Perhaps it was the triumph of it all. He’d seen two very different sides of this woman now. Gone from being chewed out by her during their first meeting and kissed by her in their next. And the sad truth was, Zander found himself wanting more.
A vision of her flawless face came to mind. The shock in her wide brown eyes as he lifted her veil. The relief evident as the pastor said Duke’s name, not his.
What were the chances?
Ms. Kat Morgan… Wait, it was Kat Benton now. A tiny flare of heat sparked low in his belly at the thought, until he reminded himself that she was Duke’s bride, not his.
The thought caused an old familiar sting. The sort that prodded at him each time Duke dated a girl Zander was interested in.
Jealousy.
After all, he wanted to get married one day too. Have a family. Start the life he intended to make for himself. Plus, Duke never chased brainiacs the way Zander did. Kat was way more his type than his twin’s.
“Duke,” came Grandma’s voice from behind.
The sound of his brother’s name made Zander straighten in a flash. Had Duke somehow made it after all? He spun around to see Grandma looking directly at him.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?”
His brow furrowed. “You were talking to me?”
She gave him a knowing look. “Of course. You’re Duke.”
He rolled his eyes. “Right.” That was, until Duke got there himself.
Grandma ushered Zander to a nearby corner. He glanced at the mingling guests before setting his gaze back on her.
“You did the right thing,” Grandma said. She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him in for a perfume-scented hug. “Her family is quite lovely. The bride is stunning too. I can’t help but think fate is at work in all of this.”
The comment spoke to a seed growing in Zander’s mind. It wasn’t every day a woman had that kind of effect on Zander. And then there was the fact that, despite getting hold of Duke in time for him to make it home, the weather had acted up. The one thing that, as James pointed out, money couldn’t control.
Zander pulled back a bit to meet Grandma’s gaze. “Fate, huh? You think so?”
That mischievous smile came to the woman’s lips, reminding him of the many times she’d snuck candy to him during Mom’s anti-sugar push. Or taken him and Duke to that movie Mom had said no to.
“The bride’s dress,” she said in a whisper. “She came into my boutique for that. I helped her myself. She was vague about her groom, which happens when the bride is marrying a high-profile man and they’d like to keep things quiet.”
She nodded as her blue eyes grew thoughtful. “Funny thing is, while I was helping pick out the gown, I found out she was a chemist. Straight away I thought, too bad we didn’t meet sooner. I could’ve set her up with one of my handsome grandsons.”
Zander lifted a brow. “Kat got her dress from your boutique?” he hissed. “And you wished you could have set her up with one of us?”
His heart thudded out a new rhythm.
“Well, I thought about you specifically since she seemed more your type, but it looks like I wasn’t too far from the mark. I just love watching fate take control, don’t you?”
Wait, did that mean Grandma thought Kat was destined for Duke—not him?
She’s his bride, you idiot. Why did he keep forgetting that? Probably because he was the one who’d stood in his place and said I do. Zander forced a nod and ran a hand over his face, willing his expression to shift.
“What’s the matter, dear?” Grandma asked.
A small voice perked up inside him. Tell her. Tell her you think Kat’s a better match for you. Tell her that she’d already been on your mind.
He licked his lips, sucked in a breath, and dared himself to say it.
“Duke,” hollered a voice from down the hall. Randall, Marsha’s uptight assistant, motioned him with the frantic wave of one sweat-glistening arm. “They’re ready for your video interview.”
Zander fought back an irritated eye roll. “Be right there.”
