Hildreth raised his eyebrows. “Wow. You’re right. That was very dramatic. Too bad I missed it.”
If we had been there, for who knows what mad crazy reason, what would Elsie have done? If she saw that vampire freaking out, would she have run to him?
He chuckled.
Talk about drama. Of all the times for her to run to him, doing it right after he’s gotten married. Man! That would be soap opera level drama.
What would Barbara have done? How would she have reacted to Elsie barging in? I don’t know. Maybe she would have appreciated the assistance. Or maybe she would have smiled nicely at Elsie and told her in the nicest way possible to bug off bugging her new husband.
Elsie pinched him.
“What?”
“You know what.”
He smiled. “I’m fine, Els.” Her took her hand and kissed it. “Elsie baby, we’re fine.”
A guitarist finger-picked a complicated, finger-twisting piece.
Hildreth perked up. “Wait. I’ve heard this before.”
The piece merged into the introduction to NSync’s “This I Promise You.”
He grinned as the guitarist sang.
Dork, you are so rocking my world right now.
Elsie sat straighter and craned about, trying to get a good look at the singer. “Who is that? They’re good.”
“That’s my boy.”
She looked at Hildreth in surprise. “That’s Jeff?”
Pride glowed inside of him. He wondered if she could see it bursting through his pores. “Yeah. Is he awesome or is he awesome?”
“He is.” She turned her attention back to trying to catch sight of him.
Hildreth studied her profile and he loved every line, every eyelash.
I am so amazed by this woman. This fierce woman sitting at my side. This woman who is now my wife.
The song’s lyrics filled his mind and every soft-rounded corner of his heart. He wanted to sing along, but the words stayed inside of him. Thick, warmed flannel words that he wanted to wrap around her. They bottlenecked in his throat and stayed there.
“Ah! I see him!” Elsie pointed towards the lace heart curtain. “There he is.”
Hildreth looked in that direction and he saw Jeff.
A chair sat waiting behind the former hunter, but Jeff ignored it and stood. His voice rasped a little as he sang the bridge.
“If I were a chick, I would be fangirling so much right now.” Hildreth said to no one in particular.
“As if you aren’t.” Elsie responded. She put her hand on his knee.
He inhaled a sharp breath, but her hand stayed on his knee and out of trouble.
Hildreth and Elsie exchanged a look that words couldn’t compete with. So, nothing was said between them. Yet, so much was said all the same.
Jeff ended the song with an elaborate finger-picked flourish. Everyone applauded, but Hildreth put his hand on top of her hand. “I love you, Els. My Elsie, I love you so much.”
“My Hildreth.”
“Els.” He slid his hand under her hair and cradled the back of her neck. He kissed her and her responding kiss made him feel strong and weak at the same time. It was intoxicating and exhilarating. He was flying and falling in one held breath.
She ended the kiss and whispered. “Hildreth, I love you. Just you.”
He looked at her eyes and her face in love and wonder. “I know. And it amazes me, baby.”
“It shouldn’t.”
“Maybe, but it does.”
ambroseandelsie 