Play It Safe

by Kristen Ashley

  “You’ve lost her,” I said quietly. “The woman you know as mother is breathing but she’s gone. With the strength in her body went her fire. She doesn’t boss anymore. Doesn’t tell you what to do, doesn’t have an opinion about everything. You live just miles away from a mother who’s fading fast and soon everything, and that means everything about her will be a memory. Are you sure that in twenty, thirty years when you’ll be in the same place that she is now you’ll be secure in the knowledge you did the right thing by your mother? Because if you are then there’s something wrong with you and if you were real men, you’d take time to reflect on that and then you’d use the time you have left to mend bridges with your mother and give her what you’ve got to give in the time she’s got left.”

  Although I was talking quietly and standing still, I ended my rant breathing heavily. And when I ended my rant, I had three Codys just staring at me.

  When no one said anything for awhile, I noted, “You aren’t leaving.”

  Frank tore his eyes from me to look over my shoulder at Gray.

  “Ma’s not doin’ good?”

  Jeez.

  Seriously?

  “Frank, she was, she wouldn’t be in that fuckin’ home,” Gray replied, sounding as exasperated as I felt and then some.

  “You said she couldn’t take care ‘a her personal business,” Charlie put in.

  “Yeah, I said that,” Gray agreed. “I also said she was deteriorating quickly.”

  “How bad is it?” Olly asked.

  “Bad,” I bit out and got all three Codys looking at me again.

  Then Frank looked back at Gray and asked softly, “How much time’s she got?”

  “Not much, God feels kind,” Gray answered.

  These words spoke volumes and there was a moment of silence then some Cody men shuffling their feet. Then there was a very long moment of silence while all three Codys looked anywhere but at each other or Gray.

  Men!

  “God!” I cried, impatient and on edge. “Seriously?”

  Again they all looked at me.

  And again it was Frank who lifted his eyes to Gray but this time their blue depths were twinkling with something familiar, something I saw often in Gray, something I used to see in Grandma Miriam and he remarked, “Heard word, now see it’s true. Your girl’s quite the spitfire.”

  I rolled my eyes to the nearly cloudless Colorado sky as Gray’s arm gave me a squeeze.

  “’A course,” Charlie said and I rolled my eyes to him to see him grinning, “Gray’s a Cody.” He leaned a bit toward me and shared, “Cody men like fire and not a little bit of it.”

  “You’re still here,” I noted.

  Olly ignored my comment and asked Gray, “Ang drop off her chicken Mexican thing?”

  Charlie’s back straightened as he shot to attention.

  “Fuck, yeah, that casserole could win awards,” Charlie muttered, breaking off from the pack and, to my utter disbelief, heading toward the house. “Tragedy strikes, Ang breaks out the tortillas.”

  “Does he really think he can go to my kitchen and eat the casserole Ang made for you and me?” I hissed but I should have saved my breath seeing as all the Codys, including the one by name only, started toward the house.

  “Seems like it,” Gray muttered, I started to twist my neck to look back at him then I felt his arm and body tense around me and I knew why.

  Coming down the lane was a police cruiser.

  By the time Captain Lenny parked, got out of the car and approached a Gray who had wrapped his arm around my neck pulling me in close, front to his side, I felt the Codys all standing at our backs.

  It was long overdue.

  But at least they were there.

  Lenny took in Team Cody and continuing to do so, muttered, “Good to see this shit’s had some good come outta it, you all workin’ out your crap.”

  “Save the commentary, Len, you got news?” Frank barked, Lenny studied him then his eyes came to me. I give him a wince-faced apologetic look and he sighed.

  Then he looked at Gray. “Pete rolled over on Bud.”

  Gray and I both got tense but Gray definitely was tenser and a wave of emotion came from behind us.

  Lenny went on.

  “Spent the mornin’ gettin’ a judge to get us warrants. Once we got those, we moved in on Pete’s place as well as Bud and Cecily’s. Boys are still at both places. Buddy’s been at the station since eight o’clock this mornin’ when we brought him in. We been talkin’ to him on and off since then and he denies any involvement. We pushed it, he’s lawyered up. We’re waitin’ for his attorney to get there so we can have another chat. That said, the warrants we got included lookin’ into his phone records and financials and we found he took a trip to Vegas not too long ago, stayed a single night, this corroborating a statement Ivey gave us about when he went there to have his chat with her. This is new evidence we just got about half an hour ago and we’ll be usin’ that when we sit down with him and his attorney.”

