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Bill Warren so hard his head snapped back.

Six
    Elmer Lee grabbed Wanda Nell by the arms and held her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” His voice hissed in her ear.
    There was dead silence in the restaurant. Everyone was watching to see what would happen next.
    Wanda Nell shook loose from Elmer Lee. She looked straight up into Bill Warren’s face. Warren was rubbing his cheek and glaring at her, but Wanda Nell didn’t back down.
    â€œDon’t you ever let me hear you say such a thing, Bill Warren,” Wanda Nell said. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
    â€œYou ought to be more careful about assaulting officers of the law,” Warren said, scowling at her. “I’ve got half a mind to have you hauled down to that jail, too.”
    â€œYou just go ahead and do that,” Wanda Nell said, her temper still up. “And I’ll be glad to tell whoever the hell I have to what you said. Don’t think I’ll let you get away with it. I’ll go to the governor himself if I have to.”
    She waited a moment for Warren to respond. When he remained silent, she said, “I have a witness, too. Right, Elmer Lee? You heard what he said.”
    Both Wanda Nell and Warren looked at Elmer Lee. He met both their gazes before exhaling. “Yeah, I heard it, Wanda Nell.”
    Satisfied that Elmer Lee would back her up, Wanda Nell folded her arms and waited for a response from the state cop.
    â€œWhy the hell should you care what I think of that jerk?” Warren said, his tone savage. “What’s he got to do with you? You’re not his type.” He laughed.
    â€œDon’t start that crap again,” Wanda Nell said. She was itching to slap him a second time.
    Elmer Lee stepped between them. “Stop it, both of you,” he said. Wanda Nell moved back a couple of paces. Elmer Lee faced Warren. “I think you owe Wanda Nell and Tucker both an apology.”
    Warren flushed. He pushed past Elmer Lee and went to talk to Dixon Vance. Wanda Nell watched him go, her stomach churning as her adrenalin rush faded. The hum of conversation resumed, now that the scene had ended. Many of the men still stared at Wanda Nell, though.
    â€œThank you, Elmer Lee,” Wanda Nell said, holding out a shaky hand to him. “I appreciate your support.”
    Elmer Lee clasped her hand in his but let it go pretty quickly. “He was way out of line, and he knew it.” Elmer Lee frowned. “But you’re lucky he didn’t have you hauled off to jail. Assaulting an officer’s a serious offence, like he said. You can’t do things like that, Wanda Nell.”
    Wanda Nell ignored that. She didn’t think Bill Warren had the guts to make an issue of it, especially when she had a witness to back her up. “He was such a nice boy back in high school,” she said. “What happened to him?”
    Elmer Lee regarded her with an odd expression on his face. “How well did you know him back then?”
    Wanda Nell shrugged. “We dated for a couple of months.” She felt her face begin to redden. “And then I started going out with Bobby Ray.”
    Elmer Lee and Bobby Ray had been really close in high school and afterward. When Bobby Ray was murdered, Elmer Lee had been convinced, at least for a while, that Wanda Nell had done it. Back in high school he had acted like he couldn’t stand to be around her, and over the years their relationship had been rocky, at best.
    Averting his face, Elmer Lee said, “I see.” Abruptly, he walked away, leaving Wanda Nell staring after him, puzzled by his behavior. She never would be able to figure him out, she decided, shaking her head.
    â€œThank you, Wanda Nell,” Tuck said, placing a hand on her arm and giving it a little squeeze. “But be careful. Don’t you get yourself in trouble for something like that. I’m used to men like Warren.” He laughed,