Since none of them could touch the money in their trust funds until they were about 130, Annabelle had never understood why it was such a big hairy deal.

“We’ve watched too many young people get ruined that way,” Kate said.

Candace had another tidbit to disclose. “Apparently quite a dustup occurred when Chet brought Kate home. The Grangers saw it as marrying down.”

Far from taking offense, Kate looked smug. “Chet’s mother was a horrible snob. She couldn’t help it, poor thing. She was a product of that insular St. Louis socialite culture, which was exactly why I tried so hard—and so futilely, I might add—to talk Annabelle out of being a debutante. My family might have been working class—God knows my mother was—but—”

“Don’t you dare say one bad word about Nana.” Annabelle stabbed a green bean.

“—but I knew how to read an etiquette book as well as anyone,” Kate went on smoothly, “and it didn’t take me long to fit right in with the high and mighty Grangers.”

Chet regarded Kate with pride. “By the time my own mother died, she cared more about Kate than she did about me.”

Heath hadn’t taken his eyes off Annabelle. “You were a debutante?”

Her spine stiffened, and her chin came up. “I loved the gowns, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. You got a problem with that?”

Heath started to laugh, and he kept at it so long that Kate had to dig a tissue from her purse and hand it over so he could wipe his eyes. Frankly, Annabelle didn’t see what was so gosh darned funny.

Candace unwisely permitted the waiter to refill her wineglass. “Then there was River Bend, the house where they all grew up…”

Heath gave a snort of amusement. “Your house had a name?”

“Don’t look at me,” Annabelle retorted. “It happened before I was born.”

“River Bend was an estate, not just a house,” Candace explained. “We still can’t quite believe that Chet talked Kate into selling the property, although their home in Naples has to be seen to be believed.”

Heath started laughing all over again.

“You’re annoying,” Annabelle said.

Candace went on to describe the beauty of River Bend, which made Annabelle nostalgic, even though Candace neglected to mention the drafty windows, smoking fireplaces, and frequent infestations of mice. Finally, even Doug had heard enough, and he switched the subject.

Heath loved the Grangers, every one of them, with the exception of Candace, who was a self-important pain in the ass, but she had to live in Annabelle’s shadow, so he was prepared to be tolerant. As he gazed around the table, he saw the rock solid family he’d dreamed of as a boy. Chet and Kate were loving parents who’d dedicated themselves to turning their kids into successful adults. Her brothers’ teasing drove Annabelle crazy—they did everything but give her noogies—but as the youngest child and only girl, she was clearly their pet, and watching Adam’s and Doug’s not-so-subtle competition for her attention was one of the highlights of his evening. The complexities of the mother-daughter relationship were beyond him. Kate was a nag, but she made excuses to touch Annabelle whenever she could and smiled at her when she wasn’t looking. As for Chet…His fond expression left no doubt who was Daddy’s Little Girl.