Page 12 of Stone Cold Sinner

“Geez, Nash. I didn’t know you could be so sweet. Shopping for her to sell the story?” Devyn swiped away a tear.

“Couldn’t come home empty-handed every time, or eventually someone would notice. That’s how I met her nurse, Charlotte. She was real sweet on Mama. They were like peas in a pod. She even brought us home-cooked meals when she knew we were staying in town at a hotel so we weren’t eatin’ poorly. Kept me company. Helped with Mama when it was especially bad and I didn’t know what to do or how to help her through it.”

“She sounds like a saint,” Coy added. “I don’t believe that’s protocol.”

“Not at all. Just a genuinely sweet girl. She took Mama’s passin’ pretty hard. Those two bonded quickly, and I do believe Mama was playin’ matchmaker all the way to the funeral,” Nash said.

They all laughed.

Coy shook his head at the thought. “That sounds like her.”

“I owe you an apology, brother,” Cut said. “I gave you so much crap for always takin’ off and being so absent ––I assumed you were up to your regular shenanigans, but you were takin’ care of her.”

“Oh, I still got into some shenanigans here and there. It’s how I coped, I suppose, but mostly, I was with Mama. The time with her and doing that for her was worth the shit you gave me.”

“That we all gave you.” Devyn smiled. “You’re a good one, Nash Stone.”

4

“Who plowed up my garden?” Nash fumed as he charged into the kitchen, startling everyone.

“If you mean that half an acre or so of marijuana plants…” Coy grinned. “Me.”

Cut turned his head quickly. “You’re growing… weed? Here? Did you happen to forget your niece and nephews live here? Play out there?”

“It’s not like they go around chewing on random plants around the property,” Nash fired back.

“Not the point, Nash,” Cut said.

“Then what is?”

“The point is it’s illegal.” Coy stood between his brothers.

Nash shrugged. “Not everywhere.”

“Wow. Not everywhere? That’s your reasoning? So, what, you’re a pothead dealer now?” Cut asked. “Dealing where it isn’t illegal?”

“Oh great. That’ll be a fun one to defend,” Devyn chided. “Never thought when I signed up to be a lawyer that it would be my own brother, the small-town drug lord, who kept me in business.”

“No and no.” Nash sneered. “I don’t do drugs, nor do I sell them.”

“Then why the plants?” Coy asked.

“Land lease,” Nash said matter-of-factly. “They’re going to harvest the plants when they mature and sell them. I get twenty-five percent. Well, were… So, no liability.”

Coy shook his head. “Wrong. You hold all the liability. It’s here, on our property. Not your customers.”

“He’s right, Nash,” Devyn confirmed. “It also means everyone on the ranch goes down as an accessory at a minimum, with possession with the intent to distribute charges and… Should I go on?”

Nash crossed his arms across his chest and thought about her claim a moment. “Well, all I’m sayin’ is, it should be legal then nobody would have anything to worry about. If it’s fine to have in some places, shouldn’t it be fine everywhere? Anything you can do about that, Ran?”

“Not a chance.” Ransom laughed. “I deal with other stuff in the oval that’s much bigger than… weed. Not sure that’s the legacy I would want to leave our country with. Besides, the countdown is on, and I only have a handful of weeks left before I pass the torch to the next commander-in-chief.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Nash agreed. “I was just… trying to raise funds. Help pay the medical debt from Mama’s treatments and such.”

“That’s all taken care of,” Coy said.

“Not all of it. Has anyone dug into the financials at all?” Nash asked.

---