Diamond Dust (7 page)

“He’s only been here for one week. I can’t imagine.”

Frank motioned them forward. Tyler nodded politely to the girl holding their menus, then followed his brother toward the end of the room.

The tables ran in long rows, communal style. Red and green gingham tablecloths covered their surfaces, plastic ones, from what he could tell at a glance. The couple already seated at the far end of the table were digging into their food, plastic baskets with fake newsprint as their plates.

Frank settled into his seat with a sigh of happiness. “I love this place.”

“They seem to love you.” Tyler accepted the menu from the server. “How often have you been here in the past week?”

His brother grinned. “Some of the pack brought me in for lunch the first day I was in town, and I’ve been back every day since. I’m working my way through the menu.”

No wonder the restaurant staff liked him. “Glad to hear you’re having a good time. What do you recommend?”

“All of it.” Frank nodded. “The ribs are fab, though.”

Justin had directed Tyler into a seat that was as protected as possible, yet still presented a good view of the room. The lineup outside was explained as he realized every seat was taken but for the empty space to his left.

Popular place. Not only with locals, but tourists. While it wasn’t always possible to spot a shifter from a distance, Tyler knew many of the bears who were in town for the next stage of conclave. He’d met them over the previous weeks in Dawson City, and at first glance, out of the hundred bodies occupying the main seating area, he’d guess fifty percent were bears.

There really was no getting away from it. They’d taken over the town.

Not all eyes staring his way were friendly, either. Supporters of his rivals glared. Those undecided which way to vote kept their expressions blank. The bear elected to the top would have enormous power for years, and even those without an agenda were rightly cautious about supporting some unknown.

A waiter shuffled down the narrow space between tables, filling water glasses and taking orders. Tyler was distracted by a rather venomous glare from a bear seated by the door.

“Justin. By the entrance at one o’clock. Remind me of the clan.”

His friend glanced over. “Radium. Bunch of hotheads. I don’t have proof, yet, but I have my suspicions they were involved in the kidnapping.”

That would make sense. Definitely a group to keep an eye on.

Tyler twisted to give his order to the waiter. “Now That’s a Rack.”

He was horrified to discover that instead of the young man who’d just stepped behind him, he ended up speaking to a familiar-looking blonde.

Caroline Bradley raised a brow. “You have a thing for my breasts, don’t you?”

He surged to his feet, his chair tipping into the person behind him. “I’m sorry, I thought you were the waiter.”

Her smirk widened. “Okay, then. I’ll make sure Anthony knows, but he’s already got a boyfriend.”

Tyler scrambled to dig himself out without looking more of a fool. “No, it’s not like that. There’s an item on the menu called
Now That’s a Rack
. It looks delicious.”

Her upper body, including her delicious rack, shook as she laughed. “I know, I’m just teasing. You have wonderful timing.” She leaned in front of him and gave Frank her hand. “Good to see you again.”

Tyler forced himself to remain in one spot and not
accidentally
lean into her. His attempt was made more difficult as Frank, ever the diplomat, tugged until Caroline was forced to move forward. Her torso rubbed his, every inch pressed to him for a second until she was yanked into Frank’s arms for a hug.

Across the table, Justin was looking far too pleased.

“Shut up.” Tyler mouthed the words, but that only made Justin grin harder.

Frank finally relaxed his grip on the woman and turned her with great fanfare. “Caroline, I want you to meet my big brother, Tyler.”

Caroline cleared her throat and held out her hand—to Justin. “Nice to officially meet you. Sorry about the little incident earlier today, sir.”

Justin paused halfway out of his seat. Tyler opened his mouth to explain.

Frank beat them both to it. He laughed and pointed. “Hell, that’s not Tyler. That’s Justin, his sidekick. The ugly one over here is my brother.”

If she’d given him a
what the hell
look earlier for his unintentional sexual comment, her expression had grown miles more judgmental. All traces of amusement were gone. “Oh really. Gee, nice to meet you,
Tyler
. Frank has told me so much about you. He’s been raving about how you’re so honest and straightforward.”

She held her hand steady until he had to accept it. If he’d not been a shifter, her grip would have hurt. As it was, the additional squeeze she gave to the handshake made his bear rumble in approval.

Feisty.
We like feisty
, his bear insisted.

When she let him go and greeted Justin, Tyler gave himself a firm scolding and shoved the beast further down. This was not the time or the place to have a discussion with his animal half about the kind of woman they were supposed to be consorting with at the moment.

Although the idea of consorting a lot more intimately? If he was honest, like Caroline had suggested he usually was, then
honestly
, getting more involved with the woman wouldn’t be a problem for man, or beast.

She should have known this would be one of those days. From the disastrous start with housekeeping, to Evan’s big revelation, to this wonderful twist on her relaxing evening, she couldn’t get an even break.

Screw it. She was going to have fun tonight, and after discovering her bear with the grabby eyes was actually the head of the Harrison delegation, she wasn’t nearly as worried about impressing him.

While she was grateful he’d saved her ass, he’d lied to her. That meant he owed her, as far as she was concerned.

“You find everything you needed in your room?” she asked the real Justin.

“Very comfortable, thank you. How are you feeling after your mishap?”

Tyler cussed lightly under his breath, giving himself shit for something.

Okay, that surprised her. She would have expected someone as high-ranked as he was to be able to keep his comments to himself. Maybe she’d only heard him because his chair had ended up closer to hers as they found their seats again.

“I’m feeling fine, thank you. I must have dazed myself for a moment or two. No harm done.” She smiled at the waiter as he returned. “Full rack for the fellow beside me, please, and I’ll have the usual.”

“Sweet Caroline. Of course. And to drink?”

