Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Fuck, he was a good man. Fuck, I loved him.
“You didn’t tell him.” The words came out like an accusation. “You didn’t say anything about Tavo to the sheriff.”
Judd cupped my cheek and ran his thumb along the skin there. “Of course not. I figure you can call and talk to Tavo in the morning, let him know what’s happening, and ask your family to help you find an attorney to protect his interests and identity. The sheriff’s going to want him to make a statement, if his lawyer agrees, baby.” He took a deep breath and added, “And I think that would be a good idea if he wants this judge to stop coming after him. But that’s his call.”
Warmth and love swamped me. “You’re willing to protect Tavo, even if it means causing the sheriff a harder time with his case?”
“Family comes first, Alex,” Judd said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “My friend DrunkenPoet told me that.”
I remembered a night when I’d messaged him about spending hours working alongside family, to haul in the harvest a few days early due to an unexpected frost. I’d missed a concert, and I was pretty sure my sisters had both canceled dates to stay and help, but even at the time, I’d recognized there was something wonderful about being part of a team.
It had been part of my explanation about how deciding to leave the family fold wasn’t an easy one. I loved my family. They were everything.
But I loved the man in front of me every bit as much.
“I love you,” I sighed, pushing myself against him. “Thank you.”
Judd lowered his head so his cold nose rubbed against mine. “Always, Alex. Now, how about I check in with the crew to make sure everything’s under control. Then we can head back to my house, and—”
“Yes,” I said quickly.
His eyebrow rose. “Just like that? You’re supposed to hear the whole offer before you—”
“Yes,” I repeated.
Judd laughed out loud. “I might have been saying ‘Let’s head back to my house and read some fire code manuals,’ you know.”
“And I’d be okay with that.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my fingers in his hair. “I have this strange new kink where I find fire codes sexy,” I confessed. After a brief kiss to his lips, I added, “Or maybe it’s just that I’m wildly in love with this grumpy fire chief who likes to ignore them.”
He pushed me into the back seat of his truck and kissed me so hard my lips tingled. “What are you going to do when your fire chief isn’t so grumpy anymore, Firebug?” he demanded against my lips.
My words were a whisper against his skin. A promise. “I’ll keep finding new ways to light your fire.”
The following morning, after we’d showered and managed a little sleep, we met up with Tavo and my uncles Joel and Pete. While Joel owned a security firm that also did investigations, Pete—Tommy’s father—was an attorney in the Bay Area. He was fired up to protect Tavo’s best interests, no matter what happened next.
It took a couple of hours to work through everything, but since Steve Whatshisname, the man in custody, was cooperating fully, it looked like there was plenty of evidence of Judge Miller’s involvement. The judge had told Steve flat out—via text, no less—that he wanted Tavo “retrieved” for him. Steve produced evidence showing the money trail, too. From what Joel had provided, it seemed clear that there were witnesses at Pinch who could provide corroborating testimony about the judge’s inquiries into Tavo’s whereabouts. And as of this morning, the soon-to-be ex-judge was the subject of an SFPD investigation.
“I can’t believe it’s over,” Tavo kept saying as we joined the rest of my family at the lodge for a late lunch. “Is it really over?”
Pete clapped his hand on Tavo’s shoulder. “Foster said he knows a judge in Wyoming who would process a name change for you and seal the records if you’d like. You know we’d be proud to make you a Marian.”
Everyone around the pair of long tables in the kitchen nodded and added their approval as Tavo looked around in shock. Then he burst into tears.
Tavo’s friend Drew rushed breathlessly into the room from the direction of the front door. “Tavo, I’m here! The car wouldn’t start, and I—”
Tavo crashed into him, tucking his face in Drew’s neck. Drew’s arms went around him as his eyes slid closed. “Sorry I wasn’t there, baby. I’m here now. It’s going to be okay.”
I blinked at the two of them. While I’d known they’d messed around and had been spending a lot of time together over the past several months, I hadn’t realized things had become serious.
Ella clutched her chest and made an aww face, and so did almost everyone else in the room.