Chapter Twelve
“Thanks for being my date tonight, Dad, and I apologize for it being last-minute.”
Matt glanced at his daughter as they entered the ballroom at The MacArthur for the black-tie charity event hosted by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
She had called yesterday at lunch to tell him she had read the statement he had released and thought it was right on point, and to ask if he would accompany her here tonight.
She had thought about going alone but then changed her mind.
“No problem,” he said, smiling at her. “This gives me something to do other than watch reruns of Perry Mason. You look beautiful tonight.” She was dressed in a beautiful gown of shimmering black, an outfit he knew—like all her other formal attire—had been designed by his godmother. A Megan Saxon original.
“Thanks, and you look rather dashing yourself.”
He chuckled. “Thanks. It’s a good thing I have several tuxes in my closet that I can use on short notice.”
Deena had been more talkative than usual during the drive here.
She had told him over and over how much fun she’d had at the gender reveal party.
Like a few other young people, she hadn’t left the day after the party but had remained three additional days.
She told him how the group rode out every morning, and then during the day observed Zane, Derringer and Jason working with the horses.
She’d also mentioned that upon returning to work, Alisdare had gone back to being an undercover agent.
Matt glanced around the extravagant-looking ballroom. The historic MacArthur was known for its elegant architecture, something he figured an art enthusiast like Iris would appreciate. He leaned toward Deena to ask, “Is that Charm Outlaw Emanuel headed this way?”
Deena smiled at him. “Yes. Dylan and his band are performing tonight.”
He nodded, figuring that was one of the reasons she’d probably wanted to attend.
Over the past two years, she had made friends with several women in the Westmoreland family.
He knew she’d even struck up a friendship with actress Shauna Barnes while at the gender reveal party, and since returning to LA, the two had met for lunch a couple of times.
“Hello, Mr. Caulder and Deena,” a smiling Charm said, giving them both hugs. “I’m glad you made it.”
“I’m glad we made it as well,” Deena said, happily, hooking her arm with her dad’s. “I’m lucky Dad agreed to be my date tonight. What time will Dylan and the band come on?”
Charm checked her watch. “In about an hour.” She then glanced at Matt. “I read your statement released in yesterday’s newspaper, Mr. Caulder. I’m glad you mentioned what’s happening to those horses. Dylan and I made a donation to the Sid Roberts Foundation’s Save the Horses.”
“Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. We appreciate doing our part to help. I’m sure very few people knew that in some states, legislation has been passed for wild horses to be slaughtered for pet food. We have a farm in Idaho, and we love all our horses, tamed and wild.”
Matt appreciated that she felt that way.
He had gotten a call from Clint that morning, letting him know that the Save the Horses had received over a million dollars in donations within the past twenty-four hours.
They appreciated him using the platform to acknowledge he was Sid Roberts’s son, as well as to state how important saving wild horses had been to his father.
Clint’s words had made Matt feel good, and he wanted to do more to continue to assist his father’s work, which the triplets, who had established the foundation years ago, were already doing.
A few others joined them now. Some Matt knew and others he did not.
Not surprisingly, Deena seemed to know just about everybody.
It seemed everyone in the group had read his statement in some media outlet yesterday.
He was congratulated on his discovery that he was Sid Roberts’s son.
A number of them said that while growing up, Sid had been their hero on the rodeo circuit and appreciated that he now remained their hero for another reason.
Namely, Sid’s mission to save as many wild horses as he could before he’d died.
Matt grabbed a drink off the tray of a passing waiter. For a minute, he felt he was being watched, but then he took a sip of his drink and returned his attention to the conversation going on in the group.
* * *
Iris glanced around the beautifully decorated ballroom, appreciating its elegant decor. She admired the wooden beam ceilings and the wrought iron chandeliers. She loved every time that she came here.
A group of photographers had asked Shauna for photos, and Iris had stood aside as Shauna happily obliged. As Iris glanced around the ballroom while waiting for Shauna to finish up with the photographers, her breath caught when she spotted Matt.
He hadn’t mentioned he would be here tonight. Granted, she didn’t need to be privy to his social calendar, but they had talked on Thursday when he had approved her PR statement. Did he bring a date? What business was it of hers if he had?
Dang! Did he have to look so darn handsome in his double-breasted tux, white shirt and black bow tie?
