Judging Judas (Tarnished Saints Series Book 3) (19 page)

“You know, maybe Charolette isn’t that bad, but none of us really know it. After all, we’re just taking the men
’s word for it.”

“She’s been helping me here in the afternoons since she discovered it was better than scooping horse poop,” said Laney. “I actually think she’s a lot mellower than J.D. So maybe she’s not that bad.
After all, Daniel seems smitten with her.”

“He does?” asked Candace in surprise.

Laney covered her mouth quickly. “Candace, I wasn’t supposed to say anything because he doesn’t want Thomas finding out. So please keep the boy’s secret.”

“Of course, you can count on me, don’t worry.
So, tell me, what have you done about preparing for the baby?” asked Candace, offering Laney the bag with another birdseed bar. Laney dipped her hand inside and scooped one out.

“Nothing, actually.
But since Doctor Bee says J.D.’s due date has been moved up, I only have two weeks to buy baby things and get the house ready.”

“
Doctor Bee?” Candace looked at her and smiled.

“That’s not her real name, but don’t ask me to pronounce it because I still think it’s a joke that Judas and J.D. are playing on me.”

Candace laughed and took a sip of coffee. “Well, don’t worry about buying anything, because I’ve got it covered.” Candace smashed up the paper bag as she spoke. “I’m going to have a baby shower for J.D. at the restaurant. We’ll have it right after church on Sunday. And I’ll invite the whole town.”

“You’d do that for her
?” Laney was truly touched.

“
Not only her, but for you, Laney. We’re sisters-in-law now and we’ve got to stick together. And Lord knows it’s not easy living with so much Taylor testosterone around.”

“Just wait til all the brothers return,” said Laney. “Then we’ll really be in for it.”

They both laughed again, and then Candace continued talking. “Besides, J.D. is my niece and I’d like to get to know her better.”

“Thank you. I mean it.” Laney reached over and gave Candace
a hug, wiping a tear from her own eye as she did so.

“What’s all the hugging and tears about?” came a male voice and she turned around to see Judas walking over from the police station in full uniform, his sunglasses on
, and looking as sexy as all hell as usual.

“Judas, come join us,” said Laney. “Candace was just telling me how she’s throwing a baby shower for J.D. on Sunday and the whole town will be invited.”

“That’s nice of you, Candace, thanks,” said Judas with a quick nod. Then he looked back to Laney. “Do you have a minute?” he asked.

“I need to get
going,” said Candace, taking the cue to leave. Laney thanked her again as Judas slipped into her vacated chair.

“Wan
t to try a birdseed bar?” Laney held one up for him to take a bite.

“Not now, Laney,” he said, brushing her hand away.

“Judas, what’s the matter?”

“Oh, it’s
nothing I guess.” He rubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin and Laney was surprised he hadn’t taken the time to shave this morning as he was always so impeccable with his appearance.

“It must be something
important or you wouldn’t have walked the whole block to come talk to me. How is it going with J.D. working off her community service?”

“It’s not,” he told her. “You know,
I thought the other day when I felt the baby kick that we’d made some sort of connection.”

“You felt our grandbaby kick
?” This was the first Laney had heard of it, and it surprised her. She really needed to get her family to start communicating already.

“And J.D.
had referred to your late husband as Spyder, not Dad.”

Laney’s tattoo seemed to burn right into her skin when he said Spyder’s name.
She knew it was still a sore spot with him, since they hadn’t made love since he’d found out about it. “Well, that’s a good thing. So what’s the problem?” she asked curiously.

“The problem is,
it doesn’t last. By the end of the day after the meeting, she was driving me nuts playing with the siren and I kind of snapped at her and she shut down again. And since she keeps running off, I’ve put her to work in the police station to keep an eye on her.”

“Well, at least she won’t try running off again.”

“Not true. When I found her missing this morning after she told me she was going to the bathroom, I discovered she’d snuck out right under my nose. The girl could be an escape artist the way she disappears, even with the size of her.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“Nothing. Because I’ve already done it. And though it hurt me to have to resort to such measures, I had no choice. If she doesn’t serve her time doing community service then I’m going to have to put her in jail and I really don’t want to do that.”

“So, what are you saying?” asked Laney. “If she’s not behind bars, then I don’t understand what you did to keep her there.”

“Maybe you’d better come have a look for yourself.” He got up and took her arm and led her down the block to the police station. “Just don’t be angry with me. I really had no choice in the matter.”

“Ok, I guess. I’ll have to see what you mean first.”

He opened the door for her and they walked over to the desk in the corner where she saw J.D. chomping on gum and filing her nails. As soon as she saw Judas she dropped the nail file and pretended to be filing papers.

“J.D. have you filed all those papers I gave you yet? Because when you’re done I need you type a letter and also get on the phone and find a band to come play at the car show next week since the one we had scheduled just canceled.”

“Band?” her ears seemed to perk up at those words, and Laney knew Judas had finally caught her interest. “I’ll find you a band but I can’t type, so forget about the letter.”

“J.D. that
is a lie and you know it,” scolded Laney. “You took typing in school and I’ve also seen you type faster than anyone sending your friends text messages.”

“
Mom, I don’t want to do it. He’s keeping me here as a prisoner.”

“No, he’s not. Now quit overreacting
already.”

“Yes he is!” J.D. leaned back in the chair and plopped her foot atop the desk, and Laney almost laughed a
loud when she saw the electronic ankle monitor Judas had fastened to her.

“You put her on house arrest?” Laney asked Judas, noticing the sympathy grin on his face.