  “Right,” Gray muttered, his voice tight and Lenny held his eyes but shifted his feet in a way that was very un-Lenny.

  I would know why when he said softly, “You know, Pete’s been outta work now for goin’ on two years.”

  Oh God

  Gray’s body went solid, my arms slid around him and another wave of emotion hit us from the back.

  “Do not defend that piece ‘a shit,” Olly growled and Lenny looked to him.

  “I’m not. I’m tryin’ to do the impossible and explain the unexplainable. Sometimes, folks get wronged, they like knowin’ what motivated the ones who wronged ‘em.” Lenny’s eyes came to me. “He’s taken odd jobs but they weren’t makin’ ends meet. He was gettin’ desperate, thinkin’ he’d lose his place, his truck. He said Bud paid him. Unfortunately, this was with cash but we’re hopin’ we can string that line together.” Lenny looked back at Gray. “He knew about the shotgun, Gray, set the fire and then tripped the shotgun to give you warnin’. Boy’s never set a fire before, didn’t know the barn would go up that fast. Thought you’d have plenty of time to get those horses safe.”

  “I think you can guess my response to that is I don’t give a fuck,” Gray replied softly, his voice still tight with restrained impatience and controlled anger.

  “Yep, I could guess that was your response,” Lenny muttered.

  “He cop to poisoning my trees?” Gray asked, Lenny held his eyes a moment then nodded. “And, knowin’ about the shotgun, he did my horses,” Gray went on, Lenny’s jaw went hard and he nodded again. “All paid for by Buddy?” Gray finished and Lenny nodded again.

  Gray held Lenny’s eyes and Lenny let him then Gray, his jaw now hard, looked to his boots, I knew, seeking control and patience.

  “So what now?” Macy asked from behind us and Lenny looked at her then to Gray and me.

  “We hope Bud confesses but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Had a number of boys take a shot at him and he’s not givin’ us anything. Which means we gotta hope we can find somethin’ at his house that ties him to this shit or find a trail that leads to him.” Lenny told Macy then his eyes went back to Gray. “You got my promise, Gray, swear on my Momma, rest her soul, that me and all my boys at Mustang PD are doin’ everything we can. They don’t like a man and his woman woke in the middle of the night to take their lives in their hands savin’ horses. They don’t like dead horses. And they don’t like Buddy Sharp. You got a lotta motivation working for you, Gray. Trust in that.”

  “The only thing I trust is that Bud’s lackey and fall guy is in the tank and stayin’ there awhile so my horses that have no barn to give them a minimal amount of safety won’t go poisoned until Bud gathers the money to find someone else to fuck with me. And maybe I can trust that knowin’ this shit, Bud doesn’t have the balls to do his own dirty work so me and Ivey got a window of time to feel safe. That could be a day, a week or a month but we won’t know how long that is so I think you can guess I won’t be hangin’ around wait
ing for whatever he plans next. I appreciate you’re doin’ what you gotta do how you gotta do it and the way that is, it takes time. But what I said last night stands, Len. You don’t take care of this shit, I will.”

  “Not smart to make an open threat to a police captain.” This warning from Lenny was gentle but it was still a warning.

  “Probably not,” Olly put in from behind us, “but I’ll tell you too, you don’t take care of this shit, Gray doesn’t, I will.”

  “And I’ll say,” Frank added, “you, Gray or Olly don’t do it or I get a wild hair up my ass waitin’ for this shit to get done, I’ll do it.”

  “I don’t even need a wild hair. Bud Sharp’s an asshat. I’m already thinkin’ of doin’ it,” Charlie threw down.

  “So there you go,” Frank summed it up, “four Codys, four threats, four men in Mustang with fierce reason to carry them out. Somethin’ happens to Bud Sharp, you got four directions to turn.”

