The charity event had been on their calendar as their first public appearance posthoneymoon, and when she’d spied the alert, she’d groaned from dread, unsure of whether or not to attend. Then Rhys had texted and asked if she was still planning on going, and she’d refused to allow herself to hide away a moment longer.
And while she’d been tempted to ask Elias to join her as her plus-one, she hadn’t. Because ever since that day he’d shown up at her house with soup, he hadn’t responded to her. She’d sent a thank-you text, then a meme about the soup guy fromSeinfeld,then worked up the nerve to actually call, hoping to tell him how much she appreciated all he’d done and to make sure he hadn’t contracted her bug.
When she’d gotten up the next morning after his visit? Elias was gone but so had been the mess. The used tissues, the pizza boxes. All of it. He’dcleanedbefore he’d left so she wouldn’t have to. But he hadn’t taken her call, and he hadn’t returned her voicemail.
Nothing. She’d gottennothingin response—whichwasa response, she mused darkly. One that stated his feelings quite clearly. Still, she wanted to do something to help Elias with his dream, if only to thank him for all he’d done for her from being her getaway guy to the cabin to…soup.
“I have some good news for you,” Rhys said, drawing her back to the moment.
“I like good news.”
He leaned his forearms against the draped table, the light from the tiny encased candle flickering across his handsome face.
“I’m pulling your security detail. After tonight,” he added. “The last threat has been traced and investigated, and the person seems harmless. A keyboard warrior who got mouthy. And Axel tells me things at your house have quieted down as well.”
“It has. I’llforeverbe thankful to Oliver Beck announcing Marsali’s pregnancy,” she said, referring to the Hollywood actor who’d settled in Carolina Cove after marrying his best friend’s younger sister, best-selling author and professional matchmaker, Marsali Jones-Beck. The announcement had shifted the attention to them as some of the area’s unofficial royalty.
Rhys smiled and nodded. “It did take the pressure off.”
“Although I suppose we might be stirring the pot,” she murmured, indicating the looks they were receiving with a lift of her eyebrow.
The charity was a great networking opportunity and one she couldn’t pass up. She’d arrived alone—which would be noted—and would leave alone, also undoubtedly noted. Reinforcing the fact that she and Elias Blackwell were just friends. But talking to Rhys like this? Questionable. “But since you’re here, may I ask you something?”
“You know you can.”
Axel stood in a dark corner of the hotel ballroom, ever on guard and with his head on a swivel. “It’s awkward.”
“Ask the question, Quinley. The longer I stand here, the more we give them to gossip about.”
Wasn’t that the truth. She felt every eye in the ballroom on them, including her father’s. She’d spoken with her mother in the ladies’ room earlier, given her a hug, thanked her again for the furniture, and listened as her mother defended her father and made excuses for him and his behavior like the trauma-bonded woman she was. It broke Quinley’s heart. But until her mother came to her senses, there was little she could do. And if her mother never came to her senses, well, there was nothing she could do. She just had to accept her and love her as the broken woman she was. “It’s…reallyawkward.”
His gaze narrowed, but he didn’t speak, so she just decided to blurt it out and be done with it. “I want you give Cole and Gage the exclusive limo service contract for the Lachlan hotels in the area. You know they deserve it and will do everything in their power to provide the best service possible. It was pure chance that I jumped into their limo that day, and you can’t hold that against them. You’ve put off making the decision about the contract for weeks, and…it’s time.”
Rhys held her gaze, searching her face but for what she wasn’t sure.
“Dance with me,” he said abruptly, extending his hand.
“That’ll only make them gossip more.”
“Who cares at this point?”
Quinley stared up at him and shrugged before draining her glass. “Fine,” she said once she’d swallowed the chardonnay. “But no taking back removing the security detail. That’s a done deal.”
He chuckled at her tone and drew her to his side as he led her to the dance floor. Once they swayed to the music he said, “I awarded Cole and Gage the contract today. My PA let them know, and they should get the paperwork early next week.”
She blinked up at him. “You let me go on and on about it when you could’ve justsaidthat?”
“I like watching you defend the people you care about. What I’m wondering is why you felt it was so awkward.”
Yeah, that. She grimaced. “Actually it’s…not theonlything I wanted to ask you about.”
Something flickered in Rhys’s gaze, and Quinley prepared herself for a hard shutdown. “I’m looking for potential investors.”
He lifted an eyebrow high. “In your business?”
“No, not mine. It’s…a restaurant. I potentially have one high-profile investor lined up, but I’m looking for more since the idea is a bit unusual and will be costly. And no, I’m not askingyou. I’m asking if someone just came to mind that might be interested? It’s a great concept and has fantastic potential and appeal.”
“If it’s such a great idea, whyaren’tyou asking me?”
