Page 34 of Stone Cold Sinner

“What a day.” Charlotte paused, her expression shifting as she processed the day's events. “One minute, I’m on my way here to meet the people I’ve heard so much about, have a barbecue, and make my famous potato salad. Next thing you know, I’m sewing up bullet holes and meeting… secret operatives like it’s a live-action-adventure movie, and I’m one of the characters.”

“Oh great.” Nash tossed his hands in the air and pushed the bowl of shucked corn he’d been working on aside. “You guys are scaring her.”

“Oh, no.” Charlotte corrected and went back to peeling the rest of her potatoes, “Quite the contrary. It’s fascinating! You had… a crazy gun-wielding day with a near-death experience, and here we are, going about the barbecue like it’s just another day at the office.”

Dillon chuckled, “This is why Mama liked her so much.”

“This isn’t a typical day for some of us,” Kenzie said. “But to be fair, we all still have to eat, and there are a bunch of agents protecting us who need to be fed, too.”

“And I’m happy to help.” Charlotte said as she finished chopping up a pile of vegetables for her famous potato salad and walked them to the stove, “When Lilah said y’all were a fun bunch, who loved each other as hard as you fought for each other and the kind of people you want to know… she left a lot out. No wonder she always seemed so worried.”

“After what you saw today, and what you… had to do, I’d say you certainly have the stomach for it.” Coy added as he grabbed a plate of meat to take out to the grill just outside the door.

“Nothing this interesting ever happens in Coyote Creek. But I have to say, I do agree with what Cut said earlier. This isn’t over a few marijuana plants or what y’all were calling the special garden. Which,” Charlotte stood over a boiling pot on the stove and quickly turned to Nash, waving a wooden spoon at him, “What were you thinking, Nash? Marijuana? Right here on your family ranch? There’s bad luck, then there’s just plain bad judgment, and you dabbled with the latter, baby.”

“What was I thinking? I was thinking cancer is expensive, and so is running this ranch.” Nash defended, sounding surprised by Charlotte’s question.

“Well, your heart was in the right place, sweetheart, but this is when you share the burden, sworn to secrecy or not, with your family.” Charlotte took her big pot of boiled potatoes to the table where Nash was sitting and sat beside him. “Or me. We can’t look out for each other and take care of one another if we don’t know how. Communication will be our survival or our demise, hon. It’s your choice.”

“Wow. I like her.” Dillon whispered to Ransom, loud enough for everyone to hear, then addressed Nash directly, “Don’t screw this up, baby brother. We’re liable to keep her and boot you from the family.”

Nash put up his hands in surrender, “Doing my best not to.”

“Hold on. Let’s circle back.” Coy interrupted from the grill outside. “Charlotte, you said you agree with Cut. Why do you think this seems like more than a few plants? I’m interested to hear it from your perspective.”

“Because it’s only marijuana. It may be illegal, but it isn’t hard to find, even in Coyote Creek. Between patients who use it legally and those we treat in the ER who possess or partake illegally, the violent aspect of what happened today does not match either demographic. If you know what I mean. Today’s behavior says something else. This is… different.” She said.

“You sound like you’re speaking as more than a nurse.” Coy assessed. “What are you thinking?”

“Well,” She began, sitting taller, as if the pride in her words fueled her confidence. “My father… he’s a retired Border Agent. I’ve heard so many stories over the years and followed so many of his cases, and this feels more in line with some of those. I don’t have an answer other than this: It has the branding of something more established and sophisticated. Nothin’ small town about this one.”

“Organized crime.” Coy deadpanned and looked to Dillon, who knew all too well where he was going with this. Both had been involved in more cases revolving around some of the most prominent players in that arena than they could count. In more recent years, cartels, and they were perfectly situated to take cartel heat, as close as they were to common border crossings they’d both monitored, and policed, more than they cared to admit.

Dillon nodded in agreement, “This does have the markings of a cartel hit or something of that nature, but two things aren’t adding up. First, nobody is active in this area. We’ve seen to that and dismantled several cells that had been in the southern states. Those still thriving aren’t doing it here because of what we’ve done to keep them away.”

“Which means you or I could’ve brought this here. Though, poachers with bad timing could still be on the table,” Coy said. “What’s the second piece not adding up for you?”

“Since when did the cartel get into the small crop weed game? They’re bigger hitters with bigger prizes to fill the streets with.” She shared. “Not the right product for their business. Not enough money in it to sustain them, especially after the hits they’ve been taking from our employer.”

Coy nodded in agreement, then dropped the bomb nobody had considered just yet, “They are in the business of getting rid of dead bodies, though.”

12

“You’ve been home a few days now. Dead bodies, marijuana, and funerals aside… how’s it been?” Kenzie asked Coy while they were doing the dishes together.

Coy looked at her and hesitated to answer as he pondered the question, “That’s the discussion we’re going to have while washing dishes. Okay… How’s it been? Good, hard, overwhelming, heartbreaking, frustrating… fulfilling.”

“That’s a lot of emotions.” She snickered. “Care to elaborate?”

Coy looked out the large picture window above the kitchen sink, where he saw Dillon and Ransom sitting next to the fire pit, completely absorbed with each other as if they didn’t have a worry in the world despite what was transpiring around them. When you had that kind of love, he supposed, there wasn’t much that could shake your bond and trust in each other. He missed that.

Then to Devyn, who flipped through paperwork at a nearby outdoor table as she made multiple piles, organizing whatever she was working on. Deep in thought, she loved every minute of it… until one of the agents went by and caught her attention instead. She wandered off alongside the agent like a puppy looking for love, wondering if this was her guy.

But then he noticed that she stopped at a certain point, where the grass ended and loose gravel drive began. A look of fear filled her as she looked back at the house as if gauging how safe she was being that far away. She ultimately went back to the table she’d been sitting at instead of flirting with the agent. She was frightened, rightfully and understandably so. The day’s events were more than she’d ever witnessed and would likely haunt her for some time. It didn’t matter if this was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time or an intentional hit attempt. It was damn frightening either way. Devyn kept looking back at the house as if she was making sure it was still there –– a sanctuary, protection, where it seemed she felt safe. The look on her face spelled terror. Coy hated that she seemed to feel that kind of fear.

He also couldn’t help but notice Nash gently pushing Charlotte on an old swing that hung from an old oak tree that they’d had since they were all as young as Cut’s kids. Charlotte had some sort of flower tucked in her hair that Coy witnessed Nash pick just for her. New love, he thought. A different side to his little brother than anything he’d seen before in him. This wasn’t just a fling or someone to fill his time. Nash was attentive and made thoughtful gestures, and every crackle of the fire had him on high alert, taking in his surroundings like a protector ready to fight for her safety.

He liked seeing that side of Nash. It was new. Fresh. Hopeful. Or was it? Coy had been gone for so long that there was a disconnect despite his deep love for all of them. One he’d created. One he’d chosen. All in the name of keeping them safe, but the longer he was home, the more he wondered if it was more than that. Was it really to keep them safe and keep his world outside of theirs? Or was it more about protecting his heart because the greater the love, the greater the hurt, not if, but when, something happened. Either way, there was a good chance these new qualities he saw in each of his siblings may not have been new at all. He just hadn’t been around to watch them grow into who they were now, and he was stuck in a time long since passed where everyone had moved on… but him.

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