Count on Me (Petal, Georgia) (25 page)

Royal’s gaze slid from Caroline’s mouth up to her hair and them back to her mouth before answering Anne. “She does. She told me she went into the salon, and you did it for her.”

“I told you she’d look good with that mahogany.” Beth nudged her sister’s arm.

Caroline had planned to see Tate but Tate had been called over to the preschool where one of her children had just puked, so in the end, Caroline had gambled on Anne and won. Thank goodness.

And as she walked out of the salon, Caroline sort of had to accept she really liked Anne and her sister Beth. Tate had shown up halfway through the color so Caroline had gotten to know her too.

Caroline gave her hair a flip and felt Royal’s attention on her hot and hard for long moments.

The server brought more beer and some food. During all the chaos, Royal leaned over, his lips against her ear. “It makes me so hard when you flip your hair like that.”

She kept her eyes on her beer but smiled into the glass.

“Hey, Caroline!”

She looked up to find Elliot Charles standing there.

“Hey, Elliot!” She turned to Royal. “Royal, this is Officer Charles, from Millersburg. Elliot, this is my boyfriend, Royal Watson.”

There was some hand shaking.

“This is Joe Harris and Beth Murphy.”

“I met Beth and Joe that weekend I chatted with Edward and Polly about you.” Elliot grinned at them and then turned his attention to Anne. Anne’s eyes went half-lidded and soon enough, Elliot’s had done the same.

“But I’d have remembered you,” Elliot said to Anne.

“Anne Murphy, Elliot Charles.”

Royal stole two of Caroline’s rings while she nosily watched Anne and Elliot sniff around one another.

“You should stay for a drink, Elliot. Have a beer,” Caroline suggested and Anne threw her a big smile.

Everyone shifted. Interestingly enough it left Elliot sitting across from Anne.

People came and went over the next hour or two. A pool game got started when a bunch of the Chases showed up. Caroline hung out at the table with Beth. Anne and Elliot had started an earnest debate, Luke Bryan versus Jake Owen.

The place got even more crowded as prime Friday-night social hours hit their peak.

Royal played pool in the back with Trey, Jacob and Nathan. Lily sat with Beth and Caroline. She gave a look at Anne and one to Beth and Caroline.

“Okay then, ladies. How goes it?” Lily leaned back a little, getting comfortable.

“Excellent. Planning the wedding.” Beth and Joe were getting married that upcoming August.

“Still considering jetting off to Hawaii and doing it and just having a party when you return?”

Beth looked at Lily. “You have such a big mouth. What if she couldn’t be trusted? Joe’s mother is so wrapped up in wedding plans, and now Tate is like her partner in crime. If they heard I’d even
joked
about eloping, they’d both have kittens.”

Lily waved a hand. “Who’s gonna tell? Anne’s having hormones over there with officer sweetcheeks. She’s not hearing a damn thing we’re saying. I’m scared of Tate when she starts planning things so it’s not like I’ll be running to her with this. Unbunch.” Lily turned to Caroline. “Nice radio coverage, by the way.”

“You heard it?”

“No, Nathan and I were at the doctor’s office. Nothing bad,” she added quickly, “just a regular prenatal visit. Everything is fine. Anyway, we heard from Tate when we saw her earlier. All the kids are over at her house watching a movie and having hot chocolate and snacks.”

“My sister Tate is like one of those people who loves kids. Oh people say it, but let’s be real, kids can be annoying as hell.” Beth looked to Lily’s growing belly. “Um, not all kids though. Anyway Tate really means it. She’s just like so totally alive when she’s with her kids, with kids in general.”

Caroline smiled. “I’ve seen her with Matt and their kids. They have happy ending written all over them.”

Beth nodded. “Matt Chase might be the one dude on earth who is worthy of her.”

“Not that y’all are biased.”

Beth laughed. “Where Tate is concerned, I think you’ll find all of us are very biased. But back to the radio thing. It’s exciting.”

Caroline didn’t want to get her hopes up, but it was a positive direction at least. “I figure between the people who heard it and people talking about it, maybe it’ll get attention.”

Anne pulled her attention away from Elliot to speak to Caroline. “Oh, honey, people are going to talk about it. Garrett Moseby is flapping his gums all over town.”

Caroline knew her eyes went wide but she was so surprised and yet not surprised she couldn’t help it. “He is not!”

Anne nodded. “Totally is. Like a weasel. Thing is, he
is
a weasel so people know that.”

“But some will listen.” Caroline blew out a breath. “What?” she asked them all. “You think I don’t notice when everyone is talking about me? How many people look over here? Just because I hold it down doesn’t mean I don’t see it.”

“Yes, some people will listen to him. Some people think Elvis is alive and tank tops with shelf bras actually hold your boobs up.”

There was a moment of silence for how true that last statement was.

“Anyway, all I can do is hope the more people talk about it, the more people remember.”

Royal came walking back, and she locked her gaze with his, smiling.

“I just can’t seem to step a foot without running into you. You won’t be happy until you ruin every place in town.”

At first Caroline looked around, trying to figure out what was going on, and then she realized it was Benji and he was talking with her.

“Here she is out drinking and partying while her grandmother weeps herself to sleep.” From his place just behind Benji’s left shoulder, Garrett sneered.

Caroline glanced at them and then turned back to Lily. “Those are super cute earrings by the way.”

“Thanks!” Lily touched the blood-red beads dangling from the vintage-styled chandelier earrings. “Cassie Chase makes them a few times a year and shows up at the farmer’s market to sell them at random.”

“That’s ridiculously cool. Like batman. Only with earrings.”

“I’m talking to you. Hey!”

There was movement at the edge of her vision, and she flinched away instinctively, turning to find Royal’s hand crushing Benji’s fist. “You don’t touch her. Ever. You get me?”

