Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off (27 page)

The man slid off his back.

Jack turned to see Dolly holding the neck on a beer bottle. She yelled look out, and he turned in time to block an oncoming punch from the first man. He barely noticed the warm trickle of blood from above his eye as the bar erupted into chaos.

Time seemed to move in fast forward as the police barged in, halting everyone mid swing.

"They started it, Buck!” Dolly shouted. “Came right in and ripped the place apart, damned city boys!"

"Get a statement from Dolly, Pat.” Roy, Buck's older brother and the town's sheriff, stepped in behind Buck. “Damn, Buck, looks like you're trying to get a family reunion going on tonight."

Jack looked at Roy and wondered what the hell had happened to make him say that. When he told Buck to cuff him, he tried to think of what Heath or Rafe would have done to get thrown in jail. Then, he thought of Bethany.

"Buck, it's not Bethany, is it?” he asked as his brother-in-law shook his head and cuffed him.

"Jesus, Jack, what the hell provoked you into this?” Buck started him out the door. “No, don't tell me because you have the right to remain silent and until we get in the car, I suggest you do just that."

"No special treatment, Buck.” Roy winked at them.

"I know my job, Roy,” Buck said as they headed out.

Once he had him in the back of his patrol car, he called in the arrest then turned to look at him through the metal gate between them. “Off the record, what the hell is going on?"

Jack explained the whole thing to Buck on the way to the station. Once there, he went back to being a sheriff's deputy and processed him like they were not brothers-in-law. “Sheila, call Bethany, tell her to come get Jack."

"No, call Heath,” Jack pleaded.

"Heath's already on his way.” She smiled and shook her head. “Boy ole boy, these are the days of our lives, and the reason I like the night shift."

"What the hell? Is Rafe back there?” Jack asked as Buck took him to the holding cells.

No sooner than he got in front of the first cell did he see what Heath was coming after. “Ho-ly Shit!"

"Nice to see you too, Jack.” Chance looked at him with her big brown eyes and fire red hair.

"Since you're family and we have more prisoners coming in, I hope you don't mind sharing the cell.” Buck let Jack in then unlocked his cuffs.

"Buck, you called my sister, right?” Chance asked wearily as she looked at him. They had not seen each other since her wedding day.

"You betcha', sweet thing.” Buck winked and gave her the finger gun gesture. “Now, you two play nice till I come back, okay?"

"Can you call Rafe instead, please?” He hated begging, but he didn't want Bethany to pick him up in jail.

Buck gave the same finger pistol and wink and laughed. Jack could have sworn he said something about being shot in the ass as he left.

"So, what the hell happened to you?” Chance asked.

"Fight,” he answered and took a seat on a bench across from her. The cell was cold, but she wouldn't know since she was wrapped up in Heath's leather jacket. Boy was he going to be pissed! “Where have you been?"

"Culinary arts school, where else?” Chance shrugged. He noticed she wasn't wearing her wedding rings, his grandmother's wedding rings, the one Heath had given her when they were engaged, and then the band on their wedding day.

"So, they lock up chefs for what ... brandishing a paring knife?” Women, he knew now why Heath was bitter. He felt it, too.

"Driving without a license,” she spoke low and off to the side, avoiding eye contact.

"You have a driver's license, liar.” He let his head thunk against the cold concrete cell wall.

"Yes, but not a motorcycle license,” she quipped then sunk lower into Heath's jacket. “I can't fucking believe this. I come every month to see Star, and I get caught tonight of all fucking nights."

"What's so special about tonight?” Jack snorted. Just like a woman to think only of herself at a time like this. He wasn't surprised she was caught on a motorcycle. Chance was wild, wilder than he ever was. Her childhood was messed up, and it was a miracle she and her sister were as normal as they were. She settled down when she started dating Heath but then ran off on the night of their wedding.

"One year to the date,” she said and buried her head in her knees. The long red locks fell around her, and he felt a moment of sympathy for the girl she once was. Then, it was gone. If he had not met Bethany and been crushed himself, he may have sided with her, again but no more. He knew now women were just treacherous. Women like his grandmother and mother were no longer in existence. He prayed his sister didn't do the same to the gentle giant she married.

