“The Lady Eve.”
“I don’t know what that is.”
“Only one of the greatest screwball comedies ever made.” When Sable pointed to the jacket in his right hand, Colt slipped on the black double-breasted. “Barbara Stanwyck. Henry Fonda. Slapstick at its finest.”
“Next movie night.”
Walking to the full-length mirror, Sable looked at herself—top to bottom. Miraculously, her dress had been spared. Not a tear stain or wrinkle in sight. Magic material, indeed. Her face, with the help from judiciously placed concealer, was none the worse for wear.
Colt stood behind her, a hand on each shoulder. “Gorgeous. As always.”
“I’m ready.” She wanted to go before her nerves got the better of her.
“One more thing.”
“I swear, Colt. If you make me cry again, I will kick your ass.”
“I’ll take my chances,” he chuckled. “I forgot something before.”
“Can it wait?”
Impatient, Sable looked at the clock. They had been up here over an hour. She didn’t want her father to think she was avoiding him.
“After spending most of one day helping me pick it out, my mother will never forgive me if you show up without this.”
Sable gasped.
Colt held an open ring box in his hand. Square cut, set on a platinum band—and a deep sparkling blue. As stones went, it wasn’t the biggest diamond, but as far as she was concerned, it was perfect.
“Should I get down on my knee again?”
She shook her head. She held out her left hand. Colt slid the ring on her finger.
“What do you know? A perfect fit.”
Sable met his gaze and smiled. Her thoughts exactly.
THE PARTY WAS in full swing and as far as Sable could tell, their absence hadn’t been noticed. The free-flowing alcohol and rocking band might have had something to do with that.
Laughter and music greeted Sable and Colt as they stepped into the ballroom. Surreptitiously, Sable looked around. As much as she wanted to see her father, she couldn’t control her nerves.
“It will be fine,” Colt reassured her.
Sable nodded. She wanted to believe him. But her stomach wasn’t cooperating. Taking a deep breath, she pulled back her shoulders. No matter what, tonight was the beginning of a new chapter in her life. And she was determined to enjoy the party.
“I take it back,” Sable said over the noise. “We could have stayed in the room for a private celebration. No one down here would have cared.”
“Now you tell me.” Colt squeezed her hand. “Thirty seconds ago, we could have made our getaway. Not anymore.”
Callie was the first to reach them with Caleb close behind.
“Is it good news?” she asked. “Of course, it is. You’re smiling. You wouldn’t be smiling if it weren’t good news.”
“Take a breath, sweetheart.” Caleb laughed. “Give them a chance to speak.”
“Right.” Callie looked from Colt to Sable then back again, her gray eyes wide and anxious. “Well. Tell me. I’m dying to know.”
No matter how tempting it was to tease his mother, Colt loved her too much to draw out the moment. Besides, he wanted to share his happiness with his family.
“You want to show her?” he asked Sable.
Sable held out her hand.
“Oh,” Callie sighed. “It’s perfect.”
“Don’t you dare cry,” Sable warned when she saw Callie’s eyes begin to fill. “I don’t think I can take another round.”
“No tears,” Callie promised as they began to roll down her cheeks. “I’m sorry. My baby is in love. And getting married.” She took the handkerchief Caleb wisely tucked into his pocket before they left the house.
Callie was crying. Caleb beaming. But Sable had to ask.
“You approve?”
“You were already part of the family,” Caleb enveloped her into a big, warm hug. “Now I have another daughter. I couldn’t be happier.”
“I have a hankie if you need it,” Colt told her.
“She can share mine.” Callie dabbed at Sable’s eyes before the tears could spill over, then pulled her into her arms. “I knew from the moment we met that you would be important to this family. I love when I’m right.”
“If you wanted to keep this a secret, you can forget it. I was washing my hands in the men’s room when somebody asked me for confirmation on your engagement.”
“What did you tell him?” Colt asked as Wyatt hugged him.
