“It’s amazing,” James says.
“Thank you.”
Annika sips champagne and has a slight wrinkle to her nose as she glances around. “There is a lot of white. With red dirt, I don’t know, seems hard to keep clean.”
And like that I’m done over here. “Okay, well feel free to look around. The dinner will be starting soon.”
I turn to walk away and slam into a broad chest. “Hey.”
“Hello.” I tilt my chin, grinning at Ryder. We’ve been tugged and pulled in different directions all night. To be back in his arms, even for a second, is a delight.
A throat clears. I glance over my shoulder. James looks irritated, as if he doesn’t like discovering I have a man in my life. Not sure why. After I left Haven, it’s not like we kept in touch. But Annika is looking at Ryder like he’s a slice of steak.
“Annika Thompson,” she says holding out her hand like a regency lady looking to get her hand kissed by the duke. “This place isbeautiful.”
But what about all the white, Annika?
Ryder already looks uncomfortable by the assertive step she takes in his direction.
“It’s all Ava’s doing,” he says, scooting closer to me.
Annika doesn’t like the answer, but it’s all she’s going to get. I have plans to sit too close to be decent at the table with this man, and that plan is long overdue.
“Excuse us, guys,” I say, taking Ryder’s hand and urging him toward another room. “We need to double check on something upstairs.”
I hurry us away and burst out in a laugh once we’re around the corner.
“Why do those two look familiar?” Ryder asks, bemused.
“They work for Carina Haven.”
Ryder grimaces. “Right. I remember now.”
I rise on my toes and kiss the side of his neck. “You were a delicious excuse to leave, though. Thank you.”
He wraps his arms around me and holds me close. “Always.”
“How is it going for you?” Ryder’s jaw flinches. I touch his cheek. “Hey, is everything good?”
He blinks his gaze to me. “It was fine, a little busy, until the security let me know Mitch showed up. He wanted to get in.”
My stomach sinks. “He’s starting to stalk you, Ryd.”
He shakes his head. “I think it’s dumber than that. I mentioned the whole destination Christmas thing to my dad, and he told me Mitch is a pretty heavy gambler. I really think it’s as simple as he’s racked up some debts and is feeling a little desperate.”
I roll my eyes. “Well, he needs to work on his money habits and stop being such a creep.”
Ryder chuckles and takes my hand. “It’s fine. Let’s forget him and go eat, so I can put my hand too high on your leg again under the table.”
I swat his arm, laughing, but secretly hope he does exactly that.
The banquet is better than I pictured it would be. I imagined a stuffy, boring dinner with fancy plates and silverware in all different sizes. There are fancy plates, but a lot more laughter.
We’re stuffed around a large, round table with my parents and Ryder’s. Drake is seated between Dallas and Skye. Parker balances Ever on his knee while he laughs with Tate, who came as an investor, and Wren. Griffin is a mother hen to Dax and keeps asking if he needs help cutting his food.
I think Dax is going to stab him with the butter knife. Across the table is Ryder’s head coach with his wife and oldest daughter, who has stolen more than one look back to our side.
There is a short speech from Dallas and a few of the Burton Field board members. The crusty man who seemed less than enthusiastic about the project goes on about the wonder of the new youth field house.
