Gwenyth concentrated on steadying her breathing. She looked around the ballroom for Candy to distract herself from the butterflies in her stomach. “There she is.” Gwenyth stood on tiptoe and waved across the ballroom to her best friend.
Candy waved back, then glided quickly toward them. She was all black braids, dark caramel skin, and slinky red dress. And she had Brian Goodman’s undivided attention.
“Sam Tremont! Is that you?”
Sam grinned at Candy as she came barreling toward him. He’d always liked Gwen’s best friend. She was a feisty little thing, and as good a friend to Gwen as any person could ever be. “Well Candy Crawford, look at you.” He released his hold on Gwenyth’s neck long enough to hug the romance author. “You grew up to be as purdy as I don’t know what.”
Candy kissed him on the cheek then turned to Harry and offered him the same greeting. “Congratulations,” she murmured before turning back to face Sam.
“What?” Sam teased in mock horror, placing a hand over his heart. “Do my eyes deceive me or are you actually not chewin’ gum?”
Gwenyth giggled. “I made her spit it out before we walked in.”
“Ahh, that explains it.”
Candy glowered at him, though her semi-smile made it impossible for him to take her stern look seriously. “Married any emaciated women lately?”
Sam threw his head back and laughed. Candy always could dish it out as quickly as it was given to her. “Nah. Not lately, sweetheart.”
Sam stopped a passing waiter and offered glasses of champagne to everyone assembled around him. Harry accepted it and thanked him, then took his leave, needing to use every available moment to mingle with potential contributors and voters. “So, Can, how does it feel to be a famous romance author?”
Candy frowned. “About as interesting as it feels to be a famous baseball player I would imagine.”
Sam snorted. “That bad, huh?”
Candy considered that for a drawn out moment. “No, I like it most of the time. But sometimes I want to spread my wings and try other things.”
Gwenyth chuckled, bemused. “Sometimes?” She shook her head, grinning widely. “That black eye Webster Carr gave me was due to one of Candy’s attempts at ‘spreading her wings.’”
Sam smiled halfheartedly, not caring overmuch to talk about a man he planned to tear apart one day in the not too far off future. Still, he could hardly be rude. “How so?”
Gwenyth’s dimples popped out as she grinned at her best friend. “Candy decided to try out journalism so she talked me into following her into the woods to snap the now infamous photos of Senator Green and the NAMers.”
Candy winced. “I still feel guilty about that.”
Sam needed to change the subject. He didn’t want to think about Webster Carr. He could already feel his blood pressure rising. He inclined his head toward Candy. “I take it you gave it up?”
“Yeah. I decided that I was born to write novels. For now,” she added with a wink and a grin.
“You’re a hell of a good romance writer, Can. That last book you had out a few months back…” Sam whistled through his teeth. “Steamy.”
Gwenyth smiled up at Sam. “The Spinster Virginwas one of my favorites too.”
Brian’s ears perked up. He turned to Candy, his eyes widening. “You’rethatCandy Crawford? You wroteThe Spinster Virgin?”
Candy noticed Brian standing there for the first time. Her jaw went slightly agape. Good lord the man was gorgeous! “Y-yes,” she stammered out. “One and the same.”
“I don’t read much,” he sheepishly admitted, “but after seeing the movie I bought the book.”
Sam shook his head, vexed with himself. “Where are my manners? Candy, please meet my friend Brian Goodman, starting pitcher for the New England Crusaders. Brian, this here is my Gwen’s best friend Candy Crawford.”
My Gwen?
Gwenyth hadn’t missed that little two-letter “my” Sam had used to describe her with. The butterflies grew worse.
Candy and Brian smiled into each other’s eyes and shook hands. The tension radiating between them was palpable. Candy was the first to break through the haze. She discreetly turned from him and cleared her throat. “A pleasure, Brian.”
“Likewise, Candy.”
