“Sure, but we’re gifted and talented, boss. We can talk and work with our hands at the same time. Give us the date,” David pleaded. “I’ve got fifteen dollars riding on this.”
“I’m not giving you anything.” Wes scowled. “It’s none of your business, and there’s no way I’d pull a kiss-and-tell on Carlie.”
Miguel went back to his workstation. “Good for you, Wes. I wouldn’t do that to Celia, either. None of their business. Idiots,” he muttered. “It’s no wonder you’re all still single.” He cast the crew a disapproving look.
“You didn’t buy any squares in Ken’s stupid pool?” Wes’s brow rose.
“Hell, no. I was raised to respect women. My mama would smack me silly if I got involved in something like that, and my wife would banish me to the garage.” Miguel shook his finger at the others. “What goes on between a man and his lady is nobody’s business. I never let my wife send me sexy pictures while I was deployed, either. Didn’t like the way the guys acted—like they had a right to drool all over someone else’s woman, even if they were just pictures.”
Ken snorted. “I suppose you never drooled over any of those sexy shots being passed around?”
“I didn’t. How do you think those wives and girlfriends would feel if they knew the pictures meant only for their lover’s eyes were being passed around to an entire platoon of horny fools?” Miguel asked. “Get your head outta your butt, Ken, before it’s too late for you. Find a nice girl and settle down. Once you do, you’ll understand.”
“Not gonna happen,” Ken bit out.
Wesley caught the flash of pain in Ken’s eyes. His heart wrenched for the guy. He knew his story only too well. After his fourth deployment, Ken’s wife had given him an ultimatum: leave the military or she’d leave him. When Ken reenlisted, his wife kicked him to the curb. And it was during that fifth deployment that he’d been injured. “Time for a change of subject.”
“How about some rock ’n’ roll?” David moved to the sound system.
“Sounds good,” TreVonne added. “And for the record, not all of us are single. I’ve been seeing someone for about six months now. In fact,” he said, strutting to the work order basket, “we’re looking for a place to live together. If everything goes as planned, I’m going to put a ring on her finger ’bout this time next year.”
“Good for you.” Miguel high-fived him as he passed by.
“How’d you meet this woman you’re seeing, Tre?” David asked. “I don’t even know how to meet women these days.”
“A friend fixed us up,” TreVonne answered. “Cheryl is a biology teacher at Central High School in Evansville, where a buddy of mine works. She’s smart, educated, and she doesn’t put up with any of my shit. No, sir. She keeps me honest and on the straight and narrow.”
Skepticism clouded Ken’s face. “And that’s a good thing?”
“Hell, yes. Any woman who makes me want to be a better man is a keeper in my book. That’s the kind of woman you want raising your children. Isn’t that right, Miguel?”
“It is,” Miguel agreed. “Women civilize us. I like being civilized, especially since regular sex and home-cooked meals are included in the package.”
Ken snorted. “What I hear you saying is that it’s really the regular sex civilizing you, and not necessarily the woman.”
“Naw, bro.” Miguel shot Ken a pitying look. “It’s the love. It’s having a family and a place to call home. Try it. You might like it.”
“I did try it,” Ken mumbled. “Didn’t work out for me.”
Being around Carlie and Ty made Wes want to be a better man. Had his ex ever made him feel that way? Nope. Mostly Tina had made him feel inadequate. He’d never been able to please her, no matter what he did or how hard he tried. “Did you guys hear about Kyle and my sister Brenda?”
“No,” David said. “What about them?”
“They’re getting hitched.” He told them about the rest of Brenda and Kyle’s plans.
“That’s great,” TreVonne said. “I did hear Kyle got accepted into grad school, and I wondered what would become of the two of them.”
His crew settled into work, and Wes let his mind drift. When he and Carlie argued in the sheriff’s parking lot, Wes had told her he wasn’t her father, brother or ex, and just because the those men in her life had let her down, it didn’t mean he would. Carlie wasn’t anything like his ex, either. Just because Tina betrayed him and broke his heart didn’t mean Carlie would do the same.
Could it be that their troubled pasts made them perfect for each other? Who better than he to understand and deal with Carlie’s issues? Who better than Carlie to understand and deal with his?
