Mint Juleps and Justice Read online

  ALSO BY NANCY NAIGLE

  The Adams Grove Series

  Sweet Tea and Secrets

  Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes

  Out of Focus

  Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies

  Stand Alone Books

  InkBLOT, co-written with Phyllis C. Johnson under the pen name of Johnson Naigle

  In for a Penny, co-written with Kelsey Browning

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Text copyright © 2014 Nancy Naigle

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle

  www.apub.com

  ISBN-13: 9781477849477

  ISBN-10: 1477849475

  Cover design by 4windowsstudio

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2013913287

  To all of the new friends I’ve made through the small town of Adams Grove. Thanks for reading the series and allowing me to live out a lifelong dream. May our connections remain small-town strong.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CHAPTER ONE

  Who would have thought there’d be more excitement in the little town of Adams Grove than in the resort city of Virginia Beach? Okay, maybe not on any given day, but today for sure.

  It was eight o’clock sharp when Brooke Justice breezed into the Cooperative Extension office to grab her things and get on the road. She had a string of farm visits scheduled, and even though the temperatures were going to be in the high nineties with humidity to match, she was looking forward to them. Meeting with local producers was her favorite part of the job, and the last visit on her list today was one she’d been looking forward to all week. Country superstar Cody Tuggle had recently announced his engagement to local photographer Kasey Phillips, and they planned to set up a new facility for racehorses on her property here in Adams Grove. It was Brooke’s job, as the county extension agent, to help them put together a pasture-management and grazing plan specific to their needs.

  When she transferred from Virginia Beach to the position here in Holland County, she never dreamed she might get to mingle with the rich and famous in such a little town.

  Just the remote possibility of getting to see Cody Tuggle in person was going to make the rest of this day drag. Her best friend, Jenny, would flat-out lose it if she knew there was a chance of her meeting Cody today on the farm visit, which was exactly why she hadn’t mentioned this assignment to her yet. Cody probably had “people” to talk to her about the land, but it was still a possibility he might be there. She crossed her fingers. Never hurts to add a little luck.

  Transferring from her old position had been one of the hardest decisions she’d faced. Those farmers back in Virginia Beach had taught her as much as she had them in the beginning. College hadn’t prepared her for the real-life problems farmers faced, but she’d been a quick study and they’d taken her under their wing. She loved that job, but her separation from Keith had gotten out of control, and putting some miles between them and their broken marriage seemed like the right thing to do when the opportunity arose.

  Brooke gathered a stack of soil-sample kits and a notebook with the list of her appointments for the day, then grabbed the keys to the truck the county provided for her use. She headed out the back door of the Main Street office where the truck was parked.

  The little white four-wheel-drive pickup was much more suitable to the roads than her own car. Many of the roads were still unpaved in this county. In Virginia Beach they’d provided her with a vehicle too, only it was a big twelve-seater passenger van. It was a bear to maneuver and forget about parking it.

  The first stop on her list of appointments was to check in with the farmer who would be supplying the market lambs and goats for the 4-H'ers. They’d weigh and tag the animals in preparation for the nominations next week. She worked her way through the next three farm visits, a mix of crop and livestock farmers, and then tapped in the address on the GPS for the farm on Nickel Creek Road. It was less than eight miles away. Nervous excitement built as she got closer to Kasey Phillips’s farm.

  Just one turn off Route 58 and she was there. She pulled into the driveway of the sprawling white ranch with the red metal roof. A nice barn and lots of high-dollar fencing were already in place. Goats lay chewing their cud under the shade of a huge pecan tree in the front pasture. From here it looked like mostly clover and weeds, fine for goats, but the horses would go hungry in that field. There was tall fescue too—that could spell disaster for a horse farm that planned any type of breeding program.

  A bright red cardinal fluttered by as Brooke got out of the truck. Cardinal, good luck. Seeing the good-luck sign calmed her. The lucky signs might have started as a fun diversion when she was just a kid hunting for four-leaf clovers with her brother, but over the years luck had become kind of like a second religion for Brooke. She believed in it, and it could make or break her day.

  The front door opened and, at first glance, the height of the man sent her heart racing. For that one fleeting moment she thought it was Cody Tuggle, but then she caught the brown hair peeking from beneath the cap and realized it wasn’t. Wishful thinking. At least the ball cap didn’t bear a tractor company theme and it wasn’t camo like those of ninety percent of the guys she met during these visits.

  He met her on the driveway, extending his hand as he approached. “Hey there, I’m Mike.”

