Chapter 29
When they arrived at Brannigans, the rain was coming down hard. Grayson drove his SUV up to the front door. “I can walk with you from the parking lot,” Kendra said, certainly not afraid of a little rain.
“No way,” Grayson said, and she appreciated his thoughtfulness.
They threw on their raincoats over their nice clothes, and he dropped her off at the entrance.
She waited for him until he joined her. He ran across the parking lot, took hold of her hand, and they entered the restaurant.
Inside, music was playing, and people were dancing.
At the entrance, they removed their raincoats and Cedric and Amy greeted them, Amy wearing a blue dress and heels, and Cedric in a suit. Cedric had never met Grayson before. Grayson thought he, Marcus, and Cedric could have been brothers; they were so similar in build and stature.
Cedric smiled and shook his hand, then pulled him into a bear hug. "We're bears after all."
Grayson laughed. "I agree."
Amy hugged Kendra and then Grayson.
The hostess seated them at a window seat, which was really nice. Grayson hung up Kendra’s and his raincoats on the back of their chairs. Cedric did the same with his and Amy’s coats.
Kendra asked, “With the storm going on, are you okay with sitting by the window, Amy?”
“Oh, yes, every chance I can get.” Amy explained to Grayson that she had been terrified of storms because her parents had died in one. “But with Cedric’s guidance, I’ve been able to manage them just fine.”
The late-evening light pooled in through the window on the polished wood, the faint scent of pine and slow-cooked brisket, steaks, and prime rib scenting the air.
Antique snowshoes and paintings of grizzlies and black bears lined the walls.
It was both an elegant and rustic restaurant, cocktail lounge, and dance club.
Some couples were dressed to the nines, while some men wore corduroy jackets and khaki pants for a more rustic look.
“Upscale” in the Brannigan’s sense meant leather-bound menus and a bourbon list that ran to twenty single malts, but the clientele—all of them, at the moment, locals—many of them bears, were having a great time.
They took their seats, and the hostess left them leather-bound menus.
"I recommend the prime rib or the T-bone steak," Cedric said.
"I love the filet mignon," Amy told them.
"I'll have the petite version of the filet mignon," Kendra said.
"T-bone for me," Grayson said.
"I'm having the prime rib." Cedric closed his menu, and when the hostess returned, everyone ordered their meat, sides, and a bottle of red wine.
“We’re going to dance,” Grayson said, offering his hand to Kendra.
“Oh, absolutely.” She took his hand and rose from her seat.
Kendra let herself be spun through shadow and light, the world around her dissolving into a watercolor blur of faces and laughter.
On the creaking parquet floor, Grayson’s palm pressed against the small of her back, closing the gap between them.
She felt so good to be close to Grayson like this.
He guided her expertly, as if they had been practicing these steps for years instead of hours.
They whirled as a couple, her right hand clutching his shoulder, her left intertwined with his. The music—a wavering, vaguely sentimental tune—filtered through their blood. She gazed past his ear to the golden lights hanging from the rafters, the soft haze of their glow warming the room.
She matched his rhythm, letting him lead, but not ceding all control; every pivot or dip, bringing them snuggly together. When the tempo slowed, he pulled her closer, his breath warm on her temple, and she rested her cheek against the lapel of his jacket, inhaling his masculine scent.
“You are a great dancer,” she told Grayson, planning to do this again when they had time.
“You fit me perfectly.”
“Hmm, I feel the same way.”
Around them, the circle of dancers closed, then expanded, each couple orbiting in their own private space.
The world felt distant. It was so easy to forget the hour, the place, the day they’d had.
She allowed herself to believe, for the three-minute eternity of the song, that they were the only two people on earth, and when the music faded, she did not immediately let go.
“Another dance?” he asked.
“Yeah, of course. Until our dinner comes.”
She wanted to visit with Amy and Cedric also, but then noticed they were dancing nearby, enjoying themselves too. She was so glad Amy was no longer afraid of storms. Cedric was just perfect for her.
They would visit while eating their dinner.
After dancing a couple more dances, they noticed that their food had been delivered to their table.
The two couples joined each other, but as soon as they sat down, their sleuth leader, Maximillan, stopped by their table. He stretched out his hand to Grayson, who promptly rose to his feet.
“This is our sleuth leader, Maximillan,” Kendra hurried to say to Grayson. Everyone else was a member of the sleuth and knew him well. “Maximillan, this is Grayson Stone, fellow bounty hunter, and my mate.”
