Part 31 (1/2)

”Elope?” She was walking back toward him now, not as though she wanted to do it, but more like a zombie. ”Do you mean get married?”

No! No, that's not what he meant at all-he didn't want to get married!-but he couldn't back down now, not with that d.a.m.ned gate attendant staring at him as if he were a nutcase, and Emma looking like the walking dead, and Tiger wearing the green jacket again. No, that's not what he meant at all-he didn't want to get married!-but he couldn't back down now, not with that d.a.m.ned gate attendant staring at him as if he were a nutcase, and Emma looking like the walking dead, and Tiger wearing the green jacket again.

His eavesdropping sister started shrieking in the background and jumping up and down just like the sorority girl she'd been in her not-so-distant past. ”You're getting married!”

He thrust out his jaw at Emma. ”You've got a problem with that?”

Those amber brown eyes looked as if they were going to swim right out of her face, and her throat muscles contracted as she swallowed. ”This is-is foolish. You don't want to marry me.”

She'd never spoken truer words, but he wasn't going to admit it now. ”Don't you try to tell me what I want and what I don't want. Just because we're getting married doesn't mean I'm going to put up with you bossing me around.”

”Ma'am, I'm afraid you'll have to get this sorted out on your own time. Good luck.”

As the gate attendant shut the door, Kenny went light-headed with relief. He didn't try to examine his reaction. He only knew that he'd just survived a sudden-death playoff.

Behind him, Torie continued to squeal. ”Married! Oh, Kenny, this is perfect! You and Lady E! Shelby's gonna die. Oh, my G.o.d! Does this mean you get a t.i.tle, too? Does it, Lady E? Is he going to be Lord Kenny now?”

Kenny shot Dex an imploring look. ”If you've got an ounce of compa.s.sion, get her out of here.”

Dexter slipped his hand around Torie's waist. ”I don't think we're needed.”

”I have to call Shelby. And Ted! Wait till I tell Teddy Beaudine about this.” As she fumbled in her purse for her cell phone, she grinned at her brother. ”I can see why you like her so much, Kenny. She's a real good kisser.”

Every person still standing in the gate area turned to stare at Emma.

Torie regarded them haughtily. ”Well, she is is.”

Chapter 20

It didn't take Kenny long to collar one of the airline employees, establish who he was, and get VIP treatment. Ignoring Emma's protests, he made arrangements for their flight to Las Vegas. employees, establish who he was, and get VIP treatment. Ignoring Emma's protests, he made arrangements for their flight to Las Vegas.

She should have simply dug in her heels and refused to move, but instead, she trotted along at his side, barely keeping up with Mr. Speedy, as she tried to talk to him. He refused to listen, refused to wait for her luggage to be retrieved, and before she knew it, she was headed to Las Vegas for an elopement.

She wouldn't marry him, of course. She couldn't. It was unthinkable.

But so tempting.

And so wrong.

”Kenny, we have to talk about this!”

”Nothing to talk about.” He pulled his baseball cap down over his eyes and leaned back into his first-cla.s.s seat next to her. ”You ruined my reputation. Now you're going to save it.”

”Rubbis.h.!.+ We don't have to get married for that.”

”You already told me Hugh fired you, then kicked you out of your house. What else are you going to do?”

”I'll find another job and a place to stay. I'm not helpless, and I'm not in need of rescue!”

”If you don't mind, I'd like to catch up on my sleep.”

”I do mind. I mind very much. I-Oh, what's the use? Until you decide to talk, I'm wasting my breath.”

She turned to gaze out the window of the plane and wonder how her life had slipped so far out of her control in such a short time. What an awful day. She'd barely slept last night, and then there'd been that horrid meeting with Hugh.

Something nagged at her, something Hugh had said, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. She tried to reconstruct their interview, but that only depressed her.

At her side, Kenny stirred in his sleep. She had to make him listen to her, and, as soon as he woke up, that was exactly what she would do. No matter how difficult it might be, she had to right the terrible wrong she'd done to him. But first she needed to talk him out of this silly notion that they were going to elope.

The woman in the seat behind her had been arguing with her male companion ever since the plane had taken off, and, once again, she raised her voice. Emma thought of Torie. She'd been awful to Dexter all day. Why had he put up with it? Emma knew Torie was going through a lot of emotional pain, but it really wasn't fair to take it out on him.

Fair. As if anything about life was fair.

As Emma pondered life's unfairness, Torie led Dexter through the front door of Kenny's Dallas condo. She'd told him she needed to pick something up here, but the truth was, she wanted to settle things between them, and she'd rather do it here than back in Wynette.

The condo was stuffy, so she made her way over to the air conditioner and flipped the control. Then she stalked into the kitchen. Maybe something cold to drink would improve her mood.

Dex headed for Kenny's stereo, but instead of looking through the CDs like any normal person, he pulled out one of the components and inspected it from behind. d.a.m.n him. He'd been stiff and starchy all day. At least he had been with her. With Emma, he'd been all friendly and chatty. And he'd gotten worse after they'd left the airport. Torie might as well have been invisible because nothing she did got a reaction from him. She'd criticized his driving, made fun of his vocabulary, and told him he could have gotten a better haircut from a dog groomer, but he hadn't paid any attention. Instead, he'd merely gotten quieter, as if she no longer interested him.

She grabbed a can of Sprite from the refrigerator, tossed her purse on the counter, then kicked off her chunky-heeled leather sandals. She was wearing them with a long black knit tank dress that set off her figure and should have made him drool, but didn't seem to be having any effect. She'd never felt as insecure around a man as she did around Dexter. ”If you want something to drink, get it yourself,” she snapped.

”Nothing, thank you.”

His quiet manner enraged her. ”You could be a little more supportive, you know. This hasn't been an easy day for me.”

”Why is that?”

”Isn't it obvious? My only brother's getting married.”

”You're happy about that,” he pointed out with a patience that made her want to scream. ”Remember?”

”I hate it when you're sarcastic.”

”I'm never sarcastic.”

”Well, aren't you Mr. Perfect.”

He sighed. ”Suppose you just tell me exactly what's bothering you.”

Everything was bothering her! He was bored with her. He hadn't given her a single compliment, or noticed that she wasn't smoking, or even defended himself when she'd attacked. She knew exactly what was going on. He'd grown bored with her because she wasn't smart like Emma, and she wasn't kind like Emma, and she wasn't as interesting as Emma. Now all he wanted to do was get away from her. Well, she wasn't going to let him go. Not until she she kicked him out! kicked him out!

”We'll have to spend the night here.” She sprawled down on the couch, letting her dress slide up as she settled back into the cus.h.i.+ons. ”I'm too tired to drive back to Wynette tonight.”

He spoke in a low, tight voice that was unlike his normal thoughtful tones. ”I don't think that's a good idea.”

”Of course you don't! Because you're a tight a.s.s who wouldn't know a good time if it bit you.”