Hotel Ladd (20 page)

Jack focused on his brother. “Catch you
around, Cal.”

“
Sure,” he
mumbled.

“
Shall we?” Jack gestured
for Jillian to lead the way.

“
Catch you around,” she
mimicked, directing her reply to Troy with a wink.

Annie bristled, angry for her daughter
as much as put off by the rudeness Jillian displayed.

“
Later,” Troy said, and
followed them over to the lunch counter taking up residence at the
opposite end. Casey went to him immediately, a wary gaze split
between Troy and the new couple in town.

“
I didn’t know you had a
brother,” Malcolm said.

“
He has three,” Lacy piped
up. “Didn’t I tell you?”

Malcolm smiled in amusement. “You must
have missed that detail in your genealogical account of the town’s
occupants.” At her blank look, he pinched her chin. “Maybe I
forgot. Anyway, it’s nice to meet your family, Cal.” Cal nodded but
didn’t voice the same. Malcolm turned to Lacy. “And he’s Delaney’s
ex-husband, you say?”

“
He is. I told you about
him, didn’t I?” Darts were shooting from her eyes, willing him to
understand the situation without her spelling it out for him in
front of Cal.

“
It’s okay, Lacy,” Cal said.
“Jack has his issues. It’s no secret in town.”

The lights went on for Malcolm and his
gaze sharpened. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“
Cal and Jack are nothing
alike,” Annie pitched in.

Cal placed a hand to her arm. “You
don’t have to stick up for me, Annie. I can fight my own battles.
Jack was abusive to Delaney and she walked out on him—nothing less
than he deserved. He left town and headed north, been living in
Nashville ever since. I’m not sure why he’s back or for how long.”
Glancing over his shoulder at Jack and Jillian yucking it up, he
added quietly, “But I hope not long.”

“
Cal,” Lacy said, disbelief
and disappointment swirling in her tone. “You don’t mean that. He’s
your brother.”

“
I’m sorry, Lacy, but Jack
has already proven he’s willing to cause trouble. Blood kin or not,
I have no use for a man of his caliber.”

Chapter Sixteen

“
May I have this
dance?”

Perched on a high top chair, his wife
Lacy Owens Ward giggled. “Of course, silly. Who else am I going to
dance with?”

Dressed in a long-sleeved fitted black
dress, her figure barely showing her pregnancy, Malcolm slid a
glance around the lounge of Whiskey Joe’s and said, “I daresay any
one of these gentlemen would love the chance to swing you around
the dance floor, should the opportunity be given.” She dished out a
playful grin. “But they’ll have to step over my lifeless body to
get there.”

Accepting his assistance as she
descended to the floor, she remarked, “Would you really fight for
me?” Almost five months pregnant yet she refused to abandon her
towering black heels.

“
You know I would.” Malcolm
drew her close but not too close. He didn’t want to squish the baby
between them. “In a heartbeat.”

“
I believe you would,” she
declared imperiously, then allowed him to escort her to the dance
floor where they joined a dozen other couples already in motion on
a wooden dance floor. It was surrounded by maroon carpeting flecked
with beige, a scatter of wood high-tops placed around its
perimeter. The air was stale with smoke, most of the occupants
dressed casually in jeans. It was wholly different than Los Angeles
where bars were sleek and open, simple lines, steely colors, filled
with people dressed in the latest trends. And no one smoked. Not
indoors, anyway.

The song playing was a country pop tune
unfamiliar to Malcolm. But then again, most of the songs played in
Tennessee were unfamiliar to him, though he was learning to
recognize a few. Sliding a hand behind her back, he grasped her
right hand, pulled her close and glided her about the dance floor.
He’d been living in Tennessee for six months, yet he still
considered southern California his home. It’s where his family
lived, his parents occupying the same house where he was born. But
Lacy was pure country, and a future with her meant a future of
country music and gospel. Both fine additions to his collection of
music.

Lacy gaped at him, becoming acutely
aware of the couples around them. “Malcolm, what are you doing?
This isn’t a slow song. People are staring at us.”

