by Ciana Stone
“True but—”
“But nothing. When that happens, the people who’ve given us their business will still be here and so will we. We’ll still be a place everyone can be comfortable coming to. So my vote is not just no, but hell no.”
Pressley and Hannah looked at one another. “So, where does that leave it?” Pressley asked.
“It leaves it as Daddy having the deciding vote,” Cody said and explained. “When he gave us this place, he figured there’d come a time when Hannah and I would butt heads, so he kept twenty percent and gave us each forty.” She looked at Hannah. “If you wanted a vote, you should have included him, Hannah.”
“Well, I honestly didn’t think you’d disagree.”
“Then you thought wrong, little sister. And I need to hit the road and get back to the ranch. I’ll be back around five.” She looked at Callie. “See you tomorrow?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be here.”
“Okay then.” Cody gave Lily a kiss on the top of her head. “See you all later.”
Callie watched her leave, then looked at Hannah. “Are you mad?”
“No. Not really. I guess I should have expected her to be against it.”
“Why?”
“Because as outspoken and independent as Cody seems, she hates change. When we rebuilt this place, she wanted it rebuilt exactly the way it was. We fought over every board, I think.”
“Don’t you think she has a point, though? I mean, tell me to shut up and mind my own business if you want and it won’t hurt my feelings, but what she said made sense to me. You either cater to the people who have always kept you in business or you try and cater to the ones who might not be here a year from now.”
“That’s a good point,” Pressley said.
“It is, and you both may be right,” Hannah agreed.
“So, you’re going to get your dad to vote?” Callie asked.
Hannah laughed. “No point in that. When it comes to this place, he’s right beside Cody.”
“Oh.” Callie noted the tinge of harshness that came into Hannah’s tone. She’d never given it a lot of thought because she’d always assumed that Hannah and Cody were both content and happy with the way things were. Now she wondered if maybe Hannah longed for something other than a redneck bar in a small town.
That realization made her take a look at herself and ask. Given the choice, what did she really want in life? To live here, with Jayce, working as a part-time bookkeeper, bartender and occasional singer? Or did she secretly wish for more?
A mental vision of the music label’s representative flashed through her mind, along with his promise to be in touch. Was that what she secretly wanted? A music career, or was being a mother to Lily and partner to Jayce enough?
She suddenly realized that she needed to know the answers to those questions, because this was more than just her life. It was Lily and Jayce’s, too.
Chapter Fourteen
“I’ll call you again in an hour,” Callie spoke louder than normal since she was on speakerphone. “I love you, Jayce.”
“I love you, sugar. Drive safe.”
“I will.”
She smiled. It had not been easy leaving Lily to make the trip to Nashville for the custody hearing, but Callie felt she’d made the right decision. Jayce’s family had made her feel truly part of them the way they had come together to support her and take care of Lily. Callie knew Lily would be safe no matter what happened.
What none of the rest of the family knew was that she’d had a private meeting with Lily Matthews and Cody before she left. Lily had written up a will for Callie, and Callie had left what little she had to Lily. She’d also named Cody and Jayce as Lily’s legal guardians should something happen to her.
Callie didn’t doubt that Jayce would take care of Lily if something happened, but she also felt he needed an out if he wanted it. Cody was more than willing to accept the responsibility and Callie loved her for it.
It eased her mind and allowed her to make the trip with one less thing to worry about. So far, the drive had been uneventful. She was past the halfway mark and making good time. The only snag was the construction on I30 in Arkansas, but she’d found an alternate route around it.
Callie spotted the sign announcing that 630 was five miles ahead. That was her destination. She hoped there would be a place to stop, gas up, and use the bathroom.
Luckily, there was a truck stop just before the exit.
She pulled onto the exit ramp and just as she did, heard what sounded like a pop from the backend of the car. A few seconds later, she realized what was wrong. Flat tire.
She managed to make it to the parking lot of the truck stop, where she got out and looked at the tire.
It wasn’t just flat – it was blown out completely.
Crap.
Callie opened the trunk to take out the jack.
Just then, the roar of a motorcycle had her jumping, fear slamming into her with enough force to make her heart hammer in her chest.
A tall man with mirrored glasses stopped his motorcycle behind her car and killed the engine. “Need a hand?”
Callie’s first inclination was to say no. She knew it was irrational, but bikers scared her. It was probably because Deke had been a biker and the guys in his motorcycle club were little more than a bunch of thugs. She shouldn’t let that color her judgment, but it did.
“Just a flat. I – I think I can—”
“I’m not going to hurt you, miss.” The man got off his bike, hung his helmet on the handlebars, then removed his glasses. “Jaxon Riggs, ma’am.” He extended his hand.
Callie looked up into the most remarkable set of smoky gray eyes. No, they weren’t gray, were they? There was a hint of hazel. It was hard to decide what the color was but not hard to see how attractive the man was.
Several inches over six feet, he was lean with several days’ worth of beard, which was black but liberally mixed with gray. He wasn’t a young man. She’d guess him to be in his late forties.
