Read Online The Wedding Guest (Colorado Billionaires Book 5) by Regina Duke - Free Book Online Page A

watching him intently, he rolled his shoulders. “I’m fine. We’ll find Pearl, and then Brewster will be fine as well.” He paused, and his eyes grew soft. “I had a great time yesterday.”
    “Me, too.” Madlyn blushed. She looked away awkwardly. “I told Vicky I’d bring her some tea.” She shifted her gaze around the common room. “Silly name for this room,” she said softly. “It’s the least common room I’ve ever been in.” The elegant Victorian furniture gave the room a formal air, and yet the fabrics were so pleasant and plush, they invited one to linger.
    “It’s nice.” Kirby nodded.
    “Understatement of the year.”
    Kirby smiled and shrugged. “When you hang out with billionaires, you see a lot of luxury.” He heard another squawk and turned his gaze to the staircase.
    “Tea?” asked Madlyn.
    Kirby was torn. He felt he should be upstairs helping Brewster, but he wasn’t ready to end this moment with Madlyn. Her skin glowed with the exertion of her recent outing, her cheeks sported a natural blush, and her marvelous, outrageous hair billowed around her shoulders. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch it.
    Madlyn offered him a cup of hot tea. He smiled at her and felt like a fool. Why couldn’t he talk to her? Why couldn’t he tell her the truth about himself? He cleared his throat. “You know, not all rich people are like that.”
    “Like what?”
    He put his index finger on the tip of his nose and tilted it upward.
    Madlyn laughed, dipping tea bags into hot water.
    Kirby said, “I know lots who are just regular people with fat bank accounts. Imagine for a moment that you’re checking your bank account online. Just close your eyes and imagine that.”
    Madlyn smiled and did as he asked. “Yikes. Remind me not to write any checks while I’m here.”
    Kirby grinned. “Now, take the number in your bank account and add four zeros to it.”
    Madlyn frowned, her eyes still closed. “That’s a much bigger number.”
    “Yes. But you’re the same person, right?”
    Eyes still closed, Madlyn tilted her head to one side. “I guess.” She opened her eyes. “Except for my ability to write big checks without fear.”
    “There you go,” said Kirby. “And if you’re not looking at your bank balance, you’re otherwise a normal human being.” He spread his hands as if that answered all the questions of the world.
    Madlyn said, “You really like your boss, don’t you? He must be a very nice man.”
    Kirby’s heart sank. How was he ever going to tell her the truth about himself? And would she even talk to him after that? He’d enjoyed their day together more than he’d ever thought possible. They’d talked for hours, laughing and sharing, and yet he’d managed to say nothing about the reality of his life. He’d been so focused on Madlyn, so intent on learning more about her and her life. She was the most genuine woman he’d ever met. What would she think when she learned that Brewster was the employee and he was the boss? Would she forgive him for not telling her sooner? He was about to take the plunge when Brewster returned, crestfallen.
    Kirby asked, “No luck?”
    Brewster’s voice was strained. “I can hear her squawking, but I can’t find her. This is so distressing!”
    Madlyn frowned, recalling the brochures she’d read in the annex. “Hey, maybe she’s hiding out in the secret room!”
    Kirby and Brewster stared at her as if she’d gone mad.
    Madlyn picked up a historical brochure from its display case on the sideboard and turned pages until she found the passage she was looking for. “Here it is. See? This house was part of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. There’s a stained glass window in the entryway, and this book has a picture of it. Right there.” She pointed to a color photo. “That pattern was a signal to escaping slaves that this was a safe house. They would come in the front door, and the arrow on the floor would point them to a