Then Carson stepped up and loomed over the man. “I’ll shove a bottle straight up your ass if you don’t get the f**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. “Goddammit, 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 divorcée—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.”
That did it.
Carolyn took a swing at her and was the little witch ever surprised when the punch landed right on her smart, lying mouth.
Edie stumbled and Carolyn struck again.
This time she socked Edie in the gut with everything she had. When Edie doubled over, Carolyn pounced on her, knocking her to the floor.
Carolyn went down with her, on top of her, continuing to strike her with body shots even when Edie curled into a ball to escape the blows.
Hands landed on her back and Carolyn twisted away, determined to keep swinging until her fist connected with solid mass.
While the anger still churned inside her, Carolyn grabbed a handful of Edie’s hair and tried to jerk her head up. “Look at me,” she demanded.
Edie shook her head.
Carolyn bent closer to Edie’s ear. “Look at me or I will start yanking out chunks of your hair in bloody clumps.”
That got her attention. Edie moved just enough that Carolyn could see her scared eyes and her bloodied face.
“The reason you weren’t successful in seducing my husband is because he’d sooner f**k a diseased sheep than you. Stay away from me and mine or I will finish this and f**k you up until you’re unrecognizable. Do you understand?”
She nodded.
“Say it out loud so I and everyone else can hear you.”
“Yes.”
Breathing hard, Carolyn slowly stood. Pushing the hair back from her face, she noticed a circle surrounding them. But the inner circle was all women, who seemed to be stopping the men from breaking up the fight. She recognized several of the women, and they were nodding at her with approval.
Holy. Cow.
“Back up and get outta the way,” the bouncer barked and crouched next to Edie.
The bartender stomped over. “That’s it. So much for me thinking you’d class up the joint—you started a damn bar fight! Get out. Don’t ever come back because you are banned for life.”
Her jaw dropped. “What do you mean banned for life?”
“Just what I said. I ever see your face in here again I’m calling the sheriff.”
Infuriated, Carolyn threw up her hands. “I’m banned?”
“Yes.”
“Is she banned?” She pointed to Edie, still curled up on the floor.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because she’s bleeding; you’re not.”
Carolyn opened her mouth to argue or maybe lunge at the guy who’d decided—unfairly—to toss her out, when Carson’s strong arm created a band across her chest.
“If my wife is banned, then you’ll never see me in here again, understand?”
The bartender went bug-eyed. “She’s your wife?”
“Damn straight she is.”
“Sorry, man, we’ll miss ya, but I can’t let this slide.”
She jabbed her elbow into Carson’s gut with enough force he loosened his hold on her. “Fine. I’m gone.” Holding her chin up, she marched to the front door and the crowd parted for her.