Will Longhorn. He glanced up and down the block until he spotted a very fancy car that was almost exactly like Patsy’s, just shiny black to her white one.
“Can you see the tags on that car?” he asked Dusty, who had a better angle on them.
“Oklahoma.”
“Damn.”
“What the hell is going on here?” Tate demanded, joining them.
“Unless I miss my guess, we’re about to meet Will Longhorn,” Justin said.
Tate’s eyebrows rose. “Patsy’s husband?”
“The one and only. It appears he’s come calling, though I have to say his courting leaves a little something to be desired.”
The sheriff’s expression cheered considerably. “Well, well, well. It will surely be my pleasure to lock him up.” He glanced at Justin and Dusty. “Shall we?”
“Oh, yeah,” Justin said grimly.
Tate gave him a sharp look. “You don’t lay a hand on him. Understood?”
Justin grimaced, then sighed. “Yes, sir.”
“Then let’s do it,” Tate said.
It was an uneven fight, three against one with the three armed, as well. Tate had slapped handcuffs on the man before he even realized he was being taken into custody. When he heard the click and felt the cold metal around his wrists, he whirled on Tate.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Arresting you,” Tate said evenly. “We can start with destruction of property and go from there.” He began reading him his rights.
“Do you know who I am?”
“I don’t give a damn if you’re the governor or the president of the U.S. of A., nobody pulls a stunt like this in my town,” Tate retorted.
Justin didn’t waste time listening to the rest of the exchange. He stepped over glass shards and broken toys from the window displays, then used his own key to the drugstore. As he went inside, he called out to Patsy. The door to the back room cracked open.
“Justin?”
“It’s me,” he said, and opened his arms.
Patsy ran straight into them and clung. “Oh, my God, did you see him? He’s lost his mind. He must have.”
“I take it that’s Will.”
Her head bobbed against his chest.
“It’s okay, darlin’. Tate has him in custody. He won’t hurt you.”
“But this place,” she murmured, gazing around in horror. “Look what he’s done.”
“As long as you’re all right, it doesn’t matter. We’ll have it cleaned up in no time.”
“I can’t believe this. It’s all my fault.”
“It is not your fault,” Justin said. “He’s an adult. He’s responsible for his own actions, and believe me, this is not going to look good when you go into court and ask for your divorce. You have three cops as witnesses to the violence he’s capable of. You can’t get any better than that.”
Patsy regarded him sadly. “It won’t be that easy. He won’t let it be.”
“I know. But I’ll be right here with you.” He tilted her chin up and gazed into her eyes. “Believe it or not, this is a good thing.”
She stared at the broken glass and demolished displays. “You’ll pardon me if I can’t quite see it that way.”
“Darlin’, I think I could forgive you just about anything. Now get a couple of brooms and let’s get busy.”
“Don’t you have to go down to the station?”
“Not yet. Tate can handle your husband. When things settle down a bit, you and I can go down there and you can press formal charges against him. Doc Dolan can press whatever charges he wants to for the damage to the store. Then you can see Janet and we’ll find out just what kind of a case she can put together for you.” He brushed a wayward curl from her cheek. “It’s almost over, Patsy. I guarantee it.”
But, of course, it was just beginning.
Chapter Eleven
The last place on earth Patsy wanted to be was the sheriff’s office. Even with Justin by her side, she dreaded confronting Will after the scene and destruction he’d caused. She was thoroughly embarrassed, not only for herself, but for him. He’d always been such a proud person. She didn’t like thinking that she was to blame for him being reduced to this out-of-control mockery of a man.
“Want me to come in with you?” Justin asked as she hesitated at the doorway to the cell block.
Overcome with a sense of foreboding and trepidation, she almost agreed. It would be so easy to rely on his strength, to accept his protection. Then she thought better of it. She squared her shoulders and shook her head.
“No,” she said. “It would only outrage him.”
“So what?” Justin retorted with a touch of defiance. “Let him be outraged. Let