Page 74 of Hot to Trot

"Huh?"

"Her feet. We need to elevate them."

"Do you want me to call 911?" Kate said, pushing people back from where they'd started gathering around Scarlet's inert form. She held red solo cup she handed to Kitty Lou as she knelt on the quilt.

"I am 911," Adam said, turning Scarlet's face toward him. He wiped a glob of potato salad from her cheek. Damn, she was pretty. Didn't matter what she was covered in. A warm, protective feeling stole over him. He tenderly tapped her cheek. "Scarlet?"

"Iknowyou're the police chief," Kate said. Adam almost smiled because he had the feeling she had almost tacked ondumbass,but smiling was hard because Scarlet had him terrified. "I meant, an ambulance."

"Find Phillip Patterson," he said, "I saw him with his wife near the stage a few minutes ago."

Though he had basic life-saving certification, having a doctor around would be best. He looked at the older man, who had propped Scarlet's long, smooth legs on his shoulder. Something about that made Adam want to pop the man right in his patrician nose. He looked at the woman who had made him so crazy he needed a straitjacket. He slapped her cheeks a bit harder. "Scarlet? Wake up."

She didn't respond. He placed his hand where he'd so longed to place it for the past two weeks. Right between her breasts. She had a strong, steady heartbeat. He looked up at the circle of people who'd formed around the quilt.

Then he slapped Scarlet hard.

Her eyes flew open.

A few people gasped. Kitty Lou said, "Well, good lord, Chief."

Scarlet blinked once. Twice. "Adam?"

"Yeah, I'm here. You okay?" He smoothed a few stray hairs from her eyes. He knew it looked more tender than it should, but he didn't care what everyone thought at the moment. All he cared about was Scarlet.

"What...what happened?" she asked, trying to lift her head.

"No, no. Lie back." He gently pressed her shoulder. "You fainted."

"What?" She looked confused. "I don't faint. I've never-"

Then she stopped talking, and her beautiful hazel eyes widened. "John."

“Right here, Scarlet," the older man said, patting her calf.

Adam glared at the man. Was this the man she'd been in love with? This old dude? He looked vaguely familiar. Perhaps Adam had seen him in a movie or two. A commercial maybe?

Scarlet struggled against his hand. "Let me up."

"Kate went to get a doctor. Lie still," he said, pushing her back. But she wouldn't comply. Why was he not surprised? Had she ever complied with anything he'd asked her to do over the time he'd known her?

She sat up and stared at the man patting her leg. She pulled her feet from his shoulders and tucked them beneath her bottom, moving closer to Adam.

John gave her a crooked smile. "Wasn't quite the greeting I'd hoped for."

"Oh, really?" Scarlet asked, narrowing her eyes.

"My Scarlet. Always making a-"

But he didn't finish his sentence because Scarlet's fist collided with his cheek. The older man wobbled, grasping the air as he fell back. He sat down hard and looked absolutely stunned. He didn't say a word. Just cradled his cheek with one hand.

Scarlet looked taken aback that she'd decked the man. She stared at her fist, then at Adam, who was wondering if the old dude was going to press charges because he really didn’t want to arrest Scarlet again.

''And you."

Adam drew back at her tone and met her gaze. The look she gave him had him prepared to duck her fist. “Me?”

“You, you-" Her gaze locked on Sophie standing on the perimeter, still holding the plate. Scarlet's eyes filled with tears.

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