Brody Judge

by Ciana Stone

  “No. We have to sign a contract with our builder but after that Brody has to get back to the center and I’m pretty much free. Why?”

  “Furniture is being delivered and I wanted your input-on arrangement.”

  “Oh, sure. I’d love to. You want to have breakfast?”

  “I kind of have a date for that.” He waved to a blonde across the way who sat with two other women.

  “All three?” Brody asked.

  Linc shrugged. “Folks here are real friendly.”

  Trina chuckled. “Well, get on with it. I’ll head over after we finish at the attorney’s.”

  “Thanks, Red.”

  “Oh, so you decided on my name?”

  Lincoln gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Seems Brody hit that one out of the park. See ya, brother.”

  “Later,” Brody agreed.

  “Brother?” She asked.

  “Brothers in arms no matter what branch.” He said.

  Trina looked around to see the women at Etta’s table watching Lincoln and smiled. “Small towns are really something, huh? Everyone knowing everyone and people going out of their way to make you feel welcome.”

  “You think you’ll like living here?” Brody asked.

  “I do. My Dad and uncles are here and you’re secure in a training position at the center and—you like it there, don’t you?”

  “I do. Like you, I have family here.”

  “Yes, you all really are, family, aren’t you? Like Mathias. He already feels like a brother to me. And you know, I think for the first time, I might be able to make some friends here. But most of all, it’s where you are and being with you is the most important thing in the world to me.

  “Same here, Red.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the palm. “So, let’s do it. Let’s tie that knot and call this home.”

  Trina was sure that nothing more beautiful or wonderful had ever happened to her and she felt like pinching herself to make sure it was real.

  “You had me at hello, Brody.”

  And so he did.

  Excerpt from

  Chapter One

  “Forget the horse and the cowboy”

  Caitlyn drained the last of the water and set the bottle on the step beside her. She could drink a gallon right now, but this was just a short break. There was still a lot to be done and she was burning daylight.

  Sweat rolled down her back, neck, arms and legs. Hell, even her butt was sweating.

  But look at the difference three hours of busting ass had made in the yard. A pile of weeds, trimmings from bushes, trees and dead plants she’d dug up lay piled three feet high on the driveway as testament to her hard work.

  What was sure to be a sore back would be a testament tomorrow, not only to the hard work she’d done today but to the fact that it had been a good while since she’d worked this way.

  Shoving aside thoughts of whether she’d be able to get out of the bed in the morning, she stood and pulled on her gloves. The white wooden fence that bordered the yard boasted of one of the biggest honeysuckle vines she’d ever seen. It probably smelled divine when in bloom, but it was so out of control, finding the wooden rails was a chore.

  Caitlyn planned on digging up some of the vine and planting it on the fence bordering the back yard. She wanted the front yard to look neat and uncluttered. And getting rid of the vine was going to go a long way on making that happen.

  Two hours, three bottles of water and several wheelbarrows of ripped up vines later, she’d successfully cleared off half the fence. One particularly thick vine sunk deep into dirt that was as hard packed as rock. She used her pick to loosen the dirt since she’d had no luck digging it up with the shovel.

  Once the dirt was loose, she climbed the fence, wound the vine around both hands, propped her right foot against the fence post for leverage and pulled. “Come on, you bitch,” she mumbled, groaned and threw all her weight into it.

  She leaned back and felt the vine give. What she didn’t anticipate was that it would give completely. One moment she had her foot on the post and her body canted almost horizontal to the ground. The next she was flat on her back on the sidewalk, with vine and dirt all over her.

  Caitlyn spit and sputtered, wiped at her face with her dirty glove and that’s when she saw it. A shadow. She turned her head and suddenly all the blood in her body pooled into one spot. And it wasn’t her brain.

  Holy mother of god.

  A man stood two feet away, looking down at her. Smiling.

