Acquiring Trouble (19 page)

Mo just shook his head and raked in his winnings.
“I fear
it’s
getting late,”
he
said as he and Ahmed pushed back from the table. “It’s been a pleasure. Congratulations Marshall. Katelyn is a wonderful woman and I wish you both all the happiness in the world.” Mo shook Marshall’s hand and gracefully slid his suit coat back on. At least Miles wasn’t the only one there in a suit.
“Goodnight everyone.” Mo waved and Ahmed gave a nod to them before heading out
the
front door.

“
It’s time I headed out too.” Noodle rose and shook Miles’
s
hand as he thanked him. “Good luck at the
weddin
’ boss. Just one more week to go.”

“It’ll be here before you know it.” Dinky clasped Marshall on his
back as he got up to leave too.

“As much as I hate to admit it, I need to go
too. I need to get up to put ha
y out for the cattle tomorrow
, which you all should be thanking me for
, by the way, since most of them are
technically yours.” Pierce slapped his dark brown cowboy hat against his jeaned
-
clad
leg
as he got ready to leave.

“Aw,
you’re so cute. W
e thank you by paying you
—n
icely at that
—f
or managing our farms.” Cade ruffled Pierce’s hair as if he was a little boy.

“You’ve done a good job with our farms. I hope you won’t leave us when you start your own farm.” Marshall gave him a hug and walked toward the door.

“Na
h
. I wouldn’t leave you all like that. Congratulations. Katelyn is a great girl. Just remember, I get to plan Mi
les’
s
bachelor party
—i
t’s not like Cy will be back anytime soon
to usurp
him
as the next brother to fall.” All the brothers nodded in agreement and
then looked
at
Mile
s with smiles full of mischief.

Miles tossed the last of the
uneaten
food in the trashcan an
d held it open for
Cade to toss the empty beer cans.
Everyone had gone home except Cade who had off
ered to stay and help clean up.

Miles still couldn’t believe Cade
was a new father
.
He seemed so calm and secure in his new rol
e
. How had he let go of everything that happened to him
during the war
? He envied Cade and Marshall
for that
. To feel that kind of love, to feel safe and secure in life again
—i
t was a fairy
tale for him.

“Miles
, t
here’s something I think we need to talk about.”
Miles grew worried when Cade talked into the trashcan instead of looking at him. “We need to talk about you. I can tell you’re not sleeping. Is it nightmares?”

“It’s nothing. I assure you, I’m fine,”
Miles
said stiffly and even he cringed at the harsh tone in his voice.

“It’s not fine. You’
ve been pushing yourself for too long. You need to get professional help
—o
r at least talk to me about it. You haven’t talked to anyone about the war. I don’t even know what happened to me after I got knocked unconscious that day. You’ve never told me.
All I remember is the beginning of a fierce beating and the feel of a gun being pressed to my head. The next thing I knew I woke up at
Ramstein
Air Force Base in the hospital.”

“You won’t be able to understand
what it was
like. I don’t want you to know what it was like. You won’t be able to handle it. No one can handle it,” Miles trailed off.

“I can, trust me.
I can handle it. Talk to me Miles. Or I can give you the name of the professional I saw when I got back home.” Cade took out a business card and placed
it on the table next to Miles.

“You went and saw someone?”

“Yes. You know what I went through. I was waking up with nightmares of the feel of the gun to my head.
I’d
jump at sounds. I started to isolate myself and then I started to drink
—h
eavily. I was afraid I had post
-
traumatic stress
disorder
. So I went and talked to
someone who helped me cope. They
helped me relearn how to
f
unction outside of a war zone.”

Miles looked at his brother with new eyes. No, no one could understand the horrend
ous things he went through with his brother and young Mariah Brown.
He learned that he had a dark side
—a
dark side that could kill with no feeling.
And why should he go whining to a t
herapist when so many other soldiers
didn’t make it out alive? Miles shook his head. He was just an ungrateful bastard. No the
rapist needed to tell him that.

“Look, just think about it.” Cade waited until Miles nodded before he continued. “There’s something else. Annie and I have been talking
and we want you to be Sophie’s
godfather. Would you do that for us?”

Miles was shocked. It wasn’t
that
he
dis
like
d
babies, but most people thought him too serious to take care of a child. “Me? Are you sure?”

“Yes, you. You protected me with your life. I know you’
d
do the same for my child.”

“I’d be hon
ored to,” Miles said sincerely.

“Then I’ll let you get some sleep. Annie will be thrilled to know yo
u said yes. Good night, Miles.”

Miles watched his brother climb into his Highlander and drive off. A godfather. He could do that. Deep down he loved babies. He took care of all his siblings after all. At the thought of babies, he ignored the pull at his heart. Miles knew he’d never have one of his own. No one would want to marry someone with so much dangerous baggage attached. So, it was up to him to be the best godfather possible. 

