Our Time (Baytown Boys Book 11)

by Maryann Jordan

  The sound of low voices caught his attention, and while he knew it was rude to eavesdrop, the temptation was great. Turning around, he could see his friend, Colby, standing just inside. He was about to throw open the door and say hello when he heard harsh words.

  “You don’t got no choice. You stick your nose where it don’t belong, then that puts you in with the rest of us. Your job right now is to shut the fuck up, say nothing to no one, and when we need you, you’re ours. Ours to control, ours to demand, ours to tell you what the fuck to do.”

  Shocked at the tone of the words as much as the cursing, Jack stood in indecision…throw open the door and confront whoever was speaking or run away. Before he had a chance to decide, the door slammed open, almost hitting him. The two older boys who walked out never noticed him in the shadows of the building. Not seeing anyone else around, he darted through the doorway, observing Colby standing to the side. His friend’s face was pale, and tears shimmered in his eyes.

  “Colby,” he called out, rushing over.

  His friend looked up in surprise, then his eyes jerked open wide as he shot his gaze around as though looking to see if someone else was nearby.

  Rushing to assure him, Jack said, “Nobody’s here. They all left.”

  Eyes even wider, Colby asked, “You saw them?”

  “I heard part of it. What was going on?”

  Continuing to shake his head back and forth, Colby said, “You shouldn’t have heard. I can’t tell you.”

  Jack stepped closer, carefully observing his friend, paying attention to things he never noticed. A sheen of sweat covered Colby’s face. The skin underneath his eyes appeared darker, something he knew his mom used makeup to cover up when she did not have a good night’s sleep. Colby’s eyes continued to dart around as though searching for someone or searching to see if they were alone.

  “Colby, if there’s something going on, you can tell me. You can talk to me.”

  His voice hoarse, Colby replied, “I can’t, Jack.”

  “Are they being mean to you? Are they picking on you?”

  Colby jerked his head back and forth. “No. They’re friends of mine.”

  “Friends?” Jack asked, his voice rising. “You and I are friends. Since when are you friends with Billy Nieman and John Roster? And since when do friends talk to other friends that way?”

  Walking back a step, Colby asked, “You heard?”

  Stepping forward, lowering his voice, Jack replied, “I heard enough to know that they were telling you to keep your mouth shut. What I want to know is if you’re in trouble, why won’t you talk to me?”

  Colby’s eyes glazed over as he looked to the side. His voice barely above a whisper, he said, “Jack, you don’t know. You don’t know what it’s like to be scared.”

  “You do know who my dad is, right? Well, sorta like my dad. Sheriff Hudson? If anyone can help you, it’s him. If you want to talk to him, we can give him a call right now. If those guys are trying to get you in trouble, you need to tell someone.”

  A car pulled into the parking lot, and both boys turned to look out the window in the door. Jack noticed it was Colby’s mom. Putting his hand on his friend’s arm, he said, “Please, let me help.”

  Colby’s gaze dropped to the hand on his arm, then pulled away. “Nothing’s going on, Jack. You don’t need to be sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong either.” With that, he darted to the door and ran to his mom’s car, climbing in before she drove away.

  Sighing heavily, he wondered what to do when Brian Jeter turned the corner and smiled as he moved closer.

  “Jack, do you need a ride home?”

  Jack stared at the man for a moment, his mind in turmoil over everything he had just witnessed with Colby. Brian moved closer, but another car pulled into the parking lot, and Jack smiled in relief as he saw his ride. “Got to go,” he shouted out. “Grandma’s here.”

  Without saying another goodbye, he shot through the door, ran across the parking lot, and climbed into Della’s car.

  24

  Colt had made it plain that he did not expect Carrie to be his live-in housekeeper, but even though she worked in a diner, she enjoyed cooking, especially in a kitchen like Colt’s that was large and bright with windows.

