Page 57 of Auctioned To Be Mine

She laughed. “Okay. So. Mandy married Briggs, my cousin.”

I waited. “Mandy is the event planner.”

“She’s a wedding planner for the stars, yes.”

“Did you introduce them?” I asked.

She laughed. “Technically, yes, but I am not responsible for their marriage. They got blackout drunk in Vegas and got married.”

I blinked. “Really?”

“Yep. Neither remembered it, but they just did it again. It worked out beautifully. They’re disgustingly happy. But no one expected that from Briggs, the ultra-serious family attorney.”

“It sounds sweet.”

“As for the other cousins?” She sighed. “Adrian is the oldest. He runs the company for the most part. He married Elizabeth, who is an incredible designer. They recently had their first baby. Little boy named Buck, after his grandfather.” A sad smile crossed her face. “He was a really special person. The whole family felt his loss. Still does. Naming the baby after him was Elizabeth’s idea and it was exactly right.”

“That’s special,” I said quietly.

“And then Sebastian just had his wedding. He married Bernadette. That one was a proper wedding, very beautiful, very planned in advance, nobody was drunk when they said the vows.” She paused. “Although the reception got a little out of hand. That’s a whole story in and of itself, though.”

I laughed. I was going to need a spreadsheet. Or a family tree. Possibly both. “I’m going to have to write all of this down,” I said. “There’s going to be a quiz at some point and I’m already losing track of names.”

Cleo laughed. “The key is the names. Once you have the names down, everything else falls into place. There’s Dash and Krista as well. I think they’ll be there. They travel a lot.”

Drew and Callum joined us. Drew was a funny guy. I liked him and getting to know him explained a lot about the fire alarm situation. It was very him. He was one of those guys that was unapologetically himself.

The plane touched down in New York just after two in the afternoon. I hadn’t been in the city in a long time. A black Suburban was idling at the edge of the tarmac. The back door swung open before we’d even reached it and a woman climbed out who I immediately recognized from the photos Cleo had shown me on the plane—Mandy.

“Finally,” she said, throwing her arms around Cleo first and holding on for several seconds. “I have been dying. Do you know how long it’s been?”

“Six weeks,” Cleo said into her shoulder.

“Six weeks,” Mandy repeated like it was a prison sentence. She pulled back and looked at her and then her eyes found me. “You must be Victoria.” She said with a friendly smile.

“Hi,” I said. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you and this monumental project you guys have created.”

She hugged me. I wasn’t expecting it. I stood there for a second with my arms at my sides before I recovered and hugged her back.

“I’ve heard so much about you,” she said.

A man climbed out of the driver’s side and came around to collect our bags. He was tall and attractive and there was definitely a family resemblance. He shook hands with Drew and clapped Callum on the shoulder. “Briggs,” he said to me, extending his hand. “Good to meet you.”

“Victoria,” I said. “You too.”

Mandy looped her arm through mine and was steering me toward the SUV. “How was the flight? Did Cleo talk your ear off? She talks constantly on planes, I don’t know why. Something about altitude.”

“I do not,” Cleo said from behind us, indignant.

“You absolutely do.”

I laughed and loved their easy friendship. I’d been anxious the entire flight, rehearsing introductions in my head and worrying about whether I’d seem out of place. But Mandy made the anxiety dissolve before I’d even gotten in the car.

We piled in, Drew claiming the front seat before anyone else could think about it. I ended up in the middle row between Mandy and Cleo, which felt like being sandwiched between two forces of nature. Callum folded himself into the back row.

“How are you feeling?” Cleo asked Mandy, nodding at her midsection.

“Tired,” Mandy said. “And hungry constantly.” She patted her little baby bump. “Briggs has been making me breakfast every morning.”