Tough Justice (Rough Ride Security #2)

Chapter 1

Soft pink edged the clouds still blanketing the early morning sky.

Duke Pierson stood on the back deck of the small house he’d recently purchased on the outskirts of Hillmore, Wyoming.

Steam curled into the cool, December air as he sipped coffee from his favorite mug.

He stared at the outline of the mountains and waited for the sun to break through to start the day.

Luck wasn’t something that was normally on his side, but he’d landed in a shit ton of it when he’d acted on impulse and shown up in his old buddy’s hometown months before. He’d found friends, community, and a place to lay down roots.

Not to mention a new job that didn’t toss him around, injuring his body the way riding a bull once had.

Life was good, and each morning brought a tiny burst of excitement in the pit of his stomach Duke never thought he’d experience again.

Not after the chaos that had followed him for far too long.

Pushing that stray thought from his mind, he refocused on the mountains. The hills and valleys of the land sprawling behind his home were so different than where he’d grown up in Texas.

His phone rang, breaking into his reverie. A quick glance at the screen brought a smile to his lips. “Hey, Heather. I was just thinking of home. Must have sensed it or something and had to check in on me.” Not like he was surprised. He and his youngest sister always had a special connection.

“Must have,” she said, humor lacing her voice. “How ya doing this fine morning?”

The hint of amusement in her words set him on high alert. “I’m good. Just starting my day on the deck with some coffee before heading to work.”

“You’re part owner in that fancy security company. Do you have to be there at a certain time, or do you make your own hours?”

He couldn’t help but snort out a laugh. “Fancy wouldn’t be the word I’d use to describe Rough Ride Security. Lane and I are mostly installing security systems or following old men who’ve pissed off their wives. We’ve gotten into some private investigating, but that’s been slow going.”

“Doesn’t sound like the life of excitement you wanted.”

Leaning against the wooden rail, he set down his mug and refocused on the view. “You know, I think all that time I was searching for something I couldn’t find. Or hell, maybe running from something I didn’t want to find me. But here, everything’s kind of clicking into place. I feel at peace.”

An image of his buddy’s sister came to mind—something that happened more often than he cared to admit. Suzy Tipton was warm and kind, beautiful without trying too hard, and had a mind that worked faster than a train barreling down the tracks.

She was everything he’d ever dreamed about, but after getting into business with her brother, he’d put her in the don’t look, don’t touch, don’t even think about it part of his brain.

His friendship with Lane was fragile enough.

Dating his sister would only add another complicated layer he couldn’t afford.

“Well,” Heather said, cutting into his thoughts. “I think that’s about to change.”

He frowned, uneasiness creeping along his gut like a handful of spiders. “You know I hate it when you’re cryptic like this. What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know,” she said in a sing-songy way that reminded him of their childhood.

When she was about to sucker punch him with some random shit that always knocked him off balance.

The distant sound of crunching gravel straightened his spine. “I think someone’s here. I’ll call you right back.”

“Okay. Talk soon.”

Shoving his phone back in the pocket of his jeans, he walked down the steps and rounded the side of his house. The dark wood of the little cabin matched the tips of his old cowboy boots. Frost coated the grass and spread over the mulch in the otherwise empty flowerbed.

Once spring hit, he’d plant some bulbs and bring more color to the blank canvass. Maybe find some perennials so he could have more than brown on brown for most of fall and winter. But the outside was low on his list or priorities.

Although technically turn-key, as soon as the sale went through, he’d gotten his hands dirty to turn the simple structure into the house he’d always wanted.

Small, sectioned off rooms transformed into wide open space and a drab all-cream color palette was interrupted with deep shades of blues and greens to add depth and character that was one hundred percent him.

A car door slammed closed, hurrying him around the side of the house.

He didn’t usually get visitors beyond Lane and his fiancé Celine, and Suzy—all who he’d see later that day.

Hell, he still didn’t know most of the people in town.

Yeah, he’d smile and wave and offer small talk, but that was different than making friends.

Something he was sure would happen the longer he was there.

At the front of the house, he spotted a silver sedan parked in the driveway. A petite woman with long, dark blond hair stepped out of the car. She hooked an elbow on the top of the open driver’s side door and stared at the cabin with a wide, toothy smile.

A slow grin grew on his face and excitement had his feet flying over the distance between him and his sister. “Heather? What in the world are you doing here?”

Facing him, she stretched her arms above her head in dramatic fashion. “Hopefully getting a break from that long-ass drive. You just had to move fifteen hours away from home, didn’t you? Couldn’t make it easy to get to you.”

Her words hit at the truth of what had brought him to Wyoming in the first place, but that was a story he never planned to share.

Instead, he scooped her close and gave her a giant hug before stepping back and smiling down at her.

“Doesn’t look like it was too tough. I mean, you look kind of tired, I guess. But that’s not new.”

She slapped his arm. “Always the charmer. Are you going to invite me inside, or what?”

“Bring a bag?”

“Yep, in the back seat.”

He plucked out the baby blue suitcase then swept an arm toward the narrow porch. “After you. It’s unlocked so you can go on in.”

