"C'mon, c'mon." Duke motioned him closer. "I can take you."
"Not even on your best days."
Duke jutted out his chin. "I dare you."
Ridge had been holding back on punching him for twenty years. His fingers twitched and he had to knot his hands to quell his anger.
"Chicken. That's what I thought." Duke swayed on his feet, hiccuped, reached for a mug of black beer.
But Ridge was quicker and moved the mug away. He grabbed his father's arm. "Party's over for you, old man. Let's go."
Duke jerked back. "I'm not ready to go."
"Time we all called it a night." Archer faked a yawn, stretched. "Big day tomorrow, and Ranger cleaned us out."
"Aww." Zeke groaned. "It's not even ten o'clock."
Armand and Herb were already heading for the door. They motioned for Ned to join them, and the three sidled out the exit.
Ridge stuck out his palm, insisted, "Give me your keys."
"I'm the father, not you."
"And you're drunk. Give me the keys or I'll take them off of you."
"Try it."
"Dad." Ranger stepped forward. "If you don't go quietly with Ridge, I'm gonna punch you."
"Oh sure, gang up on a defenseless old man."
Ranger snorted and sank his hands on his hips. "You're about as defenseless as a rattlesnake."
"Never have children," Duke told Archer. "They'll stab you in the back."
"Only if you steal their girlfriends." Ridge couldn't resist.
"Don't pretend she was the love of your life." Duke's eyes glistened through the alcohol sheen. His words slow and slurred.
"Doesn't matter. You seduced her when she was dating me. That disqualifies you from father of the year."
"Among other things," Ranger mumbled.
Duke laughed, deep but mirthless. "You know why Vivi picked me?"
"'Cause you're filthy rich?"
"No." Duke shook his head like a dog flinging off water. "Well, maybe a little. But she picked me because I'm not afraid to live. I know when to work and when to play and how to have a good time. All you care about is showing me up. Prove you're better than me."
That rankled, but Ridge refused to rise to the bait. Best move? End this as quickly and quietly as possible.
"You . . ." Duke pointed a finger at Ridge. "You hide behind work 'cause you think it will save you. It won't."
Truth? Work had saved him. Work kept him sane. Kept him out of trouble. Made him money. Helped him win. Dedication to hard work was what made him a good quarterback in high school and college. That push, the urge to constantly be more, get more, achieve more.
Everyone loved winners.
And here his father was telling him he'd lost Vivi for the very behavior that had attracted her to him in the first place?
Not damn likely.
The old coot was drunk and spouting nonsense. He wouldn't let him get under his skin, because that's exactly what Duke wanted. To scratch the thick hide he'd developed. Make him bleed.
"Nothing is gonna save you." Duke spat. "You're doomed like the rest of us."
Suddenly exhausted of it all, Ridge strong-armed Duke out the side exit.
"Hey, hey," Duke protested.
"I'll drive him home," Ranger said, joining Ridge, clutching Duke's other arm. Together they dragged their father toward his Ford King Ranch pickup. Archer, Zeke, and Kip following close behind.
Ranger held Duke by the shoulders, while Ridge dug the keys from his father's pocket, Duke cussing and fighting them every inch of the way.
Finally, Ridge got the keys free of Duke's jeans pocket.
His father raised his fist, swung wild, missed, spun, crashed into the side of truck, bounced off it, wheeled around and came after him again.
Ridge didn't want to fight his father, but if he didn't do something the old fart was going to end up hurting himself.
"Back off," Ridge growled.
"Don't you tell me what to do," Duke yelled like a pissed-off bull, lowered his head and charged.
Sighing, Ridge sidestepped his father's attempted gut attack, doubled up a fist and delivered a quick controlled jab to Duke's left cheek. And he went down like a sack of spuds.
Yep, bachelor party from hell.
"Day-am, Ridge." Zeke scratched the back of his neck. "Remind me never to piss you off."
Chapter 10
The bachelorette pajama party at the Lockhart mansion was in full swing when Ridge and Ranger hauled a drunken Duke into the house.
Music blasted from the sound system. Scrapbooking supplies were spread out on the kitchen table. Empty bottles of wine and cartons of Ben & Jerry's were lined up on the counter. Nail polish, cuticle tools, cotton balls, and toe separators were laid out from the mani and pedicures they'd given each other earlier in the night.