by June Faver
“Um, no, sir.” Cade concentrated on sipping his iced tea and keeping his mouth shut.
Big Jim glowered at him fiercely. “Would you want Langston to become another suburb of Dallas?”
Cade did not mention that Dallas would have to annex Amarillo first. “No, sir.”
“Well, I think you oughta look into each of these companies and see what they’re up to. Do a little research and find out what their business interests really are.” Big Jim slugged down the rest of his iced tea and set the glass down on the counter with a clink.
“Yes, sir. I’ll do that.”
He left his uncle’s ranch feeling even more confused than he had before.
* * *
When Mark got off the bus that afternoon, he went straight to his room and closed the door.
Misty intended to have it out with him right then and there. She was not going to allow him to just kick the Dalton name out the door.
She was proud of being a Dalton, although now she was a Garrett. The Dalton spread had been a very profitable ranch. They had raised beef cattle and grown feed crops for the animals.
Well, it had been thriving until her mother died and her father took to drinking instead of working his ranch.
Misty pressed her lips together.
The truth was the ranch had been in foreclosure when her father died of liver disease and heart failure. If Colt hadn’t paid off the loan, the property would have been lost, along with their stock and farm equipment.
But still…
Misty knocked on Mark’s door.
“What do you want?” came the gruff reply.
She huffed out a sigh. “Well, I want to talk to you.”
“So talk,” he said.
“Not through this door, I’m not. Now open up and let me in.”
There was silence and then, just when she was going to knock again, the door opened and she got a look at Mark’s face.
“Oh no! Mark, what happened to you?” Her gut roiled as she saw the dark bruise on one side of his face and his lip with a big cut in it.
He turned away, removing books from his backpack. “Nothin’.”
She put her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. “Please, Mark. Talk to me.”
“Talk? ’Bout what?”
She took a seat on his bed, hoping to get some response from him. “Tell me what happened to your face.”
He shrugged. “I got jumped on the bus. No big deal.”
“Who did this to you? Please tell me, and we can go to the school and—”
“Forget it. I don’t want any more trouble.” He grabbed a tissue and blew his nose, but when he tossed it, the tissue was bloody. “Can you drive me over to Big Jim’s? I want to take care of the horses.”
Misty could not find the words to reply. She tried to moisten her dry lips, but still, no words. Silently she got up and went to get her keys. The least she could do was to drive her brother to the man who seemed to be able to reach him when she couldn’t. As she led Mark out to her truck, she realized why he wanted to be a Garrett.
* * *
Cade drove back to his ranch. He wasn’t sure how to go about doing what his Uncle Jim had suggested. He hadn’t even considered the impact that selling the airstrip to the wrong buyer might have on Langston and the surrounding area ranchers.
He entered his house and tossed his hat on a nearby coatrack. Then he went straight to the refrigerator, choosing a longneck beer from the shelf. Flipping off the cap, he opened the back door and stepped outside. Cade took a seat, propped his boots on the porch railing, and surveyed the view. The barn and stables were in good repair, as were the other outbuildings where some equipment was stored. There were trees close to the house, a few pecans and a couple of oaks. Beyond that were pastures where beef cattle grazed and some fields planted with grain to feed his herd.
It was a simple life.
The only factors he had to deal with were the weather and issues in the market.
It was a good life.
He enjoyed working the land and cattle, and considered his role as provider of food for the American people.
It was a solitary life.
Just Cade and Mother Nature, most of the time.
And now there was Jennifer LaChance…and the two little children.
He sucked in a deep breath and let it out all at once.
Oh, how his life had changed. He was in love with Jennifer and loved the little ones as well. He knew there were changes coming, and he hoped he was man enough to take them on.
He figured Jennifer was smarter than he was. For sure, she had concerns about the big businesses willing to offer so much money to acquire the airstrip. For his part, he would have jumped at the highest offer and made sure the children’s future was solid…and Jennifer’s. Although he had an equal share in the property, he had enough assets to his name to live comfortably forever and then some. So he had thought that the profits from the sale would buy the children a great future, and Jennifer as well, since she was the conservator for the minors.
But now that his uncle had opened his eyes, he needed to view this proposed sale with microvision. He had to consider the long-range effects on the community.
He finished off the longneck and slipped the bottle into a bucket he kept just for such time as he made the trek to the recycle point that sent trucks to Langston once a month. Cade was glad to see that many of the older ranchers were getting on board with the recycling movement. Before, he and most of the area ranchers burned their refuse when conditions would allow. Cade couldn’t recall the last time he had burned trash. After the recycle bin was filled and dropped off each month, all he had to deal with were kitchen scraps, and those went on the mulch pile.
Yes, it was a good life.
Chapter 25
Big Jim opened the door, surprised to see Misty with her hand on Mark’s shoulder. She looked grim.
“Come on in, you two. Mark, you know I leave the door unlocked. You could just bring your sister right in.” He stepped back to allow them to pass.
