Finding Justice

by Ciana Stone

  With that, he turned, walked down the steps and across the yard.

  Jolene watched him leave and stood on the back porch for a few minutes after he had disappeared from view. Dylan, JD, or whatever he called himself, affected her on many levels. Yes, the sexual attraction was there, almost overpowering, but there was more. She still saw in him a man who desperately wanted to be saved.

  Perhaps she could have dismissed that as a foolish notion if she didn't know something of his past. But she did, and she knew it was his past, specifically what happened between them three years ago that was instrumental in his pain.

  She collected herself, pushing thoughts of him into the background of her mind, turned, and entered the house. Everyone was waiting in the kitchen.

  Jason but didn't speak until she'd taken a seat.

  "So, you want to tell me what's going on between you and JD or do I need to ask him?"

  "Pardon?"

  Jason gave her a look she recognized. She'd seen it on her grandfather's face. That look said I might be old but I'm not stupid. He waited and when she remained silent, he spoke. "Jo. I'm not trying to nose into your business, but I'm also not going to keep my nose out if there's something that affects one of my boys.

  "JD has his share of – of problems, but for the most part he's a caring and kind man. His behavior today isn't typical. And I saw the looks between you and him. Something's going on that's got him all tied up in a knot."

  Jolene's first reaction was to tell him it was nothing. Her second was to say it was none of his business. She did neither. Instead, she went with the truth, or as much of it as she could tell.

  "I know he was at an auction the night his wife died, and that he feels guilty about it. I guess that's what bothers him. That I know."

  Jason's gazed locked with hers and he was quiet for a long time. Finally, he nodded. "Yeah, I imagine so. The question is, how are we gonna make this work?"

  "I don't know, Jason. I wish I did. I can do the piece with you and your other sons and when I finish, you can let your whole family see it, including JD. If anyone has an issue, I can revise or I can tell the network to can the whole thing. That's up to you."

  He nodded. "Well, I guess that's a good a plan as any. But I'd suggest you steer clear of JD 'till he gets that mad under control."

  "I think that's a good plan, too, sir."

  "All righty then. So where were we?"

  "You were telling me about meeting your wife in Florida."

  "Oh yeah." He sighed and leaned back in his chair, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. "Man was she a sight for sore eyes the first time I saw her…"

  Chapter Seven

  Jolene called out to Cody as she saw another rider approaching. "Hey, we've got company!"

  Cody, who rode off to one side, turned to look in the direction Jolene pointed. She then turned her horse with a little kick to ride in closer.

  "Recognize him?" It wasn't hard to tell the rider was a man.

  Cody scrunched her eyes a bit and stared for a moment then shook her head. "Nope."

  "You get many people out here?"

  "Nope. We're not on my land anymore."

  "We’re trespassing?"

  Cody snorted. "No. Not really. Man who owns his piece is in his eighties. Walter Jones. Nice old fella, but he has a bad back and can't do much these days. I go over every week or so and check on him. He's got a sister staying with him now, helping with the house. Widowed last year. She's in her seventies, but still pretty spry."

  "So, are we just going to sit here and wait on whoever that is?"

  "Yep."

  Jolene shrugged. Cody was an interesting woman, and from what Jolene could tell, a good person. Plain spoken, down-to-earth and sometimes hilarious, she was also fiercely protective of people she cared about. From Jolene's observations that seemed to include every person in Cotton Creek.

  She watched Cody who watched the rider. When the man drew his mount to a stop in front of them, Jolene split her attention from Cody to him.

  "Morning, ladies."

  "Morning." Cody's voice was not exactly friendly, but neither was it hostile.

  "Nice morning for a ride."

  "Particularly on someone else's land."

  There it was. That undercurrent of suspicion and protectiveness that did not surprise Jolene.

  The man smiled. "Indeed. As I understand it, this particular parcel belongs to Mr. Walter Jones."

  Jolene bit back a smile at the look of annoyance that flashed across Cody's face. "Yep. And you're not him."