He had just grabbed a drink from a passing waiter’s tray, and the movement showcased broad shoulders beneath his tuxedo jacket, perfect abs, a firm back and smooth trousers that covered taut thighs.
Then there was that hard chest she remembered so well from the night he had held her in his arms and kissed her in a way she hadn’t been kissed before.
That same hard chest she had plastered herself against. Since that night, she’d wondered how that chest would feel bare.
Would his skin feel hot to her touch? How would it feel if she used her tongue to trace over it?
She blinked, knowing she needed to pull herself together. Now was not the time or the night for her hormones to remind her how long it had been since she’d enjoyed sex with a man. By her calculations, way too long. Over a year.
Iris’s ears suddenly perked up upon hearing the conversation behind her, and she recognized the voices.
Candy Sumlar, the lingerie-model-turned-actress, was conversing with Ruby Osteen, the woman who was both Candy’s PR manager and agent.
Ruby was known to be too aggressive for some people’s taste, and often used underhanded tactics to garner attention for her clients.
Ruby was telling Candy that to get the acting roles she wanted, she needed to get back in the headlines with a new publicity stunt.
Iris recalled a few years ago that Candy’s name had been linked to movie director Brandon Birmingham after he and his actress wife, Carmen Aikens, had gotten divorced.
Rumor had it that Candy’d had her eyes on Brandon Birmingham for years, and before the ink could dry on his divorce papers, she had gone after him with a vengeance.
Carmen and Brandon Birmingham worked things out, remarried and now had two adorable kids—a three-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter. Whenever Iris saw Matthew and Carmen together with their little ones, they appeared to be happy as ever.
Unfortunately, things hadn’t gone so well for Candy since then. Younger actresses like Shauna were taking the acting roles she once coveted, and she was fighting hard to stay relevant.
“What about Matthew Caulder?” Ruby suggested to Candy.
“I honestly don’t want to become involved with another man named Matthew.”
“This one would serve to your advantage,” Ruby replied.
“Who is he?” Candy asked.
“He’s the man who recently discovered his biological father is Sid Roberts. It was in yesterday’s headlines, and he’s here tonight.”
Iris’s ears perked up even more when she heard Matt’s name.
“Interesting. What else can you tell me about him, Ruby?”
“I understand he’s a prominent attorney. Something else of importance is that he’s best friend to Dominic Saxon.”
“Dominic Saxon? The wealthy industrialist?”
“Yes.”
“I heard Saxon has more money than he knows what to do with,” Candy said.
“True. And just so you know, Candy, I also heard that Brandon Birmingham wants to make a movie about Caulder’s father’s life. If that’s true, then Caulder will be news. If you play your cards right, he might persuade Birmingham to give you a part in that movie.”
“A Brandon Birmingham movie? That won’t happen, no matter how well I play my cards. Matthew’s wife wouldn’t allow it,” Candy was saying. “She dislikes me.”
“You are the one who dislikes Carmen Aikens Birmingham because, although you tried, you could not get her husband into your bed. It was only supposed to be a publicity stunt that Birmingham’s manager and I agreed to.
You wanted to make it more than that, but failed to do so.
Accept that Carmen never saw you as a threat.
Brandon Birmingham didn’t want you. He loves his wife. It’s been over five years, Candy.”
“Stop rubbing it in, Ruby.”
“Then stop acting like a besotted fool. You need to get over Birmingham and give Matt Caulder your time and attention. He is making news, and I suggest you make news right along with him as the woman on his arm and in his bed,” Ruby said. “I understand he’s not exclusive with anyone.”
“Okay, that sounds promising,” Candy said. “Point him out to me.”
Iris figured Ruby was doing just that when she heard Candy’s low whistle. “Damn, he’s hot. I can’t wait to take that tux off him. I think I’ll mosey over and introduce myself,” Candy said. “Looks like you might be leaving here by yourself tonight, Ruby, since I intend to go home with him.”
“Not so fast,” Ruby warned. “First, I want to make sure he didn’t bring a date.
It could prove embarrassing for you if he did and you made a play for him.
That wouldn’t be a good look. If he didn’t bring a date, we need the photographers in place and ready to snap pictures of the two of you cozying up.
So, chill for now, and I’ll let you know when to move in. ”