Loving Justice (El Camino Real Book 2) Read online

The only bright spot in her world had been Justice, and now that was ruined. Her cell phone had rang twice. She hadn’t answered. Charlee had left her phone in her room. She didn’t bring it with her. Hampton Forbes was going to drive her to Lakota, South Dakota to meet her mother.

  And as far as she knew, she was never coming back.

  * * *

  Justice was going around in a daze. His head hurt so badly, he couldn’t see. He’d awoken three days ago in a cloud of agony. The drugs he had to take would mask the pain for a little while, but it always came roaring back. These bouts weren’t normal headaches that lasted an hour, they could plague him for days or weeks if it was a particularly bad episode.

  Damn, he’d drank too much after Abby’s surgery and everything after that had been a blur. Sipping a glass of water, he tried to read the instructions on the prescription bottle. This medicine made him as hazy as alcohol. God! He hated how weak this shit left him.

  And what the hell was up with Charlee? He’d never seen her act like that. Oh, they’d had childish spats before, but this was different. She’d said she never wanted to see him again. He’d called her several times, no answer. When he’d ran into her at the diner, he hadn’t been thinking straight. He’d been forced to meet Toby and Zelda to sign some stupid release form so she could use his name and photo in a magazine article being written about her. Zelda was some hotshot model in Dallas and apparently she and anyone from her past was ‘newsworthy.’

  This just wasn’t like Charlee. He knew they hadn’t really hung out in a while, but she was in college and he was working full time. They would always be friends. Yea, he knew she’d had a little crush on him once and he hadn’t wanted to hurt her. So, he’d given her some space. But that was behind them. Today, he just needed to talk—hell, he needed her.

  Charlee was still the one person he thought of when he needed someone. And the events of the past few days had taken their toll. He’d gone back to Austin and visited Abby. She was still adamant that none of the family except for him and his folks could know how badly she was burned. The idea of what she’d told him haunted Justice like nothing had in a long time. Men just shouldn’t know those type of things. All he could do was hold Abby while she cried, saying she was ruined. She thought where she was burned would keep her from marrying, having a husband or a lover. Justice said she was wrong. He knew if someone he loved was hurt, all he would want to do was help and love them. Because of all this female anguish, he needed Charlee. She always listened. She always made him feel better.

  So, where the hell was she?

  Determined to get to the bottom of things, Justice drove over to the clinic, thinking she might be sick and unable to talk on the phone. But when he’d pulled up in front of the white bungalow, what he’d seen astonished him. Charlee was not only in the car with another man, she was driving away with him! A man he didn’t know. Who was this ass? Was she going on a date? He met them, passed them slowly, and she never met his gaze—never once looked at him.

  In the other car, Hampton Forbes stole a glance at the woman sitting beside him. She was something else, a little scrapper. And cute too. “You sure you want to do this?”

  “Yes.” She nodded, then jerked her head up, eyes big. “She does want to see me, my mother, doesn’t she?”

  “Of course.” Hampton assured her. “I was working down through his files. Your case was coming up. I would have been at your doorsteps in a few weeks anyway.”

  “Were you the one who talked to her?” Charlee asked, uncertainty shading her voice.

  “Yes, I have her number.” He held his phone out. “Want to give her a call?”

  Her hand moved toward the phone at the same time her head was shaking ‘no.’ “I’m scared.”

  “The hard part is over, Miss Parker-Cortez.” He grinned at her. “She’s waiting for you and she’s your mom. She loves you. Just because she hasn’t seen you for years doesn’t change that. There are some things and some people you can count on. Here.”

  What Hampton said made Charlee’s stomach hurt. She felt divided. On one hand she was happy and grateful that she had this second chance with her mother. On the other hand, her heart ached because of Justice. Leaving Bronco was her, but right now Madison County wasn’t big enough for the both of them.

  Hampton waved the phone in front of her. He was smiling. Charlee guessed he would be considered good-looking. “Oh, all right.” She made a funny face at him. “Did she call me Cha’risa?”

  “No, they called you Charlee, the Parkers didn’t come up with that. Look in my contacts. Her name is there.”

