Night Out

CHAPTER

 

Lee knew he was going to regret this evening.  Taking both women to the bar went against his better judgment.  He hoped that Kirk would at least distract Willy.  He intended to keep the two women as far apart as possible. 

Camille, pleased to be do something besides sit at the ranch house, changed into an eye popping black dress that would make her the talk of the town.  As he walked beside her to the truck, Lee took the time to appreciate the way Camille’s lush breasts curved from the bodice of her slinky dress.  It became apparent once he opened the door for her that the height of the truck and the length were not compatible.  To save them time, Lee swooped her up and slid her onto the seat.  She thanked him graciously.

            When he stepped back he found himself looking into crystal blue depths of Willy’s eyes.  She rolled her eyes and snorted in disgust before pushing past him to crawl into the back seat all while muttering about short people.  She cautiously positioned her sore body in the seat, and Lee considered calling the whole evening off. 

“Are you sure you feel up to going?”

“I’m fine.” 

By the way she enunciated that word fine and the fire in her blue eyes he determined that Willy would consider herself fine if one of her limbs was falling off.  Willy’s determination to go out this evening made him reconsider his father’s comment regarding Willy and Kirk’s interest in one another. He’d done his best and offered her a way out of the evening.  Since she refused it, she’d just have to tough it out. 

Camille prattled on during the drive, but Lee’s focus remained on the silent back seat passenger.  Knowing he wasn’t directly responsible for Willy’s accident, didn’t keep him from feeling guilty for the pain she was in; after all, he’d been the one to bring Camille to the round pen. Now, whether it was the idea of seeing Kirk or her own stubborn determination, he’d made it possible for her to go out tonight.  He’d never forgive himself if something happened to her. 

People were coming and going in the parking lot when Lee parked the truck.  He moved around the truck to give Camille a hand sliding from the truck.  He turned to help Willy but she’d already exited the truck herself.  Sound pumped from the busy bar as they walked across the parking lot.  The bar guaranteed a good time, but it had a reputation for being a bit rowdy.  A big beefy dark haired man with a beard served as the bouncer and carded people at the door.  Lee knew him. 

“Hey, Todd!  How are you?”

“Good.  Nice night,” he said with a smile as his glance slid over Camille and Willy. 

“Yep.  My little brother is supposed to be here.  Have you seen him?”

“He came in about five minutes ago.” 

“Good.  Thanks! The ladies are with me.”

The big man gave another glance at Camille with an appreciative glance as Lee paid the cover for the bar.  Willy huffed and slid past them into the bar.  Lee stepped behind her to prevent anyone from bumping her.  Kirk must’ve been watching for them for he descended on them as they made their way into the bar.   

             “Willy!”  Kirk swept her up in a bear hug as if it’d been years instead of months since he’d seen her.  At her gasp of pain he instinctively let go and nearly dropped her. 

 “Careful!”  Lee barked at his brother as he caught Willy’s arm to steady her when Kirk put her down. 

Kirk still head Willy encircled in his arms, and Lee automatically peeled Kirk’s arms off Willy.  Kirk frowned at Lee’s overprotectiveness and then turned to Willy with a look of concern on his gentle face.

“What happened?”

            “I had an issue with a horse today.”

            “What kind of an issue?” 

            “It doesn’t matter.  Look.  We are being rude.  You haven’t met Camille yet.”

            Lee puzzled over Willy’s eagerness to introduce the pair.  He hoped it was her attempt to at least make the evening less dramatic.  Lee introduced Kirk to Camille.  He could see the wheels spinning in Camille’s head as she tried to figure out how the six foot two inch blond hunk fit into the picture. 

“Kirk is my stepbrother,” he informed her before she could speak.  “If you haven’t already figured it out my family is a bit unorthodox.  I will happily say that with my dad’s second marriage we gained Kirk and his sister, Michelle.”

Camille looked confused for a moment; a frown marred her pretty forehead.  “I’m sorry �" I uh- never met your mother.” 

“No worries.  My mom died many years ago.  Michelle and I were fortunate that Papa G chose to raise us as his own.” 

“He’s a good man,” Camille said with a small smile aimed at Kirk.

