Chapter 4

Susan pressed down on the coat, not letting her take it. "Excuse me, miss, do I know you?"

Laura forced a brittle smile. "It's a seat change. Why make things difficult for us?"

"Who's making things difficult for who?"

I stepped up, blocking her from Susan. "Take your hand off."

She dropped her voice low. "You're squaring off with Mary, but you're the one who'll end up losing."

"Laura Bennett," I called her by both names for the first time. "These are my guests. You don't get to decide where they sit."

Her fingers stiffened, then finally let go.

William stood, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Miss Evans, it's not about disrespect. I can't eat a meal like this."

The others looked ready to leave too.

Mary snorted again. "See? Would've been better if you understood things from the start."

I could hear a dull roar filling my ears.

These eight weren't random guests I invited on a whim.

After seven years in supply coordination, from warehouse checks to site inspections, I built these relationships step by step.

Inviting them was a promise I made on my own reputation. It was not about eight chairs for the Carter family to pick at their convenience.

I faced Mary, speaking formally. "If you insult my guests again, I'll have the hotel staff escort you out."

Mary nodded, trembling with anger. "Fine. Kick me out and you'll never set foot in the Carter residence again."

"Oh, thanks for the warning."

Then I called for the hotel manager. "No swaps at this table. No one gets to rearrange the seats."

The manager agreed right away, planting a server beside the main table.

For once, Mary couldn't get her way.

Richard finally spoke up. "Julia, that's enough."

He'd been treating the whole mess like women's squabbling since entering.

I turned toward him. "Why didn't you say 'enough' when your wife tried to toss my guests out?"

Even his face fell flat.

I didn't wait for an answer. I apologized to William. "I didn't host you well. I'll get you a car, and make it up to you personally."

William waved it off. "This isn't your fault."

Stanley reached over and patted him on the arm. "Sit down."

He nudged the hot coffee aside. "We came to eat, but now we're stuck listening to rules. Just treat it like a circus."

Susan sat down again. "Seriously, I've never seen a family do business like this."

Richard finally looked hard at everyone when he heard the word "business." But he'd handed off procurement to his son years ago, leaving him unfamiliar with most supply-side folks.

He hesitated, but said nothing.

I picked up the mic, ready to announce the wedding was off.

Just then, Laura ran for the entrance. "Henry."

Henry finally showed up, with his collar open, tie slung over one shoulder, not a flower anywhere on his chest. His two friends from the earlier live stream trailed after him.

One walked in laughing, "Julia, still mad?"

No one answered.

His grin faded quickly.

Laura gripped Henry's arm, her lips trembling. "I tried to calm her down, but she snapped at me. Mary's so angry that she hasn't touched her coffee."

Henry gave her shoulder a reassuring pat, then marched straight for me. "Julia, are you done yet? Didn't I say I'd move them to another table..."

He walked right up to the main table. But the rest of his sentence got stuck in his throat.

Stanley was methodically folding his napkin.

Henry opened his mouth and his tie slipped off his shoulder; he didn't catch it. "Mr. Grey?"