Page 70 of When We Are Falling

She laughs, a sound that always makes my heart stutter. “I thought I’d give you something to show off, Mr. Boss Man. Seeing as half the town is going to be here and gossiping about us being together.”

“Well, mission accomplished,” I reply, twirling her around. “Ready to hit the dance floor?”

“Oh, I can’t wait to see this,” she teases, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t forget those arm movements Jaz taught you.”

Leading her onto the makeshift dance floor, Blake calls out to Alex, Tom’s husband, who’s in charge of the music, and it changes to a catchy hip hop tune. I do my best to remember the steps and a crowd starts to gather around, clapping to the beat.

Blake moves effortlessly, her body flowing with the rhythm. I try to keep up, throwing in Jaz’s exaggerated arm movements, knowing I look a little ridiculous but not even caring. Blake’s laughter is infectious, and soon I’m laughing too, even as I stumble over my feet.

“You’re doing great,” she says. “Just remember, confidence is key.”

“I think you mean overconfidence,” I shoot back.

The music speeds up, and I catch Blake by surprise with a quick spin. She yelps in delight, and the crowd around us cheers. The mayor and the sheriff, who are standing nearby, join in the applause.

“You two are quite the pair,” the mayor calls out, laughing.

“Yeah, Ethan’s got some moves!” someone else shouts.

Blake and I continue to dance, the world narrowing down to just the two of us even as others join us on the dance floor. As the song ends, I pull her close, our foreheads touching. “Thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone,” I whisper.

“Anytime,” she replies, her breath warm against my cheek.

“You want something to drink?”

“Yeah, I could use a drink.”

I whistle for Bandit, who is still lying beside the grill waiting for scraps, and head toward the bar, weaving through the crowd, before grabbing two glasses of wine.

“Here you go, princess,” I say, handing her a glass. “A toast to our dancing skills.”

She clinks my glass. “To our dancing skills. And to Jaz, who is probably shaking her head in disappointment somewhere.”

“Ha! Probably.” We take a seat on the grassy dunes a little away from the party, facing the water, Bandit lying beside Blake with his head on her lap. “So, I’ve been thinking.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Uh-oh. That’s never a good sign.”

“No, really. I’ve been thinking about us. About how great everything’s been going. And I was wondering if you’d like to get away for a bit. You know, a vacation. Just the two of us.”

She blinks, clearly surprised.

“Maybe around Christmas time. We could try to go somewhere warm and sunny. I know it’s a few months away, but we should book now or everything will fill up.”

The idea seems to catch her off guard, but then her face lights up. “That sounds amazing. I say yes. Let’s do it.”

I lift my glass again, a rush of happiness hitting me. “To our vacation. Wherever it may be.”

“To our vacation,” she echoes, and we sip our drinks, making plans for the future with her feeling like the most natural thing in the world.

We discuss potential destinations, tossing around ideas from tropical beaches to cozy mountain retreats, and I’m more certain than ever that this is where I want to be—planning a future with Blake, ready to see where this journey together takes us.

Chapter 31

Ethan

The next morning,I wake up feeling on top of the world. The soft light of dawn filters through the curtains, casting a gentle glow on Blake’s bare shoulder and the side of her face as she sleeps beside me. Her expression is serene, freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks, framed by tousled red hair. For a moment, everything feels perfect.

My phone vibrates on the nightstand, cutting through the silence. Frowning, gently sliding out of bed, careful not to wake Blake as I scoop up my phone. Bandit pads quietly behind me as I head to the living room, the early morning stillness wrapping around us.

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