Bases Loaded (Mustangs Baseball) (24 page)

Chapter
Twenty-Three

Clare looked in
the full-length mirror and swished her hips just to see the diamonds on her dress
sparkle and flash one more time. Antonio came up behind her, wrapping his arms
around her waist, his chin against her temple.

“You’ll outshine
everyone there.”

“I can’t even
imagine what you paid for this,” she said, meeting his gaze in the mirror.

He shrugged his
shoulders, encased in burgundy velvet to match the cape she would wear over her
snow-white, diamond-encrusted ball gown. “It’s for a good cause.”

The Costume Ball
was held every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas to benefit the local
food bank. Besides the price of admission, the costumes would be put up for
auction after the event to raise more funds.

“I’ve never worn
anything like it, and I suspect I never will again.”

“You’re the Queen
of Diamonds,” he said. “You can’t show up wearing just any old thing.”

She smiled at the
picture they made together. Him—tall, dark, and handsome as sin in rich
burgundy velvet, and her—not so tall, but regal in white threaded with gold and
embellished with real diamonds. The strapless gown showed off her shoulders,
and the sweetheart neckline drew attention to the pendant she hadn’t taken off
since her knights had presented it to her.

“You know what
tonight is,” he said, dipping his head to place a line of kisses from the tip
of her collarbone to that soft spot behind her ear.

“Yes.” She’d been
counting the days, the hours, the minutes.

“I’d take you
right now if your loyal subjects weren’t in the other room waiting for you to
make an appearance.”

“I’d let you,” she
said, meaning it. “Can’t they wait?”

“We’re already
going to be fashionably late. After all you’ve accomplished to get to this
point, you wouldn’t want to miss the show.”

“No, I wouldn’t.”
Reluctantly, she turned from the mirror. Antonio offered her his arm and
escorted her from the room.

“There she is,”
Keith said, sketching a bow.

Mike and Conner
followed his lead.

“My Queen,” they
all said in unison.

She regally
inclined her head then burst out laughing. “Oh my! You’re all so…pretty!”

“Pretty?”

“What?”

“I knew it,” Mike
said. “It’s the lace.” He tugged on the fall of lace covering his hands down to
his knuckles.”

“Clare, you never
tell a guy he’s pretty. They’re….” Deep lines etched his forehead as he seemed
to search for the appropriate word to describe the costumes his friends wore.

“Okay, striking.
How’s that?” she asked.

The fitted
trousers were no more revealing than the pants they wore on the playing field
every day, so they couldn’t object to those, but the coats, complete with
tails, brass buttons, and gold braid trim were over the top. Adding on the
elaborate cravats and lace trimmed shirts might have been too much.

“Better,” Keith
said. “You know I’d do anything for you, my Queen, but this?” He waved a hand
to indicate his attire. “Well, let’s just say I wouldn’t do this for anyone but
you.”

“Thank you,” she
said, including all three in her gratitude. “As Antonio reminded me, it’s for a
good cause.”

“I can think of no
better cause.” Conner bowed to his queen. He referred to their other reason for
attending the ball as a group.

Clare had almost
forgotten amid the preparations. She and Antonio had spent the last two weeks
thinking up creative ways to be intimate while her piercing healed. The
challenge had been effective in keeping her from stressing over tonight.

She acknowledged
Conner’s comment with a dip of her chin. “Thank you. Which reminds me…Antonio,
do you have the things we talked about?”

“Oh yeah! Glad you
remembered.” He hurried off, leaving her alone with her devoted minions.

“I can’t thank you
all enough,” she said. “I owe you more than I can repay already. So, please,
understand…tonight…isn’t your fight. Antonio and I have decided it’s the only
course of action for us, but I would feel terrible if this backfires and the
three of you are caught in the fallout.”

“No worries,”
Keith said. “We understand, and though Tony thinks you belong to him, we feel
like you belong to us, too. So…we’re in this, no matter what.”

“It could cost you
your careers,” she said, using her final, and most persuasive argument.

“We might all end
up selling hot dogs in the stands after this,” Antonio said, returning with the
items Clare had sent him for.

