Chapter Eight

“This right here is some bullshit!” Hamilton snapped as he thwacked a newspaper on Ashleigh’s desk.

“People still read the paper versions of these?” she asked as she picked it up. “Or are you just getting caught up on news from the eighties.”

“It might as well be the eighteen eighties with the way the press is portraying the Long family. A set of avengers keeping the streets safe from marauding thugs.” He glared at her as if she’d written the article.

She knew about it, but it wasn’t like she could have stopped it from being published.

“We need a change of venue.”

“To where? New York? This is New Mexico, we may have our granola, hippie loving new age population, but we’re in the Southwest. Vigilante justice by men who’ve never been anything but upstanding citizens is an uphill battle.”

“Terrorism laws being what they are, I don’t see how this can be,” he grumbled.

“They had licensed handguns that were checked in and out at the courthouse. Heck, they were all revolvers, not semi-automatics or glocks. It’s a shitty case and unfortunately for you, I can’t see a way the Longs are going to plead out.”

“When is Harper coming to work? Seriously, this is ridiculous. Acting like she no longer has any responsibilities to this office.”

“She’s in court closing out a few cases.”

“Oh, well, still.”

“Hamilton, what would you like from me?”

“I need dirt on the Longs. There’s no way this family hasn’t crossed the law a dozen times.”

“Why is that?” Ashleigh questioned as she tried to tamp down a growl. His reasoning was obvious. Degrees, achievements and family values aside, in Hamilton’s eyes, the Longs were a bunch of black guys carrying weapons.

He stumbled over himself to back pedal but it was too late, the dye was cast. His true colors bled from him and nothing he could say would make his choices better. “I don’t know why Harper would taint herself with their thug like family.”

“Here’s the history I’ve dug up so far. Henry Long earned a degree in agricultural sciences and a bride Loretta from an HBCU in Arkansas. Clevon Long chose to go to Georgia for college where he got a business degree. Now, Miles Long is the most dangerous because not only can he read, he can interpret things because his major in college was English Literature. He only pursued it until he completed his doctorate though.”

“But instead of writing the great American novel, he’s out shooting up the streets of Las Cruces.”

“That your opening statement?”

“He’s either the luckiest shot in the world or he knows how to shoot from years of doing it.”

“They do have forty thousand acres to hide bodies.” Ashleigh picked up her phone. “You want me to call out the body sniffing dogs? I’m sure there are at least a hundred buried on their land.”

“I was talking to Dylan, Harper’s ex, about them the other day.”

Ashleigh put the phone receiver down and closed her eyes as she counted backward from ten. “An unbiased opinion, I’m sure.”

“Her new husband—” Harper entered the office and Hamilton straightened up to give her a curt nod. “Hey Harper, did you get those cases all finished up?”

Harper stopped at Ashleigh’s cube and rested her arm on the top of the faux wall. “Two down, three to go and then I’m out of your hair for good.”

“Good? What are you talking about?”

“Oh, right, there really isn’t anyone around to take my resignation since I’m the first assistant ADA and the DA is currently in jail. Although, I did hear Winnie Lasiture, you do know the Chief Executive Officer of the state? Ours, not Arizona’s, is going to appoint a new interim DA. She asked me, but I told her I would be resigning my post.”

“Why wouldn’t she just look in the office for a replacement?”

“Lack of faith I guess. Plus, we don’t know how deep this conspiracy goes. You’re pursuing the Longs pretty hard, but I’m too close to the situation to see clearly I’m sure. Art Connelly was funded by Federated Gas and the victims in the case worked directly for them, but that’s just me sussing things out.”

Hamilton’s jaw twitched as his eyes cut down to Ashleigh who gave him back his newspaper. With a grumble, he headed back to his office.

“Now he’s going to be thinking for two hours,” Ashleigh fussed. “Bet you twenty bucks, he’ll be calling me in there soon to help him sort out his latest problem.”

“What was with the paper?”

“That article got his dander up, nothing much.” Ashleigh had to bite her tongue at his request. How could she dig up dirt on a family she was falling in love with? No wonder Harper married Monty. She went from being practically alone to being part of a family with no filter when it came to doling out affection. Nessa went from being cradled by one family member to another. Walt Jr. said his goodbyes alone then came out with the stoic face of a seasoned rancher. Eight years old, steel jawed, he went back into the house and stayed in his room the whole day. People brought him food and comfort.

