"Find Carter a girlfriend too," Harris ordered.
"Carter already has a fiancée," Nancy piped up.
"Get out! You do? Let me see a picture."
"She's here, actually," Nancy said.
"Here? I've never met one of your girlfriends, let alone the woman you're going to marry," Harris said. "Bring her in!"
9
Allie
"It's freezing out here," Kate said to Allie.
Kate was wearing some sort of asymmetrical designer coat. Allie was in her worn leather jacket, which was not warm enough for the November Connecticut chill. Gus, the corgi, was happily walking along a path. He didn't seem to mind the cold.
Margot took a few steps then sat down.
"She’s lazy," Allie explained. "After living on the streets, she finally has people to spoil her, and she just doesn’t want to do anything."
"I can’t figure you out," Kate said, giving her an odd look.
"I’m just a trashy marine hunter," Allie replied.
"A what?" Kate asked. "I don’t know the lingo."
"Oh, just women who know a bit too much about the Marine Corps and target officers to marry. They suck the money out of them then divorce them and move on to the next guy."
"And that’s you?" Kate asked, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
Allie resisted the urge to touch her own less nice eyebrows. "Yep, that’s me."
"Hm," said Kate.
"How can you walk in those heels?" Allie asked her.
"It's easy," Kate said. "I can walk for miles in these."
After a brisk circuit around the garden, they went back into the house.
"Is that her?" an old man boomed.
He looked similar to the rest of the Holbrook men. He was tall, blue-eyed, and had the same mischievous glint in his eye that she often saw in Carter's, Allie thought as the man walked over to them.
"Is this the beautiful Kate Holbrook? Harris Holbrook. So glad to finally meet you."
He hugged her, and Kate gave Grant a look over Harris's shoulder. Grant hurried over.
"This is my wife, yes."
"Good man," Harris said. "And who is this lady?"
"That's my fiancée," Carter said, holding up Allie's hand to show off the ring.
"Interesting choice. I bet she's banging in bed," Harris said with a laugh.
"Dad," Walter admonished.
