by Geri Foster
He glared at David. “Do you know when Lucas is taking me to jail? The only hope I have is finding that flash drive and I can’t do that locked behind bars.”
David shook his head. “Not a thing I can do about the mess you’ve got yourself into. You should’ve never gotten tangled up with that kind of stuff.” David’s brow wrinkled, and he shook his head. “Trying to blackmail somebody who murdered a DA. You have to be crazy to do something like that.”
“You forget the money I could’ve made.” He thumped his chest. “I could’ve been a millionaire. Hell, I might’ve ended up living with the movie stars. Get out of this crazy town where the Sheriff and his deputies enjoy harassing me.”
“Nobody’s harassing you, nobody wants any harm to come to you, and we’d all like you to straighten up and live a normal life. But that just seems to be impossible for you. The minute we think you’re trying to clean up your act, you pull out something harebrained again. Your mama would turn over in her grave if she could see you now.”
“Leave my mama out of this. She has nothing to do with it. Besides, she died before I even knew her.”
“That’s a lie. And I tell you another thing, your mama was the best thing that ever happened to you and your daddy. But your old man was too drunk to realize what he had. Somebody should’ve done the town a favor and shot him.”
“How can you say that? He’s almost dead now with cancer.”
“Can you honestly tell me that’s weighing on you? I know you’re messed up in something you probably aren’t ever going to get out of, thinking about money and the high life you’re gonna live. And all the while your daddy fights for his life. You think that makes you a good son? Nah, you don’t care about that old man any more than the rest of us.”
That did it, dread crawled up his spine and settled in his chest, squeezing his heart. Not because of his daddy’s condition, but because he wouldn’t be there when he drew his last breath. Sure, he had been thinking about himself and getting out of town, but that didn’t mean he was cold hearted and dead inside. It had been hard to hold his mama’s hand while she died, the whole time telling her how much he loved her and how much he didn’t want her to go. He couldn’t say he felt the same about his daddy, but he’d made his mama a promise to be a good man. She never realized he didn’t know how.
Chapter 10
Kendall spent the afternoon with her mama shopping and running errands. The town appeared to be in a state of shock after the gun fight on Main Street. She couldn’t say she was completely over it herself. Things of that sort didn’t happen in Rainwater. At least not that she remembered. Lucas ran a tight ship, and most criminals knew it and were smart enough to steer clear of their area.
It made her wonder just how badly things were looking for Bobby Joe. No doubt he’d get his fool self killed before he ever reached the age of thirty. She didn’t want that for him. She wanted him locked up in jail, sure, but not dead. But, he’d chosen that life. He’d wanted all the misadventures. Kendall felt thankful to be out of his life and on her own. If he wanted to die, she refused to get involved. If only he’d leave her out of it.
“I like the new curtains we bought,” her mama said, holding them up. “Marcus is going to like them, too. When is he moving in his things?”
“The moving van is coming tomorrow. I don’t think this is permanent, by any means. I can’t imagine he’ll move all his furniture. Probably just the things he needs to get by for a couple of months. The good part about him living in the apartment, he is closer to his office.”
“That’s good,” her mama replied, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. “But I do love the home he bought out on Baker Avenue. It’s nice and has plenty of room for a family.” She batted her eyelashes innocently.
“Mama, don’t start. I know you’ve always liked Marcus and are thrilled we’re finally trying out the dating thing, but he and I have no plans of getting married or starting a family any time soon. Don’t fill your mind with visions of a wedding. We’re slowly moving from friendship to dating. Nothing more.”
Her mama pressed her hands to her chest and rolled her eyes. “Now Kendall, I didn’t say a thing. However, I do assume that one day Marcus is going to marry and have a family. I didn’t mention your name. God forbid I should want you to be happy,” she added, sarcastically.
“Is that right? That wasn’t aimed at me? Listen, I like Marcus and we’re dating and I was nervous about taking that leap, but it’s actually going really well. Really, really well. But don’t make any more out of it than that. Besides,” she added in a small voice, “he’s a lawyer. He’s smart and makes a lot of money, while I’m a hairdresser barely getting by.”
Her mama tossed up her hands. “Now that doesn’t mean a darn thing. People get married all the time with financial differences between them. It doesn’t mean a thing.” She pointed at Kendall. “And I don’t want you thinking you’re inferior to any man. You come from a good family and you had a proper upbringing. You’re a wonderful human being. Don’t let some knucklehead like Bobby Joe take that away from you, you hear?”
“I hear, I hear. But Marcus and I come from different worlds. He went to college and then New York for a couple years. I don’t know, he just seems so much wiser.”
“Well, he’s a well learned man. There’s no way around that, but you and he grew up together. You know each other so well, why would you think it hard for the two of you to get together? Does he make you uncomfortable?”
“No, no, not at all. I’m perfectly at ease with him. It’s just that I know he’s smart and rich.”
“Oh, and I guess you don’t want a smart, rich man.” Her mama pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. “It’s so much better to marry a poor man who doesn’t have a dime to his name, doesn’t work, and, at the moment, is sitting in jail. Now, that’s a great catch for any woman.”