Miles stayed with Sierra and her until they had to leave. They had trucked off cattle and put down animals before, but Gideon had been the family’s rock for three decades. She couldn’t imagine losing a friend like that.

“How is everyone this morning?”

“I didn’t check in on Walt’s family, but all in my house are still quiet. It’s been too much too quick. We need a break from the negative and I have too many months before I pop.”

“How long until your house is done?”

“I have a feeling it’ll be soon. The guys need the distraction of building and Henry is trying to stress that we need our house before Mel and Sunny because they’re not married yet.”

“Daddy doesn’t want to let his little girl go?”

“Nope. He has his good and bad days with it, but at least she’s still at home.”

“Did you see Miles this morning?”

“Ate breakfast with him before he headed out to help Monty with the house.” A wide grin crossed her lips. “Why? Do you like him?”

“He was nice to Sierra and she’ll want to know he’s okay.”

“Does she know about the case?”

“No, she still thinks he’s a good guy with a white cowboy hat.”

“And you?”

“And I’m tasked with proving he’s a delinquent and a thug, strong arming and taking what he wants.” Ashleigh kept her eyes down as she rattled off again, telling things she shouldn’t.

“The only strong arming that man has ever done was with you,” Harper snapped before calming herself back down. “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to being on the opposite side of you. Even when you’re playing defense attorney, you’re on my side.”

“Why did that sound sexual? Playing defense attorney. Like you play the cop and I’m the bad prostitute who needs to be taught a lesson.”

“Because you should have slept with my brother-in-law.”

“No I shouldn’t have.”

“I bet you’ve thought more about sex in the last forty eight hours than you ever have reading that book in your bottom drawer.”

Ashleigh’s face heated up and she rolled her chair to block her file drawers. “I’m reading Mien Kampf. Nothing in there is dirty.”

“Sure you are.” Harper arched an eyebrow at Ashleigh. “I’m going to say it’s a vampire shifter—”

“Those don’t exist,” she protested. “If you’re a vampire that’s all you are. Shifters are different.”

“Uh-huh… so tell me Ash, who’s chest is heaving in that desk drawer?”

“You told Miles about my naughty books, didn’t you?”

“No.” Harper laughed. “Miles figured that one out on his own.”

“Ashleigh,” Hamilton barked from his office door and she popped up from her seat. “Has the court set a date on the Long trial?”

“Not yet,” she replied. “I can call the clerk’s office if you need me to.”

“Come to my office I need you to file a continuance.” With a slam, his door shut.

Ashleigh’s eyebrows knitted together and she turned to her friend. “How am I supposed to file a continuance for a case that hasn’t been set?”

“Hamilton, opened a law book,” Harper teased with a wave of her hand. “Oh, my goodness. You’re so in trouble. What comes after continuance in the law dictionary?”

“How long is the commute from your house to here?” Ashleigh asked thinking a new job might be a good thing.

“Ashleigh, now,” Hamilton’s raised voice echoed through the office.

“Oh yeah, this shit’s gonna stop now.”

* * * *

“Are you sure we aren’t too far on the ranch for you?” Monty asked as they pulled up to the slab that was starting to take form. Strange how none of the guys studied architecture and their carpentry had been learned on the job. Monty said he’d hire out for plumbing since they had to dig and lay pipe in the rocky ground. The electrical was still up in the air.

“I hear tell you’re about to get a matching anklet,” Uncle Clevon said as he approached from his truck. “We’ll be like the three musketeers.”

“But there are four of us,” Monty said.

“He’s your brother, I’ll let you explain,” his uncle said as he tightened his tool belt. Such a strange look they all wore today. Even his cousin, Clay was donning a baseball cap instead of the traditional cowboy hat to protect from the sun beating down on them.

Three hours later, the frame was in place and they broke for lunch. As Miles sat in between a set of two by fours that if they stayed late would soon have a wall attached, he looked at the great expanse. The tattered copy of Wings of the Dove resting in his hand as his thumb kept it open. His mother had made them all meatloaf sandwiches before they left that morning and his was balancing on his knee.

“Water?” his brother asked as he passed him a cold one from the cooler, they had on site.

“This is a great view,” Miles mused and set his book aside.

“That’s why the big window is there. I know Harp’s gonna love it. I might not even put in a TV and just have the couch right there.”

