Rising Storm (11 page)

"Beauford! I found a naked man. Well, you just don't find that every day. I thought there were just dust bunnies under beds. I guess I should clean more often."

Katelyn wanted to die. She saw Marshall stand up and grab a pillow to cover himself. The room was silent except for the sound of the shotgun being cocked.

"Well, Sweet Pea, it looks like you'll get your wish. You can help Katelyn plan a huge weddin'."

"Wedding?!" She shouted at the same time Marshall did.

"Now, Papa, this isn't what it looks like," Katelyn tried. She knew her grandparents were traditional, but they really weren't
that
traditional.

"Really, darlin'? Then just what is it?"

"Yeah, I'd like to know that too." Marshall grinned and she wondered again why she liked him.

"Well, it's… it's… well, dammit. It's just a one-night stand. For crying out loud, I’m a grown woman and can have a one-night stand without explaining it to everyone." She stomped her foot and suddenly felt seven again. "And, just because I have sex with someone doesn't mean I have to marry him! I'm pretty sure that practice was done away with during the feminist movement."

"Actually, Doc, it's been twice," Marshall put in.

"What?" She whirled around and glared at him. He was just standing there with a white pillow with roses on it over his best parts and a smile on his face. "Nana, stop staring!"

Her grandmother was standing slightly behind Marshall with a huge grin on her face as she got an eyeful of naked behind.

"We've slept together twice now. So, I don't think it can qualify as a one-night stand. You haven't forgotten our first time, have you?"

"Oh, I doubt a woman could forget that."

"Nana!" Katelyn stomped her foot again and then found herself rolling her eyes when Marshall gave her grandmother a wink. "You, stop encouraging her."

"Well, there you go. Twice. Come on Ruth, let's give the newlyweds some time to celebrate. They need to set a date after all." Her grandfather nodded his head and gestured to her grandmother to leave.

Her grandmother sighed wistfully as she took one last look at Marshall's behind. "You'll have a good marriage, if you know what I mean." With a wink she left Katelyn staring at a closed door. The sounds of her grandmother laughing out in the hall just rubbed salt into the wound.

"I think your grandparents played us." Marshall tossed the pillow back on the bed.

Katelyn blinked. Did this man have no shame? Apparently not as he wasn't in a hurry to cover up, not that she was complaining.

"I think they might have, too. I guess they saw your car out front. You should’ve left early in the morning. Now everyone is going to know about this!"

Katelyn rubbed the bridge of her nose. In just a couple of days she had given the town enough gossip to last a lifetime. Now, how was she going to get everyone to take her seriously?

"I guess I better get to work then. Since today is Saturday, I’m only working a half-day. How about I pick you up for dinner around seven? I know this great barbeque place in Lexington I thought we could hit up." Marshall grabbed his shirt off of the floor and slipped it on.

"No, I don't think so."

"What? Why not?" Marshall eyed his pants that Ruffles had curled up on.

"This was a mistake. It won't happen again. It was just a one-night stand."

He stopped his attempt to get Ruffles to move and gave her a look that could only be described as cocky.

"Fine, twice. Whatever, but it won't happen again. I'm having enough trouble being taken seriously in this town. The old guard sees me as some silly model and I’m constantly struggling against the rumors Truett and his gang are spreading. Now they'll just say I'm another conquest of the Davies brothers. Just another fallen bimbo." She felt her eyes start to tear up so she busied herself with pulling the white sheets and quilt up to finish making her bed.

"Katelyn, look, I know I was an ass to you when you first got to town. I was guilty of just the thing you were talking about. I thought you were just a blonde bimbo living off her father's money. I judged you based on who your father is and that was wrong of me. But, I’ve gotten to know you and you’re not that cold person I thought you were."

"Gee, thanks. I think I'll stick with my decision not to do dinner." Katelyn hoped she sent him the coldest glare she had.

"That sounded bad, I'm sorry. I'm trying to say that by just spending a little time with you I’ve found that you're a smart, caring, passionate woman whom I'd like to get to know better. So, please, have dinner with me."

