Golden Trail (19 page)

“Good,” he returned.

“While I was there, Drew caught me.”

Shit.

“Rocky –”

He heard the material of her coat slide
against the seat as she turned to him.

“He wanted me to talk to you. He told me
some weird stuff about the Youth Group at the Christian
Church.”

“Roc –”

“It doesn’t sound good, Layne.”

“He told me the same thing and you’re right,
he’s right, it doesn’t sound good. But we got enough on our
plate.”

He heard the material slide again as she
turned to look out the windshield.

“I’ve been hearing things at school too. I
can’t say I’m surprised at what Drew shared.”

Layne made no response.

“I think –” she started.

He glanced at her then back at the road
while speaking. “Sweetcheeks, I made a formal complaint about my
kids’ football coach. They were at their Mom’s last week but
breakfast conversation the week before included the fact that both
my boys are bearing the consequences of that, not at games, he’s
not that stupid, considering mine wasn’t the only complaint lodged
and Gabby’s wasn’t the only
other
complaint lodged, but
during practice.”

He heard her suck in breath but kept
talking.

“I got a case that’s takin’ all my time so I
haven’t been able to give any to whatever is goin’ down with
Stew.”

“That’s not good,” she muttered.

“No, it isn’t,” he agreed. “And you’re
wedging yourself close to Rutledge, you got an apartment to set up
and if Cosgrove is pissed about the complaints and not afraid to
take payback outta my boys during practice, then he won’t be afraid
of fuckin’ with the woman he thinks is mine. Summin’ up,
sweetcheeks, I’ll repeat, we got enough on our plate.”

She sighed, he waited, she didn’t speak, he
glanced at her to see she was looking out the side window, she
sighed again, this time heavier.

Then she whispered, “All right.”

Well thank Christ for that.

Layne drove in silence and Rocky followed
his lead. They’d had no more heart-to-hearts after the night of
pizza and beer. Raquel didn’t share with him about work and told
him only what he needed to know about her life. She did this, he
reckoned, because this was what he was doing.

However, as they drove, the scent of her
perfume filled his cab and the sight of her legs filled his vision.
The second was because his eyes were drawn to them no matter how he
tried to keep them on the road. It was only filling his mind with
visions of those legs bloody and lifeless if he crashed that made
him stop.

They were on the Circle when she asked,
“Tell me again why we’re all gussied up and going out on the
town?”

“Point of this, you and me, is to be seen,”
he reminded her. “We haven’t been doin’ much of that.”

“Yes, Layne.” He could tell by the sound of
her voice she was looking at him. “But shouldn’t we be seen in the
‘burg?”

“Lots of people need to see and lots of
places to be seen.”

“Is there something you’re not telling
me?”

Yes, there was something he wasn’t telling
her. She knew they were going to Swank’s but had no idea Astley was
there and he wasn’t going to tell her now.

“Just trust me, Roc, I know what I’m
doin’.”

There was a beat of silence then another
sigh then another, “All right.”

He turned off the Circle, found Swank’s and
stopped out front, rounded the hood and handed the keys to the
valet, taking a ticket. Rocky waited for him, he put a hand in the
small of her back and led her into the restaurant.

The hostess smiled warmly at him and before
they even made it to her station, where he could, say, give his
name, she announced, “Your table’s all ready.” Rocky looked at her
in surprise then looked at Layne but the hostess was rounding the
station and motioning with an arm to a man standing there. “Your
coat.”

Layne took Rocky’s coat from her and got a
good look at the full back of her dress, or, more appropriately,
the lack of it. He was right. Completely bare. Straight down to the
top of her ass. Fuck.

She unwrapped her scarf, he took it and
handed them off to the man waiting. The man gave Layne another slip
of paper to go with the one from the valet, Layne tucked it in his
inside jacket pocket and moved behind Rocky as she followed the
hostess who was carrying menus.

Layne knew the instant she saw him because
she stopped dead and he almost ran into her. He didn’t hesitate and
put his hand on the skin at the small of her back and pushed her
forward.

“Layne –” she started, walking forward
because he was pushing her at the same time she was pressing
back.

