on the loose?” Carl hollered after Davey, then turned and saw me. He pointed a finger at me and moved closer. “ You ’ d better keep an eye on that crazy mama of yours, afore she messes with the wrong person.”
Ian stepped in front of me. He had an easy eight inches on Carl, who stopped and looked up.
“ And who the fuck you th ink you are?”
Ian crossed his arms. “ My name is Ian Beckett. I ’ m a friend of the family.”
Carl gave Ian the once-over, then turned his head and spat again. “ Poking the daughter don ’ t make you no friend of the family.”
I could see Ian ’ s hand clenching into a fist. I wedged between them, putting myself up in Raimi ’ s face, my eyes level with his, and spoke in my harshest down-home tones.
“ You best watch yourself now, Carl. Where this man comes from, people get their teeth knocked out for talking like that. Now you go on back to your farm, and don ’ t you worry about your cows. You ’ ll get ’ em all back.”
Raimi ’ s cold, black gaze bored into mine. For a moment I thought he might go for the fight. Instead, he just grunted at me, shot one harsh gl ance at Ian, and backed off, grumbling to himself as he pushed through the front door, slamming it behind him. I sighed. Of all the people to cross, why the hell did Mags have to pick Carl Raimi? The guy was the biggest asshole this side of the Mason-Dixo n line.
I felt Ian ’ s hand touch my shoulder. “ Well done.”
I shrugged. “ Guys like that, you just have to get in their face and call them out, is all.” I could hear the drawl linger in my voice and gave a small cough, hoping to expel it.
He squeezed my should er and pulled his hand away just as the door opened and Davey stepped out.
“ Mags should be out in a minute.”
“ Have you talked to her?” I said, stepping around Ian and walking over to Davey. “ Did she tell you anything about why she did this?”
Davey shrugged . “ Not a word. Just that she ’ ll accept responsibility for the consequences.”
My stomach clenched. “ Tell me about the consequences.” Davey sighed. “ Well, there was a hell of a dust-up in town for a while. There will be some financial restitution for the cle anup crews and the guys who wrangled most of the livestock back to the farm. Legally, it ’ s a misdemeanor. Criminal trespass.
I pinched at the headache forming at the bridge of my nose. “ Could she go to jail?”
Davey was quiet. I dropped my hand and stared a t him. Davey gently touched my arm. “ Don ’ t panic. It ’ s her first offense, and most of the property has been returned unharmed, so it isn ’ t likely she ’ ll do time for it. Raimi ’ s an asshole, but he ’ s got nothing to gain from pushing this. He ’ ll probably dro p the charges once he cools off, if y ’ all agree to reimburse him for his losses.”
I sighed at the thought of further dealings with Carl Raimi, but there was nothing to be done. “ Okay. We can handle that.”
“ I ’ m gonna go back and get her now. You wait here.” He squeezed my hand and nodded at Ian, then disappeared through the door again.
“ It ’ s going to be all right,” Ian said.
I turned and looked up at him. “ Thanks for coming with me.” He smiled. “ Not at all. I ’ m happy to be here for you.”
We held eye contact f or a moment, and Ian ’ s hand reached up to brush a strand of hair away from my eyes, tucking it behind my ear. My breath whooshed out of me at the feel of his rough fingertips against the side of my face, and I didn ’ t start to breathe again until his glanc e flicked up over my shoulder. I turned.
And there was Mags. Her hair was a mess. Her strappy black shoes, covered in mud and God knew what else, hung from one hand as Davey escorted her into the lobby, with Vera and Bev not far behind. Her feet were speckl ed with dried mud, as was her dress. Davey handed her a clipboard and she signed a piece of paper. A moment later, she looked up and saw
Ian stepped in front of me. He had an easy eight inches on Carl, who stopped and looked up.
“ And who the fuck you th ink you are?”
Ian crossed his arms. “ My name is Ian Beckett. I ’ m a friend of the family.”
Carl gave Ian the once-over, then turned his head and spat again. “ Poking the daughter don ’ t make you no friend of the family.”
I could see Ian ’ s hand clenching into a fist. I wedged between them, putting myself up in Raimi ’ s face, my eyes level with his, and spoke in my harshest down-home tones.
“ You best watch yourself now, Carl. Where this man comes from, people get their teeth knocked out for talking like that. Now you go on back to your farm, and don ’ t you worry about your cows. You ’ ll get ’ em all back.”
Raimi ’ s cold, black gaze bored into mine. For a moment I thought he might go for the fight. Instead, he just grunted at me, shot one harsh gl ance at Ian, and backed off, grumbling to himself as he pushed through the front door, slamming it behind him. I sighed. Of all the people to cross, why the hell did Mags have to pick Carl Raimi? The guy was the biggest asshole this side of the Mason-Dixo n line.
I felt Ian ’ s hand touch my shoulder. “ Well done.”
I shrugged. “ Guys like that, you just have to get in their face and call them out, is all.” I could hear the drawl linger in my voice and gave a small cough, hoping to expel it.
He squeezed my should er and pulled his hand away just as the door opened and Davey stepped out.
“ Mags should be out in a minute.”
“ Have you talked to her?” I said, stepping around Ian and walking over to Davey. “ Did she tell you anything about why she did this?”
Davey shrugged . “ Not a word. Just that she ’ ll accept responsibility for the consequences.”
My stomach clenched. “ Tell me about the consequences.” Davey sighed. “ Well, there was a hell of a dust-up in town for a while. There will be some financial restitution for the cle anup crews and the guys who wrangled most of the livestock back to the farm. Legally, it ’ s a misdemeanor. Criminal trespass.
I pinched at the headache forming at the bridge of my nose. “ Could she go to jail?”
Davey was quiet. I dropped my hand and stared a t him. Davey gently touched my arm. “ Don ’ t panic. It ’ s her first offense, and most of the property has been returned unharmed, so it isn ’ t likely she ’ ll do time for it. Raimi ’ s an asshole, but he ’ s got nothing to gain from pushing this. He ’ ll probably dro p the charges once he cools off, if y ’ all agree to reimburse him for his losses.”
I sighed at the thought of further dealings with Carl Raimi, but there was nothing to be done. “ Okay. We can handle that.”
“ I ’ m gonna go back and get her now. You wait here.” He squeezed my hand and nodded at Ian, then disappeared through the door again.
“ It ’ s going to be all right,” Ian said.
I turned and looked up at him. “ Thanks for coming with me.” He smiled. “ Not at all. I ’ m happy to be here for you.”
We held eye contact f or a moment, and Ian ’ s hand reached up to brush a strand of hair away from my eyes, tucking it behind my ear. My breath whooshed out of me at the feel of his rough fingertips against the side of my face, and I didn ’ t start to breathe again until his glanc e flicked up over my shoulder. I turned.
And there was Mags. Her hair was a mess. Her strappy black shoes, covered in mud and God knew what else, hung from one hand as Davey escorted her into the lobby, with Vera and Bev not far behind. Her feet were speckl ed with dried mud, as was her dress. Davey handed her a clipboard and she signed a piece of paper. A moment later, she looked up and saw
Similar Books