Jack closed his eyes and began to feel the onset of the burn and sting over his eye. The headache began pounding, and his ribs started to hurt. The more the adrenaline wore off the more he ached.

"What the hell is going on?” Rafe asked as he entered the kitchen.

"All hell has broken loose,” Jan answered. “Look, I have to find Heath. He needs to get down to the jail and pick up Chance. You need to take Bethany to pick up Jack's truck in town then show her where the jail is, so she can get Jack."

Bethany watched Rafe's mouth open, close, then repeat the process again.

"I know!” Jan said and laughed. “It must be a full moon, I swear. Look here, don't you get arrested because I can't take another call from Buck tonight."

"I'll try not to.” He smiled. “Come on B. You can tell me what happened on the way."

"Okay kid, follow me. And don't worry, he'll get over it.” Rafe hugged her tightly then let her go. Bethany started up the truck with the spare keys from the house and followed Rafe to the sheriff's office. Her heart pounded as he honked twice then pulled off. He really wasn't staying with her. He was really leaving her to handle Jack herself.

She sat in the truck for a long while, mustering the courage to go in and face him. He looked so angry, so hurt. Was he drunk now? Shit!

"Get out of the damned truck and go get him, Bethany,” she told herself aloud. With one more deep breath, she put herself in motion. The night breeze was clean and crisp. Sure enough, it was a clear sky overhead with a big fat full moon shining down on her. The steps to the old Sheriff's office were concrete, and though there were only four of them, it seemed like an eternity to climb to the top.

Her feet felt heavy as her heart hammered in her ears. The door seemed to weigh a ton as she pulled it open. The fluorescent lighting made everything a little green in her opinion. It made her feel like she was in a scary movie and at any minute a monster would jump out. Douglas did.

"Bethany! You little bitch. Look what your husband did to my face! I'll sue you and him and take every damn thing he owns!” Douglas shouted, and a man who looked a lot like Buck sat him back down on the bench with a little more force than was probably necessary.

"Shut up!” He pointed at Douglas then turned to her. “Sorry. Cells are full."

"No. Don't be.” Bethany thought about it, had been thinking about it all day long really. Douglas was there for one thing and one thing only, her shares of her father's business and the merger. “Can I talk to him?"

"Why?” Buck asked as he stepped into the room.

"He wants my shares, the shares my father gave me as a means of evading taxes on them. He wasn't counting on me actually reading the conditions and keeping them, but I did. Douglas’ family is trying to merge the businesses. They can't do it without me.” She sighed. Damn it all to hell. She should have signed it all over before she left, but how was she to know she would meet a man like Jack, and she wouldn't need her cash cushion much less her fall back plan?

"I'll stand right here.” Buck eyed her wearily.

"Thank you.” Bethany nodded then turned to Douglas. “You want the shares, not me. I'll make you a deal. I'll have my lawyer here tomorrow, and I will sign over the controlling stock of my shares if you sign a document stating you will take no action, public, legal, or otherwise against Jack, his family, or any extension thereof."

"You should have been a lawyer.” Douglas sank down in his seat.

"Look, I don't want it. Any of it. I want Jack, and you may have ruined any chance I have of keeping him, but I won't let you ruin his life, too.” She straightened her shoulders and nodded. “Take or leave it, but be warned, if you try to ruin him, I will destroy you and your company. I'll sell my shares to your biggest competitor and tell them every little secret my father thought he covered up."

"You're an evil little bitch, you know?” Douglas smiled. “Why didn't you ever show me this side before? It's kinda hot."

"Douglas?” She wanted to punch him in his already swollen lip.

"Fine. I'll apparently be right here till tomorrow.” He rolled his eyes.

"Fine.” She turned to Buck. “Okay. I'm ready for round two."

"I'm not drunk. I can drive.” He hadn't said a word though it took all her might not to jump on him and cry when she saw his face, the blood and the bruising. He couldn't possibly feel like driving.

"Your eye is almost swollen shut, Jack. Come on, be reasonable.” She sighed.

