Justified

by Jay Crownover

  I nodded as vigorously as I could. The last thing this situation needed was for Case to blame me for stealing more time away from his son. He didn’t need to watch me sleep when he could be home with Hayes.

  After a few moments of obvious indecision, he dipped his chin in a gesture of reluctant agreement. “Fine. We’ll get out of your hair, but I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you.”

  It sounded like that was as much of a compromise as I was going to get, and frankly, I was too worn-out to argue. There were worse things in the world than being the focus of Case Lawton’s concern. I just had to remind myself not to get used to it.

  After all, he was only doing his job.

  Chapter 6

  Case

  You’re actually home. I wasn’t expecting that. You have time to eat this morning?”

  There was a hint of surprise but no censure or blame in my son’s voice when I stumbled into the kitchen early the next day. The last few I’d been gone before the sun came up. I’d finally met with the fire investigator, and just like I predicted, someone tried to trap Aspen in the upper level of her home before setting it on fire. The burn pattern led right out her bedroom door. I’d also tracked down her paralegal and her secretary to ask about the spare keys in Aspen’s office. Both women admitted to knowing right where they were, and both mentioned Aspen never kept the location much of a secret, which meant I needed to know who out of her current client list posed the biggest problem. Any number of clients who had been to the office could have seen the keys being exchanged or put away. But because of attorney-client privilege, I didn’t get very far. Luckily Aspen’s secretary kept an ear to the ground and gave me a couple of names to run down off the record. It seemed there were quite a few disgruntled spouses who had threatened harm and retribution after dealing with Aspen in court.

  It’d been a busy, hectic few days and I hadn’t been home much. I winced remembering the way I was painted as an ineffective parent and absentee father back when Hayes was young because I was always working. It didn’t matter that Mrs. Clooney undoubtedly kept him fed and watched out for him while I was working these days. Taking care of him was my job, and it was just as important as tracking down whoever had it in for my arch nemesis.

  “Sorry I haven’t been around. This case I’m working on is complicated.” So were my feelings toward the woman at the center of it.

  Hayes shrugged his broad shoulders and cocked his head to the side. He looked more and more like me the older he got. I’d fought for so long to be a part of his life, it was hard to imagine the house being empty once he left for college. I wanted to be here, with him, making the most of the time we had left together, not running around trying to pinpoint who in my town hated Aspen more than I did.

  “You’ve got a job to do, Dad. It’s an important one. Plus, I’ve been busy. We’ve had two-a-days, midterms are coming up, I’ve been dodging Mom, and there’s this girl at school…” He trailed off and turned back to the pan he was stirring on the stove. It looked like it was scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. I moved to the coffeepot and rolled my head around, making my neck pop. I was getting too old for sleepless nights.

  I ruffled the back of my son’s dark hair and propped a hip on the counter next to the stove. There was always some girl. He changed them so fast I’d stopped learning their names a forever ago. As long as he was respectful and honest with them, I didn’t mind him dating his way through the teenage female population of Loveless. I may have even encouraged him to not settle down. I tried not to dwell on how different my life might have been if I hadn’t fallen for the wrong girl in high school. If I weren’t so smitten with Becca and convinced she was my one and only, who knew where my path would have led? Maybe there was a chance I would’ve seen new-to-town Aspen as more than a wounded bird who needed help learning to fly. It was good Hayes didn’t have the same kind of anchor weighing him down. I wanted him to get out in the world and experience everything I’d missed out on.

  “This girl, is she the same blonde you were telling me about last week? The quiet, smart one?” I tried to pay attention to the details when he bothered to share them, so he knew when I was home he was my sole focus and priority. I tried really hard to leave Sherriff Lawton at the office so I could just be Dad when I was with Hayes.

  He pushed his messy hair out of his eyes and straightened. I blinked in silent surprise when I realized we were almost eye to eye. It was hard to see him as my little boy when he was nearly the same height as I was.

