Page 11 of Winter’s Teeth

There was no one, and the wedding party was still inside getting ready.

He was trapped, and I had him right where I wanted him, because I deserved an answer. Maybe not thanks—though a thank you would be appreciated after I plunged into the icy creek for him—but an answer, nonetheless.

“Well?”

“I...” In the shiftiness of his eyes, he scrambled to come up with an explanation on the spot. Ostensibly, he hadn’t expected to ever run into me again.

The county wasn’t that big of an area though. Nor was it all that densely populated. His family’s land was clearly remote, but was it too remote for me?

Never.

“It was...a traumatic event,” he landed on, nodding a moment after as if agreeing with the voices in his head that fed him the idea. “And I wanted to forget about it. So, when you showed up, I panicked and pretended not to know you.”

My hand remained planted on my hip as I bit back the urge to blurt bullshit.

I blew out a breath after a few seconds, the silence growing uncomfortable. My shoulders relaxed, hand slipping off my hip to adjust the fur wrap as I regarded him with less abrasiveness. More care. I didn’t save his life for nothing, after all. “Alright. Touché. I’m just glad you’re all right. I was worried when they couldn’t find you. You seriously seemed half-dead when I found you. Are you doing better?”

“I’m fine. You should get back inside now. We’re almost done setting up.”

“Oh.” He dismissed me so quickly. “Is there anything the wedding party can do to—”

“Someone will let you know when the photographer gets here,” he said, already turning and stalking off.

Just like that, it was over. I had nothing left to be fussy about with Fox Winter. No reason to complain about him to my friends anymore. Nothing to obsess over.

The event was done and dusted, and he was moving on, wanting nothing more to do with me.

So, I let him go and went back inside.

***

KELSEY MET ME HALFWAY up the stairs after I said hello to the groom and his buddies.

I barely knew Brett. The man was moderately tall with reddish brown hair and a smattering of freckles that added to his charm. Other than the fact that he couldn’t stop talking about football to save his life, I didn’t know what to think of him. He seemed to love Everly, which I supposed was enough. For now. And I was dreading the moment the parents arrived, which was bound to be any second.

“Uh... Excuse me,” I said to Kelsey since she didn’t move to one side of the staircase to let me pass. When she still didn’t move, I looked up to find her face red and stricken with panic. “What is it? Did a zipper break? Can’t find the veil? We’ve still got time.”

“It’s Everly,” she gasped.

Ice shot through me. “What? Is she okay? Is she hurt?” I pushed past Kelsey to hurry up the stairs and get to my sister.

“No. She’s not up there.”

I whirled around, grasping my velvet skirt to hike it up and keep from tripping. “Where is she then?”

Kelsey shook her head, freshly curled strands of hair bobbing. “We don’t know. No one can find her.”

The words hit me like ice chips, then melted instantly when I let out a snort. “Oh. She probably just wanted a moment of peace.”

She’s probably hiding from you, I thought but didn’t say.

I traipsed back down the stairs with lighter steps. Carefree again. “Maybe she went to see the set up.” Maybe I missed her outside. “Or maybe she’s sneaking a judgment-free snack in the kitchen right now.”

I checked the kitchen first, calling out in a sing-song voice, “Everly! Evie! Where’d you get off to?”

“You can’t find Evie?” Brett asked behind me, half-dressed with his bowtie an utter mess around his unpressed collar.

“No, have you seen her lately?”