Part 6 (1/2)

A s.h.i.+ver ran through her as she saw, as clearly as if it had been projected on the big screen, that all of her work for the past five years was at risk. Joe had warned her to stay away from Dasher, so he must have known, too. He'd said that a.s.sociating with Dash would destroy her career. Dasher was jealous of his success as an agent and was trying to poach her as a client. He also told her that Dasher was unscrupulous. But after five years of working with Joe, Kate suspected she knew who was unscrupulous, and it wasn't Dasher Pate.

Dash finally settled next to her, the two of them forced to share the sleeping bag. Kate closed her eyes and feigned sleep, something in which she was an expert. She longed to face Dasher, to tell her how brave and strong she was, to thank her for her kindness. To kiss her.

She rolled to face the tent wall, feeling tears form in her eyes and terrified Dasher would see them. She couldn't, wouldn't, let her see her weakness. Most of all, she couldn't let her see what others probably did. She cared for Dasher Pate, and nothing good could come of it.

Chapter Seven.

Kate awoke to the sensation of being walked on and licked. She jerked her eyes open from a rather erotic dream to see the white cub from the day before, his pink tongue giving her nose a thorough cleaning. Not wanting to disturb his ablutions, she tried to look around for Dasher while holding still. Then she heard Dasher's laughter outside and several other female voices. What the h.e.l.l?

At that moment the cub decided to chomp down on his newly cleaned catch, and Kate yelped as loud as she could without scaring her captor. She and the cub were having a stare-down when Dasher stuck her head in the tent and smiled disarmingly.

”Good morning. We have visitors.”

”So I see, and hear. I'm a mess.” For some reason she didn't feel shy about looking a fright around Dasher, but strangers made her uneasy.

”It's okay. It's the huntress and Luna and, ah, I see you and Squirt have already gotten reacquainted. Jock Reynolds and Denny Phelps arrived at about the same time she did. You look beautiful, come on out.” Her eyes confirmed her words and made Kate defy her instincts and decide to appear almost as disheveled as she was.

”Do you at least have a brush I could run through my hair?” After all, there were limits.

Dasher rummaged through her duffel and produced one that was obviously not intended for long hair, but it was that or nothing. After some concerted brus.h.i.+ng that produced a lot of electricity, which had the pup jumping around her lap thinking it was great fun, she emerged to find all the women chatting amiably.

Conversation stopped as they stared at her. Her courage faltered and she put Squirt down, thinking maybe she could slip back into the tent, claiming to have forgotten something.

Denny said, ”You were right, Dasher. She's even more dazzling without makeup.”

Kate glanced up to see that all the women were smiling in welcome. Dasher said that? She straightened up and Squirt immediately yawped to be held again, trying to climb her pant leg.

They must have realized the clothes weren't her own and that she and Dasher had slept together. Well, not slept together, but slept in the same tent. In the same sleeping bag. When she vaguely remembered tucking herself into the curve of Dasher's body sometime during the night, her cheeks started to flame in earnest.

The others evidently didn't notice because they resumed their conversation, but Kate could still feel the heat from Dasher's body when she'd slipped an arm over her waist and pulled her closer, as if they were made for each other. No wonder she was having an erotic dream when she woke up. If she were being honest, that dream involved a woman's body, not a man's. That had happened before. But this time, the body had a face, and the owner of that face was now chatting amiably three feet from her.

”Okay, we'll clean up the campsite and gather what we can find of Kate's tent and head over to your place, Diana. I'm betting Kate would run me down to get to a hot shower. Is that right, Kate?” Her tease was light and friendly.

”A hot shower? Yes, I'd drive over you and back up, if that's what it took. Thank you, Diana. Were you able to haul that creature away?”

Diana nodded, while Jock and Denny were silent but were probably curious. ”I sent several of my employees over last night, or the forest creatures would have it finished by now. I came to invite you and your friends to the celebration. We'll serve the boar and many other dishes, since a lot of the residents up here are vegetarian. Everyone's glad to have that beast gone from terrorizing the livestock. They'd be happy to meet you.”

After Diana said her good-byes and left, Jock and Denny started peppering Dasher and Kate with questions about the ”creature.” Soon, they were all laughing and teasing Kate about screaming ”pig” throughout the forest.

As Kate watched the interactions, she started to relax and feel more comfortable with these two very tall women. They seemed so natural together. Laurel had told her that they'd known each other since they played college basketball on the same team. Jock had a st.u.r.dy build while Denny was thin and graceful. They definitely had that peaches-and-cream and cafe-au-lait thing going-really attractive. Were they a couple?

She'd always clung to Laurel or Stefanie when she was around them, and now here she was, making her own friends.h.i.+p with them. She'd already filled her scary quota for the day.

With some bravado she marched to a closed plastic box and secured the necessary items for her morning ablutions. Somehow in the dash back to the tent, she'd managed to snag the shovel and toilet paper. She had her priorities. She was a camper.

