information, but he’d refrained.Logically, if something too bad had happened, she wouldn’t be asking for information.
The fact that he’d had to worry about it at all annoyed him, and it was one of the items on the list of things he wanted to tell her. Only she hadn’t come home. She’d outmaneuvered him, and he wouldn’t have the opportunity to talk to her before he had to see her and pretend. That totally chapped him—as did the fact he could have been late to his own speech because of her.
When he’d pulled the Porsche up to the valet parking area, he’d tipped the driver well and asked, “Have you parked a red BMW convertible tonight? Good-looking blonde driving?”
“I haven’t, but my buddy did,” the young man responded. “We noticed both the car and the babe.”
He’d been relieved to hear it. At that point he wouldn’t have put it past Ali to stand him up. A check of his watch as he’d entered the ballroom showed he’d made it with ten minutes to spare. Barely enough time to glance through his notes for his speech.
He’d stopped just inside the ballroom and scanned the room looking for his wife. She wasn’t at the reserved tables in the front, and it didn’t help that he didn’t know what she was wearing. Nevertheless, he expected to find her in something simple, stylish, and black. His gaze gravitated toward that look.
He didn’t see her anywhere. He took a slow walk through the center of the ballroom, his gaze skimming over the crowd, until the unmistakable sound of her laughter amidst the din of conversation stopped him short. He turned toward the sound, but he stilldidn’t see her. Then a flash of emerald caught his eye and he identified his wife.
Her shoulders were bare. Her dress was short. Her heels were high. And there was another man’s hand at the small of her back.
Son of a bitch.
Mac didn’t exactly storm across the room, but he definitely marched with steely determination. “Alison, it’s time we took our seats.”
He watched her spine straighten as she went rigid. The free-handed man she was with moved his mitt away from her waist and extended it and a lazy smile toward Mac. “Judge Timberlake, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Zach Turner, formerly of Prowers County. I understand that you were instrumental in my being nominated to receive this award tonight. I want to thank you. It’s a great honor.”
It took Mac a couple of seconds to process the information. Zach Turner. He’d been attached to a federal task force and worked undercover in Oklahoma. Went into a burning trailer to rescue a couple of children when a meth lab exploded. He was the guy with his hands on Mac’s wife? Great. Just great .
“Yes, of course.” He accepted the man’s handshake. “I was glad to be of help. Your actions were the definition of heroism. You deserve the recognition. I’m just sorry it’s taken so long for you to get it.”
Mac could tell that Turner’s revelation had caught Ali by surprise, so he asked, “How is it that you know my wife?”
Ali finally found her voice. “Zach is the sheriff in Eternity Springs.”
“Really.” Mac placed his own hand at the small ofhis wife’s back. “Small world, isn’t it? Now if you’ll excuse us, Alison and I need to take our seats.”
Sheriff Turner lifted his champagne glass in a salute that Mac considered a shade mocking. “Enjoy your evening, your honor. Ali.”
“You too, Zach,” Ali replied. “And congratulations on your award.”
Mac guided her through the milling crowd toward the head table. Though she hid it well when greeted by friends and acquaintances along the way, he knew she wasn’t happy. Shoot, if her spine grew any stiffer, she just might break in two.
Not that he cared. He was plenty torqued himself. If her game had been to make him angry, she was racking up some score.
The head table was actually two reserved rounders, each set for six, at the front of the room. They found
The fact that he’d had to worry about it at all annoyed him, and it was one of the items on the list of things he wanted to tell her. Only she hadn’t come home. She’d outmaneuvered him, and he wouldn’t have the opportunity to talk to her before he had to see her and pretend. That totally chapped him—as did the fact he could have been late to his own speech because of her.
When he’d pulled the Porsche up to the valet parking area, he’d tipped the driver well and asked, “Have you parked a red BMW convertible tonight? Good-looking blonde driving?”
“I haven’t, but my buddy did,” the young man responded. “We noticed both the car and the babe.”
He’d been relieved to hear it. At that point he wouldn’t have put it past Ali to stand him up. A check of his watch as he’d entered the ballroom showed he’d made it with ten minutes to spare. Barely enough time to glance through his notes for his speech.
He’d stopped just inside the ballroom and scanned the room looking for his wife. She wasn’t at the reserved tables in the front, and it didn’t help that he didn’t know what she was wearing. Nevertheless, he expected to find her in something simple, stylish, and black. His gaze gravitated toward that look.
He didn’t see her anywhere. He took a slow walk through the center of the ballroom, his gaze skimming over the crowd, until the unmistakable sound of her laughter amidst the din of conversation stopped him short. He turned toward the sound, but he stilldidn’t see her. Then a flash of emerald caught his eye and he identified his wife.
Her shoulders were bare. Her dress was short. Her heels were high. And there was another man’s hand at the small of her back.
Son of a bitch.
Mac didn’t exactly storm across the room, but he definitely marched with steely determination. “Alison, it’s time we took our seats.”
He watched her spine straighten as she went rigid. The free-handed man she was with moved his mitt away from her waist and extended it and a lazy smile toward Mac. “Judge Timberlake, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Zach Turner, formerly of Prowers County. I understand that you were instrumental in my being nominated to receive this award tonight. I want to thank you. It’s a great honor.”
It took Mac a couple of seconds to process the information. Zach Turner. He’d been attached to a federal task force and worked undercover in Oklahoma. Went into a burning trailer to rescue a couple of children when a meth lab exploded. He was the guy with his hands on Mac’s wife? Great. Just great .
“Yes, of course.” He accepted the man’s handshake. “I was glad to be of help. Your actions were the definition of heroism. You deserve the recognition. I’m just sorry it’s taken so long for you to get it.”
Mac could tell that Turner’s revelation had caught Ali by surprise, so he asked, “How is it that you know my wife?”
Ali finally found her voice. “Zach is the sheriff in Eternity Springs.”
“Really.” Mac placed his own hand at the small ofhis wife’s back. “Small world, isn’t it? Now if you’ll excuse us, Alison and I need to take our seats.”
Sheriff Turner lifted his champagne glass in a salute that Mac considered a shade mocking. “Enjoy your evening, your honor. Ali.”
“You too, Zach,” Ali replied. “And congratulations on your award.”
Mac guided her through the milling crowd toward the head table. Though she hid it well when greeted by friends and acquaintances along the way, he knew she wasn’t happy. Shoot, if her spine grew any stiffer, she just might break in two.
Not that he cared. He was plenty torqued himself. If her game had been to make him angry, she was racking up some score.
The head table was actually two reserved rounders, each set for six, at the front of the room. They found
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