“Hey, I’d look
better in a hot dog vendors uniform than I do in this,” Conner said. “And, I
wouldn’t have to go to another fundraiser for the rest of my life.”

“Heck yeah,” Mike
said. “I’m all for no more fundraisers.”

Antonio handed
each man a sword in a scabbard. “Here. This should give you some more clout as
her ladyship’s knights.” While they wrestled with how to strap the things on,
Clare went down the line, pinning a large, ornate medal on each of their coats.

“You are
officially, Sir Keith,” she said, placing a kiss on the man’s cheek. When she
was all done, she stepped back to survey her entourage. “Perfect!” She beamed
at them.

Antonio draped the
heavy cloak over her shoulders, fastening the collar at her neck. “And, your
scepter, my Queen.” He handed her the ornate accessory.

“How does she
look?” he asked, stepping aside so they could admire the whole picture.

Clare blushed. “I
look ridiculous.”

“She’s almost
perfect,” Mike said.

“Just needs one
more thing,” Conner added.

Keith picked up a
wooden box she hadn’t noticed on the coffee table and, standing before her,
lifted the top.

She gasped. “It’s
beautiful.”

“Don’t get too
attached.” Mike lifted the tiara from its box. “It’s on loan.”

“Those are real?”
she asked as he put it on her head.

“More diamonds and
rubies than you can count,” Conner confirmed.

Clare hurried to
the mirror above the fireplace. Talk about over the top! “This is….”

“Perfect,” Antonio
said.

She turned, and to
her amazement, all four men dropped to one knee. “We pledge you our lives, fair
Queen,” Keith said.

Clare almost
doubled over at the sight. “Get up,” she laughed. “Didn’t someone say we were
going to be late?”

* * *

“Hold up a minute,”
Tony said as they approached the ballroom doors. “Let’s give Clare a minute to
collect herself and make sure we’re all on the same page.”

The limo ride from
his hotel to the one where the ball was being held had been short, but as
they’d passed the familiar downtown landmarks, he couldn’t help but notice
Clare’s growing anxiety. Giving her a moment was essential to the success of
their endeavor.

None of them could
afford failure. The cost was too high. Clare’s self-esteem and their jobs were
on the line. In order to salvage all those things, they needed to present a
united front against Clare’s enemy, now their enemy as well.

“Last chance to
save yourselves,” Tony said, offering them the opportunity to change their
minds.

The guys shared a
look.

“We’re in.” Keith
said. “How will we know which one she is?”

“As soon as we
spot Jessica, we’ll give you a heads up,” Tony said.

“But we’re going
to wait until she approaches Clare, right?” Keith asked.

“Right,” Tony
confirmed. “That shouldn’t be a problem. After she sees Clare’s entrance, she
won’t waste any time before she tries her bullying tactics on her.”

“Bring her on,”
Conner said.

“Remember, stay
close to Clare. We are her minions, devoted to her,” Tony said.

“That’s easy,
since it’s true.” Mike grinned at Clare.

“Ready?” Keith
asked her.

She inhaled deeply
and exhaled. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

He was so damned
proud of her he thought he might bust right open. The short interlude had given
her the time she needed. She was once again a Queen. Her shoulders were back,
her chin up, and the smile on her face brought back the twinkle in her eyes.

She’s mine.
The thought firmed his resolve. Their approach might have the wrong affect on
the Roach woman, and if so, he would lose everything. Except Clare. As long as
he had her, he had all he needed.

Tony offered her
his arm. “Then let’s do it.”

Keith and Conner
moved to the double doors and waited with their hands on the handles while Mike
adjusted Clare’s cape so it hung perfectly over her shoulders and down her back.

“Good to go,” Mike
said.

Tony placed his
hand over Clare’s fingers curved over his forearm. She glanced his way, her
lips curved up on the corners, and he knew everything was going to be all
right. They would come out of this the victors.

The doors swung
open, and they moved into the ballroom, her on Antonio’s arm, Keith, Mike, and
Conner falling in behind them. Heads turned to survey the newcomers. Clare
smiled and nodded at a few acquaintances, allowing Antonio to steer her through
the crowd. They stopped often to converse, the five of them answering the
expected questions regarding their costumes, and occasionally talking baseball
with the attendees who knew the sport and recognized one or more of her
entourage.

