Chapter 22
Dean stood in the hallway off the kitchen, where the catering staff entered the facility.
“Looking for you.” Dean winked, as if that was a flirty line or something and as if she’d be pleased.
She wasn’t. “Well, you found me.”
He stepped close, too close, so close she could see the spot of gravy on his tie and smell the liquor on his breath. “You didn’t used to be so annoyed when you saw me.”
He brushed his hand up her arm, giving her an unpleasant chill.
“That was before…”
“Before I disappointed you, I know.” He hung his head and looked at her from under his brows. “I disappointed myself. Chalk it up to male ego. That’s really all it was.” His other hand slid up to rest on her upper arm. Two hands holding her in place. Caging her. “There’s never been anyone but you, Kristy. Always you. I’m asking for another chance. To prove myself to you. To prove that we’re great together. To prove we can be a power couple. A force. Together. We can have influence in our state. You, the daughter of a would-be governor and state senator. Me, maybe a district representative, maybe state senator if your father decides to run for governor. Think about the things we could get done.”
She tried to shrug out of his hold, but his grasp only tightened.
“I’m not interested in being a power couple, and especially not with you.” He only wanted her name to hang alongside his.
“Listen to me, Kristy. We could be at the forefront of making Wyoming even greater than it is. Making it the top state for energy companies to do business. Turning it culturally into the cowboy state. Giving Texas a run for its money. With you beside me, the sky’s the limit.”
This time she pushed her hands against his elbows to get free. He didn’t budge.
“My father hasn’t even declared that he’s running for governor yet. And I don’t want anything you have to offer.” Frustration gnawed at her. She had things to do. Didn’t he realize that she didn’t have time to stand around chawing with a drunk ex-boyfriend?
“Because of that old, rusty cowboy you’ve paraded around? No one who knows you would believe that guy is your guy. You’ve got sophisticated tastes.” He shook his head, and his grip tightened to the point of pain. “You’ve turned this hall into the embodiment of the best of western lifestyle and yet kept it sophisticated. That’s Wyoming. You’re Wyoming. We’re Wyoming.”
“ We are nothing.” She tried to squirm out of his grasp, to no avail. “We’re over. Done. Through. And let me go.” She was ready to knee him one if he didn’t.
“Come on, Kristy. I said I’m sorry. Don’t make me beg…”
***
Where the heck was Kristy? Rusty looked around as he walked toward the maze. A staged western shoot-out was in progress by the saloon. The band was coming back on the stage and tuning up. The silent auction would be after the dance. Cort and Lexi had put up horse-training sessions, which they thought would be a good way to bring some notice to their newest venture. Junie had put up a bouquet-a-month subscription.
Ariel was up ahead, talking to one of the waitstaff. She turned to look at him. “What’s up?”
“Just looking for Kristy. You know where she went?”
Ariel motioned toward the back of the reception room, where the catering staff was. “I think she’s checking on the ice cream. Seems this crowd is going bonkers for the chuck wagon setup.” Ariel shrugged. “Who knew?”
Rusty trucked toward the back. Something had come over Kristy. Something good. She’d been flirty. And relaxed. And had even introduced him to her father, which based on how she’d talked about him, had been a big step forward.
Sam Winslow seemed like a typical politician. A glad-hander with an ego. But the one vibe he’d gotten was more important than anything else. Sam loved his daughter. So Rusty didn’t mind the grilling.
What he did mind was slick Dean having a word right there in front of him, like he didn’t exist. No acknowledgment that he was Kristy’s boyfriend. Got his dander up. Never a good thing.
Rusty had cultivated a persona as laid back and calm. A persona necessary in search and rescue, especially when leading a team into a dangerous situation. But there was a line that if someone crossed it, a different Rusty would appear. One that was more than ready for a fight.
Dean was one of those guys who had gotten dangerously close to crossing that line, demanding a word with Kristy. In front of Rusty, no less.
He rounded the corner, headed down the long, dimly lit hallway. Toward the couple at the end, near the kitchen.
The couple who were arguing. The couple where the guy had shoved the woman against the wall. The couple where the woman was squirming to break free.
Like a switch that had been flipped, adrenaline shot through Rusty. He was trained to fight, not flee, never wanting a repeat of the time when his friend had been drowning. He ran toward the couple, the soles of his boots smacking against the cement floor.
As he got closer, the woman formed into Kristy. And there was Dean.
He stopped behind Dean, slammed one hand on the guy’s shoulder, and yanked him off Kristy.
Dean turned, raised his balled fist. With a lightning-fast reflex, Rusty landed a punch on the side of the guy’s face. Dean stumbled and went down in a heap.
Kristy screamed. People burst out of the kitchen.
Dean lay on the cement floor, unmoving.
“What did you do?” Kristy’s voice sounded as if she was in a tunnel.
“Saved you,” he managed to get out.
“From Dean?” Kristy bent and felt Dean’s forehead. “Someone get some ice.” She directed her request to one of the kitchen staff who was standing around gawking.
Then she turned back and looked at him, deep frown lines carved into her forehead. “I can handle Dean. You didn’t have to.”
