Ransom watched Ava flit from group to group, saying hello to anyone she’d missed during the pre-ceremony cocktail hour. The eye-popping burgundy gown she wore clung to every mouthwatering curve, the color complementing her dark-cherry hair.
He wanted to trail after her like a panting puppy. But of course that wouldn’t do with all the Mavericks and Harringtons looking on.
The rolling bar cart was out again, along with another offering of canapés, though nothing in excess. He wanted his guests to enjoy the meal without being overly full. A mistake many caterers made when preparing for a sit-down meal was to provide too many appetizers, which took away from the pleasure of the meal creations.
Clay Harrington waved him over. He’d never known the man to have a full-time girlfriend, and his dates never seemed to say much, but Clay’s choice for this event was certainly eye candy.
Sebastian Montgomery, who’d been speaking with Clay, stuck out his hand as soon as Ransom joined the small group. “We heard you’d stepped in at the last minute to take over the catering. Fantastic job, Ransom. Thanks so much for saving the family’s butt.”
That was Maverick thinking—that he’d saved the family unit. They were so close-knit that if you did a favor for one, you did it for them all. “It was my pleasure. Anything to help out a Maverick. And Gideon and Rosie deserve the best.” The couple were off now for the obligatory photos.
“Speaking of the best,” Charlie, Sebastian’s gorgeous redheaded fiancée, raised a champagne flute. “This champagne is the most delicious I’ve ever tasted.”
“Yeah,” Sebastian agreed. “It’s excellent. I was never a champagne fan until I tasted the good stuff.” And the man had plenty of opportunities to taste the very best.
Charlie said with a cheeky smile, “Talk about champagne problems. I used to drink champagne that wasn’t even from Champagne.”
Sebastian laughed, lifting her hand to his lips. “I’ll always give you the real thing.” Then he, too, raised his glass. “This is better than just about anything I’ve had.”
Ransom simply said, “I’m glad you like it.”
Gideon and Rosie had been on a budget, but when he saw the bubbly they’d chosen, he knew it wouldn’t cut it. He’d thought about Dom Perignon, but he’d come across a champagne on his last trip to France that he thought would be perfect, though he’d never tell Gideon or Rosie it was four hundred dollars a bottle. It just wasn’t in him to cut corners for this special wedding. He needed the libations to complement the flavors of the creations he’d designed.
“A perfect choice,” Sebastian said.
Ransom wondered if the man knew that it couldn’t possibly be within budget. Gideon was a good man, and he was going places, but he wasn’t yet at the level where he could afford the best of everything. Ransom was well aware that the Mavericks would never force their help on him, not wanting to one-up him on his special day with Rosie.
But Ransom could still provide the bride and groom with the best champagne without their even being aware of it.
Clay introduced his date, then added, “Charlie, I haven’t had a chance to say that your work is absolutely amazing.”
Charlie Ballard was a metal artist, having made the sculpture that adorned Sebastian’s headquarters up in the city.
“Thank you so much,” Charlie said, her face aglow.
“The chariot race you did for Sebastian is phenomenal.” Clay’s dark eyes had the glow of fervor. He wasn’t just flattering her. He meant every word. “And the dragon in Chinatown. The detail.” He waved his hands in the air as if he couldn’t find words to describe it. “It’s unbelievable.”
Charlie blushed. Clay wasn’t even overdoing it. Then he laughed. “I even enjoyed the Zanti Misfits you made for Dane.”
She smiled, her red-gold hair shining in the sun. “I didn’t actually make them for him. They’re just things I create to burn off energy while I’m thinking about a new project.”
Ransom had no idea what a Zanti Misfit was, and he supposed it didn’t matter since obviously both Clay and Sebastian did.
Sebastian, in what seemed to be a proprietary move, kissed Charlie soundly. “I first fell in love with Charlie when I saw her Zanti Misfits.”
Laughing, Charlie clung to his arm. “I thought it was my Tyrannosaurus Rex you fell in love with.”
