Page 10 of Something to Someone

Ryder answered without looking at me. “It went well. It was with an engineering firm downtown. Is this place in their budget?”

I looked down at the paperwork in my hands and found the cost.It was hefty but within their budget. “Yeah, their budget is large enough, they could afford almost anything in or around the city. That’s not going to be an issue.”

He nodded slowly and ran his fingers over one of the oak tables toward the edge of the dance floor. With his back turned, I took a second to take a deep breath and shake off the lingering thoughts that were trying to press in on the edge of my mind. Thoughts of a dirty phone conversation days before.

You’re working,I chastised myself.Control your thoughts. Do not think about how much you liked him explaining what you looked like?—

“Caroline?” I blinked and glanced up at Ryder.

“Hmm?”

He smiled like he knew exactly where my thoughts had been, but he didn’t call me out for it. “Do you want to go get Chuck and start the tour? I know we’re on a tight schedule.”

“Yes,” I said, but it came out a little rough, so I cleared my throat and tried again. “Yes, let’s go.”

FIVE

DANCE WITH ME

Caroline

The groundsand every other room in the mansion were as beautiful as I expected it to be. Each of the guest rooms were decorated in the same elegant style but with their own unique twists.

And the exterior was breathtaking. The front had an expansive manicured lawn, and the back had a garden with pristine hedges and extensive gravel paths. There was even a fountain in the courtyard just off the ballroom. I loved the dark ivy climbing the walls and told Chuck as much as we walked back inside.

“It’s one of my wife’s favorite features as well. Something she was sure we had to replicate when we bought the place,” he said, opening the door for me and waving me inside. The air conditioning felt nice against my warm, flushed skin. It wasn’t too hot yet, but the weather was changing quickly. Spring was disappearing, and summer was fast approaching.

“And you said you have fans and misters for the courtyard if they decide that’s a space they want to utilize?”

Chuck nodded emphatically. “Yes, and an air-conditioned tent we can put up if necessary. We want to make everyone as comfortable as possible.”

“I think Stephen and Miles are really going to like this place,” Ryder said. He stood in front of the doors we’d entered through and snapped a picture of the ballroom from that angle.

Chuck cleared his throat and glanced between us. “Excuse me, but…is it two men who will be getting married?”

Ryder and I looked at each other, and my heart dropped. “Yes,” I said matter-of-factly. No point in hiding it, they would have figured it out eventually. I just hated bigots.

“Oh, no, no,” Chuck said quickly, waving his hands in surrender. “Not like that. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply I had an issue with it. They will just be our first gay couple. We’ve only been open a few months, but I think that’s exciting. I…umm…I also have a grandson, he’s only sixteen, but he helps with weddings occasionally, and he just came out to me. I think it would be nice for him to see and experience.”

I smiled in relief, and I noticed Ryder relax from a few feet away. “That’s amazing. Stephen and Miles are great, and I do agree with Ryder—they would love this place. I’m going to snap a few more photos, then we’ll get out of your hair.”

“Take your time,” Chuck said. He waved and headed back up front.

I tossed my papers onto the closest table and considered the size of the room. They had almost three hundred guests, which was larger than the average wedding I planned but not uncommon.

With the size of their guest list in mind, I observed the tables available and the arrangement possibilities. “I’m worried that the dance floor may be too small,” I muttered, thinking out loud. “That was on their list of things they absolutely want. There’s only tables enough for two hundred people right now, so if we double the amount, then we’ll?—”

I squeaked in surprise as a strong hand landed on my hip and spun me around. Then Ryder was there, in front of me, reaching for my right hand and guiding my left hand to rest on his shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

Instead of answering, he started moving us around the open space between the tables. With one hand pressed against my lower back, he kept us close as he guided me toward the middle of the dance floor. I heard the music faintly from a nearby table and realized he must have started playing it from his phone.

“What are you doing?” I repeated through clenched teeth.

“Dancing,” he said like it wasn’t odd at all that he’d randomly decided to sweep me up.

With a soft growl, I tried to plant my feet and push away, but Ryder was having none of it. He just held on tighter and pressed us together. My breasts flattened against his taut chest, and all the air was swept from my lungs.

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