by Ciana Stone
Ciana Stone
Finding Justice
Book Two in the Honky Tonk Angels Series
Copyright 2015, Ciana Stone
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, businesses, places, events, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 Ciana Stone
Cover by Syneca Featherstone
All rights reserved.
As always, for my true love.
A note for readers:
Characters from Southern Comfort (Book One of Honky Tonk Angels) appear in this book,
as well as characters from my box set, The Whisperers.
Chapter One
A hush fell over the entire stadium as Briggs Weathers; the quarterback for the Cotton Creek Mustangs ripped a pass from the twenty-yard line.
Justice Weathers, more often than not known as JD, held his breath, his eyes searching downfield. One player broke from the pack, running full out toward the goal line while watching the ball in the air. Everyone in the stadium saw it for what it was, a Hail-Mary pass. The Mustangs were down with only seconds left on the clock.
It looked like the ball would over-shoot its receiver. JD swore he heard a collective intake of breath from the people in the stadium when the receiver, Briggs' twin brother Dawson, launched himself into the air with arms extended.
Still in mid-air and with what looked to be the tips of his fingers he pulled the ball out of the air, hit the ground, and flew the last ten yards to score the winning touchdown.
The crowd erupted in cheers and hollers loud enough to be heard in the next county. The people around him clapped JD on the shoulders and back, others in front of him turning to smile and yell, singing his boys' praises. No doubt about it, tonight the Weathers twins wore the crown of team heroes.
Football was serious business in Texas, and Cotton Creek was no exception to that rule. Small and old, the town was not one of affluence, but that didn't stop them from being loyal supporters of their home team, both in attendance and donations.
A prime example was the high school stadium. JD didn't imagine there were many universities that boasted of better facilities. Year after year, the school and the town held fundraisers for new facilities. Five years ago the richest family in the county, the Pursels donated enough to meet the goal and build the new stadium and training center.
Since that year, the Mustangs had dominated in their division. They'd not won at State yet but everyone said this was the year. This year they had the dynamic duo in the Weathers twins.
He couldn't be prouder of his boys. They worked hard to be good on the field and were honor students to boot. No doubt about it. JD had a lot to be proud of.
"They did it again." His father, Jason, who sat beside him, grinned.
JD grinned right along with him and fist bumped his brother Jasper who reached around Jason. This was a good night. The team was marching toward a winning season, he was surrounded by family, and his boys had enjoyed a stellar game. Life was good.
A familiar voice sounded behind him and he turned with a smile. Cody Sweet stood on the bleachers, grinning at him. "Well proud papa, whadda ya say? The boys kicked some serious ass tonight."
"Hey, Cody. Good to see you and yes they did. Haven't seen you at a game in a while."
She shrugged. "I'm usually at the bar. No way Dad’s gonna miss a game so Hannah and I trade off coming. Since the tornado – well, you can't serve beer in a parking lot."
"Why not?"
Her eyebrows hitched up a notch. "Well hey now, you might be onto something there, big guy. So, if I throw a beer in the dirt party you gonna show up?"
"I might."
"Yeah, yeah, promises, promises. Oh, and you know that kid that works for Riley? Bobby? I've been helping him learn roping, but he's gung ho on getting into the rodeo scene and needs someone with more skills to help him out. I wondered if you'd be willing."
JD considered it for a few moments. His plate was full between the ranch and the boys. Still, he could carve out a little time to help the kid. "Sure. Why don't you bring him over this weekend – maybe Sunday afternoon?"
"Thanks JD, you're a champ. He'll be thrilled. And I guess I better hit the trail. Gotta be at the bar bright and early. Got a demolition crew showing up at seven."
"Another one?" She'd already fired one crew.
"Yeah and they better by god be ready to work. I'm not paying people to stand around."
"I hear you. If you need me, call. Anytime."
"I will. Congratulations to the boys, JD. They did the team proud. See ya."