“I’m just dropping him off,” Misty said tersely.
Big Jim wondered what had her panties in a wad. “You can stay long enough for a glass of sweet tea, can’t you?”
Her mouth tightened, but she nodded and followed him into the kitchen, where he gestured for them to sit at the table and brought glasses with ice and the tea pitcher. He noticed that Mark hung his head and was uncharacteristically silent.
“What’s up, son?” He ruffled Mark’s thick, dark hair, and the boy raised his head. “Damnation!” Big Jim thundered. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Some kid beat him up on the bus,” Misty interjected. “I’m so upset. I don’t know what to do.”
“Tell me who did this to you,” Big Jim demanded, still examining the extent of Mark’s injuries.
“Just a couple of boys in my class. They always give me a hard time.” He sniffled and a single tear rolled down his cheek.
Big Jim felt his back teeth grind together. This had never happened with his sons, but then, they’d had each other. “This is more than a hard time. What happened today?”
Mark was struggling to control his tears. “I was just sitting there, by myself, and Ken Robey got on the bus and jammed into the seat beside me. He really jammed his shoulder into me, and my backpack fell onto the floor of the bus.”
Big Jim wanted to gather the boy in his arms, but he thought that would not be welcomed. He waited until Mark was able to add to his story.
“When Jay Sattler got on, he swung his backpack in my face and then Ken punched me in the mouth before the two of them went to sit in the back. They were laughing at me.”
Big Jim’s chest was so tight he could hardly draw a breath. “I’ll be talking to the principal, son. Don’t you worry.” He cou
ldn’t resist any longer and leaned down to wrap his arms around Mark. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this.”
Big Jim looked up to find that Misty’s eyes were filled with tears as well. “Things are gonna be okay. Don’t you worry either.”
She nodded and said she had to be going, practically running out to her truck.
Big Jim stood, his arms around Mark, wondering what the hellfire had gotten into his daughter-in-law.
* * *
Misty cried all the way home, which wasn’t all that far, considering she and Colt had built their home on the huge Garrett ranch property. Big Jim had given a significant plot to them as a wedding gift. Now she sat in front of the new house, crying in her truck.
Suddenly, she got it.
She understood why Mark needed Big Jim Garrett. Why he would trade the Dalton name in for Garrett.
Misty groped in her purse for a tissue. She wiped her eyes and gave her nose a blow.
Might as well face it: being a Dalton had not been such a good deal. When she was Mark’s age, it had been a good name. Her mom and dad had taken them to church and attended all the school meetings with Misty and her older brother. But by the time her mom died, her father had crawled into the bottle and totally ignored those parental duties. Mark needed a father, or at least a father figure, and it appeared that Big Jim Garrett was willing to step in.
He seemed to really care about Mark. And he had not done such a bad job of raising her husband, or either of his brothers, to be a fine man. They were all good men. Maybe Mark would get some of that Garrett man varnish with Big Jim’s guidance.
Misty climbed out of the truck, took a deep breath, and straightened her shoulders. Well, if Mark needs a champion, I need to support him.
She went into the house and splashed some cold water on her face. No point in spreading the gloom to Colt when he got home.
She opened the refrigerator and took out the ingredients for a hearty meal for her menfolk. In man-speak, she figured a plate full of hearty food would indicate she was on board with whatever Mark chose to call himself.
* * *
Jenn almost didn’t hear the soft knock when Cade showed up at her door. She had just come out of the bathroom wearing her terry robe after she had showered and blown her hair dry. She was putting some moisturizer on her face when she realized there was someone out there.
When she peeked through the peephole, she saw Cade, his handsome face shadowed by the overhead light.
She closed her eyes and huffed out a sigh. Why does he have to show up when I look so awful?
Jenn opened the door a crack. “Cade? What are you doing here?”
“Sorry I didn’t call first. I thought I would take a chance, and I saw a light on, so I thought…” He gave a little smile. “I thought maybe you might want to spend some time with me.”
She opened the door a little wider. Might as well let him see me at my ugliest. “Sure, I always like to spend time with you.” She gestured for him to come inside. “Um, you’ll have to forgive the way I look. I was just getting ready for bed.”
He turned and gave her an appraising look. “You look just fine to me.” He reached to gather her in his arms, drawing her against his hard chest. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers.
The kiss he delivered turned her nether regions to liquid fire. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her off her feet. Without any direction, Jenn’s thighs circled Cade’s torso and she found herself being carried to the bedroom.
Without turning on the light, he managed to find the bed and deposit her on top of it.
“The door,” she whispered. “Don’t want to wake up the children.”
He quietly closed the door and began shedding his clothes as he approached the bed. His shirt was open, and his muscles rippled as he removed it and draped it over a chair. The belt was next. He sat down and wrestled his boots off, setting them neatly beside the chair. He gazed at her, a half smile on his lips, as he stripped out of his Wranglers.
