Real Sexy (Real Dirty Duet #2)(37)

"Seriously?"

I don't usually talk about all the charitable stuff I do, because that's not why I do it.

"I was home one weekend, and Kyle and I decided to swing by the field and catch a tournament game. The old baseball diamond where I used to play was a wreck. The bleachers were empty because people were terrified they were going to collapse. It wasn't right, so I offered to help."

There's a different light in Ripley's eyes when she looks up at me. "That's really cool of you. So you don't just rescue women with sprained ankles and take them to the hospital against their will? You're quite the do-gooder despite your bad-boy reputation."

Ma cranes her head to get a better look at me when she hears what Ripley says, and I swear I see approval on her face. "He's as good as it gets, Ripley, and I'm not saying that just because he's my son."

After we pay for our tickets, we spot Grant and Wendy waving from the grandstands where they've saved us seats with a couple of plaid blankets. Usually it's Ma and Dad who do the seat saving, because Grant and Wendy are late more often than not since Kyle was born five years ago, but they managed to pull it together tonight.



       
         
       
        

"There's Arlene and Arty Johanson. Rand, we gotta go say hello so I can ask about their new grandbaby. She was over the moon to finally have a first."

Dad knows how Ma is about keeping a finger on the pulse of what's happening in town, so he just says, "Lead the way, Susie-Q."

She glances at me. "We'll be back in a few."

"Take your time, Ma."

The crowd thickens as we near the grandstands, and I reach down and curl my hand around Ripley's, in part to keep her close, but also because I like it. When we reach the foot of the stairs that will take us up to our seats, a voice stops me.

"Well, I'll be damned. Look who lowered himself to come home and mingle with the common folk."

Ripley's head turns sharply in the direction of the drawl coming from inside the metal stock fence that separates the rodeo action from the crowd.

"I thought you just got yourself dumped, Boone? You already moved on to greener pastures? Must be nice being such a hotshot that the ladies can't keep their hands off you."

I squeeze Ripley's hand before releasing it in favor of draping an arm around her shoulder and turning to face the skinny man in jean shorts five sizes too big held up by hot-pink suspenders. The uniform of a rodeo clown, and the description fits him perfectly. Lou Biggler never quite forgave me for that one night his sister sneaked her way into my truck and I politely told her to get out. He tried to beat the hell out of me in phys ed the Monday after, but I gave him a black eye instead and we both got suspended.

"Hey, Lou. Thanks for saying hi. Good to see you."

I attempt the polite route, even though I'd rather tell him to fuck off. But he's the type who'd sell any dirt to the papers for a dollar.

"How long's this one gonna last? I swear, you had a record with the last one, but it turned out she was a little too smart for you since she decided to jump ship."

I don't acknowledge his comments. Instead, I put to work the gossip Ma still feels the need to share with me regularly. "I hear you're on divorce number three, Lou. Hope that's goin' smoothly. Good luck with the custody battle this time around. Maybe four will be your lucky number."

Lou's clown-painted face twists into a harsh smirk. "You just love to come back to this town and act like King Shit, but we all know you're nothing special. Anyone could sing into a microphone and let those computers fix their voice. I hear they do it all the time. Shit, it's harder to stand in front of the damn bulls that'll be coming out tonight. If you had a real pair of balls, maybe you'd be out here instead of me."

"Nah, Lou. You got big enough balls for both of us. Makes sense why you gotta wear the extra-large shorts to cover those massive nuts." 

He reaches down and grabs his crotch, apparently uncaring that there are little kids present. "They're just keeping up with the size of my massive-"

"Louis Biggler, you better not be about to say what I think you're gonna say." Ma's voice cuts through the crowd before I can respond. "Because I know a father like yourself would never use any kind of foul language around children."

Lou straightens up real quick, dropping his hold on his dick. "No, ma'am. We're just catchin' up for old times' sake. Didn't mean no harm."

"That's what I thought. You be careful out there tonight. We need to make sure you get home in one piece to those little angels of yours."