Shit.

I cleared my throat again, even though I didn’t need to, and said, “Hank, you remember Beth.” Then my eyes slid to the side.

He let me go and straightened, turning to Beth and I watched him. For a second, he seemed blank, like he didn’t remember her and my breath caught in my throat.

Then, he smiled. Not the sexy lip turn, but a friendly, genuine smile. “Beth. Jesus. What’re you doin’ here? I thought you lived in New Mexico.”

Beth looked between Hank and me. She was blushing, big time.

“I moved back to Denver,” she replied.

Hank shifted into my space and his arm went around my shoulders, unconsciously doing a man-brand move, not having any idea why she was there.

She went from just blushing to looking like she’d plunge a knife in her gut if one was handy. I searched the counter just in case there was a letter opener within reach.

“That’s great,” Hank said, stil oblivious.

“Hank,” I cut in. “Beth’s here –”

“No!” she interrupted me, her eyes on me and they were huge. “I just popped by… um…” She was faltering. It was going to have to be Roxie to the rescue.

Quickly I said, “Beth’s here to buy that Dan Brown book.

You know, the one about da Vinci?”

Hank looked down at me, likely wondering why I was sharing this absurd information.

“I told her we didn’t have it. You wouldn’t know where to get it, would you? She wants to read it, like, bad,” I finished lamely.

God, I was such an idiot.

Hank looked at me, then looked at Beth, then cottoned onto the situation. If she was just looking for a book, I would hardly know her name or alert him to her presence.

His face softened and he moved away, taking his arm from around my shoulders.

“Beth,” he said quietly and my heart lurched, for Hank, who obviously felt badly but especial y for Beth, who was humiliated.

“Maybe I’l try the Tattered Cover!” she announced gamely then looked at me. “Thanks for your help Roxie.” She looked back at Hank. “Hank, great to see you. Maybe I’l see you around.”

She moved to leave and I cal ed out, “Wait!” I stepped off my stool, bumping into Hank who was stil close.

“Why don’t you two go to lunch?” I suggested.

“What?” Beth said, or kind of expel ed in a breath fil ed with mortification.

“Sorry?” Hank said, staring at me like I’d lost my mind.

I had an idea. It was a heartbreaking idea, but it was something.

She seemed sweet, she was pretty and she liked him.

She liked him enough to come searching for him when she got back to Denver. She was normal and probably never had anyone shoot at her, nor ever would.

So she needed a snazzier wardrobe. Indy would help her out.

Maybe she didn’t spread sweetened cream cheese on French toast but I was relatively certain that Shamus would like her. Then again, Shamus seemed to like everyone.

I stepped away from Hank. “It’s been busy, so I can’t leave and anyway, Indy and Jet are bringing back food. You two go to lunch, catch up, you know… old friends and al that.”

Hank was no longer staring at me like I’d lost my mind, he was staring at me like he wanted to strangle me.

I took another step away from Hank.

“I don’t think –” Beth said.

“Can I talk to you a second?” Hank interrupted her and then didn’t wait for me to respond. He took my hand, nodded sharply to Beth and said, “Just a minute,” and then dragged me out from behind the counter and toward the bookshelves.

While being dragged, I caught a look at Uncle Tex who was shaking his head at me like I’d let down the side.

Hank dragged me passed fiction, biography, crime, romance and straight to the open area that separated the front room from the back room (travel, health, social studies) and had a huge table on it with cartons of upturned vinyl wedged in them.

Then he stopped, turned and looked down at me.

I opened my mouth to speak but he said, “Don’t say a f**king word.”

I closed my mouth.

Hmm, seemed Hank was angry.

He took a deep breath through his nostrils, getting control.

Then he said, in a soft, dangerous voice, “Please tel me you didn’t just try to fix me up with a woman I used to date.”

“Hank –”

He didn’t let me say anything.

“I used to be patient. Now, I’m findin’ it hard stoppin’

myself from shakin’ some goddamned sense into you.”

“Hank –”

“Roxanne, I just experienced my girlfriend trying to fix me up with another woman.”

“I’m not your girlfriend, I broke up with you.” He stepped closer. I stepped back. My bottom slammed into the table fil ed with vinyl. He fil ed the space I’d opened.

“That wasn’t nice, doin’ that to Beth,” he said.

“Yes it was. You two could have hit it off, you’d asked her out before. I was doing her a favor,” I defended myself.

“She and I went out twice. She was the friend of the girlfriend of a buddy of mine in the Force. If I remember, she was painful y shy, but sweet, and on her way to some job in New Mexico.”

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

“I thought she was an ex-girlfriend,” I told him.

“She never made it that far and wouldn’t have. I was doin’ a friend a favor and even if it makes me sound like a bastard, I’l tel you I only did it knowin’ she was soon gonna move to another state.”

Oh shit. I thought.

“Damn,” I muttered aloud, feeling like a total bitch. It must have taken al she had to walk into Fortnum’s. I looked at Hank. “I’l go talk to her,” I told him.

“No, you’ve done enough. I’l take her out to lunch and I’l pick you up from Tod’s when you’re done tonight. When we get home, we’re gonna have a conversation and put this shit to rest, once and for al .”

I didn’t like the sound of that.

“Hank –” I started.

“I don’t want you goin’ to Tod’s with anyone but Tex, Duke, Lee or one of his boys. Got me?”

His eyes were glittering angry and I had the feeling he was barely keeping his temper in check.

I nodded.

The sleeping tiger had awoken and I was not about to prod him with a stick.

He stared at me angrily.

I bit my lip.

Then, I couldn’t help myself, I hated that he was angry with me. I put my hand on his chest and leaned into him.