“Yes, he is.”  Kirk smiled back, dazzling Camille with his radiant smile. 

“Yes, my father is a saint,” Lee growled, still irritated with his dad over this evening.  Done with the conversation, he scanned the bar for a seat.  “Let’s find a table.” 

“There’s one.”  Willy didn’t wait but made a beeline for a table that sat along the dance floor but backed up against the wall.  Feeling defensive, Lee followed her as she weaved her way through the crowd.  In his attempt to do his best to keep Willy from getting bumped and jostled, he left Camille.

Camille made it clear as she pinned him with a dark eyed look that she didn’t appreciate his abandonment.  She chose a chair next to his and drew it up close.  Lee gave her a small smile that was meant to be charming, but he was afraid it fell short.  Ever since she kissed him, she made him uncomfortable.  He hadn’t meant to lead her on, and he felt guilty that he hadn’t considered Camille’s feelings by trying so hard to give his dad something to focus on.  He didn’t want Camille to believe there was any future for them.

Willy sat on the other side of Kirk and away from him.  She’d positioned herself with her back to the wall.  She sat with her chair turned to the dance floor.  She ignored them all in favor of watching the people on the dance floor.  She had one long leg crossed over the other and her foot dance impatiently.

As Lee chatted with Kirk about school, Camille watched Kirk closely.  Lee understood why.  The blond goliath was not only good looking but well-spoken and easy going.  While talking with Lee, Kirk shared his conversation and easy going smile with Camille.  Throughout Kirk’s life he’d made friends wherever he went.  It was easy to like Kirk.   

         A short while later, Lee decided it was easy to hate Kirk too.  With the way Camille and Kirk eyed each other, Lee began to hope they’d hit it off.  If Kirk turned out to be interested in Camille, Lee would no longer have to pretend in front of his father.  And this evening if Kirk kept Camille entertained he’d be free to see that Willy stayed out of trouble.  Lee had begun to think luck had switched in his behavior until Kirk excused himself to take a phone call. 

When he returned, it was like some miraculous switch had been flipped.  From that moment on Kirk had eyes only for Willy. The first time he asked Willy to dance Lee thought Kirk was just being his normal self and trying to entertain Willy, but as the second dance came and went Lee began to brood.  Kirk and Willy made a good looking couple out on the dance floor.  His height was perfect for her.  They moved well together and Willy smiled up at Kirk in a way that she never smiled at him.  He found that irritated him. 

Kirk escorted Willy back to the table and then meandered over to the bar to pick them all up a second drink.  After watching Willy seated herself cautiously, Lee thought again that she shouldn’t be here.  He wanted to whisk her away and take her home where she could heal.  When Kirk came back he slid his chair up close to Willy’s and whispered in her ear.  Lee narrowed his eyes at Kirk and gave him a disapproving glance, but his brother didn’t seem to notice his disapproving glance. 

As the evening continued Lee became more and more frustrated with Kirk.  Every time Lee looked at him, Kirk had his hands on Willy.  When he wasn’t touching her, he seemed to be up at the bar getting another drink.  Lee blamed Kirk’s actions on the amount of alcohol he consumed.  They’d all lived together for years, and Lee had never thought Kirk had been attracted to Willy before.  At least he’d never seen him pay attention to her like he was doing this evening. 

Kirk and Willy spent most of the time on the dance floor where they danced like children and Kirk tossed her around like a doll.  During this time Willy couldn’t hide the grimaces of pain that crossed her face.   Maybe if Kirk hadn’t been refreshing his drink every fifteen minutes he would notice the pain Willy was in.  Instead, Kirk remained oblivious to it.  Willy would mask her pain with a smile.  With a smile on her beautiful face and dressed in a snug fitting purple top any man would be hard pressed not to be attracted to her.  Lee just hadn’t expected that man to be Kirk.    

Lee wished he could pull her off the dance floor to separate her from Kirk and keep her from hurting herself further, but he knew it would be a futile attempt.  She wouldn’t take his protective attitude as anything but an annoyance.

