Tiny Dancer [Divine Creek Ranch 13] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Heather Rainier

  “That’s okay. The long, hot bath relaxed me and I must’ve drifted off while I waited in bed for you.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “Y’all wore me out. I’m ready for my nap.”

  Ben smacked her ass playfully and said, “Nope. Time for a shower. Then we have something we’d like to show you.”

  Quinten grinned in commiseration, because she really did look ready for a nap, and said, “I’ll nap with you later. I’m still tired, too. But first we have a surprise for you.”

  * * * *

  Wondering what Ben and Quinten were up to, Camilla looked around as Ben parked in the parking lot of the old Huffield’s Hardware Superstore building. Weeds grew through the cracked asphalt in the parking lot, giving the area a neglected atmosphere. The building had sat vacant for a couple of years since closing during the economic downturn that had affected Morehead as much as the rest of the country.

  Ben switched off the ignition and turned to her, a decidedly hopeful expression on his face.

  She looked over at Quinten as he held up his hands like a frame to the windshield and squinted through at the building. “You’re gonna have to use your imagination, baby.”

  A jingle caught her attention as Ben held up a keychain with two keys on it.

  Her stomach acted like it was on a roller coaster as she switched her gaze from one man to the other and opened her hand to receive the keys Ben held out. “What are these for?”

  Ben opened his door and climbed out as Quinten did the same on her other side. They stood there grinning like loons at her, and Ben replied, “That’s entirely up to you.”

  She couldn’t move. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, we figured that you’d want to name your club yourself.” He swept his hand toward the empty building. “Tah-dah! Of course, that is to say, if you like this location. We got the keys so you could look inside.”

  “Have you been inside it?”

  Ben smiled and shook his head. “No. I wanted to wait and look at it with you. Ethan has been inside it and suggested that maybe you might see the possibilities.”

  She wasn’t sure why she felt better that they hadn’t already seen the interior. Maybe she wanted to experience it with them, like Ben had said, or maybe she liked that they weren’t steamrolling her into a club location already. She’d actually been thinking about looking around, and right then was as good a time as any to start.

  Quinten clasped her fingers with his. “Ethan has had his eye on this place as a possible secondary location for a while. When Ben told him your plans, he suggested that maybe this was the reason the property had caught his eye.”

  She leaned against his arm and allowed Ben to gather her other hand in his warm, callused one. “Thank you. Let’s look inside, I guess.”

  The three of them walked hand in hand as she cast a critical eye around the deserted building. “The exterior and the parking lot need a lot of cosmetic work. Cleaning up.”

  Quinten tripped on a crack in the asphalt. “Definitely.”

  The old builder’s warehouse storefront looked like many others that were built in the 1980s and would have to be completely redone. The cinder block exterior had potential, and in her mind’s eye, she got a glimpse of the walls textured with stucco.

  Don’t get ahead of yourself, missy. This place is enormous. Way bigger than you’d planned.

  “How many square feet inside?”

  Ben replied, “Within the four walls you’ve got nearly five thousand square feet.”

  There’s no way you could afford to lease this structure, much less buy it.

  Quinten added, “Behind the building is about the same amount of square footage in the lumberyard.”

  A place like that, renovated and managed right, would have tremendous appeal. She knew she could handle the task of running the club if they could find the financing and a contractor who wasn’t a crook to handle the renovations.

  As if reading her mind, Ben said, “Ethan told me Jack would be happy to put in a bid on the work. Seeing vacant, neglected buildings like this drives Jack nuts. Ethan said he’d love nothing better than to renovate it and make it useful again.”

  She inserted the key in the front door lock, and it turned smoothly. Quinten pulled open the door, and the scent of lumber and paint thinner wafted in the air, layered over with dust and time. The remaining display fixtures and the sales counter sat in the same places she recalled them being the last time she’d shopped there when she’d still lived in Morehead.