"Whatever.” He climbed in the passenger's side and buckled in. He didn't look at her or say one word the entire ride home. Her gut clenched, and she could feel a loss washing over her. Her heart ached, and she wondered if he felt the same or if she would need her cash fund to start over after all.

The truck had barely stopped when he hopped out and headed into the house. She got out, fed the dogs, patted them on their heads, and promised them he was okay though she doubted anyone believed her at the moment. Not even herself.

When she opened the door, he was downing shots of Patron. Why he did not just tip the bottle was a mystery.

"Don't you think you should..."

"Oh no. You don't tell me what I should think about anything, anymore. My head hurts, my eye is busted, my ribs feel like they are caving in, and I want to sleep tonight. This will take care of me. You, on the other hand, just steer clear of me for a while. Understand?” His eyes looked sorrowful even as he threatened her. His brows drew down, and his frown intensified.

"Fine.” Bethany nodded. Like a scolded dog, she walked out of the room and up the stairs to the loft. Maybe once he settled in he would be more approachable.

Hours passed, and at two in the morning, her eyes burned from the computer glare. Finally, she walked into the bedroom. Jack laid in the center of the bed, still dressed, boots and all. He was dirty, and she knew why. He had been working and then picked those flowers, which were thrown in the trash she noticed as she grabbed him a bag of ice for his eye, a glass of water, and some Tylenol for his head in the morning. Setting the glass and medicine next to the lamp on his nightstand, she surveyed the big man. Tears stung her eyes at the sight of him. He had been fighting over her.

She walked to the end of the bed and pulled his boots off then his socks. Jack normally woke easily, but he was snoring loud and didn't seem to notice as she pulled his T-shirt up and struggled to get it off of him. His big arms weighed a ton as dead weight, but she managed. She wet a warm washcloth and tended the cut on his eye. He did flinch a little. She avoided a blind swat as he attempted to get whatever was touching his eye away from it in his sleep. She smiled. The antiseptic must have stung.

After putting a small bandage in place, she kissed his forehead. Unable to resist, she placed a feather light kiss on his lips. She felt the sobs coming and didn't want to wake him, so she left the room. Climbing the stairs to what would have been their children's rooms if everything had not gone to hell in a hand basket, she wondered if she was the only one feeling the deepest regrets of her life.

Crawling into the bed, she hugged the pillow and let it go. Eventually, she cried herself to sleep.

Opening his eyes, Jack realized a couple of things right away. It was still dark out, he was not wearing his shirt and boots anymore, and his eye felt a little better. He felt around and realized she was not in bed with him. He sat up, winced as his ribs protested the motion, flipped on the light, and saw a glass of water and some pills. Damn, he felt like shit.

He went to the bathroom, relieved himself, stripped out of the jeans though his ribs really protested against the motion, took the pills, then searched the house for Bethany. When he found her in Rafe's old room asleep, his heart hurt more than all his body aches combined. The pillow she clung to was soaked through with what must have been her tears. He wanted to pull her up and hold her. He wanted to shake her and tell her how mad he was about her lying, but the more he thought about the man, who had come to claim her, the more he understood why she ran. No one had really ever loved her before.

He knew her parents did not care. His mother had called him several times over the past month checking in and checking things out. She was coming in for the barbecue and to meet his new wife. God, what a mess things were going to be now! He pulled a curl away from her face and looked at her with just the hall light illuminating her features. “Why didn't you just tell me? Were you so afraid I wanted money more than you? How badly did I fail to earn your trust?"

Jack sighed and touched the bandage on his eye. “Do you really love me?"

He touched her cheek and felt the dampness from her tears still there. “Sweet Bethany, God help me, I still love you."

Jack turned and walked out. Tomorrow, they could talk about it in the morning. There were enough tears and bloodshed for one night.

Again, his head was pounding but not as bad as before. This time when he woke up, the sun was out. He noticed the front door was open as he stepped to the hall. He heard her crying on the front porch and crept closer to hear what she was saying and hopefully see who she was talking to.

His heart almost exploded as he saw her sitting on the swing, the two dogs listening with interest to her every word.