Free Judging Judas (Tarnished Saints Series Book 3) by Elizabeth Rose Page B

Simon was in the Navy but I hear he’s in the Caribbean doing something right now. And John is next in line after Pete, and lives out in Alaska. He called Thomas recently saying he couldn’t come back right now because he was training sled dogs for the Iditarod or some fool thing.”
    “Wow, that’s exciting,” she said, scratching off another number and blowing the silver crumbs off the box top. “I don’t really remember your younger brothers at all.”
    “I don’t suppose you would, since they are so much younger. But Philip is a teacher in France and Andrew a firefighter.”
    “Do you thin k they’ll come back to Sweet Water too?”
    “Who knows. B ut if I were Philip I’m not sure I’d want to leave France. And Andrew probably wouldn’t step foot back in town since we don’t even have a fire station.”
    “And how about the last two?”
    “Well, Nate is the musician and is living the good life in the Caribbean right now with our youngest brother, Thad.”
    “And what does Thad do?”
    “Besides run around wild and stir up trouble . . . I’m not even sure.”
    “Oh, so he’s a lot like J.D.”
    “I guess you could say that. But even if he’s only in his early twenties, it doesn’t mean he has a right to screw up his life. The kid needs guidance.”
    “So is Thomas going to bring them back by any chance when he’s done with his honeymoon?”
    “That’s the plan,” said Judas, devouring another donut. “So, we’ll see how it all works out. But when Thad comes back, rest assured his older brothers are not going to let him get away with shit.”
    “Easier said than done,” she mumbled.
    “So, what about your family?” he asked. “I remember you had an older sister, Karen was it?”
    “I do. But sh e got married and moved to Australia years ago. She has two boys who are a few years younger than J.D., but we never see them. Actually, I was hoping to go visit her some day.”
    “And are your parents still alive?”
    “My mother passed away a few years ago. My dad is still as ornery as always and living with Karen now. I used to call him on the phone every Sunday, but then he stopped coming to the phone after awhile. We haven’t spoken since he found out J.D. was pregnant.”
    “Sorry to hear that.”
    She felt like she needed to lighten the mood, and held up the lottery card pretending like she’d won something, tho she hadn’t. “Oh wow, I just won a thousand dollars!” she said and looked up to him with a playful smile.
    He picked up his cigarette and took a drag and released the smoke slowly from his mouth. “You’re forgetting I’ m a sheriff,” he told her in a low, sexy voice. “I can tell when someone is lying.”
    “ Hmmm. Wouldn’t you like to know,” she said, glancing at him in a flirting manner and holding the card against her chest.
    “Let me see that,” he said, swiping out his hand for the card but she moved it away quickly.
    “Oh, so that’s how you want to play it,” he said with a smile , tossing his cigarette into the brass spittoon on the floor behind him. He got up from the chair and grabbed both her hands. Then he sat back down the right way on the chair and pulled her atop his lap.
    “What are you doing? ” she squealed with laughter.
    “ I love it when you laugh,” he told her. “And what’s the matter? You always liked to sit on my lap before.” His hands snaked around her and he pulled her closer.
    “That was when we we re dating,” she said, pushing his hands from her waist.
    “But we’re going to be married in a couple of days,” he told her, this time reaching up and running his hand over her hair and then letting it slide down the side of her face.
    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling her senses reeling. When she opened them, he was looking at her as if he could see through to her very soul.
    “I really want to kiss you, Laney,” he said, and she felt surprised a man like him would even ask permission. She