  Quinten released her hand and headed toward the dim recesses at the rear of the store. “Ethan said the power was on and the light switches were to the right, inside the stockroom doors.”

  Camilla was glad because she hadn’t wanted to wander around the dark, cavernous interior of the building with just the limited light coming through the entry and the dinky little flashlight app on her smartphone.

  A sudden crash startled them, followed by Quinten calling out, “I’m okay! Ow, ow! Shins, not so much! I tripped on…rubble…or something.” Another crash sounded, and she began to worry about Quinten, but Ben only chuckled.

  A minute later, the fluorescent tubes in the tiled ceiling flickered and came on. Camilla stood there, looking around, not moving forward. She glanced at Ben and saw that he, too, was assessing the interior.

  Camilla wondered if he was rethinking bringing her there. “It needs a lot of work.”

  “Try to ignore all the leftover garbage, the fixtures, and the displays. See the bones, sugar. We can get a crew in here and have all this cleaned out and stripped down in no time.” He tugged her forward.

  She looked up at the ceiling. “The tiles up there look old, but none of them are stained. That’s a good sign.”

  “Ethan has already had an independent building inspector service come and look the place over. They said they couldn’t find any underlying problems with the structure, foundation, or the roof.”

  That was reassuring.

  “It’s near the interstate, and the location on this side of town will draw traffic from all the surrounding towns, including Divine…”

  She looked over when his words dwindled. His expression was hard to read as he looked around but didn’t seem to see anything.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “It’ll mean not working alongside you at The Pony. I’d miss you.” He glanced her way, and she saw the emotion he’d been trying to hide. Her heart clutched as she realized that he was helping her achieve her dream even though it might mean he’d see less of her.

  She wrapped her arms around him, not fighting the tremors that shook her. Ben’s solid stability anchored her. Quinten’s warm presence as he moved close behind her made her feel even better. She’d only just gotten together with them and perhaps taking on this huge responsibility was rushing things a bit.

  “I’d miss you too. Maybe…maybe this isn’t the right time for this.”

  Ben shook his head as he tilted her face up to look into her eyes. “Your business management degree is going to waste right now, and you know it. Your position as assistant manager was intended to be temporary. The fact that you’re advancing into managing another club instead of The Dancing Pony is just logistics. This is what you were meant for, and we’re not holding you back.”

  She looked around again and said, “Ben, there’s no way I could afford to utilize all this space. Maybe this really isn’t the right place.”

  Quinten didn’t seem worried as he brushed her hair back from her shoulder and kissed her temple. “Or maybe this is the perfect venue for you, and you just need someone backing you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Ben caressed her shoulder. “A limited partnership. You’re a good risk, and we want to back you. We know people in Morehead and Divine. Jack knows all the subcontractors in the area. He can build to your specifications. Ethan also suggested the possibility of putting in a restaurant.” Ben pointed to the far side of the building. “With separate entrances and a
ccess to the club.”

  “Holy crap.” This was what she’d dreamed of, but she’d thought her goals were unrealistic.

  With the right help, this could work, and work well. I wonder what Ben meant by they “knew” people?

  Ben added, “The Huffields are motivated to sell this property. Mr. Huffield didn’t have any heirs, and he’d like to find a buyer so he can do a little traveling while he’s in good health and can still get around.”

  Quinten tugged at her hand. “Come on. You need to see the rest.”

  She smiled and allowed them to lead her around as a tiny spark of hope came alive in her heart.

  The stockroom was half the size of the interior of the store. The men made quiet comments here and there, and Camilla’s imagination took over. She could picture the dance floor, a stage for a band, a DJ booth, and where all the tables would be. Ben suggested placing the bar along the centerline of the store, where two offices and a pair of restrooms were currently located.

  “You could have your office behind the bar, and if you liked the idea of the restaurant, they could build doors accessing either side of the business, the nightclub, or the restaurant.”

