Hard to Handle (36 page)

Stasia went hot, then cold with rage.

After a long whistle, Barber pulled Stasia close to his side and said, “Let's get out of here, girl, before anyone commits murder.” With a look of disgust to Harley, Barber muttered, “Idiot.”

Wishing she was already out of there, that she had never come in the first place, Stasia stayed close to Barber as he forged a path to the door.

How had she fallen in love with Harley? She knew better, damn it. As a life coach, she knew to stay detached while helping people with their problems. Not that she'd helped Harley at all.

She had to accept failure, because she'd had zero influence on him.

When they stopped by the front door to reclaim their coats, Stasia glanced back and saw Harley standing there, arms crossed, watching her with burning intensity. At his side, Satch talked fast and gestured repeatedly.

“You okay?” Barber held her coat for her as she slipped in her arms.

“Other than being a fool, yes.”

“You're not. Harley's just…guarded.”

“No, it's more than that.” She buttoned up and pulled the lapels tight to her throat. “He's right.”

“About?”

“Me. Why I cared so much.” Stasia shook her head. “If you tell him, I'll come back and hurt you, but…I am in love with him. I just hadn't really realized it—or admitted it to myself—until recently. And by then, it was too damn late to stop myself.”

With one arm around her as he led her through the door, Barber glanced back at Harley. “Don't you think you should tell him?”

“God no. That's the last thing he'd want to hear.”

“Wrong. It's exactly what he wants to hear.”

“No.”

Barber sighed long and loud. “Come on, Stasia. Why not just admit you're too chickenshit to go first?” They stepped into the frozen lot, and Barber started to say more, no doubt to try to convince her.

Headlights blinded them.

In an instant, it all came back to Stasia. She remembered this scenario only too well.

As an engine roared, Barber said, “What the hell?” With little time to react, he started to push Stasia back, but the truck hit the gas and came barreling toward them with a splatter of ice from under the tires.

Stasia strangled on a scream, and a second later, a body hit her and Barber both, knocking them sideways onto the frozen parking lot.

Harley!

The truck roared past, up and onto the curb, and then into a lamppost.

In the midst of Barber cursing a blue streak, Harley levered up to see her. He was more furious than she'd ever seen him. “You okay?”

Her entire body hurt, but…“Yes.”

Barber jerked around and stared toward where the truck spun its tires, trying to find traction. “They were going to hit us!”

“I know.” With a slow smile and narrowed eyes, Harley got to his feet. “Enough already.”

Two men left the truck and took off running on foot.

Before Harley could take chase, Barber shouted, “Harley, do
not
be an idiot!”

Harley kept going.

Oh God, oh God.
Stasia's heart pounded. If he got hurt and couldn't fight, she knew she'd never forgive herself.

“Go inside,” Barber ordered. “Call 911, and get the others. Fast.” And he went after Harley.

But Stasia didn't have to fetch anyone. The word spread so quickly that almost before she'd regained her wits, a group of fighters came out and began searching the lot. Off in the distance, sirens sounded, proof that the police had already been called.

When Barber reached him, Harley shook him off and pointed in the direction one of the men had gone. Friends headed in that direction. Showing he had more sense than she'd given him credit for, Harley returned to the truck with Barber and turned it off.

He emerged from the cab with a wallet, and a registration.

Hand to her throat, Stasia stood back and watched the events unfolding. She didn't realize she was crying until Jasmine sniffed beside her.

“I'm sorry,” Jasmine said when Stasia looked at her. She dug a tissue out of her pocket. “If you cry, I cry. I can't help it.”

Stasia swiped her cheeks and felt the track of icy tears.

Not what Harley needed, she knew, so she wiped them away and drew several deep breaths to calm herself.

The police pulled up.

Harley spoke to them very briefly before turning them over to Barber. He took three steps toward Stasia. She was so emotionally overwrought she almost couldn't swallow. Too much had happened tonight, far too much.

Harley said, “Stasia.” He held out a hand.

“Go,” Jasmine prompted her. “He probably needs it as much as you do.”

On a watery laugh, Stasia agreed. She picked up her long skirt and rushed to him. Harley caught her close, one hand at the back of her head, the other arm around her waist.

“Jesus, honey, are you sure you're okay?”

“Yes.”

“No bruises? I didn't hurt you when I pushed you out of the way?”

She leaned back and stared him in the eyes. “You broke my heart earlier, but my body is fine.”

He didn't smile. “Your body is better than fine.” He smoothed her now ruined hair. “So your heart is involved?”

She punched him in the shoulder. “I'm in love with you, Harley.”

“Yeah?”

He looked so skeptical that Stasia laughed. Maybe Barber was right and she was too emotionally involved to see what Harley really felt. Well, she was done being chicken-shit, as Barber had accused.

Stasia touched his face. “I've told you many times now, you're the most incredible man I've ever met. How could I not be in love with you?”

He looked over her shoulder, then back at her face. “Do you think you can put up with my uncle, too? Because, Stasia, it's sort of a package deal. Yes, he sometimes intrudes, but always with good intentions. And yes, I don't always like his plans. But I had so many regrets when I lost my mother. So many things I hadn't done, hadn't shown her, hadn't told her. Satch is the only family I have left.”

“And you're all he has left?”

“That's about it.”

Satch stood behind them, breathing hard and scowling fiercely. “What's this?” He put his hands on his knees, sucked in some deep breaths, and finally straightened. “You don't always like my plans?”

