Divine murmured noncommittally, hardly noticing when Jackie left her by the end of the bed and moved to the closet. Her mind was busy trying to find a way to get rid of Jackie and Marcus and reclaim her position as Madame Divine. The arrival of the other couple was only going to complicate matters and make escaping more difficult. She needed to think and found it difficult to do so with Marcus nearby.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I slipped in and borrowed one of your outfits this morning when I realized you two weren’t going to make opening. But there is plenty more here to choose from,” Jackie announced, beginning to slide clothes along the rod in the small closet.
“Of course I don’t mind.” Divine smiled wryly as she took in the blue skirt and peasant blouse Jackie wore. How could she mind the woman wearing them when they weren’t really hers anyway? Vincent had arranged for the clothes Jackie was now calling hers.
“I think the forest green skirt,” Jackie decided, pulling out the skirt in question. “It will look great with your coloring.”
Nodding, Divine walked over to take the skirt the woman was holding out. Then she reached past her and grabbed several scarves as well. She’d need them to add some color, Divine thought, and then glanced to the floor of the closet and the row of boots lined up there. She bent and picked up a pair of dark red-brown ones and then turned away with her booty, pausing briefly when she noted that Marcus was dragging clothes out of the closet on the opposite side of the bed.
“Vincent put Marcus’s clothes in here,” Jackie explained quickly. “There are only the two tiny closets in each of the RVs and we were using both of ours.”
“Of course,” Divine murmured and simply turned to head out of the room. But as she entered the kitchenette area, she frowned and said, “Maybe I should shower and change here. That way Marcus can use the shower in your RV and—”
“The sound of the shower would be distracting for the people wanting a reading,” Jackie pointed out and shook her head. “No. It’s better you use the other RV. You’ll like it better anyway. It has a bigger shower,” she added in tempting tones, and then smiled wryly and added, “Everything about it is bigger. It’s the ‘luxury’ RV Vincent had made for our stakeouts and he insists everything should be bigger and better. The man is spoiled rotten.”
Divine couldn’t help smiling at the claim. Especially since Jackie made it with a combination of exasperation, amusement, love, and something that sounded very much like pride.
“All set,” Marcus announced, coming out of the bedroom. He’d pulled on a T-shirt and boots and looked ready for the day. His gaze slid to Divine. “Don’t worry about the shower. It’s yours. I have to get to work before Chapman or Mac come looking for me.”
“They won’t. Vincent filled in for you today,” Jackie announced.
That sent Marcus’s eyebrows shooting upward. “Vincent? Work?”
“He’s just running the Tilt-A-Whirl, it’s not like he’s slinging steel or something,” Jackie said with amusement. “And actually, I think he’s enjoying himself. He’s surprisingly good at luring in riders with his patter. Must be the theater in him.”
“Must be,” Divine said with a smile.
“You two go on next door,” Jackie said, ushering them into the lounge area. “I should get back to work. The natives are probably getting restless out there.”
“No doubt,” Divine murmured and then stepped outside when Marcus pushed the door open for her. She paused after one step though, her hand instinctively rising to block out the worst of the sun as the day slapped her. It was the hottest part of the afternoon. The sun was high in the sky and the heat was a wave that plastered itself to her skin like thin, clinging plastic. It stole Divine’s breath, even as the glare of the sun blinded her.