Dean moaned, turned on his side, and put his hand on his temple. Thank God the guy moved, because for a moment there, Rusty wasn’t sure how hard he’d hit him.
“He’s coming to.” She turned back to Dean. “You could have seriously hurt him, Rusty. You’re bigger than he is.”
He knew that. “I thought he was hurting you?”
“I can handle myself. I’ve taken self-defense lessons.”
He wasn’t about to argue that self-defense classes weren’t always enough. “I… I guess I lost it when I thought you were in trouble.”
Someone handed her a bag of ice. She knelt and applied it to Dean’s temple, removing his hand from the spot. “You could have seriously hurt him,” she said again.
If he’d wanted to seriously hurt him, he would have punched the guy in his throat, as he’d been trained to do.
Dean opened his eyes. Stared up at Kristy. Smiled. Looked beyond Kristy and focused his eyes on Rusty.”
“I’m going to have you charged with assault.”
Blood drain from his limbs and pooled uncomfortably in his belly. “Sorry, man, but you raised your first to hit me. I reacted to defend myself.” Like he was trained to do.
Dean felt his nose, looked at the red sap on his hand. “I’m bleeding. You’ve broken my nose.”
Rusty doubted that. The guy was likely being dramatic now that he’d drawn a crowd. “You’ll be fine.”
Dean struggled to sit up. Kristy helped him.
“You won’t be so fine once I file charges.” He looked at Kristy. “I’ve got a witness that you attacked me unprovoked. And that will end your police career before it even starts. Did you even pass a psychological test?”
Rusty had to remain calm. The guy wouldn’t file charges, would he? But looking at him sitting on the ground, blood dripping out of his nose, an ice bag on the side of his face, Rusty knew the answer would be yes.
He’d lose his spot at the police academy for sure.
Not to mention that considering whom he’d hit, it might make the news and his career could be over in a three-state area.
“Maybe you should go back to the table. I’ll take care of Dean.” Kristy wasn’t looking at him but at Dean.
“Kristy, I’m sorry.”
“You can’t keep rescuing people who don’t need rescuing, Rusty.”
She still hadn’t looked at him.
“I’ll wait for you.”
“I may be a while.”
With one ill-fated move he may have ruined their relationship and his career.
***
“You can’t press charges. It will ruin his career.” Kristy sat beside Dean on the couch in her apartment, applying an ice bag and wondered what it would take for him to not sign a complaint against Rusty.
The right side of Dean’s face had swelled, making him look like a misshapen pineapple. Black and blue marks appeared under his right eye by his cheekbone. Gratefully, the blood had stopped oozing from his nose.
Because Dean had blacked out from the blow, the ER doctor thought it would be best if he wasn’t alone during the night. The only reasonable thing was moving him into her apartment, rather than her spending the night in his hotel room. As Ariel had gone back to Mel’s trailer, she was planning to stay in Ariel’s room while Dean camped out in her bed… but without her in it, of course.
“I hope it does. Someone who lacks impulse control shouldn’t be in uniform.”
“He was in uniform for ten years in the Special Forces unit of the air force. He’s been trained to react, and you raised your fist.”
“To defend myself.”
“If you hadn’t been using physical force against me—”
“Whoa.” Dean held up his hand. “When did I use physical force against you? I simply was trying to get you to stay and listen to me.”
“You pinned me against the wall and wouldn’t let me go. That’s assault. I was this close to giving you a knee in your groin.”
“I get roughed up and it’s somehow my fault?”
She let out an exasperated sigh and put the ice bag on the table. “If you want to talk assault, you were assaulting me. Rusty may have used too much force, but it was a reflex. It wasn’t intentional like your actions were.”
“His response was out of proportion. What would have happened if he had a gun, which would be the case if he were a police officer? Sorry. I’m not letting this go. I would feel I was shirking my civic duty.” He clenched his teeth, and his mouth flatlined.
“Hopefully, you’ll feel different in the morning. Let’s get you to bed.”
He grabbed her hand. “Best invitation I’ve had all day.”
“You’ll be sleeping in my room. Alone.”
“I insist you stay with me. Remember what the doctor said, and I wouldn’t feel right kicking you out of your bed.” He smirked.
“I will check on you every few hours.”
She stood and moved toward the bathroom. “I’ll put out towels for you. I’ve a pair of baggy sweats if you want to use them to sleep in.”
“I sleep in the nude. Remember.”
She felt her face flush. “Whatever. But cover up when you use the bathroom please.”
“You’ve gotten awfully prudish. Have you and Rusty even done it yet?”
“I’ll leave out a bathrobe.” She’d ignored his comment, although she was tempted to tell him just how incredible it was with Rusty, to let some air out of his ego. “Do you want anything before you go to bed?”
“Just you.” He smirked again.
“I’m only doing this in hopes you’ll spare Rusty.” She turned to go to the bedroom. “I don’t think a future state legislator sprawled on the floor would be a good look, regardless of the circumstances.”
“They’re not printing that, are they?”
“If you’re referring to the press, I believe my father has successfully convinced them not to mention the incident. For which I’m as grateful as you. But if you file charges, it’s public record, so who knows. And you will force my hand to file assault charges against you.” She looked over her shoulder.
