“So you,” Elena looked from Bette to where the Oscar had been on the mantel, to Tina, and back to Bette, “youtook him down? But, I’m so sorry, he’s all scratched up now.”
And he was, pretty badly, Camden noted, as he turned the statue in his hands.
Bette waved her hand dismissively. “Yes, Oscar could use some professional skincare. But that’s not Tina’s fault. Jake did that to old Oscar years and years ago, back when he tried to dress him in fatigues from his GI Joe doll and then pretend to blow him up.”
Camden almost dropped the Oscar.Oh, the sweet, sweet blackmail. Thank you, Bette.
“Can I have him back now, please?” Tina asked Camden sweetly.
“Uh.” Camden looked from Elena, who appeared gobsmacked, to Bette, whose smile and nod indicated that yes, Camden should give back the priceless award to the five-year-old so she could fit him for a tux. Barbie was waiting, after all.
Bette rolled up and took Elena’s hand. “Elena, dear. It’s all right. I have a couple more. But there is only one Tina in the world.” Then she rolled forward beside the little girl as Camden placed the Oscar back—gently, he couldn’t help it—onto the floor.
Bette opened the case and rummaged through the doll clothes. “Now, let’s see if we can’t find Barbie’s mink stole. It used to be a collar from one of my old coats before I cut it off for Samantha’s dolls to use…”
* * *
Bette’s Bash wound down earlier than usual. By eleven o’clock, the party had dwindled to family, and friends who might as well have been family. The Bennetts had decamped not long after Cici’s outburst, Roger making excuses about the kids needing to get to some activity or another. Gina had finished questioning Anderson and offered to tail them to make sure they got home safely and to see if they’d by chance picked up a second tail at the party. It was a longshot—Bette was careful who she invited into her life and home—but after Anderson slipped through, they took no chances.
Gina had reported back that the family made no detours and looked like they were home for the day. She’d also thanked Camden for the excuse to leave. Parties weren’t Gina’s thing. He had to disagree—he’d watched his usually tight-lipped co-worker schmooze like she was the one running for office, all while picking up intel and keeping a close eye on everything the Bennetts did.
So with his principals gone and the dry-run over, Camden could spend the rest of the party relaxing before he debriefed with Jake and Costello, with Gina on the phone—hopefully with more information she could actually divulge.
Right now, Camden shared a loveseat with Elena. Jake and Rachael sat together in another while Costello and Jake’s sister, Samantha, both pulled up chairs, with Sam sitting next to Elena. Tina was off watching a movie with Bette and Grant, probably one of those old Eighties or Nineties kids’ action films where he was a stuntman. Camden’s guess wasDouble-0 Trouble: The Spy Who Played with Me. Most of Bette’s movies were a little too mature for a five-year-old, to say the least. Camden imagined Toby was lying exhausted at Tina’s feet. That little girl could wear out a SEAL team.
Samantha bent forward and covered her face as she convulsed with laughter. Jake was covering his face, too, but out of sheer embarrassment. Rachael rubbed his back while laughing as hard as Sam. Costello had a huge smile on his face and Elena was blushing and shaking her head. Camden had just finished sharing the Oscar story.
“What?” Jake said. “Mom always told me that Oscar was part-mine. She was pregnant with me the last few weeks of shooting.”
Rachael rolled her eyes. “A star before you were born.”
“God, I remember your GI Joe dolls,” Samantha said. “You were too old to play with them but you kept them in your room. I thought you’d take one along to boot camp.”
Camden snickered. “My only question is, how hard was it to slip GI Joe fatigues onto an Oscar over that great big sword, Jake?”
“Easier than what I do every morning in real life,” Jake answered.
Elena’s eyes went wide as her lips parted in shock. “You guys areterrible.” And then her face contorted as she tried not to burst out laughing. “Just terr—terrible.” She failed and bent over, face beet-red, shoulders shaking. “I think I’m laughing mostly because I’m so relieved I don’t have to hock everything I own for the rest of my life to pay for a new Oscar. Can you evenbuya new one? Jeez!” She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
“Mom would never make you do that,” Jake said.
“I don’t know,” she said. “This is the last time I’m bringing Tina over here.”
Samantha grabbed her arm. “No. Elena. I’m begging you. Please, please, please bring Tina back as often as possible so Mom gets off my case about finding a nice man and popping out grandbabies now that I’ve graduated college.” She gave Rachael and Jake a mock-glare, her pretty green eyes dancing with mischief. “Especially since these two are putting it off.”
Rachael put up her hands. “Only putting it off, not counting it out. We want a family, but I’ve got to navigate this insane music world first before it eats me alive.”
“Jake, are you playing on any of Rachael’s songs?” Elena asked. Her voice was light, but Camden caught Elena’s frown at her best friend’s words about the music industry. He wondered if today had sunk in for her, that Rachael was now part of this world. He’d have to reassure her that Rachael was well-protected—Jake and Bette would never let anything hurt her.
Jake shook his head while Rachael answered, “I wish he would play on the album. He’s no slouch.”
“I’m no session musician, either,” Jake said. “Any producer would drum me right out of the recording studio.”
Rachael looked heavenward. “Would not.” But she dropped it after that. Camden could tell this was already an old, well-worn argument.
“You sing my heart,” Jake said simply. “I just want to listen.”
“Aw!” Sam said, beaming at her big brother. “I think I’m gonna puke.”