  “You’re the farm manager?” Brooke asked.

  He raised his brow slightly, and then smiled. “Yeah, I guess that’s me. For now.”


  Nice voice and good-looking too. He might even be better-looking than the music man. His eyes were almost too blue for a dark-haired man, and his tan showed them off just right.

  It was hard to not stare into those baby blues. “I’m Brooke Justice.” She shook his hand, feeling tiny in his presence. He stood a good foot taller than her, with broad shoulders that pulled his T-shirt taut and biceps…well, let’s just stop this gawking right here. “I was told y’all wanted to work on a pasture and grazing rotation plan. Want to show me around?”

  “That’s right. We do.” He motioned her to follow. When they got to the back of the house he jumped behind the wheel of a Polaris Ranger, and she climbed into the seat next to him. He hit the gas pedal on the utility vehicle and it lurched forward.

  She sucked in a breath as his arm flung across her midsection with lightning speed as she ricocheted back in the seat. His softball-size bicep didn’t go unnoticed, nor did the way it flexed when he repositioned his hand on the steering wheel. She knew she’d need to check out the rest of him as they sped through the smooth terrain.

  They rode the entire property line first, then backtracked, stopping to talk about each area that was fenced off.

  Brooke listened and took a few notes. “Y’all are in really great shape here as far as the fencing goes. Whoever set this up had some experience. It’s already cross-fenced, so you’ll be able to rotate to get the most from your pastures.”

  “I can’t take credit for that. Guy that remodeled this place had been a farmer his whole life. Horses, cattle, goats. He remodeled this place for his wife as a surprise. He died. She’s finally moving on.”

  “Is she the one who’s engaged to Cody Tuggle?” She wished the words hadn’t tumbled from her mouth, but there they were. Daddy had always said he’d named her right because words rushed right out of her like water over the rocks, and there was no stopping them.

  “Sure is,” he said with no hint of emotion either way.

  She tilted her head. “That bother you?”

  “That Kasey has moved on? No. Cody is a nice guy. They’re good together.”

  “You’ve met him? And he’s nice?” she said with a little too much enthusiasm. Hello, mouth, quit going all fangirl on me.

  “Sure.” He leaned forward on the steering wheel. “Why do you look so surprised? Famous people can’t be nice?”

  “No. Not that, I just never met a star before. It’s kind of cool that he’s going to be moving here.”

  Mike tugged on his hat. “Well, not right here. He and Kasey are building a place on the acreage on the other side of that fence line. They bought the adjacent land all the way to the next curve. About four hundred acres.”

  “They bought the cut-over from the timber company?”

  Mike nodded. “They did, but I think they’re actually building on the far end. That land is still cropland right now.”

  “The old Doyle farm. I know of it. Nice piece of land.” Too bad it wouldn’t be farmed, though. She didn’t like to see cropland lose its purpose. Once that cycle was broken, it just didn’t come back. More and more of it was being repurposed for nonagricultural use. A bad thing for the county.

  Brooke wondered if she’d get the chance to meet Cody Tuggle when they got ready to do something with that land. Probably not. He probably had “people” who would handle those conversations too. When she looked up, Mike was staring at her like he was waiting on a response. Just how long had she been standing there daydreaming?

  “Cody’s mother is going to be using this property. She’s the one who’s into racehorses.”

  Hugging her notebook to her chest, she asked, “How long have you been working with racehorses?”

  “Me?” Mike chuckled. “I don’t have any experience with racehorses…with the exception of a few lousy bets.”

  “I’m sorry, I’d just assumed you—”

  “Of course you would, but no, I’m just doing a favor for Kasey, the one who is engaged to your favorite singer. She asked me if I’d take care of things for her while they are away. It was a win-win since I wasn’t sure where I was going to put down roots when I got out of the military. This kind of helped me make the decision.”

  “Nice town to put down roots. I just moved here myself. I’m a Virginia Beach native.”

  “I’ve been here for a while now. Was your dad in the Navy?” he asked.

  She nodded. “A pilot.”

  “How are you adjusting to Adams Grove?”

  “I like it. I never realized just how loud it was out there near Oceana until I moved here. What a difference.”

  “The quiet is nice. When my parents split up, my brother lived in Virginia Beach with my mom. I stayed up this way with Dad. I kind of prefer the wide-open spaces.”

  “Well, welcome home then.”

  “Thanks.”

  He looked like he was going to ask her something else, but chickened out. “I won’t be actually managing the farm. I’m just helping coordinate things that need to happen before all that, but I’ll be your guy for a little while.”

