My throat gets tight as she squeezes my fingers. “Don’t love scared, love full and fearless. If you get hurt, you will get back up but don’t cheat yourself out of joy trying to prevent pain.”
Then she kisses my cheek and heads back toward the crowd, already collecting another compliment like she was born for it. Across the yard, Trace looks up from his conversation and spots me immediately. We lock eyes and he heads towards me with determination in his eyes.
Trace heads straight for me like there’s no one else here. He doesn’t ask permission, doesn’t hesitate. He just offers his hand, palm up.
“Dance with me.”
I simply put my hand in his and let him lead me toward the dance floor where couples are already swaying to the jazz quartet. His other hand settles at my waist, mine goes to his shoulder, and we fit together like we’ve been doing this our whole lives.
“You doing alright?” he asks quietly.
“I am now.”
He smiles a little like that answer means something to him. He rocks us side to side, not rushing the moment. His thumb moves once across my hip, slow and steady.
“You look happy,” he says.
“I am.”
He nods once, like that’s all he needed to hear. Just us, swaying under the lights with the whole ranch around us. The quartet transitions into a brighter swing and Mama claps her hands like the band just played her personal request. Before I can blink, she marches over and taps Trace on the shoulder.
“Excuse me, young man the birthday girl wants a turn.”
Trace laughs and hands me off without missing a beat. “Yes, ma’am.”
Cash swoops in to take me before I can even step back. “C’mon, boss, you know Miss Evie’s the only one allowed to cut in on your date.”
“Oh my god,” I mutter, but I’m laughing.
Paige and Lena join us and the whole dance floor turns chaotic and fun, shoulders bumping, people spinning who have no business spinning, Paige trying to lead when she can’t dance worth a damn, Lena pretending she can tango, and Cash acting like he’s auditioning for a music video while the jazz quartet tries not to laugh.
Miss Evie is in the middle of it like she’s thirty-five and unstoppable. Trace dances with her like she’s royalty, holding her hand steady and letting her show out without ever letting her stumble. And just like that, it feels like Copper Ridge was never sad, grief took a night off. Gabe drags Paige into a mock waltz, Luis grabs Lena and dips her so dramatically she screams. Cash spins me and almost drops me but catches me just in time, yelling, “I meant to do that!”
The song ends in laughter and applause and out-of-breath happiness. Everyone breaks to get drinks, catch up, rest theirfeet. Paige elbows me and nods toward the side yard near the string lights where we see Romeo talking to a woman.
No eyelash extensions, no entitled attitude, no talking over him. She’s laughing softly, brushing her hair behind her ear, making eye contact like she’s actually listening.
Lena and Paige both lean in at the same time.
“Oh…,” Lena says.
“Mmhmm,” Paige adds.
I swallow a smile. “She looks… sane.”
“Exactly,” Paige says. “I’m rooting so hard I might pull a muscle.”
“Lord, please let him get a normal one,” Lena whispers like she’s praying.
We watch them for another second, not nosy, just hopeful, before we all shake it off and pretend we weren’t doing exactly what we were doing. The party organizer lets us know it’s time for cake and we make our way over to the massive cake setup on the table. Trace appears at my side again, taking my hand like it’s nothing but also everything, I don’t pull away. I choose him in front of everyone, I choose him.
Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday Evangeline, happy birthday to you!The entire party sings to her and she blows out the one candle on the cake to raucous cheers. People start lining up for slices, Miss Evie’s cake barely gets cut before everybody’s phones go off at the same time. Not one or two… but every single person in the yard. The crowd freezes. I pull my cell phone out fast.
Emergency Alert squall line and supercell incoming. High wind risk. Possible hail.
Delta reads hers beside me. Her expression sharpens. “They’re going to merge. That storm is going to be bad.”
Before anybody can react, a hard gust of wind hits the yard, not super strong but strong enough to know worse is heading our way.
