Page 69 of Look on the Bright Side

The memory of her own voice echoed in her head.

Get it together, Larkby. Addie’s voice, always bringing her back. Her strongest tether to this life. Her twin’s advice, imagined or real, was spot-on. She’d just sit a minute and take a few breaths and maybe text the Deans. She blotted her eyes with a tissue, grateful for the waterproof mascara, then took out her phone and sent Heather and Theo a quick message.

Thinking of you guys. Love you!

A second later, Heather answered. We love you, too, sweetheart! What are you up to tonight? Want to come over?

At a friend’s engagement party in Boston. Very fancy and fun! She almost hit “send,” then changed engagement to birthday. Izzy had taken a picture of her an hour or so ago so she could send it to Addie, and Lark now sent that same picture to the Deans. Check out my dress!

So! Damn! Beautiful! Have fun, darling! Love from Theo, too.

They were such good people. So kind. They’d never begrudge her happiness. No. They wanted her to live a full life, find a new person to love, have children. They’d said so a dozen times or more.

Lark was the one who had a hard time picturing all that.

“Hey. You okay?”

Her head jerked up, and light seemed to flash through her veins. She felt her face flush. Be cool, she told herself. Remember why you’re here. “Hi, Dante. Yeah, sure. Just needed a little quiet.” His face was somber. “Are you okay?”

He sat in the chair next to her. “Yep. I imagine it’s kind of a lot in there, all those people for you to meet.”

“I’m having a great time.”

“Liar.” He winked, as he’d been taught to at the Hot Fireman School, no doubt. “I’m pretty sure I saw a tear or two just now.”

Damn it. “Happy couples make me weepy.”

“Same.” God, he was adorable. “You sure, though?” His mischievous grin dropped a notch or two. “I have sisters. I know how to listen.”

She felt her heart knot. I lost my virginity in this hotel, Dante. With the boyfriend who became my fiancé who then died. “I’m sure. How about you? I can’t help noticing you and Lorenzo are…well, you’re not super close, are you?”

He laughed a little, that nice ashy sound that made the pit of her stomach clench. “That pretty much sums it up.”

“I have a brother and also know how to listen,” she said, smiling as she echoed his words. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He slid her a look, and man, his eyes were so dark, they were almost black. Espresso brown. “I do not. Let’s just say there was a girl.”

“Oh! There was a girl. I see.” She ventured a pat on his knee. “I’m happy to tell you there are more girls in the world, and I’ve seen about twenty checking you out tonight.”

He laughed again and shook his head. “Are you as nice as you seem, Lark? Because if you are, you—” He stopped. “Sorry. Never mind.”

“No, no, you can’t do that. What were you going to say?” Because it suddenly seemed very important that he finish his sentence. Her heart banged against her sternum. God! This wasn’t like her.

He looked at his hands. Were his biceps straining against the sleeves of his suit? Yes. That wasn’t important (but my God, wow). Dante took a breath, then said, very carefully, “I’m guessing you’re very good for my brother. I hope he’s good for you, too.” His voice was low and she felt it. Every cell in her body seemed to surge toward him.

“Who was the girl?” she asked.

He looked at her a long time. Then, just like that, whatever electricity flared between them was gone, turned off by some switch Dante had just flipped. The mood was normal again, and he was just the nice brother in a family she was getting to know.

The disappointment surprised her.

“She was a model,” he said. “And that’s all I’m gonna say about that. Coming back to the party, miss? Want a hot firefighter to escort you?”

Message received. I’m just the flirty brother, nothing to see here. “I do, yes,” she said. “Can you find me one?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, she’s a firecracker, all right. Come on, pretty in pink.” He offered his hand, and she took it as she stood, and a current of heat ran straight down her arm.

“After you,” he said, letting go of her hand and gesturing for her to go ahead of him. “And, uh…helluva dress, Lark.”

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