family is about to knock down your door looking for her.”
“I don’t have conquests,” he snapped, even though he knew Will knew damn good and well. Downshifting to a grumble, he ran his hand over his stubbly cheek. “And I already splashed water on my face.”
Will pulled an exaggerated grimace then wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Might want to try again.”
Bam-bam-bam. “Dad?”
Both men whirled toward the door, but only Greg reached for the wall to catch his balance. His gaze cut to Will who simply shrugged. “They asked if I’d seen her.”
Greg gritted his teeth. “You told them she was with me?”
“I told them the truth. Last time I saw her she was with you.”
Greg reached for the door, but Will jerked his head toward the bathroom.
“I’m going to duck in there. I don’t want Ben to know I warned you.”
With a roll of his eyes, Greg wrapped his fingers around the door handle. “You’re such a wuss.” The words couldn’t have been further from the truth in most cases, but from the moment Ben was born, he’d had his godfather wrapped around his finger.
Will merely chuckled and pointed to the shoe clasped in Greg’s hand. “Better ditch the stiletto before they think you’ve taken up cross-dressing.”
Soft chuckles bounced off the bathroom walls as the door snicked shut. Another far more insistent knock rattled the door. Greg stared at the sexy red shoe in his hand, his own wussiness quotient ramping up as he imagined trying to explain its presence. Sluggish synapses fired at last. He abandoned his hold on the hotel room door in favor of the closet and pitched the shoe into the dark depths. “Coming!”
A muffled, “Oof,” registered with his befuddled brain seconds too late to backtrack and investigate. A twinge flared in his shoulder as he opened the hotel room door. His new daughter-in-law’s wide-eyed stare made him suddenly conscious of his state of half-dress. Ducking behind the heavy door, Greg forced a weak smile. “Oh. Hey. What’s up?”
“Aunt Jo?” Kaylin called, peering into the room.
“Hey, Dad.” Ben caught his wife’s arm, holding her back from storming the room. “Uncle Will thought maybe you’d seen Kaylin’s aunt.”
“Oh, uh…your aunt?”
“Jo.” Kaylin supplied. “My Aunt Josephine.”
“She left her purse in the ballroom and when the banquet manager checked, her coat was still at the coat room. Uncle Will said she was with you,” Ben explained. “Kay’s a little worried.”
“It’s not like Aunt Jo,” Kaylin explained in a rush. “I mean, she doesn’t do stuff like this. She doesn’t just take off without a word.”
Ben wrapped his arm around his new wife and kissed her hair. “Shh. We’ll find her.”
Guilt writhed in his gut, but the discomfort wasn’t nearly strong enough to get him to confess. At least, not to everything. “I, um…I think I danced with her, but… Uh, no.” He tugged at his ear lobe. The gesture would have been an easy tell for Ben’s mother, but luckily his son wasn’t as observant. “She’s not here.” He opened the door a bit wider to prove the validity of his claim. “Maybe she got a ride home with someone? A friend of the family?”
Even as he spoke the words, worry crept in. He hoped she had. It would be a long, cold walk even to the corner with only one shoe and no coat.
Kaylin’s eyes widened. “Mrs. Burton! I bet she got a ride home with Mrs. Burton. She lives down the street.” Bouncing on her toes, she switched gears as only twenty-something girls could, and took off toward the elevators. “I’ll text Mom and tell her to get Aunt Jo’s purse and stuff.” She turned as she jammed the button. “Meet me in the restaurant. We only have an hour.”
The elevator dinged and Ben blew out a breath. “I guess the mystery is solved. Sort of.” A hot flush prickled his skin, but Greg didn’t flinch as Ben eyed him narrowly. “You disappeared last night, too.”
He didn’t need
“I don’t have conquests,” he snapped, even though he knew Will knew damn good and well. Downshifting to a grumble, he ran his hand over his stubbly cheek. “And I already splashed water on my face.”
Will pulled an exaggerated grimace then wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Might want to try again.”
Bam-bam-bam. “Dad?”
Both men whirled toward the door, but only Greg reached for the wall to catch his balance. His gaze cut to Will who simply shrugged. “They asked if I’d seen her.”
Greg gritted his teeth. “You told them she was with me?”
“I told them the truth. Last time I saw her she was with you.”
Greg reached for the door, but Will jerked his head toward the bathroom.
“I’m going to duck in there. I don’t want Ben to know I warned you.”
With a roll of his eyes, Greg wrapped his fingers around the door handle. “You’re such a wuss.” The words couldn’t have been further from the truth in most cases, but from the moment Ben was born, he’d had his godfather wrapped around his finger.
Will merely chuckled and pointed to the shoe clasped in Greg’s hand. “Better ditch the stiletto before they think you’ve taken up cross-dressing.”
Soft chuckles bounced off the bathroom walls as the door snicked shut. Another far more insistent knock rattled the door. Greg stared at the sexy red shoe in his hand, his own wussiness quotient ramping up as he imagined trying to explain its presence. Sluggish synapses fired at last. He abandoned his hold on the hotel room door in favor of the closet and pitched the shoe into the dark depths. “Coming!”
A muffled, “Oof,” registered with his befuddled brain seconds too late to backtrack and investigate. A twinge flared in his shoulder as he opened the hotel room door. His new daughter-in-law’s wide-eyed stare made him suddenly conscious of his state of half-dress. Ducking behind the heavy door, Greg forced a weak smile. “Oh. Hey. What’s up?”
“Aunt Jo?” Kaylin called, peering into the room.
“Hey, Dad.” Ben caught his wife’s arm, holding her back from storming the room. “Uncle Will thought maybe you’d seen Kaylin’s aunt.”
“Oh, uh…your aunt?”
“Jo.” Kaylin supplied. “My Aunt Josephine.”
“She left her purse in the ballroom and when the banquet manager checked, her coat was still at the coat room. Uncle Will said she was with you,” Ben explained. “Kay’s a little worried.”
“It’s not like Aunt Jo,” Kaylin explained in a rush. “I mean, she doesn’t do stuff like this. She doesn’t just take off without a word.”
Ben wrapped his arm around his new wife and kissed her hair. “Shh. We’ll find her.”
Guilt writhed in his gut, but the discomfort wasn’t nearly strong enough to get him to confess. At least, not to everything. “I, um…I think I danced with her, but… Uh, no.” He tugged at his ear lobe. The gesture would have been an easy tell for Ben’s mother, but luckily his son wasn’t as observant. “She’s not here.” He opened the door a bit wider to prove the validity of his claim. “Maybe she got a ride home with someone? A friend of the family?”
Even as he spoke the words, worry crept in. He hoped she had. It would be a long, cold walk even to the corner with only one shoe and no coat.
Kaylin’s eyes widened. “Mrs. Burton! I bet she got a ride home with Mrs. Burton. She lives down the street.” Bouncing on her toes, she switched gears as only twenty-something girls could, and took off toward the elevators. “I’ll text Mom and tell her to get Aunt Jo’s purse and stuff.” She turned as she jammed the button. “Meet me in the restaurant. We only have an hour.”
The elevator dinged and Ben blew out a breath. “I guess the mystery is solved. Sort of.” A hot flush prickled his skin, but Greg didn’t flinch as Ben eyed him narrowly. “You disappeared last night, too.”
He didn’t need
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