Ryker’s Justice Read online

  An aneurysm, the coroner had said, something there’d been no way to know existed or prevent. No one’s fault, he had said, but Jude never quite got past it. He lost his mama and learned that sometimes fate guts you with the same swift cut used to clean fish.

  “Jude?” Nicole said. Her voice broke into his thoughts and pulled him back. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” he said after a moment’s hesitation. “Mary made me think of Mama, that’s all.”

  After a slice of apple tart, and thank God it wasn’t peach, topped with real whipped cream, Jude watched Nicole help Mary clear the table. He watched Rick fire up a thick cigar and exhale a cloud of smoke, but refrained from commenting. It’s his place, his call, and his lungs, Jude thought, but he hated the noxious stench so he pushed back from the table. “I need to head out,” he said. “It’s been a long day and I’m beat.”

  No lie--fatigue dogged his brain and his body ached, but first he needed a few minutes with Nicole. He headed toward the kitchen and almost collided with her as she exited. “Hey,” he said. “I’m about to take off. Got a minute to walk me to the truck?”

  “Sure.” Nicole linked her arm through his.

  Neither said anything until they were outside. Jude turned toward her. “So what time should I pick you up tomorrow?”

  “Anytime will be fine. I guess it depends on whether you want the dumplings for lunch or supper.”

  “Supper,” he said, although he hadn’t given it much thought. On impulse, he added, “And since tomorrow’s Friday, I thought we’d go to the high school football game afterward. I hear my nephew’s playing and I wouldn’t mind watching. You like football?”

  She shrugged. “I guess. I’ve never been to a high school game before but I’ve watched a little on TV.”

  Jude laughed. He couldn’t imagine high school without the excitement of the Friday night lights, the pep assemblies, and the cheerleaders. “What kind of school did you go to?” he asked. “Or did you just lack school spirit?”

  Nicole shook her head. “I attended an all girls’ school so no football or coed activities,” she said. “I’d love to experience a football game. I’ll need some time to cook so why don’t you pick me up anytime after one tomorrow afternoon?”

  “I’ll be here around one, then.”

  “Okay, I’m looking forward to it.”

  A brief, awkward silence stretched between them. Jude hated to part but he needed to go and as far as he could tell, Nicole would linger if he did. Her eyes met his and he knew he needed a kiss before he left. One kiss, he thought, then I’ll go and maybe I’ll be able to sort out all this shit I’m feeling.

  He didn’t ask permission. Jude moved forward in a single, powerful stride and wrapped his arms around Nicole. When she glanced up, he bent to kiss her lips, his mouth hungry, yet gentle. He had intended to keep it casual, a light kiss between friends, but when she sighed, his desire ignited. As combustible as gasoline, as unpredictable as old dynamite, her lips set off a series of explosions that rocked his body and soul. Jude savored the kiss, as welcome as water when thirsty and as intoxicating as fine wine. He caught his breath with wonder and kissed until his need for air outweighed his desire. When he pulled back with his arms still around her, she smiled and leaned against him.

  “Wow,” Nicole said.

  Jude traced the outline of her lips with one finger. “Yeah, wow’s the word.”

  If he kissed her again, he’d have to stay or take her home with him. Unwilling and far from ready for such a step, he released her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  A smile lit her lips and put a sparkle in her eyes. “I’ll be looking forward to it. Good night, Jude.”

  There were so many things he’d like to say but didn’t. “Good night, honey.”

  Walking away required willpower. Once behind the wheel he gunned the old truck out of the parking lot and onto the blacktop with speed and drove home, his mind full and cock stiff.

  Chapter Four

  A steady rain awakened Jude, a habitually early riser, but he lingered in bed for another half hour to savor the sound. Until he’d returned home, Jude hadn’t enjoyed such a luxury. After coming back from the inn the night before, he had tossed out the seasoned flour and changed the water on the squirrel. He’d gone to sleep thinking about Nicole and wondering where their encounter might lead.