  At that, Gray went solid again and I knew why.

  By making open threats, they had Gray’s back by casting suspicion four ways.

  It was clever, it was kind (in its way) and it was family.

  Feeling something I didn’t think I’d ever feel, my heart warming to Gray’s uncles, I pressed closer to my man’s side.

  “Though, sayin’ all that, somethin’ happened to Bud Sharp, you’d probably have to bring in most of Mustang for questioning,” Olly muttered.

  Lenny stared at them then he sighed.

  Then his phone rang. He grabbed it, looked at it, moved his glance through all of us and lifted a one minute finger. Then he flipped it open and put it to his ear. He talked and listened and we all waited.

  Then he said, “Right, with Gray now, be back in around ten.”

  Then he flipped his phone shut and looked at Gray.

  “The station,” he explained. “Jeb Sharp just came in and asked to speak to his son.”

  “About time Jeb had words with that boy,” Macy mumbled.

  Lenny ignored Macy and noted softly to Gray, “This could be good, Gray.”

  “We’ll see,” Gray replied and it was clear he felt Jeb Sharp had little sway over his son.

  Lenny held his eyes. Then he nodded. Then he looked to the devastation his nephew wreaked, shook his head, his jaw got tight again then he looked back at Team Cody.

  “Tape comes down, you need help cleanin’ up, takin’ care of those dead horses, you call me and Whit. We’ll be here.”

  No hard feelings with my man, communicating what Pete did didn’t reflect on Lenny, it reflected on Pete and he showed this by saying, “I’ll call, Len.”

  Another nod from Lenny, a glance through us all, a lifted hand and he turned toward his cruiser.

  And as he did I saw another car coming up the lane. More brownies or a casserole, undoubtedly.

  Then I saw what kind of car was coming up the lane.

  A shiny black Lincoln with shaded windows.

  My body jerked then I smiled and tipped my head back to look at Gray who was staring with narrow eyes down the lane.

  “Did you call him?” I asked excitedly and he dipped his chin to look down at me but shook his head. I looked back at the lane. “That has to be him.” My eyes went back to Gray who also had looked back down the lane. “Do you know anyone in Mustang with that car?”

  Gray again gave me his eyes and said, “No.”

  “Who’s that?” Frank asked from behind us as the Lincoln came closer but Gray nor I answered, we just kept watching the Lincoln get closer.

  Lenny couldn’t drive down the lane with the Lincoln coming up so he was standing in the cruiser’s opened door, watching the Lincoln approach.

  Then it approached and I saw I was right.

  Driver’s side, Brutus. Passenger side, Lash.

  “Oh my God!” I cried, jumping a small jump against Gray’s body then I started to pull away to run toward my friends who were making a very well-timed surprise visit.

  But I didn’t get very far. Gray’s arm locked around my shoulders and his other arm locked around my waist.

  He also whispered, “No, baby.”

  I struggled, looking back and forth between Gray and the car, thinking he was playing with me, wondering why, pulling to get away at the same time still jumping excitedly and crying out, “Gray, let me go!”

  His arms got tighter and his voice dipped lower when he locked me to him and whispered, “Fuck, baby.”

  At his tone, my head snapped back to the Lincoln to see Brutus had folded out, as had Lash. They were both wearing shades but I knew both their eyes were aimed at me and both their faces didn’t look happy.

  But it was the backdoor opening that caught my attention, made my breath clean leave me, my stomach hollow out and my heart stop beating.

  Because out of that door came my brother Casey.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Talk

  I was in the kitchen, shaking.

  Gray was standing in the doorway with Lash.

  Macy was in the kitchen with me and she was crowding me.

  “Tell me why you brought that motherfucker here?” Gray growled, keeping his distance from Lash and visibly keeping his body in check. They were close, the door not affording them much room and Gray was pissed beyond any kind of pissed I’d seen Gray be.

  And I’d seen Gray be really, freaking pissed.

  The Brothers Cody, Brutus and Lenny, who had wisely taken one look at Casey, undoubtedly remembered him and decided to stay, were all in the living room with Casey.

  Casey!

  Oh God.