“Where does DEC want to put the solar field?” Miles tried to remember the diagrams and maps that were at the back of the proposal. “This is a perfect spot. I swear I can’t wait until we get your roof up and I can get some shade. Any chance you want a tree or something?”

“Not until we get safe water trucked out here and we know the soil damage. Although, Harper did say something about getting a few raised planting beds in for veggies. I think she’s spent too much time with Tina.”

“Eating her food maybe.” Miles drank his bottle of water in three large gulps.

“She’s pregnant.”

“And it’s starting to show.” Miles put his hands up in surrender. “That’s not a bad thing. Thickness and all.”

Sunny came over and sat by the two men, pulling out another batch of water bottles. “How come when I need help building, ya’ll too damn busy?”

“Have you gotten any new building materials?” Monty asked. “And I helped.”

“Fine, but I’m gonna really need your help soon,” Sunny said and sat on the ground in front of them. With his knees bent, he peered up at the two brothers. “Mel wants to move up the wedding date. We need something positive and it’ll be a bit before Harper pops.”

“I don’t know a rushed wedding…” Monty shook his head.

“Rushed? All we’ve been doing since JT’s wedding is planning ours. Mel has had her wedding dress for two months now.”

“When are you thinking?” Monty asked for the both of them.

“Memorial Day weekend? That gives people an extra day for travel.”

“Who’s traveling?”

“Besides JT?” Sunny asked and cracked another bottle of water open. “Rodeo friends, Mel’s from college. We do know people besides the ones sitting here today. According to the guide your mother gave us, we’re right at the appropriate window to invite people to our wedding.”

“Staying on mama’s good side,” Miles chuckled. “Yeah, you mail those invites off two days too late and she’ll be pitching a fit. This one knows that by now.” He hitched his thumb to Monty.

“We were appropriate for an elopement.”

“I know and it’s only been a few days since the wedding…” Sunny shook his head. “I asked her to marry me at JT’s, jeez you guys must think I’m a damn leech on your happiness.”

“Nah, we kinda sprung the whole man and wife thing on the ranch.” Monty stole half of Miles’ sandwich with a wink. “It’s all good. The weddings have kept the shit from creeping into too far.”

“Hey, guys,” Walt said as he approached them. “We just got a message from your mom, MeMaw is set to be released. She’s gonna need dad and I to help get her in the house. We’re heading out now, then I’m going to talk to the bank about Mel and Doc Carlisle’s practice.”

“When are we talking to DEC again?” Miles asked.

“Two days. The man is coming out for our decision. They have a bank in Dallas they work with who understands the market and we can use for a loan if we go that way. Tomorrow is the final vote. We get this settled by then and both you and Sunny will have free electrical by the time you get in your houses.”

“I don’t know about Sunny,” Miles said and the whole group let out a little laugh. “My dad doesn’t have a nail gun right now, does he?”

By the time Miles and Monty came through the door of their house, they were fighting over who got the shower first.

Miles was looking forward to being the only kid in the house soon. Monty and Melody couldn’t leave fast enough right now. “My point is I was working, free of charge, for well past the legal limit by any work standard, for you today.” Miles kept his arm blocking the bathroom.

“But I have a new wife waiting for me to not smell like shit and ass, so I might get a conjugal visit. Trust me, soon enough you’ll be wanting those conjugals.”

“Harper passed out about two hours ago,” their mother called out from the kitchen. “And I have dinner. Monty, let Miles go first because he was helping you.”

Miles stepped in the moment the spray was on, he needed the cool to drop his temperature before he even thought about heat. Slowly, the water heated up and as if it knew the point when Miles needed a deep penetrating massage to his sore muscles. When he lathered himself up and scrubbed down his leg, he remembered he wasn’t really a free man. Crazy, how all day long, he didn’t think about the trial. Monty’s one comment was all he got as a reminder. Maybe building Monty and Sunny’s houses was just what he needed to get him through. He knew Sunny would be doing all the intricate detailing on the cabinets and building shelving units. Even with all that was going on, Sunny had been able to get a few jobs locally and began branching out to El Paso and Las Cruces, thanks to his website. All this time, he’d used a novel to tune out the real world. Maybe he needed manual labor for a little bit.

After his shower, he got a shoulder nudge as he passed his brother and found his way into the kitchen.

His mother looked as exhausted as he felt. She’d been practically living at the hospital since the incident. A big bowl of chili was set out for him with all the fixings and cornbread.

“Mama head to bed.”