Callie took his hand. “Callie Williams.”
“How ’bout I help you with that, Callie Williamss?”
“You don’t—”
“Sure I do. You have a spare?”
“I do.” She started to reach into the truck but he stepped in her way. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Oh, well thank you.” She stepped aside as he set to work. His cut, or the symbol on his vest, was not one she recognized, and she’d seen a lot of biker clubs in Nashville.
“So, you’re obviously not from around here, according to your plate,” he commented.
Callie hated that her first reaction was alarm. She’d mailed in her Tennessee plate when she’d got her Texas driver’s license and license plate. “No, I’m not.”
“What part of Texas?”
“Southwest.”
Riggs looked up and grinned. “Don’t worry, no big bad wolf’s gonna swoop down and eat you, Red Riding Hood.”
His words and the tone in which they were spoken broke the tension. “That obvious, huh?”
“’Fraid so, but then there’s probably a reason.”
“Your cut.” She changed the subject. “I’ve never seen that before.”
He smiled up at her, then pulled off the ruined tire. “We’re not typical but are large. International, in fact. Our focus is on helping abused children.”
Callie’s mouth fell open in surprise. “Oh my gosh. I’ve heard about you on YouTube. You guys are amazing.”
“We’ve got some good people.” He took the spare from the trunk. “So, where are you headed, Callie?”
“Nashville.”
“What’s in Nashville?”
“A not so nice man from a not so nice motorcycle club who killed my mother, tried to kill me and my daughter and now is trying to get custody of her.”
The expression that came on Riggs’ face turned him from a kind-looking man to one who was downright scary. So much that Callie involuntarily took a ste
p back.
“Tried to kill you?”
She nodded. “He broke into my mother’s home where I was living with my mother and three-month-old daughter. He shot my mother and me and then set the house on fire. I was able to get my daughter out, but when I went back from my mother—” It took a moment for her to rein in the emotions that always seized her. “When I went back for my mom, the ceiling caved in. She didn’t make it.”
“But you obviously did.”
Callie nodded. “A month in a burn unit scared to death the system would take my baby for good.”
“But you got her back.”
“I did.”
“And the man who shot you? How can he be suing for custody?”
“He went to prison for what he did. The police found the murder weapon and I testified against him. Recently the evidence – the gun and bullets – went missing and since he’d been filing for an appeal, his lawyer got him off. Now he says he wants joint custody of Lily, my daughter.”
“Was he a dad to her before all this?”
“No. He put me in the hospital when I was eight months pregnant, he beat me so bad. I had a restraining order taken out against him, and as soon as I was released, I left Nashville and moved in with my mother. I didn’t see him again until Lily was three months old.”
Riggs finished putting on the spare. “This isn’t going to take you far, but I know a guy who has a place in Little Rock which is only another thirty miles. How about you follow me and we’ll see about getting you a decent tire?”
“Oh you don’t have to do that. I appreciate your help but I can’t ask—”
“You didn’t. I offered. Now, I’m going to gas up and grab something to eat. You want to join?”
“Only if you let me pay. For both. To say thank you.”
“How could I refuse?”
Callie smiled. Funny how every now and then life reminded you that things weren’t always as they seemed. Like bikers. Not all were bad. Some were decent and honorable people. She felt like she’d just met one.
They both got gas on her debit card then parked and went inside. The restaurant portion of the truck stop boasted of home cooking and it was not false advertising. Callie had a club sandwich while Riggs dove into a big bowl of chicken and dumplings with sides of cooked greens, fried okra and cornbread.
Conversation centered on his motorcycle club. Callie asked a lot of questions and he answered every one. They were almost finished when it dawned on her that she hadn’t asked one important question.
“So, are you from around here, Jaxon?”
“Nope. Not really from anywhere. Kind of a gypsy.”
“Your cut says Nevada.”
“Yep, that was home for a while, then Colorado, Texas and South Dakota.”
“You’re a long way from South Dakota. But I do know someone from there. Liz and Cooper Quinlan.”
“Quinlan Oil?”
“Well, their father is. Cooper went out on his own and threw in with Wes Pursell from Cotton Creek Texas to form an energy company there.”
“So, I hear.”
“You do?”
“That’s where I’m headed.”
“To Cotton Creek? Why?”
“Job.”
“With Cotton Creek Energy?”
“Yep.”
“Then heading for Little Rock is the wrong direction for you.”
“It’s only thirty miles.”
“Thirty miles out of your way.”
“I don’t mind.”
“You’re a nice man, Jaxon Riggs. So why hasn’t some woman latched hold of you?”
“Well, three did, but they all three let go.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was good while it lasted, but like I said, I have gypsy blood. Don’t like to stay in one place too long.”
She looked at him for a moment. “Gypsy blood as in literally or figuratively?”
“Literally. My mother’s side.”
“And your father?”
“Hot blooded Spaniard with a fondness for Gypsies.”
“Interesting. You sound – well, American.”
“Probably because I grew up here.”
