Mint Juleps and Justice (4 page)

CHAPTER SIX

M
ike had settled into a productive routine between his new business, spending time on Kasey Phillips’s property, and starting to renew friendships and family ties. Mornings on the farm had given him a reason to look forward to waking up. First of all it was quiet. No one asking a million questions, and no crowds. And there was a lot to do. Staying busy appealed to him and taking care of the goats had turned out to be a fun chore. Even though the local 4-H'ers showed up to do it on most days, he’d taken a liking to coming over to check on the property as part of his morning routine. Riding the Polaris along the fence line to check things out while he drank a tall mug of coffee from Mac’s Bakery was a nice way to start each day.

He’d even kept up the small garden in the backyard, something he couldn’t do in his place on Main Street. It was still early in the season, but he’d already harvested some broccoli from Kasey’s well-established plants. At least her attention to the plants was yielding him the luxury of fresh veggies even if she wasn’t around to enjoy them. If nothing else grew, he was enjoying having his hands in the dirt. Being busy had been good medicine as he continued to transition back to civilian life. There was no doubt in his mind that he was spending more time here than Kasey had ever expected him to, but the extra workload had brought a balance to his life that he hadn’t realized was missing. For the first time in a very long time he was feeling more like his old self.

After securing the barn and locking up the place, he headed back to town. He pulled around to the back of the old bank building that housed the Buckham and Baxter law offices, where he’d rented out the second apartment on the second floor. Carolanne Baxter had lived there until her house was built in the new neighborhood over by the artisan center, the same place where he was having his house built.

Mike punched the code into the back door and collected his mail from the partitioned mail slots just inside the huge doors. He flipped through the stack of envelopes as he headed upstairs. As Mike opened the door, Hunter pranced from foot to foot in his kennel. One ear still tended to flop when he got excited, but he was a pretty dog. Mike dropped the mail on the desk and opened the kennel. Hunter raced out and circled the office, then sat in front of Mike waiting for attention. Mike nuzzled the dog and grabbed the leash.

It had taken a few weeks for Hunter to get the hang of the steps, but now he trotted down them at a safe and steady pace, not breaking into a jog until Mike gave him the signal when they hit the jogging path in the park.

Training Hunter healed Mike a little every day. He could feel it, and he couldn’t wait until they could move into the house and Hunter could run the yard on his own free will.

Garrett Malloy had broken ground on the house of Mike’s dreams months ago but it would still be a while before he and his German shepherd puppy could move in. Until the house was finished, the apartment in town was perfectly suited as his office and living space.

Mike had been at the right place at the right time that day he’d run into Connor. Carolanne had just moved out and Connor Buckham hadn’t even decided what he was going to do with her apartment, or his now that they were living in her house together. When Mike told him he was looking for an office space that could double as an apartment until the house was done, Connor had liked the idea of renting to him.

It had turned out to be a good fit, since the two lawyers had already thrown some work his way. He’d remodeled the space to include an office in the front portion and then a separate door to the living quarters that he could later turn into storage or a second office.

After a good run in the park, and time for Hunter to explore, they headed back to the apartment. Mike fed Hunter and poured a glass of tea for himself.

He walked to the window. The view from up here gave him a clear panorama of Main Street. A shiny black Corvette pulled in front of the veterinarian’s office. Like the rest of the businesses here in Adams Grove, the vet was normally closed by now. He watched a woman get out of the car.

Her shoulders hiked as she raced to the passenger side.

He pulled the curtain to the side and leaned forward to get a better look. When the woman turned to open the door, he could clearly see her face.

The extension agent. Brooke.
Nice gal.
Nice ride too.
She hadn’t seemed the sports car type, but then he’d only seen her in the county truck. He’d surprised himself when he’d asked her out right there on the spot. Something about her had outwitted his good sense, but what was done was done.

He watched as she messed with something in the passenger seat. Finally, she stood with a bundle in her arms. As she pushed the car door closed with her hip, a white scruffy head popped out above her shoulder. She carried the dog into the vet’s office like she was rescuing a baby from a fire.

