“Look at you, Tote,” he murmurs, his voice vibrating through me. “Acting like you actually like slow dances.”
I smile against his shirt. “I like them when I’m wiped out froma full day of wedding festivities, a little bit tipsy, and the dance is more like you rocking me to sleep for a standing nappy nap.”
He huffs out a laugh, the kind that never fails to loosen something tight inside me. “If you fall asleep while we’re dancing…”
“You’ll what? Think it’s adorable and carry me like a princess somewhere quiet to rest?” I tease, tilting my face up toward him.
His eyes catch the glow of the lights above us, dark and warm, steady as they meet mine. “Yeah. Probably.”
My smile is instant, undeniable—I love this man. “You’re the best.”
“The total package? The summation of everything you could ever want or need in a life partner?” he asks, and I laugh softly, snuggling back in.
“Something like that, yeah.”
He dips his head, pressing a quick kiss to my temple before pulling me closer. “You didn’t actually believe your nickname came from a dog, did you?”
“Wait, wha?—”
“Shh. We’re dancing. And I almost had you rocked to sleep.” I let myself sink into him, into this night, into the rare and precious peace of being exactly where I want to be.
All around us, joy swirls: Skye laughing so loud her whole body shakes; Belanger cousins darting between tables; Dexter twirling Alis across the dance floor like he’s waited his whole life for this moment. It’s the kind of night that makes you believe in forever.
I’m just about to tell Leo that when a voice cuts through the music.
“Tori!”
I glance over his shoulder. Sunny darts across the lawn, her dress hitched up in one hand, curls bouncing with each hurried step. She’s barefoot, her shoes dangling from the other hand. She looks half amused, half concerned.
“Sorry!” she says, skidding to a stop beside us. “I wouldn’t interrupt, but your phone hasn’t stopped going off.”
She thrusts it toward me, the screen glowing with three back-to-back missed calls from the same number.
“They left a message,” Sunny explains quickly, her words tumbling out. “I figured if someone’s that persistent, it’s probably important.”
A pinch of unease coils low in my stomach.
“Thank you,” I say, forcing my voice even.
Sunny nods once, her usual brightness dimmed by curiosity she doesn’t voice, and then she disappears back into the crowd.
Leo studies my face. “Want to take it inside?”
“Yes,” I nod, my throat tight.
We step off the dance floor together. The music fades as we cross the lawn and push through the wide doors into the lodge. The quiet inside is immediate, the thick wood beams and glass soaking up the sounds of celebration. Twinkle lights from outside filter faintly through the windows, casting fractured patterns across the floor.
I lift the phone to my ear and press play.
“Hello, Mrs. Victoria Martin. This is Grant Medical Center. We have you listed as Chase Martin’s emergency contact. Mr. Martin has been admitted following a serious accident. He is unconscious but stable. Please give us a call at this number and head to the hospital as soon as possible.”
The words echo inside me, dull at first, then sharper with every repeat in my head. My knees weaken. Leo’s hand finds my elbow instantly, steadying me.
The second voicemail begins without warning.
“Hello again, Mrs. Martin. This is Grant Medical Center, calling again. If you could please return our call as soon as possible and please head this way immediately. Mr. Martin’s blood alcohol concentration was more than twice the legal limit. He was not the only vehicle involved in the accident and police are present?—”
A sob wrenches free before I can stop it. My hand clamps over my mouth, but the sound breaks anyway. My chest caves; my lungs burn; my vision swims.
