Blood ran down the side of Billy Bob's face. Sweat poured out of him like fat drops of rain. Troy knew exactly how much pressure to inflict a surface wound. The blood pooled onto the collar of Billy's white shirt.

"Have you lost your damn mind? Put that knife down, man."

Am I losing my mind? What am I doing? Troy had never experienced rage taking the controls of his very orderly life. But this man had messed with his woman. You don't mess with a man's woman.

"Dr. Sparkman," Troy corrected. His voice sounded like the harbinger of death.

"You're going to get us both killed!"

"I'd gladly die for my wife."

"What?" Billy said. He was confused. Billy tried to turn his head towards what he thought was a deranged man sitting next to him.

"Be aware of where the tip of the scalpel is, you bastard." The rage on Troy's face sent shivers down Billy's spine. His throat went completely dry. His mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to come out of this desperate situation alive.

"One wrong move, that's all it takes," Troy spat, "and you will puncture your auricular artery." Troy held the tip of the scalpel right at Billy's temple.

The wound was having the effect that Troy wanted. The arrogant, babbling player that had entered the airplane was now reduced to a terrified ball of nerves. Troy also knew exactly what type of pressure it would take to end this worthless man's life. With his skilled hands, it would simply be a flick of his wrist. 

"It would give me all the pleasure in the world to watch you bleed out."

"What the hell? Who are you?"

"I'm the man that you just insulted describing how you f___ his wife."

"What?" Panic seized Billy. He tried to glance over at Troy but the knife pricked his head, harder.

"Go ahead, turn your head a little more," Troy said lethally. "Puncture yourself and kill us both. My wife will be free."

Billy wracked his brain trying to figure out which woman he was talking about. He'd proudly given many exploits.  Billy thought he was having a 'good old boy' conversation like men have at the local joint.

The kind where bedding hordes of women was a badge of honor. The kind where they took no shame in talking about the woman with the biggest tits or sweetest ass.  Troy had been laughing right along with him to bait him—until he snatched the silver scalpel out of his medical bag, and sliced the side of his face.

Billy's mind retraced every word he'd said. Then he remembered the exact words that caused the tip of the knife to divide his skin. He began to shake. I don't even know how many children I have. Only one silly bitch didn't have nowhere to go when she got my bun in the oven. My wife was pissed, but I ruled them bitches, so she stayed with us for a while. Then had the nerve to run off and leave the child with me. Soon as he got grown I sent him back to her.

"Oh shit," Billy hyperventilated. His eyes bugged out and he turned pasty white. "Deanna... Deanna Prather is your wife!"

Troy's hand began to tremble. He wanted so bad to just push and it would all be over. The plane would plummet from the sky. One man would be dead because he nearly ruined a life. The other would be dead to give his life for the one he loved.

Troy didn't want Deanna to have to deal with Billy. Especially now that he saw what type of scum he was. "God, I want to kill you," he hissed. Troy was losing control. He felt his hand push a little harder. Billy screamed.

"Wait man, wait. You don't give a damn about dying, do you?"

"No, because I love my wife. When you love someone, you would do anything for them, even give up your own life. But you don't know shit about love."

Billy started shaking profusely. His head began to pound. "You know you're going to jail for this if we survive this ride."

"And you'll be right along with me for screwing a naïve minor. Deanna loved you. She didn't get much love growing up."

"Damn it." Billy winced. He knew people that spent years in jail for sleeping with underage women, even if it was consensual. Billy knew enough about the law to know that there was no statute of limitation on bedding a minor.  He also knew that he had dodged that bullet many times.  "Alright, alright. What the hell do you want?"

"I will arrange a time for you to see my wife. You will hear everything that she has to say. You won't say a word until she is finished. At that time, you will profusely apologize for being a miserable piece of shit. You will tell her that you are glad that you sent Aiden to her, because you knew she was the better parent."

Billy smirked. "You're crazy as hell."

"Love makes you crazy.  Agreed?"

"Seeing that I don't want to go to jail, yeah."

***

Troy got back to the inn just as the sun was setting. He was totally cool and composed when he opened the door. Deanna was sitting on the bed watching television when he came in.  She bounced off the bed and ran into his arms.

"Where've you been? Nanna said you have a surprise for me."

Troy laughed. He always loved her childlike enthusiasm that often surfaced in their happier times. Troy held Deanna so tight. The feel of her in his arms and that delightful look she had on her face was all that he needed to rebound from the havoc of the day. It suddenly vanished as soon as their bodies touched.

"I do, Deanna. I went to a real estate company and bought a property. I thought you'd like to have a little cabin, just in case you wanted to be near Aiden when he comes to Ellijay."

"Oh, Troy, thank you." She kissed his face a thousand times. "I can't wait to see it."

"I took an aerial view of the property." His mind shifted to his deadly encounter with Billy Bob. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He had no idea he could become that type of man. Now, he understood patients that had come into the hospital injured after shooting someone, saying that they'd snapped.

I just wanted to talk to him in a place he couldn't escape. I can't believe I almost killed a man. A feeling of dread washed over him, thinking of how one move of his hand could have sent them both into eternity. He cast the thought out of his head, replacing it with the love he had for Deanna.  He embraced her even closer and nuzzled his head in her hair.

"It has one hundred and twenty acres.  It's gorgeous, darling."