There was a time when he didn’t understand how people treated their animals like family, but that was before he had been partnered with Gunner overseas. After being paired with the German shepherd, an enlisted bomb sniffer, he had a whole new appreciation for that relationship. They’d formed a bond that was closer than he’d ever had with another human being…with the exception of Jackie. But then if Jackie had still been around, there’d have never been a military career or Gunner.

He tugged the curtain closed. Hunter had joined him while he watched and looked up at him with that one lazy ear flopping. He reached down and straightened it, then knelt beside Hunter and stroked his side. “You’re a good one, Hunter.”

Thoughts of Jackie still sent his heart on a nosedive. He wasn’t sure why Brooke had made those thoughts come back, but he wished they’d stayed where he’d tucked them safely away.

CHAPTER SEVEN

B
rooke muttered all the way into the veterinarian’s office. Thank goodness it was only a couple blocks away. If it had been a longer ride, she’d have probably been a danger to the drivers in her path. Her no-fault divorce had turned into a series of twists that made her stomach turn and Stitches didn’t deserve to be caught in the middle. On top of the crazy lawyer fees, she’d had the expense of moving, and now that seemed to be a big fat waste of money. This had Keith’s name written all over it.

She rushed into Dr. Brady’s office and just as she began to speak, she broke down in tears.

His assistant took Stitches from her and told her to take a seat.

I must look like one crazy woman right now
. And the truth was she felt at her wit’s end. Just this morning she’d read an article on the Internet about divorce. Some staff reporter,
a single one no doubt
, had reported that divorce rates were up and his hypothesis was that it was because it’s easy to get out of a marriage. Easy? The only sure thing in the divorce process that was easy, as far as she could see, was the guarantee of emotional highs and lows.

That article made it sound like divorce was a kiddy slide to take with your hands in the air grabbing divorce papers and your maiden name on the way down. Hers had been anything but fun or easy. It had made her want to lose her lunch a few times, but instead she’d lost more important things like pride and self-esteem, not to mention the material possessions Keith was trying to take from her.
Easy? I don’t think so.

She should’ve known her marriage to Keith Farrell would end in disaster. On the day he proposed, there hadn’t been a single lucky sign. Not a rainbow. Not a ladybug. Not even a cardinal showed up, and that’s the Virginia state bird! The morning of the wedding, she’d had her doubts too, but dismissed them as jitters.

When I don’t follow my gut, I make mistakes. Keith was a real doozy.

She pulled herself together while the veterinarian and his assistant took care of Stitches, but when Dr. Brady walked out to the lobby, she leaped from her seat like she’d been shot out of a cannon.

“She’s fine,” he said, then placed the dog on the
floor.

Stitches ran across the tiled floor to her.

“Thank you so much for checking her over.”

“I’m going to give you a prescription for her just to calm her down.” His assistant rounded the corner with a blue bottle of pills. “Think of it as the doggy equivalent to Valium,” he said, handing it to her.

She held the bottle in her hand.
I wonder if I can google the safety for human consumption. Lord knows I could use one of these myself right now.
Actually, she’d prefer a cold beer, but she had a hard and fast rule against drinking and driving and she had someplace to go.

She settled with the girl at the desk, and must have thanked Dr. Brady and his staff a hundred times before she finally got out the door.

Thank goodness Stitches was okay, but now that worry had turned to anger and she was madder than an old wet hen. If she’d been gone any longer…

She couldn’t even face that horrible thought. She eased onto the street from the parking spot in front of the vet’s office with her grip on the steering wheel so tight it made her hands ache. “Keith will
not
get away with this.”

Stitches walked a circle in the passenger seat, then climbed onto the center console and settled her chin on Brooke’s lap.

On a Friday night she knew exactly where Keith would be. At Walker’s Pub hanging out with other folks obsessed with hot rods and muscle cars. She knew because there was a time when they’d done that together. Her worry continued to build to anger at twice the rate, and the speedometer was registering it too.

She glanced at the clock. She had time to make it there. Heck, at this speed she might catch up to Keith, or even pass him. He couldn’t have been gone long.

