Chapter Five
Horatio
“Stop fidgeting.”
To my shock, Dade placed his hand on my jiggling knee.
I stilled.
“You’re going to be fine. We’re going to be fine.”
His words penetrated, but only did so much to soothe my rattled nerves.
As we sat in the back of a limousine, headed to the ritzy event, my mind circled.
What if he does something that gives us away?
What if I do something that gives us away?
What if Lucille Forbes ferrets out the truth?
This whole fake relationship was a bad idea.
“We should’ve just said we were dates, and not in a relationship. ”
He eyed me, slowly shaking his head. “That would make you look…flighty.”
“Flighty?” I snickered. “How do you figure?”
“That you’re just grabbing the first guy you can. I’d say, generally, an important night like tonight is not the place for a first date.”
He’s right. You know he’s right. “And we’re not going to tell people that you’re my future grandnephew.”
“Step-grandnephew. And no, that’s off the table. I know your nephew as an acquaintance through mutual friends at the university. That makes me sound smarter than I am.”
“What?” My stomach sank. “You’re smart, Dade. I don’t know what would make you think—”
“I can’t even hold down a job.”
“We’re saying you’re in the sales industry. Which is essentially true. You just happen to sell yourself.”
His unpleasant laugh hit me hard.
“Have you heard from Vigilante Justice?”
“Not yet. That’s not unusual. They’ll likely be auditioning more guys. Maybe bringing some around for more callbacks.”
“So they might contact you for more callbacks.”
He glanced out the car window.
February was a cold month in Vancouver, and although rain was the norm, tonight threatened snow.
Fortunately, we’d only be walking from the car to the building, so it didn’t make much difference to us one way or the other.
If the roads were bad in the morning, my staff had orders to work from home.
Most were hybrid anyway. A day or two in the office per week.
We’d found a good balance between productivity and the need to be in meetings together.
“I hope it snows.”
Dade’s words startled me. “Oh?”
“Yeah. I love walking in fresh snow. And there’s a deadening quality when the snow’s falling and there’s no traffic.”
Ah.
“I hate to tell you this, but traffic in downtown Vancouver never completely stops.”
He eyed me. “There must be side streets.”
“I suppose so.” Would you even know?
Dade’s eyes lit. “If there’s actual snow on the ground tomorrow, can we go walking through the neighborhood? Where it’s quiet? Please?”
Why he’d want to do anything with me was quite beyond my comprehension. Since I often skied, I had good winter equipment, including sturdy boots and a warm coat. “Okay, a walk in the snow it’ll be.” I glanced outside. “If it snows.” And why are you hoping it will?
Dade still hadn’t removed his hand from my knee. And I wasn’t going to point that out.
Within another moment, the limo glided up to the hotel where the charity event was taking place.
The door opened, and a young woman wearing a porter’s cap smiled. “Welcome.”
Dade, who sat closest, nearly bounced out of his seat. He stood and held out his hand for me.
Startled, I slid across to his side and allowed him to pull me out. He pressed a kiss to my cheek before tucking his arm under mine. We hadn’t worn outer coats since we planned to only be outside long enough to get in and out of the limo.
I liked how he felt tucked against me. He was just a few inches shorter than my own six one and we just…fit.
Don’t get used to it. This is just for one night. And yet my traitorous mind fast-forwarded through all the events on my social calendar for the next few months. The dinners, the golf games—all places where having a companion would help. “Do you play golf?”
Dade halted, then glanced up at me. “Huh?”
“Golf.” This seemed like a perfectly logical question to me.
He grinned. “No. But you can teach me.”
“Something tells me you’d be a fast learner.”
His eyes lit, the blue irises sparkling. “Oh, you bet.”
“Well, that would be helpful. My CFO, Bethany, can’t be beat. I need to up my game this year.”
“We’ll see what we can do about that.” He pressed another kiss to my cheek, then we entered the massive ballroom.
The dim light from the ceiling ensured I had to squint to find our table. I guided Dade, keeping a firm hand to his lower back.
Elation and dread washed over me as we arrived at our table. Dread because Lucille, the reporter, was already seated. Her platinum-blonde hair shimmered in the candlelight, and her assessing brown eyes spotted my protective hand at Dade’s back.
She arched an eyebrow.
