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CHAPTER ONE
Tess Valdez had experienced many firsts since burying her husband two years ago, but this one might be the toughest.
Staring at herself in the hotel’s bathroom mirror, she pulled up the side zipper on her brand-new cocktail dress and exhaled against the sense of dread building behind her ribs. It wasn’t the dress. No, the little black off-the-shoulder number happened to be fabulous. The red cowgirl boots she wore on her feet completed the ensemble, making it the perfect outfit to wear to her brother’s rustic yet swanky engagement party at one of the nicest hotels in Jackson. She looked good.
But this would be the first party she’d attended without Jace by her side—the first large-scale celebration she’d have to walk into alone…
“Tess?” Her friend Lyric knocked on the bathroom door. “You almost ready? I told Thatch and Silas we’d meet them in the lobby five minutes ago.”
“Almost ready.” She didn’t know how to be ready for these new firsts. Truthfully, she never felt ready. But she’d gotten through them—the first full night in her bed without Jace, the first Christmas for her and her daughters without him, the first family vacation on their own.
But tonight, everyone would be watching her. Tonight, she was stepping outside of her comfort zone.
Glancing in the mirror, she smoothed her hair once more. She couldn’t very well hide in the bathroom forever. So, Tess did what she’d had to do many times before. She put one foot in front of the other.
“Sorry,” she said when she opened the door to see Lyric standing on the other side. “I wasn’t sure about this dress.” That was an easier explanation than confessing the real reason for her hesitation.
“Seriously?” Her friend sashayed over to her wearing an incredible floor-length red number with a plunging neckline. Her friend’s sleek black hair had been elegantly knotted at the crown of her head. “That dress is exquisite. Trust me.”
“Yourdress is exquisite.” That was the only adjective to describe Lyric. Her friend was graceful and wise and thoughtful. Since they were nearly the only two single women from Star Valley attending this party, they’d decided to bunk up together tonight. “My dress is pretty. But I’ll take it.” Tess snatched her clutch purse off the dresser. “I’m not sure I remember how to go out and be a grown-up.”
For the last two years, her two main companions were under ten years old. Sure, she’d spent time with her brother and his two SEAL friends who’d moved to Star Valley to help take care of her and the girls after Jace had died. And she, Lyric, and Kyra got together every so often too. But hanging out was different than attending a fancy party. Maybe she should’ve stayed home with Morgan and Willow instead of letting her parents travel out to babysit.
“I’m not much of a partier,” Lyric reminded her. “But I can’t wait to celebrate your brother and Kyra’s engagement.”
“I can’t either,” Tess said as she finally stepped out into the plush hallway. “I’m thrilled for them.” She’d already learned it was possible to be happy and lonely at the same time. “Some of Jace’s family will be here,” she continued as they waited for the elevator. “Aiden felt like we should invite them.”
For over ten years, Jace’s family had been hers—and Aiden’s by proxy. “I haven’t seen a lot of them since the funeral.” Her husband had had too many cousins and aunts and uncles for her to know any of them well. “I guess I’m a little nervous.”
“Stick with me.” Lyric held her hand as they stepped into the elevator. “We’ll do this together. You and me and Silas and Thatch. And Aiden and Kyra when they’re not busy dancing or gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes.”
“I don’t know what I would do without you all.” They’d gotten her through, these friends who’d become her family. They’d gotten both her and her daughters through.
“We’re going to have a blast,” Lyric assured her.
The elevator came to a stop and they stepped into the hotel’s main lobby. Tess wasn’t sure she’d ever stayed anywhere quite this nice. As a ranching family, she and Jace never had the money to splurge for fancy hotels. She hadn’t needed expensive lodging, because they were just as happy camping in the high meadow back at the ranch.
Tess admired the massive antler chandeliers dangling from log beams overhead and the enormous stone fireplace that provided a focal point for the space. Yes, she had certainly found herself in a new era of her life.
Silas and Thatch stood at the bar on the other side of a baby grand piano, both dressed in jeans, crisp button-up shirts with sport coats, and their cowboy boots, naturally.
“Sorry we’re late,” Lyric said, leading Tess to the men by the hand. “Tess wasn’t sure about her dress.”
Silas tilted his head and gave her a long, smoldering appraisal—because he had long ago perfected the smolder. “I’m damn sure about that dress, Tess. Damn. Sure.”
“Yeah. Looks great.” Thatch’s opinion would’ve meant more if he could’ve managed to tear his gaze away from Lyric and roll his tongue back into his mouth. But she also thought his crush was cute.
As for Silas, Tess knew how he operated. The man was full of smooth lines and charm and, yes, intense smolders. And he handed them out to nearly every female for free. Most women found him difficult to resist because he had one of those chiseled handsome faces, not to mention blue eyes full of mischief and thick dark hair with an unkempt wave—who wouldn’t want to run their hands through hair like that?
But Tess prided herself on not being most women.
“I knew I should’ve worn the blue dress.” She shot him her sassiest smirk to show him she wouldn’t fall for his wizardry. Though she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been tempted a time or two.
Matching her smirk, he thumped his fist into his chest directly over his heart. “Why you gotta wound me like that?”
No matter what, Silas always seemed to lure a laugh out of her. He’d been the only one who could make her smile in the months following Jace’s death. “Easy, Beck. Save that charisma for the women who’ll actually appreciate it. I’m sure the party will be crawling with them.”
Aiden and Kyra had gone all out for this shindig. Last she’d heard, there were 136 people on the guest list.
