After Love (11 page)

“She did something right, because you're all honorable and successful.”

“I suppose so.”

“Justin's nice.”

Her comment was casual, but Nick gave her a curious look. “Nice? As in…‘I want to jump his bones' nice?”

Jamie's hands stopped midpick. “He
is
very handsome. Is he married?”

“No, not even close. Ever since he was a little kid, he wanted to be a Texas Ranger. He read every book the library had and even apprenticed as a Junior Ranger, or whatever they call them, when he was in high school. Every summer we'd go to Waco, and he'd insist we go through the Ranger museum. I guess he's just focused on his career. Or maybe there are no hot female Rangers.”

Jamie laughed, a light, bubbly sound that made Nick smile. He loved to hear her laugh, even more so if he was the cause.

“Is he older or younger than you?”

“Older by a year. I'm the middle kid, and Luke is the baby.”

“So, how did you get interested in the DEA?” she asked.

“Justin had full-ride scholarship offers from several universities but chose Harvard. I didn't have the grades or the desire, but I gave college a shot. Then I met Sandy and we eloped. I joined the Marines for the bennies and to see the world. Special Ops recruited me, and I instantly loved it. But the futility of fighting in the Middle East wore me down, so after four tours I left and got a job with the DEA, I guess because when I was a kid, I loved
Miami Vice.
”

“It's not all guns, cigarette boats, and hot girls,” she teased.

“Don't forget the white leisure suits. And no, it's not glamorous at all. I knew it wouldn't be cool and easy like they made it look, but I've seen the damage drugs do to people. I wanted to do my part to get the dealers off the streets.” He tossed the tomato stem over the fence. “How'd you get into the service-dog business?”

“It's not as exciting as your choices. My uncle was ex-military and a retired cop. He had worked with K9s in the service and started training them as a hobby while he was on the force. When he retired, he expanded the kennels and did it full time. I loved hanging out there and spent all my summers and holidays learning from him. I had just graduated from Texas A&M with a veterinary degree when my uncle got sick, so I moved in to help him. He lasted about a year, and he left me his farm and his business.”

“Then you met your husband?”

“I had known him in college, but we didn't date then. One day he pulled me over….He said I was speeding, but I was only eight miles over the limit.”

“Technically speeding,” Nick teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Anyway, he asked me out, and we were married two months later. When it's right, you know it immediately. And what Mike and I had was perfect.”

“Did he tear up the ticket?”

She shook her head. “No, I had to pay it. He said I deserved it and needed to be more careful.” Her soft smile said she had forgiven him. “He was an honest and honorable man.”

“Did he work the K9 division?”

“He did, and we worked together to make his dog better. Because of his bragging, word spread and my business doubled. That helped me strengthen the reputation my uncle had already established.”

Nick looked at the bucket of okra, which was filled to the top.

“We'll have to invite more people.” Jamie grinned.

“My kids eat a ton, and their mom is a horrible cook, so we're good.”

They left the garden, and Nick was careful to fasten the gate behind them. “I forgot to shut the gate once, and a herd of deer ate the garden down to nubs before dawn. Grammy was not pleased.”

“Daddy!” Twin voices shrieked across the uncut dry-grass yard as they ran toward Nick. “Can we ride the ponies?” They crashed into Nick and all three of them tumbled around the yard like six-year-olds.

“Hey guys.” Nick fought his way to a kneeling position. “It's almost time for dinner. But later I'll saddle the ponies for you.”

“Daddy, is Jamie your girlfriend?” Brad asked, looking bashfully at Jamie with his dark blue eyes, so like Nick's.

Nick hesitated a moment. “Have you shown Jamie your loose tooth?”

Brad ran over to her, opened his mouth wide, and wiggled one of his top teeth with his finger, his original question forgotten.

“Wow, it looks like it's about to fall out…uh…” She leaned toward Nick. “It's hard to tell them apart.”

“I know. Sometimes I get it wrong.”

“No, you don't, Daddy.” Brent defended his father. “Mom says you do, but you always know.”

