Bourbon and Blues: The Men of Marionville, #11
By KC Kendricks
()
About this ebook
When Griff Ernde makes a late day visit to the cemetery, the gates close with him on the inside. Griff ends up in a cell at the local precinct house charged with trespassing, and with no way to salvage the day. No doubt about, it's a personal low in his life. Then his luck changed when Kory Watts joined him in the cell.
Kory Watts has a knack for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Stood up on a blind date at a local club, Kory gets swept up in a drug raid and lands in a cell with an inebriated stranger. When his drug test comes back clean, the duty sergeant offers Kory a deal: if he takes Griff home, they both can go with no charges. It's not a deal Kory will refuse.
-
When Kory and Griff meet again, they agree to have a drink - of ice water. Neither man judges the other and it's quickly apparent they share an attraction. As their budding relationship heats up, Kory wonders if he's ready to get serious with a guy he just met no matter how well suited to each other they are. When Griff is suddenly charged with the murder of his father, Kory is ready to move heaven and earth to help prove him innocent, but it might not be enough to save what's between them.
* * *
Friday morning finally arrived. I sent a text to Griff, just to check in, and he sent back everything was set. At five minutes to twelve, I got a one-word text from him.
Nooner?
I didn't even think about it before I sent my reply.
On my way!
I hit the off switch on my laptop and yelled for Leon. He appeared in the doorway.
"What's up, other than your voice?"
I rolled my eyes at him. "I hate to ask you again, but can you close up this afternoon?"
"Sure. Smoke loves to sneak in here and sleep in your chair."
"Of course he does. Thanks, man. I owe you."
He grinned. "I'll cash in my marker the day before the Smithfield Agility Trials."
"Done! See ya Monday." I didn't wait for him to reply. I was out the door and into my car, headed to Griff's place.
He opened the door before I could knock. I stepped inside and he grabbed me around the waist and backed me against the refrigerator. I cupped the back of his head and pulled him in for a rough kiss.
KC Kendricks
KC Kendricks calls herself an accidental writer. After completing her first novel writing as Rayne Forrest, she was urged to submit it to a publisher, and everything snowballed from there. Today, the author has had over seventy books published. In July of 2021, she tried to retire but her employer offered her a deal to work at home. She accepted. Now she balances work, writing, and hearth and home in a controlled chaos. A native of scenic western Maryland, the author enjoys most activities that don’t include snow. In warm weather she might be found walking the dog, biking on the C&O Canal towpath, planting delicacies in her garden for the deer to munch on at night, playing in the creek, or lazing on the patio with her Kindle reader or laptop. She recently began to research her family history and can't drive past a cemetery without stopping to search for family sites. Her mission is to photograph old tombstones before the elements erode the stones and the names are lost to time. For more about KC Kendricks and Rayne Forrest’s writing life, please visit the Between the Keys blog at http:kckendricks.blogspot.com . If you’d like to know more about the author’s country lifestyle and her daily activities full of simple country pleasures (and a lot of work), please visit the Holly Tree Manor blog at http://hollytreemanor.blogspot.com . KC can be reached through her blog, Between the Keys. All comments are strictly moderated by the author and personal messages are treated as such. Follow the author on Twitter for up-to-date announcements at Twitter.com/KCKendricks.
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Bourbon and Blues - KC Kendricks
Bourbon & Blues
by
KC Kendricks
First Edition
February 2017
Second Edition
January 2021
This book is a work of fiction. While references to actual places or events may occur, the names, characters, incidents and locations are from the author’s imagination and any resemblance to anyone, living or dead, is coincidental.
––––––––
Copyright © 2017, 2021 KC Kendricks
Cover art © 2017 KC Kendricks
All Rights Reserved
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, regardless
of whether any type of currency is exchanged or not, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author of the book. Law strictly prohibits reproduction of this digital e-book for file sharing or selling, other than what the author grants in writing.
Permission is granted for professional review.
Piracy is a crime.
Published in the United States of America.
About Bourbon & Blues
When Griff Ernde makes a late day visit to the cemetery, the gates close with him on the inside. Griff ends up in a cell at the local precinct house charged with trespassing, and with no way to salvage the day. No doubt about, it’s a personal low in his life. Then his luck changed when Kory Watts joined him in the cell.
Kory Watts has a knack for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Stood up on a blind date at a local club, Kory gets swept up in a drug raid and lands in a cell with an inebriated stranger. When his drug test comes back clean, the duty sergeant offers Kory a deal: if he takes Griff home, they both can go with no charges. It’s not a deal Kory will refuse.
When Kory and Griff meet again, they agree to have a drink - of ice water. Neither man judges the other and it’s quickly apparent they share an attraction. As their budding relationship heats up, Kory wonders if he’s ready to get serious with a guy he just met no matter how well suited to each other they are. When Griff is suddenly charged with the murder of his father, Kory is ready to move heaven and earth to help prove him innocent, but it might not be enough to save what’s between them.
Praise for the writing of KC Kendricks
4.5 stars at Goodreads
KC Kendricks never disappoints!"—Fallen Angel Reviews
..beautifully moving in all the right places...KC Kendricks gives us a well-crafted tale
- The Romance Studio
Good to the last word....
