The Heart Will Lead You Home

by Kristin Leedy

  She’d paired a short black mini-skirt with a pair of cowboy boots and a red scoop neck halter top that dipped to a perfect V between her breasts and ended somewhere close to her bellybutton. There wasn’t anything other than maybe a small piece of tape that was keeping that shirt from showing every man in that bar every square inch of her chest. A puddle formed in his mouth and he swallowed hard.

  A scowl broke out on his face.

  Josh rubbed his hands together like a king before his spoils, excused himself from the table, and sauntered over to the girls, placing a possessive arm around Lizzie. Payton could see his eyes as he checked Lizzie over from head to toe, and he wanted to strangle him even though he didn’t have any right.

  “Come on, man,” Colin said, breaking through his gut wrenching session of jealousy. “I’ve got fifty dollars says I’m gonna whoop your ass by the end of this round of pool.”

  “Please,” said Payton with a wicked sneer. “I could beat a long bearded biker dude with studs on his leather collar with one arm tied behind my back. I don’t think you’re gonna be much competition.” He followed Colin to the pool tables, but he couldn’t help but watch as Josh gave Lizzie a slow French kiss.

  He ground his teeth together.

  “Hey lover boy, quit playing tonsil hockey and haul your sorry ass over here.” Josh had a broad grin on his face as he sauntered over to the pool table and whispered to the other guys, “Now, tell me you guys don’t wish you could have a piece of my woman.”

  His woman. What were they, cavemen? He could feel steam pouring from his ears. Josh was laughing hysterically as he nudged Payton in the ribs, and then he added, “Too bad she doesn’t have a killer double D rack to fill out that top.”

  Payton clenched his fists. “Yeah, too bad.”

  They played in teams, and he wondered how he was the lucky one to be stuck on Josh’s team while Colin and Bud played together on the other team. Josh broke and Payton followed. He was setting up his next play and glanced up in time to watch Lizzie take some cowboy’s hat and place it on her head with a wink and a smile, and nearly sent the tip of his pool cue right through the fine felt pad on the top of the pool table. He ground his jaw and forced himself to focus in on the table. He took his time, lined up the balls, and narrowly missed sending them flying into a side hole when he heard her laughing hysterically at the same cowboy whose hat she’d just taken.

  Payton looked murderous.

  “What’s the matter there, QB? Couldn’t find your game hat at home?” Colin grinned at him as he took his turn at the table not realizing what was sending Payton’s game straight to the crapper.

  “Must be my shoulders acting up again. Ever since you left me open on that pass back in tenth grade, I have periodic joint problems.”

  Bud laughed. “Is that what you’re calling it?” His glance toward Lizzie and back to Payton was meaningful. “I’ll be sure to remember that.” He stepped up when Colin missed sending his ball home and took a go.

  He merely chuckled when Josh took his turn at ribbing him, and said, “well, chuckles, I haven’t seen you hit one home yet.”

  Payton decided that since he was going to be stuck with the guy all night, he might be better served to get Josh drunk. Perhaps then it’d be a bit more bearable when he knew that the guy would be suffering from a major hangover in the morning.

  “Come on, Josh. Since I obviously can’t play worth crap tonight, the least I can do is buy the lucky man a round of shots.” He grabbed Josh by the shoulders and hauled him to the bar. “A round of whisky for me and my friend here, Moe.”

  “Comin’ right up.”

  “So,” said Josh, “What’re the chances of winning this tournament.”

  Payton scanned the room and saw Grace and Lizzie take a shot of tequila on the other side of the room as they headed back out to the dance floor. “About as likely as getting those two girls out of here sober once they’ve started sipping tequila.”

  Josh grinned. “Yeah, but it sure is fun to take advantage of ‘em when they have.”

  The whiskey came at the perfect time and Payton downed a round and ordered another. “Sure, sure. It’s always fun to take advantage of drunk women.” He sipped his next shooter. “I especially like it when you’re right in the middle of making out and they have to run to the bathroom.”

