Silver’s nerves were raw, her stomach tied in knots as she walked up the steps leading to the stately brick mansion with its neat rows of large windows, flanked by shutters. A gust of wind whipped through her clothes and rustled the leaves of the monstrous trees overhead. She looked up at the turbulent clouds. A storm front was moving in. Let it come, Silver thought.

“Ouch! My hand,” Gracie complained.

“Oh, sorry.” Silver eased up on her grip.

Gracie was bubbling with excitement over the birthday party and had been talking about it nonstop all afternoon. But now she huddled next to Silver for protection against the wind.

As Silver approached the door, she heard music and laughter coming from the back. She straightened her shoulders, her body going into a battle stance, as she punched the doorbell.

The silver-haired woman’s face lit in recognition as she smiled. “Good evening, Mrs. Coulter.”

“Good evening, Beth,” she said briskly.

“Come in.” She shivered. “Oosh, it’s windy out there. If it gets any worse, they may have to move the party indoors.”

Beth had worked for the Coulters for years. Normally, she wore regular clothes. But tonight, she was impeccably dressed in a conservative black dress, white apron, and black cap —the typical servant attire.

“May I take your purse?” Her eyes flickered over Silver. “What a beautiful dress.”

Silver had chosen a red sundress with bold white flowers for the occasion. “Thank you.” She’d planned on wearing black, but then a spirit of recklessness overtook her, and she chose the red instead, hoping it would help bolster her courage.

Beth motioned. “The guests are out back, in the garden.”

“Thanks.”

Gracie bounded ahead as fast as her little legs would carry her. Silver had put her in a red dress, so they’d match. She’d pulled her pigtails up high and tied red ribbons around them.

Just as she expected, the garden was decked out with strings of white lights and giant floral arrangements. Round tables with white linen tablecloths filled the grassy space. A microphone and stand stood at the back. To the left of it, a string quartet was playing an upbeat tune. And to the right, there was a long rectangle table—presumably where the family would sit. Silver’s heart started racing as she looked at the microphone. That’s where she would stand to make her announcement. She clutched her hands, willing herself to remain calm. A monstrous birthday cake was prominently displayed on the left. The garden was brimming with people and it was barely past six. Excitement buzzed through the air as servers dressed in black tuxedos threaded through the guests, carrying silver trays of wine and appetizers.

Silver tensed when she saw Dinah, laughing and talking—completely in her element. Bruce was standing a foot away from her, talking to a group of men. When Dinah saw her, she lifted her chin, her expression one of haughty triumph as she gave Silver a curt nod.

Silver scanned the garden, looking for Gracie. She spotted her near the cake. Riley was standing beside her, holding her hand. Had Riley not been there, preventing it, Silver was sure Gracie would have dived right in. When Riley saw her, he smiled and waved joyously like they were a happy couple. A bitter amusement roiled in her throat as she adjusted her dress.

One thing was certain—it was going to be an interesting evening.

* * *

Ace pulled out his phone and glanced at the time—6:20. Resentment churned in his gut. He was sure Silver had already made her announcement. Hurt splattered over him as he stared past the TV show and into space. The house had been silent as a morgue, the loneliness looming large and terrible. He closed his eyes, rubbing a hand across his forehead, squelching the angry tears. Silver had made her choice. The best he could hope for was the pain to stop so he could move on with his life.

“What are you doing, bro?”

He looked up to see Ariana standing over him, her hands on her hips. He’d been so locked in his own mind that he hadn’t heard her come in. She tipped her head, sizing him up. “You look like crap.”

“Well, I feel like crap.” He rubbed a hand across the stubble on his jaw. He’d not shaved the past couple of days.

She just stood there, looking at him.

“What?” he said irritably.

She reached for the remote and turned off the TV. “We need to talk.”

“About what?”

She smirked. “Don’t play dumb with me.”

He’d told Ariana about his conversation with Silver and how she was announcing her engagement at the birthday party.

Ariana plopped down on the sectional. “Are you just gonna sit there and let her go through with this?”

“What else am I supposed to do?” The hurt was slicing ribbons through him to the point where there would be nothing left. He’d have to refocus and put everything into football. That was the only way he’d survive.

“Go after her, you dummy!”

“Yeah, right. Like I’m just gonna barge in and proclaim my love, and she’ll drop everything and rush to my side. Is that what you think?”

She arched an eyebrow. “You can drop the sarcastic tone. And yes, I do think that’s exactly what you should do.” She eyed him, her eyes lit with determination. “Whether she rushes to your side or doesn’t, at least you will have acted like a man.”

