Page 58 of Monsters, Vows, and Growls
We moved together in slow, lazy circles. It wasn’t choreographed or polished. We weren’t performers. We wereus.And somehow, that made it perfect.
Carol caught my eye once from the side of the dance floor—grinning, swaying, already pulling Ben toward her with one hand and reaching for another glass of champagne with the other. I noticed Gabe look away fast. Henry clinked glasses with… my mom? at the bar, teary-eyed but smiling.
But all Isawwas Patrick. My bear. My safe place. My forever.
He leaned down, brushed his lips over my ear. “You know what I’m thinking?”
“What?”
“I think we should leave.”
I raised an eyebrow. “It’s barely nine.”
“I know.”
“You’re about to ditch your own wedding party.”
“They’ve had cake. They’ll forgive us.”
I laughed softly, heart full. “One more dance?”
He tightened his arms around me. “A hundred more. Starting now.”
So we kept dancing.
As husband and wife.
And the rest of the world spun quietly around us.
The reception was winding down.People were full, tipsy, happy — the kind of happy that gets hazy around the edges and makes everyone a little more honest than they meant to be. Ella had been whisked away for a round of photos with the last of the extended family. I was chatting with Henry and one of Ella’s cousins about the house remodel when I heard Carol’s laugh,her fake one. The one she used when she was about two seconds from lighting someone on fire.
I turned, and sure enough—there it was.The storm cloud gathering at the bar.
Gabe was sitting on a stool, casually nursing a whiskey, looking like a magazine ad for emotionally repressed athletes. Carol stood beside Ben, stiff as a statue. Ben, for his part, lookedcheerful and completely unaware that he was stepping into a minefield.
“So wait,” Ben was saying, pointing a finger at Gabe, “you’rethatGabe McCloud?”
Gabe blinked. “I… guess? Depends who’s asking.”
“Man, that’s wild,” Ben said, practically glowing. “I used to watch you in college. Number 92, right? You had that brutal tackle in the semifinals—dude, you were abeast.”
Carol’s expression went flat.
“You want an autograph, maybe a beer coaster signed?” Gabe asked dryly.
Ben laughed, clearly thinking this was all friendly banter.“Seriously, it’s so cool meeting you in person. I had your jersey, man. You were insane out there.”
“Still is,” Carol muttered, barely audible. I heard it. Gabe definitely heard it. Ben, unfortunately, did not.
“I didn’t even realize you guys were related,” Ben said, turning to me. “You and Gabe. Brothers, huh? That’s crazy. Total legacy family.”
Carol’s shoulders tightened so fast I could practically hear the thread in her dress cry for help. Gabe looked like he was trying very hard not to roll his eyes into the next dimension. Then Ben turned back to Carol, all proud of himself, and said, “You didn’t tell me you knew Gabe McCloud. That’s badass.” The poor guy was clueless that Carol was one word away from a slow-burning detonation. “So, you two know each other well, huh?”
Carol gave Gabe a look. “You could say that.”
Gabe didn’t blink. “She used to braid my hair when she was in fourth grade. Then weaponized it in fifth.”
“I was nine,” she said through clenched teeth. “And you deserved it.”
