Seeking Justice

by Rita Lawless

  Zander lifted his brows, and Justice nodded.

  "Well," he said, drawing the word out. "Today, Justice asked me to marry her. And I said yes."

  There was complete silence for about three seconds, and then the room erupted into cheers and laughter. Chairs were pushed back from the table, and seconds later Justice found herself enveloped in huge hug from her future father-in-law. Soon she'd hugged everyone, and when she got to Miss Agatha, the older woman was grinning like she'd just won the lottery.

  "You keep the house," she whispered in Justice's ear as they hugged. "Gut it, do whatever you want with it. It's yours now."

  "But…" Justice started to object, but Miss Agatha shook her head. "Unless you two decide you want to build somewhere else. But I like the thought of the two of you out there on your own, playing and making babies."

  Justice blushed. She wasn't sure what to say, but Miss Agatha's words had stroked a part of her that captured her heart.

  "I like that idea, too," she said. "Thank you, Miss Agatha, but I have to talk about it with Zander."

  Miss Agatha patted her cheek. "Just know the offer is there. But don't let all that playing keep you from finding out where the loot is buried. That's your primary objective right now."

  Chapter Six

  The acceptance of Zander's family reinforced Justice's decision, and it made her feel warmer than she had in quite some time. It also made her wonder why she'd waited so long.

  After they'd settled down and finished dinner, Justice offered to help with the dishes, but she'd been rejected and told to go sit with Miss Agatha. This was Justice's night, Priscilla had said. In a few days' time, all the ladies would sit down together and discuss the wedding details.

  Justice's mind was so preoccupied with how much she had to do, that she didn't hear Zander sneak up behind her. He put his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck.

  "How's your bottom?" he whispered into her ear.

  A flush rose up from her chest, making her face and neck feel red-hot. "Stop that."

  "Why? You think my family doesn't know we're sharing a bed at grandma's house?"

  The flush intensified. Of course, the family knew, but they didn't know particulars, and that included the fact that Zander reddened her bottom on a regular basis. She told him as much.

  "If they heard me ask you that question, I'd be surprised." He nuzzled her neck again. "Let's go for a ride. It's a beautiful evening."

  "Sounds like fun." Justice took Zander's hand as he released her and moved to her side. "But don't you think you've worked Bandit enough today? He's taken two trips to the house, and worked the cows, too."

  "I'll ride Depot," he said. "He needs a workout."

  "That means I get Sassy?"

  "As always."

  They stopped by his father's chair long enough to tell him what they were doing. Miss Agatha was in the chair next to him, sleeping soundly. On their way through the kitchen, Priscilla stopped them and asked Justice if she would, between searching for the money and planning the wedding, help with the final touches on Bandit Days.

  "I don't want to overstress Miss Agatha," Priscilla said. "There is quite a bit that needs to be done still, and only a few weeks left to do it."

  Justice told her she would be happy to help, and then Justice and Zander of them made their way to the stables. She stood to the side while he saddled the two horses. They both stomped their feet as if they were eager to go. While he worked, Justice went to Bandit's stall where she handed him a handful of sweet corn she'd taken from a bin near the door. The horse ate it eagerly, and she stroked his mane when he was done.

  "Don't spoil him," Zander said as she went back to the bin for another handful. "I'll have to run him twice as hard to work off all that extra food."

  "He deserves it," she said as she fed him the rest. When he was done, she told him that was all. Zander helped her mount Sassy, and they took off in the direction of the creek where they'd spent the night just a few days ago.

  As they rode, Justice's stomach roiled just a little. "I'm nervous," she said.

  "Why? Do you think I'm going to turn into a brute after I slip a ring on your finger?"

  "No." She laughed a little. "It's just such a big change." She pause a minute before she said, "Miss Agatha offered us her house. I wonder if your parents know she's planning on staying with them for the rest of her life."

  "They do." He tightened his reins, and she could see that Depot was prancing, as if he wanted to take off and have a good run. "Dad said something to me tonight about me living there so that the house didn't go into disrepair. Of course, that was before the big announcement. We can redo it if you like, or leave it as it is."

  He looked at her and smiled.

  "Let's leave it as is, for a while. I would feel strange tearing things up, even though Miss Agatha told me we could."

  There was a short silence, before Zander said. "We'll have to take her personal items up to the house. It will help her to feel at home up there, and it will make room for our things."

  Sadness crept into Justice, something she hadn't expected to feel.

  "Don't," Zander said. She wasn't surprised he could read her so well. "Miss Agatha has had a long, full life, and she knows that it's time for the next step. It doesn't mean she's going to die right away. It means that she's moving on. We have to help her feel as comfortable as possible."

  They were true words, but it still felt a little strange. It felt like the right time to bring up things that needed to be done. Justice told him she would call the administrative office at the school district and the principal at her school tomorrow to let them know they would have to start looking for a new librarian.

  "They have the whole summer," she said. "It won't be hard to find a replacement."

  "It will be much harder for us to find the loot," Zander said. "I hope Miss Agatha is not too disappointed when we can't find what we're looking for."

