Page 119 of Broken on the Mountain
I'm so stunned I can barely form words. "You want to visit Stone River?"
"Don't sound so shocked, darling. I'm not a complete monster." She turns to Chase, and I swear to God, shesmiles. "And you're..." She looks him up and down. "Adequate, I suppose."
Chase blinks. "Adequate?"
"For Piper." My mother reaches out and—oh my God—pats his shoulder. Like he's a golden retriever who's learned a new trick. "You make her happy. That's... adequate."
"Uh. Thanks?"
"Mother," I say, fighting the urge to laugh. "That's possibly the worst compliment I've ever heard."
"It's the best I can do on short notice." She straightens her suit jacket. "Now, I should mingle. I noticed several items on the auction table that might benefit from a competitive bid."
She glides away, leaving Chase and me staring after her in bewilderment.
"Did that just happen?" I ask.
"I think your mom just called me adequate."
"She patted your shoulder."
"I'm a Labrador!"
"AnadequateLabrador."
We look at each other and burst into laughter, the kind that shakes your whole body. When we finally calm down, Chase pulls me close, pressing a kiss to my temple.
"Come on," he murmurs. "Dance with me."
"The band hasn't even started yet."
"Something tells me that tonight… we don't need a band."
With a sudden skip in his step, he leads me to the far end of the deck. The crowd thins and the view opens up to endless mountains. Someone's phone is playing music, and Chase pulls me into his arms like we've done this a thousand times.
We sway together, my head on his chest, his chin resting on my hair. The prosecco hums warm in my veins, and the night air smells like pine trees.
"Your mom's trying," he says after a while.
"I know. It's terrifying."
"She'll come around. They always do when they see how happy you are."
"And am I?" I tilt my head back to look at him. "Happy?"
"You tell me, Chicago."
I wrinkle my nose. "Maybe I will be when you finally retire that nickname."
"Never." He grins. "You're my Chicago girl who chose the mountains. My fancy nurse who wears hiking boots to fundraisers. My—"
"Your what?"
His expression shifts, going soft and serious in a way that makes my heart stutter.
"My everything," he says quietly. "My home. My forever Friday."
"Chase..."
