“That’s not why I have a problem with him.”

“Your mother suffered from clinical depression. It was a chemical imbalance in her brain. Your father didn’t cause that. You didn’t either.”

Nathan had heard that from Ben before, but the guilt still ate at him. “She was under more pressure than she could handle.”

Ben held his gaze for a long moment. “No one could have stopped her from taking her own life. Not your father. Not you.”

Nathan knocked back the rest of his brandy as he tried to believe that. He placed the snifter carefully on the table before he met Ben’s eyes again. “Are you going to the wedding?”

Ben nodded. “Are you?”

“Against my better judgment, yes.”

Ben sat up in the chair, surprise written on his face. “Why?”

Nathan relaxed enough to let a faint smile curl his lips. “Someone talked me into it.”

“Since it wasn’t me, I sense the hand of Ed,” Ben said, reaching for his coffee.

“You’d be wrong. Chloe persuaded me. In fact, she’s my date for the wedding.”

His friend choked on the hot beverage.

Nathan enjoyed Ben’s reaction. “By the way, she doesn’t work for me anymore.” For now.

Ben grabbed a napkin to dab at the spewed coffee on his shirt. “Hell, Nathan, you can’t throw that poor woman into the viper pit that’s your relationship with the general. For one thing, she’ll run screaming as far away as she can get.”

“You underestimate Chloe. She has an interesting theory that my father wants to share this new phase of his life with me.”

Ben tossed the crumpled napkin on the table. “How could she have a theory? She’s never met the man.”

Nathan refilled his glass and took a sip of brandy, letting the heat of it join the alcohol already warming his stomach. He hadn’t drunk this much since the night at the Bellwether Club. “She wasn’t afraid of me. She won’t be cowed by my father.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to get in the middle of your power struggle.”

“He’s an officer. He’ll behave at his own wedding.”

“It’s you I’m worried about,” Ben said. “Why Chloe?”

Nathan was about to tell him it was none of his business until he remembered what a crap friend he’d been recently. “She’s not Teresa.”

“Is that supposed to be an answer?”

“I thought Teresa wasn’t interested in the trappings. She lied about that.” Nathan stared into the golden liquor in his glass. “Chloe really isn’t interested. She considers them a barrier, not a bonus.”

For once Ben had no smart comeback, and Nathan found himself wanting to talk about her. “I met her grandmother today. Grandmillie didn’t approve of me.”

Ben snorted. “What grandmother wouldn’t want you as a grandson-in-law?”

“Getting ahead of ourselves, aren’t we?”

“You’re the one meeting her family already.”

“It seems only fair, since she’ll be meeting mine.”

Ben gave a bark of laughter. “I’d like to know the lady who feels you aren’t good enough for her granddaughter. It would be refreshing. What did you do to put her off?”

“Exerted every ounce of my charm.”

“Well, that explains it then.” Ben turned his coffee cup on its saucer a few rotations before he looked up at Nathan. “Are you sure Chloe isn’t just smarter than Teresa?”

Again, Nathan quashed the urge to tell Ben to go to hell. He scanned through all of his encounters with Chloe from the moment Roberta had introduced them to Chloe’s rebuff of him in the kitchen that evening. She’d known exactly who he was from the get-go, and she’d actually tried to extricate herself from his sickroom on several occasions. He considered her openness about asking to be paid for her time, and then refusing compensation once they’d become involved.

But what really convinced him was her lovemaking. There was no artifice, no choreographed performance to impress him. Chloe was all fire and fun. A wave of longing roared through him and he shook his head. “She’s smart, all right. But not in that way.”

“If you say so.” Ben went back to spinning his cup. “It will be interesting to watch you, Chloe, and the general square off.”

Nathan debated for a few seconds. He’d planned to make love to Chloe on the jet, but he’d also resolved to be a better friend to Ben. “I’m taking the jet. Want to hitch a ride?”

“Is Ed coming?”

Nathan felt like a jerk. Of course, Ed would be going. He’d served under his father. But Nathan hadn’t asked. He’d been so caught up in Chloe, he couldn’t think of anything else. “I don’t know.”

“Well, if Ed’s going, I’m in. If not, I don’t want to be the third wheel.”

“Give me a minute.” Nathan shoved himself away from the dinner table to walk across the dining room and into the kitchen.

Ed and the chef were sitting at a round table in a corner of the kitchen, drinking coffee from thick white mugs, while a young man washed pots and pans in the gleaming stainless-steel sink. All three looked startled when Nathan appeared. Ed put his mug down. “Do you need more coffee?” he asked, starting to stand.

Nathan shook his head and waved him back into his chair. “No, I’ve been an ass.”