Read Online Justice Reborn (Cowboy Justice Association Book 8) by Olivia Jaymes - Free Book Online
Authors: Olivia Jaymes
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smart, and gorgeous, she’d kept him laughing and smiling the entire day. It was the best date he’d been on in years. And it wasn’t even a real date.
He’d had relationships in the past, including a short friends with benefits thing with his former partner Marisa. They hadn’t had much in the way of tender feelings for one another if he was truthful. Mostly he had been convenient for her and she had been the same for him. They worked long hours and having any sort of romantic life was difficult, if not downright impossible. It helped that they both knew how the job worked.
Things had ended long before he’d been shot and without much fanfare. As if it had never happened, they went back to being partners and friends with barely a ripple on the surface of their relationship. But perhaps Marisa had been more involved than he had thought if she couldn’t give up on the idea of him returning to the Marshal Service. She was spending way too much of her time worrying about his stupid ass and that wasn’t good. He didn’t want to hurt her but he simply didn’t have any feelings for her…like that. She was a good friend and that was it.
“Are you going to be able to walk?” Evan asked when he pulled in front of his house. “Do you need some help getting out of the car?”
She’d already promised him that she would soak in a hot bath when she returned to her motel room. He reminded himself to pull a tube of muscle cream out of the medicine cabinet as well or she might not even be able to get out of bed tomorrow. If he thought she’d take it, he’d give her another day off but he knew she was desperate for the money. He’d just make sure that whatever he gave her to do tomorrow was relatively easy, like sorting through stacks of newspaper and magazines. She could do that sitting down.
Lisa’s lips pressed together and her green eyes sparkled in challenge. “Of course I can walk. I’m just sore. A bath and a few ibuprofen and I’ll be good as new.”
She was fibbing and putting on a brave show but he could tell she was highly uncomfortable. He wanted to sweep her off her feet and carry her into the house but he’d probably get a knee in the balls for his trouble. She was an independent cuss with a tart tongue and she didn’t like him fussing over her like when he reminded her to drink her water or take a break. Independent as hell.
He didn’t bother to argue with her, instead grabbing the pizza box from the back seat along with the six-pack of cold soda. It wasn’t easy to keep his mouth shut as he watched her take every excruciating step to the front door, especially when she tried to hide her wince at the porch steps, but he somehow managed to keep from remarking on her difficulty. He was skating on thin ice as it was by continuing to push the subject.
Closed up all day, the house was stifling but he opened a few windows and the slight cross breeze was quickly cooling down the living room. Every piece of furniture had stacks of crap on it and he realized they didn’t have anywhere to sit and eat.
He hadn’t thought this through at all.
“It’s such a nice night. Why don’t we eat on the front porch?” Lisa suggested, her gaze sweeping the room. Even if the couch had been cleared it clearly wasn’t clean enough to eat on.
But the front porch had an old metal table with two rickety chairs he was pretty sure would still hold their weight. It wasn’t fancy and it wasn’t hygienic but it would have to do.
“That’s a good idea.”
It had been Lisa’s idea to come back here. She had been persuasive, clearly still uneasy around the residents of Cypress Corner. Whenever anyone would stop by their table to chat Lisa would drop her gaze and study her shoes, only interacting if Evan forced her to. He respected that she liked to keep to herself though so he tried to let her have her way. He handed the pizza to Lisa while he retrieved supplies from the kitchen, juggling the sodas, paper plates,
He’d had relationships in the past, including a short friends with benefits thing with his former partner Marisa. They hadn’t had much in the way of tender feelings for one another if he was truthful. Mostly he had been convenient for her and she had been the same for him. They worked long hours and having any sort of romantic life was difficult, if not downright impossible. It helped that they both knew how the job worked.
Things had ended long before he’d been shot and without much fanfare. As if it had never happened, they went back to being partners and friends with barely a ripple on the surface of their relationship. But perhaps Marisa had been more involved than he had thought if she couldn’t give up on the idea of him returning to the Marshal Service. She was spending way too much of her time worrying about his stupid ass and that wasn’t good. He didn’t want to hurt her but he simply didn’t have any feelings for her…like that. She was a good friend and that was it.
“Are you going to be able to walk?” Evan asked when he pulled in front of his house. “Do you need some help getting out of the car?”
She’d already promised him that she would soak in a hot bath when she returned to her motel room. He reminded himself to pull a tube of muscle cream out of the medicine cabinet as well or she might not even be able to get out of bed tomorrow. If he thought she’d take it, he’d give her another day off but he knew she was desperate for the money. He’d just make sure that whatever he gave her to do tomorrow was relatively easy, like sorting through stacks of newspaper and magazines. She could do that sitting down.
Lisa’s lips pressed together and her green eyes sparkled in challenge. “Of course I can walk. I’m just sore. A bath and a few ibuprofen and I’ll be good as new.”
She was fibbing and putting on a brave show but he could tell she was highly uncomfortable. He wanted to sweep her off her feet and carry her into the house but he’d probably get a knee in the balls for his trouble. She was an independent cuss with a tart tongue and she didn’t like him fussing over her like when he reminded her to drink her water or take a break. Independent as hell.
He didn’t bother to argue with her, instead grabbing the pizza box from the back seat along with the six-pack of cold soda. It wasn’t easy to keep his mouth shut as he watched her take every excruciating step to the front door, especially when she tried to hide her wince at the porch steps, but he somehow managed to keep from remarking on her difficulty. He was skating on thin ice as it was by continuing to push the subject.
Closed up all day, the house was stifling but he opened a few windows and the slight cross breeze was quickly cooling down the living room. Every piece of furniture had stacks of crap on it and he realized they didn’t have anywhere to sit and eat.
He hadn’t thought this through at all.
“It’s such a nice night. Why don’t we eat on the front porch?” Lisa suggested, her gaze sweeping the room. Even if the couch had been cleared it clearly wasn’t clean enough to eat on.
But the front porch had an old metal table with two rickety chairs he was pretty sure would still hold their weight. It wasn’t fancy and it wasn’t hygienic but it would have to do.
“That’s a good idea.”
It had been Lisa’s idea to come back here. She had been persuasive, clearly still uneasy around the residents of Cypress Corner. Whenever anyone would stop by their table to chat Lisa would drop her gaze and study her shoes, only interacting if Evan forced her to. He respected that she liked to keep to herself though so he tried to let her have her way. He handed the pizza to Lisa while he retrieved supplies from the kitchen, juggling the sodas, paper plates,
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