Page 27 of Moonlit Colorado

That was the truth. At least I could rely on Margot to speak it.

Kip had been raised as my brother, though by blood he was my cousin. We were only a few months apart in age. His mother, my mom’s sister, had passed when he was a baby, and his father had never been in the picture. My parents had never made a secret of any of it.

But from the time we’d been kids, Kip had a monster-sized chip on his shoulder. Especially when it came to my father. As if he had to prove he was more worthy of the Knightly name than me.

I recalled the memorable Easter egg hunt hosted by one of the exclusive clubs my parents were members of. Kip walked in on me in a storage closet with one of my senior high school classmates. A girl who also happened to be the daughter of the president of the club. Kip tattled on me, and Dad actually told him to mind his own business, while later pulling me aside to lecture me about my recklessness.

Which, okay. Fair.

But Kip didn’t seem to understand that this competition between us was one-sided. I wasn’t vying to take my father’s place at the head of Knightly Global. Kip could have it. I was there to do what my mom had always wanted. What she’dbeggedme to do, back when she was still sharp enough to debate philosophy with me and out-bluff any of us at the poker table.

I owed it to Mom to keep trying to be a part of this family, no matter how infuriating Kip and my father could be.

“A warning, though,” Margot added. “If you don’t have a plus-one, I believe there are plans to set you up with the maid of honor.”

The bride’s sister, Ainsley Harcourt. And also, coincidentally, the girl I’d been caught in the storage closet with at that long ago Easter egg hunt. Ainsley was great, but it wasn’t happening.

“Please tell me you snuffed that out.”

“I’m trying to plant seeds with your father’s staff to dissuade him. You know how it is. But I don’t think you need me to fight your battles anyway, soldier. You could make my life easier and pick a plus-one of your own.”

“Why do I need a plus-one at all?”

“That’s above my pay grade.”

I didn’t want to think about it right now. “I’d better go. I have dinner plans.”

“A date?” she asked hopefully.

“No, dinner with Ashford and his family.”

“Oh, that sounds lovely. Doesn’t he have a sister?”

“He has a sister.”

“A pretty one?”

I smiled into the phone. “Very pretty.”

“Is she free on the day of Kip’s wedding?”

I barked a laugh. While I would’ve been happy to bring Grace as my date, it was even less likely than Kip removing that stick. “She doesn’t care for me.”

“What did you do?”

“Me? You have no faith in me at all.”

“I have faith, Dane Knightly, but I’ve also known you a long time.”

I leaned back in my chair. “Then you know that these days, I’m very strategic and careful about what I do.” With one glaring exception, working for my father, but that wasn’t the issue. “I’ll get back to you on the plus-one.”

I was about to say goodbye, but then I remembered something else, and a fresh wave of guilt hit me. I’d almost forgotten.

“The birthday flowers—” I started.

“All set. I’ll drop by to deliver them myself next Friday.”

“Thank you, Margot.”

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