“Oh, great,” Charley mumbled under her breath.
The man who bailed out of the brand-new car carelessly slammed the door. “Charley!” he shouted, stomping toward her. “Why did you leave?”
“I’d think that would be obvious,” Charley said from where she stood near Sullivan Custis. “You shouldn’t have followed me. I don’t want you here.”
“Who’s he?” the shorter man asked, with a nod at Sully.
“I’m done with your rudeness, Rod Vaughn,” Charley said and turned to the man at her side. “I apologize for his behavior and this embarrassing situation.”
“Who are you?” Rod asked Sully directly, facing off with him.
“Who wants to know?” Sully asked.
“Her boyfriend.”
“No!” Charley said firmly, “I told you that three dates do not entitle you to anything nor do they make you my boyfriend.”
“But I referred to you as my girlfriend in front of Kay.”
“I just witnessed her in action, so good luck with that,” Charley said, referring to the woman who in fact did claim to be Rod’s girlfriend. “You arenotmy boyfriend.”
Rod’s face reddened. “After you left, I told Kay we were done once and for all,” Rod said. Ignoring Sully’s presence, he grabbed Charley’s arm. “You’re just upset because things got nasty.” He yanked on her arm and took a step. “Let’s go figure this out, baby.”
“Don’t call me that! There’s nothing to figure out.” Charley pulled her arm free of his grasp. “I told you I didn’t want to see you or hear from you again, Rod. I meant it. You need to leave.” Turning to the stranger she’d just met she said, “It was nice to meet you too.”
“Maybe we’ll meet again under better circumstances,” Sully replied with a frown in Rod’s direction before giving Charley a tip of his hat.
“Yes,” Charley said with a quick smile at Sully.
Hoping to diffuse and end the awkwardness caused by Rod, Charley decided to make her way to the porch and stepped away from the men. As she’d said, she was due to meet Cash Cooper shortly, and she certainly didn’t want Rod Vaughn here for that. Maybe if she got in her car, he’d do the same and leave. She veered toward her car but before reaching it, gravel crunched behind her, and her arm was seized. When she was jerked backward on her heels, Charley’s feet slipped out from under her. If she wasn’t mortified enough, she lost her balance and fell to her left knee. Rod held out his hand to help her up.
“Leave me alone!” Charley snapped and smacked away his hand.
CHAPTER TWO
“Stop!” Sully barked at the man named Rod Vaughn.
“Stay out of it,” the guy sneered at Sully.
“I don’t think so.” Dropping the reins to Storm, Sully walked toward Charley.
“I said let’s go, baby,” Vaughn insisted agitatedly. The way in which he was leaning over Charley, blocked her from getting up unless she took his hand.
“And I said leave me alone,” Charley repeated.
“Back off,” Sully barked, and watched Vaughn’s eyes shift from Charley to him as he reached them. Sully warned, “Do it or I’ll make you do it.”
Vaughn backed up a few paces and Sully was about to extend his hand to Charley, but she hopped up on her own. Sully understood why Vaughn wanted this gorgeous woman as his girlfriend. But damn, this was not the way to go about it.
Charlotte, or Charley, could run for Miss Universe and win by a landslide vote. An October breeze, known as a Chinook wind, ruffled stray tendrils of the long, loose braid down her slender back. Chocolate brown, her hair was glossy and made an attractive contrast against her daffodil yellow sweater. She quickly brushed off the left knee of her yellow and brownleopard-print pants. When she looked up, her royal-blue eyes instantly narrowed, and her dainty hands clenched into fists.
“Really Rod?” Charley asked, shaking her head. Sully followed her gaze to the pistol in Vaughn’s hand. “After what happened, you should know I detest guns. How could you?”
“It’s not pointed at you, Charley. It’s pointed at him,” Vaughn said. “We are out here in the country all alone and we don’t know this stranger. We need to leave together.”
“There is nowe, Rod!” Charley spat.
“This guy could be the Cave Killer!” Rod shouted at her with a glare at Sully.