Nick's smile was resigned. “She says a lot of things that aren't quite true.” He pulled Brent into a rough hug. “All you have to remember is that I love you both very, very much.” Brad couldn't be left out and wiggled his way into the hug, a move that Nick welcomed. After a thorough squeeze, he let them go and stood up. “Why don't you two go get washed up? Maybe Grammy needs some help setting the table.”

“Dad, can we go to Jamie's and see the dogs?” Brent asked.

“Maybe one day.” Nick kept his answer vague, because not even he knew how much longer he would be going to Jamie's farm.

“Yay!” They started to run to the house.

“Hold up, I need some help with the okra,” Nick called.

They stopped and backpedaled, racing each other, Brad doing a reverse somersault in the grass just short of their imaginary finish line.

“Take this bucket in to Grammy.” Nick handed Brent the bucket. He was the more responsible of the two, although anything could happen between here and the kitchen. “Try not to spill any.”

Brad hopped around, but Brent carefully carried the bucket to the house, with only a few okra pods falling out along the way.

Jamie laughed. “They've got the energy of a barn full of puppies.”

Nick nodded as he finished brushing the dirt and grass off his jeans and shirt. “I love being around them, but they wear me out.” He whistled for Harley, who had been following a scent with his nose to the ground. The dog reluctantly ended his hunt and caught up to Nick and Jamie just as they reached the house.

Once inside, they were drawn to the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen.

“What can I do to help?” Jamie asked.

“I haven't had a chance to cut the okra and batter it. If you could do that, it'll fry it up in just a few minutes. Nick, could you check on the boys? We need to get the corn on to boil.”

Nick went out on the porch, where the boys were vigorously shucking the corn, with husks and silk flying everywhere. He caught them just before they broke into a sword fight with their cleaned ears, and he grabbed the corn out of their hands. “All finished? Good. Let's take these to Grammy.”

“I did the most,” Brent told him, obediently picking up the basket.

“Did not. I did more,” Brad protested.

“Did not!” Brent shouted.

“You both are the best corn shuckers I've ever seen. I'm sure everyone will appreciate your hard work.” They entered the kitchen, and Brent proudly handed the basket of corn to Grammy.

“Wow! You guys did a great job.” She carried the corn to the sink, where she gave it one more thorough washing before dropping each ear into a pot of boiling water.

“Nicky, I'm going to need some help getting this pig out of the oven in a minute. Justin, set the table. How's the okra coming?” Grammy asked. She was coordinating the meal with military precision.

“All done,” Jamie answered. “I was just about to drop them in the cornmeal and flour.”

Grammy turned to Nick. “You picked a good one this time. She knows how to cook okra, Southern style.”

“I didn't…” Nick started to say, then shut up. No matter what he said, Grammy would believe what she wanted.

“Grammy is always good at organizing a big meal.” Justin laughed as he pulled plates out of the cupboard.

Within twenty minutes, they were all seated at the massive dining room table. The windows were open, allowing splashes of sunlight and a light breeze to pour in, keeping the temperature bearable. Soon the summer heat would hit and send the thermometer climbing to the nineties and even low hundreds. That was when Grammy would ignore her preference for natural climate control and turn on the air conditioner.

“Bread? Baked it fresh this morning.” Grammy passed the bread basket to Nick, who took a slice and passed it along.

“Everything looks amazing, Grammy.” Jamie took a piece of bread and passed the basket to Brent, who had rushed to the table and plopped into the chair next to her. He looked up at her with wide, perceptive eyes, so like his father's…without the cynicism.

“This table has raised three grandsons and now two great-grandsons…and hopefully many more,” Grammy added with a wink at Jamie. “Let's thank the Lord for our neighbor and his 4-H project.” She led them all in a blessing that was, thankfully, short, and everyone dug in.

“What's 4-H, Grammy?” Brad asked.

“It's like a club where kids learn how to raise farm animals, then enter them in contests…usually at the county fair…and eventually, they become our food.”

Brent stopped eating and stared at his plate and the large piece of partially eaten ham lying there. He slowly put his fork down. “I'm not hungry.”

