by Paige Warren
Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2014 Paige Warren
ISBN: 978-1-77233-026-7
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: JC Chute
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SOUTHERN DRAWL
Bryson Corners, 2
Paige Warren
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
Carson nursed his beer, staring out across the crowd while he waited on his brother to show. He was surprised Drew would peel himself away from Lexie long enough to hang out at the bar for a while. His brother had taken fewer rodeo trips lately, since discovering Lexie was pregnant, so now when he rode he really had to make it count. Carson wondered how long it would be before his big brother decided to get a ‘real’ job––something closer to home.
Carson had followed the rodeo for a bit, but it really wasn’t his scene. All those women, wanting to sleep with a winner…
He shook his head. Nope. Not his scene at all.
When he was with a woman, he didn’t want to wonder who had come before him, possibly within an hour or two. He’d had a few relationships over the years, but nothing in a while. His poor dick hadn’t had any action, other than his hand, for months now. Ever since they’d made their permanent home base in Bryson Corners, he’d been alone.
He didn’t think it had anything to do with his mixed heritage. If his brother was any proof, women couldn’t care less that he was half-black. And if anything, Lexie seemed to love Drew even more because of it. She claimed it made him different, and sexy. Carson grimaced. Sexy was not how he wanted to picture his brother.
Drew eased up to the table. “You supposed to be drinking while wearing that badge?”
Carson glanced down at the badge clipped to his belt. Hell, he’d forgotten all about it. He plucked it off the belt and shoved it into his pocket. His job was still new to him, but he loved it.
“At least I ain’t on the clock,” Carson said.
“Chief Lumley would tear into your ass if he saw you drinking while wearing that badge,” Drew said. “You can’t afford to fuck up with this job. I know it’s something you’ve wanted for a while.”
Carson shrugged. “I just forgot about it. I’m not used to wearing it yet. If I was still in my uniform, I mighta remembered. Got called out after hours, so I just grabbed the badge on my way out the door.”
“You like the job so far?”
Carson nodded. “It ain’t quite what I expected, but it’s a good job. I got to help a lady the other day when she was broken down on the side of the road. Felt good.”
“And how are things on a more personal front?” Drew asked. “You haven’t dated anyone since we moved here.”
“No one interesting, I guess. The women around here are a little too independent for my taste. I want a woman I can take care of. Someone who will lean on me, not boss me around and go out drinking with her friends every Friday night, ogling half the cowboys in town.”
Drew grinned. “In other words, you don’t want Lexie’s friend, Shelly.”
Carson snorted. “Not hardly. Guess I’m just old-fashioned. I’m not saying I don’t want her to think for herself, because I do. I just want her to need me.”
“Lexie’s a strong woman, but she needs me, even if she won’t admit it half the time. But I get what you’re saying. You want someone quiet, someone who will come to you when they get into trouble.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s what I want.”
“She’s out there somewhere, Carson. You’ll find her. Probably not sitting in this bar, but you’ll find her.”
Carson peeled the label off his bottle of beer. “How’s the baby?”
Drew smiled. “Baby’s fine. Lexie is going through morning sickness right now though, so she isn’t too thrilled. The doc said it should pass in a few months, unless she’s one of the unlucky ones.”
“I still can’t get over you being a daddy.”
“Pretty great, isn’t it?” Drew asked, his smile broadening. “First the most amazing woman walks into my life, then she tells me she’s pregnant with my kid. I mean, yeah, I was shocked at first since it happened so fast, but…I can’t imagine life getting any better than this.”
“I’m surprised you agreed to meet with me tonight, what with you only being in town a few nights and all. Figured you’d be attached to her at the hip until it was time to hit the road again.” Carson took a long pull from his bottle.
“I’ll always have time for you, Carson. I have a girlfriend now, and a baby on the way, but it doesn’t make you any less important to me.”
“Didn’t figure it did. Just thought you’d want to spend all your time with Lexie before you had to leave. How long you gone this time?”
“Five days. Two days for travel there and back, and three for the event. Hell, maybe I’m getting too old for this crap, but what else am I going to do with my life? Rodeo is all I know.”
“Not true. You were always good at ranching when we helped Daddy out.”
“I don’t have enough land to really make a go of ranching.”
Carson tapped his bottle. “Who said it had to be your ranch? Work someone else’s spread. Just keep a few horses at your place, so you could easily take care of them before and after work. Bet Lexie would help you out.”
Drew shook his head. “I don’t want her anywhere near livestock right now. What if she got stepped on or kicked while I was away from the house? No, it’s best if I don’t keep any larger critters around until I can be home full-time. Maybe I’ll talk to Carter Buckhorn about buying some more land. If I win the next few events, I could use the money to buy up a sizeable piece of land. Hit a few more rodeos and I’d have enough change for the livestock and some to put away for a few months.”
Carson just stared at him.
