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“Good idea,” Colton added as Tessa linked her fingers with her husband’s. She led Denver toward an adjoining room that had been cleared of furniture. The oak floor had been polished to a golden shine, and a few couples were gliding over the gleaming parquet.
“No dancing for me,” Beth said as Colton cupped Cassie’s elbow.
Cassie chuckled despite Denver’s pointed remarks. “Maybe it’s just what you need to convince that baby to come into the world.”
“The baby’s not the problem,” Beth replied as her husband, balancing two platters of food joined them, “my feet are!”
“Come on,” Colton whispered into Cassie’s ear. He tugged on her arm and guided her through a wide arch. Folding her expertly into his arms, he held her close, moving to the soft strains of a slow tune. Other couples swirled around them, but Colton didn’t seem to notice. “If I haven’t said it before, you look sensational.”
“Thanks.” She colored under his compliment and felt the warm whisper of his breath against her bare nape. “I feel ridiculous.”
“Why?”
“This”—she looked down at her dress—“is out of character for me.”
“You can’t run around in jeans and lab coats all the time.”
“Oh, and you’re comfortable?” She arched her black brows, daring him to lie.
“As long as you’re in my arms,” he shot back, his steely eyes glinting wickedly.
“Where’d you read that?”
“I didn’t. I saw it in some movie.”
“Figures.” She laughed, and they danced together, oblivious of the crowd or anything but each other. Colton swirled her and held her, and she forgot the hostility she’d felt when they’d first joined the party.
Laughing, she danced with him, held him, felt his lips press kisses against her hair until she thought she would drop. “I think we could use a break,” he murmured against her ear.
“Amen.”
“Would you like something to drink?”
She nodded and started to follow him to the bar, when she spied Craig talking with a tall, slender man she didn’t recognize. Craig had one hand tucked in the pockets of his slacks, the other wrapped around a half-filled old fashioned glass. He caught her eye and waved her over.
Without waiting for Colton, she skirted the dancing couples and joined the two men. “Wonderful party,” she said, smiling. “I’m glad you talked me into coming.”
Craig chuckled. “Maybe next time I won’t have to put a gun to your head.”
Rolling her eyes, Cassie conceded, “Okay, okay. I was wrong.”
“Now that that’s settled, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.” He indicated the tall, slender man next to him. “This is Frank Belmont—Dr. Frank Belmont. We went to school together. Frank’s got a clinic downstate. Cassie works with me—I think she plans to buy me out in the next couple of years.”
Cassie smiled. “Maybe around 2030 when you’re ready to retire.”
“I’ll keep you to it.” He swirled his drink and sobered. “Frank saw another case of strangles a few weeks ago,” he said.
Cassie’s eyes flew to the other man. “Where?”
The two men exchanged glances. “Around here,” Craig explained. “One of Vince Monroe’s mares. She was quarantined.”
“But why didn’t he call us . . .” she asked, already knowing the answer. Then they would have known that Vince had been involved in Black Magic’s disappearance. An odd mixture of relief and fear coursed through her. Relief that Vince Monroe was most likely the culprit and fear that her father was
involved. He and Vince had become thick as thieves lately. Her stomach turned over.
“I asked Vince about it earlier,” Craig said, frowning into his drink.
“And?”