“What I always say in that situation. I never discuss family business in the bathroom.”
“Did that discourage him?”
Wyatt nodded to where a thin man in a burgundy tuxedo alternated between taking pictures of them with his phone and frantically typing on the tiny keyboard.
“The internet is blowing up as we speak.”
“Great. It will save us from having to put out a press release.”
Wyatt’s bark of laughter had the reporter lifting his phone to snap another picture. It was a good one. And would turn out to be profitable. All the major news services used it. It showed Wyatt and Colt Landis grinning, with a glowing Sable sandwiched in between.
“Here is the champagne,” Callie declared. “And the rest of our family.”
Garrett and Jade had arrived with a tray filled with sparkling wine. Nate and Paige were with them.
“A toast.” Caleb held up his glass. “To the happy couple. May this be the saddest day of the rest of their lives.”
“Hear, hear.”
The clink of crystal and sips of the excellent vintage was followed by more congratulations. Sable accepted more hugs which she warmly returned. She was floating. Only one thing could have made this moment better.
“Sable.”
An arm around her waist, Colt felt Sable stiffen. He looked around, recognizing the source of her sudden tension.
“Colonel Ford.” Colt held out a hand. The colonel automatically returned the gesture, but his eyes didn’t move from Sable.
“Sir.”
Sable’s heart raced. She took in every detail of her father’s appearance. To her relief, he looked exactly the same. Tall. Lean. Perhaps a bit grayer sprinkled in his dark hair. The strong, handsome lines of his face were wonderfully familiar—the same face she had watched with pride so many times as he commanded the soldiers under him.
She loved him without reservation. No matter their differences. Or any harsh words he had spoken. But until he made the first move, her feet were glued to the floor.
Then, his eyes softened and his arms opened wide.
“Sable?” The little hesitation. The trace of uncertainty—that she had never heard before loosened her reserve.
“Daddy.” With a sob, Sable raced to him.
“Come on,” Caleb gently moved his family along. “Let’s give them a little alone time.” He smiled indulgently when he saw tears in the women’s eyes, then realized he had shed a few of his own. “We need more handkerchiefs.”
“I’ll be around if you need me,” Colt told Sable.
Her head still on her father’s shoulder, Sable smiled at him and mouthed, “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry, Sable. For everything. That text.” Frowning, he shook his head. “I’d had a God awful day and your mother was going on about you and your movie star. I regretted it immediately, but once I hit send, there was no bringing it back.”
“Let’s forget it.” Sable didn’t want to rehash the past. “All I care about is that you’re here.”
“No.” Mathias Ford lifted her chin and looked her in the eyes. “Don’t let me off the hook that easily. I let you down. As a father.” He swallowed, his shoulders straightening. “And as a superior officer.”
“What did Colt tell you?” Sable took a tissue from her purse. “Here.”
Surprised, her father stayed still as she wiped his cheeks.
“Should I frame this?” she teased. She slipped the damp paper into
her purse. “When was the last time Colonel Ford cried?”
“The day you were born.”
“Oh, Daddy.”
The music changed from up-tempo to something slower. Sable recognized the song immediately. Her eyes flew to her father’s. Would he remember? Mathias smiled.
“Moondance.” He took her right hand in his left, and placed his other hand on her waist. “May I have this dance?”
Unable to speak, Sable nodded. They were content to move silently to the rhythm, letting the old memories circle around them. When the last notes faded, her father took her hand and led her toward the balcony.
“I need a little fresh air.”
“That sounds good.”
The night air was wonderfully cool. Sable took a deep breath, lifting her face to the gentle breeze.
“It’s my turn to apologize.” She said, turning her head to meet her father’s gaze. “I was a coward.”
“Never!”
“Hear me out before you make such a definitive declaration.”
“From what your young man told me, you left the Army because you weren’t given a choice.”
