He’d admit to feeling a little smug about being the Reeves family’s sole remaining bachelor. He turned his back on the rose garden, the marble fountain and Lake Washington and imitated his brother’s pose. “Jealous?” he asked.
Tyler’s gaze strayed through the open doors to where Jenna, his wife of three months, chatted with the other bridesmaids. There was a thread of incredulous laughter in his voice. “Not hardly.”
Derek took a swig of his ice water. He had to admit that Jenna was great. So was Erin, Striker’s new bride. But they were still wives. They had needs, demands and agendas. Derek was planning to be his own man for a long time to come.
Tyler nodded at the water. “You the designated driver or something?”
Derek shook his head. “I’m expecting a call from Tokyo.”
“You brought your cell phone to your brother’s wedding?”
“I turned it off during the ceremony.”
“We have got to get you a life.”
“By life, I’m assuming you mean a ball and chain of my own? Misery may love company, little brother, but I don’t think so.”
Tyler raised his glass of Scotch in a mock toast. “Come on in, the water’s fine.”
The wind picked up off the lake, bringing with it the scent of roses, as Derek slid his brother a skeptical gaze. “Uh-huh.”
“I’m serious.”
“I’m perfectly happy on my own.”
“How do you know?”
Derek frowned. “What kind of a question is that?”
“When’s the last time you had a steady girlfriend?”
“Define steady.”
“Longer than eight hours.”
The frown turned to another grin. It had been a while. Which meant Derek’s life was ticking along exactly the way he liked it. “Few months. Maybe a year.”
“We need to find you a nice girl to bring home to Mom.”
Derek let out a chopped laugh at the sappy expression on Tyler’s face. “There’s nothing worse than a reformed bachelor.”
“Hey, I’m being serious here.”
“So am I. If I want a woman, I’ll find a woman. No offense, bro, but I don’t need your help on the romance front.”
Tyler snorted. “Romance? I think they’re called one-night stands.”
“And your point is…”
“My point is, you’re hanging out with the wrong kind of women.”
“Well, the right kind of woman sure isn’t going to hang out with me.”
Derek had been in Europe three times this month. He had to be in Japan on the fifth. And if he didn’t figure out a way to salvage that electronics deal they’d just lost to Hammond Electronics, he’d be drumming up wireless business in rural Brazil. He somehow suspected most nice girls would insist he spend at least half his life on the North American continent.
“You never know,” said Tyler, making a show of sizing Derek up. “They might be able to get past your looks.”
“Nice try, pretty boy.”
Tyler laughed.
“The rest of you shareholders should be grateful I’ve stayed single.”
“Why?”
“The minute I have a little woman at home, the bottom line’s going to suffer.”
Tyler clicked his teeth, shook his head and gave Derek a pitying look.
“Don’t get sarcastic with me,” said Derek. “Women dilute a man’s focus. They want him to cater to their little whims, bring home presents, talk about their feelings.”
“Not all women are like that. Jenna’s not like that.”
“Yeah? When’s the last time you two spent an evening apart?”
Tyler glanced toward the ballroom again.
“A week?” asked Derek. “A month? Anytime since the wedding?”
“It’s not because I can’t—”
“Right,” Derek drawled, knowing he’d easily won the round. Time to move the conversation along. “So while you were busy cuddling and whispering sweet nothings, did Jenna happen to say anything about the Lighthouse renovations?”
The Lighthouse Restaurant was a showpiece on the top floor of the family-owned Quayside Hotel. It was being renovated by Jenna and Candice Hammond’s company, Canna Interiors.
“She says you and Candice have been fighting again,” said Tyler.
“How could I fight with Candice? I’ve been in London for the past three days.”
“Candice obviously didn’t notice you were gone. She kept right on fighting.”
“Only way she can win,” Derek muttered.
“You do realize that you two are driving Jenna nuts.”
“So get Jenna to talk to Candice.” It wasn’t Derek’s fault that Candice was impossible.
“Candice says you’re micromanaging.”
Like hell. “I’m making sure Candice Hammond doesn’t blow three and a half million of my dollars.”
“They’re a reputable company.”
“She’s out for revenge.”
“Why?”
“Because you and I lied to them.”
“Jenna and I are happily married. Candice isn’t mad anymore.”
“She may not be mad at you, but she’s still plotting against me.”
“You’re paranoid.”
Derek took another swallow of his water. Paranoia was a highly underrated quality in a corporate executive. It had saved Derek’s ass more than once. “Just because I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean she’s not out to get me.”
“GET IT, CANDICE!” cried Jenna as Erin tossed the bridal bouquet over her head toward the middle of the Quayside ballroom.
Candice cringed when she realized it was coming in her direction. She faded to the back of the pack, vowing to thank Jenna later for calling even more attention to her single, relationship-less, dateless status. Cream-colored roses
