Her boyfriend followed. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t grab a sign,” Caleb promised before he left.
He watched them go, thoughtful but not overtly worried.
Surprisingly, and much to everyone’s relief, the speeches were brief. Dessert was served. The to-die-for cheesecake thatTasha threatened to become a felon for. Then the band began to play.
As guests drifted toward the dance floor, Vince rose and extended a hand to her. “Dance with me.”
She hesitated. “I’m not very good.”
“No problem. I am,” he said, pulling her to her feet.
“Why am I not surprised?”
She heard Ray and Margie chuckling as he led her away.
The band was excellent, the song slow, thankfully. He took her in his arms and guided her easily into the rhythm. In seconds, she stopped worrying about stomping on his toes. It felt good to be held and to relax into the music. She looked up to tell him that, but his focus was on the room, not the dance.
“You’re watching the exits,” she murmured.
“Habit.”
“You’re off duty, Ranger.”
“Maybe, but I never am as a dad.”
“Look behind you.”
He moved them through a graceful turn. Not far away, Caleb danced with Tasha, not unskilled as he dipped her.
“I haven’t totally figured him out, but he’s kind of growing on me,” she said, watching as the young couple smiled at one another.
“Yeah,” Vince drawled. “Mold has a tendency to do that.”
“Will any man be good enough for her?”
“Nope.”
His gaze swept the ballroom once more before coming back to her.
“Relax, Lieutenant. It’s a charity gala, not a crime scene.”
He smiled faintly. But he was still alert and didn’t stop tracking.
Across the room, she caught a flash of red. A woman in a sleek crimson gown stopped beside Senator Burnside on theperimeter of the dance floor. Her angle shifted as Vince turned them.
When Erica saw her face, she nearly choked out his name, “Vince. Look.”
He followed her gaze, recognition registering on his face.
“What’s Shannon doing here?” she breathed.
What happened next was nearly invisible. If she hadn’t been watching closely, she would have missed it. Shannon leaned in and pressed an envelope into the senator’s hand.
From the way Vince tensed, he saw it too.
“That can’t be good,” she murmured.
“Maybe not. She works for the senator.”
