No More Pain Read online

  No More Pain

  A Town Without Pity Series

  Sandy Appleyard

  Keep in touch with the author by Subscribing.

  ISBN 978-1-989427-40-8

  ISBN 978-1-989427-41-5

  Copyright © 2021 Sandy Appleyard

  All rights reserved.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  No More Fear

  Other Books in This Series

  Keep in Touch

  Also by Sandy

  Did You Enjoy This Book?

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1

  Will

  Presley pecks away at the keyboard, and I watch as she fixes the fault message without breaking a sweat. Her IT prowess is in full swing, and I suddenly feel like the folks over at Nickelback were fools; they lost one hell of an IT manager, and I’m about to cash in on the benefits of that parting. Whatever the reason was that she left; one day I’ll find out, but in the meantime, she’s exercising her talent, and impressing the hell out of me.

  “So, is she hot?” Lisa asks, as expected, during dinner.

  My mouth is full, but I answer her probing question, anyway. “It doesn’t matter. She’s a freaking genius. Best employee I’ve hired bar none.”

  “You hired her on the spot? No second interview?” Laura asks, shocked. I may be a clown around my family, but it’s no secret that I’m a hardass at the office.

  “Wasn’t necessary.” I explain, spooning another mouthful of stew into my mouth. It’s goddamn delicious, and I’m starving. “She fixed an issue that I’ve been struggling with for weeks.” Half the reason why I fired Jim, my last IT guy. After months of tinkering with our IT system, he couldn’t crack the problem, even with the help of the software developer.

  “You didn’t check her references first?” Laura asks, concerned. She’s what I call my pretend-a-mom, since our mama died many years ago. Laura kind of took over the worrying that mama used to do.

  “She must have been really hot,” Lisa teases. She’s Laura’s best friend, and since she’s not family, I can’t tell her to shove it, like I can with my sister or my brothers. But I will if I have to.

  I ignore her statement. “Wouldn’t have mattered. There’s a story behind why she left Nickelback, and she’s not giving an inch on that.”

  Lisa’s interest is piqued further. “Nickelback? Isn’t that like…your strongest competitor?” The company I started ten years ago manufactures car parts. It’s a hugely competitive industry, and I’m creeping my way up. As of today, I’ve gained even more of an edge by hiring a sharp IT manager.

  “Yeah.” I lift a brow but keep my eyes on my plate. “She says that NDA she signed is null and void. Something about a sensitive matter that she didn’t want to get into.”

  “Will, are you sure about this?” Laura asks. She’s stopped eating she’s so concerned. Grayson picks up on his wife’s nerves.

  “Baby, Will knows how to run his company. There’s no need to worry about it.” He rubs her back and then rubs her swelling belly, as she leans back, listening intently to me. She’s almost in her third trimester now.

  We hear the front door open, and my brother Clint walks in, setting his briefcase down on the floor of the foyer. “Hey, man. Did y’all tuck the clinic in nice for the night?” Grayson asks. Clint and Grayson run a medical clinic in town together.

  Clint waves. “Yeah.”

  “Clint, get in here.” Lisa demands. “You have to catch this story. Will hired some floozy today, without getting her proper credentials.”

  “Babe, take it easy.” Kurt chuckles. He and Lisa just got engaged, and she’s carrying their first baby, which is a miracle in itself.

  “It’s fine, man.” I wave. I expected this. Lisa, although good-natured, has always been a busybody.

  Clint clears his throat as he takes a seat beside Grayson. “Cassie working late tonight?” Grayson asks Clint.

  “Yeah. She’s got a huge sale going on.” Cassie runs a small, all-natural beauty supply company in town. She just moved here to Huttonville recently, from Dallas, where she ran her daddy’s company. Long story there, but a good one.

  “Oh yeah? How’s it coming along?” Grayson asks, which I know is a diversion. I’m not sure if he’s trying to calm Laura by changing the subject, or if he’s trying to save me, or both.

