"I smiled. I made her appointment. I was nice."

"And?" Ty prompted when I said no more.

"And, she asked if I knew who she was. I told her I did. I laid it out what I knew but also told her we were happy and moving on."

I watched Ty's jaw clench.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "Was that wrong?"

"She ain't stupid pussy, she's just toxic pussy. She's gotta know I'm gonna tell my wife that shit so, no, it wasn't wrong."

I took in a deep breath and relaxed, not even realizing I was as wound up as I was with worry that I'd fucked up.

Then it hit me so I asked, "She's not stupid pussy?"

"Fuck no."

I felt my brows draw together. "Really?"

"Uh... yeah, babe. Really. Outta her deal she got Chace Keaton's ring. He didn't mind dippin' into that twat but he didn't wanna put a ring on it. He's a cop but his Daddy is not. Aspen money. Moved out from under his father's thumb to be his own man. Doesn't mean he's not gonna accept his inheritance when Daddy dies, seein' as he's an only child."

I shook my head. "If he's got money, he's got connections. Are you saying they leaned on him, made him marry Misty? Are you saying that's what she got out of the deal?"

"She spread for me but she was a girl who'd never take black home to Daddy. Never. She spread for Keaton with her sights set. So, yeah. That's what she got out of the deal."

"You know this for sure?"

"Only word I got on that is Tate's so, again, yeah, I know this for sure. Don't know how he got it but I know whatever his source, he wouldn't repeat it unless it was solid."

"Why would Keaton do that?" I asked.

Ty's face dipped closer. "Because, baby, he wanted to be his own man, he became his own man and when he did, he made a dirty bed. That doesn't mean Daddy doesn't loom. That motherfucker is dirty and they know just exactly how he's dirty. And they would not give one shit about settin' one of their own blowin' in the wind, they needed to do that. He does not want Daddy to know that shit, he does not want to take that hit from Daddy and he does not want Daddy to find a nice charity to give his cake after he dies because he'd rather save some fuckin' near-extinct bird than give his dirty cop son who shit all over the family name his money. So Keaton either took one for the team or they let him blow. He took one for the team and bought a lifetime of toxic cunt."

"Wow," I whispered.

"Yeah," his lips twitched then, "wow."

Well, there you go. That explained why things at home for Misty weren't so hot. He might have taken one for the team but he hadn't promised he'd spend his lifetime pretending he liked it.

"Just FYI, hubby, Misty gave some things away at the salon and I'm not sure it's all hearts and flowers in chez Keaton," I shared.

That got me a grin. "Good news, mama. 'Specially since things are exactly hearts and flowers at chez Walker."

My heart flipped and it felt good because his words felt good and I whispered, "Ty."

His hand came up and curled around my neck just as his head dipped closer. "You made my day, baby," he whispered then finished, "And not just because I got to watch you struttin' your sweet ass through the forecourt in those shoes and shorts."

I grinned at my husband then I whispered back, "Good."

His hand gave me a squeeze. "That all you got?"

I shook my head. "Not exactly she, uh... well, Ty, no joke, after I told her we were happy and it was all good, bitch-face Misty asked if you were mad at her."

Just like me, he blinked.

Then he asked, "No shit?"

I shook my head. "No shit."

He kept his hand where it was but lifted his head and looked over mine, muttering, "Fuck me."

"I'm thinking, the last five years, a bleach blonde with an unhappy home life is rethinking the deal she made and which man she left blowing in the wind," I noted, his eyes tipped down to me and I noticed instantly he was no longer feeling in a warm and squishy mood.

His growled, "Don't give a fuck," confirmed it.

"Me either, except I hope every day she wakes up to a man who doesn't want her and every night she goes to bed beside him, that bitch-face chokes on her decision until the bile she forces down grows so much it cuts off her air forever and leaves doctors stumped at her untimely but deserved demise."

After I was done, Ty blinked again. Then his fingers at my neck got super tight as he threw back his head and roared with laughter.

I smiled but didn't laugh since I was watching him.

Then he looked back at me but again dipped his face close, "Shit, mama, remind me not to piss you off."

"Okay, don't piss me off."

He grinned and I returned it because I was pleased I'd brought back his good mood.

Then I said, "I gotta get back to work, honey."

His hand at my neck brought me closer while he muttered, "Yeah."

Then his mouth was on mine, he kissed me short but it was wet and it was hot. Then his mouth broke from mine and he whispered, "Later, mama."

"Later, Ty," I whispered back and he smiled at me, straight out, no lips turned up, no grin, a big, beautiful one and I loved that, I loved that those were coming more often, more relaxed, more natural.

I loved it.

Then he gave my neck one last squeeze, let me go and turned away.

