The second he was out of earshot, Cordie said, “Oh, wow.”

Regan smiled. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Oh, wow. You didn’t tell me he was so…”

“So what?”

“So… everything. There’s this raw, sexy appeal about him…”

“Really?”

“You haven’t noticed?”

Regan laughed. “Of course I noticed.”

Like Cordie, she was watching Alec as he walked over to the guards and spoke to them. Whatever he was saying was making the men nervous. They both began to fidget. One was comically tugging on his collar.

“Why are those men here?”

“The guards? Aiden hired them as extra security.”

“They’re not subtle, are they?”

“No, they aren’t. I hope Alec sends them home.” She turned to Cordie and said, “I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone that Alec’s a detective. I don’t want to field questions, and the focus should be on the hospital fund-raiser tonight.”

“I won’t say a word.”

“Except Sophie, of course. You can tell her.”

“Of course.”

The three of them never kept secrets from one another. “About the detective…” Cordie began.

“Yes?”

“I’m thinking he’s interested in you.”

“Why would you think that? You’ve only spent two minutes with the man.”

“Body language,” she explained in a very matter-of-fact tone. “I know he’s interested because of the way he looks at you. You’re going to have to take my word on this, Regan. He’s attracted to you, but then, come to think of it, most men are.”

“They are not. Now, can we please change the subject.”

“Not yet. You’re gorgeous. You’ve got a face and body Sophie and I would die to have, and I swear that if you weren’t my best friend, I’d have to hate you. Your brothers, especially Aiden, have done a real number on you to keep you in line.”

“For heaven’s sake,” Regan said, exasperated. “No one’s done a number on me.”

Cordie didn’t want to argue. “Will your brothers be here tonight?”

“Maybe,” she said.

“So tell me. Is he single, married, or divorced?”

“Who?” she asked, just to provoke her friend.

“Oh, please. You know who I’m talking about. The hunky detective.”

“He’s single, but he’s leaving Chicago in another week.”

“For how long?”

“Forever,” she said.

Cordie sighed. “You know what I’m thinking?”

Regan smiled. “I never know what you’re thinking.”

“I’m thinking you should take that blanket off and go after that man.”

Regan took exception. “It isn’t a blanket. It’s a wrap.” She selfconsciously adjusted the knot she’d made to hold the shawl in place. “It wouldn’t be right for me to go after him. He’s on the job. He’s… trapped with me.”

The conversation ended when Cordie said, “Here he comes.”

Regan noticed the guards, looking quite disgruntled, were leaving. “What did you say to them?” she asked.

“Not much.”

“In other words, you aren’t going to tell me?”

He smiled and completely ignored the question. “Shall we go inside the ballroom?”

“The doors aren’t open yet,” Cordie said. “That hallway leads to the ballroom, where we’ll be dining. They’re serving champagne and hors d’oeuvres in the reception. I’m going to go look for Sophie. Want to come with me?”

Regan didn’t answer her. She was watching a couple coming in the doorway. Her frown was immediate, and she was suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.

“What’s wrong?” As Cordie asked the question, she turned around to see who Regan was watching. “Oh, I see.”

The couple disappeared into the cloakroom. Alec caught a glimpse of them. “Who are they?”

“No one important.”

Alec looked at Cordie to get an answer. She sighed and said, “The silver-haired man used to be married to Regan’s mother, and the young woman having trouble keeping her dress on is his wife. They are, as Regan said, not important.”

Alec touched Regan’s shoulder. “I’d like to go into the ballroom. As Cordie said, it’s getting crowded out here,” he added.

Cordie took off down the hall to go to the reception, and by the time she reached the door, there were two men at her side.

Alec took Regan’s hand. “I want to see where you will be sitting. Let’s go.”

She didn’t argue. She didn’t particularly want to stand in a crowded room and sip champagne.

An employee stepped forward to block the doors and explained that they would have to wait until the room was officially opened, but the look Alec gave the man changed his mind, and he hastily stepped out of the way.

The ballroom was surprisingly large. To the left, the musicians were busy setting up their equipment on a wide square platform adjacent to the spacious dance floor. Straight ahead and to the right were round tables with white linen tablecloths. The cushioned chairs were covered with white linen slipcovers, and tied on the back of each chair was a blue satin bow with ribbon spilling to the floor. Long white tapered candles in sparkling silver candleholders were being lit by the waiters.

There were place settings for eight at each of the tables. Name cards, propped on silver cubes, sat directly behind each silver-rimmed dinner plate. Regan found their table near the front by the podium. One of the waiters was fiddling with the microphone, making sure it worked, but he stopped what he was doing and smiled at her.

She walked around the table to find out who else was seated there, oblivious of the appreciative looks she was getting. Alec didn’t like the way the staff was looking at her, but he knew he couldn’t do anything about it. He glared at one overzealous employee who started toward Regan and was pleased when the man did a hasty turnaround.

Regan was shaking her head. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

“We’re not sitting here.”

“Okay,” he said. “So who is?” He was standing beside her, keeping his eye on the doors.

“Aiden and his guest, Spencer and his guest, which means he’s back in town, the administrator of the hospital and his wife, and my former stepfather, Emerson, and his wife, Cindy. No, we aren’t going to sit here.”

She was trying hard not to let Alec know how furious she was. She knew Aiden was responsible for letting the sleazebag join in. She understood his motives. Emerson had already gone to several attorneys trying to find a way to break the prenup, and Aiden was simply trying to keep him pacified. In Regan’s opinion, her brother was only putting off the inevitable and being extremely disloyal to their mother’s memory in the process.

There were bright spots of color on her cheeks. She was angry, all right. “Okay,” Alec said calmly. “Where would you like to sit?”

“Anywhere but here.”

Alec picked up her name card and his. He looked around, found a table near the back he liked because it was close to the wall, and walked toward it.

He traded names with a doctor and his wife. “This okay?”

“It’s perfect.” The frown eased from her brow.

She put her evening bag down on the seat of the chair and straightened just as the doors were officially opened. Sophie and her date were the first to walk inside. She waved to Regan and hurried over. She looked amazing. Regan watched Alec to judge his reaction to her friend. He’d taken the name cards of the doctor and his wife and placed them next to Aiden and his guest, and was on his way back to their table when Sophie caught his attention.

He seemed curious but not overly so. Men had a tendency to lose their train of thought around Sophie, but Alec seemed to be in full command of his senses. Odd, Regan thought. Definitely odd.

Sophie was wearing a new black Chanel gown and had diamond clips in her hair. Regan recognized her friend’s date. He was Jeffrey Oatley. His family owned Oatley Electronics, and Regan knew that Jeff and Sophie were both members of the same country club. He was a sweet, laid-back man who always looked as though he was about to burst out of his clothes. Everything he wore was two sizes too small.