Cass lit into him, but they both knew he’d need his head surgically removed from his ass if Burke took to beating on him. “She broke my nose! Humiliated me in front of my fiancée.”
Burke shrugged. “You humiliated her in front of a whole town for years. I’d say it’s fair.”
“Well, it’s not fair. It’s not gonna be until everyone knows the truth.”
Maybe ass-surgery would be needed after all. It’d be a kind of a lobotomy. Mindful of the bundle of Cass in his arms, Burke lowered his voice so—hopefully—only Luke would hear. “The real truth or the edited-for-television kind? Neither one paints you as the good guy, pretty boy.”
Luke’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t reply.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Burke backed away, shaking his head. At least this mess would be over now. “Do yourself a favor, stay the hell away from CB and take your grandstand of a wedding with you.” He moved toward the door, pulling CB’s too quiet and too obedient body with him.
“What goes on between me and CB has nothing to do with you, Halifax,” Luke sputtered, making Burke stop once more.
A glance over his shoulder showed more of Luke’s city friends had moved in to see what the deal was. That explained the sudden tiny pair of balls. Perfect. Just perfect.
“You were always right there in our business, like some kinda watch dog,” Luke rattled on. “I didn’t like it much then and I sure as hell don’t like it now.”
“You wanna do something about it?” Don’t I wish? Luke Hanson might be pretty and even popular, but the likelihood of his taking the challenge—even with his friends around him—was right up there with Burke putting on a dress and doing the tango with Humphrey Bogart.
“What’s the point? CB’s nothing to me anymore. She wasn’t much to me when we were dating.” Luke shrugged, gesturing over his shoulder for his friends to see and pay closer attention. Like lemmings, they quieted to follow his cue. “I’m gonna marry Sally; show everyone in this town that I’m not what they think I am. Truth is, CB Bishop was lucky to ever have me.”
Burke wasn’t sure when it happened, but CB’s pretense of clinging to him had become real, her clench tight enough to hurt. What made it worse was that he had the feeling Luke wouldn’t have said a word different if he knew she was there. Maybe he’d said it to her all before. It would certainly explain her sudden lack of confidence. In an instant, he hated the bastard even more.
“Is that why you invited her to your wedding? To make sure she saw you marrying the better woman?” Burke asked, loud enough to silence the crowded bar. People leaned out of their booths, some concerned, most interested. Ben Friedly watched, his wrinkled face not expressing an opinion one way or the other.
Luke had one. His eyes glinted pride. “Damn straight.”
“You’ve never been a smart man, Hanson. Most have said damn stupid. You never deserved CB. You couldn’t tell what a good woman you had, not even when she was haulin’ your ass out of trouble time and again. So I’m going to put this in terms even a fool like you can understand. I’ll bet that at your wedding, when CB walks into the church, everyone in this town will be calling you an idiot for giving up the best thing you ever had.”
Nails bit into his waist but Burke wasn’t about to stop now. For once it seemed so clear. The way to show CB what a slime her ex was and if anything was ever wrong, it was that she was too good for Luke in the first place.
Luke laughed loudly, extending his arms wide. “The mighty Burke Halifax is gonna make a bet with me ? In front of everybody?” The bar remained quiet, waiting for his response. No one ever said Luke wasn’t a showman. He nodded his curly blond head in a mock salute. Hell if the entire place didn’t exhale at the same time. “Sure, why not?” He laughed, yukking it up for the crowd. “It’s not like I can
Burke shrugged. “You humiliated her in front of a whole town for years. I’d say it’s fair.”
“Well, it’s not fair. It’s not gonna be until everyone knows the truth.”
Maybe ass-surgery would be needed after all. It’d be a kind of a lobotomy. Mindful of the bundle of Cass in his arms, Burke lowered his voice so—hopefully—only Luke would hear. “The real truth or the edited-for-television kind? Neither one paints you as the good guy, pretty boy.”
Luke’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t reply.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Burke backed away, shaking his head. At least this mess would be over now. “Do yourself a favor, stay the hell away from CB and take your grandstand of a wedding with you.” He moved toward the door, pulling CB’s too quiet and too obedient body with him.
“What goes on between me and CB has nothing to do with you, Halifax,” Luke sputtered, making Burke stop once more.
A glance over his shoulder showed more of Luke’s city friends had moved in to see what the deal was. That explained the sudden tiny pair of balls. Perfect. Just perfect.
“You were always right there in our business, like some kinda watch dog,” Luke rattled on. “I didn’t like it much then and I sure as hell don’t like it now.”
“You wanna do something about it?” Don’t I wish? Luke Hanson might be pretty and even popular, but the likelihood of his taking the challenge—even with his friends around him—was right up there with Burke putting on a dress and doing the tango with Humphrey Bogart.
“What’s the point? CB’s nothing to me anymore. She wasn’t much to me when we were dating.” Luke shrugged, gesturing over his shoulder for his friends to see and pay closer attention. Like lemmings, they quieted to follow his cue. “I’m gonna marry Sally; show everyone in this town that I’m not what they think I am. Truth is, CB Bishop was lucky to ever have me.”
Burke wasn’t sure when it happened, but CB’s pretense of clinging to him had become real, her clench tight enough to hurt. What made it worse was that he had the feeling Luke wouldn’t have said a word different if he knew she was there. Maybe he’d said it to her all before. It would certainly explain her sudden lack of confidence. In an instant, he hated the bastard even more.
“Is that why you invited her to your wedding? To make sure she saw you marrying the better woman?” Burke asked, loud enough to silence the crowded bar. People leaned out of their booths, some concerned, most interested. Ben Friedly watched, his wrinkled face not expressing an opinion one way or the other.
Luke had one. His eyes glinted pride. “Damn straight.”
“You’ve never been a smart man, Hanson. Most have said damn stupid. You never deserved CB. You couldn’t tell what a good woman you had, not even when she was haulin’ your ass out of trouble time and again. So I’m going to put this in terms even a fool like you can understand. I’ll bet that at your wedding, when CB walks into the church, everyone in this town will be calling you an idiot for giving up the best thing you ever had.”
Nails bit into his waist but Burke wasn’t about to stop now. For once it seemed so clear. The way to show CB what a slime her ex was and if anything was ever wrong, it was that she was too good for Luke in the first place.
Luke laughed loudly, extending his arms wide. “The mighty Burke Halifax is gonna make a bet with me ? In front of everybody?” The bar remained quiet, waiting for his response. No one ever said Luke wasn’t a showman. He nodded his curly blond head in a mock salute. Hell if the entire place didn’t exhale at the same time. “Sure, why not?” He laughed, yukking it up for the crowd. “It’s not like I can
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