Page 103 of A Very Happy Easter

“I never discuss my life in Nebraska. People think I’m ashamed of my roots, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I just don’t want anyone finding Phae and turning her life upside down.”

“Nobody left in this room will break your trust.”

“When you’ve been stabbed in the back as many times as I have, trust is nothing but smoke on the wind.”

I waited. And waited. Finally, Marc pulled his phone out of his pocket, scrolled through the photos, and handed it to me.

“That was taken the day before Booker died. I haven’t felt whole since then.”

“Booker was Phae’s older brother?” I guessed. “Your best friend?”

“He was in the car wreck with their father.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Phaedra was a pretty brunette, a head shorter than Marc. The two of them wore jeans and plaid shirts, and the man on her other side, also with his arm around Phae’s shoulder, had opted for a plain khaki button-up. They all looked happy, and I realised the gigawatt grin was far from natural. Marc’s real smile was much softer as he cut his eyes sideways to the woman he so clearly loved.

Heath leaned forward to look as well, and his hand suddenly tightened on my thigh. Huh? I glanced at him, and he gave his head the tiniest shake. What was that about?

My question would have to wait, and I turned back to Marc. “I’m so sorry you lost each other. Is that Booker in the picture?”

He nodded.

“Phae looks like a bit of a tomboy.”

“She had to be. Her father had no respect for women. She learned to hunt, shoot, and fish, but it wasn’t enough, not for him. Nothing was ever enough.” Marc slugged back gin. “Turns out I wasn’t enough either.”

“You’re enough for us. If you want to talk, we’ll always listen, or if you just want to show up and simply be, you’re always welcome here.”

“Edie speaks for all of us, but could you skip the alcohol poisoning?” Liam added. “It’s supposed to be my day off.”

“I should get over her, I know that, but I can’t.” Marc stared into the glass. “I honestly thought that if the movie did well, she’d change her mind. Admit I was right and she was wrong and come back. Fuck, I was such an asshole. If she’d give me another chance, I’d walk away from the whole damn industry for good.”

“Isn’t that a little drastic? Edie has plenty of friends.”

Eis snorted. “Don’t do it, mate.”

“I’ll leave that experience to Miles.”

“You weren’t really in a movie with him, were you?” Janie asked.

“Not that I’m aware of, although there were so many extras in Plains of Montana that nobody can say for sure.”

Marc put down the glass, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Crisis averted. I’d have enough of those to deal with tomorrow when I returned to Vocare. Heath and I had agreed our honeymoon would wait for a few months—we’d been away from our jobs for too long already, and we had the rest of our lives to make memories.

For now, we’d just enjoy this time with our friends, settle into our new life together, and take joy in the fact that Neil was singing falsetto in prison.

“Strange that we’ve ended up with a pet movie star, don’t you think?” Heath asked as he tucked me against his side. We’d moved from stress and tears in the beginning of our relationship, through rabid fucking, and discovered something altogether slower and sweeter. Although one of us still ended up sleeping in a wet patch.

“I feel sorry for him, don’t you? Everyone thinks he leads a charmed life. Wealthy, handsome?—”

“I’m right here, Edie.”

“Not as handsome as you, obviously. And possibly not as rich either, now that we’re married.”

“We need to sort out that postnup.”

“Maybe.”