“All right, maybe more than a few. I’d have to rodeo at least the rest of this season, maybe next season too. It can be done, though.”
“At least you know what you want now. A goal is better than nothing.”
“So, are you going to sit here and drink your sorrows away tonight?” Drew asked. “I know you’ve been depressed lately.”
Carson shrugged.
The ringing of his phone cut off whatever he was going to say. He could barely hear it over the music playing, but he held it up to his ear just the same.
“Benson.”
“Carson, I know you’re off duty, but we got a call about a domestic disturbance over on Hillcrest. All of our other officers are either tied up or not answering their phones.”
He glanced at the cold bottle in his hand. “I’ve been drinking, Sandy. I’ve already had three beers. I don’t know that I should be on duty right now.”
“You’re all I’ve got,” she said. “It sounded bad, Carson. A kid called, didn’t sound older than two or three. I could hear the mom screaming in the background, like she was in pain, and the dad making threats.”
His gut wrenched at the thought of a woman and child in that situation. “I’m on my way.”
He disconnected and looked at his brother. “I have to run. Domestic disturbance.”
“Something tells me it’s worse than a simple argument.”
Carson nodded. “Sandy said it sounded pretty bad. Some kid called in
. Sounded like the daddy was beating on the momma.”
Drew cursed. “Well, get the hell out of here. Don’t forget to pull your badge back out. Where’s your gun?”
“It’s in the truck. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Drew nodded, drained his beer and stood. “I’ll walk out with you.”
Carson tossed a few bills on the table for the waitress and they headed toward the door. When they reached the parking lot, Drew slapped him on the back, told him to be careful, and they parted ways.
It didn’t take Carson long to reach Hillcrest. He called dispatch back for the exact address, checked his firearm, and proceeded to the scene. Parking on the street in front of the small bungalow, he rested his hand on the butt of his gun as he approached the door, stopping only long enough to make sure his badge was visible. The sounds of a fight could be heard, a man yelling and cursing, the slap of flesh against flesh, the cry of a woman in pain and the desperate wail of a small child. He didn’t know what he was going to find on the other side of the door, but he had a feeling it was going to be bad. He wished like hell he had backup, but everyone was tied up.
Ringing the bell, he waited. When no one responded, he knocked and rang the bell again. A man a little shorter than himself answered the door, his face flushed with anger, his eyes shooting daggers.
“What the fuck do you want?” the man demanded.
Carson arched a brow, unclipped his badge and held it up for inspection. “Bryson Corners P.D. We got a call about a domestic disturbance at this address. Sir, I’m gonna have to ask to speak with your wife and child.”
“Like fuck you will. You need a warrant.”
Carson ground his back teeth together. This guy was a first-rate asshole.
A woman appeared at the man’s shoulder, her lip bloodied and a bruise forming on her right cheek. A toddler made her presence known, darting around her daddy’s legs and launching herself at Carson.
“Don’t let Bad Man get me,” she sobbed against his legs, holding on with a tight grip.
Carson lifted the child into his arms, quickly assessing her for any bruises or other marks. Noting that there weren’t any––thank God––he turned his attention back to the asshole in front of him. If there was one thing he hated, it was wife beaters. Not that he knew whether or not the woman was the man’s wife, but you still didn’t pick on someone smaller than you. For a man to hit a woman…well, it made Carson’s blood boil.
“This can go one of two ways,” Carson said. “Either way ain’t gonna be pleasant for you. One way or another, that woman and this child are coming with me. The question remains: will your sorry ass stay here, or go to jail?”
“You have no right to take my girlfriend and her daughter from this house,” he said, his tone belligerent.
Well, that answered a few questions. For some reason, aside from the abuse, he was pleased to hear that the man had no real claim on the woman and the sweet-smelling child in his arms. Carson couldn’t have said why it mattered to him, but he felt relieved that this woman wasn’t married to the asshole. He glanced her way again, taking in her fearful blue eyes and her mussed, long sable hair. Even in her current state, she was beautiful. She reminded him of a delicate china doll. Protectiveness surged through him and he wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and promise her that everything would be all right. He just had to get her away from her boyfriend first.
Flashing blue lights lit up the yard and drive as a squad car pulled into the driveway. Officer Tim Johnson exited the car, his hand on his weapon.
“Everything okay here?” he asked Carson as he came closer.
“It seems this…gentleman thinks it’s acceptable to beat on his girlfriend.” Carson looked her way again. “Are you gonna press charges, ma’am?”
The asshole slammed his arm across the doorway and cast her a furious look. “That dumb bitch isn’t going to do a damn thing. Isn’t that right, Peaches?”
Her eyes sought Carson’s, as if seeking aid from him. His hands were tied if she wouldn’t press charges, as much as he’d love to get them the hell out of there.