Her ringing cell phone broke her trance as she sped down Route 58. She checked the caller ID, then answered.

Jenny’s voice came across the line. “Where are you? I’ve been at your house for like ten minutes. Are you okay? The neighbor said the sheriff was here again.”

“I’m fine, but you’re not going to believe what’s happened.”

“What?”

Brooke felt her adrenaline pick up speed. “I know it was him. I swear I could kill him.”

“Slow down. Brooke, you know our rule. Don’t do anything you can’t undo. I suppose this has to do with Keith. What’s he done now?”

“Fine. I won’t kill him, but he’s going to at least get a piece of my mind.” Brooke spilled the rest of the details to Jenny as she weaved in and out of traffic.

“Thank goodness you’re both okay. Hey, are you driving? Where are you headed?”

“I’m headed to Walker’s.”

“Oh, lord. Girl, you better pull over and get yourself together. You’re going to get another ticket. Or worse, have an accident.”

Brooke lifted her foot off the accelerator. “You’re right, as usual.”

“That’s why we’re best friends. We keep each other out of trouble.”

“There
is
that.” Brooke had to admit that every embarrassing moment she could remember had been with Jenny. “Hang on. I’m stopping.” She pulled into the next parking lot and shut down the engine.

“Look, I’m not saying you don’t have every right to go postal on Keith, but you can’t do it. You don’t want to be the one who looks like the maniac here.”

Brooke knew she was right. Just talking to Jenny was already calming her down a bit.

“Call the police and have them meet you at Walker’s. It’s their job. If you report it, they have to investigate it.”

“I need a better plan.”

“I don’t like the thought of you going to confront Keith, not that it’s going to stop you. You’re still going, aren’t you?”

It was a statement, not a question. Jenny knew her so well. “Yes, I have to.”

“Tell you what,” Jenny said. “Swing by here and pick me up. We’ll approach Keith together.”

Brooke’s throat tightened. “You don’t have to do that.” She ran a hand under her nose to stall the tickle. “It’s over an hour to get there. It’ll be late as heck when I get back.”

“Seriously, do you think I’d miss you telling Keith off? Not a chance.”

Tears of gratitude wet Brooke’s lashes. Jenny had always been there for her.

“Where are you right now? I’ll meet you somewhere so you don’t have to backtrack.”

Brooke started the car and headed back in the direction she came. “Sit tight, I’m coming back to get you.”

A few minutes later Brooke pulled up to the curb in front of her house and Jenny climbed into the passenger seat.

“Took a swim, did you, girl?” Jenny patted the dog’s head, then pulled back. “Whew, she smells like chlorine, but she sure is chilled out for a dog that just went through all of that.”

Brooke sniffed Stitches’ fur and wrinkled her nose. “I think her puppy Valium is already kicking in.”

J
enny and Brooke pulled into the front lot at Walker’s Pub right at eight o’clock. Brooke cruised the lot once on the lookout for Keith, then parked at the end of a long line of cleaned-up vintage cars. Brooke got out of the car with Stitches against her hip.

“That didn’t take long.” Jenny slid out of the passenger seat and came around to the driver’s side of the car. She tugged on Brooke’s sleeve and nodded across the parking lot. “You won’t have to go hunting down Mr. Evil after all. Look who’s heading our way.”

Brooke handed Stitches off to Jenny, turned in Keith’s direction, and straightened to her full five-foot-four. Every muscle in her body tightened.

Keith gave Jenny a nod, but focused on Brooke. “Thought you said you’d never step foot on this lot again. Having second thoughts? Miss me?”

Jenny took a step back, and Brooke closed in on Keith. “I don’t miss you one bit. In fact, I can’t wait until the minute I’m finally free of you completely.”

“Aw, come on. Not even just a little?” He reached for her cheek. “All you ever do anymore is work and send out for pizza. Pining away for me, aren’t you?”

She smacked his arm, twisting out of his reach. “You’ve
got
to be kidding me.” She prayed the remark was a lucky guess, but her instincts told her he was still stalking her. There was no way she’d give him the satisfaction of letting him see he was scaring her right now.

