Charming Mr Stewart

22b. Seeing White

There was nothing but pure impatience on Jared's face. Elle zoomed in and snapped, a smile on her lips. She couldn't help but imagine for a moment that it was Dean waiting at the end of the aisle for her. She shook her head and made room for the bridal party. Her eyes scanned the men and women who stood as witnesses through her viewfinder and snapped away whenever she thought emotion showed. By the time she made it back to the bride and groom, the priest was starting. From the corner of her eye, she could see Bonnie smoothly moving around, getting shots from angles she couldn't capture.

Elle smiled at Bonnie and turned her focus to the front, her viewfinder landing on Jared and the familiar figure standing behind him. He'd stuck to his promise. As far as anyone was concerned, she was only the wedding photographer. Dean had remained out of her way and aloof. She clicked away at the couple, trying to think of anything but Dean in a beautiful suit at the end of the aisle, maybe waiting for her.

The sun dropped gloriously, colouring the sky exactly when Jared and Tess shared their first kiss as man and wife. Elle couldn't help but get distracted. Her eyes, it seemed, were no longer under her control. Dean's blue eyes were almost piercing through the camera lens as she found him again. She took a picture, a memory, and felt a twinge of guilt and a lot of envy that she had to steal glances at him through her camera lens in order to seem appropriate. Now and then, she sensed eyes on her, but she could only guess who those gazes belonged to.

"Can't believe Jared hired just any photographer." Elle heard whispers as she silently moved from table to table, following the newly married couple as they visited their guests and posed. Occasionally, she bumped into the video crew of two who obviously didn't think Elle, the country photographer, was comparable to them.

"I heard it was Stewie who found her." She closed in on a table of women and cursed that she had such good hearing.

"Stewie has a knack for finding new talent," one guest said and smiled at Elle when Elle couldn't help but turn to see who it was. She instantly recognised her last client, Bianca Van Belt. She smiled back.

"Ellenor!" Bianca Van Belt rose from her seat and gave Elle a warm, spontaneous hug. "Don't mind them, darling," she whispered. "They are only jealous because Stewie has eyes only for you."

Elle smiled back. "I feel like I'm intruding at this ceremony."

"God, no!" Bianca gasped. "You did a brilliant job at our wedding and Jared and Tess couldn't have found a better talent to cover their special day. Just stay away from Kim." Bianca laughed. "She's heard the rumours and might just attack you."

Elle bit back an urge to laugh. "I've got to get back on the floor." Bianca nodded. "You have a lovely night."

"You too!" Bianca chirped, giving Elle another quick hug and a kiss.

"He wasn't home last night or the night before." She heard Christina Stewart's self-righteous voice hiss to the woman sitting next to her as Elle scooted past their table. Elle's spine tingled, and she caught Christina's eye. "And every time I ask him, he refuses to tell me anything."

"Christy, you can't keep telling Dean what to do with his life," the neighbouring woman commented.

"I'm his mother," Christina fired back. "Truly Ivy, you would understand if Joel was like that?"

"Joel's already like that." Ivy's husband, Andrew, chuckled, "Minus the sense of responsibility, of course."

"I want the best for my boy."

"No," Ivy replied.

Elle just wished their table hadn't been so close to the dance floor. She could hear their every word.