Page 18 of A Crane Family New Year

“Good. I have more than I can drink in a lifetime.” Reese ordered a scotch refill.

“Chloe and I found ourselves in a room with a bar, a wine cellar, and oddly, a suit of armor.”

“That’s Clyde.” Reese’s mouth turned down. “Merina insisted on naming him.”

“And she named him Clyde?” Zander’s shoulders jumped in amusement.

“She’s a rare woman.” Reese’s eyes warmed at the mention of his wife.

Zander knew that look. It was love—the real, lasting kind. He’d had that with Emily, and Reese obviously had it with Merina.

Last year, memories of Emily had haunted him—she had haunted him. As if she’d donned a white sheet and hovered in the corner of every room in the house. This year, the loss hadn’t felt as sharp. That lessening of his sadness had introduced guilt, but over time that had faded as well. He was still sad. He still missed her, but the memories were more tea-stained sepia rather than stark vivid color, which made looking at them easier.

“What do you know about Chloe?” Zander tried to make asking sound conversational, but there was no disguising the note of interest in his own voice. Across the room, Jaylyn was holding on to Chloe’s arm, her head thrown back in bawdy laughter. Misbehaving herself, he thought with concern.

“Chloe? She’s around Isa’s age. Efficient, hardworking. President of Sable Concierge, but also Isa’s best friend. Chloe has been invited to girls’ night a few times with Merina, Rachel, and Isa. Merina has nothing but great things to say about her. In fact, she recently commissioned Chloe for some photos of the Van Heusen.”

Zander snapped to attention. “What’s that?”

“Chloe takes photos of the city. We had her take some shots of the Van Heusen and the Crane as well. Stylish black and whites. She has a good eye. She can make bustling midtown look sexy. You’ll have to see them.”

“I believe I already have,” he said, his lips going numb. “In the corridor behind the staircase? All in a row, gold frames?”

“Them are those,” Reese said casually.

“And you said that Chloe took those photos?” How was that possible?

“She did.”

“You’re certain.”

Reese frowned at the odd question. “Yes. I guess Chloe picked up a camera and started snapping photos as a hobby. Hard to believe those shots are by an amateur, isn’t it?”

It wasn’t as hard to believe as the fact that those photos were taken by the same woman he’d met online three months ago. The same woman he’d asked out via direct messaging who had ignored him ever since. The same woman who’d gotten lost in Reese’s home at Zander’s side and was now talking to his sister.

Chloe Andrews was CurlyQSue.

Unbelievable.

“I don’t think she makes a habit of selling her photos,” Reese said. “She refused to let Merina pay her, so Merina has been sending anonymous gifts to Chloe so that she can’t return them. Gift certificates to restaurants. Expensive perfume. Chloe’s getting suspicious. Or Isa has already told her the gifts are from us. Secrets don’t last long between those women, trust me.”

Zander wondered what, if anything, Merina, Isa, or Rachel knew about Chloe’s photography account online, or about HopperFan02.

“She has an exquisite eye for details.” Exquisite eyes, a mouth that was driving him to distraction, and hair he longed to thread through his fingers.

“Maybe now that she’s allowed us to commission her skills, you can talk her into taking photos for Crane Hotels.”

“I’ll ask her.” Zander was still wrapping his head around the fact that Chloe Andrews was the woman he’d asked out. That she’d ghosted him and then somehow appeared at the same party where she’d stolen his champagne.

“Your scotch, Mister Crane,” the bartender handed Reese a glass.

“Thanks, Brett.” As he sipped, Reese sent a glance over to Jaylyn and Chloe. “What do you think they’re talking about?”

By the looks of them—Jaylyn’s arms were folded over her chest while Chloe gesticulated madly—Zander was almost afraid to ask.

“Whatever it is, I should probably rescue Chloe.” Zander palmed two glasses of chardonnay in one hand. He reached for the third, but Reese beat him to it.

Gesturing to the women, Reese said, “After you. This, I gotta see.”

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