  Ever since she had gotten home, she had noticed Jack was much quieter than normal. When she tried to question him, she received short, curt answers. So, she left him to watch TV, moving back into the kitchen. She had already defrosted thick pork chops, mixed boxed stuffing, and filled the pork chops after slitting them in the middle.

  George came down from his apartment, and the two of them chatted in the kitchen while she continued to fix dinner.

  “Somethin’ going on with Jack?” George asked.

  Glancing over her shoulder at the wizened older man sitting at the counter, she said, “I just get the feeling that something happened at camp today, and he won’t talk about it.”

  “He’s a good boy,” George said. “Maybe he’s just ruminating on things for a bit. He’ll let you know when he’s ready to talk.”

  Nodding, she said, “I think sometimes it’s getting harder.”

  “Harder?” George leaned forward and snagged a carrot, munching on it as he watched her carefully.

  She stopped slicing the carrots, laid the knife down, and leaned across the counter, her weight resting on her forearms. “I sometimes think it was easier when he was younger. His problems were skinned knees, something that I could kiss and make better. The older he gets, it’ll be harder and harder.”

  George leaned across the counter, patted her hand, and said, “Well, if you don’t need me in here, I think I’ll mosey into the den and watch some TV with Jack. Never know what the two of us might decide to talk about.”

  Grinning, she mouthed a thank you and watched as George walked down the hall toward the front room.

  With the pork chops in the oven, several minutes later, Colt walked through the back door. Just like every day, as soon as his eyes hit her, he grinned widely, and she felt it right through her heart. And as always, she met that grin with one of her own.

  Walking around the counter, Colt stepped right in her space, wrapped his arms around her, and tucked her face next to his heartbeat. He kissed the top of her head, she then squeezed him around his waist and leaned her head back. He had never missed the opportunity and did not start now. Dropping his head, he kissed her, hard and fast , but ever so sweet.

  “Where are George and Jack?” he asked when he separated from her.

  She sighed and said, “Jack’s been out of sorts since he’s been home from camp today. George is in the den with him, just hanging.”

  She could tell he was watching her carefully before he asked, “You worried?”

  She bit her lip, pondering his question, then said, “Yeah, sort of. I mean, I wanted him to have space to think things through, and certainly, as he continues to become a young man, he’s going to have things he needs to think about. But at the same time, I don’t want him worried about something.”

  “Well, if he doesn’t snap out of it soon, I’ll talk to him.” He let her go and walked to the refrigerator to get a beer.

  She sighed again, this time heavily, looking back down at the carrots as she continued to chop.

  Colt walked back over in her space, and said, “Hey, babe, if you don’t want me to talk to him, I won’t.”

  “No, no,” she rushed to say. “It’s just that…that…”

  “Babe, say whatever’s on your mind, please.”

  She held his gaze and said, “I just can’t get over feeling badly that you’ve gone from having a house to yourself, with all your privacy, to walking in at night and being faced with your house filled with a woman, a boy, an older man, and all the problems we bring.”

  Setting his beer down on the counter, he walked to her, pulled the chopping knife out of her hand and laid it down next to his beer. Leaning his hips back against the counter, he spread his legs and dre
w her forward so that she was standing close to him, touching from hip to chest.

  With his arms banded around her, he said, “For the first time in longer than I can ever remember, I want to come home at the end of the day. I don’t walk into a house that’s empty, void of people and conversation. Now, when I leave work, I’m excited on the drive home, knowing that when I get here, there will be people I care about, allowing my life to intertwine with theirs.”

  Sucking in a quick breath, she stared into his eyes and said, “Colt, that’s beautiful.”

  “I mean every word, Carrie. And you’ve got to know that it’s not just because there are people in the house. It’s because the people in the house are you, and Jack, and George.”

  Jack remained quiet during dinner, the three adults aware but not saying anything to make him feel uncomfortable. George had whispered to Carrie and Colt that Jack had not confided anything to him.

  As the dinner came to a close, Colt said, “Jack, let’s go out into the backyard and toss the ball. We can work on your pitches.”

