Free Rising Storm by Kathleen Brooks Page B

watched as he debated what he wanted to do and he also watched the way Katelyn tried to hide her complete embarrassment.
    "Fine. I'm sorry I yelled and even though you should be arrested, I'll let it go this time."
    "He should’ve stopped after I'm sorry ," Miss Daisy said to her sisters who all nodded in agreement.
    "Okay. I'm sorry. Is that good enough?"
    "Humph."
    And with that the people of Keeneston turned and went back into the café leaving Mr. Jacks and his entourage on the sidewalk.
    "I'm sorry for the trouble Sheriff," Katelyn said in a quiet voice. She was shy now, clearly upset at what had happened.
    "It's alright. I should thank you for getting me out of a dinner at home."
    Katelyn gave him a weak smile and ushered her dad into the big shiny black SUV waiting for him. Marshall looked down at his watch and smiled. Darn, too late for dessert at his mom's house. Too bad. Now it was time to play poker with the guys. But, he couldn't escape the bad feeling that he had jumped to some very wrong conclusions about Katelyn Jacks.

Chapter Seven
     
    "I fold." Marshall laid his cards down and took a drink of his bourbon and coke. He was almost out of chips and it couldn't be soon enough. His mind was not in the game. He might as well just hand over his money.
    "Marshall, ante up."
    Cade nudged him and raised his eyebrow in question. Marshall tossed a chip into the center of the table and looked around Miles' new house as he waited for the bets to be placed. Miles had gone away from the traditional farmhouse that he, their parents, and Cade lived in, to a contemporary house with large windows overlooking the farm.
    The house was extravagant in a totally understated way. It had large ceilings, two-story windows, and everything state of the art, shiny and new. It wasn't his style, but Miles had always been a little different from the rest of them. He liked suits and working in the corporate world. His house reflected it with sleek furniture and fancy artwork.
    "Are you going to bet?" Cade asked him. "Or are you going to sit there staring off into space for the rest of the night?"
    Marshall looked down at his cards. Nothing. Aw, what the heck.
    "All in."
     
    Twenty minutes later he sat down in a black leather chair and looked out over the fields as he sipped his drink. He saw Miles' reflection in the window and looked at his big brother.
    "The house looks great Mi."
    "Thanks. Now tell me what's going on."
    "Just sitting here."
    "You know that's not what I mean."
    "Yeah, I know. Just thinking I made a mistake and I hate when I do that." Marshall looked down at the amber liquid in his glass and thought about Katelyn.
    Miles clasped his shoulder and walked back to the poker table. Marshall's hand squeezed the tumbler as his thoughts turned to what Katelyn was doing now. She was probably with Ahmed, crying on his shoulder over her father's behavior. It should be his shoulder she was crying on. He downed the rest of his drink and reached for the decanter.
    He had made a colossal mistake. He had been an ass for judging her on the basis of her father's actions. One of his first security assignments when he opened his own firm after he got out of the Army had been Jack Jacks. He had called and was coming into Lexington to ink a big deal for a new hotel.
    The guy had been an entitled prick the whole time. He ordered people about constantly. He treated his assistants horribly. He berated them, ignored them, and yelled at them. To add insult to injury, he never once said thank you. It was just one demand after another.
    Marshall had listened to him during his meeting about Katelyn, his hot shot model daughter, and just assumed she was as bad as her father. She had always been so quiet and cold when he saw her around town. But, he realized that was just his prejudice blinding him. He had mistaken shyness for coldness. He had mistaken her quietness for arrogance and snobbery.
    What an idiot he had been. He had never even given her a