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I sent Max my address and then shoved the phone in my bra for safekeeping. I couldn’t risk missing another cancellation or delay just because the dress Nan forced me to wear had no pockets.No pockets!What kind of dress has no pockets?

Octo-Cat sauntered into the kitchen with a smug look stretched between his whiskers.“I left you a present on your bedspread,” he announced with a chuckle.

Please be a hairball and not a dead animal, I mentally pleaded, choosing not to directly acknowledge my jerk of a cat. Yes, I knew he was upset about the shelter cats being in his room, but I also didn’t have time for this.

I’d deal with this “present” of his later.

People would start arriving any minute, and I needed to make sure everyone had the time of their life. Happy partiers meant big donations, and the animal shelter could sorely use every single dollar they could get.

My job tonight was to get those dollars.

Game on.

Chapter Three

Five minutes before the event was scheduled to begin, a hand grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back.

I spun to see my grandmother wearing a floor-length gown in hot pink with a large billowing skirt and an incredibly low neckline. She’d completed the look with a pair of ruby stud earrings and a tiara, which was nestled beautifully before a mountain of gray curls that had been piled on top of her head, adding at least three inches to her height.

“You look amazing,” I whispered breathlessly. Leave it to my seventy-something grandmother to look sexier than not-quite-thirty-yet me.

“And you look much better now, too,” she said with an approving gaze.

“Where have you been? It’s almost go time.”

“Hey, it takes time to look this good.” And then perhaps realizing how vain this sounded, she added, “This will be the first time Grant sees me all gussied up. I had to go big. There’s—”

“No going home,” we both finished together, then giggled.

“I’ll be the floater tonight. Can you be the greeter?” Nan motioned toward the door.

“And I suppose you want me to take their coats, too?”

“That would be perfect,” she said with a grin. “See, you’re a natural!”

And with that, she swept into the main room to check over details I’d already personally attended to, leaving me to wait for our first guests so I could roll out the one-woman welcoming committee as instructed.

The order of events was to be as follows:

Formal Auction

Formal Dinner

5K Fundraiser

Dance Party

Both pet adoptions and the silent auction would be happening all night long. The silent auction had been stationed in the upstairs hallway, and the pets were waiting nearby in Octo-Cat’s bedroom with their two designated volunteers. Yes, there were two different styles of auction for the event—and, yes, it was most definitely confusing.

Although we had a rather stately home, every square foot of space would be filled that night.

Sure enough, guests flooded into our home the moment those doors opened. I lost track of time as I exchanged hellos, took coats, and directed everyone to the formal auction in the next room.

Hello. Coat? Auction!

Again and again it went.

Nan’s boyfriend, Mr. Grant Gable, came to help me at some point when he saw how overwhelmed I had become keeping up. More than likely Nan had sent him over.

“What a party!” he said with that warm grin of his. His cufflinks sparkled with what appeared to be real diamonds. I’d expect nothing less from the proud jeweler.

“If everyone offers some kind of donation, the shelter will be in great shape after tonight,” I agreed. “I thought this Frankensteined event would be too much, but apparently folks in Glendale like to live a little dangerously.”

He chuckled.“That’s your nan for you. She doesn’t do anything halfway.”

Someone bumped into me from behind, knocking me right into Mr. Gable.Oof.

“Sorry. Setup’s pretty heavy. By the way, I’ll need my payment up front.” The guy set his load on the floor, almost dropping it on my foot in the process, and pushed a greasy lock of overgrown hair from his face.

“You must be Max,” I said, putting on my best, most tolerant smile as I appraised his holey jeans and wrinkled T-shirt.

“Yeah.” He sniffed, but didn’t offer his hand in greeting. Probably for the best, considering how much dirt appeared to be caked under those nails of his.

“Um, did no one tell you about the black-tie theme?” I asked before I could stop myself.

Max shrugged and sniffed again.“They told me. That’s why I’m wearing a black shirt. See.”

“Ah ha. Yes, I see.”

“C’mon, young man,” Mr. Gable intervened, tossing me a wink as he put his hand on Max’s back and pointed him in the direction of the living room. “I’ll take you where you need to go.”

“Thank you,” I mouthed when the charming old-timer glanced back over his shoulder and gave me a thumbs up.