Page 21 of Home for Justice
“Yes, he did. Sorry, I should’ve led with that reassurance.”
“You don’t owe me anything.” Justice shook her head lightly. “I’d love it if you didn’t sell, because Anthony Milton has a reputation for destroying land and building poorly constructed condos to make quick money. I’d rather not live next door to something like that. But ultimately, you have to do what’s best for you.”
Wanting to ease the moment, Tyler shifted to safer ground. “How’s the town these days? I know the area well from visits, but living here will be different.”
“There are new restaurants and shops,” she said, warming to the topic. “The bar is still popular, and we now have a shopping center nearby for groceries and home essentials.” Her gaze softened again, curiosity lighting her eyes. “Now that you’re out of the Army, do you have another career or job lined up?”
He shrugged, unsure of how much she knew about Lighthouse Security Investigations. “I have a few options I’m considering.”
Justice stood and gathered the dishes, and he quickly followed. Nudging her gently aside, he took over rinsing. “You brought pie. I’ll wash up.”
She chuckled softly and covered the pie before returning it to the refrigerator. When she turned, he was drying his hands and neatly hanging the towel. They faced each other, leaning casually against the counter, the silence between them both comfortable and charged.
Eventually, Justice’s smile broke through, brightening her face. “It’s getting late. I should head home.”
Tyler walked her to the door, surprised when he saw no vehicle outside. “You walked?”
“Your house is just across the field. It’s hardly far.”
“Then I’ll walk you home.”
She started to protest, but he shook his head firmly. “Gramps would kick my ass if I didn’t. Besides, I want to.”
As they walked side by side for the ten minutes it took to get to her house, their conversation dwindled comfortably. At her back door, she faced him, her eyes soft. “Tyler, despite the circumstances, I’m truly glad we met.”
His arms gently wrapped around her, his chin resting on her head. “Sometimes everyone needs a hug.”
She laughed softly against his chest. “You’re absolutely right.”
As she stepped inside, she turned back with a whisper, “See you soon.”
“Count on it,” he promised, feeling more peace than he’d felt in years as he walked home beneath the vast Montana sky.
11
Justice walked into the garage the following morning, her step buoyant and a lingering smile still lighting her face. It was the same gentle smile she’d glimpsed in the reflection of her sliding glass door the night before, as Tyler’s quiet promise to see her soon had echoed in her mind. The same warmth had carried her to bed, lingering in the corners of her dreams, and greeted her once more this morning as she’d brushed her hair and prepared for the day.
“You look mighty chipper today,” Tommy observed as he and Carla leaned on the counter. Tommy had been a constant in her life since high school, a sturdy friend through vocational education classes, and now a trusted employee at the garage. She had asked him once why he’d never opened his own place, but his answer had always stuck with her.
“Why the hell would I want all the headache of running my own business? Your dad hired me straight outta mechanic school, pays me a good salary, and I get to spend my days elbow-deep in grease instead of shuffling pointless pieces of paper around some godforsaken desk.”
She’d always appreciated his blunt honesty, and on particularly frustrating days, she wholeheartedly agreed with him.
Now, feeling her cheeks warm under the scrutiny, Justice simply shrugged in response to his observation. “Some days, life just feels especially good.”
A gruff chuckle drew her attention across the shop floor. Ruddy was barrel-chested and hearty, with hair and beard that defied taming, and was wiping his oil-covered hands on a rag. He kept half the county’s farm equipment running smoothly and wasn’t shy about voicing his opinions. “Wouldn’t have anything to do with your new neighbor, would it?”
Justice felt a flush rise, but before she could answer, Ruddy kept going, his voice deep and loud enough to echo off the shop walls. “Figured you’d been worried he might sell out to that shithead developer. Maybe you finally got good news that he wasn’t.”
She glanced around the room and through the glass window that separated the reception area from the garage. Gazes shifted toward her from beneath lifted hoods and over cluttered workbenches, hands tossed up in waves.
Gathering herself, she sighed gently and shook her head, her tone calm and diplomatic. “I’ve met Charlie’s grandson, Tyler. He’s very nice. We discussed the developer briefly, but it’s ultimately his decision to make. It’s not my place to push him one way or the other.”
Ruddy’s broad face twisted in a grimace, grease smudging his forehead as he frowned while walking in from the garage. “Charlie wouldn’t have sold. No way in hell!”
“I know, Ruddy,” she assured. “But Charlie isn’t here now. Tyler’s got a lot to handle with the estate and deciding what’s best. I just want to be neighborly.”
“Tyler? So you’re already on a first-name basis?” Sharon teased as she stood in the doorway, her eyebrows arching suggestively. Sharon was a slender powerhouse, fiercely loyal, and forever grateful to Justice’s dad for hiring her when no other shop would give a female a chance.