She thought about it for a second and even softened when she watched him trying to pull his pants out from under Ruffles. But she just couldn't be another notch on his belt.

"Thank you, but the answer is still no. You're just such a..," she waved her hand in front of her trying to think of right word, "man. You're such a man. I think you'd say anything to get into bed with a woman. So I don't hurt your delicate feelings, the sex was great, but I don't think we have anything else in common. Dinner would be a waste of time and all it would do is keep me front and center in the town gossip and hurt my business. Now, I need to get to the clinic. Come on Ruffles, let's go." Ruffles leapt up, surrendering the pants, and followed her as she made her escape.

Marshall pulled his pants on and glanced at the closed bedroom door. What just happened? They had shared another amazing night together and then she freaked out. Okay, so maybe he had a playboy reputation, but that shouldn't bother her. After all, he was more serious about her than any of those other girls.

And it wasn't like she had to worry about running into all his ex-girlfriends. He had done most of his dating in Lexington. He had to admit, he was at a loss. He had tried to do the right thing and ask her out properly to show her that this was more than a one, well, two-night stand.

He tucked his shirt in and strapped on his utility belt. Annie was going to give him so much shit for this when he got to work today. One thing Katelyn was right about - everyone would be talking about this. It was seven thirty and he was sure the whole town already knew his cruiser had sat outside the Wyatt house all night long. His fiery sister-in-law would be nothing compared to Paige though. Paige loved Katelyn and would descend on him almost as fast as John Wolfe, the notorious town gossip, could spread the word of where he spent the night.

He opened the door and looked down the hall. It was filled with portraits of old family members from Beauford and Ruth's families. Needlepoints and other special heirlooms were framed in shadow boxes near the family member responsible for them. He thought about going down the back stairs again, but thought that would be the cowardly thing to do. And one thing he wasn't was a coward. Even though he was sure Beauford was at the bottom of the stairs with his shotgun, he was going to go out the front door and show Katelyn he wasn't afraid of the gossip and he was prepared to stick around. Now, if he only knew how to get her to agree to a date.

Marshall went down the stairs and was heading for the front door when he was stopped.

"Son, come in here a minute." Beauford called to him from his office.

Marshall walked into the room. Ruffles raised her head from the couch and growled, which prompted Alice, who was curled up next to her, to do the same.

"Oh hush girls. Go see Mommy, the men need to talk."

Alice instantly leapt up and, with her beautiful pink collar around her scarred neck, wagged her tail and headed for the kitchen. Ruffles gave one last glare and then followed behind. Beauford closed the heavy wooden door and headed to his desk.

"Now, son, just what in the devil do you think you're doing?"

"Sir?"

"Are you trying to get yourself shot? You do realize I’ll shoot you if you hurt my granddaughter. The only reason I haven't already is because I think the rogue is about to be tamed. I could tell by the goofy look on your face this morning that you like my granddaughter. So, tell me what you think you're doing jumping into bed with her before courting her properly?" Beauford asked, leaning back in his old leather chair.

"I’m trying to do things properly, so to say. I asked her out on a date and she refused."

"Oh dear. It appears she's more like her grandmother than I thought. I met Ruthie in a political lecture my senior year at Emory. She was so beautiful and so smart. I tried to talk to her after class. I offered to tutor her and she informed me that she was available to tutor me, seeing as she had the highest grade in the class. Then she spun around and took off in a cherry red 1950 Cadillac convertible. I chased after her the entire school year. She kept turning me down. All it did was make me work harder in school to impress her and you know what?"

"What?"

"I married her, didn't I?" Beauford smiled wide.

"So, you suggest I just don't give up?" Marshall didn't know how much help that advice really was.

"That, and you need to change your approach. Katelyn likes to think she's a modern woman, but she's traditional at heart. Ruthie just wanted to be wooed and the second I did it right, she married me faster than a gnat can blink. I guarantee you, you give Katelyn some romantic gentlemanly attention and she'll come around."