Dean was frowning. “I’m a lawyer, remember. I’ve got a medical record to prove what he did to me. At best, you’ve got misdemeanor assault and we have only your word and the cowboy’s that by talking to you, I assaulted you.”
“Always scheming, Dean. But it’s still two against one.” She feared, though, that he was right.
***
She wasn’t answering his calls, and she’d left with the guy. What had started out as such a good night had turned into a disaster. And he had no one to blame but himself. He set his cell phone on the kitchen table. The glow from the overhead pendant light felt like an interrogation lamp.
His mother, dressed in a nightgown and bathrobe, sat down next to him. “I’m sorry, son. I know you like her.”
Like her. He was in love with her. He knew it down to his core. And that was why he’d reacted so strongly. “You think it’s over?”
“I don’t know. But she did leave with him.”
“She said she was taking him to the ER. I know I overreacted.” And with all the press about police overreacting, it would likely mean the end of his hopes for a career in policing. “Maybe I’m not cut out to be a police officer. In Wyoming we’re called peace officers. We can’t be one of the one’s breaking the peace. If he files a complaint—”
“You think it will get that far? What would you do then?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t had time to think.”
His mother patted his arm. “We’ll talk about it in the morning. Maybe he won’t press charges, so it won’t be on your record.”
“I doubt I’ll be so lucky. There were witnesses. I’m ready to face the fallout. The one thing I’m not ready to do is give up on Kristy.”
“Well, then that means you’ll have to convince her to give you another chance.”
“And not be Rusty to the rescue.”
“Rusty to the what?”
“To the rescue. That’s what she says when I interfere. I just can’t seem to help it. When I see someone who I think needs help, I jump in to solve the problem. Or at least try to solve it.”
His mother shook her head. “There are worse things to be accused of. Get some sleep, and hopefully, tomorrow things will look better.”
He’d lost his career. He may have lost the woman he loved. Couldn’t get much worse.
The next morning Rusty crammed some leftover crumb cake into his mouth, downed a cup of black coffee, and made a beeline for Kristy’s apartment. He knocked on her apartment door. It was ten o’clock in the morning. Not too early, he hoped. He hadn’t been able to sleep thinking about the future. And the disappointed look on Kristy’s face.
It took a minute before the door opened.
His heart contracted.
Dean stood there, bare chested, sweatpants on, his face distorted from swelling, with bruises adding unwanted color.
What was he doing at Kristy’s? In the morning. Half-dressed.
“You. What are you doing here?” Dean barked.
“I could ask the same thing.” The ache in his heart grew. “I’m here to see Kristy.”
“She’s in the shower. It was a long night.” The bastard winked. “I’ll tell her you stopped by.” The door slammed in his face.
Rusty couldn’t move. Not only had he ruined his chances with her, he’d given her a reason to go back to her ex.
That pain in his chest was his heart breaking in two. He headed to the stairwell. He needed air.
***
Kristy, showered, dressed in her favorite jeans and a tee, and after eating a piece of toast, checked her phone. Several calls from Rusty last night.
She’d been too tired and preoccupied with convincing Dean to do the right thing to answer him then. But there were no calls this morning. She resisted the urge to contact him just yet. She’d wait until she, hopefully, had good news. She had one more avenue to try.
“Are you ready?” she asked as Dean buttoned up his shirt. He was wearing his clothes from last night.
“Pretty much.” He looked down at his attire. “You know I’m going commando under these pants.” He winked. “No change of clothes with me.”
“I’m sure this isn’t the first time you’ve been in this situation.”
She stuffed her phone into her purse, picked up her keys from the counter, and moved toward the door.
“No, but first time I’ve been in this situation without having had a fantastic, sleepless night.” He moved to her and placed his hand on the small of her back as she opened the lock.
She looked at him over her shoulder. “Back off, Dean. I’m taking you to the hotel and that’s it.” Although she’d texted her father to meet her in the hotel restaurant.
Sitting in her car, Dean next to her, she felt a sense of dread as he chattered on about running for her father’s senate seat should her father decide to make a run for governor and all the reasons he, Dean, was the best man for the job.
She blocked out Dean’s ramblings as best she could, saying a noncommittal um-hum now and again. Not that Dean noticed. He barely took a breath.
She was going to do something she swore she would never do again, and that was ask her father for a favor. Rusty had been waiting for this police job for months. One night trying to protect her should not ruin his future career. He deserved better.
Kristy parked the car and looked over at Dean. He was staring at her like he expected her to answer something. For the life of her, she couldn’t drum up what he’d just said.
Dean waggled his eyebrows. Which looked pretty strange, considering his distorted face.
“What?”
“You’re coming in? Seeing me to my hotel room?”
“I’m meeting my father. I want to see him before he leaves, because who knows when I’ll get back to Cheyenne.” She didn’t want Dean to suspect the favor she’d be asking.
“You need to come back to Cheyenne. After the gala you pulled off, Marcia should make you head of the Cheyenne office, especially after her health scare.”
“How do you know about Marcia?”
“Your father told me. He wants you back in Cheyenne. It would give us a chance to begin anew, Kristy.”