Brown Eyed Girl (2 page)

She shrugged in his arms. “He can be at times. At other times he can be very charming and sweet.”

Red emitted a barely audible snort then pushed all thoughts of Tanner aside, and tried his best to enjoy the feel of Tiffany in his arms before he’d have to let her go. He was under no delusions about her reaction once she found out what he’d done. She’d be good and fired up all right, but hell, if victory was fleeting, he’d enjoy it while he could.

He rubbed his thumb gently on the small of her back, and felt her shiver through her silk blouse. Lowering his head slightly toward the crook of her neck, he inhaled. Some kind of floral fragrance combined with her unique scent to tantalize his senses. He’d fantasized about holding her in his arms this way. Red pulled her a little closer for the rest of the dance and neither of them spoke again until the last faded notes. Reluctantly, he walked her off the floor and pointed toward the stables.

“
You’ll find Tanner over in that building. He may need your assistance.” He turned and walked away, feeling her gaze on him.

<><><>

Damn, but he’d kill for a smoke right now. He flicked a toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other, trying to stave off the urge. Number one rule of surveillance—never do a damn thing to call attention to yourself.

His target, Red McAllister, laughed and carried on with the other wedding party revelers like he didn’t have a care in the world. “If only you knew your world is about to come crashing down, you son of a bitch—I can’t wait until you’re wondering what the hell hit you, and where it came from,” he murmured, satisfied for now to relax in the shadow of the century old oak and watch the man whose life he was about to ruin. He slid another toothpick between his teeth and grinned, anxious for the kill, wishing today was the day to put his plan into action.

He saw Red leave the pretty blonde’s side, and wondered why he’d walk away from a looker like that.
Maybe I’ve given him more credit than he deserves.
He studied the woman carefully for future reference then flicked the toothpick over his tongue as he turned away from the crowd. He made his way, hopefully unnoticed, back to his vehicle itching to get his plan started. Soon, very soon, McAllister would begin to pay the price for what he’d taken from him.

<><><>

Tiffany studied Red’s retreating form, noting how he moved with such grace and ease. The man looked every bit as comfortable in that classy black tux as he did in a pair of boot cut jeans and a polo shirt. And his smell—God, he smelled divine. It had been all she could do not to bury her nose in his solid, broad chest during that dance. Red McAllister was one of those men whose confidence and masculinity oozed from his pores. He was obviously intelligent, but she sensed other qualities as well. Pushing the thought from her mind, she turned to walk in the direction of the stables. Like her nanny, Melinda had always said, wondering ‘what if’ never did her any good.

Tiffany walked at her leisure, observing the lovely grounds of the ranch. She’d always longed for country living. On more than one occasion she’d tried to convince Tanner to find something outside the city. It was one of many reasons she resented him—he said he wouldn’t be stuck like some bumpkin when he could be close to everything he enjoyed right there in the condo. She suspected his real issue was more along the lines of not having to drive so far to sleep around on her.

Why did she put up with him?

Because, according to her mother, all men cheated, that’s why. In the upper class household in Houston, Texas, where she and her brother were raised, their parents both had open affairs. Her father had mistresses, and her mother had her kept men.

The thought brought her back to Red and how both Jackson and Giselle always gushed about him. He didn’t seem the type to take anything lightly, especially marriage vows. She dismissed the thought as irrelevant. She had five years invested in Tanner, and at thirty six, was too old and emotionally exhausted to start over with anyone new.

Tiffany walked into the stables and saw Tanner leaning against the wall with his handkerchief over his nose.

As she approached him he removed the cloth to speak to her.

“
You took your sweet time getting here.”

“
I was just told where I could find you. What happened?” She checked out his nose. “Ugh...It’s broken.”

“
I know that. You may be the great Dr. Leblanc, but I’m a surgeon too,” he snarled.

Ignoring his attitude she reached out to examine his nose. “Explanation, please.”

“
That cretin, Scott McAllister hit me in the nose!”

She froze, trying to comprehend his accusation. “Red hit you?”

“
Red? You call him
Red?
”

“
Everyone calls him that.”

“
Not everyone, Tiffy—only his low class family and white trash friends. His betters would call him Mr. McAllister, or Scott, or better yet, how about asshole?”

“
That’s real classy, sweetheart,” she told him. “Besides, he just asked me to call him that when he...before he...he..aaah,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut as it all came together—
those two dances
. She swore under her breath then eyed her fiancé suspiciously. “Why did he hit you?”

“
He hit me because of something that happened fifteen years ago. It was nothing...
less
than nothing.”

“
Give me the keys,” she barked before he fished in his pocket and threw them at her. “I’ll bring the car around.” She walked off toward the parking area.

Red watched her trudge to Tanner’s Mercedes and decided to apply some damage control. He approached as she was unlocking the car door. “Did he tell you why I hit him?”

She rounded on him. “Does it matter? Does it ever matter why somebody feels it necessary to break someone else’s nose? Really,
Mister
McAllister,” she sneered, “I didn’t think you were such a brute. I thought after thousands of years of walking upright, surely your people would have found a way of resolving issues other than with their fists—especially issues that are fifteen years old!”

Fifteen years?
He opened his mouth, ready to tell her the whole story, but an image of her crying silently outside the hospital flashed through his mind. Instead, he took a deep breath and released it slowly before speaking. “Sometimes there is no other way.”

WHAP!

The slap came out of nowhere, fast and furious, the sound resonating in the open air.

“
That’s
for not telling me about Tanner until after those two dances,” she hissed. “I despise being used to make someone else suffer.”