Marshall tried to hide his reaction. He knew Beauford and Ruth were in the wrong generation, but who was he to need advice? He didn't want to brag, but didn't Beauford know of his reputation? But then again, nothing had worked so far.

"Well, thank you, sir. I’ll work on it." Marshall turned and started to open the closed office door.

"Oh, and son…" Beauford stood up from his chair and placed his shotgun on his desk. "If I find you naked in my house again, I will shoot you."

Chapter Nine

Marshall dodged the stapler flying through the air at him. It crashed against the empty jail cell and fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Annie!"

"Don't you Annie me. You're in deep trouble." He watched his sister-in-law grab the tape dispenser and throw it with painful accuracy. "So, what are you going to do about it? And the answer better be good, because I'll go for my taser next."

"I asked her out and she turned me down."

"Oh come on! You aren't going to take no for an answer now are you?" She pulled out her taser and turned it on.

"No! No I am not. I’m trying to
woo
her as Beauford calls it. I just don't exactly know how. It's not like I do this every day." He held up his hands and took a step back.

He couldn't do anything, like tackle or disarm Annie or Cade would kill him. Not counting what Paige would do too, and quite frankly, Paige was scarier than all his brothers when worked up. It also wasn't a good sign when Annie narrowed her eyes like she just did. His deputy had a little bit of a temper, which happened to only get worse with pregnancy. The consequential good news being that the Belles might be slowing their visits to the office.

"Oh, that's right! You never had a woman with enough brains to turn you down. You always slummed it with the ones that fell at your feet. Now you have a real woman and you don't know what to do. It's just plain pathetic! You make me sick Davies."

"Jesus Annie. That's harsh."

"No, I mean, you really make me sick. Damn morning sickness. Don't think I’m done with you yet, Davies. I'm not letting you off the hook so easily," she called as she ran for the bathroom.

Well, it was now or never to make his escape. It was time for breakfast and after last night with Katelyn, he needed it. He allowed himself a little macho grin before heading upstairs from the jail. Marshall pushed open the glass side doors of the courthouse and stopped at one of the two stoplights in town as he waited for a car to pass before heading across the street.

June was always beautiful. Flowers lined Main Street. Shop doors were open and colorful decorations adorned the shop windows. It was hot, and getting hotter as July approached, but everyone was outside enjoying the days before July and her humidity came to town. New American flags had just been hung in preparation for the big July Fourth weekend celebration.

Every year Keeneston held a small Independence Day Celebration. The streets were closed and there was a huge cookout on Main Street. There were games for the kids and the annual BBQ cook-off and pie contest. It was just a couple of weeks away and he was already excited for it.

Marshall walked through the open door of the café and went straight to the table in the back. Maybe no one would see him back there.

"I hear you're having lady troubles.” The old southern drawl of Roger Burns cut through the chatter and silenced the place.

He should’ve known better - he
did
know better than to come here and expect to be left alone.

"Nothing I can't handle." He shot a confident grin to the old man and tried to make it to his table.

"That's not what we heard." Miss Daisy stood with her hands on her thin hips in the middle of a sea of bobbing heads.

"That's right. We heard she turned you down and is refusing to go out on date with you," Miss Violet said as she poked her cheery, round face out from the kitchen.

"We heard you had no game," Paul Russell laughed from his seat next to his great-uncle Roger. "I think it's time for another Davies brother to lose to me. I might just go out and pay a call to Katelyn today."

"If I recall, Paul, you may have beaten us at baseball, but you struck out when it came to women," Marshall snapped.

Paul had been a rival of his all through high school. They had competed for starting lineups and women. For his part, Marshall cared more about the women and was undefeated in that arena. And he intended things to stay that way. Paul didn't get Kenna from Will and now she was an Ashton. He intended to take a play out of his friend's playbook- that is if he could ever get her to go out on a date with them.

"I think you're perfect just the way you are. And I bet your…game… is outstanding." Nancy slithered her way over to him and managed to laugh, pout, and press her breast against his arm all at the same time.