  For the first time since coming home that day, Jack perked up, his eyes lighting with interest. He ran to grab his glove and ball while Colt kissed Carrie’s cheek, whispering, “I’ll talk to him, babe.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, she thanked God that Colt was becoming the father to Jack that he had never had.

  For almost half an hour, Colt and Jack tossed the baseball back and forth, and Jack used his practice net for his pitches.

  “You know, Jack, I hope you don’t just see me as the Sheriff or your coach. I care a great deal about you and your mom. If there’s ever anything you need to tell me or just want to talk about, I’m here.

  Jack stood, his glove in one hand, pounding it with his other fist before turning his face up toward Colt. He hesitated for another moment, then finally asked, “Do you ever wonder what the right thing to do is? I mean, you’re the sheriff, so do you just memorize all the laws and then that’s what you do?”

  Colt led Jack toward the Adirondacks that were in the backyard, and they settled into the seats. The sun had not set, but it had passed over the trees, engulfing them in cool shadows. One of the reasons Colt loved the property besides the house was the yard, expansive, surrounded with tall, mature trees.

  He sucked in a breath of fresh air, letting it out slowly as he pulled his thoughts together. Looking at Jack’s anxious face, he answered, “A lot of what I do, yes, is determined by the law. I have to be aware of what is legal and not legal for people to do. If they’re doing something that’s not legal, then I have to consider the laws that are being broken. Sometimes a person can get off with a warning. Other times, especially if it’s a more serious crime or they’ve been in trouble before, then they can get arrested. But even that process is guided by the law.”

  He observed Jack nodding slowly, seeming to take in what he said. Not wanting to rush Jack, he leaned back in the chair and added, “Of course, a lot of times in life, we are guided by other things besides the law. Things that are just right and wrong. We always want to try to do what’s right, and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we mess up.”

  “What if you think maybe someone else is doing something wrong and you don’t say anything about it? Does that make you wrong? Or what if you’re afraid to tell anyone?”

  Colt had wondered if Jack was questioning about a possible mistake he had made, but his new question made him wonder if he was a witness to something. Realizing that Jack was struggling with what to divulge, Colt said without hesitation, “If you know that someone is doing something they shouldn’t, you don’t want them to get hurt or others to be hurt. I understand that it’s a heavy burden for anyone your age, but I think you’re mature enough to be able to handle telling someone who can help you.”

  Jack looked up and held his gaze for a long moment before saying, “I think one of my friends might be in trouble. But I’m not sure what to do about it.”

  “Jack, you know my job is to help people, so do you want to tell me about it?”

  Shoulders slumping, Jack said, “I don’t think he wants anyone to know. He told me to stay out of it, but honestly, I think he did that because he’s afraid.”

  Unease snaked through Colt, and he asked, “Do you know what he’s afraid of?”

  “I think he’s afraid of the other boys. The ones that I heard threatening him.”

  At those words, Colt forced his body to remain relaxed on the outside while carefully considering how best to handle the situation with Jack. “I’m concerned that someone is threatening your friend,” he said. “I can’t make you tell me what’s going on, but if you think your friend is in trouble, wouldn’t you want to do everything you could to help them?”

  Nodding, Jack said, “Yeah. That’s all I can think about ever since I’ve gotten home from church camp.”

  The unease that he felt earlier increased, and he encouraged, “I’d like you to tell me what you know and then trust me to do the right thing.”

  Sitting up straighter, Jack nodded. “I know I can trust you, Colt. Absolutely.”

  Glancing beyond Jack’s shoulder, he observed Carrie standing at the sliding glass door. Making a slight motion with his hand, he indicated to her that she should not come out yet. She nodded, blew him a kiss, then turned and walked back into the kitchen.

  Focusing his attention on Jack, he said, “Just tell me what happened. You don’t have to analyze it or embellish it. Just tell me what you saw and heard.”

