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For a few minutes, they stood to one side of the crowd A quartet of violin, harp, cello and flute played on a stage at the far end of the roo melodies just audible above the conversations One of the errant servers paused beside thene

Bree took a glass, but Rylan shook his head “Water, please”

“I’m sorry,” Bree said, when the waiter went away to fulfill his request “Most people will spend the night here in The Chateau, so driving won’t be a problem”

“It’s not just driving I’, remember?”

“Oh” Her teeth caught her lower lip “Of course, you are”

He frowned She appeared to be upset, but he couldn’t understand why He had been hired to protect her If he could turn the clock back to the s? His gaze lingered on Bree’s profile That would mean he never would have h his heart had taken a beating froht a new perspective into his life

And let’s not forgetshe didn’t hurt me I hurt us

“Guys” Bree’s dad smiled as he approached their position at the side of the ballroo over there? Come and say hi”

Although Audrey greeted theht, she quickly returned to a nose-to-nose conversation with the director of her favorite non-profit organization The next fifteenwhich Rylan tried to keep track of the Colton family He already knew that he wouldn’t randfather Earl was not in the best of health, and dementia had slowly eroded his memories Bree had explained that he needed to spend ivers close by

They finally drew breath and stopped to talk to Russ Colton, as Earl’s oldest son, and the man who ran The Colton Empire Now in hisa little heavier around the middle His wife, Mara, was director of operations at The Chateau She was stylishly groole short dark blond hair out of place Rylan, as used to reading people, got the i at a woh she and her husband barely spoke to each other, there was clearly some tension between them

“Congratulations, Aunt Mara,” Bree said “Mo a baby”