  “Not sure.” Clint says. “I haven’t spoken with her since we were all here at lunch.”

  Lisa, growing bored, waves at Clint to shut up, slightly irritated. “Okay, okay, so tell us more about this Presley girl. I mean, what kind of a name is that?”

  I smile and scoff. This is true Lisa territory. “I have no idea. Like all my staff, I don’t get into their personal life.”

  “That’s true.” Laura says. “Will doesn’t pull that kind of crap. That’s half the reason why he is where he is. He doesn’t dip his pen in the company ink.”

  Lisa ignores Laura. “So, is she like really cute? Is she married?”

  I laugh. “Lisa, like I told you, I don’t know.”

  “Well, was she wearing a ring on her left hand?”

  “I didn’t look.”

  “You did say that she was working on your computer, Will.” Lisa points out, flatly. “You mean to tell me that you didn’t check her out? Not even a little bit?” she’s reaching.

  I’m getting frustrated, so I take the last bite of my dinner. “No. End of discussion.” I address my sister. “Laura, you mind if I take Trixie out?”

  “No, not at all.” Trixie is my favorite horse at the ranch. I try to ride her a couple of times a week.

  After setting my plate in the dishwasher, I head outside to the stable, where Trixie is patiently waiting for me. “Hey there, girl.” I say, patting her nose. “You ready for a ride?”

  She flicks her tail happily. “You won’t bug me about this girl, will you?” I ask, not feeling even a little bit silly for talking to a horse. It’s how I deal with things. Many times, I’ve been out here talking through life’s challenges with Laura’s horses. They’ve seen me through. Sometimes, admittedly, Laura’s overheard and lent a hand. Sure enough, just as I’m thinking that, I hear the pitter-patter of my sister’s footsteps. Her steps are recognizable to me, as she’s basically the only woman in my life that I love right now. Lisa, well I love her, too, but not like my only sister.

  “Kurt just hushed Lisa up.” Laura states. “Started talking about the wedding and she was done for it.”

  “She doesn’t bug me much.” I lie. Lisa irritates the crap out of me sometimes.

  “You must have felt real sure about this girl.” Laura ventures. “You’ve never hired anyone right on the spot before.”

  I scratch my lip even though it isn’t itchy. “I’m kind of regretting bringing it up. I thought I’d get better support. It was impressive seeing what she did in less than a lick of time.”

  “As long as she isn’t one of those C.I.A. agents, I think you’re okay.” Laura says, and I know that she’s only half joking. “Nobody knows your business better than you, Will. And there isn’t anyone…except maybe me…who takes business as seriously.”

  “Thanks.”

  “So, a woman IT manager, huh.”

  “Yeah. Rare. And it’s not just that, either, Laura.” My eyes are slits, accentuating how impressed I am of this girl. “She’s got that look in her eyes, you know. Like she’s seen the best and the worst of it all and lived to tell.” I shake my head. “Haven’t seen that look in someone’s eyes since…well…since you had that look in your eyes just before Grayson came along.”

  “You mean that look like you’re lost and can’t wait to be found?”

  “Is that what it is?” I ask, disbelieving.

  “For me, yes. Before Grayson came along, I didn’t know which way was up. Yeah, I’d seen a lot of things that can’t be unseen, and lived through it, but Will, I was lost. If this girl’s got that look, then maybe there’s more to this whole NDA retracting thing than she’s letting on.”

  “I suppose.”

  “But you don’t get involved with anyone at work personally. So, it could be tough. Just…be careful. Keep a short leash on her. I’d never hire anyone without checking them out first, but then, all my staff have lived under my roof, except for Louis, and look what happened to him.” Louis was the ranch hand under Laura’s employ before Grayson came along. He shot himself in brought daylight on the same day that Laura dismissed him for stealing from her.

  “Maybe I should check her out.” I say, now doubting myself. “I’ve put her on the payroll, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still follow up.”