Surrendering to whatever it was between them—diving headfirst into an uncertain future—just might be his greatest challenge yet. If only he could manage to untangle his relationship issues from his combat PTSD. He had miles of obstacle course to get through before he could straighten himself out. What came after decathlons? Was there such a thing as a dodecathlon? Because that’s what he faced, and he hadn’t been in training for years.
He checked the wall clock. Ryan and Kyle had agreed to come in early so they could go over the details of Tuesday’s mission one final time. He and Ken had taken Tuesday night off, and they’d settled on the four of them for that night: Ken, Ryan, Kyle and himself. All veterans. Ted had been willing, but in the end, they all agreed it would be safer to stick with guys who had seen active combat. Plus, Cory, also a veteran, had stepped up for girls’-night-out duty.
With the marshals, that put them at a team of six. Six against one punk. Paul and his deputies had agreed to discreetly cover the roads leading into and out of town, so Baumann couldn’t escape by that route should he slip by the stakeout team somehow.
“Hey, Wes?” David called over the music.
“Yeah?”
“You got any other single sisters? Maybe one who looks like Brenda?”
“Sorry.” Wes grinned. “My other sisters are married. Brenda’s the baby of the family.”
“Figures,” David muttered, turning back to his work. “How about the rest of you? Sisters? Friends? Friends of friends? Fix me up, guys. I’m begging you.”
“If I did have a single sister, I wouldn’t set her up with your sorry self,” TreVonne teased.
“I can ask my wife if she has any single friends,” Miguel offered. “But it’ll cost you.”
David frowned. “Cost me? Like, what are we talkin’ here. A six-pack?”
“More like a truckload.” Miguel chuckled. “And it would have to be the good stuff, imported.”
The music and the buzz of conversation went on without Wes. He checked out, his mind turning to Tuesday night’s mission. Camping out in the cold and coming up empty-handed had to be working on Baumann’s nerves. The marshals were right. Carlie’s ex was about to pop, and they’d be there to catch him when he did. Deep in his gut he knew—Baumann would take the bait on the first stakeout. In fact, he was counting on it.
Carlie returned from Tyler’s room to the living room and began to pace. She’d been fidgety all afternoon, and her constant motion put Wes on edge. He strode across the room and drew her into his arms to stop her perpetual motion. “Kyle and Ryan are already in place, and the marshals should be arriving at your house about now. We’ll have the house completely surrounded,” he reminded her in a reassuring tone.
“Once you and the girls head to the bar and grill, Ken and I will set out for the Langfords’ with Tyler. We’ve covered every possibility, every escape route. Things are going to work out fine. You’ll see.” Carlie trembled in his arms. If anything happened to her . . . Wes tightened his hold. “I won’t let Jared hurt you, sweetheart, I swear, and—”
“And I can take that to the bank?” She huffed out a tremulous breath. Tilting her head back, she met his gaze. “I believe you, Wes. I just . . . I’ll be glad when this is behind us. I’m nervous but not afraid.”
“That’s my girl.” He brushe
d his lips across her forehead before letting her go. Footsteps approached from the hallway. “That’ll be Cory and my sister,” he said, crossing the room to open the door. The two women walked in.
“Ready?” Brenda asked.
“Not really.” Carlie reached into the closet for her jacket. “But I’ll go anyway.”
“I’m riding with you to the bar and grill, and Brenda is following in her car.” Cory leaned against the doorjamb. “Do you have your pepper spray with you?”
Carlie reached into her purse and pulled out the small leather-clad canister. “I do.”
“Keep it handy,” Wes said, pulling her close for a quick hug. “See you later.”
Carlie nodded and followed the other two women out the door. They’d told Tyler his mom was going out with friends and Wes was taking him to play with Toby at the Langfords’. It would be another twenty minutes or so before Ken showed up.
Wes took his Beretta out of the lockbox and loaded it. He made sure the safety was on before shoving it into the back of his belt. Tugging his sweater down, he covered the gun, hiding it from view. If Tyler saw it, he would pester Wes with questions he didn’t want to answer.