“At the time, I didn’t think I had an alternative.” Sable sighed. “But by not speaking out, I lost you. And I betrayed female soldiers who came after me. It’s been over two years. How many women do you think Colonel Montgomery has harassed in that time?”
“It was your word against his.”
“That’s what I told myself. But Dad,” Sable gripped his hand. “I should have tried. At least, I could have raised some doubt. Then the next time a woman filed a complaint against him, it might have counted for something.”
“That was up to you. But you shouldn’t have let him use me as a weapon against you.”
“Damn, Colton.”
“I need to thank him. You weren’t going to tell me that part.”
“Colonel Montgomery has powerful allies, Dad. He would have tarnished your reputation.”
“He could have tried.” Mathias sighed. “I have a few friends of my own. But that’s beside the point. It wasn’t up to you to protect me.”
“No, sir.”
“But I love that you wanted to.” He pulled her close, brushing her temple with his lips. “I love you, Sable.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
GOD, WHAT A night.
Sable looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Considering all the tears, her eyes were in pretty good shape. A little puffy and a touch red. But she didn’t care. She was in love. Engaged to marry the most amazing man in the world. And her father was back in her life.
After their talk, Sable felt closer to him than ever. She had told him everything. And he believed her—without reservation. Mathias reminded her that it wasn’t too late. She could press charges against Colonel Montgomery and he would stand behind her.
Sable promised to think about it. Tomorrow. Tonight, all she wanted to do was celebrate.
Sable patted her nose with the pad from her compact, not looking when the bathroom door opened. She was searching her purse for her lipstick when someone jabbed her arm with a long, sharp fingernail.
“You,” Candice DeMarcco slurred.
“You got it in one.” Sable sighed. The last thing she needed was a drunk crazy actress killing her buzz. “Why don’t you stay in here for a few minutes, Candice?” Sable tried to steer the woman to the sofa in the corner. “You aren’t very steady on your feet.”
“I don’t need your help.”
Candice pulled away, stumbling backward. The marble vanity kept her from falling on the floor. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and smiled.
“So pretty.” Awkwardly she patted her image. “Prettier than you.”
“Okay. I’ll leave you to it.”
Sable turned to leave, but Candice grabbed her arm.
“Why you?” She lurched to the side when Sable removed her claws. This time, she hit the marble with greater force, causing her swept-up hair to fall over one eye. “You get the guy?” Candice frowned. “That’s wrong. I’m the lead. He’s supposed to fall in love with me. I get the happily ever after.”
The booze, and a healthy dose of delusion, made Candice sound crazier than usual.
Resigned, Sable took out her phone. She couldn’t leave Candice alone. The woman would probably stumble into a stall and drown in the toilet. Colt could send someone to take the actress off her hands.
“Not that you’ll get one.” Candice snorted. “Cock-sucking bitches don’t get happily ever afters, do they?”
Great. Now it was deteriorating into foul-mouthed name calling. Candice looked a little green around the gills. In self-defense, Sable took two big steps back.
“If you plan on throwing up, aim for the garbage can.”
“Not sick. But you will be.” Candice pushed her hair off her face, but it fell right back. “I spoke with an old friend of yours. Conel Mongomry.”
Candice slurred the name but Sable understood her. A chill ran down her spine. Followed closely by a surge of heat.
“Colonel Montgomery is here? Colonel Baker Montgomery?”
“Mmm.” Candice sneered. “He had a fine tale to tell about you. How you spent most of your time in the Army on your knees. The press will eat it up. Good luck getting Colt to the altar after that shit hits the fan.”
Sable didn’t want to turn her back on Candice. There was no telling what the woman would do. Keeping an eye on her, she hit speed dial.
“Sable? Did you get lost on the way to the bathroom?
“No. I’m still there.”
“What’s wrong?” The humor had left his voice.
“With me? Nothing. But Candice is in here and she’s a mess.”
“Alcohol or drugs?”
Sable had no idea. Though Candice’s pupils were a little off.