  The smile that bloomed on the man's face accentuated his good looks. "No, I'm not. Pardon my lack of manners. I'm Wesley Pursell. My family has a spread just west of here."

  "Pursell?"

  The look that came on Cody's face sent warning bells ringing in Jolene's head. "I've heard that name." She blurted. "Oh, sorry. I'm Jolene Windwalker. Not a resident, just a visitor. And my friend here is Cody Sweet – a long-time resident."

  "Cody Sweet?" The man looked at Cody and grinned. "Lord. The last time I saw you, you were – let's see, about ten years old, sitting on your daddy's knee at the pig pit."

  Cody didn't return the smile. "What are you doing on Mr. Jones's land?"

  "Just taking a ride, same as you, Cody."

  "I doubt it."

  "Now that's not very friendly."

  "You're right. Come on Jo, let's head back."

  Jolene looked from her to Wesley Pursell. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Pursell."

  "And you, Ms. Windwalker. You say you're visiting? Relatives perhaps?"

  "No. I'm with CWF network and here to do an episode on a local family."

  "Interesting. Maybe you should talk to Cody about her family. Her father was quite the character in his day, I hear. And a bonafide hero."

  "Yes, I'll do that. Good day, Mr. Pursell."

  "Good day, miss – and Cody."

  Cody didn't bother to say goodbye, she just turned her horse and kicked it into a gallop. Jolene did the same and caught up with her. It was several minutes before Cody slowed.

  "Okay, what's up with that?" Jolene asked.

  "With what?"

  "Wesley Pursell. The moment he said his name you looked like you wanted to hiss."

  "You've heard about the Pursells, right?"

  "Yes, it came up in the research and from Mrs. Nellie Mae. They're the richest family in the county, have little to do with anyone but are good to the town and support the school and most notably the football program. Big in cattle, big in horse racing, and bigger in oil."

  "Yeah. Oil."

  "You aren't a fan of the oil business?"

  "I don't think much of rich people who swindle poor ones."

  "They swindle people?" Jolene's journalistic ears perked up.

  Cody blew out a loud breath. "When I was little I remember my dad talking with some other men at a pig pickin'. They were saying how Pursell – senior that is – anyway, he dang near drove half a dozen ranches into the dirt, undersold them so they couldn't make a fair living. Then when they failed, he offered loans. 'Course, they couldn't keep up the payments since he was still competing with them at the market, so he ended up buying them out for pennies on the dollar to get their land."

  That was not a new tale. It'd been told in every state where there were small family-owned farms and ranches. Jolene didn’t approve, but recognized it for what it was, the way of the world. The rich got richer, and the poor struggled to survive.

  "So you don't like him for what his father did?"

  "You think he's any different?"

  "I don't know."

  "Well, he's not. The way I hear it, he's been making mountains of money for the last fifteen years. First in Alaska, and later in Montana and the Dakotas. Buying up land and mineral rights hand over fist. He's turning Pursell Oil into one of the biggest in the country."

  "And that makes you mad because?"

  "Because—because it does."

&nbs
p; Jolene fell silent. She didn't know Cody all that well, but her reaction to Wesley Pursell seemed unnatural. She thought about it as she rode, replaying the meeting in her mind. Then it hit her. The look on Cody's face when she saw Wesley.

  Cody was attracted to him. "So, you knew him when you were a little girl?"

  "Yeah. He'd come to the bar now and then."

  "Was he already in the oil business then?"

  Cody shrugged.

  "What was he like back then?"

  Another shrug preceded a long silence. "He was okay."

  "He's sure good-looking."

  "If that's your type." Cody's head turned and moved slightly, chin tilting up in a slight jerk as her head turned to the right and her eyes shifted in the same direction.

  Ah ha. There it was, Cody's 'tell'. Everyone had one; some were just harder to spot than others. Wesley Pursell might well prove to be as awful as Cody made him out to be, but Jolene would be willing to bet he wasn't half that bad.

  He was, however, a man who possessed something that got to Cody Sweet and the one thing Jolene had figured out about her new friend was that she was damned determined to never give her heart to another man.

