The Best Man's Plan

“Then why—?”

“Because Wallace Childers has disappeared again,” he cut in bluntly. “We don’t know where he is or what he’s up to, and I won’t be comfortable about your safety until we know whether he’s in this country.”

“When did this happen?” she asked, just a bit skeptically.

“We had a report on him last Thursday. It was believed he was still in Mexico. The authorities there were closing in on him, but then he simply disappeared. The guy is slime, Grace, and he hates me. You know that. If he thought he could hurt me by hurting you, he would do so.”

As angry as she was about his methods, it was hard to yell at him for trying to protect her. Even if she did think he was overreacting. Even if she did believe he was being arrogant and high-handed in making decisions on her behalf without consulting her. Even if she did have a secret suspicion that he was more annoyed about her taking off without his permission than he was worried about Wallace Childers.

While she appreciated the concern he expressed for her, she would not apologize for clinging to the last remnants of her privacy. This collaboration would end in a few very weeks, and she would then have to go on as a single businesswoman facing her thirtieth birthday and trying to decide what to do with the rest of her life.

“I’ll be careful,” she told him. “Even though I sincerely doubt that Childers is going to show up here, I’ll use common sense.”

“The bodyguards will leave you alone,” he promised. “They won’t interfere with any of your plans. But I’m going to have to insist that they watch over you for the next few weeks. Think of it as another measure to make sure nothing interferes with the wedding.”

Low blow. She sighed, knowing that further argument would serve no purpose. She had known when she’d impulsively slipped off again last night that there would be repercussions. Bryan had been adamant from the beginning about the need for security as long as they were pretending to be lovers. And since Chloe had been kidnapped just for being associated with him, Grace couldn’t even accuse him o

f having no justification for his paranoia.

“I’ll be glad when this wedding is over so we can bring an end to all this,” she grumbled.

After a rather lengthy pause, he replied, “I’m sorry this has been so difficult for you.”

His tone was a bit stiff—as if, perhaps, she had hurt his feelings. And now she felt guilty on top of everything else. She hadn’t even realized she could hurt his feelings with a careless remark. “What I meant was…”

“Never mind. Now that we’ve gotten the security issue out of the way—once again—there’s something else I need to discuss with you. It’s a favor, actually, so feel free to decline.”

“What sort of favor?” she asked warily.

“It concerns my parents. There was an article in a national business journal last Friday comparing my business style to my father’s. The writer implied that my parents and I have been estranged since I went into business for myself. There was even a throwaway comment that my parents are elitists who don’t approve of my current relationship with a mere shopkeeper.”

“That would be me, I presume?”

“I’m afraid so. Anyway, as you know, I was quite busy Friday finishing up my business in Seattle and getting back to the party in Searcy, and I never had a chance to see the article. Apparently my father just got around to reading it this morning. He was outraged by the assertion that he resents me because I’m a better businessman than he is. He phoned my mother, who took great offense at being labeled a snob. Even though she is, and she’s well aware of it.”

Shaking her head at his matter-of-fact description of his parents, she asked, “So what’s the favor you want to ask me?”

“My parents want us to have dinner with them tomorrow evening. I’m quite sure they’ll make arrangements for a society reporter to just happen to wander by with a camera during the meal, at which time my father will make a grand gesture like toasting our happiness with my mother smiling mistily at us from his side. It will be an excruciatingly uncomfortable meal, but it won’t last more than a couple of hours at most. Will you go?”

“You want to go?” Grace asked in disbelief.

“I would rather have a root canal. Without anesthesia.”

Now she was really confused. “So why are you asking me?”

“Because they’re the only parents I have,” he answered simply. “The article embarrassed them, and they’ve asked me to help them counteract it. They rarely ask me for anything, so I don’t mind doing them a favor every once in a while.”

How could she turn him down after that, even if she was still annoyed with him? Although she’d almost rather have oral surgery herself, than to participate in a just-for-show dinner with Bryan’s difficult parents, she supposed she could suffer through it as a favor to him. He had gone to so much effort to make it to the party for Chloe and Donovan Friday evening, and he’d been nothing but polite and gracious to her parents and their friends.

This guy was something else, she thought with a shake of her head. During the course of this one phone call, she’d gone from being furious at him for his arrogance to admiring him for his thoughtfulness.

“All right. What time are you picking me up?”

“You’ll do it?” He sounded surprised.

Had he really doubted that she would? “Yes, I’ll go.”

“Thanks, Grace. That’s very nice of you.”