  “Ugh, man, that’s just gross.”

  Payton shrugged. “You know, the man of honor prob’ly needs another round or two. Moe, two for Josh, and I’ll have a beer.” He pushed the glass across to Josh and watched as he downed them in a single sip. “So, what’d you get her for her wedding present?”

  Josh grinned. “Funny you should ask. She’d been eyeing this big solitaire diamond necklace back home, so I bought it for her.” He took another shot and ordered a beer. “Well, actually it’s really an identical cubic zirconium,” he said in a stage whisper. “Had to use to rest of my money to get a few buddies of mine out of the hock.”

  He died laughing as if this were hysterical. “I’d have liked to have bought her a nice trip to the plastic surgeon to have her boobs done, and maybe an inch or two off the waist, but I guess I’ll wait a year or two. They like to be pampered and told their real pretty and perfect that first year.”

  “Yeah, it’s a shame to have to wait two whole years to show ‘em their imperfections.”

  Josh was a little slow thanks to all the alcohol he’d imbibed and he laughed. “Damn straight.” He looked across the room and found Lizzie dancing with another guy and he laughed. “Damn, I guess all the guys are getting a turn with her. Might as well go get my turn.” He stumbled off his bar stool and Payton watched as he broke in and started twirling Lizzie around the room.

  Payton tipped the straw cowboy hat on his head a little lower and thought about what Josh said as he watched Lizzie. Bigger boobs and a smaller waist. She was already tall and thin. Those long, awkward legs that had looked like too large legs on an adolescent puppy dog when she’d been growing up were nice and shapely now and didn’t stop until they just about reached her chin.

  And even though she and Pam Anderson couldn’t compete over bra sizes, she sure wasn’t flat chested. Payton couldn’t remember a time ever in his life that he’d wished she’d be bigger in one spot or smaller in another. She was just right exactly like she was.

  And there was no way he’d give her some damn CZ diamond. But that was another one of Josh’s character flaws all together that he didn’t have the patience to think about tonight.

  He waited a few more minutes at the bar and ordered another shot of whiskey for all the guys. He took one with him and had Sally take the rest over to the pool tables.

  He tapped Josh on the shoulder as they came around the dance floor. “I believe the man of the night deserves this.” He thrust the glass into Josh’s hand and tipped his hat at Lizzie. “May I have this dance?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “You aren’t trying to get him drunk are you?”

  Payton was all innocence. “I wouldn’t dream of doing something like that.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?”

  He put her hands around his neck and guided her onto the floor with his hands on her hips- her perfect hips. “Beats the heck out of me. You’re dancing off step, Lizzie, pick it up.”

  She scowled. “I am not.”

  “Here, move more like this.” He used his hands to move her hips in time to the music.

  “Billy Joe told me earlier I was doing just fine.”

  “Billy Joe is a terrible dancer. He only passed ballroom dance class in seventh grade because Mrs. Huckelby had a crush on him.”

  Lizzie crinkled her nose. “You’re a terrible liar.”

  “At least I’m not a terrible dancer.” He twirled her when the end of the song came on and gave her a little dip just in case she’d forgotten how good a dancer he was. As he looked up he saw at least five guys on the other side of the bar trying to look down the slit in her top to her cleavage, he suddenly rem
embered exactly how little material her top contained, and exactly how much of her breasts he could see even when she wasn’t in such a compromising position.

  He jerked her up, sending a lethal glare across the bar and jerked her by the arm out the back door of the bar.

  “Ouch,” she yelled as she jerked her arm away from him once they were on the landing of the back steps. “What was that for?” She rubbed her arm where he’d grabbed her.

  “That was for this,” said Payton as he pointed at the long slit that traveled nearly down to her belly button. “Since when do you wear shirts that cost more than they cover?”

  “Ease up, Gramps. I didn’t see anybody in there complaining.”

  “Well that’s just because you were giving them a free show of what they were going to pay to see later on tonight anyway.”

