by Jill Sanders
Lea sighed. She’d heard of Judge Dixon. After all, her mother was a public defender. Robert Dixon Sr. was one of the crookedest judges in the county. According to her mother, anyone of color who stepped in front of the judge usually got the max sentence for whatever crime they were being charged with while those with… fairer skin usually walked free.
There was no doubt that the judge’s grandson would skirt the charges. He’d probably done so many times before he stepped foot in Whataburger. After all, men like Robbie didn’t just one day wake up and decide to be racist.
“Right,” she said with a sigh. “I have pictures of what they did to Brett.” She pulled out her phone and sent them to Carl’s phone. “Is it even worth pressing charges?”
Carl nodded. “Yes, this will be his fourth time being charged this year alone. This will help.” He waved his phone before putting it back into his pocket.
“Four?” She balked. “He’s done this to three other people?”
Carl glanced over at Steven. “This year.”
She laid her head in her hands and had to take several deep breaths before she looked up. “How many times has he gotten away with it?”
Carl sat down across from her. He reached out and took her hand, a move she knew that he only felt comfortable with because he knew her personally.
“Lea, I’m going to be honest with you. Mainly because, well, Brett is our brother and…”—Carl smiled quickly— “Kayla really likes you. When she found out that the two of you were on a date, she kicked my butt for not telling her that you two were an item.”
Lea smiled at the mention of his wife. “We… weren’t really yet.”
“Now?” Carl asked, then shook his head. “Never mind. I’ll get to the gossip later.” His smile faded. “The last couple of people who filed charges against Dixon ended up receiving death threats.”
Lea tensed and looked down at the paper in front of her.
“I won’t lie to you and say that there isn’t a chance he will walk away free in the end, or that he won’t come after you in any way, but I will promise you this. We protect one of our own and… you are one of ours,” Carl said.
Steven nodded quickly in agreement. “That SOB needs to be locked up before he kills someone.”
“He crossed the line this time by hitting an officer. Even one on medical leave. Before now, he was just verbally abusive. The moment he hit Brett was the moment we finally got him. He won’t walk away so easily this time. Not without a good fight,” Carl added.
Lea smiled and, after taking a deep breath, she signed the report and slid it back to Carl. “Thank you,” she said softly.
“Just doing our job.” Carl tucked the paper back into the folder.
“Has Brett signed it yet?” she asked.
“We’re heading out to the camp now to meet with him,” Carl said.
“And have lunch,” Steven added. “Nothing beats one of Chef Isaacs’s meals.”
Lea smiled and showed the two men out. For the rest of her shift, she thought about what they’d told her. Normally, her mother would have been hired to defend men like Robbie and Larry. She couldn’t imagine having a job where she had to save someone so evil from rotting in a prison cell.
Her mother was a stronger person than she was. Which reminded her that it was past time she took some time out to have dinner with her family.
Maybe she’d invite Brett along. After all, her parents loved him like a son. Actually, they treated Aiden, Brett, and Elle like their children, along with a handful of Raya’s friends. It was one of the reasons she loved her parents so much, their ability to embrace others and bring them into the fold of family.
By the time she dragged herself into her bed almost twenty-four hours later, she was too exhausted to even think.
Brett had texted her that he’d signed the report and that he was missing her. He’d suggested that they meet up for breakfast at the camp and a quick swim the following morning.
Since it was the first time that she’d fallen asleep alone since the Whataburger incident, she had a difficult time drifting off. After almost an hour of trying to fall asleep while images of Robbie and Larry taunted her, she turned on the television. That ended up being a huge mistake, as the story was playing on every news channel.
She flipped channels until cartoons flooded her screen. She finally settled back and watched one of her favorite childhood shows.
When she woke, she grabbed her bag with her swimsuit and some scrubs, then headed out to the camp to meet with Brett.
She’d never really been nervous around Brett before except for a few times, but this morning she was overly so.
Walking from the parking lot to the main building, she reminded herself that they were friends first and that she’d known him since before she was ten.
Still, when she saw him sitting at a large table with the rest of the normal gang, she felt her heart flutter. The chair next to him was the only empty seat, and it was obvious that he’d saved her a spot.
Setting her bag down, she greeted everyone cheerfully, trying desperately to hide her nerves. She was thankful that the conversation at the table didn’t seem to pause too long for her arrival and everyone continued talking about the day’s itinerary. Over the past two years, she’d sat through more makeshift meetings than she could count. So she ordered her breakfast and ate quietly while everyone droned on or debated who was going to take over Zoey’s and Dylan’s tasks while they were out on maternity leave.
She must have stopped listening at one point because the entire table grew quiet, and she looked up to see everyone looking at her.
“Sorry.” She set her half-empty tea mug down. “I must have dozed off for a moment,” she said, getting a few chuckles.
“We were asking when you were going to clear Brett here for work?” Elle asked.
