The shadow from his beige cowboy hat cut across his face, and she watched his mouth form the words, "Goodmornin'," but he didn't sound like there was anything good about it.
She turned her attention to Lily standing with her back against the front of the store. She had a cut on the bridgeof her nose and a red palm print on her cheek. A man in a blue T-shirt stood next to her, talking to her as sheshook her head. Kelly sat on her butt on the ground, and her ponytail was pulled to one side of her head. Ronniestraightened with a grunt and felt his crotch as if to make sure everything was still there.
"I hope you can't use it for a month." Daisy spat at him, and Jack pulled her lighter against the solid wall of hischest.
Then Jack spoke to Ronnie from beside Daisy's temple. "Take your girlfriend and get out of here while the twoof you can still walk."
Ronnie opened his mouth, shut it again, then grabbed Kelly, who'd started screaming at the top of her lungs. Heshoved her inside his truck, fired the engine, and the two of them took off, monster truck tires squealing out ofthe parking lot.
"Are you okay, Lily?" she called out to her sister.
Lily nodded and took her sunglasses from the man talking to her.
"What was that about?" Jack asked. "The two of you out here spreadin' sunshine for the hell of it?" He didn't letgo, and she looked up at him again. The breeze picked up several strands of her blond hair and carried themacross the front of his dress shirt. She raised her gaze past his mouth and looked deeper into the shadow createdby the brim of his hat. His light green eyes stared back at her. Waiting.
"That's Lily's husband and his girlfriend."
He tilted his head back and the shadow slid from the middle of his nose to the deep bow of his top lip."
The adrenaline in her veins made her feel suddenly shaky, and she was glad Jack held her so tight.
"He's a rat bastard."
"So, I've heard."
Daisy wasn't surprised that Ronnie's reputation preceeded him. Lovett was a small town. "He emptied their bankaccount and won't give her any money for Pippen."
Jack slid his palm across her stomach as he dropped his arm. He took a step back, and the solid wall of his chestwas replaced with cool morning air. Her hand throbbed, her head hurt, her shoulder ached, and her knees feltwobbly. It had been a long time since she'd felt a man's strength surrounding her, supporting her, and she wouldhave liked nothing better than to melt right back into his chest and arms again. Of course, that was impossible.
"I hurt my hand."
"Let me see." He turned her to face him and cradled her hand in his warm palm. The sleeves of his bluebroadcloth shirt were rolled up his forearms, and over his breast pocket, was embroidered PARRISHAMERICAN CLASSICS, in black. "Wiggle your fingers for me," he said.
With his head bent over her hand, the brim of his hat almost touched her mouth. He smelled of soap and deanskin and his starched shirt. His thumb brushed the heel of her hand and little tingles radiated outward from herpalm over her wrist and traveled up the inside of her arm. Her adrenaline was doing funny things to her. Eitherthat or she'd pinched a nerve.
He lifted his gaze and his eyes stared into hers. For several long seconds he just looked at her. She'd forgottenthat when you looked real close into Jack's eyes, you could see darker green flecks. She remembered now.
"I don't think it's broke, but you probably should get an X-ray." He dropped her hand.
She made a slow fist and winched. "How do you know it's not broken?"
"When I broke my hand, it swelled up almost immediately."
"How did you break your hand?"
"Fighting."
"With Steven?"
"No. At a roadhouse bar in Macon."
Macon? What had he been doing in Macon? In the last fifteen years, he'd had a whole life she knew nothingabout. She was curious about it, but she doubted he'd tell her much if she were to ask.
The clerk from inside the store moved toward Daisy and she turned to him as he handed her her sunglasses.
"Thanks, Chuck," she said and slid them on her face. He gave her the change and she took the Dr. Pepper withher good hand.
"Should I call the police?" he wanted to know. "I saw them hit the other blond woman first."
A police report might help in Lily's divorce, but Lily wasn't completely innocent. There was the little matter ofLily's stalking. She didn't know if Ronnie knew about that, but he might. "No. That's okay."
"If you change your mind, let me know," Chuck offered and headed back inside.
Daisy turned her attention to Lily and the man talking to her. "Is he with you?" she asked Jack.
"Yeah. That's Buddy Calhoun."
"Older or younger than Jimmy?"
"A year younger."
Daisy didn't remember much about Buddy beyond having the bad teeth and flaming red hair of all the Calhouns.
She glanced around at the people in the parking lot and at the gas pumps at the far end. The ramifications ofwhat she'd done that morning began to sink in. "I can't believe I fought in public." She raised the cool Dr.
Pepper to her cheek. "I never even swear in public."
"If it's any consolation, I don't think you swore." No, it wasn't much comfort, especially when he added, "Butyour sister has a mouth like a trucker. We heard her clear over at the gas pumps."
Daisy didn't live in Lovett anymore, but her mother did. Her mother would be mortified. Daisy and Lily wouldprobably be the latest topic at her single's dance. "Do you think very many people noticed us?"
"Daisy, you're standing at the intersection of Canyon and Vine. In case you've forgotten, it's about the busiestintersection in the city."
"So people are going to know that I socked Ronnie Darlington in the eye." She removed the cool cup from hercheek. Good lord, could things be any worse?
Evidently. "Yep, and that you kneed his balls."
"You saw that?"
"Yeah. Remind me not to piss you off." He glanced over her head. "Ready, Buddy?"
Buddy Calhoun turned and flashed Jack a straight white smile. So much for Buddy having the Calhoun badteeth. His hair was a dark red too, riot carrot like the others. He was better-looking too. "Be right there, J. P.," hedrawled.
J. P.?
"Try to stay out of trouble," Jack said to her as he tuned to go. "Next time someone might not be around to saveyou from doing something stupid, like going after a man who weighs twice what you do."
She put her bad hand on his arm to stop him. He was right. "Thanks, Jack. If you hadn't stepped in, somethingreally bad could have happened." She shook her head. Maybe he didn't hate her as much as he wanted her tothink. "When I saw him shove my sister... I don't even remember how it happened, but I just lost my mind andwent after him."
"Don't make too much of it, Daisy." So much for feeling special. "You could have been anyone." His gazedropped to her hand on his aim.
"Since I'm not just anyone, you should let me thank you properly," she offered in the hopes that perhaps theycould now relate to each other on friendlier terms, and she could talk to him about Nathan.
One corner of his mouth slid up as his gaze moved to her breasts, up her chin, to her mouth. He wasn't fooled byher offer and was purposely trying to annoy her. "What did you have in mind?"
"Not what you have in mind."
From within the shadow of his hat, he finally looked into her eyes. "What then?"
"Lunch."
"Not interested."
"No, ma'am." He stepped off the curb and said over his shoulder, "Come on, Buddy."
Daisy watched him move across the parking lot to a classic black Mustang parked at one of the gas pumps. Tworazor-sharp creases ran down the back of his shirt and were tucked into the waistband of his Levi's. He wasn'twearing a belt, and his wallet made a bulge in his back pocket. Buddy followed and Daisy turned to her sister.
The red welt on Lily's cheek had started to fade.
"Are you okay?" Daisy asked as Lily moved toward her.