  “Because I know what he has to say, the Mustang police should know and hear it from him and, last, she deserves this, Cody, and you do too,” Lash replied, he was alert but calm and holding Gray’s eyes.

  “Maybe but you could have called,” Gray returned and this was true. So, so true. “You did, you’d know the barn burned down last night and we got seven horses dead. Ivey was in that barn with me savin’ the thirteen we got left.”

  Lash’s face got hard and his eyes sliced to me.

  “Look at me, Caldiwell,” Gray rumbled and Lash’s eyes cut back to Gray. “Why didn’t you call?”

  “Because I thought if I did, you’d protect Ivey by not giving her what Casey has to give.”

  Gray’s body straightened and seemed to expand, such was his increased anger but Lash shook his head.

  “Calm, my man, that guy in there has not pulled one over on me. I’m not here to orchestrate a family reunion. What he’s got to give is no good. It’s just truth. Ugly truth. And I read from you right now and read it the same seein’ you with her before that you’d protect her from that shit and that is not your call. It’s not mine. It’s Ivey’s. I’m giving her that call.”

  “You don’t know me enough to know I wouldn’t give her the same,” Gray clipped out.

  “You’re right but I also wasn’t going to take any chances,” Lash fired back, his eyes slid to me then back to Gray. “Timing sucks but better to get this shit over with and do with that guy whatever you decide you want done with him. Deal with him or cut him loose. One way or another, I want shot of him. Filth stinks and I’m really not fond of his smell.”

  Lash, a man I loved, a man who looked out for me, a man who took care of me, a man who out-and-out spoiled me was talking about my brother that way.

  Pure Casey.

  Obviously he hadn’t changed.

  “Ivey, you okay?” Macy asked softly, still crowding me.

  No, I wasn’t.

  I didn’t answer her.

  I spoke to Lash.

  “I know why,” I said softly and both Gray and Lash’s eyes came to me. When I got Lash’s attention, I continued, “If you gave Gray the info and he chose not to tell me, you thought, if Casey made his way back to me, whenever and for whatever reason, because, being Casey, even though it’s been years, he’d eventually need me, you thought I’d buckle.”

  Lash gave it to me straight wi
th his prompt answer of, “Yes.”

  I studied him knowing he was right.

  I loved my brother.

  It was a failing.

  I looked to Gray then to Macy then to my feet as they moved me through the kitchen and I muttered, “Let’s get this done.”

  Gray and Lash separated so I could squeeze through them. I led and, with Macy, they followed.

  Casey’s eyes came to me the minute I hit the living room. I took two steps in and stopped, feeling Lash and Gray position themselves behind me.

  Brutus was standing behind and beside the armchair in which Casey was lounging negligently, even belligerently. The Brothers Cody and Lenny were positioned around the room, all standing. Macy went to Olly.

  Casey didn’t tear his gaze from me.

  “Looks like you landed on your feet, sis,” he remarked and I felt the heavy atmosphere in the room get even heavier.

  I took in my brother.

  He’d lost weight. He had a scar I knew came from a deep cut on his cheek, another one from a shallow cut curving up from the collar of his tee by his collarbone. His hair was a mess and, even though he was only thirty-four, it had already started to go gray. There were lines around his eyes and mouth that didn’t come from work in the sun or laughter but hard living and a lifetime of worry. His tee, jeans and boots weren’t dirty or tatty but they weren’t good quality and he’d had them awhile.

  He looked ten years older than he was. He looked angry. And he looked beaten but even so, he was trying to hide it behind hostility.

  When I made no response, his eyes moved over my shoulder to Gray then back to me.

  “See you and your cowboy again aren’t gonna offer me hospitality.” His brows went up. “No cool, refreshing glass of homemade lemonade on the farm? Not an offer of a nice, cold bottle of brew?”

  Jeez.

  Casey.

  Finally, I spoke. “Lash says you have something to say to me.”

  “Got a lotta things be happy to say to you,” Casey replied and I heard Gray draw in breath.

  “Casey, be smart, just tell me what happened, what you did seven years ago so you can be on your way to continue to do whatever you’ve been doing,” I urged softly, hating this and wanting it done.