Page 2 of Deputy Brand Gets Her Man
He made it an insult. She pressed her lips and nodded. “It’s illegally parked, I think,” and she got to her feet and started toward the truck. “It’s blockin’ the driveway. I oughtta move it. Prevent an accident.”
Stu jumped up too. He put himself directly in front of her and bent so close to her face she could smell his beer breath. “I don’t think you want to do that.”
“Oh, you’re readin’ me wrong, then, because I very much want to do that.”
He drew back a fist to punch her. She never knew whether he’d have actually done it, though, because a different fist hit him in the face. It had come from behind her, like a piston driving directly over her left shoulder and crunching Stu’s nose.
Gringo. Jeremiah. He put his hands on her shoulders, moving her gently to the right as Tank and Tuck surged his way like Dumb and Dumber. He put Tank to his knees with a shot to the front of his neck, but Tuck punched the Gringo right in his bearded chin, snapping his head back. Willow stepped in front of him and kneed Tuck Barker in the balls. He doubled over and fell to his knees.
“Assaulting an officer.”
“He hit first,” Stu muttered.
She put her hand on her sidearm but didn’t pull it. The message was clear. The three goons got up and ambled toward their truck, yelling all the way.
“You assaulted us!” Stu accused.
“You drew back to hit me,” Willow said. “I got witnesses. Don’t come back here, boys. You’re banned for life. And if it’s you pulling all the bull around Mad Bull’s Bend, you’ll do time for it. I’ll see to that.”
Stu and Tuck got into the truck and slammed the doors. Tank climbed into the back causing the bed to sink six inches. They sped around the building, through the parking lot in back and out the other side—the one with the IN arrow, then roared down the highway belching black exhaust.
She’d kept her eyes on them the whole time.
“You should’ve arrested him,” the Gringo said.
“If you’d’ve let him hit me, I could’ve arrested him,” she said, finally turning to face Jeremiah. “And then I could’ve got a warrant and then got the goods on all three of ‘em. You see how that works?” She raised her brows, because there was blood dripping from his bushy beard. “Where’s that comin’ from?”
He looked down, shrugged. “Chin, maybe?”
“Jeez Louise. Come on, come with me.” She didn’t take his arm or anything, just led the way. She grabbed some paper napkins from a dispenser on one of the tables, handed them back to him and kept going, inside, around the muttering patrons who hadn’t expected a floor show with their meals.
As she passed the bar, Cat handed over the first aid kit, a large white tackle box with a red cross painted on it. One tableful of folks applauded as she passed. She didn’t know if it was for her or the Gringo.
The stairs were just this side of the archway to the dance floor and stage, and she headed up them and into the private bathroom Ethan had built for Lily as a wedding present. It was dusky rose with creamy trim and even a corner shower with glass doors. There was a big counter with a basin on one end, and the mirror behind it was lined in lights. She put him in the chair, in front of the counter’s lighted end.
Then she turned to look at his face and sighed. “Lord, why haven’t you shaved that brush lot off?”
“Why? Would you like me better if I did?”
“Possibly, but either way, I could at least assess the damage.” She started opening drawers. Lily kept the place stocked with all the usual bathroom supplies. But there were no electric trimmers she could locate. She did find scissors though, pulled them out, and came toward him. “What do you say?” she asked, opening and closing the blades like the jaws of a shark.
“I’m at your mercy, Deputy.” He opened his arms to his sides, closed his eyes and waited.
Willow didn’t know why she did it. She could’ve just handed him the scissors and wished him luck. But instead, she moved right up close to him, put her hand on his forehead, and pushed his head back. Then she held the soft beard between her fingers so it wouldn’t pull too much, and she cut. And cut. And cut. The scissors were fine and sharp and they did a good job. She slid her palm over his cheek, then snipped. She cradled his jaw, then snipped. She inched her way across his upper lip, snipping with care, revealing his face more and more.
Then she stood back, staring at him. The blood was coming from a gash in his chin, but hadn’t stained his neck or even his shirt, thanks to the beard. She gave him a wet cloth to hold there.
“There’s a shaver in the cabinet under the sink, there,” he said, dabbing the cut, and pulling the cloth away repeatedly. Every time he did, new blood welled. “Ethan and Lily threaten me with it every time they see me.”
She got the electric shaver out while he dug around in the first aid kit. He plucked out a couple of butterfly bandages and a tube of antibiotic ointment.
“Band-Aids won’t stick to whiskers,” she said. “Besides, I think you need a couple stitches, there.”
“I’ll pinch it together if you’ll shave around it,” he said, and he took the cloth away. Blood welled and he pinched the cut together, wincing a little.
She plugged in the shaver and moved it carefully around his fingers on his chin. She knew it was hurting. “Looks deep.”
“He was wearing a ring.”