Morgan stepped off the plane with her carry
-
on and walked through the crowded terminal at the Ronald Reagan International Airport.
She glanced at her watch. I
f everything went as planned she’d meet with David and be on the red
-
eye back to Lexington within hours. No one in Kentucky would even know she was gone.

After the incident
s
at the farms she had visited she knew more drastic measures were needed. Morgan had called her boss and David had instantly asked if any
thing
eventful had been going on. She knew he had already heard the news about what had happened to the farmers. Morgan told him she wanted to talk to him about it in person and David had insisted she fly out immediately.

Morgan looked aro
und and saw the black stretch
limousine with her name on it. She allowed the driver to open the door as she slid into its luxury.
Morgan looked out the window as the
y
passed
the national monuments and headed for the Capitol Hill district. David’s office was in an old townho
use
on the edge of the Hill
in a
residential neighborhood.

The old townho
use
came into sight
sooner than Morgan
would’ve
liked. She had been trying to think of her plan, but instead found herself thinking of Miles.
Would he ever be able to understand
what she had done
…
even if it was inadvertently? 

David Washington was waiting at the front door for her. He was slightly older than Miles, forty-two years compared to thirty-six
. Unlike Miles he was a short and squatty man who lived on the power he had gained over the years. His light brown hair was thinning and his
round face was highlighted by his squar
e black
-
framed reading glasses
.

“Welcome back home, Miss Hamilton. We’re the last ones left so I want to lock up if you don’t mind. We don’t want any interruptions.” David reached around her and flipped the deadbolt on the door. “Let’s go to my office.”

Morgan followed David through the reception room and up the creaking staircase to the offices upstairs. She passed her office and looked at the closed door. She’d only been away for a month and yet it felt like forever. They walked down the Persian carpet runner to the large office suit
e
in the ba
ck of the building.

David held the door open and Morgan walked through. A couch and matching accent chairs sat to the far left of the room with a shining wood table between them. Stacks of paper were piled on David’s desk that sat slightly in front of large windows
reaching
almost to the ceiling.

“So, you said it’s been event
ful in Podunk. What’s happening?
”

“I think we both know what’s been happening.” Morgan smiled sweetly and cocked her head. She looked David in the eye and ran her tongue over her bottom lip, “And I think it’s working.”

“What has been working? Are you trying a new tactic?”
David asked with a blank face.

“Not me, but you. I think scaring those farmers is a good start, but they need a final push to agree to sign with me.
I’m
getting a feel for the town and how they are reacting to your latest efforts. I can let you know if it’s worked and give you some ideas of my own next week.” Morgan crossed her legs and sat back in the chair.

“I never said I did anything, Miss Hamilton. After all, I’ve been here in
DC
for the past month.” David mimicked her positioning in his chair and looked
at her with one raised eyebrow.

“Oh, I know it’s a wink-wink type thing. I just thought I’d offer my help to make it more profitable to us. I think some of the scare tactics could use some tweaking, that’s all.” Morgan waited for David to respond, but he didn’t. He laced his fingers together and rested his pointer fingers against his lips as he thought. There was no sense in pushing it. “Well, I’ll let you think
about my proposition. While I’
m here, I’m going to grab some things from my office. If I hurry I can be back in Kentucky tonight
if you don’t need anything else
.” Morgan stood up and
slung her purse strap
over her shoulder.

“Thank you, Miss Hamilton. We’ll be in touch.” Morgan nodded and flashed a smile before turning on her heel and walking out of the office. “Oh, and Miss Hamilton. We really need those farms
and your clock is ticking
,” David called after her.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get them for you,” Morgan said earnestly before walking out the door.

Miles finished cleaning the kitchen and stared at the business card Cade had left. He picked it up for a closer look. The doctor specialized in PTSD treatment. He opened a drawer and tossed it in. He had way more important things to worry about than
spilling his guts to a shrink.

“Come on boy, let’s get to bed
.
” Bill wagged his tail
,
his short legs rush
ing
to keep up with Miles as they
checked the locks and armed the security control.

Miles stripped of
f
his clothes and pulled down the sheets
on
his bed. His legs slid around the soft cotton as he pulled the sheets up to his bare chest. For the first time in his life Miles thought his bed seemed lonely. A picture of Morgan’s black hair
,
fanned out over his white sheets
,
sent a shot of pleasure through his gut. Could something so wrong be so right?

Afghanistan,
s
ix
y
ears ago…

Miles
felt his heart beating rapidly as he
pushed
a bloody, battered
,
and unconscious
Cade into the car
. He
grabbed the keys
and slowly walked around to the trunk. The pounding slowed and he
envisioned
the person in the trunk straining to hear if anyone was coming.
Miles took a deep breath and felt the tug of the bullet wound. He took a couple more
calming breaths
and felt centered. He raised his gun and got ready
to open
the trunk. He heard every click
as he slowly slid the key into place. He opened the trunk and jumped back. Geese
honked as they spilled out of th
e trunk and ran off into the de
sert
.