  She’d guess him to be around six, two or three, lean but with muscles in all the right places, maybe one eighty and eyes such a cool shade of gray that they should not be able to ignite such a fire. Yet that’s what happened. She felt it the moment their gazes connected.

  Caitlyn quickly moved her gaze. Mistake. It drifted down, taking in the strong angles of his face, his oh-so-kissable lips and then that firm full chest on which a t-shirt was stretched that bore the words “forget the horse and the cowboy.”

  She was toast. One nasty, dirty, sweaty pile of female hormones lying there on the ground unable to do anything but imagine what that line of text implied.

  The object of her desire spoke, giving her yet another element to lust after. His voice was low. Not a whisper but spoken like someone who didn’t have to be loud to command attention.

  “Need a hand?”

  At least one and several other body parts. Why was her mouth not working? Caitlyn squinted her eyes tightly, counted to three, then opened her eyes and stood.

  She still had to look up to meet his gaze and when she did, another jolt of pure lust rocketed through her. “Sorry. I lost that round, but the fight isn’t over.”

  “Looks like you’ll end up winning the war.”

  “I hope so. Do you live around here?” Please God, let him say yes. I know I need to borrow a couple hundred cups of sugar.

  “No, actually, I don’t live here at all. Pardon my manners. I’m Wiley. Wiley Johns. And at present I’m staying over at Clear Springs Ground Training Center.”

  That explained the fatigues he wore, and the boots. “It’s nice to meet you, although a bit embarrassing as well, Mr. Johns. I’m Caitlyn Little Fox.”

  “It’s a pleasure, Ms. Little Fox. Or is that Mrs.?”

  “Nope, Ms. And please, call me Caitlyn.” Or honey, or baby, or sugar or whatever the hell you want. Just call me.

  “If you call me Wiley.”

  “Wiley.” She said and felt a curious thrill at the feel of his name rolling off her tongue. Damn what was it about Wiley Johns? Sure, he was fine in all capital letters, had a smile that could probably charm the devil and a vibe about him that promised he knew all the right things to do to take a woman where she wanted to go the most. Sexually speaking.

  But she didn’t typically have this strong of a reaction, so why now?

  “If I may ask, is Little Fox a married or maiden name? I knew a man from Oklahoma by the name of Little Fox. Charlie Little Fox.”

  “Small world. Charlie was my uncle.”

  “Was?”

  “He died a few years ago.”

  “So, you’re Cherokee?”

  “Half. My mother is white.”

  “Well, you obviously got the best of both worlds, Caitlyn.”

  The hot ball of lust that was rolling around in her lower regions jacked up a couple of degrees, then it hit her. He had to be just saying that to be polite. She was nasty. As in covered in grime, wet, stinky and her hair probably was a mass of tangles even pulled back in a ponytail.

  “You’re kind.”

  “Not really.”

  “Oh? Then what?”

  “Honest. You don’t think a little dirt’s gonna change anything do you?”

  “Why Mr. Johns, are you flirting with me?”

  “Baby, if you don’t know then I’ve lost my touch.”

  Caitlyn laughed. Wiley was sexy as homemade sin and could probably charm a preacher’s daughter out of her panties in two seco
nds flat. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

  “No?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well, in that case, what’re my chances at taking you to dinner one night?”

  “I’d say very good,” she agreed, then added. “But in the spirit of total transparency, I have to tell you something.”

  “Transparency. That word does things to a man, Caitlyn.”

  She smiled. “Hmmm, I’ll remember that. But seriously, I have a daughter. Kaylee. She’s five. Right now, she’s with my grandmother, but they’ll be arriving in a week, and I have to get the house ready for them, then get her all settled in and enrolled at the local school into the kindergarten program.”

  “Your grandmother’s moving in, as well?”

  “Yes. I’ve been living with her ever since Kaylee was born and it would be horrible to separate them. They’re like two peas in a pod and so devoted to one another.”

