Judging Judas (Tarnished Saints Series Book 3) (10 page)

“I’m sorry too for not being honest with you. I should have told you right
away when I knew I was pregnant. But I was frightened by not only my parents but your father as well.”

“And
are you frightened of me? Is that why you’re pulling away now?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head
, realizing now it wasn’t him she feared, but rather herself. “I could never be frightened of you, Judas. You are my protector.”

“Come here, sweetheart.” He nudged his knee between her legs and
pulled her down to straddle his lap with her legs spread on both sides of him. Then he kissed her so passionately that she thought she’d burst. Her womanhood moistened, and with her legs spread apart, she could feel his arousal pushing up against her. The attraction between them was like two magnets being pulled together. She found herself remembering making love in this exact position many years ago. “I want you, Laney,” he whispered, his hand sliding down her back while his other hand settled at the juncture of her thighs.

“I want you, too,” she whispered through heavy breathing, looking down to realize that he somehow exper
tly unbuttoned the top snap of her jeans.

“Let’s make love,” he said. “Right here, right now. What do you say?”

“You’re crazy,” she said with a laugh, looking up and wondering if anyone could see them from the front picture window. They were hidden behind a bunch of furniture and boxes, and she secretly found the idea very exciting. Her hands wandered down to his waist, and before she knew what she was doing, she was unbuckling his belt and unsnapping his pants as well, and stroking his bulge right through his jeans.

“I’m so hot for you,”
he admitted, and she felt hot too. But then she realized that the heat wasn’t from them, because she also smelled smoke. She turned her head to see flames shooting up out of the spittoon where he’d tossed the cigarette, and she realized the paper bag he’d thrown over his shoulder earlier must have fallen inside and then his cigarette butt ignited it.

“Fire!” She jumped off of him and he jumped off the chair so fast he knocked
it over.

“Get back,” he cried out, grabbing the spittoon and racing for the door.

She followed him out front where he threw it down, the paper bag falling out from within. He stomped out the flames with his shoe, then turned back and grabbed her in a protective hug.

Judas looked up to see Levi racing down the sidewalk from the police station, with Deputy Morgeau at his side. He noticed a group of women there as well who curiously followed.

“Is everyone alright?” asked Levi.

“Yeah, we’re fine.” Judas pulled away from Laney, realizing her blouse was still unbuttoned as well as her pants. He turned and stood in front of her to block her while she buttoned up.

“How’d the fire start?” asked the d
eputy.

“It was my fault,” Judas adm
itted. “It was just a cigarette that I wasn’t watching.”

“I can see why,” said Levi, his brows raising as his eyes focused at Judas’s waist. Judas turned slightly and snapped his pants and buckled his belt, then turned back and crossed his hands in front of him to hide his evidence of wanting to lie with Laney.

“That’s why we need a fire department,” came a woman’s voice from the crowd of women who now joined them. He looked over to see the widow Mabel Durnsby hurrying toward them with three women at her side who Judas recognized as board members of the town council.

“Mayor, when are we going to get that fire department you promised
when you were first elected?” asked another of the women.

“Having a fire department would be a good idea,
” said Laney, stepping forward to join them, fully redressed.

“We don’t have a fire department, but we do have goats on the roof,” sniffed Mable.

“Mable, are you the one filing complaints about my goats?” asked Levi.

“You can’t put animals in a restaurant. It’s not sanitary,” she told him.

“They’re not in the restaurant, they’re on top of it and outside,” Levi explained. “And as for the fire department . . . well, if we had the funds to start building, we’d have done it by now.”

“Sheriff, do something about those goats,” said Mabel.

Judas didn’t want trouble today. Not with Thomas’s wedding in a few hours. “Mabel, I’m doing all I can, but you have to realize that we don’t really have a law . . . against goats being on a roof.”

“Then maybe you should get one.
Because if not, I may just decide to press charges against that thief of a daughter of yours afterwards.”

“Now
don’t start threatening an officer of the law,” warned Judas, “because it’s not going to end up pretty.”

“Mrs. Durnsby, is it?” Laney s
tepped out and extended her arm, waiting for a handshake. “I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Delaney McDermott and used to live here a long time ago.”

Mabel just looked at her hand and threw her nose in the air. “I know who you are, and since you’ve come back to town there’s been nothing but trouble.”

Laney slowly lowered her arm to her side, seeing the woman wasn’t interested in being friendly. “I thank you for dropping the charges against my daughter,” she told her. “And I assure you she won’t be any more trouble to anyone in this town.”

“I only did it because
the sheriff asked me to,” she said. “But I assure you, if anything else happens with that tramp, I’ll not be so understanding.”

“Mrs. Durnsby, that’s my daughter you’re talking about,
” Judas reminded her. “Now I suggest you watch what you’re saying because even though I’m out of uniform, I’m still quite able to carry out my duties in every way.”

“T
he women started talking amongst themselves and Judas just knew the town gossip was going to be burning ears tonight at Thomas’s wedding. He almost wished that he hadn’t mentioned J.D. right now.

“Come along, ladies, let’s move on as I’m sure the sheri
ff has things to do.” The deputy thankfully drew the small crowd away from them and back toward the town hall.

“Levi, can
’t you just take the goats off the roof for a couple days til Mabel cools down?” asked Judas. “I really don’t want any trouble with Thomas’s wedding and all tonight.”

“No, I can’t.” Levi crossed his arms over his chest
stubbornly.

“Boys, don’t fight,” said Laney.

“I’m not here to fight,” said Levi. “I’m here to tell you that J.D. called the restaurant looking for you, Laney.”

