Catching the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch #2) - Kennedy Fox Page 0,27
again. I don’t care what the fuck she did to your car. And trust me, it won’t be anything compared to what I do to your goddamn face if you keep disrespecting her like that.”
“You need to leave, Nick,” Rowan demands, pointing at the door, but something in her expression tells me she really did fuck up his car.
“Leave? How about you make me?”
Seconds later, his stark white polo is in my fist, and I’m ready to beat his face in when Rowan quickly comes around the bar and breaks us up. She softly places her hands on my chest and begs me to calm down. “Please, Diesel,” she whispers. “He’s not worth it.”
I take a step back and try to chill out. No one’s going to talk to her like that in front of me—not an ex, not even a family member, and especially not in her bar while she’s working. He’s trying to humiliate her, and I won’t tolerate it.
“You’re gonna pay for this, Rowan,” Nick threatens.
“For what, exactly?” she questions.
He takes his cell phone from his pocket and plays a video, turning it around for her to watch. Considering I’m so much taller than she is, I can see it perfectly. She’s got a tire iron in her hand, and she’s destroying his car. With every swing she takes, I can feel the anger buried deep inside her. Damn. Remind me never to piss her off. She’s a goddamn savage. Without realizing it, I start laughing my ass off, which nearly makes her ex spontaneously combust. He’s not stupid enough to threaten me, though he gives me a dirty ass look.
I hear Rowan suck in a deep breath and groan. “Cameras.”
“You’re a fucking idiot,” he tells her.
I move Rowan to the side and step closer to Nick. “I warned you about your language,” I tell him. Before he can move, my fist meets his nose, and he falls down hard on his ass as the other customers watch the commotion.
“Motherfucker!” He covers his face with his hands.
“I think it’s time for you to leave,” I demand, pulling him up by his shirt and pushing him toward the door.
“You’re gonna pay for every fucking dent and scratch you made,” he shouts at Rowan, spitting out blood. “I’ll be back if you don’t.”
“You’re done, asshole,” I tell him, basically throwing him outside. I stand in front of the entrance with my arms crossed over my chest and watch him storm off to his sparkly Mercedes. If he doesn’t watch out, she might destroy that one too.
After he peels out, kicking up dirt and rock, I go back inside. Rowan is nowhere to be found. Kenzie is helping customers and refilling drinks. Honestly, I didn’t even notice she was here until now. She helps at the bar but assists her mom at the daycare during her college breaks. She has a couple of years left before she graduates. Though she plans to work with kids, she does a good job bartending too. That natural people-person personality comes in handy in a small town like this. I sit and finish my beer, hoping Rowan returns soon. I order another drink and bide my time, but I still don’t see her. Soon, it’s closing time, and Kenzie locks the front door, then proceeds to clean. Considering I’m kinda part of the family, she doesn’t force me to leave but rather lets me sit there even though I’m stalling.
“Hey, is Rowan still here?” I ask as she grabs her purse from under the counter.
“Yeah, she’s in the office. You can go back there if you want. I won’t tell anyone.” Kenzie shoots me a wink. I walk her to the door, let her out, then relock the entrance.
When I go to the back, I see Rowan sitting in the office with her head down on the desk.
“Rowan?” I ask softly.
“Yeah?” She turns around, and I can tell she’s been crying by how puffy her eyes are. It hurts my heart to see her like this.
“You okay?”
She nods and forces a smile, wiping her cheeks. “I’ll be fine.”
Shaking my head, I walk toward her, and she stands.
“Thanks for sticking up for me. I appreciate it.”
“I’d punch him for you any day of the week,” I tell her with a grin.
A chuckle escapes her. “You’d protect any woman who was being called names like that. He’s such a dick.”
I shrug. “Not sure what you saw in him, honestly.”