of reason. She didn’t get drunk. She got tipsy sometimes, like now, when she was fairly certain her posse needed her to ward off the bad guys circling their group. There were plenty of women to choose to dance with, but no, Bale and his desperate losers had to start critiquing her friends. It was so annoying.
Sam wrapped his arm around her waist. “Woman.”
“Man.” She glared up at him. “They need me.”
“Sam and I can handle it. You sit here and behave.” Denver unexpectedly sided with Sam.
Stella included him in her glare. She should have known he would switch sides, the traitor. Just because Sam got that implacable look on his face.
“Babe.” Denver started laughing and held up both hands in surrender. “You’re shooting lightning bolts out of your eyes. You’re going to fry me. The only reason we weren’t banned from the Grill the last time there was an altercation between your girl posse and Bale and his boys was because Alek is a little smitten with you. You saved his bar with your business plan and made the Grill what it is today, so you’re his golden girl.”
Stella had saved the restaurant, coming up with the idea for music at night and the food that was more than bar food. Shabina had helped with the menu. She hadn’t been alone in the planning. Her friends had sat around with her, thinking up different foods they liked to eat at bars when they were dancing. Stella wanted a place where those renting her cabins would really love to go in the evenings.
Raine designed a brochure and a PowerPoint presentation for Stella to show Alek. It had worked and he had agreed to try the food and dancing for one month to see if he could bring in the locals along with those she promised from her resort. The results had been astonishing, and since then the Grill was so popular Alek had to hire permanent help along with his temporary workers during the height of tourist season.
Sam leaned down, his mouth close enough to her ear to be able to be heard above the loud, pulsing music. “Stay put, Stella. Bale and his friends are dangerous when they’re drinking, especially when confronted by women.”
Denver nodded his agreement. “They can’t be bested by a woman or they’ll need to get back at her in a very public way. You’ve already had one confrontation with them, you don’t need another.”
She watched the two men make their way to the dance floor. Denver looked as if he had sobered up. He wasn’t staggering at all as he walked beside Sam. Sam just looked … predatory. For her, he would always stand out, no matter where he was. It didn’t make sense that he was supposedly a ghost as Denver had suggested. Her gaze was drawn to him, that confident way he moved, like a jungle cat stalking his prey.
Stella didn’t understand men like Bale or the others. They had thriving businesses, or at least ones that were getting by in the small town. They had jobs where so many had to have three jobs. Why did they think themselves so superior to women? Especially to a woman like Shabina or Zahra? Both women worked hard. Had their only crime been turning down a date from one of these men? Was Bale really harassing Harlow? A senator’s daughter? Would he dare?
Stella didn’t take her gaze off Denver and Sam as they walked casually up to the bar close to the dance floor and inserted themselves right next to Bale and his friends. There was satisfaction in noting that the taunting smirks faded when the two men showed up, although that didn’t stop Sean from calling out something nasty as Shabina danced nearby.
Shabina looked breathtaking. She was naturally graceful and had rhythm, losing herself in the music as she moved with Zahra, Raine and Bruce. She had her slender arms over her head and her eyes closed. Her long, dark hair fell to her waist and moved around her like a waterfall of gleaming silk.
Stella watched Sean’s expression more closely. She might be tipsy, but she was aware. He had a look of obsession on his face. There was a reason he continually showed up at the Sunrise Café in spite of the warnings not to keep coming back. He might think himself superior and he could tell himself anything he wanted, but he had a real thing for her friend. She switched her