Camille had insisted on staying as close to him as possible all evening.  She’d invited him to dance every slow dance that the band played, and each time they’d danced she had plastered her tantalizing body against his and swayed seductively.  She was becoming one more problem on his list of many for the evening. On top of worrying over Willy injuring herself further and keeping Kirk from driving drunk, he had to worry about giving Camille the wrong impression. 

He didn’t think things could get any worse until he spotted Dillon McMurray in the crowd.  Dillon’s appearance couldn’t have come at a worse time.  A local bad boy from his school days, Dillon’s dark good looks and family money made him a prime catch.  Dillon was notorious at playing the field.  Yet as legendary as his history was with women, his need for alcohol was greater.  When he was drinking, he was dangerous.  Whether he was sober or drunk, the thing that made him even more dangerous to Lee was Dillon’s fascination with Willy.

Lee tried to keep his movements fluid as he danced with Camille, but he turned her just a little so he could keep an eye on Dillon.  He used the dance moves to subtly turn her so he could scan the crowd of other dancers to locate Willy or Kirk.  Neither of them seemed to be in view at the moment. 

Another subtle turn and he noticed Dillon studying the situation.  Dillon had spotted him too.  Lee feigned greater interest in Camille than he felt and watched out of the corner of his eyes as Dillon moved closer and closer. 

“May I cut in?”  Dillon said with a charming smile. 

Lee stepped back, suspecting that Dillon asked to cut in only because Camille seemed to be attached to him.  “By all means.” 

Camille shot him an irritated glance at the desertion, but Lee left the pair to dance without any remorse.  Truth be told, he’d begun to feel smothered and was happy for the reprieve.  If Dillon was dancing with Camille, Willy was safe for the time being.

           Lee sat in his chair, balancing it on two legs and glowering into his beer.  He felt unsettled and irritated.  Going out tonight had been a huge mistake, and he’d begun to feel like he’d lost all sense of control of the situation.  Kirk returned from the bar with another drink and good-naturedly Kirk swiped at the chair leg.  Lee nearly lost his balance and rocked precariously forward until all four legs of the chair rested on the floor. 

“What is your problem?” 

            “Nothing,” Lee snarled, looking up at his stepbrother’s slightly flushed face. 

            “I can see that,” Kirk scoffed as he sat down and took a swig of his beer.  Casting his glance around, he spotted Camille dancing.  “Is your lady dancing with Dillon?” 

            “She’s not my lady, but yes, she’s dancing with Dillon.  Maybe he’ll keep her for a while.” 

            “Doesn’t seem like a hardship to have her draped all over you,” Kirk remarked as he watched Camille on the dance floor with Dillon.  “She moves nice.  Looks nice.”

            Lee nodded with a smile.  “There are a few enjoyable moments.  She’s a beautiful woman, but still…I’m not sure it’s worth the added stress.”

            “I got quite an earful on the dance floor from Willy.  The two don’t get along?”

            “That’s the understatement of the year.  I think they are going to be the death of me.”

            “Blame Papa G.”

            “No kidding, right?!?”

            “How long is she staying anyway?”

 “I don’t have the slightest idea.  I wasn’t the one who invited her.  Supposedly until she gets back on her feet but it seems indefinitely.  Why are you grilling me anyway?”

            “Just wondering for Willy’s sake.  She says you and Camille are getting really close.” 

Kirk needled at him, fishing to see how he really felt about Camille.  Lee needed to be cautious.  He didn’t want Kirk to know his true feelings for Camille.  He feared that information would get back to his dad, and his dad would give up hope that Lee ever had any intentions of settling down or at least staying involved in a relationship.

           “Close is a relative term.  Where is Willy anyway?” 

Lee scanned the room.  He had always thought that Dillon’s obsession with Willy bordered on unhealthy.  He wanted to know where she was by the time Dillon and Camille parted ways.

“She’s in the restroom.”  They sat in silence for several minutes.  “You realize that Dillon won’t be content dancing with Camille once he realizes Willy is here.”

“He’s already seen me.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t already seen you.  If he has then he probably already knows she’s here.” 

            “I wonder what he finds so fascinating about her….”  Kirk pondered.

Lee frowned.  This comment sounded strange coming from the man who’d been hanging on Willy all evening as if he found her fascinating. For the first time, he thought he understood Dillon’s fascination better now than he had in the past.  It was impossible to ignore Willy’s natural beauty and grace.

