Alden lifted a hand in a magnanimous gesture. “Now, now. This isn’t the time or place to harbor resentment.”

“No,” I agreed. “It’s my nephew’s wedding.”

“Exactly,” Alden seized. “So let’s handle this properly.”

There it was. That cursed word. In Alden Rowe’s vocabulary, properly always meant silence from everyone else and maximum comfort for himself.

He leaned in, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “We should sit down and talk this week. Privately. There are opportunities here, Maren. Your expertise and clearance could be… incredibly useful.

The Rowe Group has federal partnerships, security contracts, advisory board roles. This could be highly mutually beneficial.”