“Your dad raised chickens for his 4-H project one year, Brent. We ate them for Sunday dinner….Remember that, Nicky?”

Nick nodded, not willing to discuss his one and only 4-H project. Somehow, he hadn't really thought it through when he raised the tiny yellow puffs of feathers into grown chickens. He'd made the mistake of naming them and making them pets. At the county fair they'd won just an honorable-mention ribbon, and he'd been delighted because that meant they wouldn't be sold at auction. He hadn't counted on Grammy's live-off-the-land philosophy. One day when he came home from school, his chickens were gone, only to turn up fried for the next Sunday dinner. Nick hadn't eaten chicken for years after that.

He didn't say anything but just took the ham off Brent's plate, dropped it on the floor for Harley, and gave Brent another piece of bread.

“I remember that,” Justin spoke up. “My calf won Grand Champion. Wasn't that the year Nick was chasing that girl around the barn? What was her name? Skinny redhead…”

Nick tried to stop Justin with a stare, but Justin ignored him.

“Megan. Megan Royce,” Grammy said, supplying the missing name. “Her family moved away soon after that.”

“Did you ever catch her?” Jamie asked.

Nick looked at her out of the corner of his eye and grinned. “Darlin', I was the reason her family left.”

That started an avalanche of stories about Justin, Nick, and Luke when they were boys, and all the mischief they had created. Brent and Brad listened intently, probably taking mental notes on what they could hope to get away with because their father had done it first.

Finally, when everyone had eaten their fill, the boys jumped up, their attention span at an end. “Can we ride the ponies now? Daddy, can we?” Brad and Brent leaped up and down, their voices growing louder and shriller, amped up by the large pieces of chocolate cake they had eaten.

Nick looked over at Jamie, a silent question in his eyes.

“Go ahead. I'll help Grammy with the dishes,” Jamie said.

“Absolutely not,” Grammy declared. “Justin is going to help me while you go with Nick and the boys.”

“You might as well go,” Justin told them. “Grammy doesn't change her mind.”

Jamie still seemed uncertain, but she went with Nick out to the barn. Brad and Brent were already there, dragging the garbage bag of corn husks up the fence. Harley happily followed along, acting more like a regular dog than Nick had ever seen him.

After the ponies had been hand-fed the corn husks, Nick helped the boys saddle them. He wanted them to learn how to take care of the horses and to be comfortable around all the livestock. His ex-wife might love living in an urban neighborhood, but his kids weren't going to be city slickers if he had anything to say about it.

Once the boys were mounted on the ponies, he felt comfortable leaving them to explore the small pasture that was the ponies' domain. There was a group of trees at one end and a little stream running through it that would give them plenty to explore.

“You're a good father,” Jamie commented as she leaned on the fence next to Nick.

“You sound surprised,” Nick teased. “What did you think I did when I wasn't working…get drunk and drown kittens?”

She had the grace to flush. “Of course not. It's just that when I see you with your boys, it makes you so…human.”

“And you'd rather think of me as a sex machine.”

She punched him in the arm. “Don't flatter yourself. I'd rather not think of you at all.”

He moved behind her and, without actually touching her, he whispered in her ear, “Except when you're horny.”

“Don't be crass.”

“If I didn't have the boys, I'd take you up on your offer of trying out your bedroom.” He nibbled her ear and moved forward until his body brushed lightly against hers. His nibbles turned into kisses, following the curve of her neck until he was nuzzling the delicate skin above her shoulder.

She exhaled with a sigh and leaned back against him.

He had started it as a tease, but with her ass pressed against his groin, the joke was on him. She smelled like lavender and sunshine and her soft hair tickled his cheek. Blood raced through his body, settling in his dick, which jumped to attention.

“What will your boys think if they see us?” Her voice was soft and quavery.

“They already think you're my girlfriend…which, by the way, would be a first.”

“Oh, come on….Your place probably has a revolving door.”

“I date, but there's been no one special woman in my life since my ex-wife. And no, the boys have never met any of my dates.”