“Yes, well, I seem to have run out of cooling down time.” She kissed Dex’s cheek, then gave Torie a fierce hug. “You’ve been wonderful to me. I’ll miss you dreadfully. You’ll never know how sorry I am for what I put you through last night.”
“Are you kidding? I was glad to help out.” She shot Dexter a peeved look. “Besides, it’s nice to be around someone who’s spontaneous instead of a person who has to think every damn thing through from top to bottom.”
Dexter smiled.
Torie squeezed Emma’s shoulders. “And don’t think you’ve seen the last of me, Lady E. We’ll keep in touch.”
“I hope so.”
“You can count on it. Our love affair might have been brief, but it sure was memorable.”
Emma laughed, then felt her throat close tight. She was going to miss this wacky band of Texans. “Be good to Dexter, Torie,” she whispered. “He’s a wonderful man.”
Torie hugged her back and looked unhappy. Emma gave them both a shaky smile, then hoisted her tote and turned toward the jetway.
“Emma!”
Her heart lurched, and she spun around to see Kenny racing toward the gate. He looked terrible. His slacks were wrinkled, he was unshaven, and he’d stuck a navy Dean Witter baseball cap over rumpled hair.
“Hold on!” Kenny rushed forward, nearly knocking over an elderly woman in the process, and came to a stop in front of Emma. His chest heaved, and he took a deep breath.
Now what? As Kenny gazed at Emma silhouetted in front of the jetway, he couldn’t seem to get his air back. He’d run all the way from the parking garage, but that wasn’t why he couldn’t breathe. It had something to do with the way his lungs were crushed in his chest.
Last night, after he’d left the Roustabout, he’d driven around for a few hours, then found himself headed for Dallas. When he arrived, he’d gone straight to the golf course instead of to bed. He’d played thirty-six murderous holes; then, when he’d heard what Tiger was doing at Augusta, he’d hit the driving range for another hour. Bleary-eyed with exhaustion, he’d been about to make his way to his condo when he’d realized what day it was. That was when he’d turned around and headed for DFW.
“Ma’am, you’ll have to board now,” the gate attendant said with determined politeness.
Kenny saw Emma’s forehead wrinkle, and then her mouth crumpled. She banged her tote bag against his hip as she curled her hand around his arm. “Oh, Kenny, I’m so sorry about what happened. I never meant to involve you. I wasn’t thinking. I just reacted, and . . . I’ll never forgive myself. Everything happened so fast, and—”
He could see that, if he didn’t stop her, she’d spend the rest of their time together apologizing, but now that he was facing her, he couldn’t think of any of the dozen things he needed to say, especially not with Torie and Dex looking on. He just knew he couldn’t let Emma leave until he’d told her how she’d screwed up his entire life. And also . . . he had to say good-bye.
He whirled on his sister. “Will you get out of here?”
“Not until I’m good and ready.”
“You’re ready!”
Dex stepped forward, took her by the wrist, and drew her far enough away so Kenny could have a little privacy.
“Ma’am, we’re getting ready to close the doors. You have to board.”
He glared at the gate attendant. “Just tell them to wait a minute!”
“I’m sorry, sir, we can’t do that.”
Emma gave the attendant her boarding pass and shot Kenny a pleading look. “I have to go.”
Kenny gritted his teeth. “You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what you intend to do about the mess you’ve made of my life.”
Her eyes clouded. “I tried to reason with that awful television reporter—all of us did—but he refused to listen.” She began walking backward into the jetway. “I promise, Kenny, I’m going to talk to Dallie and set things right. I left several messages, but he hadn’t returned them by the time I left. I’ll call again as soon as I get on the plane.”
“You did what?” He dashed into the jetway and pulled her back out.
The attendant hissed, “Sir!”
He gave Emma a little shake to get her attention. “By damn, if you say a single word to Dallie about this, you’ll be sorry.”
The attendant stepped closer. “Ma’am, do you want me to call security?”
“No, no.” Emma shook her head. “Everything’s fine.” Once again, she grabbed his arm. “Of course I have to talk to Dallie. I’m the one who’s responsible. I have to explain how this is all my fault.”
“You’re damn right it is, and you’ve got a lot of making up to do, starting right now. Don’t get on that plane.”
“I have to. I have to go back.”
“And leave me to face the mess you created? Not hardly.”
“I won’t. I already told you I’d explain to Dallie, and—”
“And I already told you to mind your own business.”
“But . . .”
“Ma’am, are you getting on this plane or not?”
“Yes!”
“No, you’re not!”
Without any warning, Emma’s eyes filled with tears. Why did she have to tear his heart out by crying? “You stop that right now!” he exclaimed. “You’re not getting your way just by turning into a damn crybaby!”