“Why didn’t she call my cell phone
?” Laney patted her pockets, then realized her phone wasn’t on her. “I think I left it in the car along with my keys.” She ran over to find them, leaving Levi and Judas alone.

“Levi, I wanted to talk to you,
” Judas said once he knew Laney was out of earshot.

“I know. About the goats. Forget it, I’m not moving them, Judas.”

“No, not about that. I wanted to know how you dealt with being an instant father?”

“Really?” Levi looked surprised that Judas asked him that, and he also seemed pleased. He shrugged his shoulders and made a fa
ce. “It was easy for me. I love kids and they love me. Plus, mine are still young and haven’t gotten into the kind of trouble your daughter has.”

“I don’t know how you do it,” he said. “It’s . . . it’s . . .”

“Frightening?” asked Levi.

“In a way, it is a little scary. Not to mention I’m going to be a grandfather soon, and I still haven’t had the chance to come to terms with the fact I am a father.”

“Hang in there, bro,” he said with a crooked smile. “No matter how hard you think you have it, someone else has always got it worse.”

“Judas, we’ve got to g
o,” said Laney, running up to them with her cell phone in her hand. “J.D. is having contractions.”

“What? Are you sure? Isn’t it too soon for that?”
he asked.

“They’re probably just f
alse ones but still she needs her mother there. But I tell you, I don’t know what I’ll do if she’s really in labor. Where are my keys?” She patted her front pocket, turning around and looking at the ground. Judas saw them sticking out of her back pocket and pulled them out and tossed them into the air and caught them in one hand.

“They would have bit you if they were a snake. Now come on, I’ll drive, you just grab a hold of your crystal and take some of thos
e cleansing breaths just like you told me to do.”

Chapter 9

Later that day
after the scare of the false contractions, Laney stood at the church throwing rice at Thomas and Angel as they ran down the steps and headed over to the diner across the street for the reception.

“Come on everyone,” shouted Levi. “Everyone’s invited to help celebrate
, and Margery’s Diner is flipping the bill.”

The c
rowd scurried over to the diner with all the kids following, as well as Judas’s brother Pete and also Zeb who had come into town for the wedding.

J.D. looked at them and yawned.
“I think I’ll go back to the cottage and take a nap.” Judas heard her and came to join them.

“J.D. you know you’re expected to be at the reception and keep an eye on the kids.”

“They don’t need me to do that. Besides, I might start getting contractions again.” She rubbed her belly and glared at Judas.

“Those weren’t real contractions,” said Laney, knowing her daughter had faked the whole thing just trying to get out of her community service. “And you have a duty to fulfill.”

“Not tonight,” she said, turning and walking away, but Judas called out to her.

“Of course, you could always spend the night in the cage if you’d rather.”

She turned with a defiant upraised chin. “You wouldn’t dare. Not if you’re really my father.”

Laney felt a warmth in her chest
just by the hearing the girl say Judas might be her father. Even if she’d said it in a challenging way, this was the first time she’d even acknowledged it. Laney knew how much J.D. had adored Spyder, the only man she’d ever known as her father. She’d been such a daddy’s girl her entire life, and it had always broke Laney’s heart to know it was only make-believe. But she’d never told her the truth before now because she never thought she’d see Judas again, so felt it didn’t really matter.

“Did
you want to risk it?” Judas asked, getting a sigh out of J.D.

“I’m pregnant, give me a break.”

“You should have thought of that before you went on a thieving spree,” he told her.

“J.D. go on in, we’ll be right behind you.” Laney waited til her daughter disappeared into the crowd, then turned back to Judas.
“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?” His smile was intoxicating and she realized how much she’d missed it now.

“For being her father. For helping me discipline her. It hasn’t been easy, and I know I’ve been failing miserably by myself.”

“Whoever said raising kids was easy?
” He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the diner as they talked. “I’m sure this spider man wasn’t much into disciplining.”

“No. Not at all. And
please don’t call him Spider Man, it makes him sound like a super hero, and I assure you he wasn’t. I just went along with his wishes because I remembered how much I hated when my parents always told me what to do. I wanted to give J.D. the chance of making decisions for herself. To learn her lessons from her mistakes.”

“
Isn’t that the truth for all of us,” he said, opening the door to the restaurant for her.

Yes, she realized, they all had lessons to learn. And she and Judas had probably made more mistakes put together than J.D. ever had.

* * *

The next morning came fast, as the reception ended so late last night that no one had really gotten much sleep. Judas loaded Thomas and Angel’s suitcases into his brother Zeb’s Mercedes convertible and slammed the trunk shut.

“Thanks for giving them a lift to the airport,” said Judas to Zeb. “I would have done it, but the squad is so uncomfortable and hard in the back seat and I thought they deserved to ride in luxury instead. Besides, I’ve got to work.”

“No problem,” said Zeb, putting on his designer sunglasses. “I’m happy to help out.”

The sound of a motorcycle split the air, and Judas looked down the road to see his minister brother riding with little Eli i
n front of him, stopping when they made it to the house. All the kids ran over to him and started shouting excitedly, wanting their turn for a ride as well.

Thomas and Angel gave their kids hugs goodbye,
and then came over to join him. He could see Laney talking to J.D. who was sprawled out on a lawnchair in the sun, looking like she wasn’t listening to a word her mother said. She hadn’t been much help with the kids at the reception last night either. And he almost regretted having Thomas’s eldest son Dan introduce her to his friends, as she’d spent the whole night with them and ignored the younger kids. And to his dismay, Charolette Burnham decided to show as well, looking a lot like J.D. with her crazy hair, tattoos and body piercings. Everyone knew Charolette was the town’s teenage tramp. And now she and J.D. were best friends after having just met.