Harvest Moon (Jordan-Alexander Family 2)
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A small crowd had gathered outside David’s office. He paid them no heed as he left to begin his search. He was too intent on finding Lee Kincaid.
He found his old friend in the hotel bar, waiting.
“What the devil do you think you’re doing?” David demanded, tapping Lee on the shoulder.
Lee read the furious expression on his friend’s face and decided to push him a bit more. “I’m having a glass of Irish whiskey to celebrate my forthcoming nuptials.” He held up his glass. “To Tessa Roarke. She’ll make a lovely bride!”
David raised his fist.
Lee saw the punch coming a second before he felt it.
He rocked backward and fell off the barstool. “Damn it, David! I think you broke it!” Gingerly he touched his nose. His fingers came away bloody.
“Good!” David stood over him, feeling supremely satisfied. “Mary’ll be happy!” But David’s moment of glory was brief.
“What’s she got to do with it? I thought we were fighting o
ver Tessa.” Lee came up swinging.
The punch to his midsection sent David reeling out the front door. He landed on the boardwalk. Lee bolted after him.
“We are!” David picked himself up, turned, and swung wildly.
Lee ducked. “Missed me!” he taunted.
David swung again and connected with Lee’s jaw.
“Damn!” Lee swung back. “That hurt!”
David raised an arm, blocking the punch. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, asking Tessa to marry you?” He swung a left.
“What’s it matter to you?” Lee panted. He ducked again, but this time he rammed his head into David’s stomach. “You never said you wanted to marry her.” He grabbed David’s jacket, pulling him back to head-butt him again. The coat pocket tore loose. David went sprawling backward into the muddy street.
Lee dove after him.
“Fight! Fight!” The cry broke out. The saloons and businesses along the main street emptied. Men, women, and children rushed outside to see the action. “The lawyer’s fighting the Pinkerton man!”
Upstairs in the hotel, Mary and Coalie opened a window, stuck their heads out, and yelled encouragement. “Hit him again, David!”
“Well, I do want to marry her, dammit!” David rolled over, struggled to his knees, then came up lunging for Lee.
“I hate like hell to hurt you, old buddy, but you’re so damned stubborn.” Lee shoved David backward, then followed him. “Why didn’t you say something?”
Lee swung. His right missed, but his left connected with David’s ear.
David shook his head. The ringing in his ears continued loud and clear. “I was going to.” He blocked another punch and landed one of his own. “Dammit, I can’t hear a thing!”
“David!” Mary screamed. “Look out!”
Angrier now, he walked into Lee’s fist.
“You won’t be able to see anything, either.” Lee managed a short laugh. He looked up and saw Mary and Coalie hanging out of the hotel window. “You bloodthirsty hellion, whose side are you on?” he shouted to Mary.
“Mine.” David socked Lee in the eye. “And neither will you!”
Lee staggered back a few steps. “Hell, David, I don’t want to marry Tessa. I’m only doing this for you.” He cocked his fist.