“Okay, then.” Vic didn’t believe it signified anything. She wasn’t superstitious. “Are you and Austin leaving soon? You’ve got a plane to catch.”
The dancing had died down, and guests were now leaving at a trickle.
“We’ll probably leave in the next half hour. I want to stop at the mine shaft and toss in a piece of cake for the knockers. You can come with us if you’d like.”
“Sure.” Vic didn’t have to ask which mine shaft, and she didn’t have to ask why. Lexi truly believed that a tommyknocker who’d called himself Cousin Jack had helped save her life a year ago, and it was an old Cornish tradition to share food with them. “It was a beautiful wedding. Truly, it was.”
“Thank you. And thanks for all you did to—”
“You’d better watch the cake, Ms. Taylor.” Austin walked up to them. “It’s disappearing fast. Bear asked us to wrap an extra piece for him so he can get to his afternoon preaching session at the roundabout. You want a piece to throw in for Cousin Jack. Kendra wants to know if we’re saving the top layer for our anniversary.”
“Of course we are.” Lexi hurried away with her husband.
For the first time since early this morning, Vic was alone. She strolled across the wide lawn past the rose garden, looking west toward the mountains, their breathtaking beauty helping her to hold a growing sense of melancholy at bay. She closed her eyes, inhaled, savoring the scent of the air—so unique to the Colorado mountains.
You’re in love with him.
The thought sent ripples through her.
Yes, she loved him, but it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t leave Scarlet. Hecouldn’tleave Scarlet. Just like the mountains and rivers, he belonged here.
Although she would love to relocate here, she needed some means to support herself. Her trust fund was for emergencies and retirement, not to enable her to sit on her butt. She’d considered what Eric had said about working for a big Denver PR firm. But the thought of moving across the country just to be near a man who might never feel for her the way she felt for him seemed like a spectacularly foolish thing to do. Given her track record when it came to men, it probably spelled disaster. She couldn’t afford to make another big mistake.
Yes, she’d be closer to Lexi, too, but how would it feel to be a part of that group of friends if Eric found someone else and moved on?
Back in the party tent, she heard Bear’s preaching voice as he offered Lexi and Austin his blessing. “What God has joined together, let no one put asunder.”
The sweetness of it brought a smile to her lips.
She watched as he made his way across the yard toward the street, one precious piece of wrapped wedding cake cradled in one big hand, his Bible in the other. “Goodbye, Bear.”
She didn’t say it loud enough to be heard.
When would she see him again? When would she see this place?
If only she could inhale and hold it all inside her, right there close to her heart. There was something peaceful here, something she’d never felt anywhere else. She would visit, of course. She would come back for Christmas. She’d never seen the mountains in the wintertime. Maybe she would even ask Eric to teach her to ski.
He stood with Austin and the other groomsmen as Austin gave them each a gift bag. Lexi had given her bridesmaids engraved Kate Spade gold bangles. Vic’s said, “Best friends forever,” and had today’s date. She watched to see what Austin had given them, but when Eric took his gift out, she had no idea what it was.
He laughed, held it up. “Excellent!”
Obviously, he was pleased with it—whatever it was. Probably climbing gear.
From the front of the inn came the sound of shouting.
She hurried toward the front yard to see what was happening—and stared.
Two young men followed Bear down the sidewalk shoving him, teasing him, trying to grab the cake from his hand, a beat-up SUV with California plates moving slowly along the street beside them.
She ran as fast as she could in heels, rage making her face hot. “Stop it!”
“Come on, man! Give it to me!”
“Just take it from him.”
Bear turned his body away from them, cradling the cake against his chest. “He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker.”
“What are you—some kind of retard?”