"Bricker!" Sam squawked, flushing bright pink as she glanced from the enforcer to Cale with a mortification he suspected wouldn't be nearly as strong had he, a stranger, not been present.
"Oh, right," Bricker muttered, glancing back toward him with a sigh that suggested he'd briefly forgotten Cale's presence. "Sam, Mortimer, this is Cale Valens. Cale, this is Garrett Mortimer and Sam Willan."
"Cale," Mortimer said slowly, offering a hand, and then recognition lit his face. "Martine Argeneau's son."
"Yes." Cale shook the offered hand politely and then glanced again to Sam. Much to his surprise, the embarrassment that had been coloring her face a moment ago appeared to have slipped away, replaced with an interest that was sharp and focused.
"Are you single, Mr. Valens?" Sam asked as she moved forward to shake his hand as well.
Cale raised an eyebrow at the blunt question, but glanced to Bricker when he released a short, sharp laugh.
"I see your agreeing to turn hasn't dampened your determination to see Alex settled with an immortal, Sam," Bricker commented with amusement, then warned Cale, "Look out. She'll be holding a dinner party and introducing the two of you by week's end."
"Well, why not?" Sam sounded a touch defensive. "You never know. They might suit each other."
"Honey," Mortimer said on a sigh, "the chances of Alex's being a possible life mate for an immortal are pretty slim. It's amazing that Jo turned out to be Nicholas's life mate. It's very rare to find three mortal sisters who suit-"
"Chances shmances," Sam interrupted firmly. "Besides, there's no harm in introducing them and seeing if they wouldn't suit. Alex would make a good immortal. She's smart, successful, and already works nights. I'll just call her and see if she can come over for dinner." Sam started to turn away, but Mortimer caught her arm.
"Why don't we find out why Cale is here and see if he even has time to stay for dinner first?" he suggested quietly.
Sam hesitated, but then glanced to Cale. "Can you stay for dinner?"
When he nodded, she grinned and then whirled away again.
"Thank you for humoring her," Mortimer said on a sigh, as they watched her cross the room.
Cale shrugged. "I am not humoring her so much as Marguerite."
"Marguerite?" Sam stopped abruptly in the kitchen doorway and spun around, her already large eyes appearing even larger in her startled face.
Cale's eyebrows lifted. The woman was almost vibrating with an emotion he couldn't quite identify. He was about to read her mind when Mortimer captured his attention by echoing her exclamation in a deeper, though no less startled, voice.
"Marguerite?"
Cale glanced to the man, and then to Bricker, both of whom were now peering at him with intense interest. Grimacing, he admitted, "Marguerite seems to have a bee in her bonnet about me meeting Sam's sister, Alex."
"She does?" Sam breathed, taking several steps toward them.
Cale found himself shifting uncomfortably as he admitted, "Yes. She seems to think we might suit each other ... I expect she's wrong, but it can't hurt to humor her and meet your sister to see one way or the other."
"I'll have Alex come over at once!" Sam spun away again, this time making it out of the room before anyone spoke.
A snort of amusement brought Cale's glance to Bricker as the younger immortal asked, "You're kidding right?"
"About what?" Cale asked, scowling. He didn't like being laughed at, and the younger man was definitely laughing. He was also eyeing him with a combination of pity and, strangely, what appeared to be envy.
"About not expecting Marguerite to be right," Bricker explained, and then slapped him on the back. "Buddy, if Marguerite is having one of her 'feelings' that you and Alex will suit, you're as good as mated. It's what Marguerite does. She finds life mates for anyone and everyone she can. She's hooked up every single couple who have found each other the last few years."
"Every Argeneau couple," Mortimer corrected firmly. "She was not responsible for Sam and me."
"Yeah, well I wouldn't be too sure about that," Bricker said dryly. "She probably suggested Lucian send us to that job in cottage country in the hopes that one of us would suit one of the sisters."
Mortimer rolled his eyes at the suggestion. "She couldn't have known about Sam and her sisters. I don't think she's even been to Decker's cottage."
"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Bricker asked with amusement.
"Tell me what?" Mortimer asked, suddenly wary.