Page 48 of Tumbleweed Temptation
“All right, all right.” Austin lifted his hands and backed away. “I’m just saying. A good husband would take care of his family, not himself.”
Chapter Eleven
Ginny slapped the icepack over Austin’s eye and strode back into his kitchen for a wash cloth, her footsteps echoing on the wooden floor. She and Javi had helped Austin home and up the stairs before Javi left to assist the sheriff with the brawl Austin had started.
“What the hell possessed you to piss him off?” she demanded as she ran the cloth under the stream of water.
“He pissed me off. What the hell was he doing out with his friends when Melissa’s been working her ass off taking care fo sick kids all week?”
“She did not need you to defend her. She’s lived with him for years. She knows what she has, and she chooses not only to stay with him, but to have babies with him. Not your business, not my business.”
“Didn't really think he’d hit me. Thought he’d use his words.”
“There with all his friends? You didn't used to be stupid, Austin. And you used to have more sense of self preservation.”
“Yeah, I know. Feeling full of myself, I guess.”
She lifted the bag to inspect his eye. “You’re going to have a shiner. And then you’re going to have to explain it to everyone, including Melissa. You think she’s going to appreciate you standing up for her? She’s not. She’s going to think you’re judging her based on her husband, and that’s just going to piss her off, and you might end up without a receptionist. That is if he lets her come back to work for you.”
“My understanding is they need the money.”
She blew out an exasperated breath. “Of course they need money. You can’t raise four kids on one income.”
“The thing is, I like Melissa. She’s a hard worker and she’s good with the patients. I just hate seeing her mistreated.”
“She might not see it as being mistreated. Face it, Austin. You overstepped and Matt called you on it.”
He leaned back to frown at her. “You’re not saying you think he’s right?”
“No, I think he’s a jerk, but I also think this is between him and Melissa. She wants to give him a bad time about going out with his friends, that’s up to her. Hell, for all we know, she kicked him out. I know I wouldn't want his grumpy ass around the house if I wasn't feeling well.”
He grunted and took the washcloth from her to wipe the blood from beneath his nose. “I’m going to have to apologize, is what you’re saying.”
“You know you do.”
“He never apologized to me for giving me a bad time in high school."