She faced the table. “Gentlemen? Did you order drinks yet?”

Tyler was glaring daggers at the server, a low rumble rising from his barrel-like chest.

Caroline’s
give a damn
broke a little more. She’d accepted the invite to dinner as a distraction. She didn’t want to deal with any more pissy shifters today, and that glower of his? Said something had cranked the bear’s wrong handle in the last couple seconds.

She caught his face in her hands and leaned in, speaking softly. “You do
not
stare at the staff like they are scratching posts. Get it together.”

He blinked, hard, refocusing on her face. He hooked his fingers around her wrists and lowered her arms until their hands were in his lap. His breathing slowed as he got himself under control then nodded. “Thank you.”

Justin spoke up. “A bottle of red for the table, please. The merlot.”

“Chilkoot beer for me.”

“Double-sized. Of course, Frank.” The waiter slipped away, not even aware he’d been one swipe from being knocked into tomorrow, if Caroline was any judge of shifter attitudes.

She jerked her arms back, trying to break Tyler’s grip on her wrists. “You want to let me go, big guy?”

Tyler straightened in a flash. “Sorry.”

Frank’s gaze flipped back and forth between them like crazy. “You two know each other already?”

“Slightly.” It was Justin who spoke again, smoothing things over. “Caroline was kind enough to help prepare our suite.”

Frank grinned. “Damn, girl, you do take care of the details, don’t you?” He elbowed his brother hard enough Tyler coughed out a gasp. “See, she’s got the smarts to deal with anything. You should take my advice.”

Caroline leaned on the table. “What kind of trouble are you getting me into?”

The big bear lowered his voice, gaze darting around the room as if making sure no one was listening. “Told them you were good at dealing with shifters. You need to help Tyler here win this election so the rest of the rowdies will get out of Whitehorse sooner.”

Good grief. Was everyone intent on running her life? “Gee, thanks, Frank. Maybe I’ll talk to Tyler about what he needs, okay?”

The big bear shrugged happily. “Sure. Just, you impressed a lot of people. Your sister thinks you’re damn cool, and she’s like the queen of the north after making the vaccination that saved our butts. If she looks up to you, then you’re aces. You know what I mean?”

Conversation stopped as Anthony brought the wine to the table and poured three glasses. Caroline wasn’t discussing anything until she’d had something to drink.

Tyler caught her with the edge of the glass already to her lips, nearly desperate for a swallow of the soothing liquid. “A toast.”

She tipped the glass away, fighting her sigh of frustration.

He lifted his own glass and stared her in the eyes. “To new friends, and a successful visit to Whitehorse.”

Caroline clicked glasses with him and Justin. There wasn’t any choice in the matter without making a huge fuss.

The look in Tyler’s eyes, though? The one that suggested he wasn’t only interested in taking her out for dinner? He could hold off that anticipatory expression for another century or two. She might be a free agent after Evan’s change of circumstance, but the last thing she needed was another head honcho to babysit. She loved Alpha males, but damn they were a lot of work.

She had to concentrate on the people who really needed her. Like Evan. And the pack.

Liquid swirled as she raised the wine goblet and imbibed long and deep. When she rested the glass on the table, a warm buzz had already begun at the back of her brain.

That was what she needed. To get good and tight. Something to help her forget she would be sleeping alone for the first time in months.

Tyler cleared his throat. “Perhaps we could start again. Caroline, I’m glad you could join us for dinner. If there’s anything you need to make the evening more pleasant, let me know.”

She took another sip of her wine as she considered his far more polite offer. Thank goodness the man had the sense to back off. “Keep my glass full and don’t steal mushrooms off my plate, and I’ll be fine.”

He nodded. “What are you having, by the way?”

“Sweet Caroline.”

His fingers tightened on his wine glass. “That’s a menu item?”

She nodded, easing back in her chair slightly.

“Vegetarian pasta—they named it after me. I find I get a lot of meat dishes at the restaurant and pack house. You shifters tend to neglect your veggies.” His expression of dismay was rather hilarious until she put two and two together. “You’re kidding. That gruff-and-growly thing earlier was because you thought Anthony was sweet-talking me?”

“Well, I…” Tyler turned back to the table and straightened the utensils, lining them up with the grid system on the checkered tablecloth. “I didn’t want him to treat you disrespectfully.”

Good grief.
Cute, but not necessary. Caroline held out her glass. “I need more wine.”

Tyler topped it up, examining her closely as he poured. She drew in a deep breath just to watch his gaze stray from the top of the glass to her breasts.

“Whoa, Tyler.” Justin leaned across the table and mopped up the spilt wine.

Caroline hid her smile as she took another swallow and checked out the rest of the room. Served him right for staring at her chest. Again. The man truly was obsessed.

Strangers filled the restaurant, Caroline noted. Not unusual for the tourist destination, but the ratio was off even from what she’d expect in mid-July. Human tourists were far outnumbered by the time their appetizers arrived, as the shifters kept coming. She chatted with Justin and Frank about Whitehorse, answering the typical questions that were always asked, but she also watched the door.

It was simple, really, to tell who was what. Visitors who hadn’t been in the rib joint before paused to look around. They would sniff, the scent of barbeque and deep fried fish filling the air with wonderful aromas.

The humans would then turn to their companions and gush about the tasty smells. The shifters? Their gazes flicked to Tyler and Justin first, then farther into the room to examine the other shifters already seated. The newcomers even ignored the waitresses.

These were some tense shifters to ignore the pretty girls right under their noses.

Their meals arrived, huge platters of food lowered in front of Frank and Justin, the infamous rack of ribs in front of Tyler, and her pasta. They dug in heartily even while remaining alert.