Page 116 of Night Watch
“Your kindness is touching.” His mother squeezed his shoulder. “I’m not sure what I did to deserve such fine sons, but I am most blessed.”
“Now don’t go all mushy on me, Mom. Go gush over Clay before they leave.”
She nodded. “To be continued at dinner tomorrow night.”
Erik wanted to groan, but he was blessed to have a mother who loved all of them so very much. He looked at Kennedy. “She means well.”
“I know, and I look forward to having her in my life.” She grinned. “On most days, anyway.”
Erik drew her close for a hug. “Toni is going to throw the bouquet, so we should head over there.”
“I’ll let someone else catch it. I don’t need it. I’ve already got the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
Hearing the words made his breath hitch. “You don’t have to catch it, but should still go over there or people might wonder why you aren’t.”
“You’re right.” She started in the direction of the exit, tugging him along as they wound among round tables set with crisp white linens and littered with cake plates and forks.
She stopped next to Malone in the back of the twenty or so young women.
Malone glanced at them and rolled her eyes. “This is a waste of time for me. I doubt I’ll ever get married.”
Erik had learned that, as outgoing as Malone was, she was also a very private person, never talking about anything outside of her career and Reed. Erik wouldn’t ask why she didn’t think she would marry, but Kennedy stepped closer to her. “Mind if I ask why not?”
Malone frowned, and her perfectly plucked eyebrows rose. Erik expected her to blow Kennedy off, but she met her gaze instead. “I have too many people who need my help to find time to be a wife or even a mother.”
Kennedy seemed to mull over her answer for a moment. “I applaud your cause. It’s very noble. But you deserve happiness too.”
Her frown deepened. “A topic I don’t want to get into today.”
Toni and Clay approached the women, who all looked eager to catch the bouquet.
Toni smiled at them. “Thank you all for coming. I pray your dreams come true like mine did.” She shot her husband a burning look, and Clay blushed.
Erik understood. These women who’d come into their lives brought such indescribable emotions that the guys couldn’t contain them. The public acknowledgment of a look like this one could make any one of them blush.
Toni turned around. “Okay, ladies. Here it comes.”
She lifted her arms and did a few practice movements, then let the bouquet fly. The woman had quite the arm, and the flowers soared over the group toward the back. Kennedy bumped her hip into Malone, who eased over and the bouquet fell into her hands.
Applause broke out, but she looked at the arrangement as if it was a live snake coiling around her fingers. “But I…I don’t.”
She shook her head and looked at everyone around her. “This doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a silly tradition.”
Erik spotted his mother making a beeline in their direction. He would step in front of Malone to protect her, but he didn’t want to make a scene.
His mom curled an arm around Malone’s shoulder. “It looks like you need to sit down.”
“I think I do,” Malone said. “I don’t believe in what this means, but it’s thrown me for a loop.”
Something Erik had never seen with this strong attorney.
“Let’s go have a talk about it.” His mother led Malone among the other women to a nearby table.
Kennedy slid her arm into his. “You think your mother is matchmaking?”
“Absolutely.” He looked at Kennedy.
“Then she has her work cut out for her,” Kennedy said. “Malone had a mighty fierce response to the flowers like even thinking about marriage made her sick.”
