Page 2 of Playing for Keeps
There. She wasn’t on her own, but it was weird to go anywhere without Skye.
Donut holes. She’d spent more time than she’d intended at Skye’s, and the parking around the barn at the ranch looked like someone had thrown car sprinkles all over the field. Would it kill them to hire traffic control for the evening?
Lights from inside the barn streaked through the dark night, and Caroline slowed to watch for bumps on the gravel path as her headlights illuminated the way. Most people were already inside, and she’dhave to wind through all of the rows to find an open spot.
Headlights from behind blinded her as they reflected off her rear-view mirror. She wasn’t the only one coming in late.
The truck followed her through the rows, slowly weaving through the field-turned-parking-lot. When she found an open spot and parked, the truck stopped behind her.
“Caroline!”
“Fudge!” she whispered before opening her door and craning her neck to face the guy.
Patrick Fondren was the worst of the worst. He walked around thinking that he was king of the castle because he was a big-shot football star in a tiny town. Too bad that looks and athletics didn’t equal brains. The guy thought “no” was a silly joke. Caroline based that observation off the many times she’d told him to ooze away like molasses. She was all out of friendly hints, and he hadn’t gotten the message.
“What?” she shouted as he turned on the cab light in his truck.
Patrick rested a forearm on the steering wheel and propped an elbow on the open window. “You’re dancing with me tonight.”
Rude! “No, I’m not.”
There. That was plain enough.
Patrick laughed, and the sound grated onCaroline’s nerves like she was being turned into zest. “Don’t move. I’ll be back to get you.”
Caroline’s jaw hung open as his loud truck revved and left her behind. The nerve of that guy! There was no way on God’s beautiful earth she was dancing with that creep. Her blood ran cold every time he rested his arm over her shoulders in the hallway or tried to grab her hand in class. A guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer to dancing would have a tough time accepting no as an answer for other things, and she was too smart to stick around and let that happen.
Grabbing her keys, phone, and credit card, she shoved them into her coat pockets and hopped out of the car. If he wanted to confront her about a dance, he’d have to catch her first.
Her ankles grew colder as she wound her way through the maze of vehicles. If she could get inside, Nora would know how to get the guy off Caroline’s back.
The phone in her pocket dinged, and she pulled it out, continuing toward her escape as she read the message.
Nora: I’m so sorry. I have to stay home with Dad tonight. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.
No! Caroline whipped around to see how far she’d come. Could she make it back to her car before Patrick caught up to her?
Nope. The lumbering sleazeball was gaining on her by the second.
She wasn’t thinking quickly enough, and her feet still hadn’t decided which way to run. When she turned back toward the barn entrance, a man stood off to the side, leaning against the wall.
She knew him. Correction: she knewofhim and recognized his face. Justin McKinnon was the one guy she was supposed to stay away from, but despite the things his awful dad did to terrorize her parents on a regular basis, Justin seemed like more of the strong, silent type.
At least, that was the impression she’d gotten when he’d been in school with her a few years ago. She hadn’t heard anything about him since he graduated two years ago.
With handsy Patrick nipping at her heels, mysterious Justin looked like the lesser of two evils. Was he the kind of guy who would help a stranger in a moment’s notice?
Patrick shouted at her. A curse followed by a barking command. “Slow down.”
Yep. Her decision was made. She just had to hope Justin would play along. Heavens to biscuits, her heart was beating faster than the mixer at the bakery. Could she really do this?
It was Justin or Patrick, and one of those would talk over her and make disgusting innuendos all night.
Justin lifted his chin from the phone in his hands as she jogged his way. She skidded to a stop in front of him, toe-to-toe, and whispered, “Will you please act like we’re together for just a few seconds?”
Justin’s brow lowered over stormy, dark eyes. “What do you mean? Why?”
Oh, wow. His voice was lower than she’d expected.
