Free In Too Deep by Tracey Alvarez Page B

beefy neck crackled
as swung his head to the side. “Piss off, Piper. This doesn’t
concern you.”
    “ You’re annoying my friend. That
makes it my concern.”
    His lips pulled back in a sneer.
“You don’t have any friends. And I’m in the middle of inviting
Kezia out for a drink.”
    Oban’s newest primary school
teacher may’ve look sweeter than a sprinkle-covered cupcake, but
Gav risked his family jewels if the daggers shooting from Kezia’s
gaze were an indication. But Piper wouldn’t risk his temper turning
physical on the smaller woman.
    “ Sounds like she’s not interested
in what you’ve got to offer.” Piper affected a bored note to her
voice and dropped her gaze down to the crotch of Gav’s jeans. A big
guy like him wouldn’t like the size of his tackle called into
disrepute.
    Gavin’s chest expanded like a
puffer fish and he finally removed his hands from the wall and
turned to face her. “She’s interested all right. She’s just playing
hard to get.”
    Kezia ducked around him and stood
at Piper’s side. “ She isn’t playing hard to get and she thinks you’re a complete butthead.”
    “ I’ll second that assessment.”
Piper eased herself in front of Kezia, who’d be out of the line of
fire should Gav do anything foolish. “Now, are you leaving, or do I
need to go get a toilet brush?”
    His thick neck flushed a
coronary-inducing shade of lobster.
    Maybe she’d pushed him too far.
Then she remembered the sour stench of his breath and the stubby
fingers squeezing her breast. Piper braced her feet and bared her
teeth.
    Bring it, butthead.
    But like the blustery drunks she
came in contact with on a daily basis, Gavin backed down once his
bullying tactics failed to get him his desired result. “Stuck up
bitches, the both of you.” He stormed past and slammed the door
open to the pub.
    Kezia sagged against her, shaking.
Piper slipped an arm around the smaller woman’s shoulder and gave
her a one-armed hug. “You okay? Tell me he hasn’t tried something
like this before.”
    She shook her head. “He’s asked me
out a few times and I’ve turned him down. He was more persistent
today.”
    “ Maybe you need to get Glenn
involved.”
    “ Glenn left years ago, so they
tell me. Noah Daniels is the island’s cop now and I don’t think
it’s serious enough to call him.” Kezia smiled, but her lips gave a
telltale tremble.
    “ You should give West a
heads-up—”
    “ Oh no—no!” Her curls danced
wildly across her shoulders. “West has already told Gav to quit
pestering me. If he finds out he’s done it again he’ll ban him from
the pub—then Gav’ll stir up more bad blood in the community. I’m
pretty sure he’ll leave me alone now.”
    Piper didn’t believe it, but
arguing seemed pointless. She studied Kezia’s prettily flushed face
and her chest that still heaved from delayed shock. Ms. Teacher had
quite a pair of boobs on her and she didn’t doubt West had noticed.
No wonder he’d been keen to jump to her defense. “Up to
you.”
    They looked at each other until
Piper swallowed back a sigh, Gav’s accusations and thinking of
little Zoe with cancer tightening a compressing band around her
chest. “I’ve heard you’re a widow, but Zoe’s got
cancer?”
    “ Not anymore. She’s in remission.
I try to remind her that not everybody needs to know her medical
history, but you’ve probably noticed that my girl loves to
talk.”
    “ Yeah, and I could tell right away
Zoe’s a tough cookie, too.”
    “ She’s had to be—dealing with
leukemia and missing the love of her grandparents because they
thought me a gold-digging bitch—” Kezia broke off, shoving shaky
fingers under her armpits and hugging herself. “Sorry, I’m ranting.
I don’t usually dump my life story on people within minutes of
meeting them. Gav’s rattled me a little more than I
thought.”
    “ It’s okay. I’m very
dumpable.”
    “ Thanks.”
    “ My only regret is I should’ve
rattled