Chapter 54
Grant
Grant barely had a moment to recover from landing the mining deal before he had to go to the Davenport wedding.
As he started packing, he grimaced, thinking about how his mother had helped him land that contract. He knew he couldn’t have done it without her, and that terrified him. He did not want to be reliant on Danielle. That was not a safe option.
At least he was able to present his case to the Norwegian shipping company about using Holbrook for their logistics. In contrast to the Ethiopians, doing business with the Norwegians was a clean, orderly, and positive experience.
“How is it so much easier dealing with northern Europeans than with East Africans?” he muttered. But he hadn’t been hired to go after European contracts. He had been hired to win one in a developing country. He still wanted this shipping contract, however. Fortunately, it looked as if it was going to happen. They were going to sign contracts after the wedding. Hopefully.
Now that he was back in the States, he would at the very least be able to spend time with Kate. He had been so ecstatic to see her. All the stress of dealing with his mother and the sales deals he was trying to land dissipated when he held her in his arms.
Stefan entered his room as he stared out the window while his thoughts wandered.
“No, no, you cannot wear that,” Stefan said, shooed Gus off of the makeshift bed he’d made in the pile of Grant’s clothes, and started repacking the suitcase.
The next afternoon, Grant and his father arrived at the Davenport estate in the Hudson River Valley. It was a large piece of land and contained, among other buildings, an enormous house. There was also a large pavilion outside, where the wedding would take place.
“The Davenports use this as an inn for retreats, weddings, and such,” Walter explained. “There is a farm-to-table restaurant with two Michelin stars. It’s the wife’s hobby.”
As they walked up the path to the large historic house, Walter called out, “There’s the man of the hour!”
Eric and Ginny waved and walked over to them.
“You’ve got quite a catch,” Walter said, shaking Eric’s hand.
“Yes, I did,” he replied, smiling down at Ginny.
Grant felt suddenly jealous. He wanted it to be him and Kate. He was forced to abandon that line of thought when two men wearing the tan service B uniforms approached them.
“My favorite nephews!” Walter exclaimed, bounding over and sweeping the two young men in a bear hug.
Both name tags said Holbrook, and by the insignia, Grant knew the lower-ranking one was Carter.
He looks like trouble, Grant thought. The other one must be Mark.
“So you’re our famous long-lost cousin,” Carter said, eyeing him critically.
“He’s a Medal of Honor recipient,” the older brother, Mark, chided. “It’s an honor to meet you, Grant.”
“I suppose I should salute you, but fuck you,” Carter said to him.
Grant doubled over laughing, while Mark looked appalled.
“You guys and your inside jokes,” Walter said, bemused.
Eric grinned at the three cousins. “I really shouldn’t have had you in my wedding. You’re going to upstage me in your uniforms.”
Carter threw an arm around his shoulders and said, “Yes, Eric. Yes, we will.”
Eric gave him a playful shove.
Carter caught himself then said, “Ginny, if you would like to downgrade your male selection, may I offer you an uneducated, soon-to-be-unemployed lance corporal?”
Ginny snatched his hat and put it on her head.
“You really aren’t selling it at all, Lance Corporal,” she told him coyly.
Carter grimaced. “In all honestly, I’m probably about to get busted down to private first class.”
“Again?” Walter said. “Dude, you need to straighten up.”
Grant felt out of place. They all knew each other and had known each other for decades. He felt like an imposter. He wished Kate were there. Where was she?
“We’ve got rehearsal in a little bit,” Eric reminded them.
“We’re still waiting on Kate,” Ginny said. “Brandy told me she’s running late.”
Grant wondered what happened. There wasn’t any traffic when he and his father had come over. Where could she be? He wondered if her absence had anything to do with the man who had attacked her on the trail on Martha’s Vineyard.
He texted her, feeling worried.
Are you okay? Where are you?
Thankfully, she immediately responded.
Fine. Running late.
He tried to put it out of his mind and not let his paranoia run rampant, and followed his cousins to the pavilion for the rehearsal.
Grant had never been in a wedding, and the wedding planner snapped at him when he wasn’t exactly on beat.
“Didn’t you learn how to march in the Marines?” she asked snidely.
“No, because I was too busy, you know, actually fighting,” he snapped.
Carter snickered, and the wedding planner gave him a nasty look.
“We don’t need the commentary. Let’s do it again.”
“Sorry,” Ginny said to him after the rehearsal. “She’s more stressed than I am, I think. All you need to do is stand there and look handsome!”
“It’s fine,” Grant lied. “It’s your big day. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
Ginny kissed him on the cheek and said, “You’re sweet. You’re going to make some lucky woman very happy.”