Kendall inwardly moaned. Her mama’s sarcasm drove her crazy. “Look, what I’m saying is, don’t you think he’ll be embarrassed of me eventually? Say we meet some of his friends from the city, do you really think he won’t be uncomfortable introducing me, a little ole country girl, as his wife? A woman who was too stupid to see her husband for what he really was until it was too late?”
“Kendall! Stop that right now. Absolutely not. You are worthy of so much more than you give yourself credit for.”
At one time she believed that. In fact, Kendall had picked the most handsome young man in town. At first, the very idea of marrying Bobby Joe tickled her pink. Being the town’s bad boy and all-around troublemaker only made him more enticing.
“I admit, Mama, marrying Bobby Joe…I wasn’t thinking clearly. But I don’t want to wish that time away. I’m going to enjoy the fact that he was my first love because while it was good, it was really good. He was kind to me, Mama, at first. And while he turned out to be the worst choice I could ever have made, there was a time I truly cared for him. It’s just looks can be deceiving, you know?”
Her mama reached over and pulled her against her chest and squeezed. “I know you did, sweetheart. We all knew you were madly in love with Bobby Joe.” She held her out by her shoulders. “You’re absolutely right. He’s a looker, all right. That boy has the most beautiful blue eyes in the world.” She looked off into the distance. “And was he ever a smooth one.” She looked to her. “I hate to say it sweetheart, but you never stood a chance.”
Kendall laughed. “You’re right, I never did. He had me from the moment I laid eyes on him. Too bad he didn’t live up to his good looks, because when a man is beating on you, there’s nothing handsome about him.”
Her mama hugged her again. “It’s good to remember that you loved Bobby Joe. But that’s it. The end. You said it yourself, ‘looks can be deceiving’. And that is exactly what I’m trying to tell you—who cares what some holier than thou city folk thinks. It’s what Marcus thinks that matters. What you think about yourself.”
What Marcus thinks. What I think. It hit her
then. Her mama was so right, and it was that simple. She just had to let the past go, really and truly, and be the woman she knew she was, deep inside, hidden under all that pain and fear. She pulled back and looked her in the eyes. “You’re right, Mama. I’m not going to play the role of victim anymore. I don’t want to be one of those women living their entire life hating men because they married an abuser. I want to believe there’re good men everywhere. And I think, no, I know, Marcus is one of them.”
Her mom cupped her cheek. “That’s my girl. You’re right. Marcus is a good man and he’s proved that time and time again. Your daddy and I would be proud to have him as our son-in-law.” Before she could say anything, her mama held up her finger. “That’s just a suggestion, nothing more.”
Kendall left her mama’s feeling lighter than she had in a long time and drove back to her apartment. Being Monday and her day off meant she had an apartment to clean and laundry to do. After their exciting morning, cleaning and laundry sounded safe and a lot more fun.
While doing her chores, she wondered where on earth the thumb drive could be. Maybe in her apartment? Bobby Joe didn’t assume much. He probably had a pretty good idea the flash drive was in her possession. That had her searching as she cleaned.
Her phone rang and she watched as Marcus’ picture flashed into view. She smiled. They hadn’t been away from each other more than three hours and he was already calling. Secretly she liked that. A lot. “Hello.”
“Hey, how are you doing?” Marcus asked, his masculine voice strong, friendly and sexy. “I thought I’d check in with you and see if you had plans for dinner tonight.”
“Well, since you mentioned it, I have this new guy moving in next door.”
He grinned. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, and he’s really good looking.”
“Sounds interesting. Please go on.”
“He’s single, you know, so I thought he might enjoy a nice home cooked meal. “
“Wow, that’s some lucky guy.”
“My mama always said the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I thought I’d test out that theory and see if it works.”
“I have no doubt it will.”
She laughed at their joke. “Around six, if it’s a good time for you.”
“I’ll make it work. See you then, Kendall. And if you need anything don’t hesitate to call.”
“I won’t, but I have to go for now. I want to really impress this guy, so I’m going to whip up my mama’s famous casserole.”
“You’re making my mouth water, girl.”
“I hope that’s not all I do.”
Marcus double checked with the moving van to make sure they were ready for tomorrow. He planned to move only the bed, a recliner, the TV and the kitchen table. Basically, just things needed for every day use, and stuff for work. The rest of his things would remain in his house for when he moved back.
He and Kendall both knew he wouldn’t be there permanently, but as it stood, Bobby Joe would only be gone for ten days and would no doubt try to step back into Kendall’s life once freed. Hopefully, at the final sentencing the judge would send him away for a few years.
He hoped when he moved out of the apartment and back into his house, Kendall would have decided by then that they belonged together. He secretly planned it that way, anyway.
He stepped out of his office to grab an afternoon cup of coffee when his Grandma Faith, the oldest of the Canfield sisters, turned the corner and stopped him dead. He forced a smile. “Why, hello Grandma Faith. Don’t you look pretty today.”
She had a purse in one hand and an umbrella in the other. Both deadly weapons. She shook the umbrella at him. “What do you think you’re doing going behind my back and moving in next door to Kendall Cochran?”
