Owen appeared to assist her down the stairs.

She heard Evan say, “I’ll be right back,” to Owen.

“Take your time. I can handle things here for a minute.”

With his hand on the small of her back, Evan escorted her to the table, where their friends and his brothers greeted them with applause.

Grace fanned her face, certain it was bright red from the emotional wallop as much as the heat.

“That was incredible, Ev,” Maddie said.

“It’s gonna be a smash hit,” Grant added.

“Let me know if you need an entertainment lawyer,” Dan said. “I know people.”

“Thanks, everyone. Glad you liked it.” Evan accepted the beer that Mac handed him and offered it to Grace.

She took a long drink before she handed it back to him. “Thank you,” she said softly, hoping he knew she wasn’t talking about the beer.

“Thank you.” He kissed her forehead and leaned in close to whisper in her ear, “I can’t wait to marry you. I know you’re freaking out about what I told you earlier, but when I think about the next year, that’s the number one thing on my agenda. No matter what else happens, we’ve got a date to keep in January.”

“Will you play the song again at the wedding?” she asked, looking up at him, fortified by his assurances.

“You bet I will.”

***

A ringing phone jarred Jenny out of a deep sleep. Movement next to her startled her for a second until she remembered that Alex had stayed.

“What’s up?” he asked in a gruff, sleepy-sounding voice. Suddenly wide awake, he sat up straight. “I’ll be right there.” He got up and started looking around for his clothes.

Jenny turned on the light for him. “What’s wrong?” she asked, blinking him into focus.

With his back to her, he stepped into his shorts. “My mom. Paul thinks she might be having a heart attack.”

“Oh my God.” Jenny got up and went to her dresser for clothes.

“What’re you doing?”

“I’ll drive you so you can get there quicker.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know I don’t.” She got dressed as fast as she could, which wasn’t easy with hands that didn’t want to work the way they were supposed to and a body full of sore muscles. When they were dressed, they rushed down the spiral stairs to the kitchen, where Jenny looked for her purse and keys before remembering she’d left them in the mudroom earlier.

In the car, she blasted the air-conditioning, taking the relief from the heat where she could get it. She glanced over to find Alex staring straight out the windshield, his jaw rigid with tension. “Has she had heart trouble before?”

“No.”

“Am I taking you home?”

“Would you mind going to the clinic? Paul called rescue, and they’re on their way there.”