Gambling On A Secret. Sara Walter Ellwood

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      Brenda smiled up at her new husband before sitting. Nick took the chair next to her as Brenda’s sister and her husband sat across from them. A few minutes later, Julie came over to take their orders.

      Once the waitress left, he slid out of the booth. Somewhere in the fog clouding his good sense, he knew he shouldn’t, but he was spoiling for a fight.

      He half-limped, half-staggered to stand at the end of the square table.

      Brenda’s dark eyes widened when she noticed him. “Dylan?”

      “Forgotten me already, Brenda?”

      Sitting across from Brenda, her brother-in-law scowled. “I think you should walk away now.”

      “Howdy, Mike. Interesting that you have to stand up for your wife’s sister, while her new husband sits there scared shitless.” He nodded his head at the near replica of his ex-wife next to Mike. “Carrie.”

      “Leave now,” Brenda growled.

      “I’m crushed.” He put his hat on his head to free up his hands. “I wasn’t invited to the weddin’. I heard all about it, though. Gotta love the Colton Grapevine. Was it as nice as ours?”

      She glared up at him. Her chest rose and fell in rapid breaths. “It was better, actually. The Country Club was remodeled since our wedding.”

      “That’s something, I guess. Baby Geek doin’ okay?” he asked, referring to Brenda’s baby with Nick.

      Brenda’s plump red lips twisted into a cold smile. “He’s doing exceptionally well,” she said a little too sweetly. “We figure he’ll make a great scholar someday. Strive for world peace, unlike the barbarians in your family.”

      He let the jab go regarding the Quinns’ long military history, and moved around the table. He rested his palms on the table and leaned over them.

      Nick pressed away, and his face lost most of its color.

      “So, Nicky, how do you like sleeping in another man’s bed? Livin’ in another man’s house? Oh, wait, that’s right, you were makin’ a baby with my wife while I was in Afghanistan getting blown up.”

      “Quinn.” Brenda’s brother-in-law stood, and Dylan straightened. Mike was taller by two inches, but he wasn’t worried. He easily out-bulked the man by twenty pounds. “If you don’t leave–”

      Nick sprung from his chair. “If you want a piece of me, let’s go out to the parking lot and go at it.”

      Brenda jumped to her feet and grabbed his arm. “Nick, don’t be ridiculous.”

      Oh, how he wanted to punch this piss-ant into next week. He laid his hand on the other man’s shoulder. The action looked friendly, until Nick winced in pain when Dylan applied pressure in the right places. “I think you’d better just sit right back down there, geek. I’ve killed bugs bigger than you. I wouldn’t want the new baby to grow up without his papa.”

      His sharp tone gained the attention of curious customers sitting close by. Nick’s face flushed, and he drew back his fist and let loose. Dylan saw it coming and nimbly dodged the sucker punch by grabbing the flailing arm. A heartbeat later, he had Nicky in a chokehold.

      Brenda and her sister screamed, and Mike stepped closer. The bartender moved in with an old billy club in hand. “That’s enough, Quinn. Let him go.”

      He looked over at the big man. “Aww, Sam, can’t a man have some fun?”

      Sam Larson slapped the billy club on the palm of his hand with a loud smack. “I’m not tellin’ you again, Quinn. Let him go.”

      He glanced around. Every eye was on him. “Fine.” But instead of letting go, he tightening his hold on Nick and said in the other man’s ear, “Just a word of advice, Nicky. Don’t get too comfortable in my house. If she cheated on me, how long do you think it will be before she throws you over?”

      He let go of the gasping man, but Brenda grabbed Dylan’s arm. She stood before him toe-to-toe. He looked over the curves the tight jeans and snug T-shirt outlined. What the hell had he ever seen in her?

      Brenda fisted her hands by her sides and stood with her feet apart. “I never set out to cheat on you.” Her voice pitched low, and her eyes flashed with rage. “But when I came to Fort Benning to see you off before you went to Afghanistan, you refused to even discuss us having a baby.” Brenda swallowed and glanced at Nick, who was rubbing his neck and watching them. “I wanted kids. I was thirty-four and got tired of waiting on you to deal with your screwed up issues with your father.” She returned to Nick and glared at Dylan over her shoulder. “Don’t ever come near us again, or I’ll press charges for harassment.”

      He snorted in response, turned away and stepped right into the path of Zack Cartwright.

      “Shit, this night just keeps gettin’ better,” he mumbled.

      The sheriff stood with his feet apart, hands on his waist above his service belt and scowled at him. “What’s the problem here?”

      He shrugged and glanced back at his ex-wife fawning over Nicky. “Nothin’, Sheriff. Just congratulatin’ the happy couple.”

      “That so?” Cartwright continued to throw off big-bad-lawman vibes. “Let’s go, Captain.”

      He dodged the sheriff’s hand before it landed on his upper arm. “You takin’ me to jail?”

      “Not tonight. I’m taking you home. You aren’t in any shape to drive, but since you’re still on your feet, I’ll let Tracy deal with your sorry ass.”

      As they headed to the exit, he said, “Geez, Zack, you and my sister seem to be getting quite cozy these days. You rekindlin’ those old flames?”

      Zack stiffened and narrowed his eyes again. “You’re a comedian when you’re shitfaced, Quinn. Let’s go. I don’t have all night to deal with your bullshit. My daughter’s home with a sitter.”

      * * * *

      Charli sipped coffee from the Styrofoam cup she clutched, and stared at the beautiful house across the county road from where she’d parked. The afternoon sun rode high in the big clear sky and made the Italian single-story glow.

      Spurred by a crazy impulse, she’d driven south to Killeen to Dylan Quinn’s second reference. Almost two weeks had passed since she’d met him. She never let anything interfere with her schoolwork, but she’d nearly flubbed her criminal sociology exam–which meant she almost got a B–because she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Even now, she should have been at the ranch unpacking. Instead, she’d left the moment the movers finished unloading the truck.

      Whatever she’d been expecting, it hadn’t been the yellow stucco house. With its red tile roof and arched entry, oddly it didn’t seem out of place on a Central Texas ranch. In the background stood a barn painted the same buttery hue, and the metal roof was red to match the tile roof of the house.

      She took another sip of the strong coffee. What inspired the house? The things she’d learned about Dylan Quinn since meeting him didn’t jive with this place. This builder understood СКАЧАТЬ