Tiny Dancer [Divine Creek Ranch 13] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (43 page)

“Good thing we didn’t wait on them, huh?”

“Yes. Well, let’s get you girls set up at a table so you can do the fun part of your job and make the rounds. You’re going to say a few words, once the crowd thickens, right?”

Camilla’s jaws flapped. “Um—um. That’s always been your job, Ethan. I’m not so good in front of people like that.”

Grace burst into laughter. “Said the former exotic dancer.”

Camilla laughed along with her. “Well, now that you mention it, I guess I could. I just never have before.” She looked over to the bar, eyes drawn to the spot she would feel most comfortable at the moment. The activity was all running smoothly.

Ben leaned down and whispered, “You’re the boss lady now, sugar. They’ve got it well in hand.”

They arranged themselves at a large semicircular corner booth, which would be a great place to watch the room from, and a waitress rushed over to take their drink orders. When Jack and Adam arrived, Grace excused herself and went off to the dance floor with Jack for a slow dance to Brantley Gilbert’s “Fall into Me.”

Ben and Quinten were involved in a discussion with Adam as the club began to fill up, the music increasing in volume as the noise level rose. Ethan told her that he’d fetch her when it was time to play to the crowd. She excused herself and went to check in with Sylvan, who was standing at the bar surveying the room. She was vibrant in her figure-hugging black-and-red dress and boots.

She smiled as Camilla walked up and greeted her. “Everyone is saying how much they love The Twisted Bull.”

“Are things running smoothly? Waitresses all doing okay?”

“Yeah. I gave Bambi a smaller group of tables since she has the least experience. She seems to be holding her own.”

“Everything behind the bar okay?”

Sylvan waved at the bartender and exchanged brief sign language with him, which made Camilla smile.

Sylvan nodded and turned back to Camilla. “Yeah, everything’s fine, but I need to grab him another bottle of—”

“Tequila.”

Sylvan giggled, a musical sound. “I forgot that you probably used the same system at The Dancing Pony and would know the sign for tequila. Ben taught all the bartenders and the bears.” Camilla smiled that Sylvan called them that, too, a habit that she’d picked up in working with Camilla. It was easier than calling them by name, and they didn’t mind in the least. “We still haven’t gotten that last shipment in from the liquor distributor in San Antonio. I hope it comes tomorrow.”

“We’ll be fine for tonight?”

Sylvan nodded with self-assurance. “Oh, yeah. I’ve got this under control, so if you want to relax and mingle, it’s fine. You’ll be easy to find tonight. You look gorgeous in red.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that.” She smoothed her hand over her abdomen, which was still mostly flat.

“You should’ve seen the looks on Ben and Quinten’s faces when you walked in the door tonight. I hope someday I find a man who looks at me the way they look at you.”

“No one in your life right now?”

Sylvan scrunched up her nose and shook her head. “Not with the way I move from place to place. I date, but that’s all I have time for.”

“He’s out there,” Camilla said, patting her forearm. “You’re doing a great job, Sylvan.”

More patrons filtered in the front door, and she made her way toward the front of the club until she reached Heath, who was manning the door with Spencer.

Heath grinned at her and put an arm around her when she quickly said hello. “Boss, everyone loves your new place.”

“That’s good. I put the eye candy up front for all the ladies coming in the door. I’ve got some smarts, huh?”

Heath laughed and drew out one word as he rolled his eyes. “Whatever!”

Spencer got her attention and pointed behind her. “Boss, Ethan is waving at you.”

“Uh-oh. This is the part where I get to talk to the crowd.”

Spencer grinned and bent down to her. “I heard it helps if you imagine them all nekkid.”

“Har-har! Wish me luck!”

Ethan was standing nearby, talking with Hank Stinson, who sat with one of his off-duty deputies, dressed in Western attire. His pale-gray Stetson set off his chiseled good looks, and Camilla wondered for the umpteenth time why he didn’t ever have a date with him when he went out on the town.

“Hi, Hank. Thank you for coming out.”

