“I’m just glad everyone got a happy ending,” he said.
Katie sniggered. Bradley looked up from a book of specialty cocktails. “Huh?”
She primmed her lips and said innocently, “Nothing, love.”
“I’ve arranged for the tailor to come this evening around six,” Nate said. It had been a while since he had reason to make innuendos, and he was out of practice at subtlety. “He can make any alterations needed for your suit, Bradley. So everything will be ready for the big day.”
“Yeah,” Bradley said. He drew the word out in a way that, in Nate’s experience, never ended well for him. “I’ve been thinking about that.”
Oh, that was even worse than the drawn-outyeah. Even Katie looked worried—possibly reminded of her doubts about his willingness to be there.
“What about, babe?” she asked. “I mean, you haven’t changed your mind about the kilt?”
“Naw,” Bradley said. “Ma says it’d look stupid. Thing is, Nate, I hate ties, man. Can I just not wear one?”
Katie blinked a few times, a bit too quickly. She looked like she was trying very hard not to be horrified.
“I can say to Harvey to bring a few options,” Nate said. He made a note on his phone with quick swipes of his thumb. “We can see what a collarless shirt would look like with the suit… or possibly tiepins. You and Katie can decide then.”
They chatted briefly about the other plans for the wedding. Nate was about to excuse himself when there was a polite tap on the door.
“Come in,” Katie said.
The rest of the wedding party was expected to arrive that day and the next. So Nate expected to see one of Katie’s bridesmaids or Bradley’s lanky teammate or his best man. Instead Teddy Saint John strolled into the room.
“I just wanted to drop by and wish you both the best,” he said effusively. Bradley got a firm handshake with a kiss on the cheek, and Katie got a squeezed hand. “I’m so sorry about what happened last night.”
Katie blushed a delighted pink. “Oh, never mind that. Bradley’s fine, and it wouldn’t have happened if he got here on time anyhow. Although I wanted to ask Nate to pass on a message.” She shifted her attention to Nate, her eyes wide under her dark, manicured brows. “We would love it if Flynn could make it to the wedding. He’s so lovely, and if it weren’t for him, we might not even be getting married.”
Before Nate could say anything, Teddy patted Katie’s hand. “I’m afraid Mr. Delaney’s a very busy man,” he said. “So many dogs to rescue from the high tide.”
Katie’s expression didn’t exactly change, but her smile was more steely than sweet.
“But I’d like him there.”
“We all would,” Teddy said. “But there’s—”
Behind her back Bradley pulled a “better him than me” face at Nate. He might be underestimating Teddy. In Nate’s experience, the bride expected to get what she wanted for maybe twenty-four hours. Teddy Saint John had expected to get what he wanted for nearly seventy years.
“I’ll ask him, of course,” Nate interrupted. “Hopefully he’ll be able to make it.”
Sweetness flowed back over Katie’s face, and she promised to find a spare invitation and to cover the extra meal. Teddy looked grumpy about it, but graciously changed the subject.
“If you don’t mind,” he said smoothly, “I’m just going to steal Nate away for a bit. Have a wonderful day, and tell your father I’m up for a rematch anytime.”
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and Teddy led the way out of the suite. Nate followed on his heels, head down as he quickly checked his phone. He’d received a few emails while he was talking to Katie, but nothing alarming or immediate.
“Is something wrong?” he asked when the doors were closed behind them. They walked down the hall toward the stairs. Shadows sliced through the long rays of sunlight that glowed through the huge leaded-glass windows. “Did the production company call about the cake? Because I told them they need to bring in another chef if they don’t want a tantrum. It’s not Star’s—”
“No. That’s fine,” Teddy said. “It’s actually… well, I don’t want Flynn Delaney at an event in my hotel.”
The statement hung starkly in the air. Nate stopped and gawked at Teddy’s back, lost for what to say. He hadn’t expected the disapproval of Flynn to go beyond his private life. It certainly wasn’t something he expected from Teddy, who’d sat through a disastrous parade of Max’s flavors of the month.
By the time he got over the surprise, Teddy was halfway down the stairs, and he had a death grip on the handrail. His ankle must hurt. He snapped it coming off a horse last year, but he refused to take the service lift.
Nate bit his tongue and kept pace with Teddy down the stairs and out onto the long, narrow balcony that clung to the front of the hotel. Seagulls took off from the wall as Nate closed the glass doors behind him.
“Katie wants to invite Flynn,” he said. “It is her wedding, but I doubt he’ll want to come.”