Speaking of Tyler, Wes decided to see what his little buddy was up to. He headed toward his room and peered inside. Rex lay flat on his back sound asleep, and Tyler sat on the floor surrounded by action figures and Legos. “What are you building there, Ty?”
“A fort.” He grinned at Wes. “Is it time to go to Toby’s house?”
“Not quite.” Wes walked in and sat on the corner of the bed. “I just thought I’d come see what you and Rex were up to.” At the mention of his name, Rex’s tail dusted the floor, and his eyes opened. He shifted from his back to his side but stayed put.
Ty’s face scrunched, and he kept his eyes on the Legos he held in his hands. “Do you like my mommy, Wes?”
“Of course I do. You and your mom mean a lot to me. Why do you ask?”
Ty’s gaze met his for a fraction of a second before returning to his toys. He shrugged his narrow shoulders. “If you and Mommy got engaged, you could get married. Then you’d be my daddy.” Another quick glance flitted to Wes and darted away just at quickly. “You said you’d be proud to have a son like me.”
“I didn’t lie,” Wes rasped out. He could barely talk past the lump in his throat, not to mention the vise squeezing the blood from his thudding heart. “I . . . It’s . . .” He ran his palm over his buzz cut. What could he say? It’s complicated, and I’m scared shitless?
A six-year-old boy longing for a father’s love, longing for what his friends had . . . Tyler wouldn’t care about complicated, and he sure as hell deserved better than Well, kid, you see, I’m afraid to let myself love you and your mother, because my heart might get stomped into the dirt again.
Nothing like a child to strip a man’s soul bare, revealing him for the chickenshit he really was. He sucked in a fortifying breath. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, Ty, but no matter what, we’re brothers. That makes us family.”
Tyler’s chin quivered, and he nodded. Wes could hardly breathe through the ache in his chest. His dog’s ears pricked, and he sat up at attention. Saved by a knock on the door, Wes shot up. “That’ll be Ken. Put your shoes on, and let’s go. Rex is going to the Langfords’ with you.”
By the time they got himself, Tyler and his dog loaded into Ken’s pickup, Wes had managed to check his roiling emotions. He had to focus on the task ahead. It wouldn’t do anybody any good if he arrived at Carlie’s house still bent from his conversation with Tyler.
“You excited about Christmas, little dude?” Ken asked once he pulled onto Perfect’s main road out of town.
“Yeah, but we don’t got a tree yet,” Ty said.
“Are you going to go see Santa?” Stopped at Perfect’s one traffic light, Ken turned to glance at Ty. “I remember how excited I always got when it was time to put in my request to the fat man in red.”
“I don’t know,” Ty answered, his tone uncertain. “How many days is it till Christmas, Wes?”
“Today is the second of December, partner. Christmas is on the twenty-fifth. There’s time.” Wes hadn’t given Christmas a thought. He scanned the street, noticing the decorations for the first time. The streetlights had been wrapped in red plastic ribbon, making them look like candy canes. Greenery adorned with shiny ornaments sprouted from large pottery urns on the street corners, and Christmas lights had been strung on all the boulevard trees. He’d never decorated his apartment. Since it was just him, he hadn’t seen the point.
At the end of town, they passed a roped-off lot selling Christmas trees, and Wes had to bite his tongue to keep from suggesting he, Carlie and Ty buy one sometime this week. After tonight, chances were good that Baumann would once again be in custody. Carlie and Tyler would return to their own house, because he hadn’t asked them to stay. His insides twisted. So much for putting a stopper in the cracked bottle leaking his emotions.
Cory’s wedding was only seventeen days away as well. In two weeks, he’d pick up the new suit he was having altered, and there was the rehearsal and groom’s dinner to attend. He hadn’t asked Carlie to be his date. Coward. She deserved so much better than what he had to offer. He swallowed hard and stared out at the late-afternoon landscape. Bare trees, tangled brush, fields of stalks from last fall’s harvest and dry grass all formed a stark pattern passing by his eyes.
Ken turned into the Langfords’ long driveway, and the truck bounced along the ruts toward the house. Noah and his son waited for them on the porch. Tyler started to squirm when he spied his friend. “Am I going to eat supper at Toby’s house?”