  From the first time he’d noticed her, she attracted and intrigued him. The time spent with her increased the attraction and he anticipated the day with a zeal he’d been missing for years. He replayed the kiss and the memory evoked his desire. Jude stroked his cock with a light hand, enough to titillate without jacking off, and shivered with pleasure. If things progressed between them, he would look forward to making love to Nicole, slow and sweet.

  He tossed back the covers and strode naked into the kitchen. Jude plugged in the coffeepot and showered while the brew perked. He drank two cups, then he scrambled two eggs in butter and settled down on the broad front porch with his laptop. His routine seldom varied. Jude checked the national and local news. He read three newspapers online and then his email. Because of the showers, he visited the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) page to get the current forecast. On a whim, he typed her name into the search bar and waited for results.

  Nicole McAdoo turned out to be uncommon enough so that he found her within minutes, especially after his search narrowed to the Memphis area. Jude learned McAdoo was her maiden name, not her married surname. He spent an hour tracking down her former husband’s name and when he found it, he learned far more than he had expected. Nicole’s marriage proved simple to confirm since her wedding to Simon Norris remained in the newspaper archives. She had been twenty-two and the bride beneath the elaborate veil lacked a smile. Jude frowned at the groom’s smirk and the possessive way he gripped Nicole’s arm. As owner of a large insurance agency, Norris made a good living but a little more digging revealed some ugly truths.

  Jude tapped the scarred porch table with one finger and shook his head. He scanned the articles more than once and sighed. His pretty little acquaintance had lost both parents in a house fire two years earlier, one her then-husband had set to claim the insurance money. Arson had been suspected before the ashes were cool, and Simon Norris had been arrested three days after the fire and taken into custody during the double funeral.

  Nicole filed for divorce within the month but Norris’ high-powered attorney blocked it to prevent her testimony. After Simon’s conviction, the divorce proceedings started and Nicole left town. Dozens of news articles about the crime, the trial, and the divorce splattered mud in six directions. No damn wonder she skedaddled to the Ozarks and hid out at the inn, Jude thought, and he understood why she’d begun using her maiden name before the divorce was final.

  All of this explains the pain and sadness in her eyes. He vowed to help her forget the ugliness and the loss. Jude decided not to mention that he knew about her past. She would probably tell him on her own timetable, and he could wait. Her ex resided in prison--a good thing because if Jude had easy access, he’d kill the bastard and consider it a public service.As he pondered creative methods to use, his cell phone vibrated in his hip pocket and he reached for it. Jude curled his lip when he identified his boss as the caller.

  “Ryker. What’s the status of your investigation?” Mark March asked without a greeting.

  “Slow as molasses in January,” Jude drawled, aware his colloquialisms drove the man wild. “I haven’t been able to track down the perpetrators or the illegal liquor operation, but I will.”

  “You’ve been on the case for months now. Are you sure you haven’t gone native?”

  Fair question. And the honest answer would be that he had, to some extent. But it wasn’t what March wanted to hear, so he spun his reply. “I haven’t,” he said. “At least no one has any idea why I’m here. They all believe I’m home because it’s where the heart is.”

  “That’s sentimental
bullshit.”

  In May he believed it without question. A few days ago he would’ve agreed, but now he wasn’t as certain. “Yeah well, it’s where the duty is,” he said. “I want justice to be served.”

  March laughed with approval. “That’s right, that’s right. Try to get something definitive, then, Ryker.”

  “Will do.”

  Jude resisted the urge to add “over and out” as he ended the call. He switched from daydreaming about ways to inflict pain on Nicole’s ex, to pondering how he could dig up the details on the moonshiners. Each lead he pursued led nowhere, yet he’d heard enough talk to know the operation existed. Puzzled, he had bided his time but with March riding his ass, he’d need to step up his investigation or he might be pulled off the case. Because of Nicole he wanted to stay.

  At ten minutes to one, he rolled his truck to a stop outside the inn. Before he could step down, Nicole came outside and headed in his direction. Jude leaned across the seat and opened the door. “Hello, Nicole.”

  God damn, she blushed a little. “Hi, Jude.”

