Louise’s husband stood toe-to-toe with her, nearly eye level with her heels. His eyes slid down her body and stopped on the way back up at her breasts. “Well, if it isn’t Dakota Laurens.”

Dakota might wanna take notes on how it felt to be violated with a look, and not in a good way.

“Hello Tommy.”

“Mmm, mmm. You don’t look all preggers.” He moved a little too close and Dakota stepped back.

“How is your wife? Haven’t seen her since I first came back.” The gossip girl had seen her, spread the news, and disappeared.

Tommy waved a hand, his glassy eyes indicated the amount he’d had to drink. “She’s around here somewhere. You always were damn sexy, Dakota.”

“You’re married, Tommy.”

“And you’re not.” He had the nerve to reach out and run his hand over her arm before grasping it in a tight hold.

She pulled away, had to put some muscle in it to dislodge his fingers.

“You always were a prick. I see nothing has changed.”

He offered a grin. “Feisty. Nothing like a girl with a little fight in her.”

“Touch me again, and you’ll see just how much fight I have in me.”

He reached for her a second time only to have his hand gripped by someone standing behind her.

Walt pushed her aside.

The people standing around them grew quiet and stood back. “The lady said to back off.”

“Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m the man who is going to wipe that smile off your face if you don’t walk away.”

Tommy stood taller, looked around, and pulled his arm from Walt’s grip.

Just when the tension started to fade, Walt turned to her. “You OK?”

“I’m fine.”

“So,” Tommy said over the crowd. “You’re the one she spreads for.”

One minute Walt was beside her, the next he was swinging a fist and connecting it to Tommy’s face with a sound crack.

Dakota was sure she screamed as Tommy came back with the same force.

Someone shoved her away as men jumped in to separate them. The fight didn’t break up until several punches were thrown.

Louise, dressed as Marie Antoinette, ran to her husband’s side, turned to Walt, and then noticed Dakota standing there. “What’s goin’ on?”

Dakota moved next to Walt, ran a hand over his red jaw.

“That bastard just up and hit me,” Tommy said.

Dakota sent what she hoped was a deadly look. “You’re a piece of shit, Tommy. Next time you wanna try and score with another woman, make sure she doesn’t know your wife.”

“What are you saying?” Louise yelled over the voices in the crowd.

“Let’s go, Dakota.” Walt wrapped an arm around her waist.

Dakota couldn’t remember being this pissed. She didn’t move, just glared at someone she once called her friend. “I’m saying you’re married to a two-timing asshat that couldn’t spell the word monogamy, let alone practice it.”

Sure enough, one look at Tommy’s face while he was trying to process her insult proved the man wasn’t smart enough to be offended.

Dakota let Walt guide her away.

Behind them, she heard Louise shout, “At least I’m married.”

Dakota lifted one finger and waved it.

Sis, Billy, Carol Ann, and Kevin met them in the parking lot. “And here I thought Dakota was the one to watch out for,” Billy said. “Nice right hook there, Doctor.”

Walt shook out his right hand, flexed his fingers. When she caught his gaze, she noticed the dark shade covering his normal warmth inside his eyes.

Dakota took Walt’s hand in hers and examined his knuckles. “Ouch.”

“I’ve wanted to punch that man for years,” Kevin said.

“Did he really hit on you?” Sis asked.

Dakota ran a hand over where he’d grabbed her and looked down. Sure enough, his grimy fingers left a mark. Walt brushed her hand away. “He did this?”

She started to nod and Walt turned back to the bar.

Kevin and Billy stopped him.

Dakota rushed in front of Walt, placed both palms against his chest. “Let it go, Doc. He’s not worth it.”

“No one hurts you. Not while I’m breathing.”

There wasn’t much more he could say that could have been better. “I appreciate your chivalry more than you know. But one bar fight a night is my limit.”

Thirty minutes later, Dakota was placing an ice bag over Walt’s hand in the suite at the hotel. “You might have to take up kickboxing, Doc. This hand isn’t going to be of much use in the ER if you keep bashing in faces.”

“He deserved it.”

“No argument there.”

“I don’t like how he looked at you, Dakota.”

She shrugged. “Men look. It’s in your nature.”

“He said some ugly things.”

“He’s an ugly person.”

Walt stopped her hands as they brushed over his, forced her eyes to focus on him. “Maybe we should get married.”

A small part of her wanted to jump on his suggestion, but her head kept her from following her heart. “The words maybe and married shouldn’t be in the same sentence.”

“Fine. Let’s get married.”

She loved that he was so willing to jump in the fire, make decisions based on what he thought she needed. “Walt,” she said with a sigh. “There will be more Tommy No-Nuts out there spewing crap to cover up their own. We’re too smart and too determined to make the right decisions to let people like him have any effect on us.”