The Bridesmaid
The Bridesmaid
by DebC
Summary: A bridesmaid, but perhaps the loveliest woman he’d ever seen.
Series: Promise of a Rainbow
Characters: Noah Birch, Shelly
Pairing: Noah/Shelly
“The Bridesmaid”
August 2005
She looked ethereal standing up there under the awning of roses, her smooth, perfect skin flushed pink with excitement and the modesty he knew was inherent to her. All other eyes were glued to bride, but he could not help but watch her with rapt attention. A bridesmaid, but perhaps the loveliest woman he’d ever seen.
Their eyes made contact, albeit briefly, and he could see the color rising in her cheeks, making her all the more beautiful in his eyes. The eyes of a man hopelessly in love.
Suddenly the assembled friends and family were rising to their feet around him and he felt a sharp dig in his side.
“It’s over, you can stand up now,” Colton chided. Sloane glanced at him as he rose sheepishly and the other bodyguard smothered their mirth as the bride and groom made their way down the aisle between the rows of chairs.
Noah Birch wished he could say he was sorry he’d missed the long-awaited ceremony, but he couldn’t. He’d spent it lost in the most wonderful daydream imaginable.
*****
“Noah.” Shelly couldn’t help but smile as the man who’d watched her all day finally approached her. She rarely went anywhere that he wasn’t at her side, but today the crowd of people gathered in the gardens had made it all but impossible. Still, she’d felt him hovering nearby, just as she’d known his eyes had barely left her during the wedding ceremony.
“Shelly,” he answered and smiled back at her. “You” he seemed to hesitate a little, or so Shelly thought. “look lovely today.”
Shelly felt the blush creeping up into her cheeks. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I feel lovely today,” she admitted. She did feel it… though it was a feeling she was uncertain of. She felt like a princess, but knew she didn’t really belong in this fairy tale.
Still, it was nice to be able to share in the fantasy for just one day.
“Are you having fun?” Birch asked, looking at her as if her happiness was the only thing in the world that mattered.
He did that a lot and it used to confuse Shelly because she wasn’t sure what it meant. But now… “Yes, I am.” Now, she added mentally and smiled.
*****
“Would you care to dance?” Birch asked when he saw Shelly watching the people dancing under the lanterned-canopy which overhung this part of the garden. The look in her eyes when she turned to him was all he needed to see to know that she would, in fact, love to dance with him.
He held out his hand to her, and when she took it, warmth crept up his arm at the simple touch.
Leading her to the middle of the dance floor, he slipped his arms around her. They moved to the music without speaking. With her in his arms, Birch could pretend that he wasn’t her bodyguard and that he wasn’t working. When she rested her head on his shoulder, he let himself believe he could hold her forever. His heart told him that this was where she belonged, where they both belonged.
If only…
Then the music changed to something more lively and so did their dancing.
*****
The moon was high in the sky when the reception finally ended. Shelly couldn’t remember having such a wonderful time in her entire life. She’d danced and laughed and drank punch… and laughed and danced some more.
Noah had hardly left her side at all, and now he was walking her back towards the manor. She, Mom and Joey were spending the night there at Bruce and Grace’s request.
“Noah…” she said, her footsteps slowing as they passed one of the fountains in the garden.
“Yes, Shelly,” he answered in hushed tones. She loved the way his voice sounded most times, but right now, it reminded her of a scene in a romance movie.
“I just… I wanted to… ” she took a deep breath and screwed up her courage. “Thank you.”
“For… ?” he trailed off, letting her continue the thought.
“For dancing with me tonight and making me feel… ” It was her turn to trail off, leaving the thought hang while she examined what it was that she did feel.
Special.
Beautiful.
Loved.
“Shell –” he started to say in the moment of silence, but he did not get far.
Shelly suddenly — much to her own surprise as well as his — stopped his words by planting a kiss on his cheek. When she stepped away from him, his hand went straight to the spot, fingers brushing against the skin.
“Thank you, Noah,” she said again in her softest voice.
*****
He watched as she ascended the stair as quickly as a scared rabbit His cheek was still warm from her kiss, and as soon as she was out of sight, he reached up to touch the spot with his finger tips.
She loved him; he’d heard it in her voice when she’d thanked him again, after the kiss. ‘Thank you, Noah,’ was what she’d said, but the tone in which said it had spoken differently.
He loved her, too. He’d loved her from the moment he’d met her. He’d been waiting because of what had happened to her in her life. He’d wanted to show her that someone could love her without forcing himself on her. Without hurting her.
The knowledge that she loved him in return — something he’d believed for a while now — changed all that, however. He recalled Seth’s words back on Mother’s Day… about waiting and guiding.
He’d waited, but now Birch thought the time had come to try guidance. He thought himself up to the task of gently guiding her to his love.