“My medical leave is up next week, and my retirement officially kicks in the following day,” Brett added. “So until both take place and Lea signs off on me, I’m spending my days enjoying—” He cleared his throat. “I mean, surveying the property for security risks,” he finished in an official-sounding tone. A couple of people chuckled again.
“If he sits behind a desk, he can go to work tomorrow,” Lea said, knowing full well what Brett would think of that.
“Hey, let’s not be too hasty,” Brett said, holding up his hands, causing her to smile. “I’d at least like to be able to stand up without the aid of a cane first.”
“I think two weeks is soon enough,” she relented with a smile.
She watched Brett relax slightly.
“I’ll send you over everything I have for this place as far as security goes so you can take a look at it,” Aiden said.
“Oh.” Elle snapped her fingers, getting everyone’s attention. “That reminds me.” She dug in her large bag and came out with a box. “There, now it’s official.” She slid the box in front of Brett.
Brett slowly opened the lid and pulled out one of the standard camp shirts with his name on the front. When he turned it around, he smiled at the bold “River Camps Security” on the back.
“There are business cards.” Elle motioned to the box. Brett pulled out a smaller box and took out one of the shiny blue business cards, looked at it for a moment, then handed her one.
She had a few of her own and knew that there were some in each cabin. No doubt when Brett officially started, his cards would be added.
“There, now it’s official,” Elle said with a smile before standing up. “On that note, I have a class to fill in for.” She turned and left.
Everyone else at the table took their cue from her and left shortly after, leaving Lea alone with Brett.
Once again, her nerves of being around him surfaced, and she started fidgeting with his business card. His eyes tracked her movement, and he had a slight frown on his face.
“Problem?” she asked, setting the card down.
“No, it’s just… I spoke to my mother yesterday.”
He leaned back.
“How did that go?” she asked, already seeing the answer in his eyes.
“As expected. Mom skirted my questions. Dad threatened me and tried to get me to fight him.” He sighed. “If I didn’t know the law, I would have taken him up on the offer and punched him.” He glanced around as if looking for something else to hit.
She laid her hand over his and waited until he looked over at her.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I know it’s not perfect timing, but my family has invited you to dinner tomorrow night,” she said with a half-smile. “They wanted to thank you for… well, everything.”
“I didn’t do anything.” He looked down at their joined hands.
“That’s the whole thing, though, isn’t it,” she said with a smile.
He shrugged and sighed as he glanced around. “I’m not really in the mood for a swim.”
“Okay.” She tilted her head to look at him. “Then how about we do something different?”
His eyebrows shot up. “Like what?”
A wicked grin spread on her lips, and she rubbed her hands together as a worried look crossed his eyes.
Forty minutes later, Lea was beginning to think that her idea of taking Brett to the gym and letting him box his anger away was questionable. The man was a drone. She’d never seen anyone pummel the punching bag as many times and as hard as he did. Beads of sweat rolled down his arms, his back, and his forehead as he concentrated on his moves.
She was impressed at his balance, standing on his right leg while he threw the punches over and over again.
He’d shown her how to throw a punch, and she’d tried her hardest, but after a while, she’d settled on watching him instead. The show made her realize just what an impressive specimen of a man he was. Full-on Captain America physique.
The fact that she could still remember him as a slightly chubby ten-year-old had her smiling as he continued to pummel the bag.
“Someone’s in a mood,” Aubrey said, coming up beside her.
Lea sighed. “He ran into his parents the other day.”
Aubrey nodded. “Yeah, just a phone call with my dad makes me want to do the same.” She motioned to Brett. “How’s he holding up?”
Lea knew what Aubrey was asking. Not about Brett’s leg or injury from the cane, but about his mental state.
She took a moment to assess his mood earlier. “He’s holding up. I think things will look better for him once he officially starts working at the camp.” She turned slightly towards Aubrey. “How are the wedding plans coming along?”
Aubrey smiled. “Busy and wonderful. Still, I can’t believe all of us original Wildflowers will be married by this time next year.”
“Original?” Lea asked.
Aubrey rolled her eyes. “Yes, some people, such as yourself, have earned honorary memberships to the exclusive club.” She smiled. “Welcome aboard.” She patted Lea’s hand. “With that, I’m off to my judo class.”
“Oh.” Lea stopped her. “I, um, wanted to sign up for that.” She glanced towards Brett, who was still slamming his fist into the punching bag.
“I have another one this afternoon, at two,” Aubrey said. “You’re welcome to join in the fun.”
“Thanks,” Lea said as Aubrey made her way out of the gym.
When Lea turned back to Brett, he was standing there, watching her.
“Everything okay?” she asked, moving over to him.
“Yeah,” he said with a sigh. “I think I’m ready for that swim now.”
She walked over and took his gloved hands in her own. “Sometimes it’s good to get all that frustration out.”
“Thanks. I guess I needed the outlet.” He pulled her in close for a hug.
“You’re all sweaty.” She tried to back out, only to be held closer as he chuckled and kissed the top of her head.
“And now you are too.” He laughed. “You’re good for me.”
