Chapter 16
Kade
I was standing on the front porch, searching the horizon for Leah, when the sheriff’s car pulled up. It was in the contract that there would be periodic check-ins. I hadn’t studied every line the way Leah insinuated, but I did know what was in it, mostly due to my lawyer’s diligence.
Now here was Paul, on the one night that I had no fucking idea where Leah was. Luckily for everyone, mostly Leah, I’d had more than a few late nights with Paul before he joined the police force.
He got out of the car, leading with a friendly smile and nod.
“Hey, Paul, what can I do for you?”
“Sorry to bother you so late, but I have to do a check-in.” He shrugged.
“Leah’s still out working. Had a problem in the back pasture. I’d give her a call and tell her to head back, but she doesn’t have a phone. She’s quite a good worker. Won’t quit until the job is done.”
He nodded, as if that were all perfectly understandable. He also looked around as if he were at a loss for what to do now that his quick check-in wasn’t working out so neatly.
“Can I get you a drink while you wait? I’ve got a really nice whiskey that just came in—a Macallan 1979.”
Paul’s eyes lit up like a true whiskey connoisseur’s. Then his hands went to his hips as he looked about and back at his car, as if he weren’t sure what to do with himself. “I’d love to, but I can’t drink on the job.”
He stared at me, as if I were the one who should tell him what to do.
“Hang on a second,” I said, deciding I was going to help us both out of this little predicament.
I walked into the house and grabbed the bottle. I’d been trying to get my hands on one of these for months, thinking I’d crack it open for a special occasion or a rough day. Keeping Leah out of prison appeared to be that moment. This was going to hurt. The bottle had cost me twenty grand and I hadn’t even taken a whiff of it.
I walked back to Paul, handing it over. “Here, take it for all the hard work you guys do. You can have a drink after your shift with the guys.”
“You sure?” He took the bottle like it was a newborn baby.
“Not a problem. I’ve got another one.” I waved it off like it was chump change, but it hurt like handing over my kidney.
I didn’t actually have another one, but I would as soon as I could track one down. They weren’t that easy to come by.
“How’s the wife?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Let’s just say I’m booking a lot of overtime,” he said, and then laughed.
I’d known his wife for a while, too. Everyone knew what he’d been getting into, and more than one had tried to talk him out of it. Thinking about that woman made letting go of that whiskey slightly easier. If anyone needed it, it was him.
“You know, I’ll just check off that I saw her,” Paul said, still examining his bottle. “If you say it’s all good, your word is enough for me.”
I spotted two dots on the horizon riding toward the garages.
“No need. Looks like they’re on their way back.”
“Oh, well, that’s great. Can check that box and won’t have to even lie about it. I won’t need to come by until next month” He coughed repeatedly, and it sounded like he said, “Last Tuesday of the month.”
I nodded. “Appreciate that.”
“Well, I can see her fine enough from here. See you around,” Paul said, carrying his bottle back to his car and taking off like he thought I’d ask for it back.
His tires were still crunching the gravel when I headed toward the garage where the ATVs had just disappeared. Alec and Leah came strolling out before I closed the distance, smiling and laughing. Her hair was tousled like they’d been having a damned good time.
Alec rolled his eyes as soon as he saw me coming, as if he were going to have to listen to me. He’d be lucky if that was all he got.
“Where the fuck have you two been? I lied for your ass and you’re out rolling in the bushes with my brother?”
Leah’s eyes flashed with murder and heat, and the fact that she’d just been fucking around with my brother did not do one thing to stop me from wanting to grab her and pin her beneath me. It might’ve made the urges worse—I wanted to fuck the memory of him out of her mind until not only could she not think straight, but couldn’t walk straight either.
“Yeah, because I’m a whore, right?” she threw at me. “A felon, a whore, and a liar.”
“You’re out of line,” Alec said, stepping forward.
“Stay out of this. You’re causing enough issues,” I said, pointing at him.
“You’re being a bigger dick than I knew you could be,” he said.
“I am? I’m the one who saved her ass from going to prison. I didn’t see you stepping up to the plate,” I said, closing the gap between us.
“Alec, I’ve got this.” Leah stepped in between us, laying a hand on Alec’s chest.
It was all I could do to not grab it and rip it off him.
Alec shook his head. “I?—”
“Please, I can handle it,” she said.