“Willy wants no part of him.” 

            “That doesn’t change Dillon’s opinion though.”

           “No, it doesn’t, but I’ll see that it stays that way,” Lee ground out.  Kirk’s eyebrows shot up, and Lee realized he might’ve revealed too much of his feelings of late. He pretended he didn’t notice his brother’s look.  “Willy deserves our support.”

            “I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”

 

            Willy had gone into the ladies room to get a reprieve from dancing with Kirk.  She had been having fun, but Kirk’s behavior started to alarm her.  She always had fun with Kirk, but tonight there was no letup in his attention which was odd.  Her whole body ached and she wanted nothing more than to go home.  She’d wanted to go home hours ago, but her stubborn pride had kept her from asking Lee to bring her home.  Now, she was too exhausted and frazzled to care about her pride.  She put a cool paper towel to her face.  She intended to go straight to the table and beg him to take her home. 

She knew he’d take her home the minute she pleaded.  When he hadn’t been dancing with Camille, he’d been watching her with those deep, dark eyes of his.  He had reservations about bringing her here tonight.  He worried that she’d get hurt.  Likely she’d have to endure a lecture from him on her behavior, but it would be worth it if he’d take her home. 

            Willy exited the bathroom and took two steps onto the dance floor when she spotted Dillon McMurray.  He danced closely with Camille.  Camille was an extremely attractive woman, and for Dillon, the fact that she arrived with Lee made her even more attractive.  Even if she hadn’t been attractive Dillon would’ve chosen to dance with her just so he could irritate Lee. 

            Dillon spun his head and Willy felt his green eyes fall on her.  She held her breath.  Dillon could be considered handsome, perhaps gorgeous, with his rich black hair and deep green eyes.  He’d swept her off her feet when she was barely eighteen.  Dillon had called her by her given name and treated her like a woman instead of one of the ranch hands.  She remembered for the first time in her life actually looking at dresses and trying her hand at makeup to look older and prettier.

Lee had been away at an internship during that time or she probably would never have gotten away with dating him.  She imagined the roadblocks he would’ve thrown up �"the age difference, Dillon’s reputation, and any others that wouldn’t have mattered at the time.

            Dillon took a step towards her and as he did, something inside her clenched.  Willy set about on a crooked path that would take her around him and bring her back to the table and to Lee’s protection.  Lee had never known that she dated Dillon.    

            Maybe in her innocent mind she imagined taming Dillon, having him change his life for her, marrying him and making beautiful babies.  She’d give her children a normal home.  Of course, that had really been stretching the imagination and dreams but it seemed fun and innocent at the time. 

            It had continued to be fun until one night he had too many to drink after their dinner and a movie.  They argued over who would drive, and Willy reluctantly gave in.  The drive was the scariest twenty minutes of her life until he took a detour a couple miles from her house.  Then it got worse.  Surprised at the detour, she pleaded with him to take her home. 

            He didn’t take her home.  Instead he found a secluded place to park.  She tried to relax.  He kissed her.  He’d kissed her before and she’d liked it then.   His lips were experienced but he’d never kissed her like this.  He’d been turned on and got hotter by the minute.  When his hand touched her bare leg, fear had ticked up her spine. 

            When his hand climbed higher, she resisted him.  She was nowhere near ready for this.  She said as much, but Dillon ignored her.  He said some outrageous things about her panting after him like every other woman and just giving her what she wanted.  She got mad and tried to pull away.  Dillon just got more forceful. 

            Willy didn’t know how she’d gotten herself into that position.  She didn’t have the experience to outtalk him.  He was bigger, stronger, and refused to take no for an answer.  She had struggled in fear as she realized his intention was to get what he wanted.  Her struggles had seemed to just incite him further. 

            She remembered that she’d managed to get her elbow up and drove it across his cheekbone and nose.  When he cried out and reared up, she used that moment to get ahold of the door handle.  She levered her hips up and managed to dislodge him.  Twisting and turning, she half slipped and fell out of the truck.  Once she was clear she picked up her feet and ran without looking back. 