"Yep." He watched her bound up the bleachers to where her family stood. Her father, Billy threw up his hand and JD did the same.
"You headed straight home?" Another of his brothers, Bronson, asked. "Bryson and Jayce said they'd take all the kids with them. They've gotta be on the job early in the morning. Jasper and I were going to ride over to Rock Ridge for a few drinks."
JD considered it for a moment. Rock Ridge was a good thirty miles, and if his brothers were headed where he thought, chances were it would be a late night. The bar in Rock Ridge boasted of every beer known to man, and dancers that tempted a man's resolve to hang onto the cash in his pocket.
"No. Thanks. I've got a lot to get done tomorrow."
"The twins will probably be out at the lake past midnight. And it'd do you good to get out, JD."
"Maybe, but the hangover won't do me any good tomorrow. I can help haul the kids home."
"We've got it covered."
"Okay, I'll see you Sunday for dinner at Pop's."
"Yep." Bronson gave JD a clap on the shoulder and turned to Jasper. "Ready to ride?"
"You know it."
JD turned to look at his father, only Jason wasn't there. He was three rows lower, talking to an older lady. JD shook his head in amusement, turned and started down the bleachers. Jason might be well into his sixties, but he hadn’t lost the ability to charm the ladies. Every widow within fifty miles had a hopeful smile for Jason Weathers.
Not that their hopes were likely to see fruition. Jason would flirt, take them out, and enjoy their company, but the chances of him taking one as a wife were slim to none. The Weathers men learned their lessons. Marriage wasn't what you'd call a successful endeavor for any of them.
His brother Bronson was right. His sons would be at the lake with the rest of the team and half the school. It was where teenagers had gathered since his childhood. They built bonfires, drank beer if they could get their hands on it, made out, and acted like what they were. Teenagers.
JD didn't mind. His boys had never given him cause not to trust them. And tonight they would be pumped from the win. Let them celebrate and enjoy their victory. For him it was time to head home. His clock would be chiming way before dawn, signaling another day of work.
As he passed families clustered together and couples hand-in-hand, a pinch of loneliness tried to claim him. Determined not to fall victim, he shoved it away with reminders of all the blessings in his life. The ranch might not be making them rich but it kept them going. His boys were healthy, happy, and excited about their future.
Still, it was hard to erase that longing he tried to keep buried, that yearning for someone to share his life with, the good and the bad. He told himself to let it go. No one was promised happily-ever-after.
As he climbed in his truck, a face flashed through his mind and intensified that longing. A face appeared, one he hadn't seen in three years and would never see again.
The one that got away and the one that cost him everything.
With a clench in his gut, he start
ed the truck. Time to put away thoughts of what couldn't be and focus on what mattered. Providing for his family.
*****
"Whoa! Where're you two headed?" JD stopped on his way up the front steps as his twin sons, Briggs and Dawson raced out of the house and down the porch steps.
"Headed over to help Cody and Hannah." Briggs replied.
"Help them what?"
Briggs looked at Dawson. "You talked to her. What did she say?"
"Cody fired her builder, and she's wanting to get some stuff moved out to save before the rest of what's left getstorn down. They're rebuilding Billy's."
"Yes, I know that. So what did Cody want from you?"
"Well." Dawson cut his eyes at his brother before answering. "Well, she called on the house phone and said you mentioned that if she needed any help, you would pitch in. Since you were working and would probably be tired when you finished, I said Briggs and I would head over and help her till dark."
It didn't take much to figure out the reason for his sons' eagerness to help. Every single man between the age of eighteen and eighty carried a crush of some level on the Sweet girls. Hannah, like her mama, Stella, was blonde and petite, with those big green eyes and a figure that could turn a man to mush in under two seconds. Sweet as the day is long, but flavored with a healthy dose of sass, she was the kind of woman a man wanted to court and win.