“Not until all my babies are tucked in. I only have a few months before I’m going to be all alone here. Let me treasure them.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Miles scooped a big bite of chili into his mouth.

“That’s not what I hear.”

Swallowing the beans and meat, he turned his head down. “I was defending my family. Mr. Whitmore—”

“It’s not jail I’ve been hearing about.”

Miles glanced at the bathroom. “Why else would I move?”

“A certain blonde?”

“Sunny? Not really my type,” Miles deflected. “Plus, I wouldn’t ever steal a man from my sister.”

His mother’s fingers drummed on her arms after she crossed them. “That woman is trying to put you away for life. What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking she makes me happy in more than one way. It doesn’t matter anyway, there are bad boys, then there are the ones that are set for a long jail sentence. She already has herself locked into one with her sister.”

“What’s wrong with her sister again?”

“Nothing really, she has Down’s syndrome, that’s all. I didn’t say I thought she had a sentence, she does, she sees her sister as a responsibility instead of as her sister. That would be like me seeing Monty as the burden he is. Silly really.”

“She has challenges doesn’t she?”

“So does Monty,” Miles reasoned. “And Mel, and everyone. Sure, she has a handful more, but Sierra is capable of more than Ashleigh lets her be. I saw it all the time when I was in college.”

“I forgot you worked with special needs kids. Have you ever thought of doing that around here?”

“In Tender Root? I don’t think there are any. Most move to bigger cities where they have resources.”

“You should check at the school. I bet they’d love to have an English teacher with a PhD and training with special needs kids.”

“Don’t forget the ankle bracelet. I bet that will be the selling point. I can’t reach the youth with my hard living lifestyle and how I crawled from the bottom to get where I needed to be in life.”

“When the trial is over and those damn things are gone.”

“I love your optimism mama, but this town doesn’t forget.”

“No,” she said as she pulled out the local newspaper and pointed to an article. “They don’t forget, but they know you.”

Miles scanned the article and saw glowing comments about him and his family. How they should be getting medals not charges. The family had tried to keep people employed even when the ranch was hemorrhaging from the illegal fracking done by Federated Gas. He knew an article had been published in the bigger papers, but this one made him happy. The Longs built Tender Root. The first saloon, the Hard Root, was the only thing that had survived over the generations. Both had been through changes, but they were the centers of the town. His family helped build the first permanent school house, funded the incorporation paperwork and even helped elect multiple officials that wouldn’t have had a chance anywhere else in the world. Tender Root was his home and the quotes in the paper proved something they rarely saw, the connection they’d made with the people in the town.

“I do like the blonde, and if I get through this—”

“When. Long’s don’t say if. They say when.”

“When I get through this I want to prove to Ashleigh her sister isn’t a burden. She’s a blessing. More importantly, I want to share that blessing with her and lessen any burden she feels.

* * * *

Ashleigh needed an escape from the crap load of shit Hamilton had dropped on her that day. Getting her book from the top drawer of her nightstand, she glanced at the innocent cover and dropped her head back. Sure, the cover said it was a romance and the title called her out on her interest in a little bit spicier read. It wasn’t like she actually wanted a Dom, but it got her through the long breaks in her sex life. Why should she be ashamed of reading a Jenna Jacob book? Romance, love, trust, protection…

The word made Miles pop into her mind. Today, she’d been stuck reviewing courthouse and street cameras. All to prove Miles and his family should have stayed put. She’d seen his instant reaction to block the bystanders and his family. His personal safety didn’t seem of importance. A woman he’d shoved to the ground as he rounded the corner said she looked up and saw the bullet that would have hit her in her chest. Hamilton tried to get her to testify to the frantic nature and out of control behavior of Miles.

“If he wouldn’t have been there, you would be tracking down those men for my murder. Put me on the stand and I promise you, you’re going to wish you hadn’t. I hope you aren’t planning to run for District Attorney because you won’t have my family’s support. Why is this even in question? Right outside a courthouse and police, weren’t Johnny on the spot. I thank God every day for the Longs. In fact, why don’t you tell me who their attorney is, so we can help pay for the defense, he shouldn’t have to be mounting.”