  My guy? In another lifetime that would have thrilled her. “Got it. Well, I appreciate you giving me the tour, and look forward to working with you for a little while, Mike.” She should be done with this appointment by now, but she was still curious about him. Another few minutes wouldn’t put her too far behind schedule. Usually she was meeting with married couples wanting to give the country life a try in their second half of life or lifetime farmers with big guts. It wasn’t often she got to visit with young, hot, available men. Not that she was in the market for one. “What branch of the service were you in?”

  He pulled off his sunglasses. White squint lines framed his eyes against his very tanned skin. “Marine Corps.”

  “Of course you were.” He had Marine written all over him: muscles, confidence, and blue eyes just plain begging her to get lost in them so he could rescue her. “How long have you been out?”

  “Not long enough.”

  There was more to that story. Was that a no-trespassing sign hanging on that expression? “Were you in Iraq?”

  He nodded, but it was clear she wasn’t going to get any other details.

  After an hour of riding the fence line, walking the land, pulling soil samples, and discussing land use, Brooke knew a lot about the property and still only a little about the guy who had given her the tour, other than he’d grown up in the area. She wasn’t sure how being a Marine was going to translate into his hanging around a farm for a while, but then that wasn’t her call and it would be a nice addition to her schedule, so she wasn’t going to complain. She hoped he’d have lots of questions along the way. That would suit her just fine.

  He walked her back to her truck, and opened the door for her to get in. “You wouldn’t want to get some dinner one night, would you?”

  “I’m a big fan of dinner.” Why didn’t I just say no? I haven’t even gotten rid of Keith yet. The last thing I need is another guy causing havoc in my life. And there was that smile again.

  “Me too.”

  “You’ve got my card. My cell number is on it.” Hello, brain…just who is the boss of my mouth? I hope he doesn’t call. Please don’t call.

  He slammed the truck door wearing a big smile that showed off perfect white teeth and a slight dimple…right on the left side of that grin. He glanced down at her card. “Brooke Justice. Nice name.”

  “Thanks. I didn’t even ask your last name.”

  “Hartman.”

  Of course it was. Why couldn’t she quit looking at him? She forced herself to look in the rearview mirror as she backed out of the driveway. When she pulled onto the road and looked back toward the house, the image of him walking away made her smile too.

  I take it back…a call would be nice. I may have to hand-deliver the soil-sample reports.

  CHAPTER T
WO

  Even with being sidetracked by Mike Hartman on the Nickel Creek Road farm, Brooke had finished the long list of farm visits with time to spare. She pressed the speed dial on her phone to tell Jenny about her last appointment. Maybe she hadn’t actually met the superstar, but meeting someone who knew Cody Tuggle was noteworthy among friends, right?

  “Happy Balance,” Jenny answered in a voice that could make millions with a 1-900 number.

  “Hey, Jenny, it’s me. How’s it going?”

  “Great. I just stocked the smoothie bar and hung all the glassware. It looks so pretty. I can’t wait for you to see it. The grand opening is going to be amazing.”

  “People are talking about it all over town, and I’ve been dropping hints about it on all my farm visits. I’m so excited for you.” Brooke’s relocation had been a necessary step to keep her sanity through the divorce from Keith. Yet Jenny’s move was working out just as well, or maybe better, for her. “Speaking of talk all over town, I’ve got Adams Grove gossip from my farm visits today.”

  “Oh, goody. I love the juicy gossip in this little town. You coming by?”

  “On my way.” Brooke paused as she caught a blur of blue in her rearview mirror. A car had appeared out of nowhere right behind her. I hope I didn’t cut him off on that last turn. “I’m going to stop by the house and pick up some library books that are due back, and then I’ll be there.”

  “Awesome. I’ll test out the blender and new recipes on you.”

  “Lucky me,” Brooke said with dread. Jenny was always trying to trick her into healthy stuff. “That’s what friends are for.”

  Brooke ended the call and glanced in her rearview mirror again. The car wasn’t on her bumper anymore; that was good. She turned into her neighborhood and motored down the curved road. Her house was on the last street near the lake. It was comforting that there was no way Keith could cruise by without her seeing him coming or going. One way in. One way out.

  She pulled into her driveway and dashed inside to grab the library books. Just as she closed the front door, she opened it again and turned on the porch light. No telling what time she might get back home with Jenny so excited about the grand opening, and she’d promised herself she would be extra-cautious after all the goings-on with Keith. That was easier to say than to remember, because things seemed so safe and easy in this town.