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“Maybe I can help you get the teaching job here?”
“It’s too late. I don’t want to teach. And I won’t have to. I will expect the money tomorrow.”
“I will try…”
“Better use all your wiles, Jen. Don’t mess this up or you’re going to be out on your ass again.”
She shook her head as Carlos turned and walked away. As soon as he was gone she walked over to Nate and the other men.
“You did great,” Justin said.
“Do you have enough to arrest him?” she asked.
“Not yet. We will need to catch him taking the money,” Detective Elder said.
“I don’t think I can get that kind of cash.”
“We have it,” Cam said. “The cops will arrest him as soon as he takes it from you.”
“Great,” she said. This didn’t sound like her idea of a good plan, but she knew they had to follow the proper channels, or Carlos wouldn’t be arrested. And she wanted him in jail.
“So we have until tomorrow?”
“Yes. I will get the money,” Cam said.
Cam and Justin stayed with the detectives and Nate led her back to the rehearsal room.
“How are you?” he asked when they were alone.
“Okay,” she said because she didn’t want to let on how much it bothered her that she was still paying for the mistake of letting Carlos into her life.
“Don’t worry about this too much. We will get him. I can promise you that. Standing outside listening to him threaten you—it was all I could do to keep from going after the guy.”
She smiled up at him.
“Why are you smiling?” he asked.
“You make me feel very cared for,” she admitted.
He nodded. “Don’t forget it.”
“I won’t,” she said. “I’m just sorry I brought him here to you guys.”
“I’m not. I didn’t want you to have to deal with him on your own.”
“Me, either,” she admitted. “So what are you doing today?”
“Celebrity golf tournament,” he said. “Do you have time for dinner tonight?”
“I can’t. Alison and I are meeting with the show dancers from the main room to go over some new routines.”
“I guess I’ll have to try to make it up to the show tonight.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” she said.
Nate left her alone in the rehearsal room. She pondered how close they’d grown over the last few days. Last night she’d almost told him she loved him. She knew that she cared that deeply for him.
But she had no idea if he was ready to hear that or if he’d ever be. For all she knew, if she ever confessed her love he’d run for the hills.
“You’re early today,” Alison said as she came into the rehearsal room.
“I couldn’t let you keep beating me here.”
Alison laughed and they continued joking around with each other as they warmed up. “You’re in a good mood today.”
“Life is good,” Jen said and realized that she meant that. Her life was very good right now. Probably in the place that she’d long wanted to be in. And she was very happy to be finally finding it.
“Life is good with me, too. I talked to my brother today.”
“When does he ship out?”
“Another week. We are having a party at the beach house this weekend. Want to come?”
“I might. Can I bring a date?”
“Yes. Who would it be?”
“Just a guy I’ve been seeing.” She didn’t want to say that she was dating Nate Stern. They had been keeping a low profile so far. But what kind of relationship could they have if they were both keeping each other secret from their friends?
“Well, let me know if you are going to come.”
“I will. Have you done a lot of country-type dancing?” Jen asked.
“Just some line dancing but this tape Ty Bolson and Janna McGree sent calls for more than line dancing.”
“Yes, it does. I think we should incorporate some of your line dancing into it. That way our patrons will be able to dance to the music. Not everyone can do a country waltz.”
“That’s true,” Alison agreed.
They spent the rest of the afternoon working on a few routines and then recorded themselves on video for Ty and Janna. “I think this will work better for the event.”
All the while, Jen tried to keep her focus on work. Not on the man she was fast falling in love with.
Love.
No. She couldn’t love a man like Nate. He wasn’t the kind of guy she wanted to fall in love with but it was too late. She already had.
Twelve
Nate stayed out of the club the next day when it was time for Jen to make the money exchange with Carlos. He knew that if he were there he’d once again be battling with himself to go and take Carlos out.