  Jack began hesitantly at first, but then his voice grew stronger as he continued telling his story to Colt. “Most of the time at the church camp, it’s a lot of fun. But sometimes there are high school kids that seem to be real cliquish. I mean, I get it, and that’s okay, but some of them seem like bullies. I noticed they’ve been hanging around my friend Colby, and ever since they have, Colby has gotten a lot quieter. And then today, I was just outside of the door when I heard a couple of them threatening him to keep his mouth shut and not say anything to anybody.”

  “And you tried to talk to him?”

  “They left, and he was waiting on his mom, so I went inside to talk to him. He was real upset and then told me it was none of my business.”

  Colt asked, “Do you know who the boys were?”

  “Billy Neiman and John Roster were the two that were threatening Colby today. They seem the meanest to me. And they’re always hanging around Mr. Jeter, the camp leader. I figured, him being a church person, he was trying to get them to be less mean, but sometimes I just wonder if he’s not very good at his job because they don’t get any nicer.”

  Colt fought the urge to immediately confront Brian Jeter but simply said, “Jack, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’m going to look into a couple of things behind the scenes. I won’t talk to Colby unless I have to, but what you’ve told me makes me a little suspicious about what some of the kids might be doing.” He observed Jack’s eyes widening, and he rushed to say, “Jack, do you trust me?”

  Again, Jack held his gaze, then slowly nodded. “Yeah, Colt I trust you.”

  “Okay. Then my job is not only to take care of this county as sheriff, and take care of the players on the AL baseball team, but my job now includes taking care of you, and your mom, and George.”

  “Kind of like a family?” Jack asked, his gaze piercing and steady.

  Colt could see the hopefulness on the boy’s face, and his own heart warmed. “Absolutely, Jack. Like a family.”

  He watched as the tension left Jack’s shoulders, and he stood, placing his hand on Jack’s shoulder as they walked back toward the house.

  Jack said, “I know Mom could tell I was upset about something.”

  Giving his shoulder a squeeze, Colt said, “I think it would be a good idea to let her know that everything is going to be okay. We don’t want her to worry.”

  He smiled as Jack rushed in, hugged his mom and then said, “I’m going to finish watching the game with George.”

  He mo
ved over next to Carrie, and they watched as Jack headed down the hall toward the den. She looked up at him and said, “Is everything okay?”

  “He’s worried about one of his friends. Colby. I told him I was going to check out a few things at the church group, especially Brian Jeter.” Leaning against the counter again with her in his arms, he asked, “What can you tell me about Colby?”

  “He is a sweet kid. His mom is a single mom, like me. His parents divorced when he was about four years old. She was on medical disability for a while, and I know money has been really tight. I think the church has been helping them out.” Sucking in her lips, her brow furrowed as she asked, “Is there something that I need to be worried about?”

  “Babe, the time that you can stop worrying is now, and it’s certainly the time that Jack can stop as well. I’ll take a look into things.” Shifting her to his side, he led her toward the den where Jack and George were watching TV.

  Smiling, she asked, “Have I told you recently that I think you’re awesome?”

  Stopping in the hall before they got to the den, he backed her up against the wall, nuzzled her neck, and whispered, “You can never tell me enough how awesome I am.”

  Throwing her arms around his neck, she plastered her front to his and said, “Well, you are.”

  Kissing her again, she mumbled against his lips. “And you’re pretty awesome kisser as well.”

  Chuckling, they headed into the den and settled in, watching the game as a family.

  25

  Carrie slipped out of her bedroom, walked to Jack’s door, and peeked in. Her son was fast asleep, and she quietly pulled his door closed and padded across the hall. Stepping through the doorway of the master bedroom, she was immediately engulfed in Colt’s arms.

  “He’s asleep,” she said.

  Colt grinned. “Didn’t figure you’d be over here if he wasn’t.”

  She lifted her arms and placed her hands behind his neck, her body pressed tightly against his. Their lips met in a slow, languorous exploration. He caught her by surprise when he bent and slid one arm behind her knees and scooped her up into his arms, stalking toward the bed.