- Sensual Reads
...Seriously entertaining and totally engaging...
- Joyfully Reviewed
...solidly written contemporary romance...
-Jessewave
The Men of Marionville Series
A Hard Habit to Break
Open Roads
What You Don’t Confess
Your Whisper in the Dark
A Cat Named Hercules
Leather Jackets
Station to Station
Dreams to Sell
The Right Brew
Where There’s Smoke
Bourbon & Blues
Twice Removed from Yesterday
Table of Contents
About Bourbon & Blues
Praise for the writing of KC Kendricks
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
Books by KC Kendricks
About the Author
Dear Readers,
A bonus read from Twice Removed From Yesterday
Chapter 1
It was not my finest hour.
I looked at the officer and nodded. Yes, sir. I would like to make a phone call.
He motioned for me to lift my arms, and then he removed the handcuffs I’d worn for the last hour. Follow me.
I dutifully trudged along behind him, dreading the conversation I was about to have with my father. I’d never live this one down. The officer almost grinned as I went through my pockets for change. He was grey-haired, with merry blue eyes that gave witness to the fact he’d seen a lot of Saturday night strange across his career. He squeezed my arm.
C’mon, son. You can use my desk phone. Where’s your cell phone? Guys your age usually have them strapped on.
It’s not a dildo,
I muttered, and then inwardly cringed as I realized he’d heard me.
He raised an eyebrow. That’s something else guys your age seem to enjoy.
Sometimes, sir. Thank you for allowing me to make a call. I don’t have a clue when or where I dropped my phone.
I’ll call patrol and see if it was left in the cruiser you were in.
Again, thank you, sir.
I picked up the receiver and dialed my dad’s cell phone number. He answered promptly.
Hey, Dad.
Kory! What’s wrong? You’re calling on a Saturday night. Or is it a Sunday morning?
Dragging out the pain was pointless. Dad, I need someone to come down to the precinct house and sign me out of custody.
There was dead silence on the line. I couldn’t even hear him breathing.
Dad? Karl? Are you sitting down?
Don’t be a smartass, son. What the fuck did you do?
Nothing illegal, I swear. I was sitting in this bar and - -
Enough!
He sighed. It was a gay bar, wasn’t it?
I closed my eyes. It always came back to this. Yes, it was. I was supposed to meet a date, but he stood me up. Then the cops raided the place. Dad, you know I don’t do drugs. They detained everyone inside first and sorted us out later. I’ve already peed in a cup and taken a Breathalyzer test. I’m over the legal limit to drive so they won’t let me walk out of here alone, or give my car keys to me, but they’ll give them to you.
He sighed again. Well, Kory, I’m in New York. I guess you’ll have to sit it out until you pass the test.
The dull ache in my temples morphed into a full-fledged pounding. Just what I fucking needed. A night in the drunk tank with people who were really inebriated, which I was not.
Thanks anyway, Dad. I’ll manage.
I hung up.
I’d been managing on my own for seventeen years, ever since I graduated high school and came out to my shocked parents. The duty officer motioned for me to follow him again. I truly respected him for being a decent guy.
I’m sorry, Kory. Based on the Breathalyzer results, I’ve got to detain you for at least two hours. I’ll come check on you then, and if you pass, we’ll call you a cab. You’ll have to come back for your car keys.
I know and I appreciate you treating me decently. Wrong place, wrong time, you know? Although I’m glad you guys netted that heroin dealer. Who the hell knew that was going on in Marionville?
I hadn’t known before tonight our community had so large a problem.
We knew, and we’re pretty happy about arresting him, too. We knew when we planned the raid we were going to sweep up some innocent folks, but it can’t be helped. All we can do is sort you guys out as quickly as possible and get you on your way. I’m going to put you in with Mr. Ernde. He doesn’t have any sort of a record, either, but he is drunk.
We’d reached the holding cells and he unlocked a door to a cell with one occupant. Good luck with him.
I jumped when the cell door closed behind me, suddenly cold to my bones. Two hours seemed like an eternity. That was thirty minutes for each of the four shots of bourbon I’d consumed tonight. I’d had the first drink almost two hours ago, so I was well on the way to metabolizing off the alcohol. It was the rest of this experience that would stick with me. I couldn’t fathom why anyone would knowingly break the law and risk living in a cage.
My cellmate reclined on the far bunk, his face to the wall. It was difficult to judge how big a man he was with him curled up the way he was. I hoped he slept. I wasn’t in the mood to talk. I sat on the other bunk and, just my luck, he rolled over and stared at me with bloodshot blue eyes. Stay away from me, okay? I don’t want any trouble with you.
His voice was low and rough as if it hurt to talk. I nodded. Same here. Go back to sleep. You look like you need it.
Instead of doing that, he sat up. He rubbed his face, scratching at the dark stubble under his chin. You get swept up when they raided the Underground?
Yep. It’s my first - and last - time there. I’ll stick to going to Frolic. I’ll pay the fucking cover charge.
My companion snorted. "Are you a newbie, or something? When you go to Frolic, tell the guy at the coat check you’re going to the bar. If you’re not