  Wiley’s smile lit something new inside her and it surprised her how much it meant to have someone look at her like she had worth. “I think that’s pretty remarkable, Caitlyn, so how about this? When you get your family all settled in, we’ll all go out for dinner.”

  “How about when I get this house put together, you come have dinner here?”

  “Can you cook?”

  “Well, I’m not going to win any awards, but my grandmother’s cooking is so good it’ll make a hound-dog break his chain.”

  “And after dinner are you going to invite me to sit on the porch swing with you?”

  “That’s a very real possibility. As long as you’re the one doing the swinging. That thing makes me feel vertically challenged.”

  Wiley laughed. “How can a man refuse?”

  “I’m hoping you won’t.”

  “I won’t. You have a phone number?”

  “Do you have a phone?”

  Wiley reached into his pocket and produced his phone. Caitlyn rattled off her number. After couple of seconds of one-fingered poking on the phone, he looked at her and smiled. “I’ll be in touch, Caitlyn, but for now, I’ll let you get back to your war of the roses.”

  “Honeysuckle.”

  “Right. I’ll be seeing you.”

  “Bye, Wiley.” I’ll damn sure be seeing you. In a whole lot of fantasies.

  She watched him walk away then let out a breath, long and slow. What the heck had just happened? She hadn’t had a date in – what, over a year. Now, a week after signing the papers to buy the house in Cotton Creek and she’d been flirted with and asked to dinner.

  Maybe moving to Cotton Creek hadn’t been the dumb-ass idea everyone told her it was after all.

  Chapter Two

  “My preference is often”

  Wiley stood at the fence and watched as Trina worked with the wolf pup. “She’s a pretty good trainer.”

  He looked around at the sound and saw Deacon approach. “Yeah, she is. How’re things working out for Brody?”

  Deacon shrugged, propped one foot on a fence rail and rested his forearms on the top. “Remarkably well, considering that he’s not accustomed to being in one place for too long.”

  “Or being sidelined.”

  Deacon looked over at him. “Yeah, that has to sting.”

  “I’m sure. But he has her and that makes all the difference.”

  “Let’s hope so, for both their sakes. And speaking of being in one place, have you decided what you’re going to do?”

  “Can’t say that I have.”

  “You have a place on staff at the training center.”

  “I appreciate that, but I’m worse at being in one place than Brody. And I have a job.”

  “Don’t I know it? Still, now that Linc is here, maybe it’s time for us to work on being a family again.”

  That surprised and pleased Wiley. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

  “Too long. And since it looks like Mica is pregnant, the family will be growing.”

  “A child? At your age??”

  “I’m not that much older than you, brother.”

  “True, but it’s still late in the game for either of us to be thinking about raising a family. Hell, by the time the kid is out of high school you’ll be –”

  “Yeah, I know and believe me, I never planned on it, but I’m damn happy about it.”

  “Then I’ll be happy for you.”

  “Thank you. And about the job. Think about it.”

  “I will.”

  Deacon straightened and gave him a clap on the back. “You want to come over for dinner?”

  “Sure. Thanks.”

  “You bet. Seven sharp.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  Wiley turned his attention back to Trina. She walked over to him with the pup following.

  “Looks like you’ve made real progress with the little fella.”

  She smiled and leaned down the rub the pup’s head. “He’s smart and eager to learn so it’s easy. Are you going to dinner tonight? Mica said Mathias is coming to help cook.”

  “Yep. You and Brody gonna be there?”

  “We are. But what brings you by?”

  “Nothing. Just wanted to see your smiling face.”

  “And what else?”

  He shook his head. “Should know better. We’re too much alike. I met this woman in town, yesterday.”

  “Oh? Do I know her?”

  “I don’t know. She just moved in. Her names Caitlyn Little Fox.”

  “Is she Native American?”

  “Yeah, Cherokee – or half. From Oklahoma.”

  “Interesting. Why did she move here?”

  “I don’t know. But I do know she’s got a hell of a lot of work to do on the place she bought and since she’s alone and doesn’t know anyone here, I think she could use a hand.”

