Page 29 of Jason's Justice
CHAPTER 12
Erin walkedinto the barn being used as an office for Jason, Ilsa, and Kevin and stood there for several minutes to allow her eyes to adjust from being out in the bright sunlight. She saw all three with their heads bent, and watched for several seconds. She grinned when Jason lifted his head and gave a start at seeing her there.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“We can take a break.”
“How’s the case going?”
“Good, we were given a windfall and have been combing through the details.” He waved his hand to indicate all the papers strewn on the table between the three of them, then several stacks off to the side sitting on another table. “Did you need something?”
“Yes. I’m not accusing you of anything, but no one’s seen you except for coming and going for weeks.”
“What do you mean, weeks?” Ilsa asked as she leaned back in her chair and rubbed the back of her neck like she was in pain.
“Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.”
“What? No, we haven’t been here that long!” She looked at the men and saw shock on their expressions also. “You’re telling us we’ve been here for three weeks already?”
“Well, technically, it has been four. I just wanted to check in with you. I told you when you first arrived that we use this building as a meeting place. I’m here to let you know that people will be in and out all day getting ready for the Thanksgiving dinner we’re planning for around four. The people coming and going will be dropping off crockpots of their dish to pass, and plugging them in here.”
“What do you want us to bring?” Kevin asked as he leaned back in his chair to stretch.
“We’ve got the basics pretty much covered, you know turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, corn casserole, biscuits, and pies. If there’s anything you always serve for the holiday, or a family favorite, feel free to bring it. Like I said, we’ll be eating at four.”
“Thanks,” Jason said, and looked at the others in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
“One, I never learned how to cook until I arrived here, Ilsa and Kevin have been showing me some basics. With that said, I don’t know of any special family dishes. I’m only stating this because I haven’t celebrated any holiday in over thirty years. When I left for college, I never went back home. Not that I didn’t want to, and I’m not saying this to cry in my soup, but my parents were just enough of a couple of bastards to disown me because I went to college. I should have been a golden story, first one to ever attend, and all that, but no, I was treated like a piranha because I didn’t want to continue to live in poverty. I was able to get a full ride scholarship, and worked at law offices during the holidays. When I did attempt to go home, they wouldn’t let me in. They even threw all my things I left behindaway.” He shook his head sadly, then looked at them with a smirk.
“What?” Erin asked as she walked forward and took a seat across from him. She loved hearing other people’s stories, and hoped that what she’d developed with Broken would help them heal. Not that Jason was there to work with the horses and people at Broken, but maybe the atmosphere would calm him. Not that he seemed upset, but it was something to think about.
“Ten years after I graduated in college, got my law license, and started working, one of my cousins saw me in the town I lived in at the time, halfway across the country from where I grew up. Anyway, you’ll never guess what they saw me doing.”
“What?” the others asked.
“I was a lowly prosecutor for the city I lived in, Charleston, North Carolina, and he was one of the men sitting in the waiting area in cuffs. As soon as I knew who it was, I had to tell the judge I had to recuse myself, because we were related by blood. He, my cousin, not the judge, was pissed to say the least. He thought because we were blood, I could get him off. I believe it was drug charges and driving under the influence of those drugs. There was no alcohol in his system, just drugs. I believe, by me recusing myself, that set my career on the right path. Because within a year after that time, I was promoted, then went up through the ranks.”
“Is that the only family you saw after they kicked you out?”
“No, my cousin was given six months in jail, and mandatory rehab once he got out. While he was in jail for those six months, he wrote letters to my parents and siblings, along with his parents telling them how successful I was.” He chuckled as he shook his head. “He also said that I was so full of myself that I wouldn’t get him off on his charges. One thing I forgot to mention was that when I went away to college, he got into trouble back home and his parents kicked him out.Hewas theone that threw all my things out because my parents allowed him to move in with them and take over my room. He basically took over my place in that home and didn’t want my things to remind him that he didn’t belong.”
He leaned forward and emptied his coffee cup, then walked over and filled it from the pot they made every day. With the cup in his hand, he wandered around for several minutes before he went back to the table.
“After my cousin got out of jail, he showed up at my work with my parents, his parents, and all our siblings. Including me, there were twenty people in the reception area. They didn’t ask for me, they asked for my boss.”
“Why?” Erin asked in confusion.
“Because they thought if they went to my boss, he could force me to support them. If I refused, then they were willing to tell her, my boss, to make my paychecks out to them, and leave me with only five percent to live on.”
“Holy shit, that’s absurd. I take it she didn’t do that?”
“No, she told them to come back in two days’ time. All of them. As soon as she left, she called me into her office and told me what they wanted. Then she came up with a plan. We talked it over, and brought in several other lawyers from the office. We were able to draw up legal papers that they would be served with if they continued to harass me.”
“Oh god, this is like watching a train wreck.” Erin giggled. “Not that your life is funny, but I’m dying to know what happened when your family returned.”
