Best Man with Benefits (Wedding Dare, #4, McCade Brothers, #3)(35)
He propped an elbow on the concierge desk and got comfortable. “As it happens, I went climbing today.”
“Hallelujah. Where?”
“Right here at Beaver Creek.”
“Did you and Colton do a climb for old times’ sake? What’s to climb around there? Sounds more like a hike to me.”
“They have a rock wall here at the resort.”
“Rock wall? I know you’ve been deskbound for a while, but that doesn’t seem like much of a challenge for the two of you.”
He considered his next words, and figured, what the hell. “I wasn’t with Colt. I took his little sister Sophie climbing.”
“Sophie…Sophie…I remember her. We met at your graduation. Adorable little thing. Goodness, she’s probably all grown up now.”
“Yes, she is. All grown up.”
“Amazing how that happens.”
“Yep.”
“A man with a reasonable amount of free time could give chase when something amazing crosses his path.”
“Don’t you have enough to keep you busy with one grandkid and another on the way?”
“Consider me the constant gardener. I expect all my seedlings to bear fruit. Besides, Trevor and Kylie had Max. The ultrasounds suggest Michael and Chloe are expecting Cameron rather than Kate. Boys are wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve already raised three of them. I want a girl! So forgive me for getting right down to it, but is Sophie amazing enough to convince you to make some changes and admit there’s a life beyond Defy Gravity?”
He dodged the question because he wasn’t ready to discuss the answer. “All of my friends and family invested in Defy Gravity. I can’t just ignore it and go chase after every new interest I have.”
“We’ve all seen plenty of return on our investment. Plus I have a really nice Defy Gravity parka to keep me warm when your father and I go to Big Bear. I’m happy. I’m proud. And I’m confident in your ability to find the right people to help you manage the business. You don’t owe anybody anything…except your mother, whom you owe a granddaughter.”
“I appreciate the confidence, but as for the rest, you’re getting way ahead of yourself. All I’m planning to do at the moment is attend a dance lesson.”
“You already know how to dance. I spent good money on lessons.”
His mom had coerced him into taking cotillion in exchange for rock-climbing lessons at the local Y when he was a kid. He’d bite his tongue off before he’d admit it, but the truth was those “stupid dance lessons” had come in handy over the years.
“Thanks for the lessons. Now it’s time for me to put them to use. Love you, Mom. Same to Dad. I’ve gotta—”
“If you really want to thank me, you’ll put them to good use and give me another daughter-in-law.”
“Good-bye, Mom.”
“Say hi to Sophie for me—”
He disconnected, stifling a smile. Maybe he would say hi from his mom, just to watch Sophie’s cheeks go pink at the idea of being a topic of conversation. Just as he reached for the banquet room door, it swung open and Colt stepped through.
“Hey. You’re bailing on the dance lessons and hitting the bar? Isn’t that bad form for the groom?”
“Har-har.” Colt shook his head. “I’ll be back. Kady had a bunch of notes for Julie and she left them in the room. I’m running up to get them for her. This may or may not include a quick stop at the minibar. I neither confirm nor deny.”
“Scotch.” Logan held up two fingers, and then slapped Colt on the shoulder. “Go fetch those notes, honey. Is Sophie already inside? I spoke to her earlier today and I told her I’d meet her in there.” He gestured toward the door.
Colt smiled and nodded. “She is. Thanks for staying on top of her. I owe you.”
Guilt dropped into the pit of his stomach like a cold, hard stone. If Colt knew how “on top” of Sophie he’d been, the only thing his best friend would owe him was an ass-kicking. “You don’t owe me anything. Honestly. Don’t give it another thought.”
“I know damn well if it wasn’t for you riding her ass, she would have skipped the party at Spago, and the scavenger hunt. Hell, Kady ran into Sophie at the shops this afternoon and heard you guys scaled the rock wall earlier today. You’ve done more than just make sure she participates—you’ve gone to the trouble of showing her a good time. I seriously appreciate it.” Colt grinned, stepped away, and pointed at Logan in a way that automatically made Logan think of a gun—and how proficient his friend was with one. “You’re the best, man,” Colt added as he turned and walked off in the direction of the elevators.
Logan ran a hand over his face, surprised to discover he wasn’t drenched in sweat. He was in some tricky shit here, and a smart man would proceed with extreme caution if he didn’t want to lose a friend, and the most amazing woman to cross his path in forever. And all his self-respect, while he was at it. Unfortunately, the warning didn’t stop his eyes from automatically scanning the ballroom for Sophie as soon as he opened the door.
He didn’t spot her. Guests were milling around chatting, a few couples were already dancing. He saw Brock across the ballroom, kicked back in a chair, looking like a guy who might have a flask tucked into a pocket. Valid secondary objective, he decided, and started toward the other groomsman.