He pushed out a hard laugh, shaking his head. “I tried, Ari. You don’t know how hard I’ve tried.” His voice broke, and he balled his fist, bringing it to his mouth.

“Are you really gonna sit there, wallowing in self-pity while you let Riley manipulate her?” She shot him a blistering look. “I thought you were better than that.” She growled. “If you could channel one-tenth of the grit you have when running the stupid football over the end-zone to score a touchdown into other facets of your life, you’d be unstoppable. You’ve spent too much of your life playing second string to Riley Coulter.” She tossed her head, her nostrils flaring. “You’re better than that entitled jerk in all the ways that count. You always have been, but you just didn’t know it back then.” Her voice quivered with indignation. “But now you’re all grown up. So, stand up and be a man. Silver needs you, and so does Gracie. Don’t blow it this time.”

For one tiny instant Ariana’s words lit a spark in him. If he thought he could win Silver back, he’d charge over there this instant. But it didn’t work the first time. Why would it work now? Silver was stubborn … determined to see this through. She had the noble idea that she was sacrificing herself for Gracie, when what she was really doing was putting them both in a pit. “It won’t work,” he said flatly. “Leave me alone,” he muttered, hugging his arms.

He heard Ariana rummaging around in the kitchen. And then, she was standing in front of him again. He saw her hand rise in the air, realized she was holding a pitcher, and then felt the ice water over his head. He yelped as he jumped up, furious. “What’re you doing?”

She got in his face, jabbing his chest with her index finger. “Getting your butt up. Now go get a shower. And hurry,” she snapped.

* * *

The promise of impending rain was in the air. Silver saw more than a few people casting worried glances at the darkening sky. Silver wished it would come a gully washer and drown out her futile desperation. It was astounding the lengths Dinah went to in order to put on a show. This party had cost a fortune, and Dinah had gotten Mary McClain Silver’s competitor to plan the event. Silver recognized Mary’s handiwork and had seen her earlier, talking to the caterer. Silver was sure Dinah hired Mary out of spite.

Just as Silver figured, the family was sitting at the rectangle table, facing the guests—lined up like royalty with Bruce sitting closest to the microphone, then Dinah, Riley, Gracie, and Silver. Riley had tried to sit beside Silver, but she placed Gracie between them. Gracie was bent over, her face a mask of concentration, as she colored. Thankfully, she was oblivious to the tension boiling inside Silver. She’d lain awake most of the night, thinking of this situation and remembering Fabiana’s words. Then she prayed that she’d be blessed to know if there was a possible solution—something she hadn’t considered before.

Dinah stood and strode over to the microphone. “Thank you so much for coming tonight to celebrate my husband’s birthday,” she said magnanimously. She looked at Bruce adoringly and blew him a kiss like they were the perfect couple. Bruce shifted and pulled at his collar, managing a tight smile. “We’ve had some exciting things take place in our family.” Her tone went conspiratorial like she was delivering juicy gossip to her girlfriends. “Folks, you’re gonna love this,” she purred. “Without further ado, I’d like to invite my former daughter-in-law, Silver Coulter, to come up.” Dinah’s eyes danced. “She has a very important announcement to make.”

Silver’s hands oozed sweat as all eyes turned to her. She stood, her heart clanging against her ribcage. She made a point of holding her shoulders erect as she strode to the microphone stand. “Thanks, Dinah,” she said, plastering on a smile. She caught the glint in Dinah’s eye, warning her to stay the course.

“Good evening,” Silver began, then realized Dinah was still standing beside her. She made a point of turning to her, then back to the microphone. “It’s okay, Dinah, I’m a big girl. I think I can handle this. You can sit down beside your adoring husband.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m sure he’s missing you by his side.”

This elicited a rumble of laughter from the crowd. Dinah flinched. “Watch it,” she whispered, then flashed a prima donna smile and laughed good naturedly as she sat down.

Silver took a deep breath and looked at Riley, who was wearing the smile of a champ. Gracie was still bent over, intent on coloring. Oh, how she loved her little girl.

“Most of you know me—or at least know me through my association with the Coulters.” She motioned. “But for those who don’t, this is my daughter, Gracie.” At the mention of her name, Gracie’s head came up. She offered a shy smile and waved. “Gracie is special. She was born with an extra chromosome. Or, as most people call it, Down syndrome.”

Gracie smiled broadly and nodded vigorously, causing her pigtails to shake. Out of the corner of her eye, Silver caught a glimpse of Dinah’s rigid expression.

