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“I’m in. I just need the right time.”

Which better be today. Or what?

A tired, mean voice played in my head. Or else you have to face the truth about how he really feels. It was the test. How badly did he want to be in my life? Was he willing to risk everything to be with me? I’d find out later today. One way or the other, I needed to know. Was he here to stay or poised to leave?

The Moon family and their staff had pulled off some kind of magical feat in less than eight hours, performing a miracle by the evening. The paths were plowed clean and lined with luminaries, every window of the lodge was lit, and the sky had gone clear and enormous over the mountains. You'd never have known that twelve hours earlier the whole ranch had nearly been erased.

Sammie proved her worth as a wedding planner the night of the wedding rehearsal. Although we had the rehearsal inside instead of outside where it would be tomorrow, she treated the lobby as if we were in the actual location. She directed everyone on where to stand and which order we all came in. Knox was to perch on a stool to the right of the arch. Beck would be on a keyboard on the other side. I was told where to stand to do the reading.

Through it all, I wondered when Grant was going to talk to Jack. So far, with the chaos left from the storm and the rehearsal, he clearly hadn’t had a moment to do so.

When we got to the restaurant after the rehearsal, we were given Spicy Cowboy Cider before sitting down for the meal. Once we were all seated, we dined on chicken and dumplings, along with collard greens.

The room was even more festive than one might expect. I suspect it was the aftermath of the ordeal we’d all gone through during the storm. That hard night had certainly earned us this happy one.

There were toasts. Rhett made everyone laugh. My mother gave a speech that made Ivy cry.

Then Madeleine stood, her hand trembling around her glass, and began by admitting she’d thought Ivy was bananas to bring us all to a ranch for an entire month. I laughed with everyone else. But when she told us she’d fallen in love, the room went quiet.

She talked about the girl she’d been before she became Madeleine Price. Mindy Sue, from Arkansas, whose accent slipped through as she described how carefully she’d taught herself to keep people at a distance. She even admitted that hearing the guys talk about the Mads Freeze had hurt her.

She went on to tell us about the storms during her childhood. Losing power and being cold and frightened in her mother’s dark house. I couldn’t help but cry when she described her mother crying on the floor when everything in the refrigerator went bad. Jack and I knew exactly what that was like. We’d had the same experience growing up. The loss of a few groceries that were too expensive the first time around was devastating.

Last night’s storm had brought all of it back. She’d hidden in the bathroom with her earbuds in, using music to drown out the noise, never hearing Knox at her door. Ivy spoke up to confirm how completely those earbuds blocked sound.

Madeleine looked at Knox as she explained that she would have let him in if she’d known.

“Knox, when I think what could have happened to you out there. If not for Grant.” She shuddered. “You might have died, and you would never know how much I love you.”

I looked at Grant, remembering the frightening hours when I wasn’t sure he was safe. But he’d been a hero, walking into that storm to save his friend. That was the man he was. Why then, did that bravery not transfer to talking to Jack?

Madeleine kept going. She’d been frightened of being hurt, of loving someone with cameras around to record whatever happened next. However, nearly losing Knox had frightened her more. She apologized for walking away from him. And then, watched by the entire room, Madeleine told him how much she loved him.

It was beyond touching. In fact, my throat hurt and I could feel tears at the backs of my eyes, fighting to get out. Why couldn’t I have what they had? Why did my love have to be a secret?

My fingers twitched, yearning to reach for Grant’s hand. Yet, that familiar impulse prompted the paranoia. Where was Jack? Was he watching?

I folded my hands in my lap, anger creeping up the back of my spine like a poisonous plant.

“We’re not surprised,” Jack said. “We’ve all seen you. And not just this month either.”

“That’s right,” Grant said. “No one argues like you two used to unless there’s great passion under the hostility.”

Beck and Rhett nodded in obvious agreement.

Great passion.

I wanted to scream out—what about our great passion? When are you going to do something about that?

My brother was smiling, looking so happy for them. Was I a fool? Expecting Grant to come through for me? Or was he like my dad? Unwilling to make the brave choice and stay.

By the time Grant glanced my way, a hard kernel of anger had cemented into my stomach. I didn’t meet his gaze.

Just let go, I told myself. Just let him go. Return to your life and forget you ever knew him.

Grant arrived at my cabin a little after eleven. I didn’t bother to greet him, just sat in one of the chairs by the fireplace, staring into the flames.

“Luci, what’s going on? Are you all right?”