  Charlee felt so odd when she saw the words ‘Dawn Cortez.’ With a deep breath, she pressed the touch screen. As he watched, she slowly raised the cell to her ear. In a few seconds she heard a voice, a voice that struck a chord deep in her heart.

  “Mom? This is Charlee.”

  * * *

  Life takes amazing twists and turns. In less than six weeks, Charlee’s life completely changed. Her mother was amazing. From the moment they met, it had been like coming home. Dawn Cortez had held out her arms, and Charlee had ran right into them. The small house where she lived on the reservation wasn’t fancy, but the moment Charlee walked through the door she felt warm. Dawn had done everything she could to make her feel welcome, and she found herself pouring her heart out to her mother about the Parkers and about Justice.

  “Why don’t you call him?” she asked with a gentle smile.

  Charlee set across from her at the dining table, picking at her food. Even though Dawn’s cooking was superb, lately she hadn’t had much of an appetite. Lifting her eyes, she met her mother’s gaze. In many ways it was like looking in a mirror. “I’ve thought about it.” She twisted her napkin. “I just don’t know what to say.”

  She placed her hand over Charlee’s. A wise and gentle smile on her face. “You two have a lot to say to one another. Talk about your past. Talk about your friendship. Most importantly, tell him you’re pregnant.”

  Charlee’s fork froze midway to her mouth. “Pregnant?” She dropped the fork. Unparalleled joy, overwhelming doubt, and paralyzing fear stole her breath. So much had happened, she’d pushed the possibility from her mind. Still, the loss of appetite and twinges of nausea seemed to fit. “Oh, my God,” she whispered.

  What was he going to do?

  For a short time, Charlee rode a rollercoaster of emotions. Her mother’s intuition and observation proved to be correct. There were unforeseen repercussions from the night she’d spent with Justice. A baby. At first she’d been angry. But that had quickly changed. She was carrying the child of the man she adored. Placing her hands over her belly, Charlee held it as close to her heart as she could. Her happiness built until she was consumed, thrilled. She might never have Justice, but she would have a part of him with her forever.

  She and her mother would sit up and talk for hours, laughing and planning. Charlee took a job at the local Dairy Queen. It wasn’t much, but it helped. She realized she’d have to make other plans. After all, she had a baby to support. But right now she was just basking in the reunion with her mother and the knowledge that she was going to be a mother herself. The only cloud on her horizon was the longing she felt for her best friend, the man she loved—for Justice. Once she’d even phoned him. Charlee had been at the grocery store and saw a prepaid cell phone and couldn’t resist. She’d let it ring four times before she’d hung up. It was probably for the best. Now wasn’t the time. Charlee didn’t plan on being gone forever. She had time to reach out, to tell him about the baby.

  And then the unthinkable happened. Everything began to fall apart. Dawn began having stomach pains so severe she could no longer hide them from Charlee. When she convinced her mother to go to the doctor, his diagnosis was heart-wrenching. The parent she’d just found was diagnosed with cancer. She only had months to live.

  Maybe it was the stress, maybe there was something else wrong, or maybe it just wasn’t meant to be, but a few days afte
r she buried her mother, Charlee lost her baby.

  She was alone once more.

  The only person she called was Hampton. He came after her, but she didn’t return to Bronco. Too much water had run under the bridge. It was time to move on.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Present Day...

  Justice leaned against the wall and observed the festivities. The lodge had been transformed into a white and silver winter wonderland. Even the outside had been transformed. Small white lights graced every tree and gas lanterns were lit all the way around the lake. This was a celebration fit for a King. Justice sighed, he hated parties. Especially weddings. Especially Christmas weddings. Draining a glass of sickly sweet punch, he watched Jase’s fiancée flit around like a butterfly in a greenhouse, trying to be everywhere all at once. He didn’t know who she was trying to impress, but she wasn’t succeeding with the King siblings, especially Abby. He’d heard her mutter the words ‘vegan’ and ‘land shark’ under her breath more than once. Jase didn’t even look that excited about the impending nuptials and he was the groom. But then who was he to judge? Justice had a horrible track record when it came to women.

