CHAPTER TWENTY
Kiara could hardly believe that she was in New York City. It was the biggest city she’d ever been to, but she’d quickly discovered that she wasn’t a big-city girl. She much preferred the open spaces of the estate, or even the smaller places like Briar Hollow or Serenity Point.
But she was there now, preparing to attend the fundraising gala for Burke Pharmaceuticals, so she’d just have to make the best of it.
Once the hair and makeup people left, Kiara took a few minutes to gather herself together. It had been a bit of a whirlwind since arriving in New York the previous afternoon. Earlier that morning, she’d had a fitting for her dress, and thankfully, it hadn’t needed any alterations.
Elizabeth had had the dress made for her by the same team that had made the dresses for both Angie’s and Annie’s wedding. It was beautiful. More beautiful than any dress she’d ever worn. And that included her wedding dress.
The dress was made of chiffon and lace in a deep shade of burgundy.
It had a sweetheart neckline and an empire waist to accommodate her bump.
The most stunning part of the dress was the chiffon cape that flowed from her shoulders, which were covered in lace.
Her arms were bare, but the cape offered a bit of coverage.
The dress was very comfortable. More comfortable than she would have expected a formal dress to be. The shoes, on the other hand, didn’t look like they were going to be comfortable at all.
As she looked in the mirror, Kiara marveled at how beautifully the hairstylist had styled her hair. She’d made the most of Kiara’s natural curls in the updo she’d created. And the woman who had done her makeup had done a great job of enhancing without overpowering her features.
Kiara hadn’t worn makeup much in her life, so she was glad someone had come in to do it. If she thought she could replicate what the woman had done, she might try to wear makeup more frequently.
“Anthony just texted to see if you were ready to go,” Lucy said as she came into the bedroom where Kiara had been getting ready.
“Yes. I think so,” she said, sitting down on one of the chairs in order to put her heels on without falling over.
She had thought she’d stay at Julian’s apartment when she came, but she’d ended up in a suite at the same hotel where the fundraising gala was being held.
Lucy had the other room in her suite, while Julian and Anthony had their own suite.
Cole, Annie, Duncan, and Elizabeth were also staying at the hotel.
Benji, Angie, and Jude had stayed behind at the estate, and for a moment, Kiara wished that she had too. This event was way out of her comfort zone, but she’d allowed the seed of hope in her heart to propel her to accept Julian’s invitation.
She carefully got to her feet and took a few steps in the shoes to make sure she was okay. She’d tried them on earlier and had been able to walk in them, but with the dress on now, she wanted to make sure she didn’t trip on the hem.
“You look beautiful,” Lucy said.
“Thank you.” Kiara looked over at her bodyguard. “Is that the uniform for the security people?”
“Yep.” Lucy glanced down at the black pantsuit she wore. “And honestly, I’m happy to be wearing this instead of that.”
Kiara laughed. “You are probably more comfortable, but I think I should be able to deal with this for a few hours. I doubt I’ll be closing down the event.”
They left her room and went into the living room area of the suite to wait for Julian and Anthony. The baby kicked her as she sat down in one of the armchairs, and she gently rubbed the spot. His kicks had become much more pronounced as she entered her third trimester.
So far, Julian hadn’t asked to feel the kicks, but Angie and Annie had both gotten excited the first time they’d each felt the baby kick.
When there was a light rap at the door, Lucy went to open it. Julian walked in first, followed by Anthony, who was dressed similarly to Lucy.
Julian looked like he’d just stepped off the cover of a luxury menswear catalog.
His charcoal gray tuxedo was impeccably well-fitted.
The jacket was open, revealing the vest he wore beneath it.
His shirt was stark white, and his bowtie was dark gray.
The only color in his outfit was the crisp pocket square peeking from the breast pocket, which was the same shade as her dress.
His black shoes were shined to a high gloss, and his hair was styled precisely.
Julian looked perfectly at ease in the formalwear, like he wore it every day, not just for special occasions.
When he spotted her, he gave her a small smile. “You look nice.”
Nice. An ache pulsed in her heart momentarily. She supposed it was too much to hope that he thought she looked beautiful.
However, rather than let him see her hurt, she smiled back and said, “Thank you. You look very dashing yourself.”
“Thanks.” He smoothed a hand down his vest. “We should probably get going so I don’t get any more texts from Duncan asking where we are.”
