“Sounds good,” Sylvia said. “Let me know if she needs anything.” Once Chloe had wandered into the crowd, she turned to me. “I’ll come with you. I could use a refill.”

“Okay.” I wished I could take her arm as we walked toward the bar at the back of the room, but even though the party was in full swing and the room was packed with guests of the inn who had no idea who we were, I still didn’t feel right about it.

At the bar, I ordered a whiskey on the rocks and she ordered a glass of sparkling white. While we waited for the bartender to pour, she moved closer to me and spoke softly. “You look amazing.”

“So do you. I like your outfit.”

She blushed and looked down at her legs. “Thanks. I was a little hesitant to wear this skirt because it’s so short, but I decided to go for it.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“My ex hated this skirt. He said it was trashy.”

My hands flexed. “You ex was a fucking idiot.”

“He was. But lucky for me, he’s gone, and I no longer care what he thinks about my clothes. I like this skirt, so I’m going to wear it.”

“My ex hated all my shirts with holes. I think that’s why I still wear them.”

She laughed. “I will love it even more every time I see a hole in your shirt.”

When our drinks had been poured, she picked up her glass and tugged at my elbow. “Let’s go sit with Mack and Frannie. They’re at our table.”

I walked behind her, admiring her pert little ass in that glittering skirt and trying not to drool. The crotch of my pants was already growing tight.

Respectable gentleman. Respectable gentleman. Respectable gentleman, I repeated in my head.

So far, it was not going well.

At the table designated for the family, Mack and Frannie sat chatting with Meg and Noah. “I saved these for us,” Sylvia said, indicating two empty chairs. “And those are for Chloe and Oliver and April, if she ever gets a break.”

“Thanks.” I sat down, and she slid onto the chair beside me. It was obvious Frannie knew what was going on with us, because she was giving her sister a look that was like winking without the actual wink.

I took a pretty big swallow of whiskey. “Where are the kids sitting tonight?”

“They have their own table by the band,” Frannie said, glancing in that direction. “The girls are insisting they can make it to midnight, but I’ve got my doubts.”

“If Winnie falls asleep, we can just stick her on the couch in the office, like we used to do with you,” Sylvia said with a laugh.