“She could have done better,” he admitted in a lower voice. “At least Ted I can handle.”

“Dad.”

He chuckled. “You know what I mean.”

“Sadly, I do.” Her dad had only to dangle a promotion at work to keep Ted in line.

“But Xavier, I don’t see pushing him around. He seems to have no interest in joining the firm or in my financial expertise. I asked him when he came for dinner. But no, he’s strictly into being a therapist and can handle his own portfolio—a bunch of Earth-friendly companies who give back.” Lyle snorted. “He seems a bit too altruistic for my taste, but I like him for you.”

She blinked. “Are you drunk?” He had tolerated Mitch but hadn’t liked him nearly as much as her mother and sisters had. Come to think of it, her dad hadn’t liked any of her prior boyfriends all that much.

Lyle chuckled. “Not yet. I’m just feeling sentimental, is all. Two of my three girls are married. Now there’s just you.” He shocked her anew by kissing her cheek. “I know I don’t say it often, but I do love you. Even if you’re a bit too stubborn like me. You have to make your own way, and I respect that.” He glanced up to see Jeanine waving at him from across the room. “I’d better get going before your mother drags me away by my ear.”

“I’d like to see that happen.”

He grunted. “Save me a dance.”

“Yes, Dad.”

He left her bewildered to realize that a real heart beat beneath the financial machine that was her father.

Needing a short break herself, she left the table and headed for the ladies’ room. The Kimberly Whitestead Hotel downtown on the water was the perfect place for her sister to get married. The fancy hotel had cost a pretty penny, according to Mallory, but their parents didn’t care. Classy, richly appointed, and full of old-world charm, the hotel catered to a wealthy clientele, as evidenced by the expensive rooms. Justine would have gone home right after the wedding if her parents hadn’t paid for her hotel stay.

She had her priorities, after all, like paying her bills for the month. Frankly, if she ever got married, she’d favor a small, intimate gathering with less crystal and champagne and more rum in the punch bowl. Still, though, the hotel added to the fairytale wedding her sister had been clamoring for and rightly deserved.

Nearly reaching the restroom, she noticed Mikayla up ahead talking to Mallory and Angela. Ugh. She could do without talking to Mitch’s new girlfriend. Before any of them could spot her, Justine noted what looked like a small library through a door slightly ajar, saw it was unoccupied, and darted inside. The classy sitting room, surrounded by books, had a private balcony overlooking the water.

Despite the chill temperature, the balcony doors were open, the filmy curtains hiding the glass panels and framing the deepening sunlight and indigo skies outside. The scent of saltwater and lilac filled the room, fresh flowers on the side tables adding to the rich appointments inside.