Chapter 14
Cal spent the rest of the dance just sitting and people watching, when he could.
Trying to figure out how to help his brother somehow.
When he wasn’t riding herd on three sisters, now that Cloe Jane had finally arrived.
It was worse than herding cats, especially since they outnumbered him and Cadell by a factor of one.
Claudia had snarled at Kameron’s brother Jacob half an hour ago—now Cal was watching over her for a bit. To make sure Jacob, who’d probably had a few too many, didn’t make trouble for his sister. He despised that guy and wouldn’t put it past him to cause trouble for Claudia out of spite.
Claudia could take care of herself just fine—as she’d told him multiple times—but he was still her big brother. That wasn’t something he took lightly.
But…he was enjoying himself people watching.
Tyler-female-type people watching, mostly.
Auggie and her sisters were very entertaining when someone observed them for a while. They were very fiery, those three beautiful women. Passionate.
A bit on the uncivilized side, though. Which made them even more fascinating.
They drew the male crowd effortlessly. Even Em, who somehow didn’t see that for herself.
Cal didn’t have to worry, though—Cadell was watching over Em and Clancy tonight, apparently.
He’d heard Cadell and Clancy arguing again a few moments ago.
Cadell had insisted on driving Clancy home, tonight.
Said he had something to talk to her about.
Cal suspected that was not going to go as Cadell seemed to think.
Clancy had fangs when she wanted. And it was a five-minute drive.
A lot could happen between those two in five minutes. He had experienced it many times before. Those two were far too much alike, honestly.
Cal was almost afraid to take his eyes off Auggie and her sisters, though. They drew trouble. They all three just did.
Junie had dumped a glass of soda over a somewhat inebriated man’s head after he’d copped a feel when she’d been walking by—with that redheaded baby in her arms. What kind of idiot copped a feel with a woman carrying a baby around that obviously looked like her?
Hair that red was distinctive. Anyone looking would think Maeya was Junie’s baby.
A baby that young usually meant there was a man in the equation. Junie could have had a former linebacker husband watching from somewhere nearby.
Calloway had watched; he had been ready to deal with the guy himself, if needed.
He felt just as protective over Junie and Em now as he did his sisters.
Something about the way Claudia had said Auggie, Em, and Junie had been there for her and Cloe and Clancy when the cards were really down. Cal owed them for that.
Four Tylers had beaten him to Junie’s side, first. He didn’t know which ones, but…he doubted the guy would be giving Junie any more trouble after that.
Quade Davis seemed to be enamored of Em, so her night had gotten better. Quade’s brother Royal was paying a bit too much attention to Clancy, though. The guy had to be close to thirty. Far too old for Clancy.
Barand Hauffman was a bit put out by that, apparently.
He and Clancy had apparently had a falling out—and there was a famous guy flirting with Clancy almost right in front of him.
It had potential to be a nasty situation.
Cal was keeping his eye on that situation, too.
Until Em’s cousin Mason stepped between them all and said something that had Em and Clancy stomping off to the restrooms.
Were these dances always so much chaos now? It had been a few years since he’d been to one, but he didn’t remember them being like this. It was almost like a soap opera.
Jennifer Smith stopped by his table to ask him to dance.
Again. She was a clerk at the county assessor’s office he’d met before.
She wanted to further their acquaintance in a way Cal was definitely not interested in.
She and her older sister Joanie were not nice women.
And were after men with money. He knew that well enough.
Cal barely escaped her in time. And then he looked up and saw the woman he was really there to see.
Hell. Auggie was next to the actor that everyone drooled over. Slater Davis.
And that asshole was talking to Auggie, a fascinated look on his face.
He’d seen some of the man’s movies. The guy was damned talented, but he had no business looking at Auggie like that.
Talking to her that intently. Cal had retreated himself, needing time to strategize.
He was going to get that woman to dance with him tonight—he just hadn’t figured out how to manage it.
But... she looked damned good in that blue dress. It showed every beautiful curve the woman possessed to excellent advantage. She’d pulled half the wild curls up, too. The rest trailed down her back, seductively.
Hell, she looked like a soccer mommy dressed up for date night out with the daddy, but she made his mouth water. In a way he never would have expected Auggie Tyler to ever do. He’d never found soccer mom attractive before. Until now.
Damn it.
Slater Davis was obviously hitting on her. The man was staring at her like she was a goddess and he just a mere mortal man. Cal understood, of course.
But…
Cal straightened. Something was wrong.
Auggie’s attention wasn’t on the actor. Even though other women were obviously drooling over him. She was scanning the crowd, a pinched look on her beautiful face that he couldn’t miss, even where he was across the room.
Auggie was looking for someone.
There was worry on her face. And…he’d seen her wince, from clear across the hall. Saw the way she swayed a bit. Saw the way that damned Slater Davis put his hand on her back to help steady her.
She was hurting. And she was worried.
He didn’t know what made him do it, but he started counting.
Counting redheaded devil creatures one through nine.
Auggie and Em were with the Davis brothers and Clancy.
Two. Junie was talking to Dusty and Daisy Talley, the baby held in her arms, across the room.
Four. He saw the teenager and the preschooler near the refreshment table.
Six. It was the lisper and the gross kissing one and the bloodthirsty little one in between them that were missing. Tobi, Jules, and Avril. Those three.
Where were those three little demon creatures? Cal knew exactly how much trouble three sisters could get into. He’d lived the experience time and time again, with his own.
Cal started across to the edge of where the tables ended and the dancing began. To Auggie.
He slipped between her and Slater Davis and wrapped his fingers around her elbow. He gently pulled her closer, until she could rest her weight against him a bit. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
She turned, looked up at him. Leaned closer.
“Have you seen Tobi, Avril, and Jules? They were right here a minute ago. I just turned around for a minute…” She swayed again. She was definitely hurting. She needed to sit. “They took off.”
He fought the urge to scoop the woman up and carry her to the softest chair he could find. But…she would just flay him alive if he tried that. And he understood the woman next to him. She needed to find her sisters. No matter what.
“I’ll help you look.”
Em came up in time to hear what Auggie had asked. She pulled out her phone. “Calling in reinforcements. We’ll find them.”
“Yes, but what kind of destruction will they cause before we do?” Auggie asked.
“Good point. Let’s get moving.” Em’s fingers were already flying over her screen. “Calling in the girl troops now.”
Cal stretched up, to see over the crowd. Three little redheaded girls shouldn’t be too hard to find.
He thought.
They were Tyler devil creatures, after all.