By this time, Jenn’s heart was doing triple time. Oh my!
“One of us is wearing too many clothes.” He sat on the bed beside her and reached to untie her robe, revealing her state of nakedness. “I guess I was wrong.”
She shrugged out of the robe, letting it fall beside the bed. Under his intense scrutiny, her nipples tautened.
“You’re so beautiful,” he breathed. “I don’t deserve you, but I’m happy you think that I’m worthy.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him close. “Oh, Cade. You’re the best man I have ever known.”
Cade’s lips caressed her cheek and grazed down her neck to her shoulder. Then he gave his full attention to her breasts, caressing them tenderly. He paid special homage to her nipples, circling each with his tongue before she broke into giggles and pulled him closer.
He ran his fingertips down, over her ribs, gently stroking her flat stomach, and then kissed his way down her body, stopping at her navel to explore with his tongue. He kneed her legs apart and trailed his kisses lower.
He caressed her mound with his fingers before he continued with his tongue.
She gasped as his tongue made contact with her most sensitive core. Waves of intense pleasure swirled through her, and she longed to cry out but did not want to wake the children, so she clamped her lips together and made little whimpering noises throughout his performance, ending with a low and sustained moan.
He looked at her so tenderly, she felt the power of his love. He produced a small packet. “Protection. I grabbed some at the store the other day.” He applied the condom to his erection and pressed into her wetness.
Jennifer wrapped her thighs around him as he began to rhythmically stroke into her. She rose up to meet his thrusts. His passion thrilled her. As their bodies fused, she lost herself in the moment, forgetting everything but the strong man holding her in his arms. Everything but the sweetness of their coupling.
When at last they lay spent, limbs and damp sheets still twisted together, she hated that he would leave her.
He rolled onto his back and carried her with him. Kissing her damp temple, he grinned. “You just don’t have any idea how much I love you and how much I hate to go back to my place.”
Jennifer lay atop Cade, her heart still beating fast. “I would like it if you would hold me all night long.”
* * *
The next morning, Big Jim called the elementary school principal. He knew the woman, who had lived in the community all her life.
He explained to her what Mark had been going through and informed her of the incident that had occurred the previous day on the bus.
“Now, I want to make sure this don’t ever happen again.”
The woman expressed her assurance that she would take care of it.
“Do I need to call the parents of the young bullies?” He tried to temper the hostility in his own voice.
“Oh, no, Mr. Garrett. That won’t be necessary. We’ll take care of the matter. It’s a school issue.”
“Well, it’s a family matter to me, so you make sure there’s not a repeat performance. Don’t let those bullies off the hook.” He hung up after receiving assurances that she would act immediately and that Mark would not be in danger.
Somehow, he didn’t feel that he had done enough for Mark. He wanted to support him without emasculating him. While he would like to pick up the young bullies by their ears and give them a shake, he knew that could not happen.
He wished his dear wife, Elizabeth, were alive. He had always treasured her counsel. Now he was on his own.
Big Jim considered the parents of the two boys who had attacked Mark. The Robeys and the Sattlers were both longtime area residents. The Robeys had a local land-clearing business and apparently did fairly well. The Sattlers lived on a small farm on the other side of the highway from
the Garrett ranch. He presumed they were doing all right as well. At least, both families dressed up their little hellions and brought them to church on Sundays. Apparently, it didn’t take.
What made those boys think they could gang up on another boy and get away with it?
At 2:42 that afternoon, Big Jim parked his big silver double dually truck in the parking lot of the Langston Elementary School. There were large yellow buses lined up along one side of the building. Not today.
Big Jim swung out of the pickup and strode purposefully into the building. At the office, he didn’t bother the principal, but instead asked the secretary which classroom Mark Dalton was in.
Armed with that information, Big Jim found the room and peeked inside. The door was open and the students had their heads bent over some task. He found Mark easily, his eyes on his paper, but Big Jim could see the darkening bruise on the side of his face even from his vantage point.
The teacher looked up and saw Big Jim. She went to the door and asked if she could help him.
“Thank you, ma’am. I just need to give young Mark Dalton a message, if you don’t mind.”
By this time, most of the class had noticed the big man standing in the doorway. When the teacher asked Mark to go to the doorway, a buzz of talk roiled through the classroom.
Mark had a smile on his face as he laid down his work and went to greet Big Jim.
The teacher went back to her desk, leaving Big Jim and Mark together in the hallway but in full view of the entire class.
“Big Jim!” Mark said. “I didn’t know you would be here.”
“I just thought I’d give you a ride home. Maybe we can stop and get an ice cream on the way?”
Mark grinned. “Wow! That’s great.”
“Now I want you to do something for me,” Big Jim said, his voice low and confidential. He leaned down close to Mark’s level. “I want you to point to the two boys who beat on you yesterday. Don’t need to say a word. Just point.”
Mark looked a little surprised but turned and pointed first to one young man and then to the other.
