She smiled. "You spend much time at the Spur?"
"More than I should, probably." He sipped his beer. "What"s your name, pretty lady?"
"Sugar," she lied. "What"s yours?"
"Tater."
"Interesting name. Are you from around here, Tater?"
"Yep. But I"m on the road a lot."
"Oh. Are you a truck driver?"
"Nope. I"m a rodeo cowboy."
Carson"s choice words about the guys who ran the circuit jumped into her head and she affected an awed look-totally fake-not that the guy noticed. "For real? What"s your specialty?"
"Ropin"." Then he launched into an explanation of the strategy involved that was complete c.r.a.p.
Carolyn saw movement in the back room. Carson stood to let the dark-haired home-wrecker out of his side of the booth.
The band launched into "Your Cheatin" Heart".
How appropriate.
Despite the rage boiling her blood, she managed a calm, "Tater, I feel like dancing." It"d been a couple of years since Carson had taken her out. Since before Colby had been born.
"Anything you want, darlin"." He reached for her left hand-it felt weird not only to have her ring finger bare, but to hold another man"s hand besides Carson"s.
Tater didn"t smash her body to his or let his hands wander. He was all about the dancing, performing all sorts of twists and fancy turns, dips and double twists. By the time they returned to the end of the bar, she was thirsty.
"Need another?" the bartender asked her.
"Water would be great."
"And a Coors," Tater said.
The bartender sent him a dirty look. "You oughten be here tonight, Glanzer. Shouldn"t you be home with your family?"
"Not your business. Just hurry up with the d.a.m.n drinks."
Okay. That was rude. And what did the bartender mean that Tater should be home with his family? Was he married with kids? Good Lord. Maybe this bar had become the place to openly cheat on your wife. When Carolyn caught him salivating over her cleavage, she fought the urge to cross her arms over her chest.
The band launched into another tune and couples headed for the dance floor.
"You"re a good dancer, Sugar."
"Thanks. So are you. You have all kinds of moves I"ve never seen."
Tater leaned in, his eyes zeroed in on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "I have more moves than that. I"d love to show you the best ones. Course, those are done horizontally."
And...they weren"t talking about dancing. Her cheeks flamed and she looked down. But her gaze landed on his gigantic buckle.
"Like what you see down there?"
Her head snapped up.
He laughed, as if he"d caught her checking out his crotch.
The bartender slid her drink over and handed Tater a bottle.
Carolyn was trying to come up with something that"d make Tater leave when someone pushed into her from behind, sending her careening into Tater. The gla.s.s crashed to the floor but not before water soaked her front side. It seemed everyone in the bar had turned around to look at them.
"d.a.m.n. Are you all right?"
She glanced up when Tater brushed droplets from her chest. Why was his other hand gripping her b.u.t.t cheek? There wasn"t water back there.
"Get your f.u.c.king hand off my wife"s a.s.s right f.u.c.king now."
Tater released her immediately. "Wife? What the h.e.l.l is goin" on here?"
Carson was right in Tater"s face. "Yes, she"s my wife. Touch her again and I"ll rip your f.u.c.kin" arms out of the sockets. Understand?"
"Sugar, you shoulda told me you were married. Not that I blame you for bein" out lookin" for something better, since this guy is an a.s.shole."
"Shut your mouth," Carson snapped.
"Or what? You"ll punch me? Bring it, f.u.c.ker. I ain"t been in a fight for weeks and I"m more than happy to take out that pent-up aggression on you."
Carson shoved him.
Tater started to charge but a big guy stepped between them, placing a meaty hand on both of their chests.
"Take it the f.u.c.k outside or I call the sheriff. Dig?"
After snagging his beer, Tater started walking backward. He grinned at Carolyn. "Fun while it lasted." He vanished into the crowd.
Immediately Carson wrapped his fingers around her upper arms and hauled her to the tips of her boots. "What the f.u.c.k are you doin" here?"
"Having a night out."
"Like h.e.l.l you are. Get home where you belong."
"No."
"Tryin" my patience, woman."
"Your patience?" Carolyn jerked out of his hold. "Spare me. I"m the queen of patience when it comes to you. So where"d your friend go?"
"Who?"