  “I guess you’re ready to go.”

  She nodded. “Can we stop by a supermarket first? I need a few things and I figure you probably won’t have them on hand.”

  “Sure, that’s no problem.”

  He drove the few miles along the two-line highway into the next town and parked. She glanced at him with askance. “Aren’t you coming in with me?”

  “I can if you want,” he said. “But you need to understand first what it’ll mean.”

  Confusion clouded her pretty eyes. “What?”

  “People talk, honey, and their tongues seldom stop. If you go in, then it’s a woman, a stranger, just a gal doing some grocery shopping. No biggie, right? But if I go with you, it’s Jude Ryker and a woman buying groceries together. At the very least, everyone for twenty miles will decide we’re a couple and if they stretch it as far as they can, it’ll turn out we’re living together, married, or something. I don’t give a shit but I figured you might.”

  An odd expression flitted across her face, then vanished. “I don’t,” she told him. “Trust me, I’ve had worse said about me in the past. If you don’t mind, neither do I. So, will you come with?”

  “Yeah,” he said.

  “Besides,” she added, “I expect they’ll say we’re a couple anyway, after we go to your nephew’s football game tonight.”

  Damn, she had a point. “Well, yeah, probably so.”

  “And if I’m not mistaken, this is kind of a date so maybe we are. Or could be.”

  She’d nailed that too. He wanted to explore the possibility of a relationship but as far as he could tell, they had started one. “Okay, yeah. So let’s go.”

  Inside the small supermarket, they caught curious stares from the butcher, the produce manager, all of the cashiers, and the bread man delivering products. His now-retired high school math teacher nodded and grinned at them both as they passed the soup display. Jude offered a smile in return and hoped luck would hold out until they finished shopping. He didn’t want to make polite small talk but when they headed down the baking supply aisle, his Aunt Tillie lifted her blue-tinted head and shrieked. “Jude Ryker, as I live and breathe, is that you?”

  For one brief moment, he considered saying it wasn’t. Her eyes were bad, despite the glasses she’d always worn, and he could probably wing it. But she was his Mama’s sister and he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Yes, Auntie, it’s me.”

  “I thought so,” she said. She patted his arm and peered at him. “You look fine, boy.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What brings you to the grocery store today? I didn’t figure you did much cookin’.”

  “Oh, I burn water once in a while,” he told her. The joke failed to bring a laugh and he wondered why until he saw his aunt staring at Nicole with her myopic glare.

  “Who’s this pretty thing? Is it that Dawnie Williamson, used to be a cheerleader? The one you used to think hung the moon and stars.”

  Beside him, Nicole snorted and stifled a giggle. Jude sighed. The former Dawnie Williamson was now a mother of four and last he’d heard, a grandmother too at the age of thirty-six. “No, Aunt Tillie, it’s not Dawnie. This is a friend of mine, Nicole McAdoo.”

  Tillie’s lips curved into a smile. “Oh,” she said. “Oh, my. Well, I’m pleased to meet you, miss. Are you from around here? I don’t recognize the name.”

  “No, ma’am,” Nicole answered. Before she could jump into the dangerous rapids a conversation with Aunt Tillie could hold, Jude provided the rest of the reply. “She’s over at the inn with Rick and Mary,” he said. “She’s a Tennessee girl.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.” His aunt cackled with laughter. “It’s about time you got busy courtin’, Judie.”

  The old nickname rankled. His mama had used it when he was still in diapers, no one else since. “Uh-huh. Well, I don’t want to keep you from your shopping, Auntie, so we’ll move on ahead…”

  “Oh, I’m in no hurry,” Tillie said and fastened her old gnarled fingers around his arm in a grip a python would envy. “I’ve got lots of time.”

  With a sinking sensation, Jude knew she did. She probably haunted the supermarket and whiled away the hours gossiping and talking with people she knew. They might be stuck for hours unless he decided to be rude. He almost had after twenty more minutes during which Tillie described her nightly struggle to sleep and dished her neighbors, when finally salvation arrived.