Kiara got to her feet, then picked up the small clutch she’d been given to match her dress. She hadn’t been sure what to put in it, so all it held was her phone, her room key, and some tissues.
Lucy led the way out of the suite, followed by Kiara and Julian, and Anthony brought up the rear. As they headed down the hallway, Julian’s phone chimed, and he pulled it out of his pocket.
"Duncan,” he murmured, then tapped out a message as they headed for the elevator. “I hope he’s hassling Cole and Annie as much.”
They were the only ones in the elevator, and it rapidly descended with no stops.
As the doors slid open, Julian returned his phone to the pocket inside his suit coat, then offered her his arm.
After a brief hesitation, Kiara slid her hand around his elbow, glad that she’d gotten her nails done before she’d left Serenity.
The four of them made their way down a long hallway before coming to large doors leading into the ballroom where the dinner was taking place.
Inside, the ballroom was overwhelming by every measure.
The soaring ceilings had lengths of gauzy fabric draped throughout the room in shades of autumn to reflect the changing season.
The floor to ceiling windows gave a stunning view of the New York skyline since the ballroom was on the thirty-fourth floor.
Her suite was on the fiftieth, and it too had amazing views of the city.
The decor was a mix of orange, yellow, brown, burgundy, and gold. So much gold. Even the silverware on the tables was gold. There were floral centerpieces that contained flowers that were unknown to Kiara. Everywhere, there were sparkles and warm lights.
Kiara was well and truly out of her league, and it took all of her strength to stay relaxed when all she wanted to do was clutch Julian’s arm more tightly so he wouldn’t leave her side.
Unfortunately, Julian was carrying a tension of his own. He seemed distracted, and they’d barely spoken at all since she arrived. It was another thing that had her questioning if she should have come.
“Hello, you two,” Elizabeth said as she and Duncan approached them, a vision of elegance.
The dress she wore was a deep emerald green and looked stunning with her coloring. Duncan was at her side wearing a black tuxedo with a pocket square that matched his wife’s dress.
“You look beautiful, Kiara,” Duncan said with a warm smile.
“That color looks stunning on you,” Elizabeth added. “Just gorgeous.”
“Thank you.” Their words were a balm to the ache of Julian’s less than enthusiastic reaction to her appearance. “You both look very lovely.”
Cole and Annie entered the ballroom, and as she caught a glimpse of them, Kiara was reminded of the first time she’d seen Annie. It had been the picture that had changed everything for her and Angie.
And just like there had been photographers present at that event, there were some there that evening, already snapping shots of them.
Compliments were passed around, then Elizabeth and Duncan led the way to the table where they’d be sitting. Along the way, they greeted people, some of whom Kiara recognized from having seen them on television. Some were movie stars. Others were singers. All of them left her a little starstruck.
She worked hard to keep her expression calm, hiding the nerves that were steadily increasing. Hopefully, Julian couldn’t feel her trembling. She didn’t want him to think she was scared… even though she was.
“David and Celeste, I’d like to introduce you to my daughter-in-law, Kiara,” Duncan said to an elegantly dressed couple who were around his age.
The woman was dripping with jewels, but her smile was warm as she turned to Kiara. “Oh, my dear, it’s lovely to meet you.”
Her handshake was firm, and Kiara got the feeling that this was a woman who was confident in her role in life.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Kiara said.
The woman’s gaze dipped to the bump that could no longer be hidden, even if she’d wanted to. “And I see it’s double congratulations for you and darling Julian.”
“She and Julian are expecting our first grandchild,” Elizabeth said with a beaming smile. “And we are so excited.”
“Grandchildren are a blessing,” David said. “All we have to do is love them, while their parents have to make the tough decisions.”
“And get up with them through the night,” Celeste added with a light laugh.
“Also with us tonight is Cole Halverson,” Duncan said as he motioned for Annie and Cole to step forward. “And this is Annie, his wife.”
They’d decided not to reveal who Annie was just yet, but Duncan had also wanted to include them in the evening, given that Cole was one of the donors and a spokesperson for the Burke Foundation.
Kiara breathed a sigh of relief as the attention moved off her. When Julian turned to say something to Anthony, Kiara moved her hand from his arm. She gripped her clutch with both hands as she looked around the room.