Hank glanced at Ethan and then smiled at her. “Pleasure is all mine, sweetie.”

Camilla caught the silent exchange. “You’re here in an official capacity?”

“Unofficially, yes. I’m just helping the guys. Since we still have no idea where Tyler Anderson has gotten himself off to, I’d just feel better keeping an eye on things.”

“You mean keeping an eye on me? Guys, how many of you are here tonight? I highly doubt he can get to me through all
twenty
of you.”

“It’s just a precaution. I never did track him down when I went to pay him a visit, and we still don’t know what the person behind all the break-ins wanted from you,” Hank said.

“I can’t imagine.”

“I can. You’re an heiress, in case you forgot,” Ethan said with a grin.

She tried to glower but wound up chuckling. “All this mess started before that little development. You’d wrap me in cotton and stick me in your pocket if you could, wouldn’t you?” Both men nodded, and Hank held open the pocket on the front of his shirt for her, as if she’d just toe the line and jump in.

A twinkle came into Ethan’s eyes a second before she felt warm hands wrap around her waist and warm lips brushed her ear. “It’s that time, isn’t it, sugar?” Ben. A light shiver rippled up her spine as his body heat pressed against her backside.

“I guess so,” she replied nervously. “Funny, I could strip and pole dance with confidence, but put a microphone in my hand and I’m nervous as can be.”

Quinten stroked her arm as he joined them. “You’ll do great.”

Up on the stage, her DJ, Matthew, handed her a microphone. She looked out over the crowd, smiling at the culmination of all her efforts and her dreams. The only face missing in the crowd was Tom’s, who had helped her dream along with his generosity and his belief in her. Emotion seized her vocal cords, and she nearly panicked. The sound of Tom’s voice echoed in her memory, and she knew what he’d say. “
Just tell us what you want us to know, shortcake
.”

To herself, she whispered, “That I can do. Thanks, Tom. For everything.” Holding the microphone up, she spoke loud and clear. “May I have your attention, please.”

The words she needed came to her as she welcomed them all to The Twisted Bull. When she was done, she handed the microphone back to Matthew as he gave her a thumbs-up and started the next song.

An hour later, Camilla giggled when she heard the opening chords of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” and Quinten jumped up from the booth seat and turned to her. He started gyrating, and she had no choice but to allow herself to be led on the dance floor.

“You’re all mine, baby!”

“Only because Ben’s body has no clue how to move to this song. You’re so funny!”

Quinten kept her giggling as he threw down his best moves, so she did the same thing, distracting him with her own way of dancing to that particular song. After a minute, they both realized that the patrons on the dance floor had cleared space for them and were cheering and clapping to the beat. She was breathless as the song finally ended and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” began to play.

“Thirsty?” he asked. She panted and giggled as he wrapped her in his arms and waved to the cheering crowd.

“Seriously parched,” she said, leaving the dance floor with him.

His demeanor immediately changed, and he peered more closely at her. “Was that too much for you—out on the dance floor?” Morning sickness still bothered her, and she counted the days until it would finally pass.

She shook her head. “Not so far but I am thirsty. I’ll grab a cracker too, just in case.”

She carried her crackers with her everywhere she went.

“I’ll get you a club soda. Be right back.” Quinten left her at their table and skirted the bar to get it for her himself. She noticed Hank behind the bar, studying the security monitors.

As if on cue, the nausea stirred, and she reached for a cracker. She was munching on it quickly when she saw Sylvan wave at her from the rear entry into the club. She needed to use the restroom anyway, so she slipped from the seat and went to see what Sylvan wanted.

Sylvan spoke into her two-way radio and then turned to Camilla. “They need me up at the front, but there is a delivery truck at the receiving doors. It must be that last shipment from San Antonio for us. Cody said he’d check it out but they’ll need you to sign for it.”

“Did the driver not see the sign that says we don’t take deliveries after six?”

“I guess not.” The two-way radio squawked, and Sylvan said, “Can you take care of the delivery man, and I’ll see about the local television station news crew waiting out front?”

