“Ha ha,” Drake muttered. He had taken two showers before he stopped smelling onions. And some wise guy had left a jar of salsa in his locker. He knew they would be teasing him for days about this. Alicia probably recorded the whole episode. She was bratty enough to do it and post it on social media. He would kill her. “Who needs women? They are confusing and make my head hurt. I was right to stay foot loose and fancy free.”
Matt chuckled. “Well, that’s what happens when you play the field with several women at once, boy. They are jealous creatures, Lopez.”
“I had one date with Nancy and left her on the front porch. Why she is acting all crazy now, I don’t know,” Drake complained. “Months ago we had a casual fling for two, maybe three weeks. She was all in agreement that it was just a bit of fun.”
“Jasmine is a good girl but she had her heart broken by that ass in Fort Worth. Now she has a lot of self-esteem issues going on.” Matt told him seriously. “Treat her right or you will answer to me.”
“Do you like her?” Drake really wanted to fix things with Jasmine but part of him held back. Did he want the emotional distress he always seen between most couples?
“We clicked from day one but just as friends. She has no one in her life to look out for he
r. Her mother never did, and her father was a deadbeat dad.” Matt said as they walked.
Drake hated that Matt knew her better than he did. He still wanted Jasmine but he would wait a few days to let her cool down.Then he would try talking to her one more time.
“She’s lonely and hasn’t been treated well. If Nancy is more your type, then stick with her and leave Jasmine alone.” Matt said seriously, giving him a hard look.
“Nancy was just a casual affair and she knew it.” Drake sighed. “Jasmine is different. I felt something the day we met. We had one date but I already care about her. I know her ex was a jerk and I don’t want to hurt her, Matt. I should not have let Nancy place that kiss on me. It was so quick that I didn’t protest. I didn’t think.”
“Good,” Matt said firmly. “Jasmine cried all over me the other day when she saw you kissing that snotty bitch, um, I mean your ex. Crying scares the shit out of me. I never know what to do or say. I tried patting her on the back but she said I was going to leave bruises. Then she cried all over Tony and he looked just as scared as I felt. All of a sudden, he said he had to work the night shift. What a liar.”
Drake laughed. It was hard to picture the Smith brothers scared. He wished he had been there. He would have held her and kissed her and assured her he was only interested in knowing her.
“There are some boys fighting by the Ferris Wheel,” A lady with two small children complained. “Their language is horrible.”
Drake nodded and assured her they would break it up. He and Matt headed that way and broke up a fight between two teen boys fighting over a girl who looked scared of both of them. Matt lectured them until they left. The girl was comforted by her friends and the crisis was over. Oh, the joy of working the carnival, Drake thought. He spotted Sam with his wife and kids. He wasn’t going to talk to the traitor but Matt stopped and asked the kids if they were having fun. They had wide smiles and nodded.
Matt’s phone rang and they stopped so he could answer it.
“Hello,” he said and his eyebrows crinkled downward. Whatever the caller was saying was not good news. “I see. I will be right there, John. Sit her ass down and tell her she’d better be there when I arrive.”
“Who was that?” Drake asked with curiosity.
“John Daniels.”
“The owner of The Red Barn?” Drake asked.
“I know where Jasmine is.” Matt looked angry.
“At the bar?” Drake already knew the answer, having overheard part of Matt’s conversation. “Is she okay? Is she hurt?”
“Apparently Jasmine, Alicia Garcia, and Holly Davis are drunk and caused a huge fight. John called me because Jasmine told him I’m her brother.”
Drake laughed and shook his head. “He called you because he is afraid Noah and Ray will freak out on him and shut him down. Alicia is giving Ray gray hair.”
“She is a wild one,” Matt agreed. “I need to head over there and collect some drunk girls. They will get the sharp edge of my tongue, that’s for sure. Should I inform Noah?”
“Not yet. Tonight was his first night off and he wanted to relax with his wife. I’ll go with you and we’ll see how bad the damage is. Alicia can fight, especially when she gets all riled up over something.”
They walked the few blocks to the bar and went inside.
Drake spotted a grim-looking John and a scared, pale cowboy sitting at a table. He looked for Jasmine and spotted her holding a rag to her nose. She was sitting with the girls at a separate table with a bouncer standing next to them. He immediately became concerned. He walked up to her. “What the hell, Jasmine? Who hit you?”
“Someone hit you? I’ll kill him,” Matt yelled, looking around. He pointed to the cowboy. “Was it you?”
The man looked like he was going to faint. He slung down in his chair at the irate look on Matt’s face. “It was an accident. I didn’t mean to. And I had no idea she was your sister, Deputy Smith. I never would have touched her.”
“How do you accidently hit a woman in the nose?” Drake said coldly, picking him up by his collar. “Why did you touch her in the first place?”