Page 36 of After You Returned

Chapter 13

Women want romance, they said. Who are they?

Miles

One minute I’m serenading Hazel and the next she’s running away from me. Why is she running? This is supposed to be romantic. She’s crazy if she thinks I’ll let her go.

I throw the microphone to Sadie. “Catch!”

She fumbles the mic and it clatters to the floor. “Oops! My bad.”

She reaches down to pick it up and tumbles to the ground. She stares up at me from where she’s sprawled on the floor. “What happened? Why am I on the floor?”

Damn it. I don’t have time for this. Hazel is a fast runnerandshe has a headstart. A headstart that’s growing by the second.

Scarlett stumbles to her feet. “Go! I’ve got her.”

I hesitate. She doesn’t appear to have herself, let alone her little sister. Weston will shoot me in the ass if I let anything happen to his precious woman. And I wouldn’t blame him.

I steady Scarlett on her feet. But when I reach down to help Sadie, Alaia elbows me out of the way.

“I’ve got her. It’s not the first time I’ve picked her up off the floor and it won’t be the last.”

Despite her words, I don’t allow her to drag Sadie from the floor alone. I’m hoping Sadie will be my family at some point in the not too distant future. I can’t leave her lying on the floor for someone else to handle.

I grab one side of Sadie while Alaia grabs the other. Together, we manage to set her in a chair.

“What’s going on? Why is everyone manhandling me? I’m spoken for. Hands off.”

I raise my hands in the air and back away. I didn’t realize Sadie was dating anyone, which – considering this small island and its love of gossiping, I should know about – but I know better than to fight with a drunk person. Five brothers taught me my lesson. Multiple times.

“You good?” I ask Scarlett.

“I’m excellent!” Sadie shouts in response. “Hey! Where’s Hazel? Did she apparate? I knew it! I knew it was possible. And everyone laughed at me when I read those Harry Potter books.”

Scarlett giggles as she waves me away. “Go now before you end up debating the best material to use for a wand.”

“You use wood for the wand. Usually holly, yew, or oak. But the unique property is the magical core. It can be from a unicorn, phoenix, or dragon.”

“None of which exist!”

I back away. Scarlett has this handled. She sways forward to get in Sadie’s face. Crap. Maybe she doesn’t have this handled after all.

Alaia pats my arm. “Go after your girl. I already messaged Weston to come and pick them up.”

“Thanks.”

“No thanks, needed. It’s my job. As in it’s literally my job.”

I flash her another smile of thanks before whirling around to push my way through the crowd. I hesitate. Did Hazel aim for the front door or back? Back. Front is too obvious.

I shoulder my way through the people until I reach the back hallway. I scan the area. The fire alarm didn’t go off, so she couldn’t have gone through the back door. There are two possibilities – the office or the ladies’ room.

I try the door to the office. It opens and I peek inside. Empty.

There’s one possibility left. The ladies’ room.

I am not barging into the ladies’ room. I am not invading anyone’s privacy, and I am definitely not pissing off Hazel any more than she already is. Why she’s pissed off is a mystery to me, but I’ll figure it out.