  “Affton? No, we still hang out and stuff, but she’s all about blowing out of town as soon as possible. She cares more about what’s ahead of her than what’s standing in front of her right now. We’re still friends, and she’s an awesome study partner, but I don’t see anything more there.” He flashed me a grin I swore he inherited from his uncle Crew. It was full of mischief and charm, same as my younger brother’s. “Kind of a bummer, because she’s really-really hot, but no, this girl is new. She just moved here from somewhere in California. She has purple hair and a tattoo. She wears combat boots and a leather jacket no matter how hot it is outside. I have a couple of classes with her. She’s having some issues fitting in, and a few of the kids are giving her a hard time. She ignores it for the most part, but I keep wondering why she doesn’t make more of an effort to blend in. We’re getting ready to graduate. Why make the last few months of high school miserable for yourself?” He gave his head a little shake and moved the pans around on the top of the stove.

  I took a sip of the strong, black coffee and sighed happily as the caffeine hit my system. “Sounds familiar. Mrs. Barlow was just like that girl back when I was your age. Showed up dressed like she was going to a funeral, spouted old poetry like it was regualr conversation, used big words no one understood, refused to eat meat…in the middle of goddamn Texas. No one quite knew what to make of her, and she never seemed interested in trying to acclimate.” I shrugged. “Being different worked out for her in the long run. She’s successful, memorable, and found someone who appreciates all her differences. I guess some people are made to stand out rather than fit in.” I lifted an eyebrow in his direction. “As for the kids giving her a hard time, you better not be one of them. I know you were raised better than that.” By me. Becca had been the queen of the mean girls back in the day. She was the one who started calling Aspen “weird girl” and kept it up until the nickname stuck. When I was younger and actually gave a damn, I always told her to knock it off and refused to let her throw the nickname around. When I called Aspen the old, hurtful name on the stairs of the sheriff’s office years later, it was because I was blindsided by the divorce papers, off-kilter from seeing her again after so long, and embarrassed that she had a front-row seat to one of the lowest moments of my life. It was a knee-jerk reaction I regretted until she snottily told me to get a good lawyer. It made me squirm to know that someone who looked like she had the world at her feet was standing directly in the center of my most epic of failures. Still, calling her “weird girl” was not a proud moment for me.

  Hayes pulled me out of the reminiscing as he continued to tell me about the new student. “She doesn’t talk to me, or even really look at me. I’ve said hi a couple times, but she blows me off. I told a couple of the guys on the team to stop talking crap about her, but you know how this town is. Everyone freaks out when someone blows through who doesn’t match with how things have always been. Mrs. Barlow’s lived here a long time, married a local, does good work for the community, and people still whisper about her behind her back. You should hear the stuff they’re saying now that she’s in the middle of your investigation. I overheard one of my teachers saying she thinks Mrs. Barlow burned her own house down because she wants Mr. Barlow back. It’s so dumb.” He huffed out a breath and reached for the plates he’d already set out. Dishing out the food into two portions, he passed one to me, and I followed him over to the dining room table.

  I sighed heavily. “A lot of folks fear change. They get co
mfortable, and anything that disrupts that comfort can be seen as unwelcome.”

  Eyes that were identical to my own gave me a level look. “That’s why it took so long for you to take over the sheriff’s job from granddad. Everyone knew he wasn’t doing his job right, but they were scared to let someone else take over, because it meant things were gonna change. Change isn’t always a bad thing. There’s no moving forward if you stay standing still in the same spot forever.”

  I was sure he was talking about the new girl at school, but it was also clear he was talking about me and my unwillingness to see Aspen Barlow as anything other than the enemy. It was the role I’d cast her in so long ago, even if the title may not fit anymore. I wasn’t sure when my kid got smarter than me, but I was proud of him. Nothing was going to hold Hayes back. He was meant for so much more than this town and carrying the endless burden of the Lawton name.

  I snagged a piece of bacon off the plate and used it to point at Hayes. “Sometimes it just takes a little shove from the right person to get things moving. Usually, where one goes in this town, the rest follow. You lead the way by example, kiddo, the rest will follow along.”

