Page 10 of Love Me Fierce

Which suits me just fine.

I duckunder the welcome shade of the wedding tent and join Sepp and his partner Hudson in line for a drink. Music pumps from the sound system on the other side of the wedding grounds, blending with the cheerful hubbub of conversations and laughter from the guests.

“Logan with your folks tonight?” Hudson asks.

“He chose their puppies over me.” I fake-clutch my heart.

“Imagine that?” Hudson replies, laughing.

“Sure was a beautiful ceremony,” Sepp says. Hudson peels away to hug a pair of older women, his hearty laugh rising above the din.

Over his shoulder, I catch sight of Vivian talking with Jesse Whittaker, who has a giant camera slung around his neck. Jesse’s daughter, Skye, and Mateo are sitting at a nearby table, sharing a bowl of snacks, both nursing what looks like Shirley Temples.

Since that night in the blizzard, Mateo’s grown taller, his face tanned after our long summer, and he’s missing a front tooth. Vivianlooks different too in her pale pink dress, her long brown hair hanging down her back in soft waves.

The stirring of an emotion I can’t place tightens behind my breastbone.

Is it that I don’t like her with Jesse, of all people? I haven’t arrested him since before Skye came along, and I want to believe he’s finally got his shit together, but I also know some habits die hard. Or is it that I don’t like Vivian with anyone?

“What’s going on between you two?” Sepp says, snapping my attention away from Vivian and the way Jesse is smiling at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Did you say something to piss her off?”

I flash my palms. “Before Logan’s checkup, I hadn’t seen her since the blizzard.”

“Then why did it get so tense in the office the minute you walked in?”

“How the fuck should I know?” I study the sign hanging above the makeshift bar even though I already know I’m having a beer.

“I’ve been trying to get her to one of mom and dad’s weekly dinners for a year, but she turns me down every time.” He takes a half step in front of me, so I’m forced to look at him. He’s shorter than me, but he’s a notorious shit-stirrer, starting with his laser-beam glare. “Are you the reason?”

I shrug. “Big families aren’t for everyone.”

He crosses his arms. “Be nice to her.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m nice to everyone.”

“Like hell. You gave Hudson that speeding ticket.”

I laugh. “He was speeding. And I was very nice about it.”

By the time we move to the dance floor, I’ve snuck looks at Vivian at least a dozen times. At dinner, she and Mateo sat with Jesse and Skye, and Sepp and Hudson. She’s got this warm smile, and she laughs a lot. She also affectionate and attentive with her son, and it’s easy to see how he lights her up.

What have I done to get the cold shoulder?

The thought makes me tired. Or maybe it’s that I’m exhausted. Last night I was up late reviewing Marin Lamber’s murder case. I refuse to let it go cold, but we haven’t had a new lead in months. I’m due to update her parents soon, and I have nothing to report. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Her killer is still out there. Free.

“Group photo!” Jesse calls after the bride and groom have their first dance, beckoning to the guests huddling around the edges of the dance floor.

Everyone crowds together while Jesse grabs a chair and positions it so he can get the whole crowd.

I squeeze in and the crowd presses close. We yell “peanuts!” at Jesse’s command while his shutter whirs, and before he can climb down, the DJ gets rolling with a popular song. It’s loud and catchy, and all around me people start jumping around and dancing. It’s like being inside a bouncy house, and though I try to weave my way out, I get knocked into someone.

I only get the flash of long dark hair and pale pink satin before I have the woman around the waist.

Shit. It’s Vivian.

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