Royal shoved Benji back so hard he stumbled, his back hitting a nearby booth.

People began to look as Royal fully inserted himself between where she’d moved, half-standing in the booth, and where Benji nearly panted with anger.

“She needs to get out of here. And get out of Petal. This is a town for decent people.”

“Like men who’d sucker punch a woman a foot shorter?”

Garrett took Benji’s shoulder, not meeting Caroline’s astonished gaze. “Come on, Benji. Lay off. You made your point.”

“She’s a no-good whore who screwed her way into your little group for protection. You lie with dogs you’re going to get fleas, Royal.”

Time slowed down as Caroline gasped at the whore comment. She noted the bunching of muscles on Royal’s neck and the flex of his biceps. She scrambled as all around them, others moved to get out of the way, or to stop it, or to grab their beer before it went flying or whatever.

“What did you just call Caroline?” Royal’s voice had gone very cold and sharp.

Oh boy
. She’d been a defense attorney a long time. Enough that she recognized this fact pattern. Despite the wall of dudeflesh that sprang up at Royal’s side and was apparently set on keeping her back, being short had its benefits.

Squeezing through, Caroline managed to get free of the booth but stayed behind Royal. He was worked up and really angry so if she stayed out of reach of Benji and let Royal protect her, things would be fine and no one would get punched.

She hoped it for no other reason than Benji would love the attention. And Royal could go to jail or something equally stupid. He’d be in there all weekend because there were no bail hearings on the weekends in Petal.

Lily got away from their booth, Beth helping. Which was good because Nathan shot Benji a look that threatened lots of pain. Elliot stood tall and very authoritarian next to Royal, also in-between Benji and Caroline.

At this point pretty much the entire restaurant was looking, and Caroline wanted to crawl under their booth. Well, metaphorically because she was sure it was really gross down there.

Elliot spoke calmly, but with that cop voice. “All right, gentlemen. Let’s break this up before something bad happens that no one intended.”

Benji turned a little with a smile. As if he were leaving and everyone relaxed until he reversed course and threw his entire body behind the fist heading in Royal’s direction.

Royal caught Benji’s arm, sliding a grip to his wrist before wrenching the arm down and out of the way.

Then. Well then he punched Benji right square in the nose with his free hand like it was his job.

The crowd surged but Nathan reached out to grab her around the waist and keep her standing.

Benji’s blood was everywhere as he held his nose in both hands.

Elliot waded in. “Break it up. I mean it.” He wasn’t in uniform and he worked several towns over, but he carried the authority easily and people obeyed, moving.

“I want to press charges,” Benji wailed.

Royal actually growled. “Oh yes, please. And I’ll press them against him, and then he and I can be in the same holding cell all weekend long.”

Someone handed a bunch of napkins to Benji.

“Fine. He’s not that important to me anyway. You better watch yourself.” Benji pointed a bloody finger at Caroline, and Royal nearly got loose from the people who’d been holding him back.

Caroline had never seen Royal this angry before. “I told you to leave her alone. You’re fucking threatening her now? I’ll beat your ass for this.”

“That’s enough!” Elliot physically pushed them apart, and the three guys restraining Royal got better hold of him.

“This piece of shit just threatened my girlfriend. What the hell, dude?” He strained to get loose, and Benji seemed to finally have figured out how sweet, laid-back, easy, good-natured Royal went fucking nuclear.

“You’re his friends, what do we do?” she whispered to Nathan and Trey.

Trey whispered back, “I’ve only seen Royal this mad twice during the decades I’ve known him.”

Nathan crossed his arms over his chest, standing shoulder to shoulder with Trey to keep her out of the fray.

“That motherfucker tried to hit his woman and then called her a whore. And then he threatened her. Benji is lucky he’s got all his teeth left.” Trey raised the volume so everyone around them could hear.

“Royal.” Caroline pushed her way around Trey and Nathan and approached Royal, reaching out to touch his arm. “Royal,” she repeated his name. “Don’t let this garbage rob you of what is sure to be a pretty awesome weekend.” She reached up, guiding his chin so she could look at him better. “You already punched him once. There’s a cop right there. Let it go.”

“He tried to hit you.”

She nodded. “And you stopped him and defended me. Thank you.”

“He called you names and threatened you. I really don’t think I can let that go.”

“Baby, he’s covered in blood. Your hand is all messed up and it’s starting to swell. We need to get it on ice. He got the message.”

“You need someone to stand up for you. To protect you. Oh I know you can handle yourself. But you need someone who always gets between you and trouble. That’s me.”

Oh. Everything inside her got sort of gooey for a moment as she smiled, blushing. “I did, yes. And now that’s you. Thank you. But now we need to back off because if not you’ll go down to the police station and maybe jail.”

“I know a great defense attorney.”

She laughed. “I’m kind of expensive, so save it up for something really good.”

“I could punch him a few more times and that would be really good.”

As she spoke with Royal, one of Shane’s officers came in and took over from Elliot after hearing what happened. They were smart enough to get Benji out of there.

“Let’s go.” She kissed him quickly. “I’ll show you really good.”

“Promise?”

“Every time.”

“Okay, everyone. Mind your business and be moving along. Not the first time y’all have seen a fight in a bar,” Elliot called out, making a shooing motion with his hands.

Caroline noted Garrett had disappeared. But he’d seen enough that the entire situation would be reported—with prejudice—to her grandparents.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Anne hand Elliot a card and he handed her one.

“Come back to my place so I can clean your knuckles up.”

“No to your place. Yes to letting you kiss all my boo-boos at my house. My bed is also bigger,” Royal murmured into her ear.

He helped her into her coat as people tried to get him to talk about things until Caroline put herself in between him and the crowd. But he put an arm around her, shifting her so he was between her and any possible trouble.