“Yep. And you’ll have all evening to play.” Wes climbed out. “Your mom and I will pick you up later, after your bedtime. If you want to sack out on the Langfords’ couch, go ahead.” He helped Tyler out of his seat belt, and the kid launched himself at him, wrapping his arms around his neck. Wes hugged the little boy hard against his chest, the lump back in his throat. “Ken, get my dog out of the truck, would you?”
“Sure.”
“You OK, partner?” Wes patted Ty’s back. Tyler nodded and laid his head on Wes’s shoulder.
“Tyler, you know what? My daddy is grilling burgers and hot dogs for us,” Toby chirped. “And Mommy made brownies for dessert. Do you like brownies? ’Cause if you don’t, we got ice cream, too.”
Ty raised his head from Wes’s shoulder and grinned at his friend. “Yeah, I like all of that.” Rex appeared at their side, his tail wagging like he was all in for burgers and brownies.
“All set?” Noah widened his stance on the porch.
“Of course.” Wes set Tyler down. “Be good and mind the Langfords, Ty.”
“I will,” he called before running inside with his friend.
Noah moved to the railing. “Be careful tonight.”
“Always.” He grinned. “What could go wrong? We have six armed men, and Baumann’s just one punk.” He waved and started back toward Ken’s pickup. “We’ll let you know how it all turns out.”
“Finally we can get this show on the road,” Ken huffed once Wes climbed back into the truck. Ken checked his watch before putting his truck in gear, and his fingers tapped away at the steering wheel as they bounced down the driveway.
“Anxious?” Wes asked.
“Wound up. I always get this way before a mission.” Ken cleared his throat. “Listen, man. I owe you an apology.”
Wes flashed him a questioning look.
“The wager about you and Carlie.” Ken shrugged and glanced at Wes. “I gave everyone their money back. The two of you . . . that’s a good thing. Didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“Forget it.” Wes went back to perusing the landscape. “I wasn’t going to give anybody a date anyway.”
“I figured that out,” Ken said with a grunt. “I was just rattling your cage.”
Wes shifted in his seat, tugging at the seat belt across his chest. “The ma
rshals got permission from the neighboring farm to park our vehicles behind their barn or the silo. It’s about a mile from Carlie’s. We can hike through the wheat field to get to her house.”
“Got it.”
An hour later, Wes, Ken and Andrew hunkered down in the brush surrounding Carlie’s front yard. Wes positioned himself off to the side so he had a cross view. All cell phones had been set to vibrate, with the lights dimmed. On the verge of disappearing, the sun cast streaks of dark orange across the gray-and-purple horizon. Wes’s phone vibrated. Ken texted:
Piece of cake. Easiest mission we’ve ever been on. Yes?
Wes snorted and peered across the darkening yard where Ken hid in the shrubbery. Just as the sun sank out of sight, headlights appeared on the two-lane toward the house. His phone vibrated again.
Go time!
Andrew texted to all of them, alerting the guys guarding the backyard.
Wes drew in a long breath and watched the approaching vehicle. Carlie’s Ford turned in to the driveway and pulled up to the house. Soon she would walk through the house and out the back door. Ryan would whisk her away to safety, and she’d wait at the Langfords’ for him to come get her and Ty. He let out the breath he’d been holding and settled in for the long vigil.
Carlie parked her car in the yard, not too close to the house, though. The men hiding in the brush would need a clear, unobstructed view of her front door if they were going to stop Jared before he could get inside. She gripped the steering wheel for a few moments. Her nerves were stretched taut, almost to the snapping point.
Shivering, she climbed out with her keys in her hand and walked to the front door. It was already so dark she couldn’t see the keyhole to unlock the door and had to use the little flashlight she kept on the ring holding her keys. Once inside, she turned on the front floodlights so the guys could see the yard, and then she flipped the on switch to her living room.
There. Her job was done. Relieved, she headed toward the kitchen and the back door. Just as she was passing the hallway leading to the bedrooms, a form emerged from the shadows. Her heart stopped. Her worst nightmare stood before her, holding the hunting rifle he’d stolen.
The Twisted Road to You (Perfect, Indiana Book 4) Page 20
