Joan turned to her. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Ryann, and I assume I’ll see you tonight?”

She stood and took her offered hand. “I’ll be there.”

“Great. But be forewarned. My family is a little crazy, and it’s always a madhouse over at my parents’ when we’re all there.”

She saluted with two fingers. “Noted.”

“Don’t worry,” Maddie said. “People will be there to watch out for you. Me and Stuart, I mean.”

“Thanks,” she said, a little confused. Joan was surely exaggerating, but Maddie sounded serious. What on earth could they be so worried about?

Chapter Nine

Maddie dropped her off at the hotel, and she spent the next two hours on the phone and her computer, calling and videoconferencing with various people to discuss her meetings with Sydney and Tokyo later tonight. Ted had set them back-to-back: one at midnight and the other at one in the morning Colorado time. Ted and some of the other numbers people went over and over the details with her to get her up to date and ready to twist some arms to make sure the two companies stayed in this deal. They still had no clear word on London, either, which didn’t help. Her board simply shared that things were still under negotiation. She’d wanted firm dates from London, but she would have to go into tonight’s meetings without those specifics.

At 6:20, she finally closed her laptop, now running behind. Stuart was swinging by at 6:45 to pick her up, which didn’t leave her a lot of time to do much of anything with herself. Her second suitcase was still MIA, which limited her clothing choices, but she had a couple of nice pieces in the bag that had been delivered. She debated for as long as she dared, finally settling on a casual outfit of a silky-soft gray sweater and navy slacks. She took a quick shower, and when she got out, she wasn’t surprised that her eyes appeared even more sunken and tired than this morning. She didn’t even want to consider how she’d ever get through a big family get-together and two tense meetings before being allowed to sleep.

She was finishing her makeup when Stuart knocked on the outside door, letting himself in, as usual.

“You really should lock this door,” he called from the bedroom.

“I left it open for you,” she yelled back. “Just let yourself in! You always do.”

“Are you decent?” he asked, coming into the bathroom before she answered.

She grinned at him in the mirror, capping her mascara. “Would you care?”

He paused, tilted his head back and forth as he thought, and then shrugged. “No. I’ve seen you naked.”