Hannah’s cheeks pinkened. “That would be great, though I’ve become more of a waddler these days.”
He flashed another charming smile. “No rush. We can go at your pace.”
Hannah’s cheeks stayed rosy and her eyes brightened. Ever since her boyfriend had ghosted on her, Hannah had been a mess. Evangeline wasn’t surprised she jumped at the attention Joey was heaping on her.
A woman sporting a camera appeared beside Charlene. “Can I get a few pics of everyone with Charlene? It’s for theWashingtonian.”
Hell, no.“No, thanks.” As Evangeline stepped back, she bumped into Joey.
“I’m gonna grab a drink.” Joey vanished into the crowd as Birdie turned back toward them.
Grinning, Birdie threw his arms around Evangeline and Hannah. “Fire away.”
The woman snapped several pictures before taking a few more of Charlene chatting with guests.
Dammit. Evangeline didn’t want any publicity and she certainly did not want to be photographed with a high-ranking employee at the FBI, even if he was her former stepdad. Someone might accuse her of calling in a favor. As Deputy Director of Domestic Communications, Birdie Caraway wielded a lot of power.
“All right you two, have fun,” Birdie said before moving on to mingle.
“Joey’s nice,” Hannah said. “And so handsome, don’t you think?”
“He’s a real peach,” Evangeline replied, the bite in her tone not lost on her sister.
“What happened to innocentbeforeproven guilty?”
“Everyone’s guilty of something.”
Hannah just shook her head. “Did you see that buffet table? I’m going to graze. Come with me.”
Evangeline nodded. “Lead the way.”
AT HALF PAST FIVE, Evangeline sauntered into the five-star luxury hotel in northwest D.C., and beelined to the bar. The black-tie wedding of the decade didn’t start until seven, so she had time for a quick drink.
“Hey.” She slid onto the plush leather barstool and shot her date a smile. “What did I miss?”
“Hey, darlin’.” Tucker Henninger, Colton Mitus’ older cousin and CEO of Henninger Security, raised his glass. “I was waiting for you before I tossed back my first drink of the night.”
“But not your last.”
They laughed.
A year ago, Evangeline had worked for Tucker as a part-time instructor before relocating north. Upon returning, she contacted him and he offered her the same gig. She loved teaching street-smart self-defense to women.
Talking with Tucker came easily. He was a stand-up guy and a good friend, but that was it. She’d never been attracted to blonds.
Eyeing the glass on the bar in front of her, Evangeline asked, “What am I drinking?”
“Belvedere vodka, darlin’. I didn’t think you drank anything else.”
They toasted and sipped. “So, why aren’t you in the wedding party?” She set her tumbler on the napkin.
“Colton asked me, but he’s got five men standing up there and I’m more of a sit-in-the-back- row kinda guy. Only, I can’t even do that tonight. He’s got me in the front row.”
“Why?”
“Cuz I’m special.” With a snort, he puffed out his chest. “Something about being family. You know what that means, don’t ya?”
“Nope.”