  “Yuck! Gross!” A small boy’s protest rose above the band playing peppy love tunes.

  “Ha! Little Harold doesn’t like the food either.” Trace elbowed Justice.

  “I’m not sure I ever want kids,” Trevor drawled as they watched the little hellion race back and forth across the room in his spiffy blue suit, almost causing several people to trip or spill their drinks.

  “Careful, in just a couple of days that cute little monster is going to be part of Jase’s new family. He’s the ring bearer, Pam’s sister’s kid.” Justice pulled his hat down over his eyes and folded his arms with an air of superiority.

  “I feel sorry for Jase. He wanted Scout to be the ring bearer, and I can guarantee he’d get the ring to the altar. I’m not sure about that little rascal,” Shiloh muttered under his breath. They all knew how much their brother loved his old faithful German Shepherd.

  “You have a point.” Justice couldn’t hide a smile when little Harold tried to run between Ms. Horne’s legs. They both skittered around like dancing penguins. Ms. Horne loved occasions, she’d spent her life teaching piano lessons to sticky fingered children and running the only motel in town.

  “Want another drink?” Trace asked Justice as he picked up a beer from a passing tray.

  “Nope, none for me.” He had barely taken a drink since the night Abby had been hurt. That was the last time he’d lost control. Charlee had picked that time in his life to disappear. For some reason she had cut him out of her life as completely as Abby had cut Cade from hers. He watched Abby watch Cade from across the room. If only…if only. No. Justice closed his eyes. He refused to think about Charlee now.

  A scream rent the air.

  “What in the hell is going on?” He stood up straight and let his eyes rove over the hall.

  “My baby! My baby!” Pam’s sister was running.

  “He’s on the ice. He followed Jase’s damn dog out on the ice,” someone else screamed.

  Everyone ran for the door and out into the frigid weather. East Texas was seeing the harshest cold front that had blown through in many a year. It wouldn’t last, but right now the ponds and lakes all had a layer of ice. When Justice pushed his way through the crowd, he could see Harold’s family standing on the bank, begging the little boy to turn around and come back. There was no sign of Scout.

  Everyone held their breath as the toddler made his way out into the middle where the ice would be the thinnest. A collective gasp caused Justice to turn around, and he felt his heart go in his throat when he saw Cade—big, strong, brawny Cade Tallbull moving out to save the boy. He heard Abby begin to cry and beg for him to come back. “No, Cade, no!”

  Her pleas didn’t stop him. Cade kept moving out to save the child. To his mother’s relief, the little boy scampered to the other side, safe and sound. But Cade was still out on the ice. He stopped and tried to turn around but a loud crack ripped the air and in a heartrending rush the big man disappeared into the black, icy water. Justice felt like he was reliving a nightmare because Abby’s screams for Cade sounded exactly like they had the day the barn burned. Justice started to go to her, but she began to move. Horrified, he realized Abby was heading out on the pond to the place Cade had disappeared. She called, she yelled for him to surface. They stared at the hole Cade fell through. The clock was ticking. Something was wrong.

  “No! Abby, no!” Justice began to run out on the ice. “No!” Someone grabbed him.

  “You’re too heavy, King, you’ll never make it. Not like that.” All of the brothers fought to go to their sister but none of them could stop her. Without hesitation, she dove into the water to find Cade. Screams rent the air.

  “Oh, God, no,” Justice whispered. “Call for help,” he asked whoever was listening. “Shiloh, get ropes, whatever you can find to help.” The idea of his small sister underneath the frigid deadly water was inconceivable. What if she died? What if they both died? “How long have they been under?”

  “Too long,” someone said.

  “Don’t say that.” He heard his mother cry.

  Suddenly, the water churned, and he saw Abby surface. Then he saw Cade’s head bob up. Miraculously, she had him. No, he had her. Abby wasn’t moving.

  “Hold on, Abby! We’re coming!” Shiloh was easing out, crawling, so as not to put too much weight on any one spot on the ice.

  Justice followed. Both of them were on all fours. “Here, take this rope, Cade.”

  “Help us, please,” Cade begged. “My hands are numb, they’re not working.” The cold seemed to drag every moment out.