She could have imagined he’d said those words; it was nothing more than a whisper. She held onto him, not caring about anything except how he made her feel.
A while later, as she floated in the pool, looking up at the robin’s-egg-blue sky, she wondered if life could get any better.
She had the perfect job, the perfect home, a wonderful family that loved her, and now she had a boyfriend that made her toes curl.
Brett’s hands circled her waist and pulled her under the water. She laughed the moment they surfaced.
“You’re just lucky I’m too hungry to fight back,” she said, holding onto him. Just then she heard his stomach growl loudly. She was pretty sure the water rippled from the sound. “Sounds like you are too.” She laughed at him.
“I could eat.” He pulled them towards the stairs of the pool.
They sat at the pool bar and ordered lunch, chicken salad for her and a grilled chicken sandwich for Brett.
When he ordered a beer, she wanted to stop him, but then she realized that he’d mentioned that he’d stopped taking his medicine last week. If she wasn’t on call for the camp, she would have sipped on a margarita herself.
It was easy to forget in such a beautiful setting that she was actually working. The occasional emergency shook her out of her relaxation pretty quickly.
Such was the case the moment after they had ordered their lunch. Her phone started ringing and a few moments later she was sprinting towards the medical cabin. Thankfully, it was only a twisted wrist instead of a broken one. After dressing the cuts and giving the guest a sling and some pain pills, she returned to Brett and their lunch.
“It’s a good thing you ordered a salad and not something hot,” Brett said.
“I learned that lesson a long time ago. Never expect a normal meal when you’re on duty.” She shrugged.
“Working here must be a million times better than the hospital,” Brett said once they started eating.
“It does have its perks.” She glanced around. “Good view, food, and people.”
He frowned over at her. “Aren’t the people at the hospital good to you?”
“Oh, sure, it’s just…” She bit her lip and realized that she didn’t want to go into the details with Brett about avoiding Sanjay all the time. In the past few months, he’d become quite… bothersome. “It’s nothing.”
“There’s something you’re not telling me.” The look Brett was giving her was one that she knew all too well. She wasn’t going to be able to avoid telling him. The determination in his eyes told her that he wouldn’t stop until he had the entire story from her.
Words flowed from her lips as she told him all about how, after Sanjay’s divorce, he’d started giving her extra attention. How he was starting to become more aggressive and corner her, even though she’d made her feelings clear.
“Is he at the stalker level?” Brett asked.
“No, nowhere near, just… creepy coworker who doesn’t get the hint level.”
“I know you can handle yourself, but if you want, I can have a chat with him. Or look into him if you need,” Brett offered.
“No, you’re right. So far, I’ve been handling him fine by myself. If he starts to cross the line, I can talk to my superiors.”
“Next time you’re working, I can swing in and make some sort of public display.” He wiggled his eyebrows and she chuckled. “You know, so he gets the hint that you’re taken.”
“Regardless of what Sanjay thinks, I’d like you to visit me at work,” she answered with a smile.
“So, dinner at your folks’ place tomorrow night?” he asked.
“Yeah, if you’re up to it.” She felt nervous waiting for his answer. She could tell that earlier, he’d been so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he hadn’t really registered the invite.
“I’d love to. What can I bring?” he asked, and she relaxed.
“Nothing. Dad’s making his famous grilled fish. He wanted me to ask you if you’d be up for a fishing trip tomorrow morning, but as your doctor—”
; “Yes,” he broke in. “Tell him yes. I always love going out on the boat with your dad.”
She frowned over at him. “Are you sure you’re up for it?” She looked down at his leg, which he’d been rubbing absently.
“Lea, it’s been almost two months, and I’m starting to go stir crazy. Being out on the water fishing with one of the only men I’ve looked up to my entire life would be choice. Even if I have to sit the entire time, I could sure use the reprieve.”
She smiled. “Then I’ll tell my dad to pick you up at five.” Brett groaned at the early hour, and she laughed. “You asked for it.”
Chapter 16
Sitting on the speeding fishing boat with the salty warm air hitting his face, Brett figured the trip was worth the lack of extra morning sleep he would have gotten.
Not to mention that talking to Ken Val was nothing short of entertaining. The man was funny and witty enough to be a stand-up comedian. Lea’s mother, Katie, on the other hand, was all business and very lawyer-like.
By the time they had caught enough red snapper for dinner, Brett had laughed more than he had in years.
They’d spotted a pod of dolphins, and a few hammerhead sharks had tried to snatch the fish off their lines. It had been a long time since he’d had a such a relaxing day.
Ken was easy to talk to and asked about Brett’s future plans without seeming like a nosy father trying to butt in.
Maybe it was because he’d known the man most of his life, but either way, he explained how he’d been hired on by the camp as head of security. Since he wasn’t sure about his physical abilities, he figured it was the best choice, at least for the time being.
Ken talked about Raya and Lea as if he was proud of them no matter what path they took in life. As if they were equally loved in his eyes, even though Raya hadn’t finished college and dressed up as a princess while Lea quite literally saved people’s lives every single day.