After a few more toasts, Kathy announced that dinner was ready to be served. It took a few minutes for everyone to find their assigned seat. Owen hadn’t made a big deal about the change in the seating arrangements, except to let Ivy know and get Remi’s participation. He stood while Greer and Val got the women situated, then sat and put his napkin in his lap. He was looking forward to chatting with Ace. There was something about her that he just couldn’t place. Kit had told him she was the one who’d stopped Ivy and Fiona from opening that gift King had sent. She had a beater of a car. And Val said she had no furniture in her apartment. Yet here she was wearing a couture dress and an expensive Chanel perfume.
Something wasn’t meshing.
Salad with a sweet lemon dressing was their first course. Two wine glasses and a water goblet stood at each place setting. Owen took the Sauvignon Blanc from the wine cooler and offered to pour for Remi, then Ace, who quickly covered her glass.
“Thank you, but none for me. I’m on duty as the photog. Really, I shouldn’t even have a place at the table.”
“Except that you’re my plus-one, remember?” Val said quietly.
Owen listened to their conversation as he filled his glass. When conversations had started around the table, he began his offensive. He took a few bites of the salad, then looked at Ace. “I understand from Ivy that you’re new to the area.”
“I am,” she said.
“How do you like working at the diner?”
“It’s perfect for me right now. And Ivy’s an awesome boss.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t grow up around here.”
Ace didn’t answer that. She set her fork down as she looked across the table at Remi, then Greer, Hope, and Max. She sent Val a lengthy glance, then leaned closer to Owen and lowered her voice as she said, “Let’s dispense with pretenses, shall we?”
Owen arched a brow. “Why? Pretense is the framework for polite discourse.”
“Yeah, but it’s not like you don’t know everything there is to know about me, or that I don’t know everything about you.”
Owen held her gaze as he slowly smiled. “What do you know about me?”
“I know about Adelaide.”
Owen’s body went cold from the inside out. His heart stopped then started again, doling out blood like a miser. “She’s dead.”
Ace slowly shook her head. “I work for her.”
His breath hitched, then thundered through his lungs and out his mouth in a roar as he jumped to his feet. “You lie.”
Ace also stood. “She sent me to find you.”
Owen stared at Ace. The sudden silence in the room was drowned out by the blood pounding in his ears. “Get the fuck out.” He pointed toward the door. Her camera was on the table. He was going to swipe it to the floor, but Val got in his face, pushing him back from Ace.
“What’s gotten into you?” Val asked.
He didn’t answer. Though he didn’t take his eyes from Ace, he could see out of the corner of his eye that all the guys had gotten to their feet.
“Who’s Adelaide?” Val asked Ace. She didn’t answer, so Owen did it for her.
“A fucking ghost.”
Val looked at him. “Aaand that’s helpful. Not.”
Kit had come over to stand between him and the rest of the group, too. He and Val locked shoulders. “You picked a helluva time for a tantrum, Owen. Suppose you explain what the fuck’s going on?”
Owen ignored them. He shoved Val, but only gained a few inches, enough to straighten his shirt and jacket. He glared at Ace. “Prove it.”
She lifted her camera and flipped through some images on the screen, then handed the camera over to Val, who handed it to him. His hands shook a little as he held her camera. Staring back at him was a beautiful blond. A little younger than him, but aged in the decade-plus since he’d seen her. Goddamn. Goddammit all, it was Adelaide. Impossible. He shoved the camera into Val’s chest.
It was a trick. He fixed his gaze on Ace, around whom Mandy, Fiona, and Ivy had come to stand. Ace somehow knew his Achilles’ heel.
Ace dropped her gaze. “Look, I should go.” She glanced at Mandy. “I’m sorry. I should never have brought it up. At least not tonight.”
“Why should she go?” Rocco asked Owen as he joined the group.
“She works for King.”
Ace shook her head. Her eyes darkened. Owen could see the truth in them, but he didn’t dare believe it. “I work for Adelaide.”
“Who’s Adelaide?” Rocco asked.
“Someone I used to know.” Owen glanced at Ace, daring her to contradict him.
“I’ll come back tomorrow and talk to you.”
“Where is she?” Owen asked, continuing their conversation as if there was no one else in the room.
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Take me to her.”
“Never. You know as well as I do that this house is watched. How else would King have known that Fiona was at the diner that day? If I take you to her, she’s as good as dead—for real.”
“Okay,” Val said, stepping a short distance away, keeping himself in front of Ace. “Let’s all just take a breath. Ace, can you just finish out the night?”
She looked between him and Val. “Sure, if he can keep his shit cool.”
“He will.” Val looked at him, though he still spoke to her. “Owen’s like a cold ice floe, right bro?”
Owen glared at her. “Come over tomorrow. You have a lot to tell us.”
“Fine. Tomorrow. Tonight, I’m just a photog. Tonight is for a wedding.”