” he joked.

Joanne slapped at his shoulder, and Ash laughed again. “I know. It is, isn’t it?” Ash agreed. She introduced Nate to Aaron then said, “You two talk for a minute. I need to talk to Joanne.”

Ash pulled Joanne a few steps away. The noise of the party kept them from being overheard by the men. “So? How’s it going?”

“It’s fine. He’s really nice.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

Joanne shrugged. “What else am I supposed to say?”

“He showed up for you, silly. That says something. Are you going to see him again?”

Joanne looked over at the attractive man. The man who had agreed to be her date without even knowing her. The man who had rescued her from a parking lot, given her rides, and fixed her car, all without complaint. He was a good person. But Joanne wasn’t ready to start dating again. Was she? It had only been a month since she’d ended things with Stan. “I don’t think so,” she finally answered.

Ash grabbed Joanne by the shoulders and gave a little shake. “You listen to me. I know Stan hurt you. But you have to get past him. You have to let him go in order to move on with your life. What better way to get started than with a cutie like that?”

“Ash, he’s not really my type.”

“Oh? And cheating bastards are your type?” Joanne winced at the jab, and Ash was immediately apologetic. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s okay,” Joanne assured her friend. “I know you mean well.”

“I do. Just give him a chance, Joanne. I’m not saying you’ll marry him. Just ask him out. On a real date. Please? Do it for me.”

“All right,” Joanne conceded. “I’ll at least ask. But that’s all I can promise.”

Ash gave Joanne another hug. “Great! Now let’s go see what those two are talking about.”

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