“What’s the turnaround time?”
“Two weeks. They already lined up a caterer, waitstaff, etc. They do need an anniversary cake, so I’ll give her your info. This could be great for potential new clients as well. For both of us.”
“A Navy guy, huh? Maybe you can ask him about your mystery man.”
“Yeah right,” Caitlyn said with a laugh. “This guy is an admiral. I don’t know much about the military, but I doubt an admiral is in charge of a Navy SEAL team. Usually there’s an entire chain of command. And I don’t think officers mingle with the regular enlisted guys anyway.”
“So ask the wife,” Harper teased. “She probably knows a lot of people over there.”
Caitlyn pressed her lips together, shaking her head. “No can do. I figure if I run into Troy again somewhere, it’s fate. I’ll give him my number then. Shoot, I’ll ask him out myself. But I’m not going to drive myself crazy looking for a man I spent half an hour with.”
“Suit yourself,” Harper said with a wink.
“No. You are not going to track him down either. No way, no how.”
“Hun, you’ve been pining over this guy for weeks. I’ve never seen you so hung up on a man you barely know. If that’s not fate, what is?”
“Not losing his number? Running into him somewhere around town? Having him walk in the front door?” Caitlyn brushed her red waves back behind her ear. “It’s silly, really. He could be a total jerk. Maybe he was just acting nice before, trying to get me to tell him my number. Anyway, my cast is off, I can finally catch up on the zillion and one things I need to do, and I’ve got a huge new event to plan. Men will just have to wait.”
“Not for me,” Harper said. “I met a guy down the block from the bakery who’s a personal trainer. I’m going to sign up for some up close and personal training sessions.”
Caitlyn shook her head. Maybe it was because of all the wedding cakes she’d been baking lately, but she swore Harper had a one-track mind sometimes.
“Shoot, I need to get going anyway,” Harper said. “We should do lunch again soon.”
“Absolutely. I’ll catch up with you later!”
An hour later, Caitlyn was alone in the office when the admiral’s wife came walking in at the arranged time. She was escorted by two men who, although not in uniform, looked both military and all business in the dark suits they had on.
“Ms. Rice? Hi, I’m Caitlyn Thomas,” she said, standing up from her desk and walking over.
“Caitlyn, hi,” the woman said, walking over and shaking her hand. “I’m Evelyn Rice. I hope you don’t mind, I had to bring two federal agents who work with my husband along with me.”
Caitlyn nodded, looking uncertainly over at the two men. One went back outside, waiting near the front door, and the other sat down on the plush sofa in the small lobby area of her business. “Of course, it’s fine. Is everything okay? I’d expected you to come alone or possibly with your husband.”
The older woman frowned for a moment but nodded. She looked to be nearing fifty, and Caitlyn noticed the dark circles under her eyes. Even though she appeared polished and put together, the woman also looked tired. “Everything is all right. They’re just here as a precaution because of some security issues we’ve had lately. It’s nothing you’ll need to be concerned about as far as planning our anniversary party, but they are with me for most of the day.”
“I see,” Caitlyn said uncertainly. “Why don’t you have a seat and we can discuss your vision for the party and what else needs to be taken care of. I know your original event planner already made arrangements for certain items.” She escorted the woman over to one of the stylish chairs in front of her desk. She’d had fun decorating her office when she’d first set it up. It was tasteful and sophisticated, with a few touches of trendy mirrored surfaces and plush seating. The wide-plank wooden floors warmed up the space with their rich color, and the large coffee table in the lobby had catalogs and photo albums showcasing some of her events.
“Can I get you a coffee?” Caitlyn asked.
“Oh, that would be wonderful. My youngest is a toddler and not sleeping well at night.”
Caitlyn nodded, slightly surprised. Apparently, she hadn’t been able to conceal the expression on her face, because Evelyn laughed. “Our oldest is in college. The little guy was a surprise. He’s in daycare right now and won’t be at the anniversary party, of course. It’ll be an upscale affair with military officers and their spouses, some of our family, and a few of our closest friends. I’d love to keep it small, but duty calls. When you’re an officer’s wife, you get used to being married to the military.”
“I understand,” Caitlyn said. “We don’t plan military functions too often, but it sounds like this will be more akin to a regular party?”
“That’s correct. We’re celebrating our twenty-fifth anniversary, but there will be lots of military officers there in attendance. And as I mentioned, we will have some federal agents, unless this situation suddenly blows over. They’re NCIS. It’s nothing to be concerned about, but my husband is an admiral, so sometimes extra security is used at events or when needed.”
Caitlyn handed the woman a steaming cup of coffee. Her own iced coffee was sitting on her desk. She took a sip of it as she sat down, and they spent the next hour going over the remaining details for the party. With only two weeks until the event, there wasn’t much time. Fortunately, the other planner had been