“Maybe both. She can barely stand up and her speech is slurred.” Though when she wanted to, she had no problem making her point. Sable kept that, and Candice’s revelation, to herself.
“Someone is on the way.”
“I’ll stay until they get here.”
“I figured you would,” Colt said warmly. “I’ll meet you outside the door.”
“Don’t bother. There’s something I need to do.”
“What’s going on, Sable?”
“Nothing to worry about.” Sable hoped. “I won’t be long.”
As soon as help arrived, Sable left the bathroom. She knew Colt would worry. And she knew he wouldn’t stand around and wait for her. She loved him, but she didn’t want to deal with him at the moment. As she searched the crowd, she made another call.
“Wyatt?”
“What’s up?”
“Find Colt and keep him busy.”
“How long do you need?”
Sable smiled. She appreciated that he trusted her enough not to ask questions. There would be plenty later, but not now.
“Twenty minutes?”
“I can do that with one hand tied behind my back.”
“Thank you.”
“Sable? Is this dangerous?”
Spying her quarry, Sable’s smile turned feral.
“Not for me.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
SABLE HAD PICTURED this moment a thousand times. Confronting her former commanding officer was one of those fantasies she believed would never come to fruition. That it would happen—and on tonight of all nights seemed like destiny nodding its head in her direction. For too long she had lived without closure. This was the perfect way to put it behind her—once and for all.
Playing it just right was the key. Sable didn’t want to walk up to him, filled with self-righteous indignation. To get exactly what she wanted, she had to play it cool.
Sable wound her way through the groups of partygoers. Close enough for Montgomery to notice her, but so it didn’t seem as though he was her destination. She wanted him to approach her—not the other way around. She understood how his mind worked, at least well en
ough to know he wouldn’t be able to resist oozing his oily smarm all over her. His ego wouldn’t let her get away. And that was what she counted on.
Keeping him in her peripheral vision, Sable didn’t glance his way. He stood alone. Exactly how she wanted him. He held a glass, now and then sipping the liquid as he arrogantly surveyed the room. When she was almost directly in his line of sight, Sable stopped, making a show of searching through her bag.
She knew the instant he saw her. He raised his chin. His eyes narrowed. And he smiled. Slowly. Like a predator spying its dinner. She didn’t mind playing Red Riding Hood to his Big Bad Wolf. She knew the story. The wolf ruined many lives, but in the end… Thwack! Off with his head.
The middle of the room wasn’t the place for this showdown. Sable zipped her bag and walked away. Certain he wouldn’t let her get away.
“Sable Ford. I was hoping I would get a moment with you.”
It was the perfect spot. Crowded, but removed from the main flow of people. She and Montgomery would be seen but not heard.
Wiping the smile from her face, Sable turned. He wouldn’t see the steely glint in her eyes—because he didn’t believe women had backbones. Sable’s expression was blank. For his benefit, she added a touch of wary.
“Colonel Montgomery. This is a surprise.” No lie there.
“When I heard about tonight’s gala, I was anxious to attend.”
“It’s a good cause.”
“Yes. The poor, disenfranchised soldier.” He lowered his voice so only she could hear the sneer in it. “Weak-willed. There’s always a name for it. Shell shocked. Battle-fatigued. Post-traumatic stress disorder. A new generation, a new excuse.”
“Soldiers aren’t machines, Colonel. PTSD is real.”
“Because a doctor says so? Bullshit.” He took a long drink, emptying his glass. From the way he smelled, Sable guessed it wasn’t his first. He flagged a waiter. “Get me a whiskey. Neat.”
“I’ll leave you to enjoy your evening.”
“Not so fast.”
Sable didn’t object when Montgomery grabbed her arm. Instead, she gave him a look that she hoped passed for fear. He smiled again, rubbing her skin with his thumb.
Keep going, Sable silently goaded him. You’re playing your part perfectly.
Dreaming Of Your Love (Hollywood Legends #3) Page 28