Page 106 of Broken on the Mountain
"What?"
I lift the front of my gown, revealing the teal-laced hiking boots beneath all that silk.
Chase's laugh is pure joy and he drops to his knees like he can't believe his eyes. "You wore hiking boots to a society gala?!"
"No one knows. Yet." I drop the fabric. "It's my secret rebellion."
"Not anymore." He kisses me, deep and claiming and completely inappropriate for a public terrace at a charity event, and I don't care.
When we break apart, I take his hands and stare into those gorgeous eyes I've missed too much this week.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "For choosing the gala. For not choosing you. For being too afraid to—"
"Stop." He reaches up and his thumb brushes my cheek. "I'm sorry for making you feel like you had to choose between your family and me. You shouldn't have to choose, Piper. You should get to have both."
"Maybe. But my mother will never accept us."
"Then she'll have to learn." His jaw sets in that stubborn way I love. "Because I'm not going anywhere. And neither are you. Unless you want to…"
I nudge him with my elbow, looking cheekily up at him. "Well, that depends. Are you driving? Because I can't get lost in the desert, Chase. I'm too pretty for that."
Chase mocks a shocked expression, but somewhere behind us, the terrace doors open and rip the moment right in two.
"Piper Elizabeth Whitman, what on earth do you think you're—"
Mom stops dead, a hand going instantly to her mouth, covering the audible gasp she makes when she sees Chase standing hand in hand with me. Father appears behind her, followed by Maxwell, whose eyes catch our linked hands.
I feel Chase tense beside me, but I don't let go.
"Mother. Father." My voice is steady. "I'd like you to meet Chase Morrison. He's a search and rescue specialist from Stone River Mountain. He just drovefivehours to be here tonight."
I look at Chase and wink, taking in his rumpled tux and his gummy bear pocket square and his kind eyes that see every messy, imperfect part of me and love me anyway.
"He's also the man I'm in love with."
Mom's face goes white. Father's expression doesn't change, but his gaze sharpens as Maxwell makes a sound like he's been punched.
And Chase—
Chase just looks at me like I just handed him everything he's ever wanted.
Chapter Twenty-One
Chase
Nine hours, one wrong turn, and three gas-station sandwiches plus Charlie's travel bag later, I’m here.
In her world.
Wearing a borrowed tux, staring into the most beautiful blue eyes I’ve ever seen.
The chandelier above the ballroom glitters like it’s trying to outshine the stars, and for a second, I’m blinded—not by the light, but by the sheer absurdity of the fact that…
I’mhere. I made it.
Somehow, I didn’t chicken out.
Didn’t spiral into overthinking or let the nine-hour drive and my own insecurities convince me to turn around. Instead, I parked my truck next to a line of cars outside this swanky hotel, threw on Jamie’s tux, and walked straight into this sharp-edged world where I stick out like a flannel shirt at a black-tie wedding.