  She gasped. “Are you calling me a stripper?”

  He folded his arms across his chest. “You might as well be with that get up.”

  She pointed a finger in his chest. “Listen here, buddy. That is uncalled for and I demand an apology right now.”

  He leaned down, settling his most menacing face on her. “You’re not getting one.”

  “You know, Payton, you gave up the right to care about what I wear a long time ago. The only one who has the right to say that to me now is Josh.”

  Yeah, but he probably thought she looked good in that get up. Better yet, he probably thought she should’ve worn something more provocative. He sighed and forced himself to talk in a calmer tone. “Do you actually like what you’re wearing?”

  She was pouting. “Yes.”

  “I’m not denying that you look incredible in it, but… does Josh want you to wear that stuff out in public?”

  “He says it looks good.”

  He could think of a few other things he said, too. “Well, if I were him the only place I’d let you wear that is to my bedroom. I don’t see how he lets you keep that on for more than five minutes without ripping it off you.”

  She nibbled on one of her nails, a habit he noticed she’d picked up sometime since they’d lost touch with each other. “He says it makes me look sexier this way.”

  And she wasn’t sexy enough when her shirt wasn’t cut down to her toes? “You know, I get the feeling he has a few screwed up ideas about what sexy looks like.”

  “He thinks it makes my boobs look bigger.”

  Payton smiled. “Well, I’ll give him that one…” He paused and a frown crossed his features. “That shouldn’t matter, though.”

  “I’ve been thinking about having a breast enhancement procedure. They’re supposed to be safe now and… well, what do you think?” She looked up at him so innocently, like she really wanted his opinion, and he wanted so badly to wrap himself around her and tell her that she didn’t have to change herself to be better for Josh. If he didn’t love her like she was, then nothing she did was ever going to make it better. An image of his father popped into his mind.

  He shot her a lopsided grin, willing himself to make it a joke so she wouldn’t see that he felt her pain. “Hmmm…” he paused to scratch his chin with his thumb. “If you want my opinion I might need to take a closer look. Here, turn to the side for me so I can get better lighting.” Her mouth was gaping open so he did it for her. “Okay, now I’m just going to feel you up for a second.”

  She laughed and batted him away. “Payton Cartwright, don’t you dare!”

  His look was stern. “Now, I was just trying to do the neighborly thing here. This is a serious decision that requires lots of hands on attention.”

  Lizzie laughed again. Just then the door opened and Grace came stumbling out. “Hey! I thought I might find me some lovebirds out here.” Half the daiquiri she carried sloshed out onto the concrete. “Oh, you two aren’t the lovebirds.” In a stage whisper she added, “Don’t tell yourself I said this, but you should be.” She gave them a group hug. “I love you guys!”

  Payton smiled. “How many of those have you had tonight, Miz Grazie?”

  “Oh, these old thangs? Maybe three or four.” She gave Payton a big sloppy kiss and a bright smile. “Sorry to break up the party, but the girls are leavin’. We’ve got places to go and people to do.” She took Lizzie by the arm. “Come on, Bean. See ya, Payton.”

  He waved as Grace dragged Lizzie across the back parking lot. “See ya.”

  One thing was for certain. If Grace didn’t talk some sense into that girl then he was going to have to do it himself. No one deserved what she was about to walk into on her wedding day. But he had a feeling when he told her what he had to say, things weren’t going to go over very pretty.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Payton’s head felt like a freight train had run over it at least a dozen times during the night. He rolled over in his bed with a groan and felt along his night stand, not daring to open his eyes, in hopes that a bottle of aspirin would miraculously appear. When none materialized he flopped back in bed and lay there for a minute trying to clear his mind.

  He was still wearing what he’d been wearing to Moe’s the night before, and gradually his memory came back to him. He groaned and rubbed his hand over his face. What he could remember hadn’t been pretty, he knew that much. He thought getting Josh drunk might be the easy way to make it through the night with him, but the drunker he’d been the more trash came out of his mouth, and ultimately the more Payton had grown to despise him.