Marcus blinked several times. It never ceased to amaze him how quickly gossip spread in the town, and the accuracy blew his mind. He had intended to explain all of this to his entire family eventually, but hadn’t gotten to that part yet. He mentioned it to his parents and hoped they’d keep it under their hats until he got around to announcing it to everyone.
No such luck.
“I am moving next door to her. And you will be happy to know I’m doing it to protect her.” Grandma Faith loved a hero. “Bobby Joe’s been giving her a lot of trouble lately, and I want to make sure she’s safe.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And you think this is your responsibility. Taking care of Kendall Cochran like she’s a three-year-old child. Last I heard she’s pretty capable of taking care of herself.”
“That was true until Friday night when he broke into her place and attacked her. If I hadn’t been there, he might’ve killed her.”
Grandma Faith’s back straightened. That got her attention. “He did?”
Satisfied that he had set up the perfect scenario, Marcus put his hands in his pockets and leaned back on his heels. “I think I might’ve saved her life. Bobby Joe’s a pretty big guy. He can do a lot to a little thing like Kendall.”
“She does my hair every Friday. I’ve known her since she was born. If I’d been there, I would’ve beat him to death with my umbrella.”
“Luckily for her, I was there. Timing’s everything, so they say.”
His grandmama moved closer, looking up at him with her inquisitive eyes. “Now I don’t want no hanky-panky going on over there. I don’t want you to move in next door to her so you can sneak in and do God only knows what.”
“Oh, we don’t intend to do anything that would cause any gossip. We’ll behave ourselves.”
She poked him in the chest with the tip of her umbrella. “You think you got everybody in town fooled Marcus Matthews. Went to college, became a big lawyer, went to New York. You really got your stuff together. But I remember a little boy who enjoyed mischief just as well, especially with the girls in his bedroom.”
Grandma Faith referred to the time she walked into his bedroom when he was sixteen and him and Olivia Thompson were basically going at it. And it hadn’t been the first time, or the second they had been up to something in his room. But Grandma’s arrival on the scene freaked them out. She threatened to take a belt to both of them.
Luckily, he got Olivia to the window, where she could climb down the trellis, found his jeans then turned to face the consequences in record time. There was no way he could get past Grandma Faith because she had somehow come up with a broom. Made him wonder if she had known what they were doing all along.
He did give her credit for not telling either set of parents. But she scolded him about venereal diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
That didn’t slow him down. Him and Olivia had an affair for an entire year and they were only caught that one time. “I promise to be the perfect gentleman. I’m not going to do anything wrong. You can count on that.”
She shook her umbrella. “You better not, or else this will be your new necktie.”
With that she turned and stomped away. Wow, that woman had more gumption than most men.
James Cole and his men went to Rainwater to take care of Bobby Joe Cochran. Instead of the easy in and out they had planned, three of them were shot and one was dead. His plan hadn’t worked out exactly as anticipated. If he didn’t get his hands on that thumb drive in the next three days, there would be hell to pay.
He pulled into Rainwater and parked across the street from the Sheriff’s office, hoping to get a glimpse of Bobby Joe. Maybe even a second chance to shoot the bastard. But not before he found out where he hid the incriminating thumb drive.
Simply learning about it had it been a stroke of luck. One of the geeks who hung around with his brother had just bought a new video game from some loner online. When he went to play it though, what came up was a video of James taking out the DA. When questioned, the kid told him who sold him the game and, from there, he was able to make a deal. It wasn’t hard to convince the guy online to talk. Guys like that? A little cash goes a long way. Turns out he’d purchased a thumb drive in a garage
sale and it just so happened to come pre-loaded with some games—and one very incriminating video. It was by mistake that he sent the video instead of the game, a video he swore up and down he didn’t copy or send anywhere else before selling the thumb drive back to the original owner, who’d come back for it offering top dollar. And who was the dumbass that owned the thumb drive in the first place? Well, none other than Bobby Joe Cochran. He’d made sure the loner understood the consequences of lying to him, but he’d check in on that later. First, he had to get the thumb drive back. He got out of the vehicle, shut the door and leaned against the side of the stolen car.
Rainwater was a nice little town, quiet, and not known for much besides ranching and farming. The Sheriff did have a reputation, though. Everyone around knew Lucas Quinn and had assured him he didn’t put up with much. Not if you broke the law.
Knowing that, James made up his mind. If he wanted something done, he’d do it himself. He decided to return to Rainwater right after the shooting incident. No one would be expecting that, and no one would recognize him, since they had all worn masks.
He wanted to learn what he could and find out about those close to Cochran in case he needed to take a hostage. That would make Cochran talk, and if it didn’t, dead men couldn’t testify.
James was the prime suspect in the murder of District Attorney Montel, who’d gotten too close to him and his gang’s gambling business. That proved to be deadly for the man. If James wanted to keep turning a profit, the DA had to go. Now, Cochran would face the same verdict as the nosey DA.
Chapter 11
It surprised Marcus when his phone rang, and he picked up to find Lucas on the other end. “Hey, I’m driving Bobby Joe up to county, you want to come along?”
“That could be interesting. Might give me a chance to pick his feeble brain. Besides, my court case was postponed.”