Page 65 of Hidden Nature

She spent an hour after dinner doing just that. Not through official channels, but you could find out a lot through other means.

What she found out had her fretting more, then waiting downstairs while her parents watched TV in their bedroom until she saw the headlights.

At eleven-twenty-three.

She stepped outside into the rush of night air, and called her sister.

“Sloan? What’re you doing? Is something wrong?”

“You tell me. Come in here.”

She’d done some fancy fishtail braid with her hair, Sloan noted. And wore heels—high ones—with a short, snug black dress.

“What are you thinking?” Sloan demanded.

“What are you thinking?” When she stepped inside, Drea loosened the scarf around her neck. “You didn’t actually wait up for me?”

Because the amusement in her sister’s voice burned, Sloan ignored it. “You went out with someone you don’t even know.”

“Sloan, here’s a little clue. The point of dating is to get to know someone.”

“Did you know he’s a lawyer? What’s a New York lawyer doing in Heron’s Rest hammering nails?”

“Starting a business with his brother.” The amusement vanished like smoke. “You didnotrun a background check on Theo.”

“Not an official one. I can google some stranger who’s after my sister.”

“You know, I only had one glass of wine with dinner since I was driving. I’m about to have another.”

She clipped her way back to the kitchen to pour one. “I had a really good time,” she added as Sloan came after her, more slowly. “A nice dinner with an interesting, attractive man. So what?”

“Did you know they’re loaded? I mean seriously loaded?”

“He didn’t mention it, but I gleaned, since he was wearing Hugo Boss, knew his wines, got his law degree from Columbia, and grew up in a swanky area of Connecticut.

“Want some?” Drea held up the wine bottle.

“No. Listen—”

“No, you listen first. You’re working yourself up over me going todinner with someone you can’t pin down. I’m torn between being really pissed off and amused. I’m going to take the middle ground there. I like him. I liked talking with him. I liked finding out he’s a crazy fan of the Marvel Universe. You know how I feel about Captain America.”

“You were going to marry him.”

“Since, regretfully, that’s not going to happen, I enjoyed spending a few hours with a very attractive man. And?” She jabbed out a finger. “That’s attractive on more than the physical, where he gets tops marks. I understand his tight bond with his brother, admire his work ethic and their mutual ambitions for their business.”

“His brother’s some Wall Street honcho.”

“Not anymore.”

“They’re like fourth-generation rich. No, wealthy.Wealthy’s a step up fromrich. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“This is what they want. He didn’t spend the whole time talking about himself, which is a major point in his favor. But I got enough. Family pressure’s my opinion. He didn’t talk about his parents much, but when he did it was ‘he,’ ‘she,’ ‘they.’ Not ‘my mom,’ ‘my dad.’”

“They’re divorced.”

“I gleaned that, too. I didn’t push there because it’s clearly a sore spot. He loves it here.”

“He’s barely unpacked.”

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