“I’m not trying to get my way. I’m trying to straighten this out.”
“Fine! That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.” He glanced over at the gate attendant. “Don’t wait for her any longer. She’s not going with you.”
“Kenny! Stop it this instant! I’ve already apologized, and I told you I’d call Dallie and explain, but you don’t want that. I can’t think of anything else to say. What am I missing? Tell me exactly what it is you do want from me.”
She had him there.
“That’s what I thought.” Her schoolmarm’s look told him he didn’t have a chance of changing her mind. “Good-bye, Kenny.”
She pulled away from him and turned into the jetway.
“You get back here right this minute!” he called out. “We’re—” Something was burning a hole right through the middle of his brain. “We’re going straight to Vegas.”
That stopped her—stopped him, too. She glanced back at him, and her expression was completely baffled, which made him even more irritable. “Vegas? What do you mean?”
The hole in his brain was getting bigger by the second. “Las Vegas. It’s in Nevada.”
“I know where it is. Why do you want to go there?”
“To elope.” The words came out like a croak. “It’s where people go to elope.”
“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 damned 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 survive
d 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 God! Does this mean you get a title, 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 compassion, 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.”
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.
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-class seat next to her. “You ruined my reputation. Now you’re going to save it.”
“Rubbish! 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. Damn 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 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 cushions. “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 ass who wouldn’t know a good time if it bit you.”
“Torie . . .”
Furious, she leaped to her feet. “Can’t you stand the truth? You’re stuffy and boring and—”
“I suggest you be quiet.”
“What’s the matter? Are you afraid I’ll jump you and find out that you’re missing a pair of balls?”
“That does it!”
The next thing she knew, she was dangling upside down over his shoulder. “Let me down! What in the hell are you doing?” She punched him in the back.
“I’m taking you upstairs to spank you.”
“What!” She was so shocked that she stopped punching him. And then her mood soared. She finally had his attention. “You’re kidding.”
He wrapped his arm tighter around the thin knit fabric that covered her thighs and began hauling her up the stairs. “How could I be kidding? I have no sense of humor. Remember?”
“Oh, yeah.” The upside-down jolting made her dizzy, but, at the same time, she was beginning to feel better than she had all day.
The jolting stopped as he reached the top of the stairs. He hesitated for a moment, then made his way into the nearest bedroom, which happened to be Kenny’s. He dropped her in the middle of the bed.
“I’m afraid you’ve pushed me too far, Victoria.”
Finally! She set her teeth in what she hoped looked like a snarl. “You go to hell.”
He grabbed her, jerked her toward him, and turned her over his knees. “I realize this will be painful,” he said in that stodgy way that he knew pissed her off, “not to mention politically incorrect, but it has to be done.”
She snorted. Not in a million years would he go through with this.
“I mean it, Victoria. You’d better brace yourself.”
She cocked her head, looked up at him, and said dryly, “Maybe
you’d better give me a piece of wood to bite down on for the pain.”
He chuckled.
She smiled to herself.
Then he smacked the flat of his hand down on her butt.
She was so surprised that she nearly spoiled the whole thing by rolling off his lap. “Ow! That hurt.”
“I apologize.” He smacked her again.
She winced, then thought about biting him in the calf or simply pushing herself away, but she was too curious to see what was going to happen next. And she also felt this warm little wriggle of . . . something . . . that wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Imagine Dexter O’Conner, the biggest dweeb in Wynette, Texas, having the nerve to do something like this.
Another smack.
It didn’t feel good, but it didn’t exactly hurt either, and, in a perverse way, it was nice to have finally riled him so much. “You brute,” she managed.
“Believe me, this is hurting you a lot more than it’s hurting me.”
She grimaced, then braced herself for his next smack. Instead, his open hand came to rest on her butt, and she had the distinct impression he was copping a feel.
“Whatcha doin’ back there, Dex?”
He snatched his hand away and cleared his throat, but he still sounded a little hoarse. “Have you learned your lesson?”
“Uhmm.”
“Well? Have you?”
“I wonder if Kenny knows he’s got a dust bunny under his bed.”
He smacked her, then sighed. “Now have you learned your lesson?”
“I can’t believe you’re wearing brown socks with blue pants.”
A long silence. Finally, “This isn’t working, is it?”
“Maybe we should try it naked and see if that improves things.”
She tensed, waiting for him to get all stodgy and let her go. But he surprised her again by giving a resigned sigh. “An excellent idea.”
A thrill shot through her as he tugged up her long skirt and flipped it over her head. His palm settled over her bare bottom, and she shivered.
She waited in anticipation, but his hand didn’t move.
“Torie . . . your panties . . .”
“Yes?”
“Where are they?”
“Look for a tiny little strap of flesh-colored silk.”