"The woman I saw you with earlier. I didn"t quite make it to the back booth to see if she was sucking you off or if you preferred to f.u.c.k her."
Carson"s eyes widened.
"Surprised to hear me say that word?" She stepped in close enough to poke him in the chest. "f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k. f.u.c.k her and f.u.c.k you if you"ve been f.u.c.king her. How"s that? Did I get the f.u.c.king point across you f.u.c.king cheating a.s.shole?"
"I"d never..." His face had turned mottled red and he looked ready to commit murder.
The bouncer returned and inserted himself between them. "Ma"am? Are you okay?"
"No, I am not okay. Not even close to okay."
"What can I do?"
"If you could get me some napkins so I can dry myself off that"d be appreciated."
"Sure thing. Be right back."
Carolyn reclaimed her place at the bar, giving Carson her back, thankful there weren"t mirrors so he could see her face.
He didn"t make a move toward her. Nor did he speak. But she sensed him seething.
Good. Let"s see how you f.u.c.king like being ignored, you dumb f.u.c.ker.
Another guy moved into the open s.p.a.ce on her left. "Ma"am. You all right?"
Lord, save her from gentleman cowboys. "I"m fine. Just spilled on myself."
"That happens to me too when I drink tequila."
She released a brittle laugh. "Wish I could blame it on booze."
"Can I buy you a drink?"
Then Carson stepped up and loomed over the man. "I"ll shove a bottle straight up your a.s.s if you don"t get the f.u.c.k away from my wife."
"Sorry, man. I thought-"
"You thought wrong. Beat it."
After the guy left, Carson moved in close enough she could smell the whiskey and cigarettes on his breath. "G.o.ddammit, Carolyn, what are you doin" here?"
Somehow she"d masked the hurt and let her anger show. "You spend so much time here lately I wanted to experience the appeal of it for myself."
"Where are my sons?"
"In the car. Locked in the trunk. With guns and the candy I used to lure them in." She got nose to nose with him. "Don"t you ever, ever, ever question that I"d put their safety, happiness and wellbeing above everything else in my life."
Shame flashed in his eyes. "I"m sorry."
"Yes, you are. You"ve been a sorry excuse for a husband and a father and I"m done putting up with it."
"What are you sayin"?"
"You know exactly what I"m saying."
"Carson? Is everything all right?" a female voice inquired.
He shook his head at whoever was behind her.
Carolyn turned, her stomach plummeting when she realized the dark haired woman she"d seen Carson with was Edie. The same woman she"d caught him with seven years ago. The same woman who"d taken every opportunity to make Carolyn miserable whenever they ran into each other.
Edie"s gaze winged between them. Then she offered Carolyn a smirk. "I didn"t know you were here."
"Obviously I am, so now you can buzz off."
"There"s no need to be rude. Carson and I were just...talking."
"I don"t care."
Edie"s eyes went comically wide. "You don"t believe me?"
"I believe I asked you to leave."
"I didn"t mean to cause problems." Edie sent Carson a pleading look. "It"s not what you think. I needed someone to talk to and a shoulder to cry on. And since Carson has such big shoulders...he obliged me."
Carson made an irritated sound.
As Carolyn studied Edie"s smug face, the situation became clear. She suspected Edie had heard Carson had been hanging out at the Silver Spur a lot lately. And Edie knew perfectly well that the gossip mill would churn with news that she-the recent divorcee-was spending time alone in the back room with Carson McKay.
How long had it taken for the news to reach Carolyn?
One. Day.
So Carolyn knew Carson hadn"t been stepping out on her-at least not with Edie. Given the size of this town? If he had been cheating on her, she would"ve heard about it long before now.
"I"ll oblige you too by reminding you that Carson is my husband. He"s a good man. But that"s the thing, he"s my man. Mine. He"s not your friend, he"s not your confidante, so back off."
She eyed Carolyn"s wet blouse. "Apparently you"ve had too much to drink. No matter what you"ve heard-"
"Oh, I heard all right. The gossip about you two being cozied up last night already got back to me."
Carson swore behind her.
"I"m here to put a stop to it."
"Honey, I don"t have any control over gossip. If folks around here are saying your man is looking to scratch an itch that he ain"t getting scratched at home? You can"t blame me if he"s sniffing around because I got me some nice claws."