Page 59 of Loving Justice

“Pok?” She had no clue who Pok was. “I’m going to call for help.” She started to move but he held her head in a tight grasp.

“I’m sorry. I wanted to make everything right.” He closed his eyes.

Frantic, Justice searched for the phone and quickly called for help.

Chapter Nineteen

“You like whiskey, Jinx?” Billy asked.

“I’ve been known to partake,” he said.

“Join me for a drink. I bet you don’t miss this old place.”

They sat outside the bunkhouse, listening to the men chatting from inside. “Not at all.”

Billy craned his neck to try and peek inside the open doorway. “Keep it down in there.”

Keifer Abbott, Keller’s brother, the newest hand, came out and greeted Jinx with a firm handshake. “Good to see you, Jinx.”

“It's good to see you, too.” Jinx liked the young man. He had a good head on his shoulders and a strong work ethic.

Billy poured two shot glasses full of amber liquid. “Want one too, Keifer?”

“Nah, I steer clear of the stuff.” He propped himself against the rail around the porch.

“That’s what you say now.” Billy laughed.

Jinx swallowed the whiskey and squinted. “You need to stop buying that cheap whiskey.”

“Now that you’re a Rose, talk to the boss about pay increases,” Billy snorted.

“I’m not a Rose,” Jinx corrected.

“You agree, kid?” Billy looked to Keifer for support.

“Don’t get me in the middle of this. I just started and want to keep my job.” Keifer hurried back inside.

“You didn’t want to speak to me about pay raises, did you?” Jinx sure the hell hoped not.

“I wanted to speak to you about something that deserves a bit of confidentiality,” he said in a lowered voice.

“Okay.”

With a quick glance over his shoulder, Billy eased in so he could talk privately. “I’m not a snoop. I just want to make that crystal clear.” He poured himself another shot glass. “But there’s been a couple of rumors circulating among the crew. Now I can’t say I haven’t talked a time or two and spread the mustard seed, but I have a sense of loyalty to you. When I first got here, you were good to me and looked out for me, and I figured it’s only fair that I do the same for you.”

“I appreciate that.” Jinx stretched his legs and hooked his ankles. There was a dull ache in his wounded leg.

There was always chatter going around at the bunkhouse. Some of the cowboys were worse than a tabloid magazine.

“The rumors are about you and that Betty Crocker lady, Lanah.” His words were slurred. He’d had a few drinks before Jinx got there. “Look, I know you. And you’re a married man now. But you need to be aware it was Fletcher who spun that rumor. Sure as the nose on the center of my face, he sat right there,” Billy flicked a thumb toward the house, “and told a couple of fellows that you and that Lanah chick is having a baby. Now, I ain’t believing that cockamamie bullshit. But that’s not the crest of the mountain. At the Autumn Festival, I saw her and Fletcher together, and they seemed about as snug as a bug in a rug.”

Jinx thought over the revelation. Before he could put the pieces together, a gunshot rang out through the night.

Both he and Billy jumped in alarm.

“What the hell was that?” Billy craned his neck trying to ascertain where the shot came from.

“It sounded like it came from the lake.” Jinx jumped up. “Grab a couple of the men and meet me there.”