“It was a beautiful ceremony.”
Startled at the soft, feminine voice, Grace looked up to see Lily standing in front of her.
Shade’s wife was gorgeous in a violet, tea-length dress that emphasized her eyes and black hair.
“Yes, it was,” she agreed, her attention switching to Ice who was talking to Jackal, Penni, and Shade across the room.
Lily turned her head to see what she was staring at, then turned back with a smile. “They look handsome all dressed up, don’t they?”
“Yes, they do.” Grace’s hand shook as she lifted her glass to her lips.
“Are…?” Lily began, then cut her question short, blushing.
“Are what?” Grace asked.
“Nothing. I was about to ask if you’re okay, but I didn’t want to be insensitive. I’m sorry. I’ll leave you alone.”
Grace placed her hand on Lily’s arm, stopping her. “You couldn’t be insensitive if you tried. You were about to mention my mother, weren’t you?”
Lily nodded. “It has to be difficult to see your father getting remarried.”
“I miss my mother badly, but I’m glad Dad isn’t alone anymore. My mother and Dad had a very happy marriage. They were best friends. The thought of Dad not having that relationship was almost as bad as losing Mom.” Her lips curled in a smile. “T.A. will keep him on his toes.”
“Yes, she will.” Lily laughed with her. “She has a quality that a lot of people don’t have anymore. When she cares about you, she’ll stand by you until hell freezes over. She loves children. I wouldn’t know what I’d do without her at Christmastime. She always volunteers to wrap the children’s presents for the baskets I do for the needy our church puts together.”
Grace smiled, finally managing to relax with Lily’s friendly chatter that took her mind off the problems going on in her marriage. One of the best things about being friends with Penni was that she had been introduced to Lily. She had even accepted a couple of invitations when Penni came to visit Shade for just that reason.
Lily was warm-hearted, sweet, and would give the shirt off her back to anyone in need. She was the exact opposite of her husband. When she thought of Shade, warm-hearted and sweet did not come to mind.
“You don’t have to convince me. She has my dad laughing and smiling again. And she convinced him to take an acting role that he would have never taken unless she talked him into it.”
“I’m glad, too. I saw his movie. It’s really good.”
“I think so, too.” Grace watched proudly as her father and T.A. came into the room to cheers. She didn’t rush to their side, letting the rest of their friends go first.
Grace felt a pang in her chest at how happy they looked, remembering how happy she had been the day she and Ice married.
She felt Lily touch her arm. “Are you okay? You look like you’re about to cry.”
“I’m fine. I was remembering when Ice and I were married.”
“I remember when Shade and I were married. He gave me my dream wedding. I didn’t even know he planned it until the morning of the wedding.”
Shocked, Grace took her eyes off her father to stare at Lily. “You didn’t plan your own wedding?”
“No, Shade did. He knew that I wanted an outdoor wedding with snow, and a snowfall had come in the night before. It was beautiful. The next time you come for a visit, I’ll show you the video. He made my dreams come true. He still does.”
Lily was staring at Shade as they talked, and Grace noticed that Shade was watching her back. He had no idea what they were talking about, yet they were communicating in a way that only those truly in love could.
It brought another pang to her chest, this time much sharper and it didn’t go away.
Setting her champagne glass down, she reached for another. “Ice doesn’t want any part of my dreams.”
Lily turned to her in surprise. “That can’t be true. Ice loves you very much—”
“He used to. Right now, I don’t know how he feels.”
Grace couldn’t believe she was airing her laundry in front of Lily. She couldn’t even understand why, other than the fight they had this morning had been the worst, or Lily was just the type of person that she could talk to—one who wouldn’t make snap judgments.
“I understand.”
Grace frowned. “You do?”
Lily blushed at her own disclosure. “I think all women, whether they’re married or not, at one time or another have doubts if their partners love them the same way they did at the beginning of their relationship.”
“It’s evident that Shade does. Ice? I’m not so sure. We’ve been fighting a lot lately.” Grace finished her drink, mentally blaming the three glasses of champagne she had for revealing the state of her marriage.
Unable to stop herself, she divulged even more, like a dam had broken free within her, and the pain she had been holding in came spilling out.
“I want to have a baby, but I want Ice to find another job. I don’t like the person he works for now.”
“Are you worried about his job security if you have a baby?”
“Not that. I don’t like who he works for.”
“Does Ice like him?”
Grace frowned at her question. “I’ve never thought to ask.”
“If Ice likes him, that might be why he doesn’t want to quit. Why don’t you like his boss?”
“I can’t say.” Grace twisted her wedding ring on her finger, unable to meet Lily’s eyes.
“I see.”
Grace saw that Lily was also twisting the wedding rings on her own hand.
Lily started to say something then seemed to change her mind before deciding to say what she wanted.
“Ice and Shade seem to have similar personalities. I’ve noticed that when you two come for a visit with Penni.”
“I’ve noticed that, too,” Grace acknowledged.
“When I met Shade, I was terrified of him.”
Grace thought back to when she met Ice. “I wasn’t afraid of him. More like wary of him.”
“That’s because you’re more confident and stronger than I was back then.”
“I can’t believe that. When I came to visit, you handled all your guest and their children like a pro.”
“I used to be afraid of my own shadow,” Lily said ruefully. “Becoming friends with Penni and falling in love with Shade gave me more self-assurance. He taught me how to be stronger and confident. It’s wonderful how people can affect your life.” Lily gave her a wide smile. “If not for her, I wouldn’t have met you.”
“I was just thinking earlier that being friends with you is one of the best things in my life.”
“Penni isn’t afraid of anything. I met her in college. She talked me into doing things that my own sister couldn’t have.” Lily laughed. “Not that Beth would have tried to talk me into pole dancing or going to sorority and frat parties. I used to freak out if people drank around me.”
About to reach for another glass of champagne, Grace jerked her hand back.
“It’s okay. Unless someone is drunk, it doesn’t bother me as badly.”
Lily might have said that, but Grace noticed she was the only one who didn’t have a glass in her hand.
Changing the topic from drinking, she teased Lily, “What did Shade teach you to be more confident and stronger?”
“That evil doesn’t always win.”
Grace swallowed hard, looking away from the secrets in Lily’s eyes. Only someone who had faced and conquered evil could understand. And like Lily, she had. She and two of her friends had been kidnapped when they had gone to New York with her parents. Her friends hadn’t made it out alive. It took a lot of years to come to terms that she had.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“I should go congratulate your father and T.A.”
Grace could tell Lily wanted to get away from her memories.
“Lily…” Grace stopped her before she could move away. “Could I ask you a question?
”
She didn’t answer yes or no, waiting to hear the question first.