“
Don’t care.” She tried to
wriggle free, but he held firm. “A woman in your condition needs to
be held.”

She flipped her face and glared at him.
“I’ll have you know I’m in perfect dancing condition.”

Malcolm grinned and pulled her closer.
“Yes, you are. Now calm down. You’re throwing my rhythm
off.”

With a final struggle, Lacy
surrendered. “Oh, poo. You’re no fun.”

“
On the contrary,” he
replied, dipping his head for a kiss, “I’m built for
fun.”

“
Well, you can be, I’ll give
you that. But I’m going to give you a lesson in line dancing the
instant we get home.” She glanced around them, mortified to be
slow-dancing a fast song. “This is ridiculous!”

But Malcolm was only half-listening,
his attention diverted by a new entry into the lounge. Troy Parker.
As the boy sauntered inside, an unsettling déjà vu settled in. Was
he alone? Malcolm watched the door. Seconds passed, but no Casey.
“Troy’s here,” he announced quietly.

Lacy whirled. “Where?”

“
And he’s alone.”

“
I’m sure he’s meeting
Casey. The two are
always
together.”

Unnoticed as yet, Malcolm tracked
Troy’s movements. He went straight to the bar but didn’t seek out a
bartender. He appeared content to linger in place. “I hear he’s
doing a fine job over at Cal’s ranch.”

Lacy nodded. “Delaney said the same
thing.”

“
Maybe she’ll hire him on at
the stables.”

Lacy squeezed his hand.
“That’s a
great
idea. You’re brilliant, Malcolm!”

He smiled down at her. “That’s what
they pay me for.”

Jillian Devane waltzed in and Malcolm
cursed under his breath.

“
What?” Lacy whirled and saw
her, stiffening within his arms. “What is
she
doing here?” She turned on
Malcolm. “I don’t like her at all. She is nothing but
trouble.”

“
You can say that
again.”

Jillian was headed for Troy,
exaggerating the sway of her hips in her skintight jeans and
stiletto heels, her leather jacket the only part of her attire that
seemed to fit in. When the boy saw her, he straightened. The two
exchanged words, drawing glances from several nearby men. Jillian
tip-toed a finger along Troy’s shoulder, fiddled with the neckband
of his T-shirt beneath his jean jacket. Troy stilled, fully
engrossed with the woman before him. He didn’t pull her hand away,
didn’t step aside. He said something to her, but Malcolm had no way
to make it out.

Jillian leaned into him, her
fingers expertly tracing a line from his collarbone to his
shoulder. Malcolm closed his eyes.
Don’t do
it, Troy
.

“
What does she think she’s
doing?” Lacy cried under her breath.

“
Seducing a young
man.”

She smacked him. “Do
something!”

Malcolm held Lacy firm until the song
ended, then released her. Instinct told him to intervene, but Troy
was an adult. And a bull. “Something tells me Troy wouldn’t
appreciate my interference,” he replied, steering Lacy back to
their table, his mind running through outcomes.

Jillian ran a hand down the length of
Troy’s chest and Lacy gasped. “You can’t let her run her hands all
over him like that!”

Troy didn’t seem to mind. As he watched
the events unfold from across the lounge, it occurred to Malcolm
the boy looked hypnotized by her presence. He wasn’t smiling,
wasn’t moving. Troy simply stared at her. Even from this distance,
Malcolm could see a building desire. Troy’s gaze was transfixed on
Jillian’s mouth as she spoke. She leaned her breasts into him and
whispered something into his ear.

Troy jerked away from her.

Malcolm’s gaze darted to the
entrance in time to see a crushed Casey halt in her tracks, her
face wrenching in hurt before she turned and ran. Jack Foster
dodged to one side as he entered, clearing the way for the
departing girl. Troy bolted after Casey, leaving Jillian standing
alone, a satisfied smile slithering onto her glossy lips. When she
spotted Malcolm and Lacy, her satisfaction turned
triumphant.
Damn her for toying with the
boy
. Jillian knew what she did to men and
didn’t care who she hurt in the process.