A rush of tender emotion went through Silver as she swallowed. “Most people—even some members of our family—consider Gracie’s condition a burden, but nothing could be further from the truth. Gracie teaches me every day. When she was born, and I held her for the first time, I felt a depth of love I had never before experienced.” Tears glistened in Silver’s eyes. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy, and that I wouldn’t always know what to do. But that was okay.” A smile trembled over her lips. “Because we would love and grow together.” Time seemed suspended and she had the feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff, about to take the plunge. “Dinah asked me to come up here to announce that Riley and I are getting remarried.”

Murmurs rippled through the audience.

Here it was—the point of no return. What she was about to do could either save her or destroy her, but she’d go down fighting … hunt down her happily ever-after and drag it back. “But that’s not true.”

Everyone went dead silent. “The truth is—Riley and I should’ve never gotten married to start with. It was a disaster from day one, and I don’t intend to repeat that mistake.”

“This is an outrage,” she heard Dinah say. She moved to stand, but Bruce caught her arm.

“Sit down, and let her finish,” he ordered.

As hard as it was to say this in public, Silver knew she had to press forward and tell it all—for that was the only hope she had of being free from Dinah. She looked at Riley, who had a murderous expression on his beet-red face. Her intent wasn’t to humiliate him, but to set the record straight once and for all.

“Like I said, I should’ve never married Riley. Not when I was in love with someone else.” She clutched the microphone for all it was worth. Her knees felt weak and wobbly. “My love came to my wedding and begged me not to marry Riley.” She paused, drawing in a shaky breath. “And I almost didn’t. I almost went after my love, but Dinah overheard the conversation. She came into the dressing room and offered me a deal.”

“She’s lying,” Dinah hissed.

“Be quiet,” Bruce barked, stunning Dinah into silence.

A single tear rolled down Silver’s cheek as she swallowed. “You see, I was raised by a single mother. We didn’t have much money, and my mother was sick with a rare lung disease. Her medical bills were expensive. Dinah offered to pay for my mother’s treatments if I married Riley.”

Gasps sounded in the evening air.

“How could you do that to our son? To her?” Bruce asked.

Dinah just sat there, her head held high, tears glittering in her eyes as she stared straight ahead.

“I take full responsibility for my part in this,” Silver continued. “True to her word, Dinah paid for my mother’s treatments.” Her voice hitched. “Sadly they didn’t work, however, and my mother passed away a year after Gracie was born. To make a long story short, Riley and I got divorced, and that brings us to the present.” She paused, collecting her thoughts. “I recently had the privilege of reconnecting with the love that I had lost.” She smiled through her tears. “But Dinah didn’t like it. She didn’t want it to appear as though her son was sub-par and that I was trading him in for someone else. As if you can pick out a love like you’re picking out a car,” she muttered. All eyes turned to Dinah, whose deep-tanned face had turned a chalky yellow. “A few days ago, Dinah offered me another deal.”

“What did you do?” Bruce muttered through clenched teeth.

“Well, this time it was more of a threat, actually. You see, Dinah knows I’ll do anything to protect my daughter. I won’t bore you with the sordid details, but essentially, Dinah threatened to take away my daughter if I didn’t agree to re-marry Riley.” She held up a finger. “Oh, and she sabotaged Gracie’s chance of getting into a good school as well.”

A roar went through the audience as people started talking amongst themselves.

Silver turned. “Bruce, I’m sorry to put a damper on your birthday party, but I felt like the truth was long overdue.” She shrugged. “And well, Dinah did invite me to come up and say a few words.” A whoosh of wind rustled through the garden. The bottoms of the sooty clouds looked like they could split open any minute.

“Ace Sanchez,” Silver heard someone say.

Silver smiled regretfully. “Yes, Ace Sanchez is the man in question, the love of my life.” She hesitated. “Unfortunately, I fear that I lost him.” She felt the first drops of rain.

“No, Ace Sanchez is here,” a voice said.

She jerked, holding her hand above her eyes as a shield from the lights so she could see into the audience. Ace came striding towards her. Her heart leapt as she let out a half-laugh, half-cry, her hand going over her mouth.

“You haven’t lost me,” he said. When he reached her, he swept her into his arms.

She searched his handsome face, peering into his compelling eyes. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Ace,” Gracie said, waving heartily. She held up the paper. “My picture. I drew for you.”

“It’s beautiful,” Ace said, bringing a few chuckles from nearby tables.

Gracie looked up at the sky and held up her hands. “It’s raining.”

A troubled expression came over Ace as he searched Silver’s face. “I had no idea about your mother’s treatments. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tears dribbled down her cheeks, mixing with the rain. “I didn’t know how.”

He nodded, his lips drawing together.

