Only You (Stevens Book 12)

Chapter 21

The party was in full swing, and as much as Mave wanted to hang onto Sam, she forced herself to move away from him and talk with other guests. Many were her family and friends, but some were known only to Sam.

She knew the smartest thing to do would be to meet as many of his friends as possible and see if any of them were familiar to her, and as she worked the room, she started to relax. No one felt threatening to her. In fact, everyone seemed pleased for her and Sam, saying it was about time that one of Savannah's most eligible bachelors was getting married. The women gushed over her ring and told her how lucky she was, and the men joked that now they finally had a chance with the women of the city.

At one point Beth joined her and thanked her for taking one for the team, saying that she was so pleased she never had to have such a party. Mave could have reminded her about how hurt the family was when she and Wyatt married and didn't tell them until well afterward, so there was no chance of a party, but she wasn't in the mood to bring up past hurt.

About two hours into the party, Mave found herself alone at the empty bar, which Lincon was tending because Henry wasn't taking any chances, and it didn't take long for a man she didn't recognize to join her.

"Congratulations, Mave," the handsome man said before he ordered a drink from Lincoln. "I'm betting you don't remember me?" He took a moment to study the scar on her cheek, not the least covert in examining her face.

Mave looked at him and searched her memory. "I'm sorry, I don't." She softened the blow with her most charming smile.

"I'm Thomas, one of Sam's oldest friends," the handsome man turned to her with a charming smile. "Sam brought you to a few parties at my parent's beach house years ago when we were younger."

Mave sipped her water and nodded as she tried to read the man. What struck her as odd was that she wasn't getting any type of vibe from him. He didn't seem to care one way or the other about her. There also wasn't anything familiar about him. He seemed nice enough and clean-cut. Nothing negative struck her about the man.

"Yes, Sam mentioned he had lunch with you the other day." Mave nodded.

"He did." Thomas sounded pleased but then quickly curbed the emotion.

"Sam told me then that he was an engaged man. I was happy for him." Thomas leaned forward and placed his hand on Mave's arm in a friendly way while looking around covertly like he was about to tell a secret. "I tried to get him to go out with the lovely waitresses, but he was having none of it even though they were drop-dead gorgeous. I think you found a keeper."

Wow, Mave thought. Not sure if that was a compliment or an insult.

"Thank, I think so," Mave said, turning away from Thomas and asking Lincoln for a refill.

"I met your sister, Tammy. She waited on us at our party planning lunch." Mave wanted to see if he had a reaction when she mentioned Tammy, and he didn't seem to care. Frowning at his lack of emotion for anything other than Sam, she thanked Lincoln, who had set her drink on the bar.

Thomas ignored Mave's mention of his sister and reached out, placing his hand on Mave's arm again. He directed her attention toward Sam, who was standing with her parents.

"Your parents are taken with him. That's good," Thomas said as he turned and placed his drink on the bar. "That's half the battle."

"My family loves him," Mave assured Thomas as she turned to get her drink, catching Lincoln's eye. He looked pointedly at Thomas, whose back was still turned in their direction, as he looked at Sam and then Mave's drink.

Had he drugged her? Mave's eyes quickly went to Thomas, who was watching Sam with something close to hatred in his eyes. Mave instinctively let go of her drink, but Lincoln shook his head and pushed it back toward her.