Redneck Romeo (Rough Riders #15)(7)

“Fair is fair. Gimme that.” She snatched the Sharpie, pushed up the sleeve of his thermal shirt and printed her digits much larger.


He bit back a laugh when she realized what she’d done—now even if she didn’t call him, he could call her. “Thanks. But you forgot to kiss it.”


“No, I didn’t. And for the record? I hate the beard.”


“So noted.”


She turned and stormed off.


Dalton let her get to the end of the hallway before he said, “Rory.”


She whirled around. “What?”


“I’m really happy to see you again. And this time I’m not goin’ anywhere.”


Then he slipped out the side exit.


After Rory got home, she paced, a glass of bourbon in her hand.


I’m really happy to see you again.


Hah. What was she supposed to do with that? Believe him?


Wrong.


Everything about this was so wrong and had the potential to f*ck up her head again. Dalton being in Sundance, showing up at her job. Acting so un-Dalton-like, sweet and contrite.


Bull. He acted like that all the time when he wanted something from you, and it worked every time with you.


No. She wasn’t falling for this again. She’d been down this road with him before.


Three times as a matter of fact.


Rory drained her drink and flopped in the big Papasan chair, pulling her knees up to her chest. She closed her eyes. Maybe she’d drift off before the memories crushed her.


No such luck.


For days after the unexpected and abrupt halt to the wedding, Rory had remained by Addie’s side. Listening to her cry. Being the supportive best friend. Running interference with Addie’s family members who were out for Dalton’s head on a spike. Or a bloodletting. Or both.


But Rory hadn’t chimed in about Dalton McKay’s status as douchebag supreme. Yes, it hurt to see Addie’s misery, but a part of her—a very large part—wasn’t surprised. Rory had been a victim of Dalton’s douchebag ways—not that she’d ever shared those moments with Addie. Some things were just too embarrassing to share with anyone.


So when Dalton had fled the ceremony, Rory had been relieved. He was intuitive enough to know the marriage wouldn’t work, wouldn’t last, and he’d done the right thing in stopping it before it started. Maybe he could’ve come to that determination before he was literally ready to say I do but she’d secretly given him props for doing the right thing for once in his life.


After several of Addie’s relatives bragged to her that they’d dished out the beating Dalton deserved, and no one had seen the man since—she’d gone looking for him.


Maybe it was luck, maybe it was karma, maybe it was fate that Rory had found Dalton in the wooded area by the creek where they’d played as kids.


Dalton had been shocked to see her. The way he’d cringed against the rock, he’d expected to feel her wrath too.


In that moment, the June day became so clear she could feel the cool breeze flowing from the river. She could smell the dank, half-decayed leaves on the sun-warmed dirt. She could see the dappled light streaming through the treetops.


She remembered the bruises, cuts and swelling on Dalton McKay’s face.


He’d looked at her and sighed. “I’m hoping you’re unarmed.”


“I am. Although I’ll point out I could make a killing selling your location to the rest of Addie’s relatives who haven’t taken a shot at you.”


“Wouldn’t be much of a contest. I’d lie down like the dog I am and let them kick the crap outta me.”


Rory sat next to him on the rock and tilted her face toward the cloudless, vibrant blue sky.


Neither said anything for a while.


Dalton spoke first. “How’d you find me?”


Instinct. “I figured since no one could find you it was worth checking here.”


His gaze turned suspicious. “Has my family been lookin’ for me?”


“Yes.” Rory’s eyes took in every bruise, scrape and bump on his face. “I assume everyone you’ve run across has been hard on you.”


Dalton rubbed the bruise on his jaw. “A couple of Addie’s cousins caught me outside the convenience store in Moorcroft. Mean little f*ckers.”


“They responsible for the shiner?”


“Nope. Two of her uncles and her aunt cornered me in Hulett. Got a knot on the side of my head where the woman hit me with a marble cheeseboard. Guess she decided not to take back the wedding gift she’d bought us and repurposed it as a weapon instead.”


“That’s not even funny.”


Dalton sighed. “No, it’s not. Especially not when I consider the worst beating came from Truman. Guess Addie’s tears turned him into a superhero revenge seeker for jilted brides. The * popped me in the mouth hard enough to loosen a tooth, kicked me in the ribs and punched me in the f*cking kidney. I pissed blood for two goddamned days. Thing of it is…I deserved it.”


Silence settled between them again.