  “I would, Will. You just…you never know. I’d hate for you to make another mistake, hiring someone that doesn’t work out like Jim.”

  I sigh. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I got so excited that someone could finally pull the bugs out of that program that I got ahead of myself.”

  “So you didn’t hire her for her legs?” Laura teases.

  I smile. “You know me better than that, sis.”

  “I know. I just thought I’d check.”

  Chip, Laura and Grayson’s dog, comes trotting ou
tside. He heads right to Laura, wagging his tail happily. “Hey, boy. Were you looking for your mama?” Laura says sweetly, petting Chip’s head.

  Bending down to his level, I pet his head, too. “What do you think, boy? Are you looking forward to having someone smaller than you running the place?” I ask, patting Laura’s belly.

  She laughs. “He likes to lay on my belly sometimes.”

  “Well, I don’t know how that’s possible, that’s like laying on a beach ball.” I comment, sticking my ear at her navel.

  “He figures it out.” She says, as Chip trots away, growing bored of our conversation.

  Laura leans over and gives me a hug. “You always make the right choices, little brother. Don’t doubt yourself.” I hug her back. “Now, you go for a nice, long ride and let Trixie pull all that self-doubt out of your mind. Well, Trixie and God, that is.”

  I smile. Laura always knows the right thing to say and at the right time. I kiss her cheek.

  When the sun is barely peeking up through the trees is when I finally decide to come in from my ride on Trixie. I’ve passed just about every green area in town, trotted through the woods, even stopped at Laura’s little shrine just before the foliage into the little campsite that Grayson made for her. Trixie had some water and I laid on the rocks Laura put there for that very reason. Laura and I are so much alike it’s frightening sometimes.

  As I bring Trixie back into the stable, I see Chip laying in the hay, right where she would be standing. “Hey, boy. Were you waiting for Trixie?” I ask. He lifts his head and rises, wagging his tail. When I put the horse back into her sleeping area, they sniff each other happily, as if making sure that they’re both well, and Chip follows me as I close the gate and head out of the stable.

  We walk to the front porch, and I expect Chip to follow me inside the house, but he trots over to the driveway instead, and I think that he’s heading for his favorite tree to relieve himself, but he stops at Clint’s truck. Then he does something I’ve never seen him do before. He starts barking like he’s suddenly rabid. “What’s up, boy?” I say, walking to him.

  Laura and Grayson, Lisa and Kurt, and Clint, hearing him just about lose his mind, come outside. “There a possum or critter under there?” Clint asks, speaking over the incessant barking.

  Kurt bends, inspecting under Clint’s truck, both sides of it. Rising, he frowns. “Nothing under there.”

  “Maybe something was under there, and he can smell it.” Lisa offers.

  Grayson tries to pull Chip away, but he’s having none of it. The dog is practically frothing at the mouth he’s so upset. “What the hell.” Grayson says, dumbfounded.

  Laura walks over to the dog. “Chip, baby. Tell mama what’s wrong.” She says, as if the dog can totally understand her. “Show mama.” She repeats.

  He lets out a little cry, licking his lips, stamping on his front paws, nodding with his snout towards the tailgate of the truck. He touches his nose under the back bumper and tries to squeeze his way under the truck.

  “Something under there, pal?” I grunt, getting on my hind end to take a look. Before I started a car parts company, I used to be a huge tinker junky. My hands are still calloused from fixing so many cars I could probably find my way around an engine with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back. I still tinker around sometimes, too, but my forte is parts, and recognizing the good eggs and the bad eggs.

  As I inch my way under my brother’s truck, sliding my butt along the asphalt on Laura’s driveway, I see something attached to the inside of Clint’s back bumper. “What in hell is this?” I say to myself. “Hand me a screwdriver.” I shout over Chip’s barking. “Clint, what in hell have you got under here?”

  “Nothing, far as I know.” He answers, scooching down so I can hear him. “What did you find? He asks, taking a screwdriver, probably from Kurt.

  “Some weird looking thing. Never seen anything like it.”

