Page 70 of If You Were Mine
While Luna couldn’t make it and now Isabella wouldn’t be there, Scarlett and Ivy would be. And that meant the family I was slowly building would be together.
By the time I got ready, I still hadn’t received a text from Dorian. He had told me he would meet me there since he had a few things to do, and I tried to ignore the disappointment. I was a big girl. I could drive myself. Heck, I could walk there if I wanted to. And maybe that’s just what I would do. Because then he could drive us home after.
Well, to my home since Lucky was here. Because it wasn’t like we lived together. It was far too early for that.
And his home wasn’t in Cage Lake. Now I had to stop thinking about that.
Since it was Valentine’s Day, I had gone full-on pink with a pale sheath dress that clung to my curves in just the right way. It was modest enough that Ms. Patty wouldn’t cluck her tongue, but I still felt like a princess. I let my hair fall in waves and pulled on a short sparkly jacket to complete the look. I’d be warm underneath my parka for the walk, and the layers would help no matter what the temperature felt like at the dance.
I said goodbye to Lucky and promised I would see him in a couple hours. The dance would be fun, but I knew keeping Dorian there for too long would strain him. He was a people person, a party guy, but small town Valentine’s dances weren’t really his thing.
By the time I got there, the dance was already in full swing, and I searched for Dorian. I didn’t find those familiar features, and I held back my frown.
He would show soon. He had promised.
“You’re here!” Scarlett said as she moved forward. I hugged her tightly, and she winced.
“Are you okay?” I asked, alarmed.
She waved me off. “I’m fine. I worked out a little too hard yesterday, and now my muscles ache.”
“I should probably work out, but that would require lifting things and I’m not in the mood,” I teased.
“So says the woman who lifts flour and other random things all day,” Ivy added dryly. “You’re just fine, ma’am.”
I laughed and gratefully took the pink punch Ivy handed over. “It’s alcohol-free, since there is no alcohol at the Valentine’s Day dance even for adults,” she added.
“That’s just fine. The overwhelming amount of sugar will help me crash later,” I said with a laugh.
“So, well, I’m dateless by choice, but where are both of your men?” Ivy asked, her brow raised.
Scarlett shrugged. “Ronan is stuck in the city. The roads are closed. Stupid snow and stupid mountains.” Scarlett took a sip of her punch, and I reached out and squeezed her hand.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. We knew it might be an issue. But Ronan had that big meeting, and well, we celebrated Valentine’s Day last weekend. We don’t need to make it a whole week like the town does,” she added dryly.
“And where’s Dorian?” Ivy asked. “He is coming, isn’t he? Unless he decided this is too ridiculous for him? Which, I sort of understand,” she said softly.
Blushing, I shook my head. “He said he’d be here. I should probably text him now.”
“Well, if he said he’d be here, he will be,” Scarlett said, though I couldn’t quite read the look in her eyes.
Frowning, I pulled out my phone, and texted one-handed.
Me: Hey! I’m at the dance. Are you on your way?
I waited for those three little dots to tell me he was texting back, but nothing.
“He must be on the road.” I ignored Scarlet’s look and put my phone in my purse.
“What do you say we dance?” I asked, as I set my empty punch glass on the table.
“The three of us with a slow dance?” Ivy asked. “I’m totally in. Those busybodies over there are already gossiping about the fact that I didn’t come with a date, and they’re wondering where yours are.”
“You heard them all the way over here?” Scarlett asked.
“I heard them as I was walking here, so now let’s make a scene.”
