“Hey, I told them you’d say no, but you know how Ma is when she wants something.”

“Yeah, I remember.” They had constantly been in trouble with Jax’s mom when they were little. “The woman has eyes on the back of her head. So you go to this thing, watch some rich morons spend their money to save whatever the cause of the month is, catch some fireworks, and then what? Are you staying for a while?”

Jax frowned. “I don’t know. My gut says to get out and back to New York while I can. Have you seen the guest list this week?”

This time, Graham was the one who snorted. “Since when did I ever pay attention to who’s up there?”

“It’s a lot of money. Too much money. And the timing? I know the fourth is big around here, but my gut tells me this isn’t all about some fireworks. But everyone I talk to seems closed lipped about it.”

A door swung open at the far side of the pool hall, catching Graham’s eye. As Zoey appeared from the bathroom, she smiled at him, a real smile that reached her eyes even from across the room. Yeah, he probably was screwed when it came to her.

Funny how it didn’t bother him half as much as it should.

“You have the dumbest-ass look on your face,” Jax teased. “That woman’s got you by the balls.”

Graham didn’t bother to deny it. “Remind me to tell you how hard she kicked me in them. I still pee too far to the left.”

When she sat back down, Jax turned his focus on her, eyes bright with curiosity. “So, Zoey. Since my buddy is totally smitten with you, I’d love to know more about you. The good stuff, not the bullshit stuff.”

He was a direct guy, Jax. Unfortunately, Jax had always had a thing for the shy, sweet type.

“He’s going to try to steal you from me,” Graham warned her. “He started with my favorite trading cards when we were kids, then spots on the school’s sports teams. Jax actively tried to seduce every girlfriend I’ve ever had.”

“And you’re still friends?” She raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Leaning forward on his elbows, Jax aimed a lazy smirk at her. “He didn’t tell you what he did to me.”

When Zoey leaned forward too, taking a long sip of her water, Graham groaned. He recognized that sparkle in her eyes.

“By all means,” she said. “Enlighten me.”

* * *

They’d lingered in Rick’s too long.

By the time Zoey realized what time it was, she had to rush Graham back to his truck so he could get back to work. Even though Zoey was worried about him arriving late to open for the dinner shift, Graham didn’t seem in any hurry, spending too long telling her goodbye in the parking lot. As goodbyes went, it was beyond satisfactory if far more discreet than their morning in the booth.

Zoey would take it.

Lana was deep in conversation with Hannah and Quinn when Zoey walked through the lobby, but she caught Zoey’s eye, holding up a finger to ask her to wait.

Finishing whatever they were speaking about, Lana hustled over. “Were you just out with Jackson Shaw?”

“Yeah, he’s a friend of Graham’s. Why?”

Lana pursed her lips, glanced at the man leaning on the front desk, talking to Grass, then flapped her hand. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll catch up with him later.”

“You’ve been very mysterious this entire trip. Are you ready to spill the beans?”

“Let’s get to the room, then we’ll talk.”

Patiently, Zoey waited to grill her friend until they had ridden the elevator to their floor and safely closed the hotel room door behind them. Bending over sideways, Lana pulled the four-inch stiletto pumps off her feet.

“Oh, I’ve wanted to burn these since I put them on this morning.”

“Then why did you wear them?”

“Power shoes, dearest. Men have power ties; women have power shoes. I had a lot of people to talk to today, and I needed all the power of persuasion available to me.” Tossing her purse on the counter, she rolled her shoulders, then twisted her neck to ease the strain. “In answer to your question, my mysteriousness is not drama so much as discretion. And if I tell you, mum’s the word.”

“I’m mum.” Zoey perched on the kitchenette counter next to Lana’s purse. “Swearsies realsies.”

“You Mudvillians say the weirdest things.”

“Mudgetonians.”

“Yes, that’s what I said. I’m working on a project for Moose Springs. An important project that will really help the town, but it needs to stay under wraps until it’s…well…not. There’s going to be enough red tape to jump through, and I’m still working on financing the project.”

Zoey leaned over, stretching so she didn’t have to abandon her seat while pouring herself a glass of water from the sink. “Lana Montgomery, are you actually worried about money?”

“Darling, I think you have far overestimated what I do and do not have access to. The Montgomery Group’s assets are not my personal piggy bank to break open anytime I want a new toy. Especially not when those toys are spectacular.” With a sigh, Lana dropped onto the couch. “I’ve finalized all the plans for tomorrow night’s gala, but I’m still nervous about it.” Turning hopeful eyes Zoey’s way, she perked up. “Have you decided if you’re coming with me?”

