Page 63 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
“Shithead,” he muttered, searching his music. He found the song and turned up the volume for the Grapevine Twist.
The women, even drunk, all formed groups. Dan saw a few odd looks from tourists, but they were soon dragged into a group.
Dan, JD, Red, Bradford and any other man who had collected their woman, watched as they stumbled through the steps like it was the first time, and they were wearing boots too big for them, and hadn’t been dancing these steps since their first day of school.
“It’s painful to watch,” JD said.
“So painful,” Dan agreed. He then stepped left, catching Cill as she stumbled back after walking into a giggling Linda. Each of the men had to rescue dancers over the next few minutes.
Leah, Dan noted, was in the group as far away from him as she could get.
“She asked me to take her home,” JD said.
“Who?”
“Leah.”
Dan wasn’t sure why that annoyed him as much as it did. “Sweet.”
“Is it, though?” JD asked him. “Sweet, I mean. Because you look like someone took your mom’s last slice of chocolate pecan pie, and it would be the only slice ever left in this world, and—” The breath whooshed out of JD’s mouth as Dan jabbed his elbow into his side.
The rumble of engines had Dan stiffening as beside him JD did the same.
“What the hell would the Bandits be doing in town at this time of night?” There were at least ten bikes, and they stopped in a line across the street.
Dan walked forward.
“No, Dan.”
“It’s all right, Mom, I got this,” he said as she grabbed his arm. “I’m a cop, remember?” He nudged her back to Dr. Hannah, who looked spitting mad and was shooting daggers at the bikers.
“What do you want?” Dan asked Grill, the man who was straddling the middle bike, a huge machine with gleaming chrome and shiny black paint.Had that been his signature on that document?
“Well now, little Duke, we heard there were some ladies in town needing entertainment.” He smirked at Dan.
“That’s Deputy Little Duke to you,” Dan said. “And these women don’t want anything from the likes of you, so clear off.” He felt JD move to his right and Red to his left.
“Aww, that’s cute, a show of strength from the town wimps,” Grill said with a smirk, his words making the other bikers laugh.
Dan wanted badly to bring this man down, and he would do everything he could to achieve that.
“You go on and turn that bike around now, Grill. It’s the only thing you’ll be riding in this town tonight.”
The words had been spoken by Dee from behind Dan.
“Do you know what I’ve always noticed about men like that Grill?”
Dan identified that voice as June Matilda.
“What’s that, Junie?” Mrs. C. said.
“They put up a fierce front, but underneath they’re just scared, lonely, sad men who struggle to make a woman happy.”
“We’ve got this now, thanks, ladies,” Dan said as JD snorted.
“What the hell did you say to me?” Grill roared.
“Well now, clearly he’s not too smart either,” Dr. Hannah said. “Maybe if you speak more slowly, Junie.”
