“Who’s Katie?”
“Katelyn Morrison Prescott. She puts all this together.”
Mary glanced over her shoulder as she walked away from Glen and his brothers. His reassuring wink told her he was watching.
The second they were away from the men, Monica leaned close. “So how are things going with you two?”
Mary squeezed the other woman’s arm. “I’m having the best time.”
“You’re looking awfully content, Glen.” The comment came from Jason’s mouth.
“Well, look at her. Wouldn’t you be?”
Jason watched the two women walking away. “She’s beautiful, I’ll give you that.”
“So what’s it been, a month now?” Trent asked.
“About.”
“What’s your track record, three?”
Glen wasn’t liking where the conversation was headed. “I’m not that bad.”
Both his brothers laughed.
He couldn’t tell them things were different with Mary without a dump truck full of feedback, so he kept his thoughts to himself.
“Don’t we have some schmoozing to do?” He tugged on the cuffs of his shirt so they peeked from under the long sleeves of his tuxedo.
She was a beacon in a sea of beautiful people. It helped that she stood slightly taller than many of the women in the room, and that amazing head of hair that sat on top of her head was second to nobody in attendance. Glen spotted her the second he lifted his eyes above the crowd. She’d been away from his side for less than twenty minutes and he was slowly working his way back.
He was half listening to Chuck and Mr. Widden, a man who chartered several flights a month for his financial firm.
“With the market so damn fragile, I’m surprised any of us are doing a damn thing.” Mr. Widden’s words half registered.
“I know . . .” Looked like Jay, the newest senior broker, was stepping into the conversation with Monica and Katie. “If you’ll excuse me.” Glen didn’t wait for approval before leaving the conversation.
All Glen heard was laughter . . . Mary’s laughter, when he approached the small party. Jay saw him approach first and stood a little taller.
Glen did something he seldom did. He took the space beside Mary and Monica and slid an arm around Mary’s waist. “There you are.”
She did a little take back and grinned.
“Hello, Katie.”
Katie Prescott, or Katelyn Morrison, as the majority of the room knew her, was a true debutante. Her porcelain skin and designer everything always turned heads when she entered the room. The six-inch stilettos that were an extension of her already model-long legs helped her stand above many of the men in attendance. She pushed in and kissed his cheek. “You bear! Where have you been hiding Mary? She’s delightful.”
“Mary keeps herself in California.”
Glen extended a hand to Jay. “Glad you could come, Jay.”
“Even if it was an option, I wouldn’t miss this.” Jay glanced between Glen and Mary and excused himself. Message sent, and message received. Glen felt like he could take a deep breath. “What are you ladies drinking?”
“Something white,” Mary said.
Katie shook her head. “I’m waiting for dinner.”
“Not me, I’ll take a white wine, too.”
Glen looked around the room and signaled a waiter with a tray filled with glasses of wine.
A commotion that could only be created by someone with celebrity status focused their attention to the front of the room.
“Oh, Daddy.”
The larger-than-life Texan was a man Glen had never seen without his Stetson or his confidence. Gaylord Morrison was a force, a man he’d met briefly when his father was still alive and had come to know even more with Trent’s marriage to Monica. The world of money was smaller than one would think.
Katie lifted a hand in the air and grabbed her father’s attention.
Gaylord patted backs, smiled, and wove his way through the crowd. When he reached his daughter’s side he lifted her clean off the ground. “Look at my baby girl.”
Katie tolerated his attention and adjusted her dress when her feet touched down.
“Really, Daddy!”
“Where is your husband?” Gaylord asked.
“Dean was meeting Jack and Jessie in the lobby.”
Gaylord turned his attention to Glen and quickly skipped over to Mary. “And who do we have here, Glen?”
“Mr. Morrison, I’d like you to meet Mary Kildare. Mary, this is the iconic Gaylord Morrison.”
“Iconic? Good Lord, man, you make me sound old.” Gaylord laughed and tilted his hat in Mary’s direction.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Mary told him.
“You have me at a disadvantage.”
“Daddy, behave,” Katie scolded.
“Monica and I are friends.”
Gaylord glanced beyond their heads. “Where is our resident nurse?”
“She’s around here somewhere,” Katie told him.
“Such a sassy one, Monica. You.” He looked directly at Mary. “You look about as innocent as they come.”
Glen couldn’t help but think of the moments before they’d dressed for dinner . . . the shower . . . her screams.
“You can’t always judge a book by its cover,” Mary told him.
Glen let his fingers dig into her waist and she smiled up at him.