  She'd been burned once, and she didn't intend to get anywhere close to another romantic flame. Jolene understood the pain of the burn all too well, having experienced something similar. The difference was, Jolene would run headlong into the fire if given the chance, while Cody would run the other way.

  Not that it mattered. JD Weathers was not likely to ever give her a chance, and it was his fire she craved.

  *****

  JD walked out of the barn at the same moment his father, Jolene and three of her crew rode up on horseback. Jason's face was split in a grin, something JD didn't see too often. There was a smile on Jolene's face as well and despite his resolve not to give her the time of day he couldn't help but notice how pretty she was when she smiled.

  He tried not to allow her smile to prompt memories but failed. Her smiling up at him from the bed with her hair fanned out behind her and her skin damp from their lovemaking. God in heaven would those thoughts not just leave him be?

  Her gaze met his, and the smile faded. JD purely hated what seized him when their eyes made contact. Need so strong it was almost a physical pain, and emotion he had no label for that made his chest feel full. He turned away, needing to break whatever spell she always cast on him. Damn her.

  She'd possessed his thoughts since the day he spotted her in the diner. He didn't want her here. It only caused pain and anger to remember that short time they'd shared and the result of it. JD wanted her gone in the worst way.

  He told himself it was for his family. He knew better. It was for him. She was a living reminder of how he'd failed and what it had cost his sons. No matter that he wanted her, she was the poisoned fruit, and he needed to drive her away.

  "Me and Jo thought we'd drive into town for lunch at the Willow Tree." Jason said as he climbed off his horse. "Wanna tag along?"

  "No."

  Jason shrugged and handed JD the reins to his horse. "Then I guess you can take care of the animals. Jo, your guys coming along?"

  She dismounted and looked at her crew. "Want to join?"

  Mickey, the lead camera operator shook his head. "Not me, thanks. Since we have the rig here, I want to dump the footage and go through it. And the rig is pretty well stocked right now."

  "Same here," the other camera operator, Sam added.

  "Malachi?" Jo looked at the Native American man who was dismounting while holding his boom microphone in one hand.

  "I'll hang with the guys, thanks."

  "Okay, then I guess it's just the two of us, Jason."

  "Fine. Give the reins to JD. You need anything from the house or are you ready to ride?"

  She handed the reins to JD without meeting his eyes. "Just need to grab my messenger bag. I left it in the kitchen."

  "I'll walk with you."

  She smiled and took the arm Jason offered. JD watched them head off toward the house, talking and laughing. That sight shouldn't annoy him but it did. "I'll take care of the horses," he said to the camera crew.

  "Thanks," the man Jolene had identified as Malachi said.

  "Sure."

  JD turned, leading two of the horses toward the stable. The others would not wander off.

  "Whoa, who licked the red off your candy?"

  JD turned toward the voice to find Jayce coming up behind him, leading all three of the other horses. "What're you doing here in the middle of the day?"

  "Came to hook up with Pop and Jo for lunch. Going over to the Willow Tree. Wanna go?"

  "No."

  "Well you don't have to bite my head off. Damn, JD, what's up with you? You've been like a horse with a burr in his saddle for two weeks."

  "Nothing's wrong. Just got work to do and no time to be stable hand for Pop and his – his friend."

  Jayce laughed. "Only in his dreams." He looked past JD to Pop and Jo, headed away from them. "Only girl that one's gonna be is mine, brother."

  "Excuse me?"

  "You heard me. She's mighty easy on the eyes and not married so…"

  "So you need to stay the hell away from her."

  Jayce drew back his head in surprise. "Say what?"

  "You heard me."

  "Why? You calling dibs on her big brother?"

  "Hell no. I want nothing to do with her."

  "Well good, cause I do."

  JD couldn't find another comeback. He didn't even know why he cared. It wasn't like he gave a rat's ass about Jolene Windwalker.

  "Let me help you while I wait.” Jayce offered. “Oh, did Bryson tell you we finished up the Sweets' job?"

  "No. That went fast."

