Devon and Jon are driving to the airport to pick up her father.
Devon is still pissed that Jon made all of this happen, and he's
trying to focus on driving on the icy streets. Also, Devon calls Jon
on telling the truth, but in such a way that it seemed like a lie.
Earlier, Julie asked if C.J. was coming and Jon said he hadn't talked to him
in two weeks. That was true, but it made it seem like C.J. wasn't
going to be there, when Jon knew he would be. I don't know why Devon
is surprised at this. Jon has been telling partial truths the entire
novel. I don't think he's lied once, but he's only told the part of
the truth that suits him. He is a politician, after all.
Anyway, Devon and Jon get to the airport and wait for a bit. Also,
apparently spring break starts in a few days, and Jon will be in
Chicago the whole time. He tells Devon several times that he'll be
trying not to miss her, and she doesn't believe him. But...he's
telling the truth. Then C.J.'s flight is called, and they walk up to
the gate to meet him. Devon only notices she took Jon's hand when he
squeezes hers. She tries to pull away, but he grabs her hand harder so
she can't. Then the many passengers from the plane start walking
toward them. Devon asks Jon how C.J. is suppose to recognize them
and Jon replies that C.J. said he would. Then, there he is, walking
right toward them.
It's obvious that C.J. has not been living on Skid Row (he's even got
on a nice suit) and that he's sober. C.J. is a little sad that David
isn't there, but he knows he's not wanted. Still he says the flight
was worth it to see Devon, since he hasn't seen her since he
abandoned her. He's sober and he's sorry. Good. Not much more
happens here, except that Devon feels sad and alone when Jon lets go of her hand. They drive him to the hotel and slide on home from
there. Then Devon tries to have it out with Jon for telling her all
these lies, except she was always the one who assumed the worst about
her father and Jon just didn't correct her. He knew she wouldn't
believe that her father wasn't a bum. Also, C.J. had written a
letter to his kids years ago. David had ripped it up and sent it
back, but C.J. had been sober when he wrote it and now it seems like
David shouldn't have burned that bridge. Oh, also, that hotel in LA
where C.J. lives? He owns it. Oh man. I got so close to calling
it.
Jon tries to talk to Devon a few times, but she just ignores him.
Finally, when he's driving her to the church, he tries again.
Devon's still not having any of it, although she does respond to him,
and she and Jon part with nothing resolved. Then Devon sees David
walking up to the church. She says that she needs to talk to him and
Julie, but Julie says they need to get dressed right away if they
want to be ready in time. David promises they can talk later. So
much for warning them.
So, the wedding goes by in a blur because that's not the important
part of the drama. Although we do get a little look at Devon's
mind/heart. She's admitting to herself that she's got a crush on
Jon, but she's thinking about how it's dumb to have a crush on him
and how he must hate it when college girls fall in love with him.
Well, here's another part of the recipe for a romance novel: at least
one of the characters has to be blindingly stupid. He directly
tells her that he wants her and will miss her when he's gone, but he
says it in such a way and she assumes in such a way, that she thinks
he's kidding. Because, realistically, if she realized that he liked
her and that she liked him, this book would be a lot shorter.
Anyway, it's not until C.J. is trying to slip unobtrusively out the
back and Aunt Eleanor recognizes him that the drama happens. Devon
explains to David that Julie didn't know that C.J. would be there and
that they weren't supposed to know he was there at all. David says
something angry, and C.J. replies with an apology for being there and
well-wishes for them before he turns to go. Devon stops him, and
they make plans to have dinner that night. Hooray for
reconciliation. Then David walks up to his father as well and says
that he can stay for the reception. Aw. Good.
A few hours later, still at the reception (how long is this
reception? They'll have time for dinner after this? Wow), Jon
walks up to Devon and says that he's been invited to their dinner, if
she doesn't mind. Devon realizes that's delighting news, but stops
herself from saying that. Also, apparently Aunt Eleanor told Jon all
about Devon's childhood. Devon knows that Aunt Eleanor thinks it's
romantic that he's interested in her. How can Devon say stuff like
that and still not get it? I mean really. Anyway, after Jon wanders
away, Devon slips away to the changing room to get some privacy.
It's crazy how happy she is that Jon will join her and her dad for
dinner that night. I think part of that might be because then she
won't have to face her father alone, but there is some significance
to inviting someone to dinner with your parent(s). Of course, Devon
just sees this as a reason that she needs to sort out her feelings
over the ten days that Jon is gone. Well, yeah. You should have
done that several chapters ago, but I guess now is as good a time as
any. There's a knock on the door. They're about to throw the
bouquet. Devon replies that she'll be there in a minute, and makes a
promise to herself that by the time Jon gets back she'll have gotten
over her schoolgirl crush on him. Yeah, okay.
For the next chapter I think....Devon will catch the bouquet and
smile at Jon before she realizes what that means, she'll be all
confused and confounded about how to explain Jon to her dad at dinner
that night, hopefully this relationship will go somewhere because of
the dinner conversation, and Devon's father will reveal that part of
the reason he left is because the assassin group that he used to
belong to had tracked him down and he had to run to save his family,
but now that she is old enough, Devon must both know about this
danger and protect herself from it. I guess David would need to know
too.
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