“I’m sorry.” The words were a healing balm to her soul, bringing a swift relief over her.

“I’m sorry too.” A crooked grin tipped his lips. “That was some speech. Talk about a Hail Mary Pass. You really went for the gusto. Even had Ariana cheering.”

“Is she here?”

He chuckled. “Oh, yeah … she’s here.”

A burst of exhilaration ran through Silver. The raindrops turned to a light drizzle. “I love you,” she exclaimed joyously. It was liberating to be able to say it out loud, in the open, for all to hear.

“I love you too,” he uttered, his lips claiming hers, sending a shot of adrenaline through her that sizzled her blood. A loud applause broke out around them as people jumped to their feet and gave them a standing ovation.

Then a loud clap of thunder sent people scurrying to get indoors as the drizzle turned to a downpour.

Ace took Silver’s hand. “Let’s get Gracie and get inside.”

Before they could move, Dinah stepped up to Silver, a crazed expression in her eyes. “I’ve never been so insulted in my life,” she hissed, getting up in Silver’s face. Her voice escalated over the rain. “By the time I’m finished with you, you won’t have a pot to pee in. I’ll take Gracie from you, and you’ll never see her again.”

Silver looked past Dinah and was relieved to see that Ariana had taken Gracie indoors.

Ace faced Dinah. “You’ve done enough.”

She let out a high-pitched cackle. “Oh, buzz off, spick! You think you’re so high and mighty—a big-shot football player, but I’ll take care of you, just like I took care of your family’s restaurant.”

Ace jerked, his eyes widening. “It was you, the whole time,” he uttered.

“What did you say?” Bruce stepped up, a stricken look on his face.

Dinah made a gurgling sound, then choked out a nervous laugh. “B—Bruce, I didn’t see you there.”

Bruce clutched Dinah’s arm in an iron grip, disgust heavy in his voice. “How could you do so many terrible things?”

An avalanche of tears gushed out. “All those things Silver said were nasty lies.”

“Save it,” Bruce barked. “Go in the house.”

She bristled. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

“Now!” he boomed, his face an inch from hers.

Dinah jerked back, fear creeping to her eyes. Then she gave Silver a look of pure malice before stalking away.

Bruce turned to Silver, a mortified expression on his face. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea any of that happened. You don’t need to worry about Dinah. I’ll make sure that she never hurts you again.” He looked at Ace. “And that goes for you too … and your family’s restaurant.”

Silver wanted to believe him, but wasn’t sure if she could. “How can you guarantee that?”

He straightened himself up to his full height. “Because there’s one thing in this world Dinah values above all else—money.” His jaw tightened. “I control that and therefore, control her. If you’ll excuse me.” He turned on his heel and strode regally into the house.

A shiver ran through Silver, her teeth chattering, as she hugged her arms. “L-let’s get inside.”

“Good idea,” Ace said.

They were almost to the door when Riley stepped up to them, a savage look on his face. “Do you think you can get up there and say all that crap about me?”

“It’s over, Riley,” Silver said, shaking her head. She was soaked to the bone and weary.

His expression took on a wounded look. “But I love you.”

He spoke the words as if he expected that one admission to fix everything. “You don’t love me,” she countered. “Love doesn’t hurt or manipulate. For you, it was all about the control … being the bigger man.” She shook her head, feeling a twinge of pity mixed with the anger and resentment. “But those days are over.” She moved to push past him, but he blocked her way.

“Don’t you dare walk away from me.” He thrust out his chest. “No one walks away from me!”

“Silver’s not your property,” Ace said, edging in front of Silver.

A flash of lightning streaked through the sky, causing Silver to flinch.

“I should’ve put you in your place a long time ago,” Riley said, shoving Ace backwards. He tried to strike, but Ace was faster. He grabbed Riley’s arm and in the blink of an eye, twisted him around, pinning Riley’s arm behind his back.

Riley doubled over, cursing. “Let go of me.”

Ace leaned in, a dangerous edge to his voice. “Out of respect for Silver and Gracie … and because we were once friends, I’m gonna let this one go. But if you ever do anything to hurt Silver or Gracie, I’ll finish this. You got that?” He applied pressure to Riley’s arm and wrenched it up, causing Riley to yelp in pain. “I said, you got that?” Ace growled.

“Yeah,” Riley finally said, his voice muffled.

Thunder shook the ground, reverberating through Silver’s body. She looked up at the sky, anxious to get inside.

Ace pushed Riley forward where he landed on all fours.

Silver touched Ace’s arm. “It’s over.”

He gave her a grim smile, colored with relief. “Yes, it finally is.”