“But he attacked me!He violated the restraining order.And Justin came at Dixon from behind and surprised him.That’s gotta count for somethin’, right?”
“You mean the guy who was completely unconscious when Roxi showed up?”Abey challenged.
“Yeah, he’s Cody’s cousin.”
Abey closed her eyes and shook her head.“It does count,” she said.“And Cody will do some time for disobeyin’ the restraining order, but that doesn’t stop him or his family from pressin’ civil charges against Dixon.And I’m not sure you and I are talkin’ about the same fight, because the one my deputy just described to mewas the definition of excessive force.Dixon could’ve stopped after the first punch.But he didn’t, and I’m pretty sure Mr.Mahone’s nose is broken, at the very least.”
The sound of my voice was steady, but it came out of me wrapped in barbed wire.“He deserved worse.”
“That may be,” Abey said, “but it’s not Dixon’s job to deliver justice.”
“Abey.”I grabbed her arm.“Can I take him home?Please?”
She laughed mirthlessly and shook me off.“Home?Where is that?He won’tcomehome.The boarding house?No offense to Mrs.Ellison, but that ain’t his home.It’s not anybody’s besides Mrs.Ellison’s.”
“I meantmyhouse.”
“Your house isn’t Dixon’s home either, Avery Jane.What?Did you expect that you’d just crook your finger and everything would be alright?He’s an addict.He’s somebody’s father.He can’t play house with you just so you can relive your glory days.”
The sheriff’s comment was a blow.Was that what I’d been doing—playing house?
Mama jumped to my defense.“That was uncalled for, Sheriff Lee.Avery has loved that boy since the first day they met.She wants what’s best for him.”
Eyes firmly on mine, Abey said, “I’m sorry.It was uncalled for, but is your mama right?You want what’s best for Dixon?”
I nodded.“Yes.It’s all I want for him.”
“Even if it means him walkin’ away from you?”
Abey finally letme back to see her brother, and when I found him locked behind bars, he wouldn’t look at me.He sat bent over, with his elbows on his knees and his head hung.His hair lay loose and tangled over broad shoulders rising and falling slowly with every breath he took.
Deputy Sims stepped back and pressed himself into the corner of the room to give me space, but the guy was huge.Besides, there was no way Dixon and I could have any privacy with Cody right there, still spouting bullshit.
But I couldn’t let Cody deter me.Not anymore.
I needed to look in Dixon’s eyes.I needed to see for myself that he was okay.
“Tweedledum?”I said softly, but Dixon didn’t move.
Cody snorted, then caught the blood seeping from his nose with the neck of his shirt.He tried to swallow but decided instead to spit the blood in his mouth on the floor.“That’s your pet name for your boyfriend?Fitting.He is dumb.It was the dumbest fuckin’ thing he’s ever done, comin’ at me like he did.Layin’ hands.I’m gonna sue him for every penny he’s got.”
He lifted his head toward the ceiling, trying to pinch the bridge of his nose to stem the flow, but he winced at the pain.
Finally, Dixon huffed a laugh.“Go for it, asshole.After dinner tonight and my piece-of-shit car, I’ve got less than two grand to my name.You’ve probably got more in your change jar in your bedroom at your mommy’s house.”
Cody’s eyes narrowed.“You may be destitute, but I know who your brother is, and he’s got plenty of money.I also know about Spitfire Ranch, and I’ll be runnin’ it by the time we’re through.”
Dixon didn’t respond.He looked up at me through the cell door.“You okay?”
Stepping closer, I nodded and smiled pathetically.I hoped it conveyed how utterly sorry I was that I’d gotten him into this mess.
He stood and approached the door too.“Your dress,” he said, pointing to the strap that had been ripped in my struggle with Cody.Roxi had given me a safety pin to fix it so I wasn’t flashing the whole town, but dirt and dust covered the material and made it look gray.“It’s ruined.”
“Serves you right,” Cody sneered.“Only whores dress the way you did tonight.”
Dixon’s hands balled into fists, but Deputy Sims beat him to the punch.He yanked the Billy club out of its holster on his belt and slapped it against Cody’s cell bars.The sound of wood hitting metal reverberated around the small room loud enough to make me cringe.“Sit down and shut your mouth,” the deputy ordered, then stuffed a towel through the space between two bars for Cody’s nose.
“I can fix it,” I told Dixon, ignoring Cody completely as he all but fell onto the rickety cot in his cell.He seemed a little too scared of Deputy Sims to reach for the towel on the floor.