  Her mind was awhirl with the possibilities as she looked down at the keychain in her hand. It didn’t look like the kind of keychain that a real estate agent would supply.

  She held up the other key on the ring. “What does this go to?”

  Ben and Quinten glanced at each other, and then both men smiled at her. Quinten chuckled and replied, “We wondered how long it would take you to ask.”

  “That’s the key to our house, sugar.” Ben stroked her jaw with his knuckle.

  Quinten drew close and kissed her when she turned her head to look up at him. “We want you to move in with us. We want you…permanently in our lives.”

  “What are you asking me for?” She had an idea of how things worked in her friends’ marriages, but she wasn’t sure that was what they wanted.

  Ben was the one to answer. “We’re hitting you with a lot at once and didn’t want you to be overwhelmed. We’re actually doing things backwards, I suppose. You’ve had several upheavals lately, and we wanted to take it a step at a time. We didn’t want you to be frightened of all the changes, and we—”

  “Yes. We want to propose is what Ben is trying to say,” Quinten finally said. “That’s what we dreamed about doing. It’s the reason why I moved in with Ben and the reason we did all the home renovations. But he’s right, you’ve had a lot to process lately.”

  “I have,” she agreed. “So what you’re doing right now is stating ‘your intentions’?”

  Quinten’s face lit up. “Exactly!” He grabbed her up in his arms and spun her around. “So what do you think?”

  “I think it’s quite a bit to think about. For now, I’ll say that I’m considering all of it.”

  The look in Ben’s eyes was serious as he said, “I hope you give serious consideration to moving in with us. Remember there’s still something suspicious happening and no answers yet regarding what happened at your house and with your car. I’d feel a lot better if I knew you were safe with us.”

  Quinten growled in her ear. “Plus that means you’d be with us every night. Rowr. Bow-chicka-wow-wow.”

  Laughter bubbled up in her as the Quinten she knew and loved made his opinion known. “You just want to get laid.”

  He nodded enthusiastically like a bobblehead doll and scooped her close for a hard, wet kiss. “Will you?”

  “Yes.” It was a lot to be hit with all at once, but both men looked so pleased. They really wanted to back her. Any doubts that lingered seemed silly in the face of their belief in her. Ben gathered her for a passionate kiss that singed her panties and made her pussy clench. “But this huge place will require significantly more consideration.” It was a huge endeavor…a huge investment, and she wanted time to think it through. That didn’t stop a spark of hope and excitement from growing inside her, though.

  They nodded in agreement. Camilla pulled her phone from her purse. “I want to take pictures. Do you mind if we take one more look around?”

  Ben gestured for her to lead the way. “Take as long as you want. Ethan said that he, Jack, and Adam are taking Grace and Rose Marie to O’Reilley’s for lunch this afternoon if you’d like to talk with them about the place.”

  “Yes. The place and the renovation needed. And I’d need to talk to you two about what it is you’re offering in the way of partnership.”

  Ben replied, “Sure.”

  “I’ve always wanted to be my own boss.”

  Ben nodded in understanding. “You could make this place a success all on your own. We’re offering a limited partnership. One you can live with. We don’t want to take the choices and decisions from you. We’d stay at The Dancing Pony. You’d have your own staff here. It’s a lot to hammer out, if you think this place has possibilities.”

  “Yes, it has tons of possibilities.” They took pictures of the interior and then slipped out the back doors and looked around the deserted lumberyard, which was enclosed with a fence overgrown with some sort of vine. “We’d need a huge cleanup crew. No doubt about it.”

  Ben gestured at the fence. “That could be torn down and the area resurfaced for more parking.”

  They went back inside, and her heart pounded as she stopped in the middle of the interior and turned in a circle. I could do this. The little spark in her heart ignited into a flame.

  What should I name you?

  * * * *

  “Camilla, you already have all the financial backing you need. You don’t need the bank.”

