Razzmatazz-DDL by Patricia Burroughs Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia Burroughs
and watched gratefully as Alex bound her throbbing knuckles in his handkerchief, then placed her hand in her lap.
“Now, are you ready to listen to reason?”
She shook her head. “Nothing reasonable has happened to me in the past twenty-four hours.”
“Maybe not. But you’re not the only one in this predicament,” he reminded her.
“I know.” She swallowed hard. “But you aren’t upset. Surely this—this wedding came as a shock to you, too.”
“Most definitely.” His face stained with ruddy color. “As a matter of fact, I feel guilty as hell.”
“Guilty?”
“Guilty.” He propped his arm on the back of the bench and rested his cheek on his fist. “I want you to tell me the truth, Kennie. You aren’t used to drinking, are you?”
She averted her gaze. “You must think I’m the biggest fool.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Just answer my question.”
“No, I never drink liquor,” she admitted.
“Which you had plenty of last night.”
She nodded. “Ambrosia punch, and whatever those gosh-awful drinks are that Chris was drinking.”
“Wait a minute! You knew?” Alex asked.
“I knew. There’s no reason for you to feel guilty. I knew what I was doing—at least when it came to the drinking.”
“But why?” he asked.
“Because...because you and Chris and what you were offering me was like a fantasy come true. I came to Reno to escape my problems. But the trouble just followed me, thanks to Dub. And then I looked up, and there you were. You offered me a taste of what I’d hoped for, dreamed of. So I took it.” She looked at him defiantly. “For Pete’s sake, I’m twenty-four years old! I think I’m entitled to a few drinks on my vacation!” Her defiance melted. “So you see, it’s not your fault.”
“Nice try, but I still feel guilty.” Alex gave her a sheepish look. “I shouldn’t have let things go so far.”
“Alex, we can sit here forever fighting over who’s responsible, but it won’t change a thing.”
“You’re right. We’ve got to get an annulment.”
“An annulment?” she repeated incredulously.
“Of course. What did you think?”
“I thought...I was afraid we’d have to get a divorce.”
“Is it safe to assume that divorces aren’t looked on too kindly in Tahoka Springs, Texas?” he asked gently.
“You can say that again!”
“Well, at least you won’t have to return home from your vacation a divorced woman,” he teased her. “I promise you, we’ll get an annulment.”
“You mean, it’s that simple?”
Alex grinned. “My dear, it’s the only logical thing to do.”
“An annulment....” she murmured softly, remembering the bitter sadness of a hot summer long ago. “Oh, Alex. That’s the sweetest thing anybody’s ever offered to do for me.”
Alex frowned quizzically. “Something tells me there’s a story behind those words.”
“Yes.” Kennie brushed a tendril of hair out of her face. “But it’s too long and complicated. Besides, the story had a happy ending, and that’s what counts, isn’t it?”
“My sentiments exactly.” Alex stood and offered his arm. “How about finding the happy ending to the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into? I promise you, by the time you get home you’ll be laughing and telling your friends about this.”
“Never!” Kennie said, rising. “This is one story that Tahoka Springs is never going to hear if I have a thing to do with it.” She suppressed a shudder. Gracious, she had no intention of living down another scandal. Forcing herself back to the problem at hand, she faced him. “Now, where do we go? What do we do to fix this mess?”
Alex stared at her, surprised. “You mean, you don’t know?”
“How the heck am I supposed to know—” she started, but he stopped her by placing an index finger firmly against her lips.
“Kennie Sue Ledbetter, just where did you think you were going, marching down Virginia Street?”
Bristling at his amused attitude, she tossed her
“Now, are you ready to listen to reason?”
She shook her head. “Nothing reasonable has happened to me in the past twenty-four hours.”
“Maybe not. But you’re not the only one in this predicament,” he reminded her.
“I know.” She swallowed hard. “But you aren’t upset. Surely this—this wedding came as a shock to you, too.”
“Most definitely.” His face stained with ruddy color. “As a matter of fact, I feel guilty as hell.”
“Guilty?”
“Guilty.” He propped his arm on the back of the bench and rested his cheek on his fist. “I want you to tell me the truth, Kennie. You aren’t used to drinking, are you?”
She averted her gaze. “You must think I’m the biggest fool.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Just answer my question.”
“No, I never drink liquor,” she admitted.
“Which you had plenty of last night.”
She nodded. “Ambrosia punch, and whatever those gosh-awful drinks are that Chris was drinking.”
“Wait a minute! You knew?” Alex asked.
“I knew. There’s no reason for you to feel guilty. I knew what I was doing—at least when it came to the drinking.”
“But why?” he asked.
“Because...because you and Chris and what you were offering me was like a fantasy come true. I came to Reno to escape my problems. But the trouble just followed me, thanks to Dub. And then I looked up, and there you were. You offered me a taste of what I’d hoped for, dreamed of. So I took it.” She looked at him defiantly. “For Pete’s sake, I’m twenty-four years old! I think I’m entitled to a few drinks on my vacation!” Her defiance melted. “So you see, it’s not your fault.”
“Nice try, but I still feel guilty.” Alex gave her a sheepish look. “I shouldn’t have let things go so far.”
“Alex, we can sit here forever fighting over who’s responsible, but it won’t change a thing.”
“You’re right. We’ve got to get an annulment.”
“An annulment?” she repeated incredulously.
“Of course. What did you think?”
“I thought...I was afraid we’d have to get a divorce.”
“Is it safe to assume that divorces aren’t looked on too kindly in Tahoka Springs, Texas?” he asked gently.
“You can say that again!”
“Well, at least you won’t have to return home from your vacation a divorced woman,” he teased her. “I promise you, we’ll get an annulment.”
“You mean, it’s that simple?”
Alex grinned. “My dear, it’s the only logical thing to do.”
“An annulment....” she murmured softly, remembering the bitter sadness of a hot summer long ago. “Oh, Alex. That’s the sweetest thing anybody’s ever offered to do for me.”
Alex frowned quizzically. “Something tells me there’s a story behind those words.”
“Yes.” Kennie brushed a tendril of hair out of her face. “But it’s too long and complicated. Besides, the story had a happy ending, and that’s what counts, isn’t it?”
“My sentiments exactly.” Alex stood and offered his arm. “How about finding the happy ending to the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into? I promise you, by the time you get home you’ll be laughing and telling your friends about this.”
“Never!” Kennie said, rising. “This is one story that Tahoka Springs is never going to hear if I have a thing to do with it.” She suppressed a shudder. Gracious, she had no intention of living down another scandal. Forcing herself back to the problem at hand, she faced him. “Now, where do we go? What do we do to fix this mess?”
Alex stared at her, surprised. “You mean, you don’t know?”
“How the heck am I supposed to know—” she started, but he stopped her by placing an index finger firmly against her lips.
“Kennie Sue Ledbetter, just where did you think you were going, marching down Virginia Street?”
Bristling at his amused attitude, she tossed her