  “Really?” Clint says. “Even you? Don’t you do this for a living?”

  As I inspect this thing that I thought might be some attachment for his trailer hitch, like indicator lights gone awry, I insert the screwdriver into the strapping holding this thing to the back of Clint’s bumper. “So, you didn’t have your truck in for servicing? Not towing anything?”

  “Nope. Nothing.” He says.

  “Then someone’s been tampering with this here monster, Clint.” And as I loosen the screws enough, I see something that makes my heart pump and my eyes widen. “Jesus Christ…Laura! Call Sheriff Ferguson!”

  “What?” Laura shrieks. “What in hell is it, Will?”

  The timer, counting down, on the side of the contraption, is very telling. “It’s a goddamn bomb! Call the sheriff now!” I shout as I pull the thing off the back bumper and scoot my way up from under the truck.

  Clint and Grayson are on bended knee and they rise with me, as we inspect this thing. Laura and Lisa are running inside as nobody has their phones with them. The thing looks like something out of a bad eighties sci-fi movie. It’s put together with duct tape and a mish-mash of pieces I don’t recognize. There is, however, a small piece with an even smaller, thumbnail sized metal plate on it, with lettering stamped on it that you’d have to have x-ray vision to read. “Get me a dang magnifying glass, would you?” I whine. “Jesus Christ.”

  “Be right back.” Grayson says, running into the house.

  “Just who in the hell would put a dang bomb under your truck, Clint?”

  His face is washed with fear. His eyes are fully widened. “Matty Herald’s in jail from what I know.” Matty Herald is the guy who held Laura at gunpoint not long ago. He’d been put away for that, and he’s still being pinned for screwing around with his daddy’s company, netting him a rich man with money taken dishonestly. “But he wouldn’t come after me, I don’t think. He’d go after Grayson, if anything.”

  “Maybe his brother, Derek?” I venture. Matty’s brother Derek had been conspiring with his brother, although the younger Herald boy had taken over a new leaf. “He’s a good boy, though, from what I understand.”

  “Something doesn’t add up.” I say, as Grayson comes running from the house, carrying a ruler-shaped item in his hand.

  “Sheriff Ferguson’s on his way. He’s bringing some troopers with him, too.” Grayson explains. “Evidently, one of them is trained with bombs. He used to work the bomb squad in Dallas.”

  “Good.” I say, taking the magnifier from Grayson. As I peer at the metal plate, I close one eye, trying to focus on what’s stamped there. “Abel Technologies.” I state, reading off the plate. “Anyone know who they are?”

  It takes Clint a second. “I know that name.” he snaps his fingers. His eyes widen as recognition comes to his face. “Jesus Christ. That’s the name of the company that put Cassie under. Richard Campbell’s the owner. He’s the sumbitch that made Cassie turn me away eight years ago. Made a slimy deal with her and all.”

  “Yeah, well, looks like he’s coming after you now.” I state, looking at the timer. “I saw in a movie once…” I say, looking around. Up the street, the Mitchell’s are renovating their upstairs bathroom while they’re away on vacation. On their driveway a large, metal container is housed, holding their old bathroom pieces. “There isn’t much left on this timer. If we take this here bomb and put it over there in the Mitchell’s container, it may diffuse the blow when this here thing goes off in about eleven minutes.”

  “Well, then let’s get to it.” Grayson says, something north of panic is in his voice. “Ferguson won’t make it here in that time. We’ve got to do something.”

  “Yeah, they’re not even home, so we won’t be placing them in any danger.”

  As we run to the container, I climb up it and see that, not only is there good, heavy things in here, but the bathtub will be perfect. I toss the bomb carefully inside the tub, and we make quick work of putting the metal lid on the container. “Run!” I shout, as we scurry away from the container. Finding our way back to the house, we make quick work of getting into the storm cellar below the front porch.

  Clint looks at me. A bead of sweat is running down both sides of his face. He’s as white as a sheet as he gasps.