hand, he righted himself, slipped an arm around her waist and tucked her head under his chin. With any luck, Luke would be too tied up with his friends to notice them. Only five more feet to the door…
“Getting them liquored up first these days, Halifax?”
Burke could see the front door close enough to touch, but Luke’s voice sounded closer. Resigned, he half-turned and found Luke right behind him, already holding a beer by the neck. His eyes had faint bruises beneath them and his nose was swollen and discolored with a small band-aid across the bridge. All in all, CB had nailed him a good one. Unfortunately, she hadn’t gotten him in the mouth so the punk could still smirk.
“Go back to your friends,” Burke warned. “They came a long way to see you.”
“They’ll still be there in a few minutes. Unless you wanna get this one out of her panties before she passes out.” Only Luke could make that sound like an acceptable expectation.
“She’s a friend, Hanson. I’m getting her home safe.”
Luke grinned. “Sure.”
Burke shrugged him off and started steering CB towards the door but Luke extended his beer hand to stop them. “I saw CB at your place this morning. When did she move in with you?”
“She didn’t—” Burke flinched at the pinch to the inside of his underarm, “—mention seeing you.”
Luke looked disappointed for a second, then took a swig of his beer. “Well, I guess she wouldn’t. How long after I left did you two get together?”
“Who said we got together?” He ignored the prodding, giving her an extra squeeze to push the air out of her.
Luke eyed him curiously, tipping his head to the side in dismissal. “It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. She answers your door in your clothes after a shower, it’s kinda obvious.”
As if the obvious were really Luke’s forte.
“Isn’t it a little ironic, my finding you doing exactly what you busted my chops over last year.”
CB straightened and it was all Burke could do to keep her bent over in a semi-prone position.
“Guess you’re human after all, eh, Hallifax?” Luke laughed as he brought the beer up to his lips. “Even you couldn’t live with CB forever.”
Burke almost forgot to hold her down at the pithy remark. “You aren’t going to overstretch your intelligence to compare us, are you?”
“ Us? Nah, why bother? The only thing we have in common is CB.” Luke seemed to remember his assumption that Burke was seeing her because he smiled. “But hey, if you like your women flat as pancakes, she’s the one for you. Me, I like ‘em curvy and curvier.”
Cass’s blunt nails clawed into Burke’s arm in an effort to escape. He moved his foot to cover her bare toes and pushed down until she made a muffled sound into his shirt and gave up.
“Funny, last I heard you liked them butch and butchier.”
Luke soured immediately. “You know better than anyone that rumor isn’t true.”
“Do I? I read the letter where you wrote it yourself.”
Luke stood straighter, darting his eyes to his friends before facing Burke again, his voice low and angry. “No one else was supposed to have read it, asshole.”
How lame could one guy get? “You were with her for over ten years, moron. People were going to want to know why you left her. You should have come up with a smarter lie if you didn’t want her to believe it. What I find ironic is how no one here seemed real surprised. Not one of those women you were always catting around with, not one of your so-called friends. In fact, everyone believed it hook, line and sinker.”
Luke scowled. It didn’t last long, must’ve hurt. The wuss. “You think I care what this Podunk town thinks of me?”
“So why bother getting married here? Everyone is nice and happy as things are.” Lord knows I was.
“Well, I’m not. That b—” He cut himself off abruptly when Burke lurched his way. Luke might have been dumb enough to stand there and take it when
“Getting them liquored up first these days, Halifax?”
Burke could see the front door close enough to touch, but Luke’s voice sounded closer. Resigned, he half-turned and found Luke right behind him, already holding a beer by the neck. His eyes had faint bruises beneath them and his nose was swollen and discolored with a small band-aid across the bridge. All in all, CB had nailed him a good one. Unfortunately, she hadn’t gotten him in the mouth so the punk could still smirk.
“Go back to your friends,” Burke warned. “They came a long way to see you.”
“They’ll still be there in a few minutes. Unless you wanna get this one out of her panties before she passes out.” Only Luke could make that sound like an acceptable expectation.
“She’s a friend, Hanson. I’m getting her home safe.”
Luke grinned. “Sure.”
Burke shrugged him off and started steering CB towards the door but Luke extended his beer hand to stop them. “I saw CB at your place this morning. When did she move in with you?”
“She didn’t—” Burke flinched at the pinch to the inside of his underarm, “—mention seeing you.”
Luke looked disappointed for a second, then took a swig of his beer. “Well, I guess she wouldn’t. How long after I left did you two get together?”
“Who said we got together?” He ignored the prodding, giving her an extra squeeze to push the air out of her.
Luke eyed him curiously, tipping his head to the side in dismissal. “It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. She answers your door in your clothes after a shower, it’s kinda obvious.”
As if the obvious were really Luke’s forte.
“Isn’t it a little ironic, my finding you doing exactly what you busted my chops over last year.”
CB straightened and it was all Burke could do to keep her bent over in a semi-prone position.
“Guess you’re human after all, eh, Hallifax?” Luke laughed as he brought the beer up to his lips. “Even you couldn’t live with CB forever.”
Burke almost forgot to hold her down at the pithy remark. “You aren’t going to overstretch your intelligence to compare us, are you?”
“ Us? Nah, why bother? The only thing we have in common is CB.” Luke seemed to remember his assumption that Burke was seeing her because he smiled. “But hey, if you like your women flat as pancakes, she’s the one for you. Me, I like ‘em curvy and curvier.”
Cass’s blunt nails clawed into Burke’s arm in an effort to escape. He moved his foot to cover her bare toes and pushed down until she made a muffled sound into his shirt and gave up.
“Funny, last I heard you liked them butch and butchier.”
Luke soured immediately. “You know better than anyone that rumor isn’t true.”
“Do I? I read the letter where you wrote it yourself.”
Luke stood straighter, darting his eyes to his friends before facing Burke again, his voice low and angry. “No one else was supposed to have read it, asshole.”
How lame could one guy get? “You were with her for over ten years, moron. People were going to want to know why you left her. You should have come up with a smarter lie if you didn’t want her to believe it. What I find ironic is how no one here seemed real surprised. Not one of those women you were always catting around with, not one of your so-called friends. In fact, everyone believed it hook, line and sinker.”
Luke scowled. It didn’t last long, must’ve hurt. The wuss. “You think I care what this Podunk town thinks of me?”
“So why bother getting married here? Everyone is nice and happy as things are.” Lord knows I was.
“Well, I’m not. That b—” He cut himself off abruptly when Burke lurched his way. Luke might have been dumb enough to stand there and take it when
Similar Books
