Growing up in Harlan County gave her a shared history with Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. A history that made the two Kentucky natives cynical to the outside world.
However, after meeting former Army Ranger, Tim Gutterson, Jolene 'Jo' Taylor's p...
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Events took a real turn towards the melodramatic in the days following Jo and Rachel's bar night. First, there was the psychic former widow of Drew Thompson, Eve Munro. Jo figured she must've said something mystical to Tim during the course of their investigation because he'd been acting slightly left of center ever since the chance encounter. She inquired once out of a sense of obligation, but after being immediately rebuffed, she dropped the subject entirely. She figured he'd share in his own time. There was no point in trying to force his hand, lest she be returned in kind at a later junction.
Then, Raylan's casual hookup, Lindsey, stole away with his secret hoard of cash and her ex-husband in tow. Rachel had clued her in on the salacious details, having been party to that particular wild goose chase. Perhaps rooster chase would have been a more apt description for those shenanigans. Jo mocked Raylan mercilessly for being taken so easily, adding insult to considerable physical injury. Had his time spent with Arlo Givens not provided enough insight into the internal workings of petty criminals? Plus, that pseudo baby voice his bleach blonde companion had exhibited should've been tell enough.
Speaking of Arlo Givens, Jo received a courtesy call from Art one morning, informing her that David Vasquez would be offering a deal to the elder convict. If he divulged the identity of Drew Thompson, then he'd be granted an early release from prison. Obviously, the notion didn't sit well with Raylan, who traipsed off to Harlan County, with the intent of finding their mysterious fugitive in an attempt to squander his daddy's deal. This quest led him to Josiah Cairn who pointed him in the direction of the hill people. Raylan had been foolish enough to trust the word of that nefarious parole but had escaped the confrontation relatively unscathed, and with enough valuable information to spur their search forward. Josiah hadn't fared as favorably, losing a foot for his meddling efforts.
The entire holler seemed entangled in the hunt for Drew Thompson. It was all very theatrical and, Jo felt, a bit excessive, but she found their fruitless endeavors entertaining nonetheless.
One evening, she arrived home to find Tim already there. He'd quickly taken full advantage of having unfettered access to her place, as was evident from his reclined position on her couch, casually sipping a beer in hand. She shot him an amused smile before heading into the bedroom to change out of her work attire.
Tim didn't trail after her, but his raised voice followed her into the next room. "My buddy Mark called to meet up. You wanna tag along?"
"You have buddies?" Jo called in feigned shock, trading her slacks for a more comfortable pair of shorts. Her answer came as she undid the buttons on her silk blouse.
"We served together in Iraq." Well, now she just felt guilty for preemptively mocking his ability to make friends.
Throwing a loose T-shirt over her head, Jo strolled back into the living room and plopped down on the couch beside him. Her hand instinctively resting on his clothed leg. When they were alone, she had trouble keeping her extremities to herself, though she made no effort to resist the urge. "Do you want me to meet your friend?" She asked carefully, with eyebrows raised.