  Under her, Sassy started to prance, and Justice knew the horse wanted to take a good run, just like Depot did. She loosened the reins before she looked at her lover. "Who says we can't find it?" With that, she let the reins drop again so that Sassy had free lead. Justice clucked her tongue against her teeth and the horse took off, gathering speed as they ran toward the creek.

  "Hey," Zander cried out in surprise as they ran. She could hear Depot's hoof beats behind them, picking up speed as they fought to catch up.

  Sassy made it to the creek, first, and Justice dropped the reins and pumped her fists into the air. "Winner, winner, chicken dinner!" she yelled as Zander came into view.

  "You're a cheat," he said. "Next time, warn me."

  "No fun in that," Justice replied with a laugh. She watched Zander dismount. He offered her his hand and she took it as she got off Sassy. Zander winked at her as he went back to Depot. She hadn't noticed him strap a blanket to the back of Depot's saddle before they left the sables. Now, he handed it to her and went about securing reins so the two horses could graze at will.

  Justice went under the tree and spread out the blanket. She lay down, and after Zander had given each horse a pat on the ass and sent it off to do its thing, he walked toward her. As he neared, she felt her heart rate accelerate.

  This gorgeous cowboy, who filled out his jeans perfectly, was going to be her husband. If she hadn't let fear overtake her, he would have been her husband many years ago. But she didn't plan to berate herself for doing that. It was time to let all of that go and concentrate on the future.

  Zander took off his hat, gently placed it brim side up on the ground, and then sat down next to her. He opened his arms and she went into them without being asked, rubbing her cheek against his chest as he held her close.

  They were silent for a few minutes and she listened to the beat of his heart. It seemed so normal compared to her own, which raced.

  "Are you going to tell your mom?" he finally asked her.

  "Eventually," she answered. "I don't want her in on the p
lanning. She's—" Justice wasn't sure how to explain that the woman had done nothing for her except push Justice out of her body, but she didn't want to sound bitter. She supposed a lot of her mother's problems could be blamed on her own parents, who were less than stellar in the love and care department.

  "Our kids will be loved," he said, as if he could read her mind.

  "And they'll know who their parents are," she said. It was a sore spot for her, and she remembered well the day she told Zander that she had no clue who her father really was. "He could pass me on the street and I wouldn't know," she'd yelled at him. "You have memories of your parents on holidays. I have my mother saying, 'Well, he could have been this one, or that one,' because she didn't have a clue!"

  Zander had tried to comfort her, but it had been difficult, because the more he'd tried to help, the madder she got. Now, he stroked her hair. He didn't offer to help her look for her dad, because that had been one of the things that had made her so angry before.

  "You have a family now, Justice," he told her. "One that will love you for the rest of your life."

  She knew that was very true. "I want to get married on the ranch," she said.

  "Good." She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was smiling. "How about right here? I love this spot."

  Justice giggled. "I was thinking about the garden behind your parents' house."

  He sighed, and she wondered if he would argue with her. "That will work," he said finally. "We'll ride down here afterward and make love for the first time as husband and wife under this tree."

  "Perfect." She thought he might make love to her now, but he stayed where he was, his arms tightening around her. They were silent for a while, and the comfortable feeling that replaced her nerves reminded her that she'd made the right decision.

  The gentle night breeze built around them, and finally Zander kissed the top of her head. "We need to take the horses back to the stable and go home. I have work to do tomorrow, and you need to try and find the mysterious man from the article I heard you talking about with Miss Agatha."

  "You have good ears," she said with a grin. He was standing now, reaching for the blanket she was still sitting on.

  "I want to stay here," she said. "It's so quiet and beautiful."

  "We'll come back tomorrow, and the next night, and the next night," he said. "The stables at Miss Agatha's house are in disrepair and need work. After they are up to code, we can stable a few horses there and go for an evening ride all we want."

  Zander helped Justice to her feet. He cupped her face and kissed her deeply, his tongue dipping into her mouth, making her feel as if they were one.

  Justice never wanted the kiss to end, but she knew with the decision she'd made today, she would be kissed like this daily.

  The thought made her tingle with pleasure.

  * * * * *

  It took Justice several hours to find Abel Gunner. He wasn't listed in any phone book, or online directory, and she worried for a while that the older man had passed away in the time since the article had been written. But then she thought of calling the author of the magazine article, and she hit pay dirt.

  Abel Gunner was still alive and living with his daughter in Austin. The author, whose name was Skylar Lancer, had been curious about why Justice was asking about Mr. Gunner. When she'd explained herself, the author had seemed very intrigued.

  "If you find it, let me know. It would make a great follow up to the original article."

  "Yes, it would," Justice had said. "If we happen to stumble across it, I'll let you know. But I have a feeling the chances of our finding what people around here refer to as 'the loot' is highly unlikely."

  "It has been quite a few years," the author said. They agreed to keep in touch, and after Justice hung up the phone, she did some math. A few years turned out to be one hundred and sixty two years.

  "There's no way," Justice said as she pushed away a few papers. But as she did, she decided to fight away her negativity. After all, archeologists found things all the time, things that had been hidden from view for thousands of years. "Look at King Tut's tomb," she whispered to herself.

