Part 29 (1/2)

Right away, Lady E saw that Ted was missing, and her baby cheeks began to crumple. ”Wh-where did Ted go?”

Warren nodded toward the back. ”Jim Pearl's been having trouble with his long irons, and Ted's giving him a lesson in the alley. He said to tell you he'd be right back.”

Hugh stood up. ”The trip was quite exhausting, and I've had quite enough for the evening.”

”Me, too.” Shelby rose along with him. ”I'm starting to leak, and I need to feed Peter.”

Hugh blanched.

Shelby's mouth widened in a huge smile. ”Just wait till you see how comfy that guest room mattress is. Isn't it, Warren?”

His father smiled and gave her a look that made the old man seem about eighteen.

”But-I really-I need to-” Emma looked desperately around, hoping Ted would magically reappear so she could lay a big one on him. Kenny had to practically drag her to the door, and, as they reached the parking lot, he felt her growing more agitated. Since he'd already witnessed the havoc she could wreck when she got desperate, he knew he had to get her away quickly.

”My car's over there,” Dex said to Torie. ”I'll drive you home.”

Instead of making up an excuse, his sister nodded.

Shelby waved. ”We'll see y'all in the morning.”

”Good night, Emma.” Hugh gave her a frosty nod, as if this were all her fault, and Kenny knew he was storing up some big sonovab.i.t.c.hin' lecture to slam her with as soon as he got her alone. Which wasn't going to happen. The only person allowed to criticize Lady E was himself.

Hugh began to follow Warren and Shelby toward their car. Emma was vibrating with tension, and a p.r.i.c.kle of uneasiness came over Kenny.

”Wait!” Emma's screech was so loud that everybody in the parking lot heard. Emma's screech was so loud that everybody in the parking lot heard.

Kenny didn't know what was coming, but he had a good idea that he wasn't going to like it. He hesitated just as Emma thrust herself forward and pressed her palms to her chest.

”I can't live a lie any longer!”

Oh, s.h.i.+t.

”I've been trying to keep this to myself, but it's no use!”

He felt exactly like a bystander watching a car accident about to happen and being helpless to stop it.

”The truth will set me free!” Emma sucked in a great big gulp of air. ”And the truth is ...” She sucked in another gulp. ”I'm in love with Torie!”

”You're what?” Torie's eyebrows shot halfway up her forehead, and she took an automatic step backward.

But Lady Emma was on a roll, and nothing was going to stop her now. With a great lunge, she threw open her arms and planted a pa.s.sionate kiss right on his sister's lips.

Chapter 19

Emma's cheeks flamed. But she locked one arm around Torie's waist and faced them all down. His sister had boots on, so she stood a good six inches taller than Emma, and she looked like someone who'd been cybernetically frozen. Dex's expression was faintly bemused, Shelby's lips had grown slack, Warren's ruddy complexion had paled. Torie's waist and faced them all down. His sister had boots on, so she stood a good six inches taller than Emma, and she looked like someone who'd been cybernetically frozen. Dex's expression was faintly bemused, Shelby's lips had grown slack, Warren's ruddy complexion had paled.

A wheezing sound came from Hugh's mouth, and his eyeb.a.l.l.s protruded so that he looked like a giant guppy gulping for air.

”I was afraid to tell you,” Emma said lamely.

Torie was beginning to come out of her stupor. She gazed down at Emma. ”I didn't know you cared.”

Kenny was so furious he could barely contain himself. That hardheaded, know-it-all, blindsided stubborn female had just thrown her lifetime career of teaching little girls right out the window.

Emma worked away at her bottom lip as she finally let go of Torie. Hugh's face had taken on a purplish hue. ”You degenerate degenerate!”

And then everything happened at once.

Hugh shot forward, drew back his arm, and cracked Emma hard across her cheek with his open palm.

The camera crew emerged from the Roustabout too late to see Hugh's attack, but just in time to watch Kenny throw himself through the air and catch the duke in the midsection.

Hugh was more solid than he looked, but he was no match for Kenny, and he stumbled backward. Before he could hit the blacktop, Kenny grabbed him and slammed a fist into his gut.

The camera whirred away, brutally recording the sight of a tall, muscular athlete cravenly attacking a short, plump, middle-aged man.

Hugh crumpled, made another wheezing sound, and tried to b.u.t.t his head into Kenny's stomach. Kenny brought up his knee and caught him in the chin. Hugh gave a grunt of pain and collapsed onto the asphalt.

Hugh was still conscious, but his face was a mask of fear as he gazed up at Kenny. Kenny bent down to jerk him back to his feet only to have his father catch one of his arms and Dex catch the other. The two men held him back.

Through the red haze of his anger, Kenny saw the camera crew and realized they were recording everything. Hugh stumbled back to his feet, gasping for air as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Kenny watched the red mark on Emma's cheek grow livid, and he didn't give a d.a.m.n about the camera crew. All he cared about was destroying the man who had struck her.

”I'm okay now,” he said to his father and Dex. ”You can let me go.”

They let him go.

He slammed his fist into Hugh's jaw.

”Oh, Kenny ...” Emma tried to hurl herself at him, but Torie, who understood justice when she saw it, grabbed her away.

”Come here, my little pa.s.sionflower. I'll comfort you.” She curled Emma to her bosom by throwing a hammerlock around her neck.

”I'm trying very hard,” Dex murmured as he watched the females embrace, ”not to get turned on.”

Kenny's chest heaved as he stared down at Hugh crumpled on the pavement.

”Kenny!” He turned toward the commanding sound of Emma's voice. Her plump little mouth was set in a determined line and she looked every inch the schoolteacher putting an end to a playground fight-a schoolteacher with an ugly red smear on her cheek. ”Don't do it. Please.”

Torie released Emma, and he walked toward her to touch the mark on her cheek. ”Are you all right?”

She gave a brisk nod, but he could feel how shaken she was, and it made him want to take Hugh Holroyd apart all over again.

In his peripheral vision, he saw the camera crew circling like vampires. They'd caught everything on tape-everything except the moment Hugh had slapped Emma. Right then, he knew exactly how it would be. The camera would show bad boy Kenny Traveler throwing himself at a defenseless man.