“Where?”
“All over.” His answer was noncommittal.
“Must have been interesting.”
“Indeed it has. So, can I ask something?”
“Sure, why not? I’ve already embarrassed myself by spilling my guts to you.”
He chuckled. “When’s your hearing?”
“Tomorrow afternoon at two.”
“In Nashville?”
“Yes. Davidson County Courthouse. Why?”
He shrugged. “Curious. You nervous?”
“Not anymore.”
“Indicating you were.”
“I was. Then I talked with a friend, the nicest man. His name is Joe. Funny, but I don’t know where he lives or what kind of work he does. I see him at the park every week where I take Lily. He’s so kind and wise. Makes me think of my dad. Anyway, I was scared until I talked to him and then I realized it was time for me to stop being afraid.”
“And why is that?”
“Because my daughter needs me to be strong. He tried to hurt us once. To kill us. But we survived. Now he’s trying to hurt us again. He doesn’t care about Lily, only about hurting me. So I’m going to go and tell this judge that Deke Ramsey doesn’t deserve a place in Lily’s life and maybe the evidence in his criminal trial has gone missing, but the medical records of where he beat me and almost killed me and her before she was born are still at the hospital. As are the records of my mother’s death, me being shot and the burns. He might deny that he’s responsible but I know different and I’m going to make that judge believe me.”
“I believe you. But what if you can’t? Make the judge believe?”
“Then I’ll kill him.”
Jaxon sat back in his seat and regarded her for a long moment with a frown. “Taking a life is no small thing, Callie.”
“No, it’s not. But I can’t let him near my child. He’d hurt her. I know that. I was stupid to get involved with him and were it not for that precious little girl, I would regret every moment I was with him. Still, he’s not a good man, and I know he has no love for her. What kind of mother would I be if I allowed her to be around someone I know will hurt her?”
“Not much, I guess. But killing? That’s extreme.”
“You have a better idea?”
He shrugged. “Just do your best to convince the judge.”
“I’m going to. Now, I need to get on the road, and you need to head for Texas. If you’ll give me the address of your friend’s place, I’ll go there and buy a tire. But you’ve done your Good Samaritan act for the day and I appreciate it.”
“Give me your phone.”
Callie handed him her phone. He programmed in his phone number, then sent himself a text. When his phone buzzed, he responded to the text with the address.
“Thanks.” Callie smiled, picked up the check and stood. “You’re a good man, Jaxon Riggs. Thank you for coming to my rescue and good luck with your job. I hope you get it and I hope I see you again soon.”
“Oh, you can count on it,” he said and stood, offering his hand. “Drive safe.”
“You too.” She shook his hand, then headed off to pay for lunch and get back on the road.
After she got into her car, she pulled out her phone and called Jayce. “You’re not going to believe who I just met.”
*****
Callie was so nervous she was about to throw up. She found a place to park on the third level of the parking garage, parked her car and sat there, trying to get a grip. Despite her brave words, she was terrified. What if the judge granted Deke parental rights to Lily? Could she go through with her threats? Could she end his life? Or would she try and run?
What kind of life would that be for Lily? To always be on the run, never having a place to call home? It made Callie sick to think about
it. She’d almost voiced her fears to Jayce this morning when he’d called but she hadn’t wanted him to know how unsure she was.
Now she wished she had. She felt terribly alone and afraid and she had to remind herself that she had to be strong now. For Lily. She had to.
With that as a mantra running through her mind, she got out of the car. The courthouse was just down the street so she had plenty of time. There was still forty-five minutes before the hearing started.
Callie took the elevator to the street level. The courthouse was just a block down. The closer she got, the more crowded the sidewalk became. By the time she reached the courthouse, she had to squeeze her way through the crowd. What was drawing so many people?
The moment she made her way to the front of the throng of people, she stopped dead in her tracks.
“Jayce?”
There he stood on the steps of the courthouse, waiting for her. He offered her a hand and she took it, looking around in bewilderment. “What’s going on?”
He smiled at her and gestured toward Jaxon Riggs, who stood beside him and two hundred bikers who lined the steps, their arms crossed. “Your new friend called and said he thought we should be here today and I couldn’t have agreed more, so I managed to get on a plane and here I am.”
“Oh my god.” Tears sprang to her eyes and she hugged him tightly. “Thank you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome honey, and thank Riggs. If he weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have known how scared you were. You did a pretty good job of keeping that hidden.”
Callie unwound herself from Jayce’s embrace and turned to Riggs. He smiled and opened his arms and she went into them.
“I don’t know what angel sent you but thank you,” she said as she hugged him.
“Let’s just say that a mutual friend sort of set it up.”
Callie frowned in confusion. “A mutual friend?”
“Joe.”
“You know Joe?”
“I do.”
“But I don’t understand. He couldn’t have known I’d have a flat tire.”
“You’d be surprised at the things Joe knows.”
Callie didn’t know what to make of that. “Well, I – I don’t know what to say, except for thank you. And why are all these people here?”