  She picked up her pen and using the information Skylar Lancer had given her, she called Abel Gunner's daughter, Louisa. The woman was hesitant at first, but then seemed to do an about face. Her father was suffering from dementia, and talking about the past always seemed to cheer him up.

  They made an appointment for the next day, and Justice texted Zander to let him know she was going to Austin for the day.

  I'll go with, he texted back.

  She responded that would be nice. She asked him about lunch, he told her he was working through it, but would see her at dinnertime. Tonight they would be on their own. His parents were taking Miss Agatha into San Marcos to visit a friend, and Emily and her family were going to her in-laws' house for the evening.

  She told him she'd check the fridge and decide what to cook. After they were done, she pushed away the papers, found the fixings for spaghetti, and wondered about greens for a salad. There were none, except the ones she tossed because they were wilted.

  A quick trip into Bluefield would solve that problem. It would also give her a chance to stop by the house and ask Priscilla about what needed to be done for Bandit Days.

  As she cleaned up, though, she realized she hadn't done anything about her quitting her job, or getting out of her apartment lease in Dallas.

  Those things could wait for a few days, she decided. Right now, the priority was the task Miss Agatha had set for her. She needed to keep on track.

  She hated to see the look of disappointment on Miss Agatha's face when they failed in their quest.

  * * * * *

  Zander slipped the bandana out of his pocket and wiped the sweat from his face. It had been a long day, and Justice had just emailed him to let him know she was going to Bluefield to stock up on groceries. That gave him time to get to the house and set up a little surprise he had for her.

  Chase wouldn't be happy he was leaving, but then again, if Brice's brother had his way, they would work 24/7. It was a good thing Zander didn't have to answer to him.

  He nudged Bandit in Chase's direction. The older man was watching two of the younger hands reunite calves with their mothers. They'd separated them earlier in the morning so they could check them out and make sure they were healthy.

  As he drew closer, Zander could see Chases frown. Chase needed a woman, he decided. He'd been divorced for a few years, and the marriage had been so bad that he'd stayed away from women every sense. Maybe if Chase saw how happy Zander was right now, he would change his mind about women being devils.

  Chase looked at Zander, and Zander gave him a short wave. "Going in now."

  "So this is what I can expect now that you've got a woman waiting on you? You going to cut out early every day?"

  "Hey," Zander said, trying to keep his tone light. Zander didn't want to remind Chase that he was an owner, and technically, Chase worked for him. "We're almost done for the day, and what there is left the crew can do."

  "Taking off tomorrow, leaving early today…." As Chase's words trailed off, Zander could tell his friend was giving him a hard time. It was the perfect in.

  "Jealous?" Zander asked. "You know, there are lots of women in Bluefield who would jump at the chance to see you, and I'm not talking about just using their eyes."

  "Get," Chase said, his tone irritable. "I'll see you later in the week."

  Zander leaned forward in his saddle. "You know, Chase, your attitude might improve if you got laid. Just saying."

  Before Chase could answer, Zander turned Bandit toward the stables. When he arrived, he handed him over to Colt, one of Chase's sons and a young man who had a way with horses. Zander was grateful that he was staying with his dad for the summer.

  "Brush him good, and give him a few handfuls of sweet feed," Zander said. "He's worked hard today."

  "Will do," Colt answered as Zander hurried toward his pi
ckup. He wanted to have everything set up before Justice got back from the house so that she wouldn't see his surprise until it was time to go to bed, when she was naked, and he could do with her as he pleased.

  The last spanking he'd given her had been pretty hard, but she hadn't shown any signs that it was still affecting her. Still, it had only been yesterday, and it was better to wait to give another one. That's why this surprise was purely sexual in nature. He would have her screaming so loud they would hear her up at the big house, or so he hoped.

  Once at home—it was so strange to think of this as his home—he made quick work of setting up his surprise. He wanted Justice to know their sex life wouldn't become boring just because they were married. Tonight's activity would definitely be a showstopper.

  After he was done, Zander took a shower. When he came out, he heard movement in the front end of the house. As he was drying himself off, Justice's voice sounded from the bathroom doorway.

  "Need help with that towel, cowboy?"

  "What you got in mind, future Mrs. McMillian?"

  He savored the smile that spread across her face. For a minute, it seemed as if she wasn't going to be able to talk, but then she laughed and said, "The spaghetti sauce is simmering. We have time for a quickie."

  "A quickie?" He dropped his towel, revealing his cock, which had hardened the minute she walked into the room. "Is this what you want?"

  "You know it is." She crossed the room in a flash, taking his dick in her hand when she was near him. She squeezed gently, and Zander groaned.

  "You're making this hard on me," he said.

  "I noticed." Her fingers tightened just a little more. "I can turn the sauce off."

  "Can you?" Zander narrowed his eyes a little. "I had something planned for later this evening, so I'm thinking, you have to wait."

  "Zander!"

  "Release me, woman, or you won't find out what the surprise is."

  The look she gave him said she knew that wasn't true, but she let go of him anyway. His dick wouldn't be any happier with waiting than Justice was, but he was a big boy, and waiting always provided more bang for your buck.