  Justice knew hypothermia was a deadly possibility. “Is the ambulance here? How about life flight?”

  “Curtiss Parker’s here and one of Pam’s uncles is a physician,” Trace answered. “They say the helicopter is grounded because of the weather.”

  Justice groaned. The next few minutes was chaotic. They got the couple into the house and started trying to help them. His mother was almost hysterical. If it hadn’t been for his father, things would have got out of hand. Bless his heart, he settled everyone down and got them on the road with promises that someone would call when they had some answers about the young couple’s condition.

  At Pam’s relative’s orders, they got Cade into a warm shower and then under some heated blankets. “She saved me, Justice,” was all he could mutter. “I was caught. My boot was caught in some damn debris.”

  “You both were lucky.” Was all he could manage. The weight of the realization of what could have happened—both of them dying—left Justice stunned into silence.

  “How is she? How is Abby?”

  “She’s alive.” Shiloh assured him. “Doc Parker’s working on her.”

  “I want to go to her.” Cade was adamant.

  “Just wait.” Justice stopped him, remembering how careful Abby always was that no one see her unclothed. He had no idea how intimate Cade and Abby had been, but he wasn’t taking any chances with his sister.

  Cade wasn’t happy, but he didn’t fight Justice about it, for which he was grateful. Finally, prayers were answered, and Charlee’s father came out to tell them that Abby should be fine. “She was lucky. I think her adrenaline was running so high, it kept her body temperature elevated enough to save her.”

  Justice was shaking with relief when he took the older man’s hand. There was no love lost between the two of them. In fact, Justice despised him. He’d hurt Charlee. Countless times he’d gone to her, held her when she cried, begged her to let him do something. But she had been adamant, Charlee hadn’t wanted to risk going into foster care. She hadn’t wanted to leave her home. There came a day when Justice’s father, Sam, had gotten involved, and Curtiss Parker had gotten help. As far as Justice was concerned, it was too little too late.

  “I’m grateful,” was all he could manage. It was on the tip of his
tongue for him to ask about Charlee. He didn’t. The answer would be the same. Years had passed and there had been no word. Nothing. The reality left a bitter taste in Justice’s mouth. He blamed Curtiss Parker for Charlee disappearing, but he blamed Charlee too. She could’ve called him. She could’ve written. Instead, she’d made a new life for herself with some other man.

  He walked the old doctor out, shutting the door behind him. The events of the day had his mind whirling. Feelings of déjà vu were haunting Justice. The last time he felt like this, Charlee had been here. He could remember her running up at the scene of the fire, out of breath and scared to death that he’d been hurt. After that day, his memories of that time were muddled, thanks to his drinking and the fuckin’ cluster headaches. But he knew she had been there for him.

  Sometimes the fact that he couldn’t let her go disgusted him. Yes, she’d been his best friend, a constant in his life, but that didn’t really explain the way she haunted his dreams.

  “I’ve got to get out of here for a while,” he muttered to no one in particular.

  “Where are you going?” Trace asked. His younger brother stood by the fireplace, unwilling to go to his room while his sister was still unconscious.

  “Out for a ride, I’m just going to check the herd.” Justice went to the closet and got a pair of gloves.

  “We have men hired to do that.”

  “I know, I just need to clear my head.” Putting on his coat, he buttoned it up.

  “Well, be careful,” Trace called after his brother as he went out the door and into the night. “All we need is for you to fall in a hole or something.”

  * * *

  Charlee rubbed her arms against the chill. She stood up from the dining table and checked the temperature. No, it wasn’t cold in her apartment. With the heater and the gas fireplace, it was a comfortable seventy degrees. Maybe someone had walked on her grave.

  Before returning to her paperwork, she walked to the patio door and looked out into the darkness. The complex she lived in was nice. All she would have to do was pull open the glass doors and yell and several hundred people would be able to hear her. Her cozy one bedroom apartment was located about two blocks from the beautiful Pennybacker Bridge near the Colorado River in Austin. Even in her own estimation, she’d come a long way from Bronco or, for that matter, from the Pine Ridge Reservation.