“
Should we go after them?”
Lacy asked.

Malcolm shook his head. “It’s not our
battle.”

“
But Casey...” Lacy’s voice
broke, tugging at his heart. “Did you see the look on her
face?”

“
I did.” New feelings
rumbled through him, ugly feelings, protective feelings. If Casey
were his daughter, he’d run after Troy and give him a good
pounding. Strange, but something about living in Tennessee brought
out the animal in Malcolm. In Los Angeles he’d never felt the urge
to fight, not once. Since he’d been here, he’d been in one fist
fight and felt primed for another. He looked down at Lacy. Then
again, he’d never had a woman he felt was worth fighting for, and
in his eyes Casey was an extension of Lacy. Reining in his emotion,
Malcolm restrained his tone, “Let them hash it out. We’ll help
clean up the mess later.”

Outside, the slap of cold air snapped
Troy to his senses. What the hell had he been thinking, letting
that woman go on for as long as she did? “Casey!”

“
Leave me alone!” she cried.
“I never want to see you again!”

A couple walking into
Whiskey Joe’s stared at the two of them, the man showing signs of
intervention. Ignoring the accusatory stares, Troy barked at him,
“That’s my girlfriend.” The man backed off but kept an eye on the
situation. “Dad gum, Casey—stop!” Easily catching up with her, he
grabbed her by the shoulders and stopped her short. She was
shaking, and Troy hated himself for being the cause. “I didn’t do
anything, I
swear
.”

“
She was hugging
you!”

“
She wasn’t
huggin’
me.”

“
Yes she was!” Tears
streamed down her face. Streaked black with mascara and eye liner,
she looked like something out of a horror movie. “How could you do
this?” she yelled. “First that Loretta woman and now her? I thought
you
cared
about me.
I thought we were
together
.”

“
I do, Casey, you know that.
We are.” He whipped a hand toward the lounge. “That woman was only
trying to cause trouble.”

“
And you were
letting
her.”

“
I was doing no such thing.
She was trying to come onto me. What was I supposed to do, throw
her off of me?”

The scowl ingrained on
Casey’s face told him
yes
, that’s exactly what he was
supposed to do. Kick her clear out of the bar. “Dad gummit.” He
loosened his hold, allowing her to yank free. She took a step away
from him, glaring at him with a level of hate Troy couldn’t believe
possible. He clawed a hand through his hair, wanting to rip it out.
“I’m
sorry
.”

“
You sure are sorry!” She
tried to sound cruel but her voice cracked. A fresh wave of tears
burst free and she hugged arms to her body.

He reached out for her. “C’mon. Let’s
forget this ever happened.”

“
Are you crazy? I can’t
forget that you flirt with other women.”

“
You have to,
Casey.”

“
I don’t. I don’t have to do
anything. I thought you loved me Troy, but you don’t.”

“
Casey, I
do
love you.”

Casey’s face twisted in a vile
expression of disgust and disbelief. “You’re a liar and a
cheat.”

Anger fired through his
veins. “No, I’m not. I
mean
it. I love you, Casey. Haven’t you figured that
out, yet?”

“
I don’t love you, I hate
you. I never want to see you again.” Casey turned and ran, and this
time he let her go. He could see her car, see that she got into it
safely. Red taillights shot on and the car jerked out of its space.
Casey tore out the parking lot so fast Troy feared she might hit
something! He dragged his hands down his face, sadness pouring into
him. It flooded his soul. Casey said she hated him. Maybe she
really did.

What possessed him to let that woman
touch him when he knew Casey could walk in at any time?

But Troy had never seen a woman so
beautiful, so intense—and so forward. He didn’t like her, but
desire had pulled at him when she pressed her body to his. She had
no shame, no inhibition. It was something in her eyes. They were
strange, golden. He couldn’t look away. Or maybe it had been her
voice, low and sexy, whispering things his mind couldn’t help but
imagine. Was it his fault she came on to him? Would another guy
have reacted differently?