“Well, I’ve been called worse.”
“Merry Christmas, Mamie,” Jordan said as he met them in the entry way. He was dressed in a dark gray suit with a tie nearly the same shade of green as Theo’s dress. He’d chosen his wool coat and Theo could see the snowflakes that were melting on his shoulders.
“May I take your coats?” A woman walked up to the group, a smile on her pretty face.
“Yes, thank you,” Theo told her.
“You’re a little late,” Mamie said, downing the rest of her tea. “My daughter’s been standing here for almost ten minutes.”
That was an exaggeration, but Theo knew it was best to keep her mouth shut.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman said, taking both Theo and Jordan’s coats for them. “Would you like more tea, ma’am?”
“Bring it to the dining room.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mamie looked over at Theo. “You’ve been busy with the funeral so you might not know this, but there are place cards at the main table. Don’t be late.”
She moved away from the lobby and Theo took a deep breath.
“Let it out,” Jordan reminded her after a moment. He took hold of both her hands and held her arms up at her sides so he could see her dress. “You look stunning.”
Theo let the air escape from her lungs. Then she smiled up at him. “You saw me after I got dressed.”
“You looked stunning then, too.”
“Thank god for you, Jordan Reilly.”
“Oh, lord,” they heard someone say. “It’s like a love fest with the two of you all the damn time.”
Theo turned to see Delaney as she stepped inside the hotel. She wore a sweater dress the color of pearls and a pair of flats nearly the exact same shade. The hem of the dress hit her mid-calf, and when she took her coat off, Theo noticed the sleeves were quarter length. Around her neck Delaney wore a scarf in an intricate pattern in black, crimson, gold and green. Her long braids were down, the longest of them skimming her waist.
“You want me to give you some love?” Theo asked her friend with a playful grin. “You are absolutely exquisite.”
Delaney couldn’t help but return Theo’s smile. “Yeah,” she said tipping her head to the side. She tapped her cheek with a finger. “Right here.”
Theo happily leaned over and pressed a kiss to Delaney’s smooth skin.
“I get the other side,” Jordan said, giving Delaney a kiss on her other cheek.
“Alright, alright,” she laughed. “I know I look good, but the two of you better behave yourselves, you hear?”
“I don’t know,” Theo teased.
“Where’s David?”
Delaney shook her head. “I wish you’d knock that shit off.”
“How can someone so smart be so dumb?”
“Stop it, Theodora.”
“I’m taking a picture of you and sending it to Doctor Nash,” Jordan told her.
“Take one of me and Theo by the tree,” Delaney told him.
Jordan took Delaney’s coat from her, and she and Theo stepped in front of the tree. They posed and Jordan took a photo.
“Perfect,” he said. He pretended to go through his contacts and Delaney raised her left brow at him.
“I’m not very big, tree man. I’ve had to come up with creative ways to fight. I’m not afraid to bite.”
“You know that threat might seem harmless coming from anyone else but you.”
“May I take your coat?”
Jordan handed over Delaney’s coat, and Theo eyed the front desk again. She half expected Hailey St. James to be there, her wheat-colored hair hanging smooth and soft around her smiling face.
“We should probably be inside before Patty shows up,” Delaney said.
“Actually, I thought maybe I’d wait for her. Patty expects all the hoopla we can conjure up, but she’s still going to be very self-conscious. I’d rather be here and have her tell me to go away than not be here on the slightest chance she needs me.”
“Sainthood,” Delaney declared. “I swear, we should get you fitted for a halo.”
“Well, that might be taking it a little too far,” Theo smiled.
“I’m gonna go sit down. I need a drink.”