Cody Sweet, on the other hand, was as rough as Hannah was refined. A hot little bundle of spunk and energy that inspired a whole other way of thinking from a man – the kind of thinking that involves taming a firebrand. Dark hair and hazel eyes set into a face that definitely caught and held attention. Then there was the matter of that tight little body.
Nope. His sons were not eager to help because they wanted to be good neighbors. They simply wanted an excuse to be around the Sweet girls.
"Well, in that case, I'll head over with you. Seeing as how I was the one who promised to help. Give me a minute to grab something to drink and I'll meet you at the truck."
"Don't you want to stay and get cleaned up and have supper? Eloise said she was fixing fried chicken, and we were welcome."
"Naw, I'll heat up something when we get back."
He smiled to himself as he walked in the house, sure that if he looked back he'd see scowls on his sons' faces. Not that JD didn't trust them. They were good boys. However, at almost eighteen and puffed up with popularity, riding a high from the success of their football team and particularly the last game, they might be thinking more with their hormones than their brains.
Last thing he wanted was for them to offend the Sweet girls. Billy Sweet, their father, was a good man and a good friend. JD would never forget Billy and his wife, Stella bringing over home-cooked meals when his wife died. Stella came over once a week, did laundry, cleaned and cooked until JD found a woman to come in once a week and do household chores.
If the Sweets needed help, JD was more than willing. One thing his father had taught him was to always be willing to lend a friend a helping hand. JD followed that teaching. His father, Jason Weathers might have made mistakes in his life, but teaching his boys right and wrong was not among his shortcomings.
So JD could wait for dinner and offer help. And he might keep his boys from making a darn fool of themselves over the Sweet girls.
He grinned, grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, and headed back out of the house.
Briggs and Dawson talked the entire way to what used to be Billy's Bar and Barbecue. A month ago a tornado roared through town and took out half of the bar, along with damaging many other buildings in town.
Repairs were under way, and while he hated to profit off the misfortune of others, his family appreciated the available work. His brothers, Bryson and Jayce, ran the family construction business, and it had been a month since they worked less than a twelve-hour day.
When JD pulled up, he saw the entire Sweet family minus the youngest daughter KC, standing beside Billy's pickup. He and his boys got out and walked over to the family. "I hear you could use some help." JD said and shook Billy's offered hand.
"Thanks to Cody." Hannah turned and slapped her hands on her hips. "She fired the entire crew we hired to tear it down."
"There's stuff that can be saved." Cody argued. "Like that copper sink Daddy and Mama got in Mexico that was in the office bathroom. No reason to just bust it out and throw it away. And Daddy's desk and--"
"We can buy new ones, Cody!"
"Well why spend money you don't have to, Hannah? Damn, this stuff has meaning. It's not just a pile of rubble. This is part of our life."
"I know it is, but it has to go."
At those words from Hannah, Cody squared off at her sister, her hands going to her hips. "I'll decide what goes."
"You?" Hannah stuck out her chin. "You? Who made you boss? Daddy gave this to both of us in case you've forgotten."
"Yeah and I'm keeping the half of whatever the hell I want and if you don't like it then you can—"
"Girls." Stella Sweet called out. "No need--"
"Oh, there's need." Cody interrupted. "There's gonna be need for me to knock Hannah on her ass if she doesn't—"
"Whoa Nellie!" Billy threw up his hands.
"Daddy, she's making this impossible." Hannah said.
"Me?" Cody pointed to herself. "I'm making it impossible because I don't want to save things that have meaning?"
"Cody." Despite having to rely on his cane, Billy moved quickly to get between his daughters. "Don't go getting all riled up. Your sister is just eager to—"
"To get rid of our life! Dad, this isn't just stuff – it's our stuff. Our life. I sat at that desk and did my homework, and carved my name in it, and –"
"I know honey and I'm sure your sister didn't mean to imply that she didn't want to save those things. Right Hannah?"
