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His mother acted as if she were about to jump out of her skin when she saw Sawyer. He put his hand on her shoulder, and Bobby Tom tensed, ready to spring to her aid until he noticed that her whole body had gone slack.
For a moment, he had the sickening feeling she was going to lean against Sawyer, but then her back stiffened, and she walked away.
Way stood there without moving. When he finally turned, Bobby Tom saw such raw despair on his face that he knew he would never forget it. He tightened his hold on the baby and felt himself start to sweat. What was wrong with him? Why did he feel as if he and Way Sawyer were suddenly brothers?
“You’re breaking Bobby Tom’s heart,” Terry Jo hissed, as she drew Gracie from the table where she’d been selling raffle tickets and continued the lecture that had begun some minutes earlier. “How can you walk away from him like this?”
Although Gracie was seldom sarcastic, the three willowy blondes who were once again hanging on Bobby Tom’s arm had breached her defenses. “He certainly looks heartbroken.”
“He doesn’t care about those bimbos, and you know it. He cares about you.”
“Caring is a long way from loving.” She watched as one of the beauties tipped her beer cup to his lips. She didn’t know which was more painful: watching him earlier when he had been holding Elvis or seeing him now with those incredible women. “It just hurts too much to stay around him any longer.”
Terry Jo showed no sympathy. “Anything worth having is worth fighting for. I thought you had more grit than this, but I keep forgetting you’re a Yankee.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so outraged. Everybody’s been telling me from the day I got here that I’m not his type.”
“That’s true. But it’s like Bobby Tom kept saying, ‘There’s no accounting for the mysteries of the human heart.’ ”
“He was putting people on when he said that! Surely you know that most of what comes out of his mouth is a complete fabrication.”
Terry Jo got huffy. “It is not. Bobby Tom Denton i
s one of the most sincere people I’ve ever met.”
“Ha!”
“For somebody who’s in love with him, you sure are critical.”
“Just because I love him doesn’t mean I’m blind.” She drew away. “I’ve got to get back to the table.”
“No, you don’t. Suzy’s bridge club is taking over for the rest of the evening. You get out there and have a good time. Show him he can’t manipulate you like this because that’s what he’s doing, and everybody knows it.”
As if Terry Jo had commanded it, Ray Bevins, one of the cameramen from Blood Moon, appeared at Gracie’s side. “I’ve been waiting all evening for you to finish up so we could dance, Gracie.”
Gracie ignored Terry Jo’s encouraging smile. “I’m sorry, Ray, but I’m not feeling too much like dancing tonight.”
“Yeah, I heard you and Bobby Tom broke up. Seems like he’s doing his best to make you jealous.”
“He’s just being himself.”
“You shouldn’t let him manipulate you like that. All the guys on the crew like Bobby Tom, but I guess it’s no secret that some of us have more than a friendly interest in you. We flipped to see who got to dance with you first, and I won.”
She gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you, but, to be honest, I just don’t have the heart for it.” Before either Ray or Terry Jo could press her, she slipped away from them into the crowd. It was nice to know some of the men found her desirable, but she simply didn’t have the ability to be sociable tonight.
She slumped down in a seat at the wooden picnic table where Natalie and Anton had parked all of Elvis’s gear. Only after she was settled did she realize that her position gave her a clear view of Bobby Tom standing in the middle of a herd of women. He looked as if he were having the time of his life, laughing and carrying on, obviously enjoying the fact that he was now a free man. One of the women hand-fed him taco chips, while another rubbed up against his arm. Almost as if he could feel Gracie watching, he lifted his head and turned, letting his gaze sweep over her. Their eyes locked, and for a moment neither of them moved. Then he smiled at the woman standing beside him. As Gracie watched, he dropped his head and gave her a slow, deliberate kiss.
If he’d wanted to cause her additional pain, he couldn’t have found a better way. He cupped the back of the woman’s head in his hand, and as he deepened the kiss, she remembered exactly the way it felt. I own that mouth! she wanted to cry out.
Several athletes she recognized from the dinner last night approached him, and before long he was entertaining them with what must have been a very funny story, judging by their reactions. At the same time, he kept his arms draped around two of the women. She knew better than anyone how charming he could be, and it wasn’t long before a small crowd gathered to listen to him.
“Toolee Chandler told me if I bought ten raffle tickets, she’d throw in a dance with you.” Her head shot up, and she saw Way Sawyer standing next to her, a fan of raffle tickets in his hand.
She smiled. “I appreciate the support, but I don’t feel much like dancing.”
He extended his hand and drew her to her feet. “Come on, Gracie. You look like a whipped puppy.”
“I’m not very good at hiding my feelings.”