Sebastian, his gaze full of adoration, said, “I simply fell in love with you.”
The look that passed between them made Ransom search for Ava, who was talking with Harper Franconi. The first time he’d seen Ava, she’d been laughing with his grandmother. And yes, that was the moment he’d fallen in love with her, when she was doing what she did best—making an elderly person smile, giving them the gifts of love and laughter.
As if that loving look hadn’t even registered, Clay said, “I’ve made a tour of the city to see all your pieces.”
Charlie gaped at him.
“I’ve got a property that needs a large piece of art out front,” Clay said, “so I’d like to commission something. I know you’re working with Dane on sculptures for his resorts, but I was hoping you could fit me in whenever you have a spare moment. Can I call you next week to discuss it?”
Charlie’s blush rose to her hairline, as if she still wasn’t used to her notoriety or to the fact that she was one of the most sought-after sculpture artists in the Bay Area, and fast becoming so in the entire United States.
“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “Please give me a call. Dane has given me plenty of latitude on the timing for the pieces he’s commissioned.”
Then Clay added, “I apologize for missing most of the family barbecues. I’ve had a hectic schedule these past few months, but I hope to be joining you more often now.”
Family barbecues. Interesting. Ransom should have known the Mavericks and Harringtons were hooking up. It was obvious now, since the wedding guests were mostly family, as well as some of the foster kids Gideon mentored.
Speaking of the man, Gideon joined their group, the photo session obviously over, with congratulations, manly hugs, and back slaps all around.
Charlie asked, “Where’s Rosie?” Then she beamed. “And the baby?”
Gideon smiled with love shining in his eyes. “She’s getting Isabella settled in the moms’ tent. My little girl,” he said proudly, “is ready for a nap after all the activity during the wedding.”
“She was so adorable wearing her mother’s veil.” They all shared Charlie’s smile over little Isabella’s antics.
“I’d really like to join her over there,” Charlie said, touching Sebastian’s arm. “Just to give Isabella, and all the babies, a kiss.”
“Of course.” The man nodded.
Turning to Clay, she said, “I’ll call you during the week.” And she dragged Sebastian off.
Grabbing Ransom’s shoulder, Gideon shook his hand heartily. “There aren’t any words for what you did for us. Even thank you isn’t enough.”
Ransom waved him off. “I keep telling you it was my pleasure. And no problem at all.”
Gideon snorted. “Yeah, right. You’re minimizing your effort, but thank you.” Then he turned to Clay. “I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you today. I thought you might help me with one of my foster kids.”
Though Ransom could have slipped away then, he was interested enough to stay and listen. Especially since he had a perfect view of Ava, in that drop-dead gorgeous dress, talking with Susan Spencer.
Clay asked, eyebrows raised, “How the hell can I help?” As if he had no idea what he could ever do for a kid.
“His name is Dylan, and I’ve been mentoring him for a few months.” With his chin, Gideon indicated a kid by the canapé tray, stuffing one appetizer after another into his mouth as if he’d never get a chance to eat again. He was somewhere around seventeen, and he pulled at the collar of his shirt as if the monkey suit were strangling him. His hair hung past his collar, and his angular, too-lean frame was apparent in the cut of a tux obviously rented at the last minute.
“He’s a graffiti artist,” Gideon explained, and Clay listened with interest. “He’s been caught tagging in illegal places. I keep bailing him out. But he won’t stop.”
“I don’t think he can stop,” Clay said. “With some people, the art is just in them, dying to get out.”
Gideon punched his shoulder lightly. “That’s exactly why I came to you. I’d like your help in mentoring him. We need to find other outlets for him so he doesn’t keep getting in trouble.”
Clay tipped his head thoughtfully, while next to him Ransom noted his date yawning, barely covering it with her hand.