“I heard you were mated,” Maximillan said to the two of them.
Grayson smiled at Kendra. “Yeah.” He leaned over and kissed her.
“And you’re joining our sleuth?”
“I sure am, if you’ll have me. I’m a member of the sleuth in Whitefish.”
Maximillan shook his hand again. “We’re happy to have you. And it’s fine if you’re a member of both. Just don’t do anything that gets us bad press.”
“I’ll try not to.”
Maximillan glanced at Kendra. “Sometimes it comes with the business. We’ll report in on it later,” Kendra said.
Kendra figured he had already heard about the run-ins they’d had with other bears or people while they were wearing their bear coats. The chief liked to know what might come back to bite them and how to get their stories straight should humans get involved.
“Well, I’ll let you finish your dinner. Welcome to the sleuth, Grayson.” Then Maximillian shook his hand and left the restaurant.
“Everyone seems to know where everyone is in Kalispell,” Grayson said, cutting into his meat.
“Yeah, word spreads fast in the sleuth.” Cedric ate the rest of his vinaigrette-dressed salad.
They finished their wine and dinner, and then Amy said, “I’m off to the little girl’s room.”
“I’ll go with you,” Kendra said.
Grayson and Cedric smiled at each other.
It was a girl thing.
“Grayson and Cedric can get to know each other better. Maybe we can all go camping sometime,” Amy said.
“That would be a lot of fun. Especially after the wild male bears aren’t looking for some loving.”
Kendra laughed. Then they entered the ladies’ restroom and went into different stalls.
Someone else came into the restroom as their toilets automatically flushed.
Amy left her stall while Kendra was still grabbing her purse.
When she left the stall, she saw the guy that Billy had shown Rowland on his phone speaking with his dad.
JE. The one whom Younger had been turning the kidnapped girls over to.
Kendra reached into her purse for her taser, but the man took a few steps in her direction and covered her mouth and nose with chloroform. Her last thoughts were about Amy, and whether she had escaped Kendra’s fate.
Grayson and Cedric were cutting up another loaf of bread when Grayson glanced in the direction of the restrooms.
Cedric frowned. “They’re taking their time.”
“Maybe there’s a line for the restroom, as often there is for the ladies' restroom.” Grayson took out his phone and texted Kendra: "Hey, is everything all right?"
Cedric was getting up from his chair and heading for the restroom. Grayson quickly joined him. “Kendra isn’t answering her text message, but she might be busy.”
“Amy isn’t answering my telepathic communication.”
“Hell, I smell Younger’s scent.”
Cedric glanced at him.
“But he couldn’t have grabbed both women, and Amy would have gotten a message to you telepathically, even if the ladies couldn’t access their phones at the time.” But what if Younger had someone to help him?
They entered the restroom, startling a couple of nicely dressed ladies.
“Amy!” Cedric called out.
“Kendra!” Grayson hollered.
Looking worried, the ladies said, “We’re the only ones in here.”
But Grayson smelled another man’s scent also. “Someone else was here with Younger.”
“Hell,” Cedric said as Grayson got on his phone and called Rowland, putting it on speakerphone.
“Amy and Kendra have been kidnapped by Younger and some other man.” Grayson and Cedric left the restroom and could see their table, but the ladies hadn’t returned there.
“I’m heading outside, just in case they are still in the parking lot,” Cedric said and sprinted for the exit.
“I’m on my way. Check the video security, see if they captured the vehicle they left in,” Rowland said to Grayson.
Grayson wanted to go with Cedric, but he found the hostess and asked to see the manager. “My wife and Cedric’s have been kidnapped. We need to see the video to learn who did it and what vehicle they took. The police are on the way.”
“Uh, yeah, of course,” the manager said, leading him into an office, and they ran through the videos. Since it had happened recently, they discovered them on the video right away.
Younger and JE had carried them out of the restroom and out a back door.
“JE.” Grayson told Rowland, “JE was the other man who grabbed the women. They went out the back door.”
The manager switched to the camera that showed the back parking area.
“They’re driving a Chevrolet GMC white panel van.” Grayson gave Rowland the license number. “They headed east on the main road in front of Brannigans.”
“Sending out a BOLO.”
Grayson said, “Okay, I’ve got to find Cedric and let him know.” He ended the call with Rowland and called Cedric. “Hey, they carried the women out to a van.” He gave him the description.
“I’m coming to pick you up, and we’re heading out. I’m still unable to get hold of Amy.”
Grayson said, “Okay, I’m going out the back door of the restaurant.”