Page 3 of Our Now and Forever

Dammit.

The fact that there was merit in his parents’ reactions only heightened his anger and embarrassment. Yes, Caleb had a history of diving into endeavors like college majors and careers with little forethought. But marrying Snow had not been a rebellious whim, and finding himself divorced at twenty-eight was not the same as changing his major from communications to economics.

This was his life, and if it took every penny in his sizable trust fund, Caleb was going to save his marriage and prove his parents wrong.

Before leaving for the airport the morning of her disappearance, Snow’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cameron, had seemed embarrassed and repeatedly apologized for their daughter’s behavior. They’d answered all his questions about where she might have gone, but in the end, they didn’t know any more than he did. They’d agreed that Nashville was the best place to look. That’s where he and Snow had met, and the only place she’d ever lived other than where she’d grown up in Alabama.

The fact that Caleb didn’t know enough about his new bride to know her geographic history served as one more nick in his already battered ego.

Since that day, Caleb had made six trips to the Tennessee capital and nothing had turned up until today, when he’d stumbled across a flier posted to a music store bulletin board. The event advertised had been held in early October, which meant if the little store on Twelfth Avenue had been more diligent about clearing their board, Caleb might never have found Snow at all.

The slip of paper listed several festival sponsors, including Snow’s Curiosity Shop. The odds were slim, but Caleb had been chasing shadows for so long that any lead had felt worth exploring at that point.

And here she was. The moment his watch clicked to 6:44 p.m., Caleb crossed the street with added determination. This time, he wasn’t leaving without answers. And better ones than, Mistakes were made. What did that even mean?

So they hadn’t known each other long before getting hitched in Vegas. They had plenty of time to get to know each other after the wedding. They had ’til death did they part, for crying out loud. All married couples went through a kind of transition period. Not that he’d been married before, but he’d seen enough to know that two months wasn’t nearly enough time to settle into a lifetime commitment.

Chimes sounded overhead as Caleb once again crossed the threshold of Snow’s shop. He hadn’t taken two steps in when a skeleton wearing nothing but a purple top hat warned him to beware of the enchanting witch. The motion-activated doorman was more accurate than he knew, but Caleb wasn’t about to be warned off now.

Not only was he not leaving this town without answers, he was also not leaving without his wife.

Chapter 2

Snow had never wanted to lock a door as much as she did at 6:44 that Halloween night. The only thing that prevented it, other than the fact the store was technically still open, was the knowledge that Caleb would not give up so easily. She had no illusions that he loved her or had come to take her home, but he wanted answers.

And Caleb was used to getting what he wanted. In fact, there was a good chance that Snow’s removing herself from his life had been the first time anyone had dared take away something that, in his mind, belonged to him. Unfortunately, this was an aspect of her husband’s personality Snow hadn’t uncovered until after they were married.

By the time she’d met Caleb that fateful New Year’s Eve nearly two years ago, Snow had eaten enough cup-of-soup dinners to send her sodium levels soaring, and she hadn’t been anywhere beyond Alabama and Tennessee in her whole life. So when her doting boyfriend of two months offered an all-expenses-paid weekend at the Bellagio, she’d jumped at the chance to have a true adventure.

Snow knew the nuptials had not been premeditated, as no one could fake that kind of shock when they’d both opened their eyes that bright January morning sprawled naked across a heart-shaped bed, sporting matching ten-dollar wedding bands. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t blame him for fogging her brain with incredible sex and an endless supply of smooth Southern charm.

The tinkle of bells over the front door brought Snow back to the present. She stepped away from the counter, pressing her body against the craggy brick wall behind her. The only other person in the store was Lorelei, who was taking longer than usual to sweep up, something she’d never bothered to do before. Snow was grateful for her friend’s delay tactics. If she’d had to wait for Caleb by herself, she might have snuck out the back door and made a run for it.

Except she would never abandon the business she’d built from nothing. Not after working so hard to make something for herself. Growing up in a family in which money was tight and ambition nearly nonexistent, owning her own business had never entered Snow’s mind as a real possibility. If she hadn’t been mostly cut off from her naysaying parents for the last year and a half, she’d likely never even have given the store a shot.

Though she missed her family desperately, and made occasional trips to Nashville to ship birthday and holiday presents from a random post office, Snow didn’t miss their negativity. She’d found the freedom to become her own person a heady experience. In truth, her defiant move to Nashville to chase the dream of becoming a singing sensation had been little more than a ruse to avoid being stuck in a meaningless life.

Snow had grown up singing in church, and loved performing, but she didn’t crave the spotlight or carry any deep desire to be a star. She’d simply used her gift to keep from telling her parents that she didn’t want a life like theirs, working her knuckles to the bone for little money and even less respect. When she met Caleb, she’d been earning a few dollars here and there with her voice, but she preferred her day job of working in a Western-wear store engaging with everyday people. To now be selling pieces with history and meaning, and doing it on her own terms, suited Snow perfectly.

As for her pretentious in-laws, who’d made it clear that she would never be good enough for their boy, Snow’s little shop may not be on par with the McGraw Media empire, but she was her own boss, successful and happy without their stinking money.

Before her husband reached the middle of the store, Lorelei breezed by the counter saying, “All done. Time to go.” Doing a quick spin, she mouthed the words full report tomorrow, then proceeded toward the exit as if it wasn’t completely obvious why she was leaving in such a hurry.

Panic sent Snow hopping around the counter to beg her friend to stay, but Lorelei was already waving from the other side of the glass. Around Caleb’s fast-approaching form, Snow saw the open sign swinging back and forth in the door’s window, revealing that Lorelei had essentially closed the store on her way out.

Snow made a mental note to thank her resident baker the next day.

Once Caleb reached her, she expected an immediate flurry of unanswerable questions. Instead he said, “Do you need me to wait somewhere while you close up?”

Patience. Huh.

“You can sit anywhere you’d like,” she said, thankful for the reprieve, however short it might be. “I need to count the drawer.”

Caleb nodded, looked around, and dropped his solid frame into a periwinkle-blue chair. The feminine curves of the piece threw his own more masculine form into sharp relief. Yet the white polka-dots propelled the image into comical territory. To her surprise, Snow had to cough to hide the giggle.

How could she be giggling at a time like this? Her estranged husband—could she call him estranged when he’d had no say in their separation?—sat in her store as if waiting for her to serve tea and crumpets. This was no laughing matter. And yet, she couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.

“I didn’t expect you to be so happy to see me,” Caleb said, resting an ankle on the opposing knee.

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