Hannah's arms went from her hips to cross in front of her and Cody mirrored the stance. JD bit back at smile. Two women, both with arms crossed over their chests, chins stuck out and fire in their eyes. It was clearly a battle of wills being acted out in front of an audience and he didn't know whether to be embarrassed for Billy and Stella or amused.
He cut his gaze to Briggs and Dawson. They were both wide-eyed and taking it all in.
"Right Hannah?" Stella echoed.
Hannah looked from her father, to her mother and finally at Cody. "Fine. But you've got twenty-four hours to get whatever you want out and not one second longer and then I'm—"
Her words turned to a scream as Cody started at her. JD watched as Hannah took off with Cody on her heels. When they made it to the parking lot and lit off down the street, Billy turned with a sigh. "Well, that was fun."
"So, you're not gonna be working here tonight?" JD asked as he watched Hannah and Cody disappear from sight.
"Don't look that way."
"Okay, well listen, once Cody has all she wants from the place, give Bryson a call. I'll tell him to make time to get over here. If you want it bulldozed down and hauled off, he'll give you a decent price. You have my word on that."
"I 'preciate that, JD."
"Least I can do. Y'all have a good night and I'll tell Bryson to be expecting a call."
"Thank you, Justice." Stella added.
"Anything I can do, Stella. You know that."
"I do. Tell your daddy we send our best."
"I'll do that." He looked at his sons. "Okay, boys, let's head home."
The moment they were in the truck, the boys started up. "Oh man, ten on Cody." Briggs said. "Hannah will never outrun her."
"She was moving pretty good," Dawson argued.
"Naw, those boobs will slow her down."
"Boobs?" JD looked around Dawson, who sat in the middle, to Briggs.
"Yeah. Hannah's got big boobs. I mean big and everyone knows that slows you down."
"Cody's aren't small." Dawson said.
"Compared to Hannah's they are. Besides, Cody's tough. She works the ranch and you rem
ember last year at the founder's day thing when she punched that roustabout out who tried to cop a feel?"
"I still say Hannah will escape. And even if she doesn't outrun Cody, Cody won't hit her."
"What makes you so sure?" JD asked.
"Cause she loves Hannah." Dawson said. "She's just mad at her right now. It's like me and Briggs. Sometimes I want to knock his teeth out, but I won't cause he's my brother, and it’s like you always said, Dad. Family is what matters. They're the only people you can count on in life."
JD smiled. His boys sometimes surprised him, and this was one of those times.
Chapter Two
Jolene finished typing the last sentence of her notes and leaned back, staring at the screen of her laptop. Her latest assignment had proven to be more interesting than expected. She'd produced many pieces on cowboys, ranching families that spanned generations, mega-cattle stations, small family owned operations and every kind of rodeo cowboy known to man.
Doing a documentary about a cursed ranching family was a horse of a different color.
It hadn't started out that way. Originally, the assignment was a piece on Mik Morgan who married a rancher in North Carolina, Jed Nash. Mik reigned for three years as world champion barrel racer. Her brother-in-law, Jesse Nash was a four-time world champion all-around cowboy.
Jolene had contacted Mik and Jesse and asked about doing an episode for her show on the cable network about their family. Since Mik ran a breeding and training program for roping and barrel racing horses, it would be good advertisement. CWL, Country Western Life Network was less than ten years old, but had a solid following that was growing each year.
Eight years ago, Jolene had taken a job with them as an editor. Today she produced her own segments. She loved her work, even if it meant she was on the road with her crew seventy-five percent of the time. It wasn't like she had a husband or family to tie her down.
Mik and Jesse had agreed, so Jolene and her crew had traveled to the Rocky River Ranch in Union County, North Carolina. The Nash family was generous to a fault and allowed her to stay in what they called the Lake House, a small house on the property overlooking a lake. She'd anticipated being there two weeks tops. Four weeks later she was about to wrap up this phase of what had turned out to be a two episode piece.
