Jackson by LaQuette

Author:LaQuette
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2020-12-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Aja felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket as she chopped salad fixings and placed them in a decorative pattern inside the oversize bowl in front of her. She put the knife down and wiped her hands quickly on a nearby hand towel before she retrieved her phone. She smiled as Mat Ryan’s name flashed across her screen. “Mat, how are you this late afternoon?”

“Good. But I’m more concerned about you. It’s all over town that the sheriff was at your house night before last. Is everything all right? Did something happen with Brooklyn and Seneca?”

Aja bit her lip to keep from cursing the Fresh Springs gossip mill. “Everything is fine, Mat. Brooklyn and Seneca are great. We had a minor disturbance on the ranch that had nothing to do with the ladies. We handled it, and the sheriff came to take a routine report and left shortly after.”

“Are you sure? If the women are posing a threat, we can revisit moving them.”

Aja took a deep breath. This was exactly what she was afraid of. She didn’t want Brooklyn and Seneca displaced or, worse, sent back to prison because of some faceless phantom who’d decided terrorizing her land and her people would be fun.

“Mat, I do not want the women moved. They are doing an excellent job here. They’re thriving. We’ve gotten another construction crew to finish what the last crew started. The permits are in place, the sites are already cleared, the foundations laid, and my materials are already here. They can have the work finished in about four months. Four months, Mat. That’s all it will take to realize all of our hard work. Don’t take that away by removing Brooklyn and Seneca from the ranch now. They need this win as much as I do.”

He was quiet for a moment. So quiet, Aja pulled the phone from her ear to make certain the call was still connected. “Aja, you make a compelling argument. But as their parole officer, my job isn’t only to make sure they’re following all the rules but also that they’re in an environment that isn’t filled with criminal activity. There’s been so much going on. Not to mention, you’ve added three live-in workers on your ranch without telling me.”

She rubbed her temple, trying her best to hold on to her temper. “The terms of my contract with Pathways mentioned nothing about clearing my personnel with you. Although I am happy to take part, I still have a business to run that has nothing to do with the state or this program.”

She heard him clear his throat. She was fond of Mat and treated him with respect because it made things easier for her workers. But the ranch was hers, and if she needed to remind him of that, she had no problem doing so.

“Forgive me,” he said. “I didn’t mean to suggest it was a requirement. We’ve had a wonderful working relationship until now. I’m just a little concerned about your workers.

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