To Have And To Hold: The Wedding Belles Book 1 by Lauren Layne Page A

mistaking the flash of agony on Grant’s face at Maya’s pronouncement.
    “Seth told me the good news. Congratulations,”Grant said, his flat tone indicating he was feeling anything but celebratory about Maya’s announcement.
    The men silently shook hands, and the unspoken challenge there was like déjà vu from when Seth and Neil had first met.
    Maya looked at Neil lovingly. “Neil, babe, this is Grant Miller. He’s my brother’s best friend. Well, and one of mine, too. We grew up together, so he’s practically like a second brother.”
    Neil nodded in acknowledgment of this. Grant said nothing.
    Maya finally seemed to realize that something was amiss but was clearly clueless as to how to fix it as she looked helplessly between the two men. Brooke stepped forward and extended a hand to Grant. “Hi there. I’m Brooke Baldwin. The wedding planner.”
    Grant’s smile returned, not quite as bright as it was when he’d seen Maya but friendly nonetheless. “Ah yes. The
damned
wedding planner. I’ve heard all about you,” he said with a little wink. “Speaking of, where is the magnanimous Seth?”
    Now it was Brooke’s turn to be confused. Seth had talked to his friend about her?
    “He’s on the phone,” Maya said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “As always. Neil and I were just about to grab an early dinner. You should come!”
    “Thanks, but I have plans later,” Grant said, in what Brooke would have bet money was a smooth lie.
    “Ah,” Maya said. “Who’s your latest lady?”
    He clucked her playfully under the chin. “Nobody you know, Miss Nosy.”
    Maya giggled, Neil frowned, and Brooke wassuddenly feeling a little bit parched for a drink herself, preferably of the alcoholic variety. There was always drama in the wedding-planning world, but so far the world of Manhattan’s rich and famous had a whole other layer of subtext. She’d always thought the East Coast was made up of a bunch of straight shooters, but so far she’d only seen a whole lot of what people
weren’t
saying.
    “Shall we get going, sweetie?” Neil said, rudely interrupting Maya’s animated description to Grant of the various venues they’d looked at today.
    She glanced at him, her smile dimming. “Right. You must be starving. You sure you don’t want to tag along, Grant? Or Brooke?” she added politely.
    “Definitely not,” Grant said.
    Brooke shook her head with a polite smile.
    “Okay, well then. I’ll see you both later?” Maya said as Neil ushered her into the car. “Bye!”
    Then the car door closed, and Brooke lifted a hand in send-off. Grant, for his part, didn’t move as the town car pulled away from the curb.
    Brooke sighed and dropped her wedding planner into her oversized bag, and then, even though she’d known the guy for less than five minutes, found herself turning toward Grant. “You want to talk about it?”
    His eyes snapped to hers, and she watched as surprised wariness was quickly replaced by a mischievous grin. He glanced over her, although not in the lecherous, checking-her-out way, more in an “I have a plan” kind of way.
    He jerked his chin toward the hotel before them. “Seth still inside?”
    Brookeshrugged. “I suppose so. He said he had a phone call, and I haven’t seen him come out.”
    “Huh.” His expression turned even more speculative as he scratched his chin. “Brooke Baldwin, would you like to have a drink with me?”
    “Ah—”
    Grant held his palms out. “No funny business. Just two people in need of a drink. I’ll buy.”
    It was tempting. Very tempting. She did want that drink. But . . .
    “I’d like to,” she said, giving a regretful glance over her shoulder. “But there’s something I need to take care of first.”
    Grant gave a soft laugh. “If it’s giving Seth the dressing-down I’m sure the bastard deserves, can I be there to watch?”
    “I thought you two were friends.”
    “Oh, we are. Best friends,” he said, looping an arm casually around