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That girl from the bathroom earlier, with her long red hair and thick eyelash extensions, was with him, her hand touching his arm.

He didn’t shy away, instead, standing his ground. He held up his hand, showing... a ring on his finger.

My eyebrows drew together. What the hell was going on?

The girl seemed to pout, but Rhett only shrugged. Then he caught sight of me and waved me over. As I got closer, he said to the girl, “That’s my wife.”

With a sneer, she looked me over, saying, “I don’t see no ring on her finger.”

Rhett shrugged. “We’re getting it resized. But the point is, I’m very happily taken.”

She let out a huff and turned to walk away while I stared at Rhett. I reached for his hand, holding it up to see the wire ring, so similar to the one he made me all those years ago.

“What is this?” I demanded.

“A wedding ring.”

“No shit. Why are you wearing it?” I asked.

He hugged me, hooking his hands behind my waist. “I wanted everyone to know I’m yours.”

Butterflies swirled in my stomach. “But we’re not married yet.”

His grin got even bigger.

“What?” I asked.

“You said ‘yet.’”

My cheeks flushed. “You know what I meant.”

He pulled me closer, bringing his lips to my ear. “I want everyone to know how committed I am to you. I am not available to anyone other than Magnolia Ray Gibson, married or not.”

I looked up at him, overwhelmed by everything—the news Cam gave me earlier. The lengths he would go for me to feel safe in our relationship. And all I wanted to do was cry. Because how could I be with Rhett when the man who had always been there for me wouldn’t support us? If I had doubts swirling through my mind despite all his reassurances?

Rhett said, “How thirsty are you? ‘Cause I’m about ready to give up on this line.”

I let out a shaky laugh. “Not really.”

“Good. Let’s dance.” He took my hand, pulling me away from the line and leading me toward the crowded wooden dance floor. Finding a gap in the ring of spinning bodies, he pulled me into the fray, leading me effortlessly in a two-step.

Shuffling with him, I looked up at him, breathless. “How are you so good at this?”

“A little too much practice,” he said, guiding us along. “Where’d the other two go?”

I nearly stumbled, realizing he didn’t know the news Cam had dropped, but Rhett kept us going despite my stutter step. “Everything okay?” he asked.

The song came to an end, changing to a slow one. He pulled me in a little closer, changing our pace as he waited for me to answer.

“I think it will be, for Cam and Cooper,” I added.

He studied my expression. “And for us?”

That hard rock in my stomach grew even heavier as I blinked quickly. “Sometimes it feels so easy with you, and others...”

“It’s like swimming upstream,” he said.

Knowing he felt it too just made me want to cry.