“Chicken or beef?” she asked, when they approached the barbecue line.

“Any,” he said. “Any and all.”

“All right, we’ll fill your plate with meats.”

He smiled and right then she didn’t really care about impact and other deep things like that. Because Eli was smiling right at her, and that meant a hell of a lot.

“What about you?” he asked.

“I want steak, and I hear it’s fantastic because it’s Garrett beef. And I want copious amounts of potato salad because who doesn’t love a mayonnaise and starch party in their mouth?”

“Well, you obviously do,” he said.

She smiled at him, then had to look away to avoid kissing him. She noticed that Alison was at her pie booth, looking harassed and serving pieces of pie onto plates as quickly as possible. Then she noticed that Jared was standing right next to her, his large arms folded over his chest, looking every inch the threatening, Neanderthal jackass he was.

“Uh-oh,” she said, “I think we might have a problem.”

Eli frowned, then followed her line of sight over to the pie booth. “Oh. That asshole.”

“Yeah.”

A muscle in Eli’s jaw ticked. “I’m feeling pretty short on patience with him.”

“I know. But I do understand that there’s...” Suddenly Eli was moving out of line and heading toward the booth. “Oh,” she said, hurrying after him.

Jared was leaning in near Alison, saying something, and Alison was looking increasingly distressed. And Eli was starting to walk faster.

“Do we have a problem here?” Eli asked.

Jared was a big guy, and scary enough if you were a woman. But Eli stood about four inches taller and had to outweigh him by thirty pounds of pure muscle. Even without the badge and the gun, Eli was an intimidating sight.

In many ways he was more terrifying without the uniform than he was with it on. Because in the uniform, you could see his boundaries. Clearly. Deputy Garrett was a lawman. He was a man who would see justice done in accordance with the legal system.

Right now in his cowboy hat, tight black T-shirt and jeans he looked more likely to dispense a different kind of justice entirely.

And she didn’t really know what he might do.

And that was funny because he was predictable and good. Except...except he wasn’t all that predictable, not really. When they were in bed, he was a different man, a dangerous man.

When they were together he was something a lot more authentic.

Just now, as he was standing there ready to do God knew what, she realized that the man he was in bed wasn’t an anomaly. It was him.

“No problem, Deputy Garrett,” Jared said, not drunk today, just hella mean, apparently. “Just talking to my wife.” Alison’s shoulders shrunk in when he said the word. “That’s not a problem, is it?”

“It depends on what words were being used.”

“Eli...” Alison said. “It’s okay...”

“You on a first-name basis with him?” Jared asked, his tone hard. “Is that why he always seems so worried about you? Are you sleeping with him, you stupid whore?”

And that was when Eli moved.

He leaned in and grabbed Jared by the back of his neck at the same time he brought his fist in to meet the other man’s nose. Then he shoved him downward, bending him at the waist while he brought his knee up into Jared’s stomach.

Before stepping back and letting the other man fall to the ground at his feet.

People were looking now, craning their necks, wide-eyed. Sadie just stood frozen, almost unable to believe that Eli had done it. And yet, at the same time...she wasn’t shocked. No, she wasn’t shocked at all.

But she was proud.

“I don’t take kindly to the words bitch and whore,” Eli said, keeping his voice low so that the families nearby couldn’t hear him. “Especially not when you’re talking to your wife. Now stand the fuck up.” He gripped the back of Jared’s neck and brought him to his feet. “You want to hit someone, why don’t you hit me? Or is it not as much fun to go toe-to-toe with someone who outweighs you? I’ll bet you’re okay with hitting women. But that’s not going to play today, so why don’t you go ahead and hit me instead?”

Jared spat and blood dribbled down his chin. He wiped it with the back of his hand. “You prick,” he said, his eyes blazing.

“Yep,” Eli said, “and let me tell you something, this prick is not on duty today. Today, I’m just the owner of this property, and you’re the bottom-feeder who isn’t welcome on it. You’re not welcome in my town, either, but there’s nothing I can do about that. But I’ll tell you this. I’m going to be looking for you to make a mistake. And then I’ll lock your ass up. You put one finger out of line?” He gestured to Alison. “You touch her again? I will see that you stay in a jail cell for a very, very long time. So step carefully. And right now? Step. The hell. Off my property.”

Jared stumbled forward and headed away from the stand. Then he turned to Eli, shouting obscenities that all ran together in a blur, before he stopped, like he intended to come back. Until Connor walked into view, from the direction of the main house.

He wrapped his hand around the back of Jared’s neck, holding him steady. Eli was pretty big. Eli was threatening. But bearded Connor, who was broad and thick, every bit of him heavily muscled and with rage pouring off him, was terrifying. “I think my brother asked you to go,” he said. If Eli hadn’t been deterrent enough, Connor was there for backup.

Jared looked back at Eli one more time before turning and walking away, spitting profanities as he went.

Connor moved forward and joined the group. “Well, what an asshole. Sorry.” He directed the apology to Alison, who was wide-eyed and shaking. “But seriously.”

“Are you okay?” Sadie asked Alison.

Alison nodded, then shook her head, closing her eyes. “I don’t know.”

“Fair enough,” Sadie said.

“I’m embarrassed. I’m so embarrassed that I’m still married to him,” she said, her voice breaking. “But it’s...”

“I know,” Sadie said. “And trust me, I have spoken to a lot of women who’ve dealt with this, professionally. And unprofessionally...my mother has never left, Alison. She’s stayed and stayed. For more than thirty years. I’ve seen what it does to someone. I’ve seen what they can make you think about yourself. But you have to know, whatever he’s said, it’s a lie.”

She nodded. “I know. I do.”

“Please don’t go back to him. Don’t go home tonight.”

Connor shifted his stance. “Especially don’t go home tonight. He’s a coward with us, and that means he’ll take it out on you.”

“Is there somewhere you can go?” Eli asked.

She nodded. “My...my mom and dad live in Tolowa. I can go there. Not sure what they’ll think when I show up, since I don’t really... I’ve been so embarrassed.”

“You can call them if you like,” Sadie said.

Alison shook her head. “Right now? I just want to serve pie. Because that’s what I’m here for. And now that... I have a feeling I’m going to need this. This business. The pie.”