You Say It First. Susan Mallery

      Alan shook his head. “Silly man. That’s a regular princess wedding. This is a Regency princess wedding. They’re totally different.”

      “They don’t sound that different.”

      “The Regency era is a specific period in history. Do you remember Pride and Prejudice? There have been maybe fifty different movie versions. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy?”

      Nick thought a girlfriend or two may have made him watch something about that couple. “Maybe.”

      Alan sighed. “Despite your lack of knowledge, the Regency wedding requires specific dress and music and food. The princess wedding is much more ‘I am a princess and I wear a poufy dress.’”

      Nick shrugged. “Whatever.”

      Alan stepped closer. “Fine. Let me put it in terms your artist brain can understand. Turquoise and cobalt are hardly the same color yet they can both be called blue. It’s like that.”

      “Why didn’t you say so in the first place? That makes sense. So what do you want from me?”

      “To wear stockings and knee breeches and a floppy hat.”

      Nick put down his sandpaper. “You’re kidding.”

      Alan smiled. “Do I look like I’m kidding? The J’s have a tournament. Football, I think.”

      “Basketball,” Nick corrected, wondering how awful the costume was going to be. He wasn’t totally sure what knee breeches were but sure didn’t like the sound of them. Would they be better or worse than a toga?

      Of course if the J’s were busy, then Pallas was probably shorthanded.

      “I’m in,” he said. “Tell me when and where.”

      “That’s what I was hoping to hear. Tomorrow. Be here at two.” The older man hesitated. “You like her.”

      Nick thought about their brief kiss and how much fun they’d had at The Boardroom a few nights before. Her competitive streak had been unexpected, but enjoyable.

      “We’re friends,” he said as casually as he could. “You’ve known her awhile. What’s her story?”

      Alan folded his arms across his chest. “You mean where was she born and did she ever want a pony when she was little?”

      Not at all what he’d been asking. “No.”

      “I thought not. Let me be clear. While I appreciate you helping with the weddings and restoring the panels, I’m team Pallas, all the way.”

      “She doesn’t need protecting from me.”

      “Neither of us know if that’s true or not, do we?”

      Nick realized Alan had a point. “I would never hurt her on purpose.”

      “Sometimes people don’t even have to try. It just happens.”

      “Point taken. So there’s no guy?”

      “You’re persistent.” Alan smiled. “Have you met Libby yet?”

      “No.”

      “Libby explains a lot. She taught her daughter that love had to be earned. All love. It was never freely given. Which means that sometimes love is more trouble than it’s worth.”

      Interesting, Nick thought, but it didn’t answer his question. “Is there a guy?” he asked again.

      Alan smiled. “Nuance isn’t your thing, is it?” He started for the door. “If you want to know anything else, ask the lady yourself.”