Inhaling a deep breath, she took another glance around before heading for the house. “It really is beautiful here. My gut tells me you picked a good place—even if it is too far.”

He followed her inside and hoped she was right. He’d escaped to Hillmore when his back had been shoved against a wall, but now he never wanted to leave. And if he hadn’t picked a spot far enough away from his troubles, he’d run again.

Suzy Tipton sat behind the desk in her new office at her old house.

Life was a wild ride. If anyone told her the year before that her brother would sweep back into town and transform his inheritance into a new business where she’d end up as his secretary, she’d have laughed so hard she might pee a little.

But here she was, sitting in the office her dad once occupied, in a house filled with more bad memories than the one from Amityville, working away at a new job she loved.

Not like walking away from her position as a teller at the local bank had been difficult. Bad pay, bad hours, bad boss. Lane’s job offer gave her a better income and benefits, as well as an opportunity to see her handsome nephew all the time.

Then there was Duke.

Tiny burst of excitement tiptoed in her stomach. A now-familiar sensation anytime her brother’s business partner came around. Heck, anytime she thought of him. His sharp jawline that could cut through glass, short-cropped sandy blond hair that was usually covered with his trusty cowboy hat.

As a thirty-year-old woman born and raised in Wyoming, cowboys sporting the hat and boots were a dime a dozen. But on Duke…. well, nothing about him was for show or pretend. The authentic cowboy look on him was enough to drive a girl crazy.

Enough to drive her crazy.

The door to the office swung open, and Lane strolled in with his son on his hip.

Parker rested his head on Lane’s shoulder, his thumb tucked into his mouth.

Suzy jumped to her feet and wiggled her arms in a come-here motion. “Come to Auntie Suzy,” she cooed and gathered the little boy into her arms.

At close to a year old, Parker was the spitting image of his father.

All big brown eyes and dark hair. His cheeks were chubby and kissable—something he didn’t have in common with his father—and his curiosity usually kept him toddling all over the house looking for mischief.

It wasn’t often he wanted to sit still and cuddle, and she’d take advantage of every second of it that she could.

Parker nuzzled his face against her neck, and her ovaries did a little somersault.

“Duke not here yet?” Lane stalked to his desk on the opposite end of the room and settled into the new leather chair.

Heck, everything in the office was new except the built in shelves, which had been painted a dove gray and brought a whole new energy to the room.

Once toxic and angry, the energy now was light and calm.

The mixture of masculine lines in the furniture with soft blue on the walls and Parker-friendly accessories scattered on the cozy rug created a warmth found nowhere in the house until now.

Lane and Celine’s combined effort to turn a house of misery into a home was a testament to the kind of relationship Suzy dreamt of. One that seemed so far beyond her reach she’d have to be content with the life of spinster aunt.

Lane cleared his throat, chasing her head from the clouds.

“Nope. He’s not here, and I haven’t heard from him.” She hated the dip of disappointment pulling at her stomach. She wasn’t his keeper, and there was no reason for him to check in with her about his daily schedule. “I figured he had a job to see to this morning or something that I wasn’t aware of.”

Lane snorted. “There’s nothing that goes on here that you aren’t aware of. Trust me, hiring you was the best decision I ever made.”

With her eyebrows raised high, she rubbed the tip of her nose against Parker’s. “Maybe the second best.”

Another snort from Lane brought a smile to her lips.

“Where’s Celine this morning?” she asked, carrying Parker to the rocking chair in the corner and sitting.

He rested his head on her shoulder and sighed.

“She’s helping at the restaurant for the morning shift. Already took off. Something about doing inventory with Tia before the place opens.”

“It’s nice she can go in and work when she wants while helping you and taking care of Parker.” She held the little one close. His breathing evened out and body grew heavier. She winced. “I think he fell back asleep.”

“No problem. You can lay him back in his bed if you want.”

“You’ll have to pry this baby out of my cold, dead hands before I willingly put him down.”

“You’ll change your mind when you have to lug him around all day. He’s getting big.” Pride beamed from Lane’s brown eyes.

A tap at the open door drew her attention. Duke stood in the doorway, his tan cowboy hat in his hands and his hair disheveled in a charming way that made her want to run her fingers through the thick strands.

“Morning,” he said. “Hope you don’t mind, but I brought someone for y’all to meet.”

A petite woman with long, light hair and big green eyes sidestepped Duke and entered the room with a large grin. She waved, her slim shoulders practically vibrating with anticipation. “Hey, guys. I’m Heather. It’s so nice to meet you.”

The other woman’s subtle southern drawl was just as adorable as the rest of her, causing a wave of jealousy to rise hot and quick like hellfire. A large pit formed in Suzy’s stomach, and she forced a tight smile on her face. This was ridiculous. She had no claim on Duke—never had.

But that didn’t stop the stab of disappointment as Duke wrapped an arm around Heather’s shoulders and pulled her in for a quick side hug.

Nope, she didn’t like this Heather one bit. Now she just had to figure out how to excuse herself and scream into a pillow or something. Duke being taken off the market might hurt like a bitch, but no way in hell she’d let him or anyone else know it.