CnC 5 One Hex of a Wedding by Yasmine Galenorn Page B

visitors?”
    Jimbo cracked out a laugh. “You take the cake, O’Brien. But I owe you one. You just won me twenty bucks.”
    I rubbed my forehead. “Say what?”
    “I bet Anna twenty bucks that you’d be asking to come out here before the week was over. She said you’d be too preoccupied.”
    With a snort, I said, “Uh-huh. By the way, how’s she doing?”
    His voice dropped into scary mode. “If I ever catch whoever ripped up her house, he’s dead meat. O’Brien, I’m worried about her, but she won’t even think about leaving for a few days. White Deer’s staying with her, but neither one of them are strong enough to KO some pervert. I’m going to camp out there for the next few days. I’ll be at home tomorrow though. Eleven A.M. work for you?”
    I jotted a note to myself. “Sounds good to me.”
    “Cool beans. I think I’ll call in some of my buddies from the enclave to search the property for me. Make sure no psycho’s hiding out in the back forty.” Jimbo’s buddies from the Klickavail Valley bikers’ enclave were a formidable crew. I wouldn’t want to be any trespasser they might catch.
    “Good thinking. Okay, well, I’m outta here for now. See you tomorrow.” As I hung up, I turned over several thoughts in my head. One was flashing a neon red alarm, and I had to put it to rest, one way or another. Might as well grit my teeth and get it over with. I grabbed my purse, stuck a Post-it on the teapot I’d chosen for myself, and headed out. With a wave to everybody and a slew of good wishes following me out the door, I jumped in my SUV and pointed myself in the direction of the Four Seasons Motel where Roy was staying.
     
     
    THE LOOK ON Roy’s face when he opened the door was priceless. Made me wish I had a camera. Before he could ask what I was doing there, I pushed my way into the room, tossed my purse on a chair, and perched my ass on the desk.
    “Okay, let’s get this over and done with. I’m ready to hash it out once and for all. And I’m sure you want to go home.” I’d be able to tell whether Roy had been the one who shot Joe. He wasn’t good at hiding his feelings, even though he’d been an excellent liar during our marriage. I’d been in such denial, I’d ignored every warning sign until I couldn’t turn away anymore. After the last blow up, ending with me starting a fire using his clothes as fuel, and him giving me a black eye, I knew it was over. From then on, I never had a problem pinpointing his lies.
    Roy stared at me, uncertainty clouding his face. “Fine. What exactly are we hashing out?”
    “First—what the hell were you thinking when you showed up at the party? You’re lucky that I sent the kids home early, but they sure got an eyeful when the paper came out with Ingrid’s article in it. They—and everybody else in town—now knows what a drunken buffoon you are. Not only that, probably half the town thinks you shot Joe.”
    His eyes narrowed and he let out an exasperated sigh. Typical. The martyr rode again. Oh poor me, my ex-wife just won’t quit ragging on me . “I didn’t intend on losing it.”
    “Then why did you show up? You know you aren’t going to control yourself. What on earth possessed you to open your mouth when you know it always gets you into trouble?” I shook my head. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea, but we’d been round and round for the past five years, and I was tired of it.
    Roy leaned against the wall. He was still a handsome man, that I’d give him, but his arrogance had grown to outshine the charm that had snared me in when we first met. Five-ten, with a curly mass of strawberry blond hair the same as Kip’s, he’d kept himself trim. For just a moment, I flashed back to the good days, before the kids and I’d become burdens to him rather than joys. We’d had some good times, a fact that I conveniently tended to forget.
    “Emerald—oh never mind.” He suddenly slumped. “You wouldn’t understand.”
    “Try me,” I