migrant camp and spread to the neighboring Stones End. The farm had been in Jared’s family for generations. They’d suffered the loss of a produce barn and most of last year’s crop. Ironically, the crisis had brought Jared and his father closer and signalled a new beginning for Stones End.
The Pierces hadn’t fared as well.
Between hefty federal fines, civil action and legal fees, they faced financial ruin in the community. Drew might be guilty of nothing more than following his father’s orders to cut corners; but ultimately, he was in charge of the migrant camp and responsible for any mismanagement. As such, he’d made some bad decisions, risked many innocent lives and rightfully bore the brunt of the charges.
At some point, Jared stopped listening. He ran his hand over his face, recalling that dark night—the lick of the flames and blinding smoke. He’d helped in the rescue effort. Although there were several injuries, none were critical.
Finally, the list of charges came to an end. The judge leaned back in his seat and growled in a gravelly voice, “All right, let’s have the verdict.”
The jury foreman mopped his face with a bright white handkerchief. “Guilty.”
Guilty!
Drew visibly staggered from the blow.
Like a house of cards, the Pierce family collapsed. Drew’s mother fainted. Family members rushed to her side. Only one person reached out to Drew. A woman. Strangely moved when Laurel placed a comforting hand on Drew’s arm, Jared admired her loyalty—even if it was misplaced.
The judge pronounced the punishment. “Five years.”
At the harsh sentence, Drew’s knuckles turned white.
During the trial, he’d pleaded innocent but admitted to repairing a faulty valve on a propane gas tank instead of replacing it. That one grave error in judgment had caused the explosion and sealed Drew’s fate.
A few moments later, a deputy sheriff led him away. The air seemed to go out of the courtroom. Jared simply wanted out. His father was seated on his right.
“Well, that’s that,” Ira said. Despite a weak heart, he’d insisted on coming to hear the final verdict, which meant Jared had taken the day off from work to come with him.
“Are you feeling all right?” Jared eyed him with some concern. “Maybe you should have stayed home.”
Ira drew himself up to his full height, a half inch shorter than his son. “And miss all the action!”
Jared chuckled. Despite their differences, he had to admit his old man had grit. And an eagle eye. Even at the age of seventy-one, Ira didn’t miss much.
“Saw you looking at that Hale woman,” Ira said. “Best cast your eyes elsewhere. She’s new in town, turned up about a month ago, keeps pretty much to herself, but there’s been talk.”
She’d been in town a month.
Jared had been out of town most of July. Since his return, work had kept him close to Stones End, which explained why he hadn’t seen her around. He would have noticed if he had. Laurel wasn’t the type of woman men overlooked, unless they were blind…or dead from the waist down.
Jared knew he should drop the subject, but he didn’t want any more surprises where Laurel was concerned. All right, so he was curious. “What kind of talk?”
“Seems like she’s got a child with her. Folks say the boy belongs to Drew. He fixed her up with a job and a place to stay.” Ira grimaced with disapproval. “Never heard of Drew doing anything unless there was something in it for him. Have you?”
“No,” Jared replied grimly as he absorbed the news.
That Drew and Laurel were still involved came as no surprise; however, the fact that they had a child together came as a shock. Laurel might be a lot of things, but she’d never struck Jared as the maternal type.
Ira continued. “You might want to keep your distance. There’s enough bad blood between you and Drew as it is.”
Once, Jared would have taken that as a challenge; but with his father’s uncertain health, winning every argument didn’t seem as important as it used to be.
Jared turned toward the exit. The courtroom was full. Both sides of the aisle merged into one. As luck would have it, he became separated from Ira and found himself directly behind Laurel. The fresh, sweet scent of her perfume almost crushed his determination to ignore her. He swore under his breath, and watched her stiffen in moral outrage, which was a laugh—as if Laurel had an excess of morals, or virtue.
He recalled a sexy little tease with jade eyes—a green-eyed witch. Now, she looked almost prim in a slim navy blue dress. But if anything, her figure had grown more lush. Her thick, silky-fine hair curled naturally. It was almost restrained, held off her neck with a gold metal clasp. Tiny red-gold tendrils curled at the nape of her neck.
As they neared the door, someone pushed from behind. Jared placed a protective hand at her waist. At his touch, she released a shaky breath, and he felt his heart jolt in direct response. Damn! As if scorched, he dropped his hand from her waist, then heard her soft sigh of relief—as if she couldn’t bear his hands on her.
When she reached for the door the same moment he did, he glanced at her long graceful hand pressed against the dark mahogany wood. Next to his deeply tanned hand, her skin looked soft and pale, almost translucent.
Jared pushed the door and murmured, “After you,” his voice a thin mockery of politeness. She didn’t have to know it was self-mockery.
He stepped outside into the unforgiving bright light of midday. The heat hit him like a brick wall.
In contrast, the coolness of her eyes met his as she turned to face him. He wasn’t prepared for the up-close shock of her vivid coloring. He felt like an eighteen-year-old kid again—all hormones. Every time he saw her, it felt like the first time. Jared found himself gazing into her eyes framed in ridiculously long, luxurious gold-tipped lashes. The years had been kind to her. Nine years ago, Laurel had set his heart on fire. A spark remained.
“Hello, Laurel.” He deliberately removed the slightest hint of warmth from his voice. “It’s been a long time.”
At his tone, she drew in an audible breath. “I’m afraid you’ve confused me with someone else.” Her face was fine-drawn—the bones rigid with self-discipline. She was taller, more rounded, softer somehow. She had freckles. Funny, he’d never noticed that small imperfection.
He frowned at that.
The sun glinted in her hair, and Jared was struck by the memory of glorious red hair tumbling across a white pillow. He was eighteen again, waking in a strange bed with a girl he scarcely knew, and feeling obliged to ask to see her again. She’d refused, laughing as she confessed that she’d only gone out with him to make Drew jealous—why should she want a poor farmer when she intended to win Drew? In addition to the blow to his ego, her connection to Drew had come as a shock.
Now, Jared smiled at her brazen attempt at innocence. “I’m not wrong about you, Laurel.” How could he be wrong? He’d spent years trying to forget her, and apparently failing from his current reaction.
“You