That settled it. She’d done her duty talking in front of an audience and said, “Let Ben and Quinten know. I’m sure they can help, too. I’ll handle the driver. I’ve gotta use the ladies’ room anyway.”

Sylvan nodded and walked toward the front doors, speaking into her two-way radio. “I’m on my way. Find Ben and Quinten.”

She went out into the back hallway, where Cody was stationed for the night, and wondered if he was helping with the delivery because he wasn’t at his station by the back door. Thinking that must be the case, she hurried to the ladies’ room to handle the most pressing matter first. If the delivery man could pull her away from her grand opening, then he could wait while she peed.

After taking care of business, she became curious when she returned to the hallway to find that Cody still had not returned to his post at the back door. A cold draft slithered up her spine, chilling the leather of her corset. Looking closer, she could see that the door had swung open in the cold wind. She stopped to pull the door closed. A sharp prick in the back of her shoulder startled her, and she gasped as she turned, rubbing her arm.

Shock sent a wave of chills through her body as she looked up at the man standing in front of her.

“Tyler?”

Tyler Anderson smiled widely at her, reminding her of a big alligator, the way he showed all his teeth. He stroked her arms. “Yep. It’s me, in the flesh. I thought I’d come see how you’re doing. Obviously
very
well.” He looked around and then eyed her closely as if he were looking for something in her eyes.

Camilla swallowed, the nausea welling up even stronger. Her throat felt funny and so did her fingertips. Her mind felt strangely muddled as she wondered why he’d come to see her. She’d made it clear when she’d visited him in the county jail after finding out what he’d done that she never wanted to see him again. Ever. “Why are you here?” Her lips felt a little tingly as she spoke.

“I came to see you, Camilla. I’ve missed you.”

She squinted at him. He was wearing a cowboy hat, which was odd for him. It was Tyler, but he looked different. Rougher around the edges. Hardened. Shifty eyed. “Tyler, what are you doing here?” Her lips wouldn’t quite cooperate. She looked beyond him and felt strangely buoyant as he put his arms around her shoulders and directed her to the door. She didn’t want to go with him but her feet followed anyway.

Tyler chuckled easily as though he were chatting with an old friend. She wasn’t his friend. Not anymore. “I knew there was no way I could get close to you while you were inside, so I had to draw you out. Letting the local television station know about your grand opening seemed like a good diversion. They jumped at the story.”

Where’s Cody?

Her heart thudded sharply in her chest as she tried to summon the strength to pull away from him and run back inside but she felt like a puppet on a string as he led her. He continued rubbing her shoulder and she realized in her stupor that he’d injected her with something. Fear for her baby gave her a sudden surge of adrenaline and she tried hard to concentrate and fight the effects of whatever he’d given her.

The parking lot lights were dancing and swirling around so strangely and they made her even dizzier as she looked up at them. The nausea threatened again and a wave of cold fear made it worse. She needed to get back inside but she couldn’t get her feet to cooperate. She didn’t know how she stayed on them as he led her toward the large rental truck parked near the end of the building, away from the cars in the parking lot. She tried to pull away from him, to dig in her heels, and he moved her along as though she weighed nothing, holding her to his side when her knees wobbled.

“Where’s Cody?”

“Busy.” Tyler chuckled good-naturedly. “Yeah, you were pretty clever hiring him. I imagine his two buddies must be inside, too. I took care of him. You sure do look beautiful tonight.” She looked up and caught him leering at her cleavage. “I’ve missed you, Cami.”

She tried to free herself from his hold but couldn’t seem to lift her arms. “What did you do to him?” It became increasingly difficult to speak clearly, and she had to overenunciate to make herself understood. “What did you do to me?” She stumbled, and he caught her, hurrying her to the passenger side door of the large truck. Her head lolled back, and she caught a glimpse of Cody, prostrate and motionless on the ground behind the truck. “Cody!” Her voice sounded pitifully weak.