“Let’s get to the table, sweetcheeks, I’m
fuckin’ starved.”

He noted as he spoke that the hostess had
done well. They were in an alcove that held only two two-top
booths, either side, separated by about five feet. Astley and some
brunette with her back to the restaurant on one side. An empty
booth on the other. Fucking perfect.

“Layne –” Rocky said again, turning to
him.

They’d made it to the area that separated
the booths and he hooked an arm around her neck and pulled her into
his side. She tipped her head back to look at him, her face was
pale and her eyes were huge.

“I learned early, baby, not to make you wait
to get fed.” He touched his mouth to hers. “Do me the same
courtesy, yeah?” he asked then looked at the hostess and announced,
“My baby likes her food.”

“Layne –” Rocky repeated, her body tight as
a bow about to snap and the alcove was thick with tension and not
just Rocky’s.

“Sit, sweetcheeks.” He maneuvered her to the
seat facing the restaurant which was what he’d do in normal
circumstances. The woman should always have the best seat and it
was better facing the restaurant and being able to see the activity
than having your back to the room. He noticed that Astley didn’t
afford that consideration to his woman but Layne did it for Rocky
even though the better strategic position was to have his back to
the wall, Rocky facing him, which meant Astley would find it
difficult not to look at her for, if he turned his head, she’d be
in his line of sight.

He pushed her down in her side of the narrow
booth thinking, for the first time, he was glad she was wearing
that dress. No man seeing Rocky in that dress could be unaffected
by it. Layne wasn’t the only proof of that. Every man she passed
while walking through the restaurant stared at her while she did
it.

He sat down as Rocky leaned forward and
hissed, “Layne, listen to –”

He tilted his head back and said to the
hostess, “Can you help me out and get me a beer?”

“Absolutely,” she replied on a smile,
opening a menu and handing it to Rocky who took it automatically.
“We have a wide selection. Would you like to see a list?”

“Nope.” He smiled at her. “You pick. Only
two requirements. American and cold.”

She nodded, still smiling, handed him his
open menu and looked to Rocky. “Do you know what you’d like to
drink?”

“Montepulciano,” she said instantly. “A
large
one.”

Layne looked down at his menu and
grinned.

The hostess took off.

“Layne!” she snapped, her voice bordering on
shrill.

“Yeah baby?” he asked back, not lifting his
head from the menu and before she could say anything, he went on.
“You’ve been here, what’s good? I hope the portions aren’t crap. I
could eat an entire pan of Jas’s pasta bake.”

“Layne!” she repeated but Layne felt him
before he said a word and Layne looked up and to the side to see
Astley standing there. His hair was dark blonde, nearly brown, only
hints of gray. His eyes were hazel. He was tall, straight and slim.
Layne could tell, even under his expensive suit, the man was fit.
But he wasn’t fit in a bulky, powerful way. He was fit in an
active, healthy way.

“Fuck me,” Layne muttered like he was
surprised but he was fighting a grin.

“Charming,” Astley replied, giving Layne a
look to kill then his eyes sliced to Rocky and he greeted through
thinned lips, “Rocky.”

“Jarrod,” she replied, her lips weren’t
thin, they were soft, her face was still pale but with her makeup,
her hair, that dress, even with her skin pale, she was a freaking
knockout.

“It seems we’re practically dinner
partners,” he remarked, edging a bit to the side to indicate his
meaning and Layne turned his head to see Merry wasn’t wrong.
Rocky’s double was sitting across from them. She didn’t have the
blonde streaks in her hair and her hair wasn’t as long. She was
definitely younger but the poise wasn’t there and he knew that even
though she was sitting. She also didn’t have Rocky’s style. He
could tell she had a great body but it was just on the wrong side
of too toned and her tits were fake. He knew the last because she
was wearing a dress that barely covered them.

Definitely didn’t have Rocky’s style.

The minute their eyes turned her way, hers
shot down to her plate.

“Perhaps you can ask the hostess to seat you
at a different table?” Astley suggested and Layne looked up at him
to see the man’s gaze turned his way.