  "Yeah and I think they may give us the contract on the rebuild."

  "You got time to do it? I know those girls want it done yesterday."

  "Yeah, we'll get it done. Thinking about hiring some more guys. With all the work we can afford to pay decent and still show a nice profit."

  "Sounds like a plan."

  Jayce draped the reins over the fence at the stable and looked toward the house. "There they come. I'll catch you later."

  "Yeah, later."

  JD cut a glance toward the house. Pop and Jo were just coming off the porch. She looked in Jayce's direction and smiled. JD bit back a surge of annoyance and turned away from the sight, telling himself that it would be a relief to have her gone for a while. She'd been in Cotton Creek for over a week and on the ranch almost daily. How the hell long did it take to film a damn TV show anyway?

  And why in blazes did he look back over his shoulder at her as he heard her laugh. She was smiling up at Jayce as he offered his hand to help her up into the truck.

  JD cursed under his breath as he set about loosening a saddle. Jayce was a fool, nothing but a fool to get involved with that woman. She'd…

  He stopped in mid-motion. She'd what? Much as he didn't want her there, it had nothing to do with the person she was. It was all about her effect on him and the fact that because he'd wanted to be with her more than being home where he belonged, he'd made the worst mistake of his life.

  Still, the idea of her with Jayce sparked jealousy, and that made him downright mad. Why the hell couldn't Jo just leave? That way his life could go back to normal and he'd find a way to put her out of his mind.

  Cause that's worked so well for you so far, eh?

  With another curse he forced his attention back to the task at hand, determined not to think about Jolene Windwalker one more second.

  *****

  Jolene smiled as Jayce offered his hand when it was time to get out of the truck. "Thanks." She allowed him to assist her even though she needed no help. It was nice to have the attention of a handsome man and Jayce was fine with a capital F.

  Nearly as tall as JD, he had a lean build but one that had its fair share of manly muscles as was obvious in the tight T-shirt he wore. His hair was a bit longer than w
as fashionable, thick, and dark brown with golden highlights that glinted in the sunlight.

  His eyes reminded her of JD, but without the pain and anguish. If she were to be attracted to a man simply by virtue of his looks or personality, Jayce would be at the top of the list.

  "So, you're staying at Mrs. Baker's?" He asked as they made their way to the cafe, a half a block away.

  "Yes."

  "Bought any padlocks yet?"

  Jolene laughed. "I thought about it. I nearly had a duck when I found out she'd been eavesdropping on me and then blabbing all over town about what she heard."

  "You mean after changing it up to be more – interesting?"

  "Yeah, something like that."

  "That's just her way." He stopped behind his father as Jason opened the door of the cafe.

  Jolene noticed the number of people who watched as they entered and found a table. No surprise there. She'd been eating here a lot, and it took only a couple of days to figure out that a new person in town roused everyone's curiosity.

  After the tales Nellie Mae and Netta had told, the gossip mill probably had the Weathers family at the top of the list.

  They took seats and a waitress Jo recognized came over with menus. "Well, hey Jo. You back again?"

  "Best lunch in town."

  "You got that right, girl. Mr. Weathers, Jayce, how y'all doing?"

  "Fine as wine, young lady." Jason beamed at her. "Bring us some iced tea while we decide what we want, if you don't mind."

  "Not at all. Three teas coming up."

  Jason placed his unopened menu on the table and looked around. A smile appeared on his face and he raised his hand.

  Jo turned to look in the direction of his gaze and almost swallowed her tongue. "Is that…?"

  "Riley Morgan and his lady Annie Becke." Jayce smiled and threw up his hand in greeting to Riley.

  "Riley Morgan?" Jo looked at the man again. "Well then he's a dead ringer for Nate Bridges."

  "Probably because he was, back in the day."

  By that time Riley and Annie had reached the table. "Jason, Jayce. How you doing?" Riley asked.

  '"Good, Riley, good." Jayce said and stood. "You?"

  "Couldn't be better."

  "Good. Good. You doing okay Ms. Annie?"