  He nodded solemnly and snatched the piece of bacon out of my hand. “I will. I’ve never really had a girl completely ignore me before. I kinda want to know what her deal is.”

  I grunted and shoveled eggs into my mouth. After chewing and chasing breakfast down with more high-octane coffee, I got to my feet to take my dirty dishes to the sink and clapped a hand on my son’s broad shoulder. “Don’t get distracted, Hayes. You’ve got the big picture to think about. Being nice to a new girl at school is one thing, but don’t make her a project.” I refused to let him fail in any of the same ways I had. “You have to stay focused on your future.”

  It was Hayes’s turn to heave a weighty sigh. “I know, Dad.”

  I squeezed again and felt him tense under the gesture. “As for you actively avoiding your mother, maybe you should hear her out. You know I do my best to let you handle her however you see fit, but the time you have to see her and spend with her is limited. You never know what’s waiting around the corner. Don’t write her off without thinking through all of the implications of your actions.”

  My son growled under his breath and angrily pushed his plate away from him. He shook my hand off his shoulder and rose to his feet. “Do you think she thought of any of the implications of her actions when she refused to let me see you when I was little? Do you think she cares about anyone but herself? She doesn’t care that it makes me uncomfortable to see her with guys who are only a few years older than me. She doesn’t listen to me when I tell her I don’t want to hear her talk shit about what a crappy husband and father you were. She doesn’t show up for a single thing that matters to me. She doesn’t have the first clue as to who I am or what makes me happy, so why should I go out of my way to be there for her when she decides she’s bored and wants company? I’m her son, not a pet.”

  I lifted my hands in front of me in a gesture of surrender. “Whoa, I’m not telling you what to do, or how to do it where your mom is concerned. My relationship with her has always been complicated. I can’t imagine how much harder it would be if she actually wanted me around. I trust you to do the right thing, and I believe you are smart enough to make the best choice for yourself, Hayes. But I also know life is very unpredictable, and when things happen that we can’t control, living with regret is hard.” I wanted Hayes to understand that. All of us Lawton kids had been able to say good-bye to our mother before the cancer stole her away. And we all kept in touch with our father to varying degrees, even though he drove us all nuts and stole away most of our youth because the memory of our mom dying haunted him. It wouldn’t be the same emotional heartbreak to say good-bye to our father, but none of us kids could completely cut ties. “This is the last time I’ll bring it up. I need to jump in the shower and head to the hospital. They’re releasing Mrs. Barlow today.”

  Hayes picked up his dishes and glanced at me over his shoulder. “Where is she going? Her house is unlivable.”

  That was a good question and one of the reasons I wanted to see her before she was released. She had promised to keep me updated as to her whereabouts, but as of yesterday she still hadn’t decided where she was going to go. She’d mentioned visiting her mother for a while, but she cringed when she said it. Her soon-to-be ex was badgering her to move back in with him, which was the most logical choice. He lived in a huge home in a gated community with a state-of-the-art security system. Aspen would be safe there, and it was clear David Barlow would move heaven and earth to get her back. She didn’t want to go, but the man she was still reluctantly married to was wearing her down.

  I headed upstairs so I could take a quick shower. I had too much on my mind and too many conflicting emotions swirling under my skin to make the most of the quiet, private time. Getting off alone in the shower was nothing new. I was too busy and my schedule was too chaotic to date with any kind of regularity. I was also an admitted commitmentphobe. After the way my marriage with Becca crashed and burned, I refused to tie myself to anyone else. I was never losing anything to another woman again, including my heart. In a town full of women looking to settle down, I tended to keep all my romantic liaisons short and sweet and with women from neighboring towns. I had a couple of regular hookups I could call when I had a free hour or two and when Hayes was at an out-of-town game. I tried to remember the last time I’d felt the press of a soft, warm, willing body against mine.

