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One of the men approached. “Maddox, you’re looking well.”
“Thank you, Jared. This is my girlfriend, Georgia Reynolds.”
The suit guy nodded. “Nice to meet you. I’ll escort you both to the banquet room.”
They were obviously monitoring who came in and out of the lobby. As we followed him down the hallway, I glanced over to see another man in a suit following behind us.
Sheesh. This was serious business.
“This only happens when there is a big event. You’ve been to this hotel before with me, and security wasn’t necessary.” Maddox kept his voice low, as if he were concerned that this was too much for me.
“I’m not freaked out by this. Jared seems very nice.” I shrugged, and the large man leading us to the party chuckled.
“It’s her first family event,” Maddox said, his hand tightening around mine.
“Welcome to the family.” Jared paused in front of a door and held out his hand for us to step inside.
Maddox leaned down close to my ear. “You ready for this?”
“Of course. Stop worrying. So far, so good, Bossman.”
He kissed my forehead and pulled the door open. My jaw dropped, and the extravagance of the room nearly stole my breath. There were multiple crystal chandeliers overhead, a live band playing jazz music, and there were tables with white linens and chairs around each one. This wasn’t a large party. It was intimate, yet there was definitely something very formal about it. Starting with the way we entered the event to the fact that there were several security guards standing in the corners of the room here, as well.
“About damn time,” Wyle said as he glared at his brother before smiling at me. “You look beautiful, Georgia.”
“Thank you. You look very handsome in your tails.”
The woman beside him cleared her throat, waiting for an introduction. She wore a body-hugging long, red dress with cutouts that left very little to the imagination. But she pulled it off, and gravity was definitely on her side. She had some giant knockers, and they looked like they were standing tall and proud without any support from the gown.
“Sorry. This is Brandy. Brandy, you remember my brother, Maddox. And this is his girlfriend, Georgia Reynolds.”
“Oh, my. You’re a lucky woman to land one of the Lancaster boys, huh?” Before I could respond, she whipped around, her back knocking me in the chest, and she held her phone above her head and took a photo of us. “Should I tag you?”
“Um. Sure?” I shook my head, startled by her greeting.
“What’s your username?” she asked as she quickly typed into her phone.
“It’s just Georgia Reynolds.” I glanced up to see Maddox shooting his brother a look, and he didn’t hide his annoyance.
“We’re going to go get a drink,” Maddox said, tugging me away from Brandy, and Wyle frowned, clearly not wanting us to leave him alone with her.
“There he is. You sure look sharp tonight, son.” A man who was the same height as Maddox, but built more like Wyle, stood in front of us and shook my boyfriend’s hand. He had dark, familiar eyes, the same as his son’s. His hair was dark, with gray mixed in, and it worked for him. But I couldn’t imagine my father shaking our hands. The whole exchange was very formal and cold. It wasn’t hard to see that they weren’t close. They behaved more like acquaintances. There was a beautiful woman beside him who looked to be about my age, maybe a few years older, and I assumed she that must be his new wife.
“Congratulations, Dad. This is Georgia Reynolds. Georgia, this is my father, Davis Reynolds, and his wife, Claire.” I’d heard all the details about her being his best friend’s daughter and a childhood friend of Maddox and Wyle’s. I knew that this was uncomfortable for them to wrap their heads around. Especially with all the anger around the way he’d treated their mother toward the end of her life.
“Georgia, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My father sang your praises. He tells me you’ve got quite an eye in the publishing world and have brought on a few new authors at Lancaster Press.” He shook my hand, as well. “You’ve obviously been busy, seeing as you started as his personal assistant, and now, you’re here as his date. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it, Maddox?”
His words startled me because he was smiling and laughing, yet he’d just insulted me. Maddox’s entire body stiffened beside me, and I could feel the anger radiating from his shoulders.
“Davis, that’s not funny.” His wife gave me an apologetic look. “Hey there, I’m Claire. His better half, obviously.” She had a genuine smile and gave me and Maddox each a hug.
“I’m sorry if that came off harsh. I meant no offense. It’s the Lancaster sense of humor.” Davis patted me on the shoulder, and Maddox’s gaze moved from me to his father.
“It’s not. It’s justyoursense of humor, which is interesting, seeing as you’re celebrating your nuptials to your best friend’s daughter, who is half your age.”
I squeezed his hand and smiled. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m a lucky girl, no question. You have an amazing son, and I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees it. Congratulations to you both. I’m so happy to be here to celebrate your special day.”
“Thank you, Georgia. It means a lot to us that you’re both here. I know it’s a bit strange for you, Maddox, and I am sorry about that.” She looked from me to the brooding man beside me, and his shoulders relaxed a bit.