Michael was pouting in the car, refusing to help. Chaz determinedly jumped on the freaking jack they'd found in the back of the c.r.a.ppy rental car. No luck. It wouldn't budge.

Chaz had insisted on following Reynolds and Phelps when they left the hotel, sure they knew where Kate and that Pate woman had snuck off to. How had he and Michael missed them? They were only slightly buzzed the day before, but when they returned to their vigil at the hotel they saw Pate and Kate Hoffman drive past them. It was too late to run back to their rent-a-wreck. So much for Chaz's attempts to save money.

Chaz knew what most of the players in the hotel looked like by this time. He'd identified them over the past month while Kate had been visiting. When Denny and Jock claimed Jock's truck at four in the morning, he followed. Now this.

Michael had b.i.t.c.hed the entire time. He was getting more vocal about this whole a.s.signment. He had no idea how much potential money was involved. Well, Chaz had no such qualms. This was going to put them on the map. Michael just didn't understand about finances.

Now this freaking flat tire that he had no idea how to fix. A rumbling behind him on the curve signaled potential help. He prepared to try to wave the guy down but froze when he recognized Jock Reynolds's truck. Holy c.r.a.p!

They pulled over and Jock stuck her head out the window. ”Need any help?”

Trying desperately to look friendly instead of guilty, Chaz stole a glance in the car at Michael and saw his eyes like saucers in surprise and, yes, guilt. ”Yeah, the jack is worthless on this rental car. We're stuck.”

Jock had exited the truck and was studying the disabled vehicle. ”Well, for one thing, you're trying to use the jack on an incline. That's pretty dangerous. Have you called a tow truck?”

Chaz lied. ”Dead cell-phone battery.” He shrugged and said, ”When it rains, it pours, eh?”

Pulling a phone from the case attached to her belt, Jock made the call. Chaz was at once relieved and irritated. He would have thought of that eventually. Denny Phelps stepped out of the truck, and the two of them looked like Amazons coming to the rescue. Although he envied the look, they dwarfed him and Michael, which made him uncomfortable.

Denny conferred quietly with Jock and then made another call. After a brief conversation, during which Michael managed to find his b.a.l.l.s and drag his b.u.t.t out of the car, Denny extended her hand for them to shake. ”Hey, I'm sure it'll take a few hours to repair your car. Why don't you come with us to a barbecue? I just asked and they've extended the invitation. We can take you to the garage afterward. Sound like a deal?”

Oh my gawd, this is just too good. It was like Kate Hoffman was being dropped in their laps. ”Sure, right, Michael?” He gave Michael a look that told him to just nod.

Ignoring him like he usually did, Michael said, ”We won't know anyone. Are you sure? We don't want to intrude.”

Chaz held his breath, silently vowing to strangle Michael if he blew it for them.

Denny smiled. ”Oh, you might recognize a face or two. Come on, you'll have fun.”

She was so genuine that Chaz momentarily forgot he was on a job. He was almost in the backseat of the extended-cab truck before he remembered that they would need a camera. He was trying to come up with a plausible reason to return to the rental when Michael joined him in the backseat, two cases in his arms.

”I don't want to risk losing our stuff when they take the car.” He smiled sweetly and they just nodded, because the tow truck had arrived. Within a few minutes they were on their way, and Chaz elbowed Michael and winked at him. He certainly had his moments.

Kate didn't want to waste time getting the camping site in order. Dasher scoured the area for any of their debris tossed around by the storm the night before and took down her own tent while Kate packed the Porsche SUV. It was surprisingly roomy and she loved making everything fit. Maybe she'd rethink her next car purchase. Dasher nodded approval before they set out for the offer of hot showers. Kate couldn't wait.

She read the directions aloud to Dasher and antic.i.p.ated seeing some small ranchette with chickens in the yard and a tractor in the field. She was more than a little surprised when they arrived at a gated entrance with several fellows checking a list for their names. Diana's last name was Tartaglia. Evidently in these parts that translated to ”owns a bucketload of land.”

As they drove in, Dasher asked, ”Have you read the list of the properties we're supposed to see? I think a Tartaglia parcel is among them. If not, I'd be surprised.”

They traveled for three minutes before the house came into view. Rather, the hacienda, complete with tile roof and gorgeous grounds surrounded by fruit orchards. Kate would bet there were some olive and fig trees, too. The place was bustling.

Dasher gave a low whistle. ”Whoa. I guess the film industry isn't the only way to make a buck. Come on, let's see if we can find Diana, then dig our clothes out of the back of the car.”

After asking one or two people, they located Diana directing traffic for those setting up the feast. The cooking pork smelled divine, and Kate went to look, just to make sure the boar was still dead and it really had happened. There the huge thing was, on a large spit, rotating as a man basted it. She shuddered.