turn pale. “I asked you a question. Are you going to answer me?”
Every muscle in his face tightened and his hands curled into fists.
“Where did you hear that name?” he demanded. “Who’s been talking to you?”
“What does it matter?” She took a deep breath and tried to stop trembling. I just want to know if it’s the truth? What I heard about him. About you. Tell me, Buck.”
He just stood there, his face a mask, but fury raged in his eyes. “And I just want to know who said anything to you about it, and what they said.”
“That you’re a drunk who rapes women and has spent a lot of time in jail because of it.” The words just burst from her mouth. She forced herself to take another deep breath. “Well, is it true?”
He swallowed. “Amy, this isn’t the place to have this discussion.”
“Tell me.” She tightened her hands into fists. “What’s the difference between you and Cade Hannigan?”
“I’m nothing like him.” Pain slashed across his face, his eyes darkened and a muscle twitched in his cheek. “Let me take you home and we’ll talk there.”
Her blood turned to ice, freezing her where she stood. When he reached for her, she backed away, sickness roiling in her stomach. “It’s true.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “It’s all true. I didn’t want to believe him but he was right.”
“Who was right? Amy, wait,” he called as she fled into the ballroom.
She couldn’t get away from him fast enough. Heedless of the people she bumped into, she grabbed Matt and Reenie on the dance floor.
“I have to go home. Right now.”
They had stopped dancing and Matt was studying her. “What’s wrong, Amze? You look like you’re on the verge of a heart attack.”
“Maybe I am. But please, please, please, before I embarrass myself, can we get out of here? If you can just take me home, you can come back and spend the rest of the evening with Reenie.”
Concern washed over Matt’s face. “Honey, if you don’t feel well, Buck will be happy to take you home. He brought you, after all.”
“No.” She almost shouted the word. Had to throttle down and force some semblance of calm into her voice. “Not Buck. I don’t want to see him right now. Maybe not ever. You do it. Please.”
Now anger replaced the concern. “What’s he done? If he’s hurt you in some way—”
“I think we need to finish this someplace private,” Reenie said.
Amy looked around and realized she was creating a small scene on the dance floor. She lowered her voice. “Sorry. Can you just do this for me, please? Right now?”
“We’ll all go,” Reenie said calmly, urging both of them away from the other dancers. “Come on, honey. I’ll get our purses. Matt, you better figure out how to head off Buck if she doesn’t want to see him. Here he comes, and he doesn’t look happy.”
“I’ll take care of him,” Matt told her. “I don’t know what this is about, so when we get out of here you need to explain things to me.”
“Okay. Whatever. Just let’s go.”
Somehow, between Reenie and Matt, they maneuvered her out of the room and managed to stave off Buck, who was not a happy camper. She couldn’t bring herself to speak on the ride home, just kept her eyes closed and her lips pressed firmly together. It was as much to keep from saying anything as it was to keep the nausea swelling up at bay.
The moment they were at the ranch, she fled for her bedroom. “I’ll be right back,” she called as she hurried down the hall. “Then I’ll tell you everything.”
She barely made it to her bathroom before dropping to her knees and emptying the contents of her stomach. She had to take deep breaths to calm herself enough to rise to her feet. She could hardly believe what she’d heard. She knew Buck was keeping something back, but never had she imagined anything like this. She’d spent time with him. Made love with him. Taken him into her body and her heart. Maybe Matt was right about her
Every muscle in his face tightened and his hands curled into fists.
“Where did you hear that name?” he demanded. “Who’s been talking to you?”
“What does it matter?” She took a deep breath and tried to stop trembling. I just want to know if it’s the truth? What I heard about him. About you. Tell me, Buck.”
He just stood there, his face a mask, but fury raged in his eyes. “And I just want to know who said anything to you about it, and what they said.”
“That you’re a drunk who rapes women and has spent a lot of time in jail because of it.” The words just burst from her mouth. She forced herself to take another deep breath. “Well, is it true?”
He swallowed. “Amy, this isn’t the place to have this discussion.”
“Tell me.” She tightened her hands into fists. “What’s the difference between you and Cade Hannigan?”
“I’m nothing like him.” Pain slashed across his face, his eyes darkened and a muscle twitched in his cheek. “Let me take you home and we’ll talk there.”
Her blood turned to ice, freezing her where she stood. When he reached for her, she backed away, sickness roiling in her stomach. “It’s true.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “It’s all true. I didn’t want to believe him but he was right.”
“Who was right? Amy, wait,” he called as she fled into the ballroom.
She couldn’t get away from him fast enough. Heedless of the people she bumped into, she grabbed Matt and Reenie on the dance floor.
“I have to go home. Right now.”
They had stopped dancing and Matt was studying her. “What’s wrong, Amze? You look like you’re on the verge of a heart attack.”
“Maybe I am. But please, please, please, before I embarrass myself, can we get out of here? If you can just take me home, you can come back and spend the rest of the evening with Reenie.”
Concern washed over Matt’s face. “Honey, if you don’t feel well, Buck will be happy to take you home. He brought you, after all.”
“No.” She almost shouted the word. Had to throttle down and force some semblance of calm into her voice. “Not Buck. I don’t want to see him right now. Maybe not ever. You do it. Please.”
Now anger replaced the concern. “What’s he done? If he’s hurt you in some way—”
“I think we need to finish this someplace private,” Reenie said.
Amy looked around and realized she was creating a small scene on the dance floor. She lowered her voice. “Sorry. Can you just do this for me, please? Right now?”
“We’ll all go,” Reenie said calmly, urging both of them away from the other dancers. “Come on, honey. I’ll get our purses. Matt, you better figure out how to head off Buck if she doesn’t want to see him. Here he comes, and he doesn’t look happy.”
“I’ll take care of him,” Matt told her. “I don’t know what this is about, so when we get out of here you need to explain things to me.”
“Okay. Whatever. Just let’s go.”
Somehow, between Reenie and Matt, they maneuvered her out of the room and managed to stave off Buck, who was not a happy camper. She couldn’t bring herself to speak on the ride home, just kept her eyes closed and her lips pressed firmly together. It was as much to keep from saying anything as it was to keep the nausea swelling up at bay.
The moment they were at the ranch, she fled for her bedroom. “I’ll be right back,” she called as she hurried down the hall. “Then I’ll tell you everything.”
She barely made it to her bathroom before dropping to her knees and emptying the contents of her stomach. She had to take deep breaths to calm herself enough to rise to her feet. She could hardly believe what she’d heard. She knew Buck was keeping something back, but never had she imagined anything like this. She’d spent time with him. Made love with him. Taken him into her body and her heart. Maybe Matt was right about her
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