“Well, I know how much she likes baubles and jewelry so I thought I’d give her a little present in the form of an ankle bracelet,” Judas answered.

“My ankles are swelling and it hurts,” complained her daughter. “Mom, tell him to take it off.”

Laney looked at Judas and they exchanged glances. She didn’t want her child in an ankle bracelet but also knew that J.D. had to learn discipline. She couldn’t go against Judas and his decision. They were married now and raising their daughter together and she would support him. Besides, he was the sheriff and she needed to respect his decisions.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Laney said.
“And your ankle is not swelled, it is fine.”

“What? Are you friggin’ serious?” J.D. put her foot back on the ground.

“Until you serve your time, you’ll need to stay put,” said Laney. “When you learn your lesson, I’m sure your father will take it off. Won’t you?” Laney looked over to Judas but he wasn’t smiling anymore. Suddenly she wondered if this really was such a good idea after all.

Chapter 18

Two days later, Judas pulled up to Thomas’s house glad to see Zeb’s Mercedes convertible in the driveway. The baby shower was this afternoon and Judas also had the day off, so he and Zeb were going to
work out and then end up at the shooting range.

Judas walked up to the front of the house, wondering where all the kids were as it seemed so quiet
. He heard voices and looked through the trees to a brick patio with an iron railing around it that butted up to the channel leading from the lake on one end to the bluegill pond on the other.

“What’s up?” Judas walked up to see Pete with a large branch in his hand, whittling
furiously with a pocket knife, and Zeb looking at his watch seeming to time him.

“Hold on,” said Zeb raising his hand in the air,
his eyes going back and forth from Pete to his watch. “Five, four, three, two . . .”

“Finished!” Pete threw the knife down on a metal drink table next to his chair and held the stick up in the air proudly.

“No way. Let me see that.” Zeb took the staff in his hand and turned it, running his hand along the smooth, barkless length. He pursed his lips and let out a whistle. “Damn, you really can strip the bark off a staff in less than two minutes,” said Zeb.

“That’s right, now pay up. Twenty big ones.” Pete held out his
hand with his palm upward, and Zeb put down the staff and pulled a wad of money from his pocket. He peeled off a twenty and handed it to his brother.

“
With a wad of dough like that,” said Judas, “you really ought to have a wallet, Zeb.”

“Naw. Takes up too much room in my pocket. This way there’s more room for money.”

“Still gambling I see,” Judas said next, looking at his minister brother.

“Only for the good of the church,” Pete said with a smile. Judas knew that Pete had always had a gambling problem. While he didn’t drink
, swear, or smoke, he did like to take challenges that always led him to trouble. And if there wasn’t a pack of cards or some dice nearby, he’d make up a challenge just to be able to have the chance to win. And he usually did.

“Well, that’s good,” said Judas
. “Because I hear Reverend Black is adding a second collection to his service this morning.”

“Not true,” said Pete getting up and sticking the money into the pocket of his pants. “I’m the one adding a second coll
ection because I’ll be officiating the mass today. Now you two better hurry. I’m leaving for church now and I don’t want you to be late since the church is a good five miles from here and I have a great sermon planned for today.”

“
No thanks. We’re going to pump some iron and then we’re going shooting,” said Judas, blowing him off. “Come on, Zeb, let’s go.”

Zeb just
ran a hand over the back of his neck and looked up to Judas wrinkling his forehead with the goofy look he gave him. “Uh, about that Judas . . . ”

“Oh crap,” said Judas. “Don’t tell me Pete tricked you into going to church instead.”

“Not just me. Both of us.” Zeb just shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry.”

“Sorry?” asked Judas. “For God’s sake don’t tell me yo
u made a bet for both of us and lost it?”

“Watch those words in front of me, brother,” said Pete. “And yes, he made a bet and lost it
. Both of you are coming to church, so let’s go.”

“I’ll stay here and watch Thomas’s kids,” Judas offered.

“You won’t have to,” said Pete. “Zeb lost a bet to me for them as well. Candace and Levi already took them.”

“Then I’ll go back to my place and watch over J.D.”

“Wrong again,” said Pete.

“Don’t tell me Zeb lost a bet inv
olving my wife and daughter too?”

“Nope,” said Zeb. “That was all
your wife’s idea. She said she wanted to take J.D. to church before the baby shower or people would wonder why she hadn’t attended the service.”

Judas wasn’t surprised he didn’t know this, as he’d worked late last night and left before Laney was up this morning, as he’d been making arrangements for the car show next weekend and had offer
ed to help organize the entire event.

“Fine, let’s go,” he grumbled. “But don’t even think of making any bets about us going to the baby shower, Zeb.”

“Nope, wouldn’t do that,” said Zeb heading for his car. “I have to pick up Thomas from the airport this afternoon so we’ll have to make it a quick workout or a fast round at the shooting range this time, but no time for both since we’re now going to mass.”

“Thoma
s is coming home today?” Judas asked.

“Yep,” said Zeb. “It seems he couldn’t convince Thad to come
back with him but Simon is with our youngest brother and says he’ll bring him back as soon as his job giving boat tours - or whatever it is he’s doing - is over.”

“
Simon never could stay off the water for long. What about Nate?” Judas asked about the other of their younger brothers.

“Thomas is dragging him home
by the ear,” Pete answered for him. “And although Nate agreed to come, he doesn’t sound like he was too happy about it.”

“Why is it our brothers can’t seem to show up even at the death of their own mother?”

“Jude, you have to realize they never knew Ma the way we did,” said Pete sounding way too understanding. “After all, her mind was gone right after they’d turned into teens. They more or less grew up with only a father, so you can’t really blame them.”