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too, Kate!" The man was sounding a tad testy, but Bastien managed not to laugh. He supposed he'd be testy, too, if a toilet had fallen on him.
    "And the minute they heard what had happened, they started fretting over what to do about the conference in California."
    "They want you to go in his place," Lucern guessed unhappily.
    "Yes." Kate didn't sound too pleased, either. She rubbed a hand lightly over Lucern's chest. "This is a five-day conference, but I'm flying in the day before and not returning until the morning after, so it's a week. I'm going to miss you, my love."
    "No, you won't." Lucern pressed a firm kiss to her forehead. "I'm coming with you."
    "You are?" Her face lit up like the sky on the Fourth of July. "Oh, Lucern!"
    The couple immediately indulged in another kiss. Bastien was expecting another of their marathon kissing sessions, but much to his surprise, Kate broke the kiss after only a moment. She headed for the elevator, dragging Lucern behind her. "We haven't a minute to lose. We need to pack and book another seat on the flight for you, and—"
    "Er… Kate?" Bastien called, halting the pair as they arrived at the elevator and pressed the button. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
    Kate turned back with a questioning expression as the elevator doors opened. Her gaze slid over the inhabitants of the room, then landed on Terri. "Oh, Terri!" She rushed back to clasp her cousin's hands. "I'm terribly sorry about all this. I know you flew over here to help with things, but there's no one else who can go, and really there's nothing to do for the wedding anyway—everything's taken care of. Just enjoy yourself, relax and tour New York. Have a good time. Please don't hate me."
    "Of course I don't hate you," Terri laughed, giving her a hug. "Of course you have to go. Besides, I rather dumped myself on you without warning. It's okay, go on. I'll be fine."
    "Er, Kate?" Bastien said as the two women broke apart. When his soon-to-be sister-in-law glanced toward him, he gestured to the couch where her coworker sat, leg elevated. He hadn't meant Terri was whom she'd forgotten; it hadn't occurred to him that some apology or explanation should be made to the woman. Work was work. It was C.K. he thought Kate had forgotten about.
    "Oh!" Her eyes widened on Chris. "I'm sorry. I forgot to ask."
    "Ask what?" Bastien queried, afraid he already knew.
    "Chris can't go back to his apartment until it's repaired, and he has nowhere to stay. You have Mrs. Houlihan to look after him and… well, I was hoping he could stay here. If you didn't mind," she added.
    "Of course he doesn't mind." Lucern moved forward to take his fiancée's hand and lead her back to the elevator as he said, "Bastien can always be counted on in a pinch. He'll take care of everything on this end, and he'll even send the things we'll need once we're there."
    Bastien frowned, oddly displeased by those words despite their truth. He was the one everyone always turned to. They did all count on him. And, in this instance, he would certainly send the "things" they would need in California. Namely, blood. But while he usually had no problem being the one everyone counted on, for some reason Lucern's assuming that as usual he would take care of things, was rather annoying.
    "We'll call when we get to California," Lucern assured him, pressing a button on the elevator panel.
    Bastien stared as the metal elevator doors slid closed, then turned slowly to survey his guests. Terri was standing beside him, looking a little lost. He didn't blame her. She had taken the last of her vacation time and flown all the way here from England to help with her cousin's wedding, but Kate wasn't going to be around.
    Chris was shifting uncomfortably on the couch, looking as if he'd rather be uninjured and on a plane to California. Who wouldn't?
    And Vincent was standing by the editor, glancing from him to Terri as if trying to decide who would make the tastier snack. Bastien wasn't surprised