“He’s a good lawyer,” I feel the need to tell her. “Definitely giving me a run for my money in our current case.”

Her eyes widen a fraction, her lips parting in surprise. “Oh! Dani! You’re his opposing counsel on Lorenzo and Bianca’s divorce, aren’t you?”

“Yes?” I clear my throat of the question there. “I am.”

“He spoke of you,” she says, her eyes glittering.

The way my voice hitches is embarrassing. “He did?”

“He did,” she laughs softly. “Said you’re the only person he doesn’t mind losing to.”

My breath catches, and I can only hope she doesn’t hear it. Why does knowing Ezra spoke to his mother about me make my chest feel tight? Part of me thinks I know the answer to that, but a larger part of me doesn’t want to dig too deep.

“Well…I don’t win too often,” I admit.

Jackie just laughs again. “I know how stubborn my son is. Winning against him at all is a feat.”

“Right.” My lips curl, but there’s an uneasiness in my stomach. Not from talking to her, but from what her words are making me feel. I avert my gaze, pointing lamely toward the door to the library. “I’d better go and find my friends. They’ll be looking for me.”

“Have fun out there,” she calls after me. I turn my head to catch her wrinkled nose. “If you can manage it.”

I laugh out loud, nodding. “I’ll do my best.”

I have to pause by the huge piano to put my shoes back on; I’m assuming it wouldn’t be a good look to stumble back into Alexander’s swanky party barefoot, and by the time I’m reaching the well-lit areas where voices are drifting from, I’m mostly ready to reenter the fray. Mostly. I guess it depends on how much longer Ezra is occupied.

Not that I’m waiting for him to find me. It’s just that staying here while the person who invited me is too tied up to socialize seems silly. That’s all it is.

If I repeat it enough, I might start to believe it.

I can see Vera and Nate looking for me from across the ballroom when I step back inside, and I lift my hand over my head in a half wave to get their attention. The pair of them start to slip through groups of people talking to meet me, and it isn’t until I see Vera skid to a halt, her mouth parting slightly with what appears to be shock, that I stop walking toward them. I watch Nate cock his head in confusion at her stunned expression before turning my way, his eyes shifting just over my shoulder to something I can’t see. I’m about to turn and see what they’re looking at when I hear him.

“Dani?”

I go still, feeling every muscle of my body lock up tight. I haven’t heard that voice in years. In fact, the last time I heard it, it was breaking my fucking heart.

I turn slowly, half hoping I’m mistaken even though I know I’m not, that he’s here—however unlikely that should be. He looks the same after all these years, his hair the color of chocolate, perfectly parted to one side, his lean form still tall enough to make me look up at him, his deep brown eyes still holding a smile that never seems to go away, one that makes you want to trust him, however foolishly.

I stand there in a stupor for far too many moments as I take in his tight smile that seems awkward, as I notice the blond woman clinging to his arm and looking at me with curious eyes. I almost choke on his name the first time, feeling it stuck in my throat for several seconds before—

“Grant?”

OceanofPDF.com

Nineteen

My brain is several seconds behind on the uptake, still scrambling to piece together what circumstances would bring Grant Fuller here. Here. To Austin. A city that five years ago, he’d been all too eager to get out of.

“Dani,” he says politely, as if he didn’t walk out of my life and leave it in pieces. “It’s so funny seeing you here.”

“Funny,” I echo blankly.

Not doing so hot in the words department.

I feel a hand at my elbow and look down to see Vera’s manicured nails curling around my arm. “Dani,” she murmurs. “Let’s go.”

“Vera,” Grant says with a nod. “Good to see you again.”

“I can’t say I feel the same,” she tells him dryly.

His brows lift, but he doesn’t say anything. Vera is still tugging at my elbow.

“What are you doing here, Grant?”

I have to know. For some sick reason, my brain will not let me leave this spot until I do.

“Oh…” He shifts nervously. “We just moved back. A few months ago, actually. I work for Kellerman and Kross now.”

“You moved back,” I parrot.

He smiles down at the blonde beside him, the one I’d almost forgotten about, patting her hand. “Charlotte’s family is from here, and my parents are still here…It just made sense.”

My eyes flick to the woman beside him—Charlotte—watching as she extends her hand, one platinum curl falling into her honey-colored eyes as she smiles brightly at me. I reach to take it dumbly, noticing the enormous diamond on her finger.

“Charlotte Fuller,” she tells me. “I’m Grant’s wife.”

I’m Grant’s wife.

It rolls around in my head, hitting the sides of my skull like a Ping-Pong ball.

“Dani,” Vera says again gently. “Let’s—”

“There you are, sweetheart.” A new voice breaks through the chaos swirling in my head. “Sorry I’m late. I was looking everywhere for you.” Ezra’s hand is warmer than Vera’s, superseding hers to slide up the back of my arm as he steps in close to press a kiss to my cheek. “I got held up.”

“I—” My mouth is probably hanging open. Did Ezra just kiss my cheek in front of all these people? “Hi.”

Ezra looks a lot more collected than I currently am. He turns to regard Grant casually, extending his hand with a cool smile. “Ezra Hart.”

“Oh, right.” Grant takes Ezra’s to shake it. “I met your father earlier. Great man.”

I’m not sure if anyone else notices the slight tic in Ezra’s jaw, but I do. “That’s what I hear,” Ezra answers blandly. He looks down at me again, effectively ending any further conversation with Grant. “You owe me a dance, baby.”

Baby?

If the floor didn’t feel like it was spinning, I would have a lot to say about that. I’m almost positive I hear Nate choking on his tongue somewhere behind me. Ezra’s eyes hold mine, and the gentle pleading there, as if he’s silently asking for me to let him help, is enough to keep my mouth shut on the matter.

“Right,” I manage, although I’m not sure how. I force a smile. “I was looking for you.”

“You know how these old men are,” Ezra chuckles. “Once they start talking about work…well. It’s hard to get them to stop.” He pulls me closer into his side, casting another glance at my ex. “It was good to meet you, Greg.”

“Grant,” he corrects with a frown.

Ezra just keeps smiling. “Right. Sorry.” He looks down at me again. “Dani?”

“Oh.” I clear my throat, shaking some of my shock off as I stand a little taller. I manage to hold my tight smile long enough to look at Grant without throwing up on my shoes. “It was good to see you again, Grant.”

“You too, Dani,” he answers with that same casual, polite tone. As if we didn’t spend almost three years planning a future together.

I hardly have time to dwell on my swirling thoughts since Ezra is already pulling me away, and I allow myself to be dragged along behind him as he leads me toward the edge of the dance floor, closer to the foyer. There are fewer people here, only a handful tucked away in quiet conversation along the entryway, and Ezra pulls me into him, grasping my waist as he starts to move me in time to the music that still lilts into the room.