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My lips lifted in a smile. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Her cheeks flushed a slight pink, but she didn’t brush off my statement like she usually did which was a victory in my book.

Sam’s brothers had already disappeared into the crowd, but her parents were talking to a man and woman dressed to the nines. Sally gestured toward us and we approached them, Sam’s grip tightening on my arm.

“Caroline, you remember my daughter, Samantha. She’s home from Montana this year.”

Sally’s performance voice dripped with maternal warmth that I knew was fake. I glanced at Sam to see if she was okay, but her face wasn’t filled with hope like it had been when her mom pulled this same act at the toy drive yesterday. “And this is her boyfriend, Harrison Gordon.”

Fuck, I could get used to hearing people call me her boyfriend in public.

“Samantha! Oh my goodness, look at you. All grown-up and positively gorgeous.” Caroline took Sam’s hands. “We’ve missed you at our parties these past few years.”

Sam’s smile was flawless. “Thank you, Mrs. Sullivan. Your home looks incredible.”

Caroline turned her attention to me. “And a boyfriend as well! Sally’s been holding out on me. I had no idea you were in a relationship. What a handsome couple.”

I shook her hand. “Thank you for having us.”

“Now, did I hear Sally say your last name was Gordon?” Her eyebrows lifted and I braced. “Any chance you’re related to the Gordon Holdings Gordons?”

“In fact, I am. My grandfather started that company.”

“Well.” Caroline glanced at Sally with a look that was unmistakable and one I’d seen too many times. It was the look of someone who thought they’d caught a great white shark. “Aren’t you full of surprises, Sal.”

Sally’s posture straightened and her eyes darted between me and Caroline. She hadn’t made that connection before now, I was guessing. But now that it had been made, there was a tiny shine to her eyes—the kind of look people got when they realized they were suddenly connected with the “right” people for social capital.

And that only pissed me off more where Sally was concerned. She didn’t care that Sam had a partner who would take a bullet for her. In fact, she’d hardly paid any attention to me at all since I arrived, but now that she’d realized my last name carried weight, she was interested in who I was.

Sam’s grip tightened on my arm. She’d noticed it too.

I squeezed her hand. I’d dealt with this kind of shit my whole life. Montana was the only place where it hadn’t followed me.

The band picked up the tempo on a swing rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock” and Eric appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Sam’s free hand.

“Come on, Sammy. Time to dance.”

She barely had time to let go of my arm before he pulled her onto the dance floor, but her face was lit up with a smile that had my breath catching.

My own lips pulled up into a grin as I watched her move with grace and fluidity. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Sam could dance. She’d shared that she’d been a competitive figure skater, which no doubt meant years of dance training. But knowing and witnessing it were two very different things.

She matched Eric step for step, letting him spin her and then improvising a move that made the people around them stop and watch. Eric was laughing and hamming it up, doing some exaggerated swing moves that made Sam throw her head back with a loud laugh that was as real as it came, and one I’d always loved hearing. For a few minutes, she looked free, unguarded, and most of all happy.

She danced the next song too, this time pulling a reluctant Jordan onto the floor. He was stiff and clearly uncomfortable, but Sam coached him through it, and by the end of the song, even he was smiling.

I stood near the edge of the room and watched her like I always did. I could’ve stood there all night, but it was my turn to dance with the woman who’d enchanted me from the moment we met.

Sam drifted back to me, slightly breathless, her cheeks flushed from dancing. A waiter walked by with a tray of champagne and she grabbed us each a glass.

“You’ve been holding out on me,” I said.

“What, the dancing?” She waved it off. “Twelve years of ballet and contemporary will do that to a girl. It was required for skating.” A flicker of pain flashed across her face before she blinked it away. “I didn’t know you were paying such close attention.”

“I’m always paying attention when it comes to you. You should know that by now.”

She held my gaze a beat too long, then took a sip of her champagne.

“Dance with me,” I said, setting my glass down on the table next to me and holding out my hand to her.