She knew the next few months would be hard. Not only would she be helping Hamilton the douche, but there would be a new DA and Harper wouldn’t be there as a release valve. Flipping to her bookmarked page, she settled into a read that didn’t involve legal precedence the word terrorism or vigilante. Well… vigilante might show up, but not in the same way, they described Miles and his family. Their court date was set for mid-June. Still, she couldn’t see how they could get away from the Federated Gas tie in. Harper’s case was solid with criminal charges that could tie every member of the board to the conspiracy.

Although, Harper would be a prosecutor, the civil case would be drawn out forever. The initial payouts to the local farms didn’t have a settlement of future claims clause. Both she and Harper had made sure of that. This was the problem with walking a line. Pulling out her phone, she sent a text to her best friend that cut her deeper than she ever could imagine.

Harp, until this is done I can’t speak to you. The job sounds amazing, but I’m scared of change. No matter how good it looks right now, I can’t. I’ll always be on your side, but I have to protect what I’ve earned.

After sending the message, she turned off her phone and put the book back in the nightstand. Tonight, she knew she was giving up opportunities and a future because she was afraid. Afraid of failing at a job she’d mastered at her current place of employment. Afraid of taking a chance on a man who may be locked away for the rest of his life. Not because she couldn’t love him, but she feared she might never find another.

In the morning, her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and being tired. There wasn’t enough concealer in her makeup kit to hide the bags under her eyes. As she stared at herself in the mirror, trying to find the woman who’d woken up refreshed and had a flash of what should have been a crushing blow not be.

“Morning Ash,” her sister greeted her at the door with a bowl of cereal in her hands. The balancing act of holding it in one hand and scooping out the little Os from the milk had Ashleigh holding her breath, then marveling at her sister’s control. Sierra was capable of so much more than Ashleigh could ever appreciate. “Morning Sierra, you didn’t put too much sugar on top of your cereal today, have you?”

“I don’t think so.” Her sister eyed her waiting for the inevitable taking of the cereal bowl. “But then again, I’m retarded and don’t know better.”

Another challenge. The sisters stared each other down.

Ashleigh never allowed anyone to call her sister a retard. Even fighting her mother over the moniker a time or two. Sierra pulled the word out when she needed to get her point across about something. Ashleigh crossed her arms and tapped her right foot. “My sister is smart enough to know what’s right and what’s wrong. The only retards I see are the dumbasses that think she can’t do something.”

“Then I guess you’re a retard.” Her sister giggled as a little bit of milk spilled from the side of her bowl.

“Guess I am,” Ashleigh conceded and returned to doing her makeup.

“I can keep eating the cereal then?”

“Yep, but you better clean up that milk you spilled.” Ashleigh used the reflection of the mirror to give her sister a wink. “That’s what I do when I spill and we’re practically twins.”

“Gideon was in my dream last night.”

“He came all the way from Heaven to hang out with you?”

“Yep, we rode all over the ranch.” Her sister sipped the milk from the bowl and must have hit a large chunk of sugar because she shivered a bit. “It was beautiful. He showed me everything. Can we go back to the Long Ranch, Ash?”

Taking a sharp inhale of breath Ashleigh steadied herself. “Maybe, you know Harper’s having a baby at the end of summer.”

“That’s a long time away.”

“I know, but right now, there are lots of things going on there.”

“Is everything dying there? Is that why we can’t go?”

“There are other reasons.”

“What?” her sister insisted.

“Nothing you should be worried about.”

“Because I’m a retard,” she spat.

“Sierra, I’m not in the mood to play games with you. You know very well, I can’t talk to you about work.”

“That’s because you deal with bad men. What does that have to do with the Longs? They’re good people. That’s why Gideon liked them, just like he liked me.”

“Some people think they aren’t.”

“Do you?”

“No, but…Sierra you know my job is complicated.”

“I could work there, you said so,” she bemoaned. “I can file and I know my alphabet well enough.”

They had been watching a TV show once and Ashleigh had fallen asleep during it. She woke to Sierra crying out and jumping up and down. A rerun of L.A. Law had come on after the show. “Ash that’s like where you work right? I could work with you.” Benny had been her hero for the next few weeks. Ashleigh lied and told her sister there wasn’t currently a job open, but as soon as one came up, she would help her apply. They had some clerk positions come up, but she was too embarrassed to have her sister working with her. Now there was no need to hide her. What did she care what people thought about her sister? With the office in turmoil now, she had to protect her sister from the mess there. “We’ll see what’s happening today. I’m getting a new boss soon.”

“What about Harper?”

“She’s going to another job.”

“Why don’t you go with her?”