Page 87 of The Cowboy's Country Charm

Kristy screamed. People burst out of the kitchen.

Dean lay on the cement floor, unmoving.

“What did you do?” Kristy’s voice sounded as if she was in a tunnel.

“Saved you,” he managed to get out.

“From Dean?” Kristy bent and felt Dean’s forehead. “Someone get some ice.” She directed her request to one of the kitchen staff who was standing around gawking.

Then she turned back and looked at him, deep frown lines carved into her forehead. “I can handle Dean. You didn’t have to.”

Dean moaned, turned on his side, and put his hand on his temple. Thank God the guy moved, because for a moment there, Rusty wasn’t sure how hard he’d hit him.

“He’s coming to.” She turned back to Dean. “You could have seriously hurt him, Rusty. You’re bigger than he is.”

He knew that. “I thought he was hurting you?”

“I can handle myself. I’ve taken self-defense lessons.”

He wasn’t about to argue that self-defense classes weren’t always enough. “I… I guess I lost it when I thought you were in trouble.”

Someone handed her a bag of ice. She knelt and applied it to Dean’s temple, removing his hand from the spot. “You could have seriously hurt him,” she said again.

If he’d wanted to seriously hurt him, he would have punched the guy in his throat, as he’d been trained to do.

Dean opened his eyes. Stared up at Kristy. Smiled. Looked beyond Kristy and focused his eyes on Rusty.”

“I’m going to have you charged with assault.”

Blood drain from his limbs and pooled uncomfortably in his belly. “Sorry, man, but you raised your first to hit me. I reacted to defend myself.” Like he was trained to do.

Dean felt his nose, looked at the red sap on his hand. “I’m bleeding. You’ve broken my nose.”

Rusty doubted that. The guy was likely being dramatic now that he’d drawn a crowd. “You’ll be fine.”

Dean struggled to sit up. Kristy helped him.

“You won’t be so fine once I file charges.” He looked at Kristy. “I’ve got a witness that you attacked me unprovoked. And that will end your police career before it even starts. Did you even pass a psychological test?”

Rusty had to remain calm. The guy wouldn’t file charges, would he? But looking at him sitting on the ground, blood dripping out of his nose, an ice bag on the side of his face, Rusty knew the answer would be yes.

He’d lose his spot at the police academy for sure.

Not to mention that considering whom he’d hit, it might make the news and his career could be over in a three-state area.

“Maybe you should go back to the table. I’ll take care of Dean.” Kristy wasn’t looking at him but at Dean.

“Kristy, I’m sorry.”

“You can’t keep rescuing people who don’t need rescuing, Rusty.”

She still hadn’t looked at him.

“I’ll wait for you.”

“I may be a while.”

With one ill-fated move he may have ruined their relationship and his career.

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