“You’re so much like your mom, you know that?” Kim said, still swaying in spite of Tanner’s hold. “I bet you’re as much of a bitch, too.”
Chrissie blinked. “At least she’s not a drunk,” she replied, her voice full of disgust.
“Yeah well,” Kim said, pulling from Tanner’s hold as she turned to face Chrissie. “It’s a shame she can’t keep a man. Your dad’s slept with half the women in Hartson’s Creek.” Her smeared lips curled up into a satisfied smile. “No wonder your mom’s such an uptight bitch.”
Chrissie straightened her spine. “I’m calling the police. I shouldn’t have to deal with this.”
He shook his head. “No need to call anybody. I’ll get her home.”
“I know you, don’t I?” Kim said, turning back to him, as though she’d forgotten about Chrissie. “You’re Van’s friend. Tanner Hartson.”
His voice was graveled. “That’s right.”
“The boy I kept finding in bed with her.” She laughed again. “And now you want to take me home.”
This was excrutiating. With Chrissie on one side of him and Nate on the other, he felt like everything he said was being scrutinized. He was acutely aware of the way Chrissie was pulling her phone out of her purse, her fingers poised and ready to call the local cops.
“That’s forty-five dollars,” Sam said, loading eight full glasses onto a tray in front of Nate.
“Can you take the drinks over to the table?” Tanner asked Chrissie. “Nate’s bound to spill them.”
She glanced from Kim and back to him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“It’s all good. Kim’s going home now, aren’t you?”
Chrissie picked up the tray, balancing it carefully as she stood up straight. Tanner turned to take Kim’s arm again. But then she stepped forward, her hand reaching out to grab a drink from the tray Chrissie was holding. It was like watching a train wreck in double-slow motion. Kim’s hand caught the lip of the tray, her shuddering movement causing it to tip up and spill the cocktails and beer all over Chrissie’s cream dress.
A gasp came from the middle of the room, and Tanner felt his spine tingle as he slowly turned to see who was there.
Of course it was her. Standing all alone in the middle of the bar, her face pale as a sheet, her hand covering her open mouth. Tanner swallowed hard, his body responding as soon as he set eyes on her.
“Van?”
Chapter Sixteen
It was like walking into a horror movie, and realizing you were the star attraction. For a moment Van froze, her eyes darting from her mom to Chrissie Fairfax, as she realized she’d arrived too late.
Her heart stopped as she saw Tanner standing there, too. He took the tray from Chrissie’s hands and slid it onto the bar as the glasses crashed against each other. Chrissie’s dress – cream, of course – was stained brown by the drinks Van’s mom had spilled all over her.
Chrissie looked down at her soiled clothes, then back up at Kim. “You bitch, you did that on purpose.”
Van’s mom staggered backward, her juddery movements only halted when she stepped back against Tanner’s chest.
Van swallowed hard, mortified, as they all turned to look at her.
“You saw this, right?” Chrissie asked, turning back to Tanner. “You’re a witness. She just assaulted me.”
“She spilled beer,” Sam interjected. “It happens. I’ll get you a towel.”
“This is cashmere. It’s ruined.” Chrissie pulled at the material around her chest. “She’s going to pay for this. It cost three hundred dollars.”
“Doesn’t look like three hundred dollars,” Kim mumbled. “It looks cheap to me.”
“I’ll pay for it,” Tanner said, his eyes sliding to Van’s again. She could see pity in them, and it hurt like hell.
“No, I’ll pay.” Van’s feet unfroze from the floor. She walked forward, her spine straight, her jaw set. “I’ll wire the money tomorrow.”
“We should call the police,” Chrissie said, ignoring Van completely. “She shouldn’t be allowed to come out and assault people like this.”