He handed the kid the keys and hurried around to escort Lauren and Lucy inside. As they stopped to remove their winter coats, he tried to pretend he’d done this before, but the glitz and glamour were as foreign to him as the sandy and deadly desert of Afghanistan would have been to Lauren.
The environment was slightly better, but Grady didn’t doubt that there were many wolves dressed in fine clothing pretending to be upstanding citizens in the crowd.
The party was in full swing by the time they entered the grand ballroom. It was a little like being with royalty as the moment Lauren stepped into the room several people rushed forward, gushing with enthusiasm.
“Oh, Lauren, you look stunning as always. And you brought Lucy too!” The woman who’d gotten there first eyed him with a mixture of admiration and suspicion. “And you have a guest!”
“Good to see you again, Patrice. This is my fiancé, Grady McFarland. Grady, Patrice Miller is the vice president of St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital.”
“You’re engaged!” Despite her role as a hospital vice president, Patrice squealed with joy. “That’s marvelous news! Where did you meet?”
“We share friends in common, Suzanne and Eli White,” Grady said, remembering Lauren mentioning them.
“Well congratulations! I know a few of the male attendees will be devastated to hear you’re taken.” Patrice eyed him with glee. “I’m so pleased to meet you, Mr. McFarland.”
“Likewise.” Grady forced a smile and tried not to tug at his tie that suddenly felt too tight. If he were a drinking man, he’d belly up to the bar. But he wasn’t, so he did his best to stay alert as they made their way through the crowd.
A waiter walked by with a tray of champagne flutes. He shook his head, noticing Lauren did the same.
“What do you usually drink at these shindigs?” he asked in a low voice.
“Ginger ale.” She smiled up at him. “You hate this, don’t you?”
“Nah, I’ve been in worse places.” He hadn’t realized his feelings were telegraphed on his face. “I’ll get us some ginger ale. Excuse me.” He patted her hand, then slipped through the throng of people, many who stared at him with blatant curiosity.
No doubt news of his and Lauren’s engagement had already zipped like a live wire through the crowd, and these rich people were wondering how he’d snagged the prettiest girl in the room.
If this were a real engagement, they’d have every right to wonder. He tugged at his tie, then smiled at the bartender as he requested three glasses of ginger ale, assuming Lucy would want one as well.
Carrying the three glasses together pressed together, he made his way over to a table where Lucy and Lauren were waiting. Lucy was seated at the table and glanced up at him as he set the soft drink in front of her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He handed a second glass to Lauren. “I take it we’re sitting here?”
“Yes, this is the head table. Patrice and her husband, Aaron, will be here too.” She sipped her soft drink, then set it beside her daughter. “Lucy, why don’t you wait here? I need to say hi to a few more people before we sit down to eat.”
“Bor-ring.” Lucy sighed theatrically, then lifted her glass to drink down all her ginger ale in one long gulp. “Fine. I’ll wait here.”
“Thank you.” Lauren slipped her arm around his waist. “And thank you, too, for going along with the charade.”
“Hey, I’m getting a kick out of the way some of these guys are staring at me with faces that literally glow green with envy.” He winked and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Lead on, my love.”
Lauren stumbled a bit but then regained her footing. He was about to ask if she was okay, when she said, “As soon as we finish eating dinner, we can head home. There’s no reason to stay for the dancing.”
Personally, he’d have loved to stay for the dancing, but he understood she wanted to make her presence known before getting Lucy home at a reasonable hour. “Whatever you want to do is fine with me. What sort of meal can we expect anyway? Rubbery chicken?”
She laughed. “How did you know? Have you been to charity dinners before? They’re always serving some variation of a baked chicken dish. Just once I wish they’d throw in a salmon or some other entrée.”
He didn’t answer, his gaze narrowing on a man with sleekly combed blond hair striding purposefully toward them. The guy’s gaze seemed to be boring into Lauren’s.
“Oh no,” Lauren whispered, her arm around his waist tightening. “I guess Ethan has heard the news.”
Grady understood this guy must have been one of her dogged admirers. He stopped, pulled her around so she was fully in his arms, then leaned in to capture her mouth with his.
Lauren surprised him by leaning into his embrace, returning his kiss with enough heat to send the entire ballroom up in flames. He’d intended this to be a simple warning to Ethan, whoever he was, but instantly, everything around them faded into oblivion.
In that moment, Grady knew he was dangerously close to falling in love with Lauren Chandler. A disaster of epic proportions, as they were complete opposites in every way. He couldn’t imagine living in a penthouse apartment in the middle of the city, and Lauren wouldn’t be comfortable in anything less.
And there was Lucy to consider too.