            She remembered hearing Dillon call after, urging her to come back.  Tears of disappointment, relief, fear, and anger coursed down her cheeks and spurred her further and further.  She stayed off the road as she could hear Dillon roaring up and down the road in search of her.  She didn’t care.  She knew her way home.  She walked the three miles home. 

            She had raced up the stairs, tromped in through the door, and gave it a solid close behind her.  She leaned back against the door feeling safe at last.  Papa G came around the corner to greet her.  He took one look at her face and asked her if she was okay.  At the time she’d only saw the anger and fear in his expression.  Looking back now he’d looked suspiciously as if he’d been hiding something, but she didn’t know what it would’ve been since it was only a moment before Dillon drove into the yard, his tires scattering gravel in all directions. 

            She summed up all her courage and stepped back out the door to meet him.  He rushed towards the door, stopping just short of the stairs.  He was persistent, remorseful, but too aggressive in his approach to get her to listen.  She didn’t want to hear him out and told him to leave.  He’d ignored her and started to walk up the steps and then came to an abrupt halt.  Casting a glance over her shoulder, she remembered Papa G standing beside her with a shotgun pointed at Dillon’s chest.  She’d never seen Papa G so mad.  His gaze was unwavering and his hands steady as he told Dillon to get off his property. 

            Dillon had left.   Willy had been so shaken and upset she’d thanked Papa G and then gone to her room where she cried herself to sleep.  She’d genuinely liked Dillon until that experience and he’d betrayed her trust.  Ever since that night she’d had a healthy fear of him.             

She shook her head as she thought back to that next day.  Dillon had returned the next day completely sober. Dillon looked battered, bruised, and generally roughed up.  Lee had always been protective of her and if Lee hadn’t been away at an internship she might’ve suspected that he’d been responsible for the beating that Dillon had received.    She had asked Papa G never to tell him. 

Unfortunately Dillon intercepted her before she could make her way back to the table and Lee’s security.  Dillon placed his body in front her and greeted her with a warm smile.  The glaze in his eyes and the slight broadening of his stance for balance told her he was intoxicated. 

“Hello, Katherine.  Would you like to dance?”

Over the past couple years they’d crossed paths often enough that she knew better than to antagonize him.  If she danced with him and listened to him, she could usually redirect him and slip into the crowd without a causing a scene.  Reluctantly she stepped into his arms and listened again as he began an apology for what happened those years ago.  Sighing she put on her best listening face and moved to the music. 

 

             

Camille’s dance with Dillon ended about the same time Lee spotted Willy coming out of the ladies room.  Lee’s gut tightened as he watched Dillon start across the dance floor.  He had immediately stood up to go to Willy’s rescue, but Camille had appeared at his side.  She wrapped her arm around his like she’d been away a year instead of five minutes. 

“Where are you going?” she asked with her sweetest smile. 

A glance at Willy confirmed his worse suspicions.  The few seconds of distraction had allowed Dillon to catch up with Willy.  Lee frowned as Dillon nonchalantly turned Willy so her back was to them.  Dillon wasn’t stupid.  Lee suspected Dillon had turned Willy so Lee couldn’t read her expression but he could read the tension in her shoulders and her body language.  Her obvious discomfort had him moving forward until the weight of Camille’s arm dragging on his caused him to pause. 

“Get Willy out of there,” Lee ordered Kirk in a voice that brooked no argument.  Kirk looked surprised, but stood up to do his brother’s bidding. 

            Lee sank back down into his chair.  “Sorry, Camille.  I’m not going anywhere.”  He didn’t take his eyes off Dillon and Willy who appeared to be locked in an animated conversation.   From the looks of it Dillon was trying to charm her.  Lee could tell from the way Dillon moved and swayed that as usual he’d had too much to drink.

            When he saw Willy step into Dillon’s arms he shot a glance at his brother to see why Kirk had failed to retrieve Willy.  Kirk had been distracted by a pretty little dark haired woman.  Kirk saw Lee’s frustrated look and gave him an eye roll and shrug across the distance.  A short while later Kirk returned to the table with another round of drinks. 

“I’m sure Willy can handle him,” he said in answer to the glare that Lee shot him.

