“I will.” My gaze drifted back toward the ballroom, scanning faces until I realized the most important one was missing. “I just need to find her first.”
I turned toward our table and didn’t see her. A flicker of unease slid through me. “She should’ve been back from the bathroom by now.”
“Maybe she stepped out for some air.” Gage followed my line of sight. “Let’s go ask my mom.”
I turned and spotted Mrs. Langford near the edge of the dance floor, chatting with a couple of board members.
“Excuse me,” I said, interrupting gently. “Have you seen Callie?”
She blinked at me. “Did she not find you?”
“Find me?” I echoed, my stomach dropping.
“Yes, she mentioned looking for you.” She glanced toward the table where we’d eaten dinner. “But that was at least fifteen minutes ago.”
I thanked her automatically and turned away, my pulse beginning to race. I moved toward the far end of the ballroom, weaving through clusters of guests and servers carrying trays of champagne. I checked near the bar first, then the hallway that led toward the restrooms. There was no sign of my wife.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent a quick text.
Me
Where’d you go?
A prickling tension crept up my spine. I tried to shake it off, telling myself I was overreacting. Except she didn’t reply to my message.
The terrace was empty, too. And she wasn’t at the silent auction table.
I checked my phone again and typed another message, faster this time.
Me
Callie? Please tell me where you are.
The seconds ticked by painfully slow.
I stalked over to the terrace to see if she had gone outside for a breath of fresh air. The music from inside thumped faintlybehind me, but there was nothing but shadows and the faint glow of the city beyond the railing out here.
My chest tightened as I considered the possibility that she’d overheard Sophie’s declaration when she came looking for me. If Callie had walked away too quickly, she would’ve gotten the wrong impression.
My initial reply when would have sounded like I had been happy to discover Sophie had feelings for me without the context of what had come afterward. Fuck.
I dragged a hand through my hair, dread pooling low in my gut. Pulling my phone out again, my thumb hovered over her name before hitting the call button.
It rang several times before going to voicemail.
“Callie,” I muttered, scanning the room again as though she might materialize if I just looked hard enough. “Please pick up.”
A knot formed in my chest when she didn’t. I turned slowly, the noise of the gala rushing back in around me—and that was when I saw my mother approaching.
“Ethan.”
I didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Do you know where Callie is?”
“I believe she wasn’t feeling well and decided to head home.”
None of this made sense. I might not have been aware of it until recently, but my mother was the last person Callie would confide in. “She didn’t mention that to me.”
“She seemed overwhelmed.” My mother shrugged delicately. “These sorts of events can be a lot for someone not accustomed to them.”
