Page 90 of Welcome Home to Ivy Falls

Chapter Twenty-Six

FORD

Defend My Choices

It was a three-minute toast but it felt like three hours. Gray and I were supposed to say a few words and then dinner was to be served, but as soon as we were done speaking, every blowhard in the room wanted to share their two cents about how they’d somehow added to the joy of our parents’ long marriage.

For the entire toast, my father stayed iron-jawed, never bothering to look at me. I didn’t care. Piper had done me a favor by spilling my secret about Africa. I only wished I’d been brave enough to take him on the way she had.

When the waiters entered the room with the first course, I dashed out into the hall. Piper wasn’t in the bathrooms or waiting in the lobby. I checked the back lawn and upstairs in the ladies’ locker room. Like a ghost, she’d vanished. Panic filled my throat as I dialed her number. It went straight to voicemail every time. I rushed down the stairs and collided with a woman at the bottom.

‘Ford,’ Missy said with a wide smile. ‘It’s good to see you.’

‘Look, I’m in kind of a hurry, but I wanted to apologize for that day. That situation at brunch.’

She waved me off. ‘I swear I did not know that was a setup from your mom. Thought it was only supposed to be a short hello.’

My frantic gaze continued to sweep the area for Piper. ‘I really do wish you the best, and it was good to see you, but I need to go.’

‘Do you have to run off? I wanted you to meet my girlfriend. It’s the first time I’ve brought her to something like this and it’s, well, a lot. Thought it might be nice to introduce her to at least one person here I don’t think is a total douchebag.’

‘I… I would love to but there’s this girl…’

‘The stunning brunette?’

‘Yeah, she is my…’ I took a rough swallow. We didn’t have a name for what we were doing, but if I had my choice I would call her my… everything. ‘She sort of had it out with my dad and now I can’t find her.’

Her eyes lit up. ‘Wow. Brave girl. I like her already.’

‘Me too,’ I gushed. ‘But I’m afraid I screwed it up and that she’s taken off.’

She made a shooing motion. ‘Go. If I see your mother, I’ll say you had a patient you needed to see.’

‘You’re the best! Text me when you’re free. Come to Ivy Falls with your girlfriend. I’d love to meet her. Show you around town.’

‘We will.’ She made that shooing motion again.

I raced out the doors of the club and skidded to a stop in front of the valet. ‘My date. Tall brunette?’

‘The one in the black dress with those hot legs?’

‘Yes,’ I said, biting back my jealousy.

‘She took off in a ride-share fifteen minutes ago.’

I shoved my ticket and a twenty-dollar bill at him. ‘There’s twenty more for you if you have my car here in two minutes.’

He took off at a sprint and I dialed Piper’s number again.

No answer.

Shit. I had a lot of explaining to do and I hoped she’d give me the time to listen.

I knocked twice. Three times.

Panic pressed against the walls of my chest.

What if she wasn’t here? What if she’d gone to her brother’s?