The Liar

“Oh, I’m coming. You’ll be out of a job before this day’s over. I’m going to make sure of it.”

Before he led Melody away, Forrest glanced at Florence. “I’m sorry about this, Mrs. Piedmont. I’m sorry for this trouble for you and your family.”

“I know it.” When she looked at Griff there might have been a gleam of tears in her eyes, but her back remained poker straight. “I’m more sorry about this than I can say.”

19

Jolene wasn’t quiet on the ride in, but cried in wild, gulping sobs all the way. With ears ringing, Griff decided all he really wanted in the world at that moment was to get back to work and sanity.

The only route he saw there was herding Shelby and Jolene into the station house.

Sheriff Hardigan looked at Griff, at the two women—Shelby, eyes hot, Jolene, eyes spewing tears. Stepping forward, he dug a large white handkerchief out of his pocket, pushed it into Jolene’s hands.

He said, in a tone that miraculously blended cheer and sympathy, “Well now, what’s all this?”

“Forrest is right behind us,” Griff began.

“I’m probably under arrest.” After slapping her hands on her hips, Shelby looked directly, defiantly into Hardigan’s eyes. “I punched Melody Bunker in the face.”

“Hmm,” was Hardigan’s response before he focused on Jolene.

“I didn’t know she meant to do it!” Hysteria bubbled up through the hitching sobs. “I swear, I didn’t. I thought she was just being mad and saying things. I didn’t think she meant to really get Arlo to scare Shelby or hurt her. I swear I’m that upset about all of it.”

“I can see that. Why don’t you come on in and tell me about it. You got her?” he said to Griff, arched his eyebrows at Shelby.

“I guess.”

“Deputized?” Shelby gave him one hard look as Hardigan led Jolene into his office.

“That’s just Forrest being Forrest.” But he was relieved when Forrest himself walked in with a cold-eyed Melody.

“Jolene?”

“Sheriff’s talking to her.”

“Good enough. You got her?”

At the repeated question, Griff winced. “Yeah, yeah.”

Forrest escorted Melody into the back break room, walked out again. “Nobby, I need you to sit on her for a couple minutes while I sort some of this out.”

“No problem there.”

When Forrest turned to his sister, she held out her hands, wrists together.

“Stop that shit.”

“Maybe you want your deputy to do it.” When she turned with the same gesture to Griff, he just took her face in his hands.

“Cut it out. Now.”

She bristled a moment, but he didn’t let go, kept his eyes level on hers until she hissed out a breath. “I’m not mad at either of you—too much—and I’m sick about what happened to you, Griff. I’m just all-around mad. Am I under arrest?”

“It’s not going to come to that,” Forrest said. “Even if she pushes it, she’s in a hell of a lot more trouble. She earned the punch.”

“She surely did.”

“Hell of a right cross you got there, Red.”

“Thank you. Clay taught me, but it’s the first time I actually put it into practice. What do I do now?”

“You leave this to me and the sheriff—like you should have before you stormed the damn castle. Not that I’m ever going to blame you for the punch—and go on to work, or home, or whatever business you got going.”

“I can just go?”

“That’s right. And if she pushes the assault charge, we’ll deal with it. But I believe she’s going to be persuaded to let that alone.”

“All right.” She could hardly stay mad at her brother if he wasn’t going to arrest her. “I’m sorry for my part in this morning.”

“No, you’re not.”

“No, I’m not. Not yet. But I might work around to it.”

She walked out, paused when Griff walked out with her.

“None of this was my fault, and I’m pretty sick of taking responsibility for what I didn’t do. But—”

“There’s no but,” he interrupted.

She shook her head. “But, there’s no question I brought you trouble. I wouldn’t blame you for stepping back. I’ll be sorry and disappointed if you do, but I wouldn’t blame you.”

His answer was to take her face in his hands again, and this time to take her mouth as well. Long, serious and slow.

“That should settle that. I’m going to go see your dad now so I can get cleared and get the hell back to work.”

She smiled a little. “The black eye looks kind of rakish.”

“Just what I was going for. I’ll see you later. It’s been a hell of an interesting morning so far.”

She supposed he could put it that way, she thought as she walked to the salon. But she’d dearly love a couple of boring mornings.

She figured word of some of the interesting morning—and the incident the night before that had generated it—would have reached the salon by now.

The way conversation stopped, eyes turned to her when she walked in told her she’d gauged correctly.

“How is that boy? How bad’s he hurt?” Viola demanded.

“He’s going to see Daddy now, but I don’t think it’s too awful. He’s got cuts and bruises.”

“I heard they hauled Arlo Kattery in for hit-and-run,” Crystal put in. “And Lorilee here saw you driving hell-bent toward the big house a little while ago.”

“You might as well say what Melody’s got to do with all this,” Viola told her. “Everybody’s going to find out anyway.”