Part 18 (2/2)

Emily Anne had no problem with that concept. She couldn't imagine that any real feelings for her had brought her former boyfriend here. He had to be up to something-he had to want something from her. He'd never given her anything so it couldn't be a piece of jewelry or a personal possession he wanted back. She just wished she knew what the heck his so-called interest in her was all about.

”Don't worry,” Mel said. ”Connor will find out what the h.e.l.l is going on with him, and what he wants from you.”

She stared at Mel. ”Are you a mind reader, now?”

Mel stopped, leaned over and kissed her. He opened the car door and held it for her. ”No, precious, but I know you were wondering why he was pestering your mother, trying to get her to tell him where you were. Did she, by the way?”

Emily Anne took note of the casual way Mel had asked that question. He and Connor had let her know, early on, that they didn't appreciate the way her family had made her feel fat and unloved. She imagined they wouldn't put up with any lip from anyone about her-not even her own mother.

”I jumped to that conclusion as soon as I saw him. But according to Billy J he got the information from Linda Sue Powers. Her daddy owns the company where my daddy works.” Emily Anne shrugged. ”My daddy wouldn't hesitate to tell Linda Sue where I was, even though she's never been a friend of mine. I'm just really glad momma didn't tell him.”

”Me, too, baby. Come on, let's go home. Do you think you could tolerate your men fussing over you for one night?”

Emily Anne smiled. ”Your fussing over me happens on a regular basis and is fast becoming one of my favorite things.” She held up her arm. ”It really is nothing, you know. Yes, it hurts a little, and it's gonna get very colorful. But I'm sure I'll be just fine.”

”We'll have to agree to disagree there. It's not the degree of hurt that matters, but the person it happened to. If it happened to you, even if it's only a sliver, it's not 'nothing.' You, Miss Bancroft, are very, very important to both Connor and me.”

”I think, Mr. Richardson, I am finally beginning to figure that out.”

Emily Anne sighed as she got in the car. Mel reached in, fastened her seat belt, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. After a lifetime of feeling not quite good enough, period, being cherished by these two private d.i.c.ks was a very fine thing indeed.

Chapter 18.

”You can't keep me here, Sheriff. I didn't do anything!”

Connor heard the whining plea as soon as he opened the door to the sheriff's office. Adam looked up from his desk and met Connor's gaze.

”Thank G.o.d you're finally here. I don't know how much more of this bulls.h.i.+t I can take. I'm tempted to just shoot the little p.r.i.c.k, claim it was an accident, thereby putting us all out of his misery.”

Connor's gaze swept the office. Adam was the only one there. He looked back at Adam as he felt his right eyebrow rise. ”Where's Matt?”

”Deserted the s.h.i.+p, that's where he is. Said it was a matter of public safety. My deputy has even less patience for whining little snot-nosed boys than I do.”

”Are you charging him?”

”I was waiting to talk to you about that, first.”

It didn't even seem odd to Connor that Adam would want to talk to him about it and not Emily Anne. This was l.u.s.ty, and while the women had done and would no doubt continue to do more than their share when it came to wielding the sword against life's dragons, the men had their own bottom line.

Dealing with a pesky ex-boyfriend was definitely something the men claimed as their prerogative.

”I'll let you know,” Connor said.

Adam jerked his thumb in the direction of the single cell, which was just down a short hallway behind where he was sitting.

Billy J sat on the single, very uncomfortable-looking cot, a pouty, angry look on his face. He's just like Emily Anne described him. Then the boy looked up and met Connor's gaze.

Connor could see the sly intelligence, and understood in a heartbeat the kind of man Billy J. Cooper was. He'd run into a couple of ”foster brothers” just like him when he himself had been a scrawny, too-angry young man.

Billy J schemed and connived, but at heart the guy was nothing more than a wimpy little coward. A coward who would act the bully against someone he perceived smaller and weaker than himself.

”Who the h.e.l.l are you?”

”I'm Connor Talbot.”

”So what-you're another cop?”

”Naw, I'm a private investigator.” Connor leaned against the wall, facing Billy J. He put his hands in his pockets and took on the same demeanor he'd done while questioning ”persons of interest” around Fallujah.

”So? Am I supposed to be scared, or something?”

”About me being a private d.i.c.k? No, not at all. About me being the man who's in love with Emily Anne Bancroft and intends to marry her? Yeah, you should probably start engaging your brain before you open your mouth again, a.s.shole.”

”Aren't you kind of like, too old for her?”

Connor hissed out a sigh. From the next room, Adam cheerfully said, ”Maybe he doesn't have a brain to engage, Connor.”

”I'm beginning to think,” Connor said. Then he focused on Billy J. The little s.h.i.+t couldn't quite hide the real trepidation he was feeling. Good thing.

”All right, boy, listen up, because I'm about to tell you where the bear s.h.i.+t in the buckwheat. Emily Anne is off limits to you. l.u.s.ty, Texas is off limits to you. She does not want to hear from you or see you, ever again. Out of respect for her, and because this town is off limits, I'm not going to press charges. This time.” Connor found he really had to work at keeping his temper down to a slow simmer. The insolence that came and went on Billy J's face just pushed his b.u.t.tons.

”You don't understand. I need her. A record producer is expecting a demo tape with her singing with us. Without her, we don't have a chance of getting that recording contract!” Billy J ran his hand through his hair, and Connor got the impression that he couldn't understand why the producer would ask for such a thing.

He'd heard his woman sing and he understood it completely.

”How the h.e.l.l were you going to get her to agree to that after the way you treated her?”

”h.e.l.l, I figured I just had to grovel a little and she'd forgive me. She doesn't know how to hold a grudge. I even had it figured how I could score all that groupie p.u.s.s.y without her being any the wiser. Now...f.u.c.k!”

Connor thought of the way this man had treated his precious Emily Anne-not just the words he'd said, but the other things he was certain of but didn't want to mention. He hoped his woman appreciated the restraint he was showing out of consideration for her.

Since Connor had just been staring at him and hadn't answered, Billy J stepped closer to the bars. ”What the h.e.l.l am I supposed to do about that?”

”I don't care.” He enunciated the words as if each one was a sentence unto itself. ”You are to leave here and never come back. The answer is no. No how, no way. Now prove to me and to the sheriff, that you're not really as dumb as a box of rocks. Leave town. Do not come back.” Connor took two steps away from the cell, and then turned back. ”And don't go pestering Mrs. Bancroft, either. There is nothing that woman could say that would make her daughter even look your way, ever again. Emily Anne is through with you. And so, by d.a.m.n, am I-unless you are stupid enough to come back.”

Connor stepped back into the main office. ”I'll take him to his car and make sure he leaves town,” Adam said. ”How's Emily Anne?”

”Just bruised, thank G.o.d.” Connor looked toward the cell. It was a good thing that a brick wall prevented him from seeing that sorry son of a b.i.t.c.h.

”Good. Don't worry about Billy J. I'll explain that I'm letting him go, conditionally. You go and take care of your woman.”

”Yeah. That's exactly where I'm headed.”

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