  “And you want me to offer that hand?”

  “No, I’ll offer. I’d just like to bring more than me to the table.”

  “Then why not bring the A-Team?” She grinned.

  “The A-Team?”

  “Okay, the SEAL team. Me and Brody and I bet I can get Etta and JJ and Mica and Deacon to pitch in. In fact, let’s talk to them about it tonight.”

  “Well, there’s the rub. How about we make it your suggestion and not mine?”

  Trina stared at him for a few moments then her eyes widened a bit. “You like her, don’t you?”

  “I don’t know, I just met her.”

  “Oh, you just want to sleep with her?”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “No. What kind of man do you take me for?”

  “The kind that has half the single women in Cotton Creek trying to wrangle a date.”

  “Bull.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Sure, it is. It’s more like two-thirds.”

  Trina laughed, and Wiley smiled. “So, it’ll be your suggestion?”

  “Yep, on one condition.”

  “What?”

  “That you buy me lunch at the diner today and then we go over and meet Miss Little Fox. That way I can honestly say I’ve met her.”

  “Deal. What time?”

  “Meet me at the house at eleven?”

  “I’ll be there. Thanks honey.”

  She smiled, blew him a kiss then turned, calling to the pup. Wiley gave her a wave then headed for the training facility.

  *****

  “Maybe we should just wait until after lunch.”

  “Why?” Trina challenged him. “We’re early and it’s a block out of the way, so let’s stop and I can introduce myself and see if she’d like to have lunch with us.”

  “Fine.” Wiley knew when to surrender and now was one of those times. He made the turn and in under a minute pulled up in front of Caitlyn’s house.

  “Wow, it’s really looking good, isn’t it?” Trina asked.

  “You’ve been here before?”

  “No, but I went with Mica to meet Mrs. Nellie Mae and Mrs. Netta for lunch one day
about two weeks ago and Mrs. Netta said someone had bought the place. She lives next door and is all kinds of eager for someone to get the place cleaned up.”

  “Aren’t those two big town gossips?”

  “Past tense. Mrs. Nellie Mae offered up her life to save Mica. Surely, Deacon told you about it?”

  “When are you going to start referring to him as Dad again?”

  “I just feel strange doing that in front of you.”

  “Honey, you don’t have to. I know who I am to you, but a label isn’t important, and it’d hurt him for you to stop calling him that.”

  “I love you, you know that?”

  “I most certainly do. Oh, there she is.”

  “Then let’s go say hello.”

  Before Wiley could say another word, Trina was out of the truck, walking up the sidewalk, waving and calling out. “Hi there!”

  Caitlyn looked up from the act of pulling her keys from her purse. “Hi.” Her smile was a bit hesitant until she looked past Trina and saw him.

  “Hello, again.” She greeted him and stepped down from the porch to the sidewalk. “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

  “Oh, it’s my fault.” Trina jumped in. “Wiley told me he’d met someone new in town and since we were coming in for lunch, I browbeat him into stopping by, so I could meet you. I’m Trina Johns Judge. Wiley’s my uncle and I live with my husband Brody over off county road one oh four. We have a little place on Clear Springs Lake.”

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Trina,” Caitlyn’s smile brightened into one that seemed filled with genuine happiness. “I’m Caitlyn Little Fox.”

  “That’s a beautiful name but – and tell me to hush if I’m too curious, but is that a Native American surname?”

  “Yes, Cherokee.”

  “Oh, I see. And Caitlyn?”

  “Non-Cherokee. From my mother’s side. I’m only half Cherokee.”

  “Were you headed out?” Wiley asked while he had a chance.

  “Yes. I spent all morning in the yard and realized I needed to go to the store if I want to eat.”

  “How about joining us for lunch at the Diner and you can shop after?”

  “You don’t have to ask me twice,” Caitlyn replied. “Let’s do it. I’m so hungry I could eat the south bound end of a north bound cow.”