Chapter 25
Three Months Later
The ballroom glittered under the large crystal chandeliers that hung from the hotel’s ceiling. Guests dressed in black-tie and formal gowns strolled around the tables, stopping to chat with familiar people. The band had been on break but started to tune up again.
Kristy felt a sense of satisfaction as she surveyed the scene. The fundraiser she had planned for her father was going according to plan. No major hiccups. No Dean the Weasel either. Out of a rare sense of decency, he had declined the invitation despite being her father’s new chief of staff.
She checked out the head table, where her father presided, sitting next to the governor. Like minions greeting their leader, a reception line had formed as people streamed over to the table to pay their respects. And sitting on the other side of her father was her mother, making small talk as people strode past.
She didn’t know what was going on with her mother and father, but they were on much better terms than they had ever been, even when married. And her father seemed much more attentive to her mother, interested in her comfort, how her day had gone, how her business was going. No one knew what the future would bring, but for now, Kristy was happy to see her parents happy.
She felt a hand at the small of her back and turned.
“Well, you did it. Your dad has to be pleased.” Rusty looked handsome in his tux, if a bit out of context.
“I won’t know until it’s over, and maybe not even then.” Her dad wasn’t the compliment-giving type. “But I’m pleased.”
He kissed her lightly on the forehead. “That’s all that matters.”
She brushed a hand down his chest. “Everything okay at the base? They aren’t mad you took off?”
“All I had to say was that the new Wyoming attorney general had requested my presence, and suddenly they had someone to cover maneuvers tonight.”
Attorney general . The idea that her dad was now attorney general for the state took some getting used to. Likely the governor had appointed her father to the position to keep her father from running against him, or maybe it truly was fortuitous that the former attorney general had just happened to accept a job as general counsel with one of the energy companies.
After Marcia’s health scare, Marcia had offered Kristy a bigger stake so Marcia could cut back her hours and stress. Kristy was now responsible for the profit and loss of all of Wyoming, with staff in both Cheyenne and Gillette. Kristy had moved back to Cheyenne to run the operation from there. Ariel had stayed behind in Gillette and, with Greta’s help, who had announced she was retiring from modeling, was running the Gillette office. Marcia headed up the business but would be focused on Colorado.
Per the agreement she had signed, the profits would be based on their ownership percentage. Gratefully, An Affair to Remember was a lucrative event planning business, even more so with the expansion into the northeast part of the state.
And because of that, she had finally gained legitimacy in her father’s eyes, though she’d always been “legitimate” in her own eyes. She had reminded her father more than once that he had a hat to eat, since Marcia had more than fulfilled her part of the bargain. He’d yet to do so, but it was fun to tease him about it.
“I’m so happy things are going so well,” Including his work with the counselor. Those nightmares were less and less frequent. “And the job has been fulfilling enough for you.” Kristy had been concerned when Rusty had pulled his application for the police force. It had seemed like an impulsive decision at the time, even if she was gratified that the decision had been made because Rusty wanted her in his life.
“See, I didn’t need you to rescue me.” He chuckled. “And I’m happy you got to keep a job you find fulfilling.” He kissed her lightly on the cheek to punctuate his statement.
But that would not do. She turned toward him, wrapped her hands around his neck. “Amazing how it’s working out.”
He smiled, that broad Rusty grin she loved so well. “Now it’s time to start planning another big event.”
Her heart beat quickened. “It is?”
“I’m not one for big romantic moments, so I’m just going to say it here, now, where you look like a queen in that satiny red dress that hugs every beautiful morsel of your body.”
“Okay.” She stared into his eyes, praying that the twinkle she saw there meant what she hoped it meant.
“Kristy Winslow, I want you to plan our wedding. Will you?”
Such a silly question.
She rose on tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. His mouth opened, demanding her to enter. Her tongue swept inside. He tasted like beer and man. She clung to him, feeling his heat, his longing, his desire. This was the only answer he should need.
The band had chosen that moment to launch into “Lady in Red,” reminding her where they were.
She broke the kiss and leaned back, looking him straight in his sparkling blue eyes. “With pleasure, Charles Russell.”
With that, her mother appeared at her elbow. “What are you two lovebirds up to?”
Kristy smiled. “Let’s just say we’ve found our destinations.”
The End