  Eventually, he’d decided getting himself drunk or killing Josh were his only two options left, and apparently he’d taken the first. That had come right about the time that Josh had informed Payton that he thought Lizzie would look great with big porn star breasts and proceeded to list several of his friend’s wives that had had their boobs done up like a porn stars. Payton realized that obviously the guy had some sick fascination with big breasts and pornography and he’d known that either Josh wasn’t going to make it through the night or he had to get drunk enough to ignore his trash talk. Obviously this sleaze-bag either some big time power over Lizzie to keep her in the relationship, or he had Siegfried and Roy beat hands down as a master of disguise. Either way, Payton was most definitely not impressed.

  Payton pushed himself from bed and stumbled down the stairs in search of a strong pot of coffee. He dug through his cabinets in search of aspirin and grabbed a bottle of beer to drink while he waited on the slowest coffee machine on earth to spit out his coffee.

  He blindly poured a cup and leaned against the counter waiting for the caffeine to hit him before he tried to think further. He knew one thing was certain: he wasn’t waiting another day to talk to Lizzie. Beyond that or how to go about doing it, he didn’t have a clue.

  Payton paused. Something was different and he wasn’t certain what, but the morning light sure was bright for, he paused to check his watch, six o’clock in the morning. He shrugged, still too hung over to give it much thought. He grabbed his mug to head out to the porch and enjoy the crisp morning air, but stopped short as he glanced out the kitchen window.

  “What the…” Payton dropped his coffee mug on the counter and pushed his long frame to the door. “Oh, those two are going to get it for sure.”

  He pushed his way out the door and stood in the middle of his front yard, trying to register how two drunk girls could possibly string up that much toilet paper in one front yard. They must have been at it for hours. Funny that he hadn’t noticed it the night before. Then again, there could have been a whole slew of naked women in his house last night and he wouldn’t have noticed them either.

  He checked his watch again, and a smile edged up the corners of his lips. It seemed it was time for a little wake up call. He dashed back into the house to grab a few necessary items. Well, dashed in the sense that a turtle on tranquilizers might dash.

  * * * *

  Lizzie rolled over in bed and smacked her alarm clock. She fell back in bed and threw the pillow over head. A minute later she smacked the alarm clock again.

  “Bee
p, beep, beep, beep…”

  Damn it, why wouldn’t that stupid thing quit blaring in her ear?

  She finally reached down and unplugged the noisy thing from the wall and put her head under her pillow again.

  “Beep, beep, beep, beep…”

  “What the hell is going on?” She sat straight up in bed and looked at the clock. Yep, it was definitely unplugged. She cocked her head and rubbed her hands over her face to try and wake herself. Maybe she was dreaming she heard the alarm going off.

  Then she heard a muffled laugh. A deep muffled laugh that she had most certainly heard before. She heard the beeping coming from her closet. Lizzie picked up the closest object she could find: her favorite teddy bear, and held it up, ready to throw at the person hiding behind that door.

  She flung the door open and hurled the teddy bear inside only to hear him laughing again.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” Payton said as he exited the closet.

  “Don’t you sunshine me.” She turned away from him and stalked off to the bathroom. He followed her and leaned his long frame against the edge of the door.

  “Hey, I thought it only fair to return the favor. Seems you two had a good time on girl’s night last night.”

  Lizzie opened the door a crack and continued to brush her teeth. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she hissed through toothpaste and toothbrush. “And aren’t you supposed to be in bed with a major hangover right now?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to see what sexy sleepwear you wear these days.” He looked her over from head to toe. “If I’d known how sexy cotton pants and a tank top could look I’d have come over even earlier.”

  “If I’d known I was going to have company this morning I would have been a little more selective in my choice.” Payton was imagining a nice silk teddy when she blurted out, “A nice flannel gown that brushes my ankles with buttons up to my neck.”