Page 31 of On the Slopes of Tahoe
I stand and swing my chair around between them so she can sit. Her gaze is assessing, like she’s questioning my motives.
A curt “Thanks” is all I get.
I peek over her shoulder as she taps through the pictures. I’m again reminded of the talent she has for finding the perfect angle of the perfect moment and capturing it with clarity and creativity. I’ve garnered more from Wes about what she does for the ski resort, and though some of her work includes taking photos, it’s not her primary job. It could be though. Her skill level matches any professional photographer I’ve ever worked with.
Joss’s and Wes’s running commentary—accented with laughs and soft smiles—draws more of the group until almost everyone is crowded around us.
“You guys,” Rory says, a blush on her cheeks. “I’ll get an album up in the next couple days. There’s still so much I need to do.” She scoffs a laugh. “The real bride and groom are right here, just stare at them.”
She’s uncomfortable with the attention, and I watch her eyes flick to where her parents are still sitting.
“They’re fantastic, Rory, truly,” Joss says as she pulls Rory in for a hug. “Thank you for doing all of this. Wes told me you had experience with elopements, but to pull off this whole thing and the pictures—color me impressed, sis.”
The color in Rory’s cheeks deepens at the compliment. She parts her ruby red lips to speak, but her mother pipes up from the other end of the table. “What does she mean you have experience with elopements?”
It’s like the moment in a movie when they dub in the sound of a record scratching to a stop, everyone freezing in place, but it’s playing out in real life. Wes’s eyes go round as saucers, apology written all over his face. Joss goes a little pale and grips Rory’s hand. And Rory… looks nothing like her usual open, warm self. I feel like I’m missing something.
Jamie leans forward, forearms pressed into the table. “Rory helped me out a few months back. A friend asked me to officiate,and I asked Rory to take the photos. She did an incredible job. Much like today.” He sends her a wink and her shoulders relax away from her ears.
“Oh, good. Thank you, Jamie.” Relief covers Erica’s tone. “I thought maybe she was still holding on to those silly notions she had in college about photography being a real career.” She dabs the edges of her mouth with her napkin, oblivious to how her words might’ve landed with her daughter. Then, almost to herself but still loud enough we can all hear, she continues. “Although, playing around on Instagram and TikTok isn’t exactly what I’d call a real career either.”
I inhale, ready to jump in, but my words are cut short by Rory’s chair hitting me in the stomach. It knocks the wind out of me almost as much as the hurt in her eyes as she stalks out of the room without another word.
Erica’s muttered “Dramatic” is drowned out by Wes’s shout down the table. “Mom!”
Dean stands and scolds Wes for the outburst, and the rest of us—minus Jamie, who left in pursuit of his friend—are stunned silent.
That went downhill fast. Willow looks shocked and confused by the commotion, and I gather her to me, taking it as my cue to get her home for the night.
I lean in close to Joss and explain that the babysitter I hired to stay with Willow tonight should be at the condo soon, but she still has a guilty look on her face. “I was going to take her home any minute anyway,” I say in her ear, and she deflates.
“What a mess.”
I squeeze her arm. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine, and we’re going to have an amazing night. See you guys in a bit, yeah?”
“Yeah. Good night, Willow, we’ll see you tomorrow.” Willow wraps her arms around Joss and I’m thankful she has someone like her she can look up to. Especially now. She’s going to neednew female role models in her life more than ever with Talia gone.
This is the second time I’ve allowed thoughts of her into my mind today, my resolve to keep them at bay having held for the most part. Watching Joss slip the ring on Wes’s finger during the ceremony was when they first hit. How many times had I wished for that moment with Talia? But she never wanted to get married. She said our relationship was enough, parenting Willow was enough. We didn’t need to be married to be a family, but were those all lies? Was that just her way of keeping herself free so she could leave when the opportunity struck?
I shake the thoughts away and slap Wes on the back, the look on his face as he eyes his parents is one I wouldn’t want pointed at me.
“Hey,” I say, and he finally looks at me. “Don’t let it ruin your night. See you back at Rory’s in a bit. We’re still going out, right?”
“Yeah, see you.” He stands and pulls me in for a hug. “Thank you again for today. It meant the world to have you with us.” It’s probably the fiftieth time he’s thanked me for officiating, but it was my pleasure. An honor.
Gripping Willow’s hand, we head out of the room and are quickly followed by Jaz, Paul, Brian, and Isla—all trying to escape the tension we’re leaving behind.
I got Willow tucked into bed, gave myself a pep talk that she’d be fine with the woman my friends helped me vet to watch her, andheaded out on the town. We’ve been hopping from bar to bar for the last few hours now.
The music in this one thumps inside my skull, and the amount of people jammed into the small space is obscene. It was common to deal with crowds like this in a huge city like Sydney, but it always seemed less oppressive, more spread out. Tahoe is a small town. A small town currently packed to the gills with tourists that flocked in for the snow and the holidays.
Joss’s dad and little sister are flying out early in the morning, so they opted to stay in. Also, Isla’s only eighteen and wouldn’t have been able to get into the bars like she does in Australia—something she complained aboutloudly. Brian probably didn’t want to watch Joss suck face with her new husband all night either.
Which is fair, considering that’s exactly what the newlyweds are currently doing. They’re the only ones who didn’t change into something more weather- and location-appropriate. As Wes put it, you only get married once, so they might as well get their money’s worth for the dress and tux.
Jaz and Paul could be a cover couple for a fashion magazine with the outfits they changed into. Jaz’s russet curls that went a little wild in the wind earlier are pulled back, small tendrils framing her face. She’s wearing leather leggings and a slinky red sweater that complements her soft brown skin. The dark green of Paul’s sweater makes her eyes pop when he moves in close to plant a soft kiss on her lips. Jaz pulls back with a smile and swipes her thumb across his cheek before pulling him in for one more peck.
Bloody hell. I’m surrounded.
