Stefanie felt slightly out of her element as she stood in the auction room, wearing a lilac cap-sleeve gown with strap sandals. Her hair was in chignon. Standing on one side of her was Campbell, who was resplendent in a crisp gray suit and tie over a baby blue shirt, worn with black oxfords. On the other side was Bella, who was stunning as always, in a sleek, black one-shoulder ponté knit gown and matching pointed-toe pumps. Next to her was Bella’s date for the gala, Russell Kercheval, a fortysomething pro golfer, who was tall and slender, with wavy salt-and-pepper hair in a side-swept style. He wore a black tuxedo and black derby shoes. According to Bella, it wasn’t serious.
Stefanie took her word for that, knowing that Bella seemed content at the moment to play the field whileputting her efforts into being the perfect ambassador for Reston Hills.
Bella, one arm tucked beneath Russell’s, flashed her teeth at Stefanie and Campbell, and asked, “Hope you’re having fun?”
“Absolutely,” Campbell said in an upbeat voice, holding a flute of champagne.
“I feel the same,” Stefanie assured her, wanting the gala to be a big success.
“Me too.” Russell grinned and kissed Bella on the cheek. “Always fun to be in your company, Bella.”
“Then we’re all in agreement.” Bella laughed, seeming to soak in the compliment. “Now, let’s see if the auction can bring in some big bucks for the right programs and causes…”
“I’m happy to do my part,” Stefanie told her, “with my donation of free yoga and tai chi lessons for two winning bidders, respectively.”
Campbell pitched in, “As am I, having offered a free trail ride for two at my father’s horse ranch in nearby Fallon’s Creek.”
“They’re great donations!” Bella’s face lit up. “And should fetch some nice bids.”
“As should the free golf lessons that I was happy to donate,” Russell said, as if not wanting to be outdone.
“Another winning ticket for would-be golfers,” Bella exclaimed. “Thank you, Russ.”
He beamed. “Anytime.”
After Bella made her way to the podium, with Russell close behind, Campbell commented, “She really is made for these civic duties and keeping her great-grandfather’s town alive and well, with a bright future.”
“True.” Stefanie smiled and sipped her champagne. She couldn’t help but wonder if their own future had brightness written all over it. They seemed to be headed in the right direction, giving her reason for being optimistic.
She wished she felt the same way about Jasmine Roxburgh. If it were up to Stefanie, she would just as soon see Jasmine leave the Braison Family. But clearly this was something that she was reluctant to do, as if Kenneth and company had a hold on her that Jasmine couldn’t break free of.
I can only hope that she protects herself from harm, even if that means getting out of there, Stefanie thought. She wondered if this was what had proved to be Mia’s downfall—being unable to escape danger. Even if it was staring her right in the face. Till it was too late to prevent her own death.
Campbell got her attention when he asked Stefanie, “I heard music coming from the ballroom. Can I have this dance?”
Stefanie didn’t necessarily consider dancing to be her strong suit, but with Campbell she felt she was up for just about anything. So, she responded readily, “Of course. Let’s go dance…”
* * *
CAMPBELL WAS ONLYtoo happy to get Stefanie on the dance floor to a nice slow and sensual torch song the band was playing. It gave them an opportunity to show off as one of the newest couples in Reston Hills—competing, he suspected, for that honor with Bella and Russell, who seemed really into each other. Campbell wasn’t at all surprised to see that dancing with Stefanie, her head resting comfortablyon his shoulder, seemed entirely natural and she felt damned good in his arms in a public setting.
To say nothing of how wonderful she felt in a private setting, where only they could see what one another brought to the table in terms of affection and intimacy. He could only imagine how much more they had to offer to each other, while reaping the benefits left and right. North and south. East and west.
“You’re pretty good at this,” Stefanie told him, bringing Campbell back into focus with the moment at hand and the gala, which looked to be an enormous success for the community.
He held her a little closer as they danced, and replied, “I could say the same for you. Guess that means that we make one hell of a couple on the dance floor.”
“That, we do.” She laughed. “And not so bad off the floor as well.”
Campbell chuckled, in total agreement. He kissed Stefanie, tasting the champagne off her mouth. “You’ve got that right.” Honestly, he could dance the night away with her every night—given the way their bodies molded together in total harmony—were there not other things both had on their plates.
As it was, for him, there remained the Mia O’Dell case to solve. There was still a question as to who supplied her the fentanyl-carfentanil concoction. And whether or not it was for nefarious reasons, over and beyond the illegality associated with drug dealing that resulted in a death. Until these things could be answered, there would be no rest for the weary as far as the case was concerned.
Along with that, Campbell still could not shake the feeling that Mia’s death was connected in some meaningfulway with the death of Lynda Boxleitner—apart from, or perhaps in conjunction with, both women being members of the Braison Family. Or maybe he was reading this wrong and only wanted that to be true as a way to clear up both his case and the cold case his father left behind.
When the song ended—too soon, as far as Campbell was concerned—Stefanie suggested they head back to the auction to see if Bella presented anything that might be worth bidding on for them.
“I’m game for that,” Campbell responded.