  Ben watched Camilla’s reaction to Ethan’s statement with interest. Her brows furrowed, she shifted in her seat next to him, in O’Reilley’s Steakhouse, and then she squinted at him. She’d spent the last several minutes describing her dream of owning a nightclub that combined country and western elements with a little rock and roll.

  “Huh? But I’d need to get loans to cover the cost of the renovations. I have to qualify for the purchase of the building.”

  Ethan grinned at her. “How did you pay for college and your trip to Europe? Did you go into debt?”

  “No. I worked up front and paid my bills. I had money saved in the bank for the trip in advance. I don’t have any school loans to pay off.”

  Ethan nodded as if she’d made her point. “Look at this the same way. You’ve proved yourself to us, and the people who come in The Dancing Pony. Up front. We want to help you achieve your dream, and we have a good friend who feels the same way. This person wants to see you put that degree to good use.”

  “Who?”

  Ben chuckled. “They want to remain anonymous for the time being.”

  Ethan nodded. “Yeah, for the time being. You’ll find out eventually.”

  Camilla seemed to be having a hard time coming to grips with what they were telling her. “I don’t need to meet with anyone? Get approved?”

  Ben stroked her shoulders, which seemed stiff. “Sugar, you already know them. You’ve been approved. Have been for some time, actually, so I hear.”

  Grace giggled as she gave Rose Marie a bite of her vegetables. “Camilla, that means you can get started on the renovations sooner.”

  Jack nodded. “I have men waiting to be put to work. We might be able to have it ready by Christmas or New Year’s Eve.”

  With dazed eyes, Camilla looked up at Ben and then at all of them like they were speaking a foreign language. Her eyes teared up, making a knot form in his chest. She couldn’t understand what it was they saw in her, why she was a good risk. Her difficulty with the happy situation made him fall even more in love with his hard little worker.

  “That simple? Oh, damn,” she murmured as her tears overflowed and she blotted them with her napkin.

  Ben kissed her temple. “There is one thing you need to do if you want to move forward with it.”

  She sniffed. “What’s that?”

  “Figure out a good n
ame.”

  “Oh.”

  Quinten raised his hand. “I got it. The Randy Stallion.”

  Ethan grimaced. “The what?”

  Quinten snickered. “You know, The Randy Stallion and The Dancing Pony.”

  They all started laughing, and Adam said, “The Rutting Rooster?”

  Grace snickered and said, “The Prancing Pussy? And if you have a restaurant, you’ll need to name it too.”

  “The Bucking Bronc.”

  “Roped and Tasseled.”

  Rose Marie picked up on the excitement as they started bandying around names, clapped her hands, and crowed, “Yo Gabba Gabba!”

  Ben watched, enraptured as Camilla laughed so hard tears ran down her flushed cheeks. He wanted a lifetime of making her happy like that. Would fifty or sixty years with her even come close to filling the void he’d felt in his heart up until the moment he’d met her?

  Grace looked around the dining room and whispered, “You could name the restaurant Chantilly’s Steakhouse. Give this overpriced joint a little competition.”

  * * * *

  On the way home from O’Reilley’s Steakhouse, Camilla turned to Ben and said, “Can I ask you about something?” She was alone with him in the vehicle, since Quinten had arrived separately in his truck and was now following them home.

  “Sure.”

  “You never talk about having any extended family members. I’ve shared my past with you and Quinten, and I was hoping you would tell me about yours.”

  “There really isn’t much to tell.”

  Camilla thought he meant there wasn’t much good to tell, based on the way he shuttered his emotions behind a stoic face. She scooted closer and whispered, “I can handle you, Ben. Warts and all. You know I’d understand after what happened to me.”

  “I know that lots of people have dealt with much worse than what I had growing up.” He kept his eyes on the road as he spoke, his gaze focused far in the distance.

  “But it shaped you. I want to know how you came to be the man you are today.”

  Ben smiled down at her. “You have as much to do with that as anyone else. I want to be a better man for you.”