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A sweet smile comes over her features. “You realize that I’m not entering a lion’s den, don’t you?”
“You can tease all you want, but I take my vows very seriously.”
“Which you cannot remember,” she says.
I grin foolishly. “Most vows use the same wording.”
We fool around in bed until it’s time to get ready for the evening. We take a shower together, which leads to another quick session and a rinse.
“This is ridiculous.” Marian laughs as she slips on a pretty pale blue dress.
“What is?” I say and move to pull up her back zip.
“The way we can’t keep our hands off each other no matter how many times we make … have sex,” Marian says.
“I much prefer to make love,” I tell her with mock seriousness. I kiss the delicate skin of her neck before pulling up the zip completely.
“Okay. Make love,” she says in a soft voice.
I place my hands on her shoulders and whirl her around. She looks at me with her big expressive emerald green eyes, and my heart splinters into a million pieces. All my protective instincts scream at me to accompany her to her dad’s place.
I manage to hold my tongue. This is one of those times when Marian doesn’t need my protection. She needs to deal with her past with her dad. Without interference.
I kiss her one more time before we leave. She’s very quiet in the car, but it’s completely understandable. She’s about to meet her father’s family, and there’s bound to be tension.
I make small talk that doesn’t need a lot of input from Marian. When we get to her father’s place, she looks at the house as if it’s going to gobble her up.
“You sure you don’t want me to come with you?” I ask her.
She lets out a nervous laugh. “It’s very tempting, but I need to do this on my own.” She leans across her seat to kiss me.
“Remember, call if you need me,” I tell her and watch as she gets out of the car and walks up to the front door. No one would tell by watching her that she’s nervous. I want to pound my chest like a gorilla, with pride.
Only after she has entered the house do I drive off toward the bar. It’s five minutes away and knowing that Marian is close by makes me feel better about the whole situation.
The bar is a typical small-town bar. Dark when you enter, and curious eyes immediately swing toward you. I make my way to the counter and slide into a barstool.
“Hello there,” the bartender, a middle-aged man, says. “What can I get you?”
“A beer is fine,” I tell him while glancing at my surroundings.
A slight man is seated to my right, and he watches me covertly until I turn to him, and he looks away. I inquire about the food, and I’m delighted that their cook is in. I order a steak and potatoes and sit back to enjoy my beer.
I listen to the conversation between the bartender and the man on my right. They’re discussing some town hall meeting a few days ago. Ten minutes later, the bartender slides a plate in front of me.
It smells wonderful, and I eat with gusto without stopping until I’m done.
“Another one for you, Leonard?” The barman asks, and I go still.
“Sure,” the guy on my right says.
It’s him. Marian’s ex. The one who hit her. Anger coils in my stomach. I study him and notice that he has a permanent smirk on his face. I’d like to punch it off.
“I haven’t seen you around here,” he says when he notices that I’m watching him. “You must be new.”
“What’s it to you?” I ask him.
“Whoa,” he says, raising his hands in the air. “Just making conversation. I’m not looking for a fight.”
“I know you’re not,” I say, unable to control my anger. “Men like you like to punch women, not men.”
His face scrunches up, and his eyes bulge with sudden anger. “Do you want to take that back?”
“No.”
He stands up, and as quick as a flash, I get up too. I need him to throw the first punch, which he does. I easily move to one side, and it flies past harmlessly, unbalancing Leonard. I wait for him to right himself, then land a nice hard punch to his nose. Blood sputters, staining both our shirts.
“That one’s for Marian,” I tell him.
Chapter 24
Marian
This dinner has got to be the most awkward that I’ve ever been to. For starters, it looks as if Terri and Dad fought as she keeps shooting daggers at him. The only hit is Michelle, my baby stepsister. She’s a little blonde girl with a gorgeous toothless smile and a happy disposition.
She is a good distraction until she has to go to bed just after dinner.
