Red Rock Rises; Sexy Romantic Suspense; Book 1: The Red Rock Series (The Red Rock Seies) by Taylor Lee

back several thousand dollars. I’ve been drinking it ever since. I’m spoiled.”
    Dameon whistled in appreciation and toasted her father in absentia. “To your father. A man after my own heart. Don’t ever settle for second best.”
    They sat quietly for several minutes enjoying the excellent whisky and the starlit night. A crescent moon sliver played hide and seek with the whispery clouds, adding to the quiet beauty of the dark night. The only sounds were the birds chirping and the rustle of small animals in the brush. The occasional howl of a distant wolf reminded him they were in the high desert.
    Although he hated to break the spell, Dameon needed to broach the crisis of the evening.
    “Jesse, I want to talk to you about what happened with Trey. Tonight’s episode is serious. The kids Trey was with have been in and out of juvie for five years. They are druggies, both users and dealers. They’ve already been arrested twice for B and E. All three of them are on a fast track to prison.”
    Jesse gasped and her huge green eyes widened further.
    Dameon continued. “If that guy had been killed tonight and Trey was there? Hell, I don’t have to tell you the consequences. There’s no way Trey could’ve avoided jail time.”
    Wanting to ease the pain on her face, Dameon put his hand over hers. “Fortunately, Trey is not like those other boys. He’s a good kid and tonight the good kid came through.”
    Jesse pulled her hand away. She wrapped her arms around her chest and rocked back and forth. She was pale, shaking.
    “I know. God, Dameon, I know how bad it could have been and… and so does Trey. I’m sick about it and so is he.”
    Dameon moved closer to her but didn’t touch her. He wanted to give her space without worrying about him. And he needed to keep from doing what every muscle in his body was screaming to do—haul her trembling body up in his arms and hold her close.
    “I agree. Let’s talk about constructive things. After I met with the arresting officers I went over his records. Trey was a straight A student in his previous school. Now, he’s barely pulling C’s. Driving over here I called his former basketball coach. I happen to know Doug Straight. I’ve met him at tournaments. He was shocked. He also couldn’t believe Trey didn’t go out for basketball. He said he’d called the high school coach last spring to tell him they had a star coming their way. Doug said Trey is an extremely talented kid—and a good one.”
    Jesse shook her head in disbelief. “I had no idea how Garrett felt about basketball. I was as shocked as you must have been. I love basketball and I loved watching Trey play. He’s a shy kid but he comes to life on the court. He becomes a leader. He’s so quiet you rarely see it anywhere else.”
    Dameon disagreed. “But we saw it tonight . He came through in the most challenging circumstances.”
    Jesse gave him a grateful nod. “Yes, he did.”
    She mused. “Coach Straight used to videotape the games for me and email them to me when I was on assignment. He knew how much I liked the game and watching Trey play. I was shocked when Trey told me he wasn’t going out for the team. I know how much the game means to him. I’ve tried to get him to talk about it… but… he’s been moody. And I’ve barely seen him since Garrett moved him here. I don’t get to see him nearly as much as I want to.”
    Dameon nodded. The situation between her and her ex-husband was crystal clear after the drama tonight.
    “Okay. I have a suggestion. I’m going to consult with the juvenile counselors in the morning. If they agree, I’ll talk it over with Trey. I coach a club team that I started a couple years back. The kids are like Trey. They’re on the edge and they could easily fall off. Some will, to be blunt. But a lot of them won’t, because of what they’re learning on the team. They’re all potentially good kids but some are ‘badder’ than the others. They are to a man,