“San Francisco’s Mission District is a well-known place for street art,” Clay said. “It’s not tagging. It’s not graffiti. It’s art,” he clarified, as though he appreciated the work. “You may be surprised to know that street art can be quite a lucrative business. It’s not graffiti tossed up anywhere. It can beautify a district. You should see some of the amazing street art in cities like New York and Paris and London. Even Reno has revamped MidTown with some incredible murals. Sometimes the work is only there for a few days or weeks until it’s painted over with new street art. But that’s the beauty of it—that it’s always changing.”
Gideon’s eyes gleamed. “This is exactly what I’m looking for.” He pointed a finger at Clay. “I just need help getting Dylan on the right track. Can we do it together, man?”
Clay was in his element, his blue Harrington eyes almost lit from within. “Why do you think I started my new media platform? It’s for kids like Dylan, for people who need to find direction and a safe place to practice their art. Hell yes, Gideon, I’ll help.”
As if he felt their scrutiny, the kid looked over at their small group. Whatever he saw on their faces seemed to terrify him, and he melted into the crowd around the bar cart, hiding himself.
These two men had their work cut out for them, Ransom was sure.
As Clay and Gideon talked logistics on their new mission, Ransom melted into the crowd much as Dylan had.
He’d never met such a big, wonderful family, complimenting each other, helping each other. Susan and Bob Spencer seemed to have more than enough love to go around. They’d created a close-knit group, and then they’d welcomed the Harringtons to join them.
He saw her now—Ava, beautiful and sexy in the formfitting dress, engrossed in a conversation with Cammie. Had she even looked his way since the vows had been said?
For as long as he’d known the Harringtons, they’d been a unit that had seemed damn near impenetrable. Ava had never told her family she was seeing him, even though she was practically living with him, since they spent every hour together when he was home.
But that was fifteen years ago, and how things had changed. Watching these two families merge made him think of his brother. While their relationship had definitely improved, Ransom realized he needed to see more of Adam. They’d bonded over their mother’s death, their mutual grief, and Ransom got out to Milwaukee as often as possible. But as he’d learned with Ava, as often as possible wasn’t often enough. He needed to make more of an effort.
He imagined taking Ava to meet the family. He imagined big family holiday dinners that he and Adam cooked together, with Ava by his side. The daydream made him ache for the kind of huge, loving family the Mavericks had. Family who were there for each other in all the best ways.
He didn’t want to be like his father, where everything was about work. And wasn’t that really what had broken up his relationship with Ava? Because he hadn’t put her or the relationship first? The truth was, he’d overworked like his dad, and he’d lost Ava because of it. He hadn’t seen it all back then, but he saw it clearly now.
He came out of the fog of his thoughts to find Matt Tremont stalking straight toward him, his wife’s hand in his. Matt jabbed a finger at his shoulder. “Hey, what’s up with catering a wedding? We were early investors in your company, but you never catered our weddings.” The twinkle in Matt’s eyes belied his mock anger.
Will Franconi, seeming to appear out of nowhere, joined in. “Yeah, buddy, what the hell is up with that?”
These Mavericks never missed an opportunity to razz a guy. Ransom didn’t knuckle under. “Why didn’t any of you ever ask me? Like I’m not good enough for you?”
Will shut his mouth.
But Ransom didn’t let them off the hook. “Then I had to jump in and save Gideon and Rosie’s wedding. Where were you two?”
The two men frowned, glum looks pulling down their faces. But Ari laughed. “Oh boy, Ransom has got you there.” She leaned in to kiss Ransom’s cheek. “You did a wonderful thing.”
“I helped.” He winked at Will and Matt. “But you all would have cooked the meal yourselves if you had to.”
“You’re damn right,” Will said, Matt nodding forceful agreement.
He would never tell them he’d done it because Ava had asked him. Truly, he would have done it for any of the Mavericks. But for Ava, he’d have walked through fire.
He couldn’t help looking for her. Where the hell was she now?
Rosie joined them then, the train of her beautiful wedding dress pinned up, giving the gown a bustle at the back. “I finally got Isabella down. She wanted to sleep with my veil. How she grabbed it at her age, I’ll never know.” Her eyes flashed, and they all laughed. “She should be fine for a few hours.”
