Page 46 of Love You
Dale moved closer. He smelled like a distillery and gripped Candace’s arm, hard. “We’re leaving.”
“Dale,” Win said, “take your hands off her!”
“Who the hell do you think you are telling me what to do?” Dale got in Win’s face. His breath alone could’ve killed a herd of elephants. “Come on, Candace. Don’t make me tell you again. We’re leaving.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She yanked away and Win could see a nasty red mark on her arm.
Win stood up and got between them. “Look what you did, Dale. You’re drunk and you’re acting like a dick. Go home and sober up, dude.”
He should’ve seen it coming but by the time Dale’s fist landed in his face it was too late and he staggered back. Someone screamed, maybe Candace, and then it was pandemonium. Fists flying, glasses breaking, and Boden yelling above the fray. Out of nowhere, a few bargoers had come to lend Win a hand or just brawl. It was hard to tell what their objective was.
Whatever it was, Win didn’t want any part of it. All he wanted was to finish his fucking dinner and play a goddamn game of darts. But there was so much pushing, shoving, and shouting that Win was pretty sure that people were just fighting for the sake of fighting.
“Are you happy, Dale?” Candace screamed. Win couldn’t be sure because his left eye was throbbing and starting to swell but he thought she looked supremely proud of herself.
“This is your fault, Candace. You’re the one who divorced me.” Dale lunged at her and Win intercepted by grabbing Dale by the shirt.
He managed to land a punch to Dale’s prodigious gut and the dumb clod doubled over. Win rammed him up against the nearest table and pushed him into a chair. “Sit.”
In the distance he heard sirens, which was weird because the police department was only a block away. Then again, his left ear was in agony so perhaps it was tinnitus.
He let out a loud whistle and felt the room still.
“The cops are on their way.” Boden’s voice reverberated off the wood-paneled walls. “And you people owe me for the damages.”
Win let out a breath and looked around. It wasn’t as bad as it felt when he’d been in the thick of things. A puddle of beer on the floor. His Sierra Nevada. Some broken glass, a smashed plate, and a barstool knocked to the ground.
A family, the Tompkinses, moved toward the door. Mrs. Tompkins was shielding her youngest child’s eyes. Win checked his watch. It was only eight o’clock, yet it felt so much later.
Boden bobbed his head at them. “Sorry, folks. Dinner is on the house.” He scowled at Dale. “Which you’re paying for, asshole.”
Dale was slowly recovering and he’d turned his gaze on Candace. The big ox had tears in his eyes and a total look of desolation on his face. He and Candace had been married close to ten years, Win calculated.
It wasn’t any of Win’s business but he couldn’t help himself. “Maybe you two ought to get counseling.”
“We tried that,” Dale said, and turned his attention to Win. “Are you sleeping with her?”
“No! Dale, we’d barely begun talking when you came in. But, dude, you can’t go beating up every guy she has a conversation with.”
Colt walked in the door with Bobby George, one of his officers, and he didn’t look happy. He was out of uniform so Win assumed he’d gotten called away from home.
He took one look at Win and said, “I should’ve known.”
Win threw up his arms. That was his brothers, always giving him the benefit of doubt.
“Stand over there.” Colt pointed. “Bobby’s going to take your statement.”
Great, he’d been relegated to the corner, which in his mind was equivalent to a time-out.
Bobby did the interview, which took all of eight minutes.
“Am I free to go?” Win asked. He’d lost his appetite for food, beer, and darts and should probably get some ice on his eye, which he could only partially see out of.
“Yup,” Bobby said, and slapped him on the back. The officer had known him since he was a boy.
“Don’t go anywhere yet,” Colt called to him from where he was standing with Boden. Win should’ve known his brother would want to get in his face. Colt probably wanted to lecture him about dealing with drunken, jealous husbands.
He continued his conversation with Boden and took his sweet-ass time moseying over to Win. “Whoa, Dale messed up that pretty face of yours. Want me to take you to urgent care, get that looked at?”