“Sweetheart, you either need to press charges so we can arrest him, or you need to decide if you’re leaving with us. If you want to leave, we’ll get you out of here. You and your daughter,” Carson promised.
The asshole puffed up and surged toward Carson, swinging. Carson ducked, curving his body around the toddler protectively. He heard Tim laugh and heard the jangle of cuffs.
“That wasn’t too smart. Now you’re under arrest for assaulting a police officer. Whether your girlfriend wants to press charges or not doesn’t matter at this point. You’re going to the station,” Tim said, manhandling the asshole until he had him on the ground, his knee in the guy’s back as he cuffed him.
Carson watched Tim escort the prisoner to the car, read him his rights, and secure him, the man cussing the whole way. He turned back to the terrified woman, still standing inside the house.
“We can hold him overnight. He’ll probably be out by morning though, once the bond office is open. Something tells me you don’t want to be here when he comes home,” Carson said.
She shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. “I have nowhere to go.”
Her voice held the sweetest, sexiest, slowest Southern drawl he’d ever heard. If he had to guess, he’d say she was from Georgia. The tone was soft and smoothed over him like warm honey. He couldn’t remember ever enjoying hearing someone talk before, but he could easily listen to her for hours.
“Pack your stuff, sweetheart. I’ll take you somewhere safe.”
Home. He knew what he was thinking was crazy, but he couldn’t think of a better way to protect the woman and her child, other than having them stay with him. Of course, she might balk at the idea once she realized where they were going. If she did, he’d take her to Oak Hills Baptist Church and see if the reverend and his wife would put them up for a few nights, until something else could be figured out. He really didn’t like that idea, though.
“My name’s Carson Benson,” he said.
“I’m Peaches Malone, and that’s my daughter, Daisy. Thank you, Officer Benson. How did you know we needed help?”
“Daisy called 9-1-1.”
Tears gathered in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. “She shouldn’t have seen or heard any of that. I should have kept her safe, and had her in a loving environment. Not with Robert. I knew he was bad news shortly after we moved in, but I ignored the signs. Then it was too late, and we had nowhere else to go, and no way of escaping him. He made sure of it by making sure I didn’t work. I don’t have a penny to my name.”
“We’ll worry about all that later. Get whatever you need and let’s get out of here. I want to get you safely tucked away as soon as possible.”
She nodded and turned to head down the short hall behind her. Carson stepped inside the small home and waited near the door, not feeling like he had any right to follow her. The toddler in his arms snuggled closer and popped her thumb into her mouth. He’d never really been around kids much, but holding Daisy felt right. It made him wonder if he was ready for that forever relationship that would end with a ring on some woman’s finger and a baby on the way. The thought of midnight feedings and diaper changes didn’t repulse him. If anything, it sounded rather nice.
Peaches returned a moment later, lugging two suitcases. Carson immediately rushed forward to assist her, handing the baby to her in order to relieve her of her burden. He lifted the luggage easily and carried it out to his truck, placing them in the bed of the truck. When he turned around, she was getting something out of the car parked in the driveway.
“Do you need help?” he asked.
“It’s Daisy’s car seat. It’s still in Robert’s car, and we’ll need it. We really need her playpen too, so she’ll have a safe place to sleep… but I couldn’t get the thing to fold up.”
“Take a breath, sweetheart. He isn’t coming back here tonight. We have e
nough time to get the car seat and the playpen, and anything else you want.”
She nodded and moved out of the way so he unbuckled the car seat and placed it in his truck. Then he followed her back into the house and into what he assumed was the master bedroom. There was a playpen against one wall and he studied it a moment, then began folding it up. She handed him a canvas tote that it fit into and he zipped it up before hauling it out to the truck.
“Anything else?” he asked. “If you don’t get it now, you probably won’t be able to later.”
“I didn’t pack any toys, except her favorite stuffed bear.”
Carson gently laid his hand against her lower back, guiding her toward the house. “Let’s get a few more things, then. Can’t have that baby girl bored.”
Peaches nodded and entered the house one last time. They gathered some blocks, a foam puzzle and a baby doll. Carson spotted some books stacked in the corner and picked up a handful, thinking the little girl might want a bedtime story. They stuffed everything in a tote and he carried it out to the truck, placing it in the back floorboard. After Daisy was secured in her seat, he held the door open for Peaches and waited until she was buckled before closing it.
Carson walked around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel, snapping his seatbelt in place. He looked her way, wondering what she was thinking or feeling right at that moment. Peaches was leaving behind her life, not that it looked like much of one. The furniture in the house has been worn, the floor old and scarred. The baby had been sleeping in a playpen in their room, for heaven’s sake. That precious girl deserved a room of her own.
“So, where are we going?” Peaches asked. “I know there isn’t a battered women’s shelter in Bryson Corners. I’ve already checked.”
His hands tensed on the steering wheel, expecting her to not like his answer.
“My place.”
