Connor really wanted to meet this psychopathic dirtbag and smash his face in. He had every intention of doing it, but that happy moment would have to wait.
The Big Band orchestra had been playing softly for the past half hour as people streamed into the ballroom, but now the conductor tapped his baton and the music burst into high gear. Couples began to fill the dance floor. The lines at all four bars were growing and the crowd in front of the appetizers and dessert tables were now three deep.
So where the hell was Maggie?
“I’ll be back,” Connor told his brothers, but he hadn’t taken ten steps before he ran into Lucinda.
“Hi, Connor,” she said breathlessly, taking hold of his arm. “Don’t you look dashing tonight. Oh, but you’re not leaving, are you?”
“Hey, Lucinda. I’ve gotta run out for a minute, but I’ll be back.”
“Oh, good.” She smiled shyly. “I expect to dance with you at least once tonight.”
“Sure thing,” he said in a rush, then stopped abruptly. “Sorry. Don’t know where my manners went. You look really nice, too, Lucinda.”
“Thank you, Connor,” she said, beaming at him. “That’s sweet of you.”
“I’ll be back.”
“Okay,” she said, but he was already halfway across the room.
But before he could escape, he was flagged down by Bob Milburn, the mayor of Point Cairn, who wanted to discuss the amount the MacLarens planned to contribute to the annual Christmas parade and party the town held every year. Connor had to endure five long minutes of mindless chatter before Jake and Ian finally rescued him.
“Sorry to interrupt you two, Ian said briskly. “But we need to pull Connor away to discuss some family business.”
“Sure thing,” Bob said amiably. “See you boys around.”
As soon as the mayor was out of hearing range, Connor let out the breath he’d been holding. “Damn, I thought he would never stop talking.”
“We saw you floundering,” Ian said.
Jake grinned. “You looked pretty desperate.”
“I was.” He glanced around the room again, then checked his wristwatch. “Listen, I’ve really got to go find Maggie.”
Jake grabbed Connor’s arm to keep him from dashing off. “That won’t be necessary.”
“Whoa,” Ian whispered.
“Guess you were right, bro,” Jake murmured. “She did show up.”
Connor turned and spotted Maggie standing on the threshold of the farthest doorway from where they stood.
“Wow,” Jake said reverently.
“About time she showed up,” Connor muttered, then couldn’t say another word, just continued to stare as she walked into the room. She was a vision in pale pink, so sexy and gorgeous he wasn’t sure if she was real or just a hallucination of his addled mind.
Her strapless gown clung to her stunning breasts in a gravity-defying miracle of sparkling pink and crystal beads. At her waist, the beads disappeared and the dress flowed in a wispy column to the floor. Her gorgeous hair was held up by some pins with a few tendrils allowed to hang loose and curl around her shoulders