“Penelope is sleeping like an angel,” Ari said of her daughter, only two weeks younger than Isabella, then she held up crossed fingers. “I hope she sleeps for a few.” Plucking a champagne flute off the tray of a passing waiter, she handed it to the bride, and they all raised their glasses. “To happily ever after. Rosie, you were always the sister of my heart, but now you’re my true sister. Family forever.”
Ransom felt the truth in those words. When the Mavericks loved, they loved big and wholeheartedly.
Rosie held up her glass. “This ranks right up there with one of the best days of my life.” Sipping rather than gulping, sadness suddenly clouded Rosie’s eyes. “The only thing that could have made it better was if Chi could be here.”
Ari echoed her sentiment. “Yeah. If only.” Then she explained, mostly for Ransom’s benefit, because everyone else probably knew, “She’s our best friend from foster care. We were the three musketeers.” Ari and Rosie bumped fists. “She’s nannying while she’s working on her degree, and right now she’s traveling with the family, taking care of the kids, so she really couldn’t come home, even for the wedding. They’re on an African safari, and it was impossible for her to get away.”
Rosie grabbed Ari’s hand. “Come on, bestie, let’s go make a video for Chi and send it off right now.” The two women dashed to get their phones.
“Well,” Matt drawled. “I guess we’re chopped liver next to making videos for the best friend.”
The three men laughed. Until Ransom’s attention was drawn away by a tap on his shoulder. Honorine had graciously agreed to help them out, especially after she’d met Ava.
He stepped away with her. “We’ve got a problem with the béarnaise,” she said in the softest of voices, as if she couldn’t bear for anyone to overhear this calamity. “There just isn’t time to redo it.” Then she groaned. “Désolée. I shouldn’t have trusted Bertrand with it. He still has a lot to learn. But there was so much to do.”
Ransom smiled, wanting to ease her frantic look. “I saw some packages of béarnaise sauce in Susan Spencer’s pantry. I’m sure she won’t mind if we use them.”
Honorine’s face turned red, and she gasped as if he’d suggested committing the foulest of crimes. “A packaged mix?”
“I’ve used it before. It tastes as good as the homemade stuff, and it’s a lot easier to make.” An arm around her shoulders, he turned Honorine in the direction of the kitchen and whispered in her ear, “No one will ever know. Chef’s secret. Sometimes store-bought is just as good as homemade.”
Honorine practically ran for the kitchen as if she couldn’t bear to listen to this blasphemy.
When he turned, Gideon and Rosie both stood before him. Obviously, the video was already winging its way to Africa.
Rosie raised her champagne flute to him. “Thank you so, so much for stepping in, Ransom.” She was a petite woman next to her new husband, with luscious curls of long dark hair falling over her shoulders. “I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
He smiled at her. “Like I said to Gideon, it was my pleasure.”
Peering through the champagne in her flute, her cocoa eyes grew troubled. “This champagne is the best I’ve ever tasted.” She licked her lips. “But I think it’s probably the whole budget.”
Gideon slung an arm over Ransom’s shoulders. “Honestly, I don’t think we can afford it.”
Ransom couldn’t let them go on. “This is what you need to know about chefs. We are among the most temperamental people in the world. I needed the perfect pairing for the food.” He smiled. “Unfortunately, the champagne you had on your list was not the perfect pairing. I had to change it.”
Gideon said softly, “But the budget.”
Ransom put a hand on each of their shoulders. “This champagne is my wedding gift to you. You don’t need to worry about the budget. I’m more than happy to do it, because really, it’s all about me.” He tapped a fist to his chest and grinned. “Now, off with you both to enjoy your guests.”
Rosie beckoned him to bend down, then she threw her arms around him, kissed his cheek, and whispered in watery words, “Thank you.”
Gideon gave him a hearty hand clasp.
And finally, when they were once again mingling, Ransom could look for Ava.