Grace clucked her tongue at the men as she joined them. "I swear, we should make all of them take a rudimentary dating course. It's a wonder any of you got married."
Julian offered his wife a devilish grin. "I didn't hear you complain when—"
She covered his mouth with her hand, then placed her son in his arms. "You two go home before you get into any more trouble."
"And you," Amanda said to Ash, "are old enough and wise enough to know better."
"I didn't do anything," Ash said, but there was a gleam in his silvery eyes that belied his denial.
"Yeah, right." Amanda shooed him toward the door.
Ash sauntered out as if greatly amused by the women.
Nick started out after him, but Amanda grabbed his arm.
"You wait here."
"Why?" Nick asked.
Amanda pulled a set of car keys out of his shirt pocket. "Because you are going to loan Vane your car tonight."
"Like hell. Since when can a wolf drive a Jag?"
Grace looked at Vane. "Can you drive?"
"Yes."
"It's settled, then," Grace said. She turned back to Nick. "Take the Jag to the car wash and for heaven's sake clean the McDonald's Happy Meal boxes out of it."
"Hey," Nick said, his face offended. "That's a low blow. Those boxes are collectibles."
Grace ignored him. "What time is your date?" she asked Vane.
"Six."
Amanda handed the keys to Nick. "Okay, Nick, have the car at the house by five-thirty."
"But, but—"
"No buts, just do it."
They forced Nick out the door, then turned to face Vane with hands on their hips.
It was a good thing Vane wasn't a goose. Even so, he felt thoroughly cooked when two women looked at him like that. He had a distinct feeling he was in for it.
"All right. You want to date a human?" Amanda asked.
He nodded.
"Then come with us and listen well."
Bride checked her watch. It was six on the nose and there was no sign of Vane.
"He'll be here," she told herself as she checked her hair and makeup again in the mirror while trying not to see anything below her chin.
If she did, she'd want to change clothes, and it had taken her a long time to get up the nerve to wear the low-cut, revealing dress Vane had liked. She opened the front door of her apartment only to find no sign of either Vane. Her wolf hadn't been back since he'd run off on her.
She hoped that wasn't a bad sign.
"Get a grip," she said to herself. She hadn't been this nervous in years.
But then she hadn't been this crazy over a man…
Ever.
Someone beeped a horn in front of her gate.
Bride frowned at the silver Jaguar that was idling there. Was that Vane's car? She grabbed her purse, locked the door, and crossed the courtyard to see a man in the driver's seat she didn't recognize.
"Can I help you?" she asked as she drew near.
Around her own age, the man was extremely good-looking, with about a day's growth of beard on his face. Dressed in a tacky blue Hawaiian shirt, he had dark brown hair and a charming grin.
"Are you Bride?" he asked.
"Yes."
He got out of the car and pulled his sunglasses off to show her a set of beautiful blue eyes. "Nick Gautier," he said, holding his hand out to her. "I'm your chauffeur, sort of."
"My chauffeur?"
"Yeah, Vane got tied up, and they told me to get my butt over here and make sure you got to the restaurant on time with no waiting. He said he'd meet you there."
Nick walked to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her.
Bride got in and adjusted her dress while Nick came around to the other side.
"Do you work for Vane?" she asked as he slammed his door shut.
Nick laughed out loud. "Nah. But I've learned not to argue with my boss's wife. She might look all nice and sweet, but she's a nasty thing when you get her riled. Amanda said for me to do this, so here I am not making her angry."
He threw the car in reverse and almost gave her whiplash as he spun it around and stomped on the accelerator.
Bride suddenly had second thoughts about being in the car with Nick. He was an odd man.
Who couldn't drive.
He drove them a few blocks over to Royal Street, which was now open for traffic, and pulled up in front of Brennan's Restaurant.
Bride expected Nick to get out again and open the door for her, but he didn't.
"He said he'd meet you inside as soon as he could."
"Okay." She let herself out.
Nick took off, tires squealing, the minute she was on the sidewalk.
Okay… he must have had something else to do.
Bride adjusted her beaded shawl around her bare shoulders and glanced about, hoping for a sign of Vane.
There wasn't one.