I unsnap my seatbelt and lean over my brother, who shakes his head. “She’s not here.”
“She’s at the cemetery. It’s only a block away.” I throw my truck into drive and gun it.
“Why would she go there?”
“I’ll tell you later.” We pull up to the locked gates, and I screech to a halt in the driveway. “Come on.”
I slide between two pillars, and my brother follows. Then I sprint for my best friend’s plot.
I’m sorry, Danny. I said I’d take care of her, and then I fucked up royally.
As we crest a small hill, my heart sinks because I can tell she’s not here.
But then my eyes snag on a backpack.
I pick it up. “This is hers.” Frantic, I scan the area.
A shrill scream cuts through the silence.
Jace and I look at each other, and then we’re both in a dead sprint toward the forested area that butts up to one end of the cemetery.
“Paige!” I shout. “Paige!”
“Help!” she screams.
There’s a small path that winds through the trees and shrubs, and we follow that as I call out to her. “Baby, where are you?”
“Over here.”
I spot the body first and nearly have a heart attack until I realize it’s not my wife. Paige is huddled a few feet away.
I kneel in front of her and cradle her face, which has cuts and scrapes. “Are you hurt?”
“N-no.” With a sob, she leaps into my arms.
“It’s okay, baby. I got you.” I look over at my brother, who’s checking out the body. “Don’t touch anything. If I have to bury this guy, I don’t want you involved.”
Paige sniffles and leans back to look at me. “You’d bury a body for me?”
“This asshole here who obviously tried to hurt you? Fuck, yes, I would.”
She grabs my face. “I love you. I’m sorry we argued.”
I don’t bother responding. Just press my mouth to hers. “I love you, Paige. I’m so fucking sorry I was an asshole last night. Please forgive me. I don’t want you to move to Florida. I know that’s your dream, to coach at that camp. If you give me some time to figure out things here, maybe I can move there with you.”
She hiccups. “You’d… you’d do that?”
“To be with you? Yeah.” With my thumbs, I gently wipe her tears. “I’d do anything for you and our baby.”
Her smile fades. “You know.”
“That you’re pregnant? Yes.”
A frown mars her beautiful face. “Is that why you want to stay together? Because I don’t want to?—”
“No. I was gonna beg for your forgiveness before I realized you were pregnant.”
“How did you find out? Did Baylee tell you?”