If I'd have known what was going to happen that night, I would have taken my chance to watch him go. I would have made him kiss me longer. I would have tried to make him laugh one more time.

But I didn't know.

And since I didn't know, I, too, turned and walked away.

I was on my way home from work after popping to the store to pick up some stuff for dinner and the elaborate dessert I had planned (whipped cream and chocolate pudding parfaits with chocolate sprinkles) and just in case Julius needed snacks while we were at work.

And I was just outside of Carnal when I saw the police lights flash and heard the short, warning whir of the siren before it was shut off.

I looked to my rearview mirror, felt the adrenalin rush then my eyes instantly went to my speedometer.

After what Tate said at Bubba's, I'd memorized the speed limits in and around Carnal. Thirty in town. Forty on the stretch I was on between town, the turn off to our condo and beyond for another half mile. Then fifty-five all the way to Chantelle.

I was careful, super careful, always.

As I was now. I was going just under forty.

Shit.

I pulled to the side and the cruiser pulled to the side behind me.

Then I watched in my mirror as Officer Rowdy Crabtree sat in his cruiser for a couple of minutes talking on the radio. Then my rapidly beating heart slid up into my throat as he opened his door and folded out of the vehicle.

My window was already rolled down so I didn't take my eyes off the mirror until I lost sight of him at the side of the car. It was then I turned my head to the window.

I got him when he arrived at my window where he immediately bent at the waist, his shades hit mine and I smiled.

"Hi Officer," I said.

"Miz Walker," he did a mini-dip of his chin, "license and registration."

"Can you tell me why you stopped me? I was a mile under the speed limit," I replied.

"License and registration."

Shit. Shit. Fucking shit!

I turned to my purse, grabbed my license then bent to the glove compartment and found the registration. Then I turned back to him and handed both out of the window.

He studied them, as cops do. Then he looked down his nose at me while I peered out my window up at him.

"My understanding, Miz Walker, is that you are now a resident of the state of Colorado."

"Um... I am."

"Plates on your car say Texas."

Shit. Shit. Fucking shit!

Was that bad? Could I get a ticket for that? A fine? Didn't I have a window to get that shit done?

I didn't know. I wished I knew.

"Driver's license is from Texas too," he went on.

"Uh... well, I just moved here not too long ago " I started but he cut me off.

"I do know that, Miz Walker, but vehicle registration, plates and driver's license should declare the proper information, including address. You live in Colorado, these should state Colorado."

"Okay," I told him. "I'll see to that on Monday. I have the day off. Won't be a problem."

"Monday isn't now, Miz Walker," he replied.

Dick.

He was fucking with me; I knew it, just because I was married to who I was married to.

The thing I didn't know was just how much he intended to fuck with me and from what happened to Ty and what Tate said, the how much could be a whole lot and none of it I would enjoy.

And worse, Ty would lose his mind.

I opened my mouth to speak but saw another cruiser heading our way and I didn't like that. Carnal wasn't a big town when it came to it but the town was one thing and the city limits another. The Police Department had a big area they covered that went beyond the town proper, out across the valley and up into the hills where there were quite a number of developments, homes, ranches and even some businesses. This meant the Department didn't just have Andy and Barney keeping an eye on things. They had manpower and seeing as they'd played Ty the way they'd played him, I'd paid attention to this manpower and noticed there seemed to be a lot of it, not just cruisers but also plainclothesmen with badges on their belts I saw in the grocery, at La-La Land coffee, in the bakery, in the sandwich place.

They were all over and they seemed to make a suffocating point of being very visible.

Like now.

It made matters worse when the second cruiser slowed and swung a wide u-ey to come to a halt behind Crabtree's.

This did not bode well. One Carnal uniform and that uniform being Crabtree was bad enough, I didn't want to have to deal with two.

My heart started racing harder as the adrenalin surge spiked and my hand inched toward my purse with my mind on my phone as I kept my eyes out the window then I looked up to see Crabtree had his head turned to the cruiser and his jaw was hard.

Hmm. That was interesting.

I looked to my side mirror and saw a uniform get out, one I'd seen but didn't know.

"Got this, Frank," Crabtree called but I kept my eyes to the mirror and watched the second officer continue to approach.

"Need a quick word, Rowdy," he stated when he got closer.

"In the middle of somethin', man," Crabtree replied.

"Need a quick word," the one called Frank repeated.

"I said, in the middle of somethin'." Crabtree was getting impatient.

Frank came to a halt a couple of feet from Crabtree and I turned my head to look at him.

"And I said, need a quick word," Frank returned, his voice low and tight.

Crabtree made an irritated noise and Frank's shades dipped down at me then he gave me a chin lift.

"Ma'am," he said.

"Officer," I replied.