“Then why are you here?”

She glanced over at Stitches. “You’ve gone too far this time. I know it was you.” She pointed her finger at him the way she knew drove him crazy. He didn’t flinch.

“What are you talking about?” Keith looked innocent, but she wasn’t buying the act. She’d fallen for that look one too many times.

“Thank god, Stitches survived. You could have killed her tonight.”

He snickered. “Little mutt looks fine to me.” Then he leaned in and whispered in Brooke’s ear. “You’re looking pretty fine too. You’re hot when you’re mad.”

She shoved him. “Shut up. I know you did it!” Her hands balled into fists.

“Did what?”

Her stomach wrenched. “You smug bastard.” She wanted to scratch the smirk right off his face. “You stay away from me, and everything I own. You hear me?”

“You sure are stressed out. Maybe you should go take a soak in that hot tub of yours.”

Her eyes went wide.

“I could play lifeguard and make sure nothing happens to you,” Keith said.

Her stomach turned at the thought. “How did I ever think you were charming?” She raised her hand to hit him, but he caught her arm.

A good foot taller than her, he outweighed her by an easy hundred pounds. “Stop it. You’re making a scene. I don’t know what you think I did this time, but I haven’t done anything to piss you off. And if we’re talking about tonight…I’ve been here for hours.”

“I don’t believe you. I’m warning you—you’d better leave us alone.”

“Technically we
are
still married. We could be a little family again. You, me, and Stitches.”

She used to love his perfect smile. Now it just made her gag.

“That will never happen.” She glared his way while trying to steady her voice. “Sign the divorce papers. Or don’t sign them. I don’t even care at this point, but I promise you this. We will never be together again. So deal with it.”

“That’s not what I want.” He leaned in closer, whispering, “I always get what I want.”

“Aaaaagh.” She swung her purse with all her might, but at the last moment he jumped out of the way and the full weight of her purse slammed against the side of her car, cracking the fiberglass.

The collective sucking of air hung around them.

“Oh. My. God.” Jenny scrambled closer.

“Daggone it!” Brooke dropped her handbag to the pavement and ran her fingers across the splintered damage. She spun in Keith’s direction and shook her finger in his face. “I wish I’d never met you. You ruin everything. Every single thing you touch.”

Keith laughed. “You’re nuts.”

“If I am it’s because you made me that way. Stay away from me. I mean it.” Brooke stepped closer to Keith. “Leave me
alone
. Leave Stitches
alone
. Leave my house
alone
. It’s over.”

Brooke turned and ran her fingers across the splintered fiberglass. She loved this car. She’d rolled the odometer past the nines long ago, but it still looked new. She bent down next to the car, as Keith backed away.

Jenny moved in and squatted next to Brooke. “He’s gone, honey.”

“I was such a fool to ever get involved with that man.” Brooke pushed her bangs back and shook her head. She took Stitches from Jenny and hugged the dog close. A tear of frustration slid down her cheek.

“Don’t feel bad. He had us all fooled. For a while anyway.” Jenny put a hand on her friend’s back. “Please get a restraining order against him. I’ll go with you. He has to be stalking you. That pizza comment just proves it. How else would he know that?”

“Because I just about live on pizza?”

“True, but he threatened you, didn’t he?”

“I can’t believe I ever loved that man. I’m an idiot.”

“Stop it. You are not. He was a perfect charmer when you met him. We all thought so. Those good looks were deceiving,” Jenny continued. “Up until now the incidents haven’t been a big deal, but this thing with Stitches is a whole new level, and creepy to boot. I think Keith is really losing it, and that could make him dangerous.”

She’d made excuses for him long enough. Jenny was right. It was creepy. She stroked the little life in her arms that was hers to protect. “Tomorrow. I’ll take care of it tomorrow. Right now, I just want to go home.” Suddenly worn out from the events, Brooke opened the car door.

“Have Keith arrested. I’ll tell the cops I heard him threaten you. Whatever you want. Please? If it won’t make you feel better, do it for me. It’ll make
me
feel great.”