            “What’s so entertaining?”  Camille asked and followed Lee and Kirk’s gaze to where Willy danced with Dillon.  “He’s good looking and he was nice.  Everyone wants a tall, dark, and handsome man.  They make a nice couple,” Camille commented.   Lee turned a stony expression on Camille.  She shrugged and gave a small smile. “Maybe not.”

“He’s rich too,” Kirk said with a cheeky smile.  Lee kicked him under the table.

            Lee sipped the beer Kirk had brought him and attempted to carry on a conversation, but he failed miserably.  His mind was stuck back five years ago when he’d come home from his internship and found out his dad had let Willy go out with Dillon.  His dad reasoned that Willy had been eighteen at the time and had a mind of her own.  She could decide who she wanted to date.  He knew his dad had a valid point, but finding out that she’d been dating Dillon for a couple weeks bothered him even more.  Dillon was too old for Willy.  His reputation preceded him. The original party boy was too irresponsible and only after one thing.  Lee didn’t even want to think about Dillon and Willy in any form.

He remembered sitting up with his dad and waiting for her to come home.  When she burst into the house they’d heard no car to warn them.  She had been upset.  He’d snuck away while his dad calmed her down.  He had to calm himself down to avoid running out there and yelling at her.  Instead, he’d kept out of sight and watched out the window as Dillon had roared into the yard in his big truck.  He’d bailed from the truck, frantic to see if Willy had made it home. 

Lee didn’t realize that Willy had gone out to face him alone until his father walked in.  Lee had started to stop him, but Lee had never seen his father so angry.  Papa G retrieved his shotgun, pumped a shell into the chamber of the old gun, told Lee to stay put and walked out to join Willy. 

The sight of Papa G with a  shotgun had brought Dillon up short.  He’d ranted apologetically, begged Willy to talk to him and give him another chance.  If Lee hadn’t been so angry he would’ve almost felt sorry for him.  Lee watched out the window in case his dad needed assistance, but in light of the older man’s anger, Dillon had retreated. 

When Dillon’s taillights drove out of the driveway, Willy’s shoulders had slumped.  She kissed Papa G on the cheek, thanked him and said she was going to her room. 

Lee had gone to Willy’s room to get the full story out of her.  Neither Dillon nor Willy said what happened, but Lee got the gist that Willy turned Dillon down flat and when Dillon pushed the issue Willy fled from the truck.  He stopped with his hand to the door when he heard her crying.  He didn’t knock.  He stood there listening to the ragged sound of her sobs.  He’d retreated, got in his truck, and searched three bars before found the idiot sitting on a bar stool and bragging about his conquest for the evening. 

The bar got suddenly quiet, and Dillon finally picked up on it.  Dillon turned around slowly and froze when he saw Lee standing there.  Lee would always remember the look on Dillon’s face.  He back tracked, saying he was just talking, and it had nothing to do with Willy. 

Dillon’s words didn’t matter.  Lee felt an amount of anger that he’d never felt before.  His blood pumped with white hot anger.  He grabbed Dillon’s shirt and towed him outside.  What followed left them bruised and battered, but in the end Dillon had apologized to him, said he’d apologize to Willy, and made sure Lee knew nothing had truly happened.

Because Lee didn’t want Willy to believe that when Dillon sobered up and went back to her to apologize that he had anything to do with his apology he knew he couldn’t go home looking like he’d been in a fight.  Instead he went back to work for another six weeks and pretended he’d never come home that weekend.  His dad called him the next day to tell him that Dillon had showed up to apologize to Willy looking as if his head had gone through a meat grinder.  When his dad asked what the other guy looked like Lee told him he’d be home when his bruises healed. 

Lee believed Willy and Dillon had never gone out again, but that didn’t stop Dillon from seeking Willy out every chance he got.  Every time that happened Lee saw red.  He tried not to let the vision of Dillon’s wandering hands get to him, but the second time Dillon’s hands cupped Willy’s a*s he raised out of his chair. 

            “This has got to stop!”

            Kirk grabbed his arm and dragged him back down to his seat.  “Lee, she’ll be fine.” 

Lee sighed when Willy calmly redirected Dillon’s hands.  It didn’t make him feel any better.  He prayed the song would end soon.