Red watched silently as she got into the car, started it, and drove to the stables to collect her poor, pitiful fiancé. His gaze followed the car as it continued on out the driveway and onto the paved road that led back into the city.

He whistled under his breath as he rubbed his stinging cheek. “Tanner hasn’t put out that fire in her, after all,” he muttered to himself as Jackson walked up to meet him.

“
Hey, did ya hear the big news?” Jackson asked him, with an ear to ear grin. “We’re pregnant.”

“
No shit? Well, damn that was quick!” he said giving his best friend a brief hug and slap on the shoulder.

“
Do you know where Doc is? Giselle wanted me to find her—she said she wanted to tell her personally,” Jackson said.

“
She had to bring Tanner to get some medical attention. His nose got broken.”

“
By what?”

Red raised his right fist and flashed Jackson a smug grin.

“
No kidding?”

He nodded then related the story in its entirety to his friend. “I wasn’t trying to break the damn thing. That was a bonus, or
lagniappe
as my mother says.”

“
I saw you talking to the D.J. just before you asked Doc to dance. I knew you were plotting something. Did she leave a mark?”

“
You tell me.” Red turned his cheek to show him.

Jackson whistled. “She sure as hell did. Damn, I hope she didn’t hurt herself.”

“
Thanks for the concern, buddy.”

“
Hey, she heals people with those hands.”

Red rubbed his cheek. “I assure you, her hands are fine,” he said, wondering to himself what else she could do with those hands of hers.

“
Oh…” Jackson uttered, starting to chuckle. “Oh, man.”

Red stared at his friend. “What’s wrong with you?”

“
Now
I know how Carrie and Uncle Bill knew I was in love with Giselle.”

“
What are you talking about?”

Jackson poked Red’s shoulder. “You got a serious case of the ‘crazies’ for Doc.”

“
How the hell do you figure that—just because I don’t want to see her cry? My mom taught me to be a gentleman, you know. Besides, she doesn’t think I’m good enough for her, with that ‘your people’ remark she made.”

Jackson chuckled. “I think she was making a comment about men in general, Red, not your fine Scottish-Cajun heritage. Damn, you’re sensitive when you’re in love.”

“
Your ass.” Despite his annoyance at his friend, Red followed Jackson back to Giselle’s side.

“
Hey hon, you’re going to love this. It seems my best man, here, is nuts over Doc LeBlanc.”

Giselle beamed up at Red. “You mean you’ve finally admitted it to yourself?”

“
Wait, you knew already? How could you know?” Jackson asked her.

Giselle laughed “How could you not? He asked about her every time we saw him.”

“
Since when does simple curiosity about someone equate to being in love?” Red demanded.

“
When you’re so desperate not to lose contact you suggested she keep Jackson in the hospital for one more week.”

Red stared at Giselle, perplexed, as usual, when it came to most women.

“
Why do you think I asked you to drive Jackson to some of his appointments?” she asked.

He slung an arm casually across her shoulders. “I figured it was so you could get some time away from the patient from hell, here. You’re wrong,” he said, into her ear. “But, it’s the thought that counts, so thanks, anyway.”

The smile she sent him was all-knowing, bordering on downright gleeful. “Honestly—you guys are so clueless sometimes.”

Red walked over to meet his parents, who were talking animatedly with Carrie.

“
Speaking of the red-haired, blue-eyed devil, here he is,” Carrie said. “I was just remembering how cute you were when I used to babysit for you, all those years ago.”

“
And I was your favorite, right?”

“
You’re still my favorite, but what’s the matter?” Carrie asked, putting a hand to his left cheek. “You look like you just lost your best friend, and what the hell happened to your face?”

Red raised his hand self consciously to his cheek. “It’s nothing. I’m looking for a dance partner,” he said, trying to change the subject. Too late, apparently, because once his mother got a good look at his face, there was no way around her.

“
Son!” Vivienne McAllister exclaimed. “What did you do to make a woman slap you that hard? Didn’t I raise a gentleman?”

Red stared down at the tiny woman who’d raised him and his siblings with a firm hand. Her naturally blonde hair was now lightly high-lighted to hide the gray hair mixed with her blonde. It was cut short in a very becoming sassy style. Her crystal blue eyes were clear and sharp and her skin was still smooth for a sixty-four year old woman. She was fit, healthy, and blessed with good metabolism, maybe weighing ten pounds over the weight she was on her wedding day. Vivienne Broussard McAllister was a beautiful woman, and when she was anywhere near her husband, Pete, anyone could tell they were still in love.

“
It’s not what you’re thinking,” Red was quick to add. “Do you remember when I got kicked out of Jackson’s first wedding?”

“
Vaguely,” she said, glaring suspiciously at him.

“
Well, Tiffany’s fiancé, Tanner, was the reason, and all I can say is, payback’s hell.”

“
Oh, Red, what did you do?” Vivienne groaned.

Annie walked up to the group and joined the conversation. “Take it easy on him, Mom. He was defending my honor.”

“
How’s that?” asked a tall, older looking version of Red. Pete McAllister was sixty-eight years old and also still quite fit. He was well over six feet tall, with big, broad shoulders, and a barrel chest. He had a head full of dark red hair, peppered with silver, with a mustache and trimmed goatee to match. His blue eyes, normally sparkling with laughter, now flashed with anger, hinting at the damage he would do to anyone who tried to harm a hair on the head of his youngest daughter.

“
I went to the stables to check out the animals, and didn’t realize Tanner was following me,” Annie explained. “When I turned around he was there and started pawing at me, so I slapped him then knocked him on his butt. Red came running in, hit him in the jaw then punched him in the nose. It was beautiful!”