After devouring his plate, Aidan cut his eyes over to survey how she was playing with her food. “Noah’s going to get feisty if you don’t eat,” he cautioned, wiping his mouth with his linen napkin.
“I’ll eat when I finish singing. The last thing I want to do is puke from nerves on Casey and Nate’s big day.” At his skeptical look, she replied, “I promise as soon as I’m done, I’ll shovel it in, including several pieces of the bride and groom’s cakes!”
Aidan took a sip of champagne before nodding in agreement. “When are you up?”
“After the speeches.”
“That’s not long.”
“Looks like it’s sooner than I thought,” she replied, motioning to where Nate’s brother and best man stood with a microphone in his hand.
While Anthony spoke, Emma noticed it was Aidan, not herself, who had begun squirming in his seat. His hand shifted from his thigh to his coat pocket several times. When she shot him a questioning look, he mouthed, “Sorry.”
Once Anthony finished his speech to a round of applause, Carlee took the microphone with a shaky hand. Already teary, she lost it as soon as she began speaking about her sister. It wasn’t long before everyone was crying, Emma included.
When the bandleader took the microphone from Carlee, Emma felt the butterflies in her stomach turn to boulders. Once again, Aidan became shifty in his seat. “Don’t tell me you’re nervous for me?” she whispered in his ear.
“Oh, um…yeah, I think I caught your nerves or something,” he finally mumbled.
“And now it’s time for the bride and groom to take the floor for their first dance as man and wife.”
Emma winced. “That’s my cue.”
Aidan grinned. “Break a leg, babe.”
“Thanks a lot,” she mumbled.
Without anyone else seeing, he reached out and smacked her ass. His playfulness melted her nervousness.
The first time Casey ever heard her sing at an open mic night at one of their favorite coffee shops, she swore Emma sounded just like one of her personal favorites, Patty Griffin. So there had never been any question that Casey wanted Emma to perform Heavenly Day for her first dance with Nate. It was also one of Emma’s favorite songs to sing.
She gripped the microphone confidently and stared out into the packed ballroom. “Seven years ago my late fiancée said, ‘Hey, I think you’re going to love my roommate’s girlfriend. She’s really sweet, but more than that, she’s crazy and funny as hell too!’”
Emma smiled at the guest’s laughter. “I knew the first time I met Casey that Travis had been right, and we were going to be best friends. I also came to love Nate as well. I’ve been blessed to call her my best friend for all these years, and that she and Nate have been a part of my life in both the good times and the bad.” Emma saw the tears sparkling in Casey’s eyes. “There aren’t words to express how happy and thrilled I am for them as they start this new journey of their life together as man and wife. I wish them all the blessings in the world and pray that God showers them with many, many heavenly days.”
The band struck up the first few notes of the song, and then Emma found herself wrapped in the zone. She poured her heart and soul into the words, and when she finished carrying out the last note, she knew she had hit it out of the park.
Thunderous applause sounded all around Emma, bringing her out of the high she received from performing and back onto the stage. She smiled at the reaction. “Thank you very much.”
When she handed the microphone back to the bandleader, he cried, “Wasn’t that amazing?”
Applause continued ringing through the ball room, causing Emma’s cheeks to redden even further. She hurriedly plopped down into her seat next to Aidan.
“How many of you would like to hear Emma sing something else?”
Whistles and cat calls erupted at the prospect. “Looks like they want an encore, babe,” Aidan said, with a grin.
Emma shook her head. “I’ve already sang twice. They’re going to think I’m some attention whore or something,” she protested.
“Not when people are requesting you do it.”
The band leader’s voice interrupted them. “Aidan, why don’t you come up here and see if you can’t convince Emma to sing something else for us?”
When he started to get up, Emma grabbed his shirt sleeve and hung on for dear life. “No!” she screeched.
He smiled reassuringly down at her. “I’ll never understand how one minute you can be the most self-possessed, professional singer, and the next scared to death to perform.”
“It’s just part of my sweet neurotic side,” she replied.
“Look, just take a deep breath. I’ll go make up some excuse that you’re too exhausted to sing again in your delicate condition.”
“Thanks a lot,” she grumbled.
Aidan stepped over to the stage and took the microphone from the band leader. He gazed out at the audience. “Well, I’m supposed to be up here to either beg Em to sing for you again or to make her apologies.” He glanced back at Emma. “But I must admit that the real reason I’m standing before you has nothing to do with either one.”
A whisper of conversation cut through the crowd. “I’m standing before you today as one of the happiest men in the world. I have the love of a beautiful woman and a healthy son on the way. But even that isn’t enough. Witnessing the commitment today at the ceremony, I can’t help but want what Casey and Nate have.” A chorus of ‘aw’s” rang throughout the room. “So there’s just one question I want to ask Emma right now.”
As he strode over to her, Emma couldn’t help feeling absolute and total disbelief. He sat the microphone down on the table to a loud squeal. Reaching into his suit pocket, he took out a black, velvet box. Emma widened her eyes when it opened it to reveal a sparkling diamond.
Once he had it in his fingers, he knelt down on one knee before her. “Emma Katherine Harrison, angel of mercy and forgiveness, love of my life and mother of my son, will you make me the happiest man in the world and say you’ll marry me?”
“Oh my God,” Emma murmured. She couldn’t stop the tears from pooling in her green eyes as her hands flew to cover her mouth. “Oh my God,” she repeated.
“That’s not exactly the response I was hoping for,” Aidan teased.