Zoey cringed. “I was kind of hoping you’d forgotten about that. Are you sure you want me there? I’m not going to fit in with your people. I never do. We have three disastrous New Year’s Eve parties under our belts to prove it.”

“They’re just people, and you’ve already met some of them. Besides, you can bring a date. Graham cleans up handsome, and he’ll love an excuse to get out of work early.”

“Lana, I can’t ask him to go to something like this. He’ll hate it.”

“But you’ll come?”

When Lana gazed up at Zoey, for once looking vulnerable and uncertain, Zoey felt her last resistance cave.

“It’s just for a couple hours?”

“Black tie, a couple hours, and it will be fabulous. Bring Graham; everyone else will have a date. Trust me, you’ll have an amazing time.”

The only thing Zoey trusted was how much Graham was going to hate this idea.

“He’ll say no.”

Finally, the stress in Lana’s eyes shifted to mirth. “Zoey, a boy like him risk messing things up with a woman like you? He wouldn’t dare. Now come on. We need to pick out a dress. I brought three for you, but if you don’t like them, we’ll take a quick jaunt to Anchorage.”

“You have all the answers, don’t you?” Zoey slid off the counter and followed Lana into the bedroom.

“Mm-hmm.”

Zoey flopped dramatically down on the bed, defeated. “And you’re sure I can’t prove my friendship to you in any other way? Maybe by donating a kidney to you?”

Lana just disappeared into her closet, humming cheerfully to herself. She came out holding three hangers, face triumphant. The dresses were floor length, haute couture, and probably cost more than Zoey’s car back home. “Rose, wine, or mint?”

Zoey cringed, knowing she wouldn’t feel safe taking a drink of water in any of them. “Whatever I’m least likely to ruin.”

“Mint it is. Oh, dearest. Graham’s going to just adore you in green.”

Chapter 13

“I can’t believe we agreed to this.”

Graham adjusted his tie in the hotel’s oversized hallway mirror. “I didn’t agree to anything. You were the one who wanted to recreate Titanic, darlin’. Nice dress, by the way.”

Grinning up at him, Zoey exhaled a laugh. “You know they all drown in the end, right?”

“Not me. I’m with you on the door.” He leaned in, whispering in her ear. “Never let go, Zo.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” she promised.

Determined to use her car as much as humanly possible, Zoey had offered to pick him up after work when Graham shoved his dinner guests out at a paltry 8:00 p.m. He’d been tempted, but knowing he was about to spend an evening with the resort’s finest left Graham twitchy and in need of an escape route. After closing, he drove to the resort in his truck instead.

The Tourist Trap’s dinner crowd was more passive than usual, and whatever event Lana had planned up at the resort had thinned their ranks. Even though consistency was the key to any business’s success, Graham knew he could get away with it. For every tourist he ticked off today, a fresh one would take their place next week. Frankly, it didn’t matter.

Being Zoey’s date to some gala did matter, so Graham pulled his best—and only—suit out of the closet, dusted it off, and had it hanging in the back ready for after his shift. Reassured by Zoey’s promise to help him clean up tomorrow morning before opening, a quick change of his clothes in the bathroom was all Graham needed before zipping up to Moose Springs Resort.

The dress she’d slipped into was more than enough to have him willing to follow her into any crowd, including this one. As they stood down the hall from the resort’s banquet room, Zoey hesitated, fiddling with her hair and checking her makeup in the reflection of the mirror next to them.

“You look great,” he promised. “Come on. This is going to be fun.”

“You think so?”

“No, but we’re supporting L. And she’s fun. It’s close enough.”

“What time do you need to get back home for Jake?”

“He’s staying with Aunt Ash and Uncle Easton tonight. He likes them better, and I couldn’t get the adjustments made to his tux in time. Who knew dog tailoring would be such a nightmare?”

She was so nervous, her voice shook. “Are you sure you don’t want to go spend the night with him instead? We could have a gala for three.”

Graham didn’t want to be there, not for a single second, but one look at Zoey in her soft green dress, pale and trembly from nerves, and he knew he was right where he belonged. Resting a hand at the small of her back, Graham shifted closer to her side, letting her feel his presence beside her. Reminding her she wasn’t alone.