“Ellery, thank you so much for getting our guy to come. I thought we were going to have to kidnap him and fly him up here.” Cole clapped Logan on the shoulder. “Follow me. I want the guys to meet you. You’re sitting at the table beside ours. We’ve got an hour before they serve dinner, but the waiters are serving hors d'oeuvres.”
“Did Brooke have the baby?” Ellery asked.
“Yes, she did!” Cole beamed. “A girl! Her name is Tatum, and she’s gorgeous. Too bad you can’t see her.”
“Oh. Logan said Brooke was coming.” Ellery didn’t quite keep the tremble out of her voice. You can do this. Don’t be a weakling. You don’t need Brooke.
“Brooke did come to New York, but she couldn’t bring the baby since she’s only four weeks old. She’s got the girls at Bran’s apartment.”
Logan’s hand tightened on Ellery’s, and he murmured, “I’m sorry, Ellery. I didn’t realize she wouldn’t be here.”
Cole grabbed her elbow. “Don’t worry. Rylie and Laurie are here. I’m sure they’ll keep you entertained while we talk shop.”
“Who are they?” Ellery asked, even as she was propelled forward.
“Rylie is married to Jarrett, and Laurie is Finn’s wife. Finn’s the one wearing a mask. His cystic fibrosis makes him vulnerable to infections.”
“That’s too bad,” Logan said.
“Which reminds me, I do need to ask if either of you have been sick or running a fever or around anyone who was sick in the last week or so.”
“Not me,” Logan said.
“Me, either,” Ellery answered. “And we’ve both had our flu shots.”
“Great. I’ll let Finn and Laurie know,” said Cole. “Laurie works at Phantom, too. In fact, she’s in charge of the annual Limitless fundraiser. For that matter, Rylie’s also a Phantom employee.”
Ellery thought the women sounded intimidating, but didn’t voice the idea. Swallowing her nerves, she followed Cole to a table at the front of the room. As Cole introduced them to everyone at the table, she worked to steady her shaking hands. She filed the names into her brain, trying to keep them straight. Oddly, none of them looked familiar except Rylie, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty who could’ve competed with Allegra in a pageant.
Cole must’ve seen her confusion. “Rylie has a twin sister you might know—Carlie Malone.”
“The country music star?”
“One and the same.” Rylie’s eye-roll said she was probably tired of being recognized as her sister’s twin. “And no, I don’t sing.”
Jarrett chuckled, reaching out to squeeze his wife’s hand. “Rylie has a beautiful voice, but I don’t think she’d get on a stage even if there was a gun pointed at her head.”
Though Ellery knew Bran Knight was blind, there was nothing in his appearance or actions that immediately gave that fact away. “Pull up a chair,” he ordered, his compelling blue eyes seeming to focus directly at her. Only when she moved to the side to grab a chair did she notice his eyes didn’t track her motion but followed her when she made a sound.
“I know a lot about Logan,” Bran said, “but I want to learn about you before the women steal you away.”
“Oh, I’m nobody.” Ellery glanced toward Logan, relieved to see he appeared comfortable, carrying on a conversation with Cole and Jarrett. “I’m just a friend of Logan’s. We’ve only known each other a couple of months.”
“Interesting. That’s not how Brooke described you.”
“Brooke mentioned me to you?” She couldn’t imagine how such a discussion would come about.
Finn came around the table and pulled up a chair beside them, the crinkle at the corner of his eyes revealing the smile hidden behind his mask. “I want in on this conversation.”
I’m sweating! Wish I had a glass of water. Why are they talking to me?
“Be nice, Finn,” Bran said. “She’s not used to you.”
“Me?” Finn put his hand against his chest, his eyes widening in innocence. “What do you mean? I’m always nice.” His slight English accent gave his voice a pleasant lilt.
Bran ignored Finn. “Brooke was happy to hear you and Logan were still an item. Before I left her and my wife at the apartment, she made me promise to grill you for information.”
She was flattered Brooke had expressed an interest, having assumed the woman had forgotten they’d ever met. “What did she say?”
Bran’s mouth curved in an easy smile. “Only good things.”
“That’s nice to hear.” And surprising. The wedding had been one of the most stressful times of her life. Not exactly her finest moment.
“What do you do when Logan isn’t dragging you around to business meetings?” Finn asked.
“I just graduated with my business degree, and I start law school at UT in the fall. So I’m spending the summer trying to read ahead in Constitutional Law.”
“Impressive.” Finn lifted his eyebrows. “And what do you think of Logan partnering with us at Phantom? It’s quite a departure from his previous solo work. He’ll be a manager—hiring and firing, directing more than creating. Logan’s an introvert. Do you think he can handle it?”
“Of course he can handle it.” She fought back a bit of irritation at the question, which seemed to imply Logan was incompetent. “Don’t you trust Mr. Miller’s judgment?”
Finn shot a sideways glance at Bran. “Logan’s admitted he’s been a bit of a recluse for the past few years. I’ve found that people who hole up by themselves start to develop weird personality quirks.”
Anger at his assessment sent hot blood rushing up her neck.
“Logan is brilliant, honest, and genuinely nice. I have no doubt he can accomplish anything he wants if he puts his mind to it.” She was getting riled up, but she didn’t care. She had to defend Logan. “Lucky for you, he’s interested in Phantom Enterprises. Because he doesn’t need you. And I think it’s pretty unfair if you’ve already decided against him just because he doesn’t enjoy socializing.”
Finn threw back his head, laughing. Ellery sputtered, clenching her hands on the chair seat to control her shaking limbs.