I acknowledged her with a nod before glancing over at another couple whom I was delighted to see.
Smith and Alessandra MacLean were more my speed. Smith was a successful entrepreneur, with whom I’d had a number of dealings over the years. We were close in age as well as success levels. The blond man offered a warm smile and stood to offer his hand. His cerulean eyes also shone.
Alessandra was a little slower to rise. She flushed. “Sorry. I should be used to not being pregnant by now, but it still catches me off-guard that I don’t have a bowling ball where my stomach had been.”
Dade laughed. “I have an aunt who says the same thing after each pregnancy.”
For a moment, I held my breath.
“How many pregnancies?” Alessandra’s dark-brown eyes narrowed. Her black hair was in some kind of an updo that I hadn’t seen before.
Dade grinned. “She just had number six.”
Alessandra elbowed Smith in the gut. Judging by his reaction, she hadn’t pulled her punch.
He held up his hands. “I just suggested two was a nice, even number.”
“How soon after she gave birth?” Lucille didn’t rise, but she did nod to me. “Because after my first, I swore I wasn’t doing that again.”
Gordon laughed. “As I recall, my dear, you were the one who suggested we have another two.”
“Well, I’d forgotten.”
Alessandra held out her hand to Dade. “Everyone tells me I will as well. I’m not convinced. I’ve only been out twice since the Wesley’s birth. I don’t like being away from him.”
Smith pressed a kiss to his much-shorter wife’s temple. “My dear, Tara is upstairs with the baby right now.” He shook Dade’s hand, then offered me a shake as well. “We decided we’d make a weekend in the city. Our friend accompanied us.”
“Tarah Merrick? Sebastian’s wife?” I wracked my mind.
Alessandra grinned as she sat back down. “One and the same. Sebastian’s out of town on business, or they’d be attending tonight. We tried to talk Tarah into coming—even offering to hire a babysitter for the night—but she worried about odd numbers.”
Dade offered me a sheepish grin. “See, sweetheart, you didn’t need me after all.” He offered his hand to Gordon, who’d also risen. “Dade Simard.”
“Apologies for not introducing my…boyfriend.”
Smith caught my gaze and raised an eyebrow.
So many eyebrows raised tonight.
On the other hand, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d brought a date.
“So tell us, Dade, what do you do?” Lucille sipped her wine after asking what likely sounded like an innocuous question.
“Oh, good, you’re all here.”
Walter and Bethany arrived, and Walter’s comment was a welcome, if temporary, reprieve.
I cleared my throat. “Dade, this is my CFO, Bethany Maitland, and her amazing husband, Walter. He assisted in organizing this event.”
Dade shook Bethany’s hand first. “I understand you’re invaluable to Horatio’s work. I so appreciate that. I mean, he already works so hard. Can you imagine if he didn’t have competent people working with him? I’d never see him.”
Bethany’s jaw dropped.
Walter snagged Dade’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “I say the same thing. If Horatio wasn’t such a great boss, I worry Bethany might burn out.” He placed a protective arm to Bethany’s back. “Well, I always worry about that. But nights like tonight are meant to recharge us.”
I didn’t miss the look between Alessandra and Dade.
Clearly she wasn’t feeling the vibe tonight, and he was empathizing with her—if I was reading their expressions correctly.
Conveniently, his seat was next to hers.
Inconveniently, mine was next to Lucille’s.
I would’ve much preferred sitting next to Bethany, but I suspected Walter knew we’d find a way to talk business. We always did.
“Oh, I believe our MC is going to say a few words and then we’ll eat.” Walter patted his flat stomach. “I can’t wait.”
Bethany snickered, but sat when he held out her chair.
I held out Dade’s.
He caught my gaze, offered a huge smile, then sat.
“Such a gentleman.”
Lucille offered the comment as I sat next to her.
“Oh, I know. Not all my boyfriends were so considerate.” Dade snagged my hand, “I’m just so lucky that Horatio came into my life at the perfect time.”
“How so?”
“May I have your attention?” The soft voice carried through the loudspeaker.
Dade, who appeared about to answer, offered a sheepish smile, then pivoted to face the lovely woman who would be our MC for the evening. She chaired the foundation supporting the children’s hospital and worked closely with Walter on the project.
I caught Lucille’s gaze.
Oh shit.