Alec threw up his hands and backed away toward the house. “Thank God someone can.”
“What the hell is your issue?” she said, spinning back to me, ready to defend Alec .
As I looked at her, all I could think was, had he touched her? Had she enjoyed it? Did she want him now?
“My issue? While you were off with Alec, I was pretending to know where you were to the police who came by to do their check. You do realize I’m supposed to know where you are at all times, right?”
Her lips parted and her eyes flicked to the drive, where the car had just been. “That was…”
I could see her color fade. Her shoulders were rising and falling rapidly and there was a tiny tremble in her lower lip. She wrapped her arms around herself as she stared, as if terrified Paul would come back.
And damned if all I wanted to do was put her mind at ease.
“It was a deputy from the sheriff’s office. It’s fine. I handled it,” I said. “But you don’t get to go off with my brother and disappear whenever you want. I’m responsible for you. I need to know where you are every day for the next year. No exceptions. You can’t take off and not let someone know.”
She nodded, but her chin was up and her glare was hard. “I didn’t mean to put you in a spot where you had to cover for me. For that, I’m sorry. But that’s the only thing. Now I’m done speaking to you for tonight. I’m going to go take a shower at Missy’s . If you feel some urge to yell some more, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
She turned and walked off while I stood watching. I let her go. I had to because I was barely restraining myself, and if it went any further, I wasn’t sure where it would lead.
I walked back to the house, wanting to be alone, but Alec was sitting on the couch, having a drink with his boots kicked up on my table.
His hands immediately went up. “I didn’t fuck her. I didn’t even kiss her. Not that you wouldn’t have deserved it. You’re acting like an unhinged lunatic.”
That was the only thing he could’ve said that kept me from beating his ass. Of all Alec’s flaws, he typically opted for the truth unless it would result in criminal charges or a divorce.
“Where the hell were you and what were you doing, then?”
“We went to the ridge. If I hadn’t been fucking with you on purpose, I might be annoyed with you right now.” He lifted his glass, toasting me.
“You did this on purpose?” How could I love him and hate him so much at the same time? “I had to lie to the deputy to save her ass.”
He scoffed. “Please, we’ve both lied to Barney Fife more times than I can remember. We used to consider it a sport. Now you’re saying that was a problem?”
Easy for him to blow it off as nothing. He wasn’t the one who’d felt like he’d taken a throat punch when that car pulled up. There was a limit, even with Paul. “What if he caught her doing something?”
“He would’ve pretended not to and we both know it. You’re only pissed because you couldn’t find her and you think I banged her in the bushes. Which I didn’t , because I wouldn’t do that.”
“Then what exactly were you doing?”
“Our conversation the other day got stuck in my head. I was trying to diagnose how bad you really have it. Unfortunately for you, I might’ve misjudged the situation.” He took another sip and settled down a little farther into the couch. “I think you’ve taken a lethal shot from Cupid’s bow, and I’m not confident you’re going to make it.”
“So you’re swearing you didn’t touch her at all?” Slowly, my heartbeat settled down. Still, I headed for the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. I poured myself a generous glass and downed it in one go, feeling the burn settle deep in my chest.
“ That’s the part you heard?” he asked.
“It’s the only part I’m willing to discuss,” I said.
Alec watched me, swirling his own drink in leisurely manner.
“No McCallan?” he asked, lifting his brow. “Where you hiding that new bottle? If we’re going to drink, where’s that good stuff you said you bought?”
“Driving off with Barney.” This might actually be the only salve to losing that bottle. Alec had wanted to try it more than I had.
His jaw dropped. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“Nope. I bought him off with good whiskey,” I said as I walked over and took a seat on the couch.
Alec leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Man, that fucking sucks.”
“Also, you have to stay in the small gray room. Leah uses the bathroom in the other bedroom now.”
He gasped. “You’re shitting me. You know I hate that bed.”
“That’s unfortunate for you.” I shrugged.
“You better pour me some of that crap you didn’t give away.”
I topped off his glass and then leaned back.
He stared at me for a few seconds before he said, “In all seriousness, you’ve got to figure this shit out. If you keep acting like an ass, once this year’s up, she’s going to walk out of here and never look back.”
I didn’t respond at all. I couldn’t. My chest felt too tight to speak.