  Too long was the answer, because I had to think about it for several minutes.

  Grumbling under my breath and promising to rectify the situation the next time Hayes had an away game, I got dressed in my usual outfit of jeans and uniform shirt, made sure I grabbed my badge, my gun, and my hat before I headed out the door. I could make the drive to the hospital with my eyes closed now, and I could find Aspen’s room on autopilot. I nodded to a few of the nurses I’d bumped into repeatedly while checking on her. When I got to Aspen’s door, I paused momentarily because it was opened a crack and the sound of a loud voice was making its way into the hall. I recognized David Barlow’s haughty, bossy tone right away, and I was surprised to hear Aspen reply. Her voice sounded broken and was hardly above a harsh whisper, but she wasn’t letting her former husband order her around.

  “I told you if you want me to come stay with you, and not in a hotel, sign the papers, David. I’ve been waiting for almost a year for the divorce to be final. It’s time to move on. We both deserve more.” I put a hand on the door and lifted my eyebrows. It seemed like the courtroom wasn’t the only place Aspen played dirty. That was one hell of an ultimatum to lay at the poor man’s feet. “And stop asking my mother to talk to me on your behalf. The last thing I need is conversations with her when I can barely speak. She already talks over me as it is.”

  “I can’t believe you. All I want is what’s best for you. You’ll be safe at our house. I can keep an eye on you. And your mother knows you should’ve never left. You should listen to her.” David sounded whiny and petulant.

  “All I want is for you to finally sign the divorce paperwork. It’s called give-and-take.” She sounded frustrated beyond belief and highly annoyed. I pushed into the room, causing both of them to turn and look in my direction. I propped a shoulder up against the doorjamb and shifted my gaze between the two of them.

  David was dressed in an immaculate navy suit. Aspen was wearing something I was sure came from my sister’s boho-chic closet. Her stretchy pants were turquoise, her flowy top was a wild swirl of orange and pink. It was more color than I’d ever seen on the small woman, but it looked good with her dark hair and pale skin. “Just stopping by to see if you decided where you were going to post up for the next few days. Last I heard you were considering a hotel or a visit to your mother’s.”

  She used her unbandaged hand to push back her hair, and I watched as she chewed on her lower lip. She was still bruised and battered from head to toe, but her
gaze was sharp and clear.

  “I’m going to a hotel.” She said the words at the same time David stated, “She’s coming home with me.”

  I saw Aspen’s jaw clench, and her uninjured hand tightened into a fist. Her dark eyes narrowed. “I’m not going with you unless you do as I’ve asked. I’ll have Sheriff Lawton take me to a hotel.” She turned her head in my direction, and it was only because I was watching her so closely I could see the exhaustion and fear hidden in the midnight depths. “You can do that, right? Take me somewhere safe. That way you’ll know exactly where I am and no one else will.”

  I dipped my chin down in agreement. “I can do that.” Normally I would’ve made her suffer, but she wasn’t in tiptop shape, and throwing her under the bus right now wasn’t playing fair.

  The man in the suit puffed up his chest and whirled around to confront me. I lifted an eyebrow and purposely put a hand on my hip next to where my badge was clipped.

  “You can’t do that.”

  I snorted. “Yes I can, and yes she can.”

  I caught Aspen’s lips twiching as she fought a grin when I effectivly shut David up.

  A frowning nurse popped her head around where I was leaning. “You all need to keep it down. The elderly gentleman in the next room is complaining about the noise. Mrs. Barlow, you’ve been discharged. A wheelchair is on the way up so you can go. You really shouldn’t be using your voice for much until you get it checked out again by your regular physician.”

  Aspen flushed, and David apologized profusely. I made my way farther into the room and paused next to the side of the hospital bed. Aspen looked small and delicate with all the bandages she had scattered on her limbs. She also had dark circles under her eyes, and her skin seemed so translucent and pale, I could make out the fine blue lines of her veins under the surface. She needed somewhere she could rest and recuperate without having to manipulate and bargain.