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“Get the hell out of my way,friend. My beef is with her, not you.”
The customer kicked a plate out of his way, sending it smashing into a nearby chair. His petty act caused his heel to slip on a lemon wedge and sent him tumbling to the floor again. Tyshook his head. Dumb move. Real dumb—not to mention messy. Any puddles of food the fella had missed last time, he took the opportunity to visit on this occasion. Of course, the man’s nasal accent betrayed him as being from one of those states decidedly north of the Mason-Dixon line and well east of the Mississippi. Quite likely that explained his less-than-gentlemanly behavior. The poor Yank had grown up disadvantaged.
“Your beef isn’t with the lady any longer,” Ty explained gently. “Now it’s with me.” Cassidy stirred against his back and he knew she was going to do something incredibly foolish—like interfere.
Sure enough, she tugged on his shirt. “This isn’t your concern, Ty. Ican handle it. Ihave experience with this sort of thing.”
He stifled a groan. Of course she had. No doubt legions of customers had been on the receiving end of her special brand of service. If they’d been anywhere else, he’d have laughed at the absurdity. As it was, he didn’t dare take his gaze off the irate customer. “You’re not helping any, sweetheart. If you’d just let me—”
She tugged at his shirt some more, putting a severe strain on the seams. An ominous popping sound came from the threads in the vicinity of his shoulders. “Please, Ty!” The soft way she continued to pronounce his name tied his guts in a knot, destroying his focus. “You’re going to lose me my job.”
“I don’t think you need my help with that,” he advised after due consideration. “You seemed to be accomplishing that quite well on your own.”
“How can you say such a thing?” She yanked at his poor, abused shirt again, snapping a few more vital threads.
“Perhaps it has something to do with him.” Ty jerked his thumb toward her former customer who’d just managed to slip-slide to hisfeet.
“Move aside,” the man unwisely ordered. “I have a small matter to discuss with that little bit—”
Ty cut him off before he could finish spitting out the word. “Watch your mouth, son, or I might have to watch it for you,” he warned, crushing his Stetson more firmly on his head. It wouldn’t do for it to hit the floor should a scuffle ensue—not considering the tile’s current condition.
“What did he call me?” Cassidy interjected, outraged. Her arm forgot it was twenty-six inches and clipped Ty’s left ear. She shook her finger in the general direction of her customer. “You watch your mouth, mister.”
“I believe I just said that,” Ty thought to mention.
Her arm shot past his ear again. This time, he was quick enough to duck. The finger got another thorough workout as she continued scolding. “There are ladies and children present, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
And every one of them was watching with openmouthed fascination.
“So? Idon’t give a sh—” Ty carefully gathered up the man’s collar, cutting off the flow of air to his lungs. Whatever the man had been about to say ended in a high-pitched squeak.
“Now then,” Ty said, taking charge. Or at least trying to. “Let me explain a few things to you, friend. What happened was a real shame. And as much as it rankles for me to admit it, Cassidy does have a small organizational problem with her arms and legs.” He loosened his grip on the man’s collar a tad. The poor fella was looking a bit blue around the gills. “But if you try to hurtthis woman or offend these customers with more unmannerly language, I’ll be forced to do something about it.”
For the first time, the man seemed to notice the size of the obstacle between him and his goal. He sucked air into his lungs. “Like what?” he asked a trifle less belligerently.
Ty removed one callused hand from the man’s collar and held it up for inspection. He’d always considered his hands absurdly large. Evidently, the customer thought so, too. Ty folded his fingers into a ham-size fist. “Does this answer your question?”
“Ty?” Cassidy tried to peek around his shoulders. Fortunately, they were bulky enough to make that a near impossible feat. Afew more shirt threads split. By the sudden loosening of his right sleeve, he suspected she’d eliminated at least one seam. “What are you doing? Ican’t see.”
“I’m just being neighborly.”
Bewilderment edged her honeyed voice. “Neighborly?”
It was hard to maintain an intimidating facade with a sleeve drooping around one wrist, swallowing the fist he might need to plant on her customer’s nose. But he persevered. “I’m explaining to our newfound friend that he was trespassing on private property. He’s agreed not to do it again.” He gave the customer a gentle shake to encourage his cooperation. “Right?”
The man gawked at Ty’s exposed biceps and swallowed. “Yeah. Yeah, right.”
“What private property?” Cassidy piped up. “Whatever are you talking about?”
A few of the surrounding customers chuckled. One was even stupid enough to clue her in by waving a clenched fist in the air.Damn.
“You didn’t threaten him?” she demanded in outrage. His back received the punishing impact of an elbow, athumping index finger and possibly her knee. It was hard to tell. Maybe he should have left this guy to her mercy after all. Probably would have served him right. “Ty, you have to leave. Now. Go wait in your car and I’ll be with you in a few minutes.”
Nothing like having his authority undercut. He felt all of five years old. “I can’t do that, Cassidy. The only thing between you and certain death is me,” he explained patiently.
“I’m sure you’re exaggerating.”
Ty contemplated her customer’s hopeful expression. “I’m equally sure I’m not.”