Then he twisted in his seat, looked at the
packed restaurant and back to Astley. “I’m not thinkin’ that’s
gonna work, big guy.”

“I’m certain something will open up,” Astley
pressed.

Layne looked back at Astley’s table to see
his woman, or, more accurately, his girl peeking at them but she
again turned her eyes away when she caught his.

He looked back at Astley. “I’m not feelin’
in the mood to wait.”

“Layne, maybe we can –” Rocky started and he
cut his eyes to her and she stopped.

“Look at their table, sweetcheeks. They’ve
already been served. They’ll be gone soon and we’re all adults.
It’ll be all right.”

“I think both Rocky
and
Marissa would
be more comfortable –” Astley began but Layne shoved out of his
side of the booth and stood, looking down the three inches he had
on Astley.

Then he said, “I think Rocky would be more
comfortable if you went back to your table and let us enjoy our
dinner.”

“Layne –” Rocky whispered.

“Sit down,” Astley ordered, the pompous ass
dick.

“Go back to your table,” Layne returned.

“This is ridiculous!” Astley snapped. “We
can hardly –”

“You might not be able to eat next to a good
woman you fucked over but we’ll be fine if you sit… your
ass
… down at your table.”

Astley glared up at him and Layne held his
glare and counted. It took four beats for Astley to give up and
turn to Rocky.

“As our attorneys are both enjoying their
weekends then I’ll have to inform you here that the house will not
be vacant tomorrow for you to get your things. I suggest you call
your lawyers and they can make arrangements for an alternate
date.”

Rocky’s face got even paler and her eyes
shot to Layne.

That fucking
dick.

“That’s okay,” Layne stated, sitting back
down. “We’ll come over while you’re there.”

Rocky’s eyes bugged out of her head.

Layne grabbed his napkin and put it on his
lap.

“I’m afraid that doesn’t work for me,”
Astley replied.

Layne kept his gaze steady on Rocky. “Your
name on the deed?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

He looked at Astley. “Then she doesn’t need
your permission to go to her own house. If it doesn’t work for you,
tough. We’ll be there at ten o’clock.”

“
You
are not welcome in my home,” he
clipped.

“Well, lucky for
me
, my woman half
owns your home and I’m sure she’ll welcome me.” His eyes went to
Rocky. “Won’t you, sweetcheeks?”

Slowly, Rocky closed her eyes.

Astley spoke and when he did it, he did it
quietly, his tone had changed, something threaded through it,
something that struck Layne as wrong but he couldn’t figure out
what it was and Layne looked up to see he was addressing Rocky.

“You know what this is, Rocky. You know.” He
shook his head and finished, “I didn’t expect this from you.”

Then he turned and walked back to his booth
and while he was doing it, he stopped a waiter and said, “We’re
leaving early. Bring our check to the hostess station.”

Astley pulled his girl out of the booth and
Layne looked back to Rocky who had her elbow on the table, her
fingers lightly touching her lips, her eyes were unfocused and
pointed into the restaurant.

“Roc?” he called, her gaze shifted to him
and it was troubled. He leaned forward, reaching out, he grabbed
her wrist, pulling her arm down to the table to hold her hand. Then
he whispered, “They’re leaving. It’ll be fine.”

“You knew,” she whispered back.

He didn’t respond.

“You knew,” she repeated. “You orchestrated
this.”

Layne held her eyes and kept his mouth
shut.

She looked over his shoulder and pulled her
hand from his as a waiter appeared with their drinks. Layne looked
to see Astley and his girl were gone.

“Have you had time to look over the menu?”
the waiter asked after he set the drinks down. “I’m happy to answer
any questions.”

“Give us a minute,” Layne ordered.

The waiter dipped his head, his hands
pressed together in front of him like he was praying and he
murmured, “Certainly.”

Fucking hell, this place was
pretentious.

The waiter took off and Layne looked at
Rocky.

“Roc –”

She started nodding and he didn’t know
why.

Then she said, “This is okay. This is fine.”
She straightened her shoulders and asked in a falsely bright voice,
“It had to happen sooner or later, right?”

“Baby –”

He stopped talking because now she was
shaking her head.