Violet Richardson removed herself from striking distance of the bouquet and took her usual spot on the wall. That place—halfway between the kitchen and the entrance—provided a comfortable perch to oversee the lavish ballroom.
It also gave her eyes on anyone coming and going.
In the past, she’d believed it was a necessity to ensure any wedding she coordinated ran well. Not well, she mentally corrected herself. Perfectly.
But since the previous week, she’d accepted that having eyes on the ballroom would ensure the threat stalking her and her business partners wouldn’t spill over to their wedding clients.
The Kelley-Gardner nuptials had been a long project, full of all the things she loved about her job. A manic mother of the bride, a guest list that could fell a celebrity chef, and a bride and groom who practically glowed with their love for each other.
The wedding had also put Elegance and Lace firmly on the map as one of the city’s premier event providers.
She and her partners, Cassidy and Lilah, had worked tirelessly to make their business into one of Dallas’s best. Despite the recent rash of danger in their lives, she couldn’t hide her satisfaction at what they’d created.
“Lilah’s wheeling out the cake and all’s on schedule.” Gabriella Sanchez took a spot beside her, her unobtrusive black suit doing nothing to hide the saucy curves beneath. Gabby had started out as a caterer they partnered with on events and had quickly become a friend.
The clock that perpetually ticked in Violet’s mind counted off the required time to cross the ballroom to the cake and gave Lilah a few extra minutes to fuss. “She’s been working on this one for almost a week.”
“It’s a good thing she started early after—” Gabriella broke off, her soft brown eyes marred with the memories of the prior week. Lilah and her new fiancé, Reed, had faced off with the threat that had stalked their business, only to discover the name that went with the threat was Reed’s stepfather, Tripp Lange.
Shaking off the rush of anger and sadness at what her friend had experienced, Violet gripped Gabriella’s hand, desperate to hang on to something solid. “She and Reed found each other and Cassidy and Tucker did as well. It is a good thing.”
Gabby squeezed back before she offered up a small moue of disgust. “As beautiful as this place is, the catering needs a serious overhaul.”
Her friend’s dig had Violet refocusing on the event. The hotel was doing the formal catering, but they’d brought Gabby along as extra arms and legs. “Please don’t tell me you snuck into the kitchen.”
“It wasn’t sneaking.”
Violet ignored the delicate sniff and only pressed harder. “Gab—”
“My cousin’s best friend works here, and I wanted to say hi.”
Violet knew Gabby was a walking connection to half of Dallas, either as family or as friends of family. But none of it hid the fact that she wanted eyes on the kitchen. Her own catering business had been on the rise, but the competition between the local caterers and the large hotels had gotten fiercer in the last few years.
“They put a swimming pool of sauce on the beef entrées,” Gabby hissed. “You know as well as I do there’s only one reason a kitchen does that.”
“To hide the quality of the meat.”
“Exactly!”
“Who made you mad, Sexy Sanchez? I see that lovely Latin temper spiking.”
Violet’s back went as straight as the surface of Lilah’s fondant, as that dark, husky drawl interrupted Gabby’s moment of triumph. For a large man, Max Baldwin’s ability to materialize out of nowhere was unsettling.
And damned annoying.
“The kitchen’s subpar.” Violet’s voice was as prim as a nun’s habit, and she was oddly gratified at the corresponding spike of annoyance in Max’s vivid blue gaze.
“Like that’s a secret.” He pulled Gabby close in a side hug. “Besides, if we’re comparing other food to Gabby’s, the White House would lose out in a cooking contest.”
“Max!” Gabby hugged him back, her natural ease with people evident in the soft lines of her smile. “That’s so sweet.”
“He’s—”
Max interrupted her before Violet could finish the thought. “And I’m not buttering her up for a week of leftovers after she finishes tomorrow’s cooking.”
Violet snapped her lips closed as Max guessed her next jab. Over the past few months, Gabby had begun bringing any of her catering leftovers to the businesses around the Design District. She’d claimed it was a loss leader—she was only going to throw the food out anyway—and this gave the local businesses exposure to her work and more opportunities to keep her in mind.
As a business strategist, she was brilliant.
But it was her spirit of generosity that made Gabby truly stand out. Quite unexpectedly, the weekly food offering had begun to make their little neighborhood a community. A small, close-knit group of business owners who looked out for each other and depended on each other.
It had been humbling to realize how much that sense of family mattered.
“I wasn’t suggesting you were.” Violet cursed herself for the prim attitude—hell, why did she even feel the need to answer?—and avoided looking directly at Max.
“It doesn’t change the fact I want in on those leftovers. Especially if you have those little beef Wellington pastries.”
“I do, and you’re first on my list because of them.” Gabby giggled before she patted Max on the arm. “And since I just saw one of the servers attempt to put a few cookies back on a plate that fell on the floor, I’m going to go make a nuisance of myself.”
“Where?” Violet’s gaze swung in the same direction as Gabby’s. “I can do it.”
“Nah. I feel the need to whip up a fuss. It’ll make me feel better about the beef.”
Before Violet could insist, Gabby was off, her long strides through the ballroom drawing more than a few appreciative stares from the wedding’s guests.
“It’s a good event. You, Cassidy and Lilah have done an amazing job.” That husky voice slid over her like a warm bath.
“Thank you.”
“Since it’s running smoothly, maybe you can give me more than a cold shoulder.”
Violet held the sigh and shifted her stance so she could see Max yet still keep an eye on the ballroom. “I’m just doing my job.”
“Reed’s on watch over Lilah, and Cassidy and Tucker have the ballroom entrance. You can take a moment and talk to me.”
