Daniel's hand rested on the gear shift as they turned onto the tree-lined drive. Leighton stared out the window, watching the estates get bigger with each passing mile.
"You're quiet," he said.
"Just thinking."
"About the party? Or about him?"
Her stomach twisted. Daniel always knew. That was the problem with dating someone observant.
"Both."
He squeezed her knee. Brief. Supportive. "It's going to be fine. You'll give your speech, smile for photos, and we'll leave early if you need to."
The mansion appeared through the trees. White columns. Manicured lawns. String lights already glowing in the late afternoon sun. Cars lined the circular drive. Expensive cars. The kind that made her old sedan look like it belonged in a junkyard.
Daniel parked. Killed the engine. Turned to look at he
