Caught in the Frame (Ponderosa Pines Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) by ReGina Welling (novel24 .TXT) 📕

Glad to hear it, have fun, kittens are fat and happy.—Tallie.

There must be some secluded areas in that place—could be interesting.—Min.

Get it, girl. You’ll figure something out. Keep us posted!—V.

Chloe grinned; maybe they were right. Surely she and Nate could carve out some alone time, even if that meant a little sneaking around was in order. Now that she thought of it, some clandestine cuddling might even be fun.

Chapter 4

More soft pink marble—illuminated by the light of what seemed like a thousand flickering candles—formed an intricate, curved pathway into the castle’s spectacular oval-shaped dining room. A full wall of windows reflected the scene back onto itself, making the room appear twice as large, while the darkness of night rendered a fairy-tale view of rolling hillside invisible beyond.

Upon further inspection, only the rose-shaped tea lights ensconced in crystal holders at the center of each table were actually wax; flickering, flame-shaped bulbs in every other fixture negated the daunting task that would have been required to keep each one lit with real candles.

Smooth stone walls curled upward toward a dome of glass and iron, wrought in a filigree pattern and punctuated by more roses carved from marble. Truly stunning, the skylight served as a fitting topper to the opulent, multi-level room below. Kitchen staff moved deftly in and out of two swinging doors situated unobtrusively at one end of the hall. In order to get to guests seated near the elevated stage at the far end of the room, waiters were forced to arc around the sunken dance floor dominating the center. At this late hour, the kitchen was still serving dinner, but since most everyone had already cleared their plates, many couples twirled and swayed elegantly across the space. In another hour, the menu would be switching over to gourmet pub fare. If memory served, their duck fat fries with truffles were well worth the wait.

Chloe searched for Lila among the tables while the others stared, slack-jawed at the sight; she wasn’t immune to the magical scene spread before her, but since she had been here several times before, Chloe’s eyes were more capable of piercing through the crowd than anyone else’s.

Eventually, Chloe spotted her mother in the farthest, quietest corner of the room. Lila, dressed to the nines, leaned toward an unquestionably handsome man who grasped her dainty hand in his, Heads together, it was a tender moment. Chloe took the opportunity to observe the body language between the pair, before moving to join them at an intimate table tucked against the windowed wall. Lila was clearly smitten; that much Chloe already knew, so she brushed the thought aside and instead focused on Javier’s response to her mother’s gentle touches and sparkling-eyed glances.

From this vantage point, with the two completely unaware they were being watched—and also judged—Chloe would have been willing to bet Javier returned Lila’s love in kind. His awed smile conveyed an underlying incredulity at his good fortune; he was clearly dazzled, and it wasn’t hard to understand why. Lila was a blond flame, scorching nearly every man who had attempted to get close to her since Chloe’s father’s unfortunate passing more than thirty years before. Perhaps she was finally sated; Chloe took a certain amount of comfort at the thought.

“Over here,” she guided EV and Nate toward Lila’s table. When Lila turned her head and noticed them coming, Chloe tossed her a jaunty wave.

“Welcome, my loves.” Lila drawled, kissing Chloe, EV and Nate on each cheek in turn, then ushering them toward Javier for another round of niceties. “This is Javier, my fiancé.” Her tongue rolled over the word.

Chloe whirled to face Javier, taking in his deep, tawny skin, soft eyes the color of tanned leather, and perfectly symmetrical nose up close for the first time. For once, Lila had picked a man closer to her own age, but who, like herself, looked at least a decade younger. Perhaps it was a leisurely lifestyle that stalled the ravages of age, or maybe just good genes. Either way, Javier’s appearance was the perfect yin to Lila’s yang.

He rose to greet the new arrivals with a warm smile and a handshake. Chloe was glad he hadn’t gone for the awkward cheek kissing thing—or worse, a back of the hand kiss.

“I’m so happy to meet all of you.” His voice was smooth, with only the hint of an accent, which meant he’d probably spent a lot of time away from home. “Lila has told me many stories of her family and friends. Forgive me if this sounds rude, Chloe, but I feel like we are already family.”

Turning to Lila with an arched brow, Chloe made the dry comment, “She wasn’t quite as forthcoming with stories about you.” She turned back to Javier, “Tell me about yourself.” The words had the flavor of a dare; just the slightest confrontational edge.

Nate nudged her ankle under the table.

Before Chloe had a chance to push, EV said, “Lila tells us you work for a security company. That sounds like an interesting field. Do you do primarily residential or commercial work?” Reading Chloe’s aggression as protectiveness, she thought establishing Javier’s financial credentials might ease the notion that he was after Lila’s money. He wouldn’t have been the first man to find that aspect of her worth pursuing.

Answering for him, Lila said, “Javi owns Garritek.”

“I’ve heard of them. Excellent reputation,” Nate’s eyes went unfocused for a minute while he pinned down the particulars in his mind. “Global tech company. No defense contracts, but big in the private sector.” He shot Javier a raised eyebrow, “You guys work with some serious tech.” His tone was a high-five of admiration.

“We’ve done well over the years.” Javier downplayed his success in a self-deprecating way.

Not a pauper, then. Chloe thought. With that worry off her back, she determined to relax and try to enjoy the meal.

“Tell us how the two of you met.” EV said.

Lila and Javier exchanged besotted grins.

“It’s a funny