  Jude didn’t even glance up when the shopping cart rattled to a stop beside them but he stepped out of the way, certain he must be blocking the cake mix or powdered sugar.

  “Unca Jude!” a young voice proclaimed. “Want kisses!”

  He whirled around to see his three-year-old niece. Nora shot him her gap-toothed grin and he lifted her out of the cart. “Hi, babe,” he said. Then he kissed the back of her neck while she giggled.

  “Hello, Jude,” Tania, his brother Elijah’s wife, said. Nora had been their mid-life surprise, a last child after the other three were all but grown-up. “Hi, Aunt Tillie.”

  “Howdy to you, Tania, and to this little munchkin, too. Isn’t she adorable?” Tillie loved kids above all else, the younger the better. “She sure has taken to you, Jude.”

  The kid had and he didn’t know why. Nora tugged his heartstrings, too. All Jude had done was play with her when he visited Elijah’s bunch. She liked his silly faces, his animal noises, and the funny voices he’d had a knack for since childhood. The other kids were all grown or almost grown, and he’d never been home enough to play with them the way he did Nora. Jude wasn’t sure who enjoyed it most, the little gal or him. Nora evoked a yearning he never thought he would have, the desire for his own children. Someday. Maybe.

  “She has,” Tania said. “Here, let Nora go see Auntie.”

  Although she didn’t ask, Jude noticed the curious way she glanced at Nicole. He handed the baby over as directed. Before questions began, he said, “Tania, meet Nicole. Nicole, this is my sister-in-law, Tania Ryker, my brother Elijah’s wife.”

  Tania kept up with gossip or moved in different circles than Aunt Tillie. “Hi,” she said. “You’re staying at Cockrell’s, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, that’s me.”

  Her voice stretched out, thin and uncomfortable. Jude salvaged the situation before it deteriorated further. He draped one arm across Nicole’s shoulders. “We need to go,” he said. “But tell Elijah we’ll be at the game tonight. I’m looking forward to watching David play ball.”

  A smile lit Tania’s face. “He’ll be thrilled…David, I mean. ‘Lijah, too. Sure, Jude, we’ll see you there.”

  Ten minutes later, after a long wait at the checkout, he stowed their purchases in the bed of the truck. Nicole climbed into the seat, and when he joined her she burst into laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “You warned me. I thought you were over exaggerating but apparently not.”


  “Nope, but I’m glad you see the humor in it. I was afraid you’d be upset.”

  Nicole screwed up her features somewhere between a grin and a grimace. “I might’ve but I didn’t see any point to throwing a fit,” she said. “I guess you’re stuck with me now, huh?”

  His dick stiffened and his heart jumped several beats. Jude liked the idea, more than he should. “There’s worse things,” he said with effort. “Come on, let’s go home.”

  Halfway there, he realized what he’d said and how it must have sounded, but it was too late to change it. As he drove slowly down the rutted, narrow drive, Jude tried to imagine how it might appear to her eyes. Memphis raised, with limited country experience in the flat Delta, the rugged Ozark forest had to seem alien to Nicole, he thought. Despite the view she’d had from her window at the inn, up close and personal, everything around him screamed wild. The tall trees, some so broad-based they had to be a century old, were covered with wild grapevine in many places. In the shadiest spots, ferns grew, more lush than anything at a florist shop. Wildflowers blossomed in the sunny spaces, purple coneflowers and brown-eyed Susans beside Queen Anne’s lace, and vivid Indian paintbrush added color to the greens.

  On the last bit of the lane, the trees arched overhead, with their branches touching to create a tunnel effect. Depending on mood and point of view, it could be beautiful or scary. He rolled down his window to let in the fresh scent of the woods and snuck a glance at her face. Jude almost hoped she’d be frowning, so he could begin writing her off as another city girl who couldn’t take his country heat.

  Nicole’s rapt expression cancelled the possibility. Her eyes sparkled as she turned from side to side, admiring the scenery. He liked the color in her cheeks and the delightful smile playing across her lips. “This is so beautiful,” she told him. “It’s like something out of a fairy tale.”