She’d have to find
her Uncle Doyle in the crowd and thank him for getting them the tickets. Though
the event wasn’t affiliated with the Mustangs, it was a cause the organization
supported year-round with food drives on game day and with public service
announcements. Everyone who was someone in Dallas attended, which meant Jessica
would be at the ball, too.

It wasn’t long
before Clare spotted the woman. Dressed as Cruella DeVil, complete with a
stuffed Dalmatian tucked under her arm, she stood out.

“Unoriginal
villainess at one o’clock,” she whispered in Antonio’s ear.

Her fiancé
squeezed her fingers. “I think she saw us. A series of hand gestures informed
the rest of their group to be on alert. Bending so only she could hear, Antonio
told her, “Just remember, I love you, and so do the guys behind you. We’ve got
your back.”

“Thank you. I love
you, too.” Feeling the need to reassure them both, she placed her left hand
over Antonio’s where it rested on top of hers. Her engagement ring caught the
light from one of the overhead spotlights and flashed a starburst of fire
around the room.

She could see the
moment Jessica noticed her ring. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open, but
she recovered quickly, replacing disbelief with malice.

“Clare, darling,”
Jessica crooned, waving her long-stemmed e-cig around in a dramatic fashion.

Baring her teeth
in what she hoped was a congenial smile, Clare acknowledged her enemy.
“Jessica. Or should I call you Cruella?”

The evil woman
ignored the question and went straight for Clare’s throat. “The fake ring is
really too much with that costume. Haven’t you heard when it comes to
accessories, less is more?”

Behind her, Clare
sensed her protectors squaring for battle. She lifted her hand, presenting the
back of it so Cruella couldn’t miss getting a good look at the ring. “You mean
my engagement ring? I couldn’t very well not wear it, now could I? Antonio
wouldn’t like that very much. He’s the possessive type.” She turned to him.
“Aren’t you, sweetheart?”

It was hard to
tell with Jessica’s overdone makeup and the lighting being what it was, but
Clare was certain the woman turned white.

“You know me too
well,” Antonio said. “I want you to wear all the jewelry I gave you, even if
I’m the only one who will ever see it.”

Jessica’s narrowed
gaze darted between the two of them then landed on the small army of champions
over Clare’s shoulder.

“So, you did it.
How much did you have to pay them to do it?”

The wall of
testosterone behind her took a step forward. “Be careful what you say about
Clare,” Keith warned. “We’re
all
possessive types.”

“Show her your new
necklace,” Antonio said.

She lifted the
gold pendant. “It’s lovely, don’t you think?”

Jessica stared at
the item then her gaze made the rounds of their little group, coming back to
Clare’s. “What is that, a consolation prize? Couldn’t make it all the way?”

“Oh, she made it
all the way,” Mike said.

“And then some,”
Conner added.

Antonio took the
pendant from her fingers, looking it over before replacing it against her skin.
“Clare’s the first woman in the history of the club to earn the Grand Slam
pendant, as well as the Homerun charm. Four complete innings and not a single
strike out. Watching her receive her trophies is a moment I’ll always
treasure.”

“I was honored to
have all of you there to share in the moment.” She glanced over her shoulder.
Her knights in shining armor took turns leaning in, kissing her on the cheek.

“She’s our Queen
of Diamonds,” Keith said. “And we are her devoted servants.”

“We’ll do anything
for her,” Conner added. “All she has to do is ask.”

“How are you?”
Mike asked her. “If you need my special attention,
anywhere
…you have
only to say the word.”

She managed not to
laugh at Mike’s blatant reference to her new piercing, but she couldn’t help
smiling as she answered, “Thank you, Mike. I’m much better now, but perhaps you
can check for yourself…later.”

“No. I don’t
believe it,” Jessica said. “It’s not possible.”

“Believe me, it’s
possible,” Antonio said. “And Clare has the jewels to prove it. However, the
only one you need concern yourself with is the one hanging around her neck, and
the one on her finger. Clare is going to be my wife, and these men,” he said,
motioning to the stern-faced wall behind them, “are her sworn protectors,
willing to do whatever it takes to see to her happiness.”