Harley shook his head. “No, Satch, but I love you, so it evens out.”

The emotional confession threw Satch, but only for a moment. “Well, damn it, boy. That goes both ways, you know. I only want what's best for you. But you're smart. Real smart. So you know what's worth doing, and what isn't. Always tell me. I can take it.”

Harley held out a hand. “Deal.”

Satch laughed. “Well hell, maybe the little life coach had a point all along.”

“She has something, all right,” Harley said, and he bent to kiss her forehead. “Now Satch, why did you come charging up here?”

Satch threw up his hands. “You two almost made me forget!” He looked between them with anticipation. “They got her.”

“Her who?” Stasia asked.

“Gloria.” He gave a hard nod. “It's what I was trying to tell you, if you two hadn't been having such a conniption. Roger had some doubts about her, and I checked her out.”

“Your talents know no bounds, Uncle Satch.”

“True, true. Anyway, she's a wealthy socialite, and she's been known to get fixated on people. She settled out of court with another guy who claimed she was a stalker. I had my eye on her, but I told Roger to keep a watch out, too.”

“I'm not sure I'm following you,” Stasia said.

Harley gave her a brief hug. “Gloria planned it all, hon. Not so much trying to get you, but to get me.”

“Said she was going to teach him a lesson.” Satch nodded. “I guess death would be a lesson all right.”

Pained, Harley said, “I met her at Echo Lake.”

“But…” Stasia had a hard time absorbing all that. “She's the one who cut my brake lines?”

“To hurt me, she said.”

“She's admitted all this?”

Harley nodded. “Roger caught her making the call to the truck drivers.” They all looked toward the two men now held captive. They were busy spilling their guts.

Screeching echoed over the parking lot as police emerged from the bar with Gloria in tow. She wasn't going to go peacefully. “It's
her
fault,” she yelled toward Stasia, and then in the next breath screamed, “Harley! I did it for you, Harley. I swear.”

“Good God.” Stasia couldn't believe the woman's demented state. “So it was never my old client.”

“No.” Harley kept touching her, cuddling her, hugging her. “Poor old Larry is back with his wife. They were actually on vacation when the cops went to check on them.”

“Wow.” Stasia gave herself a moment, then said politely to Satch, “Could you excuse us, please?”

“What? Oh.” He flushed. “Yeah, sure. But Harley, don't do anything stupid. You're fighting in just a few days.”

“I know.”

Satch glanced at Stasia, then nodded. “I already got another ticket.” And with that, he strolled over to Barber and Jasmine.

“Another ticket?” Stasia asked.

Laughing, Harley said, “My uncle truly is amazing. I swear he knows stuff even before I do.”

“I don't understand.”

“The other ticket is for you. For Vegas.” Harley held her jaw. “You're coming with us.”

He said it not as a request, but as a fact.

Stasia tried to sort it all out in her mind. “Uncle Satch is a little overenthusiastic, but he's still a great guy.”

“I agree.”

No more chickenshit. “Do you love me, Harley?”

“Yes.”

Joy expanded, but Stasia kept it banked. “Are you sure? I don't mind giving you time to think about it. I know you have the fight coming up and—”

He kissed her.

She expected it to be a quick kiss, but it wasn't. He held her tight and kept on kissing her, even after she started to giggle and struggle against him.

Barber cleared his throat. “Pull back a little there, buddy. The cops are starting to eyeball you.”

Harley let her come up for air. “I love you.”

Stasia's knees went weak. “Just me?”

“Good God, woman, I know I'm good, but do you really think I could handle more than you?”

Barber chuckled.

“If I'm going to Vegas,” Stasia said on a grin, “I need to get home to pack.”

N
OW
that the fuss had ended, Barber looked around for Jasmine and found her in a close conversation with Roger. He scowled—until he saw that Cam was nearby, too.

Walking up, trying to look cavalier, Barber asked, “What's going on?”

Jasmine turned with a huge grin. “Roger offered me a job.”

That took him aback. “A job doing what?”

“Singing. What else?”

It took a lot to get him riled, but that about did it. Staring at Roger, Barber asked, “You did what?”

“Jasmine and I have come to an agreement. Six performances a year at the times of her choice.”

Barber heard Jasmine chuckle, saw Cam smiling, but all he wanted to do was take Roger apart.

He was trying to steal Jasmine right out from under him!

Pointing a finger at Roger, Barber said, “I never did trust you, you—”

“He was hoping,” Jasmine said in a rush, “that it'd encourage you to sign on, too.”

Barber pulled back. “You were?”

Roger shrugged. “You're getting to be one hell of a commodity. I told Jasmine I'd be happy to have her as her own act, but that if she could convince you to sign an agreement too, that'd be even better.”

“Well hell, man, why didn't you just ask? I love this place, you know that.” Barber drew Jasmine into his side. “But since we're now a couple—” He looked down at Jasmine. “You will marry me, right?”

Her mouth fell open. Her eyes watered. Then she squealed loud enough to split eardrums.

To Roger, Barber asked, “Is that a yes, do you think?”

Roger grinned. “I'd say so.”

“Then where Jassy goes, I go. We're a package deal. If she likes your offer, I have no quarrel with it.” Barber tried to shake on it, but Jasmine started bouncing around, and he couldn't get steady enough.

Cam said, “Time for you to go, Barber.”