by Linda Warren
“She then asked me why I wanted to see you and I had no choice. I had to tell her. I hoped she’d let me see you then, but that hope was short-lived. She said, ‘Get out of my house and if you spread that rumor around Horseshoe, I will have you arrested.’”
“Nah.” Elias shook his head. “You had me up until then. My mom wouldn’t do that. I know that beyond any doubt.”
“I’m not lying, Elias. Ask your grandfather. He was there. He even said, ‘Kate, you need to listen to the girl.’ She told him to shut up and that was it. I ran to my truck and drove straight to Mrs. Peabody’s. I told Mrs. Peabody I had nowhere to go. She said she would find me a place away from Horseshoe. She called her sister in Dallas who said I could stay with her until I got on my feet. I went to the bakery and picked up my paycheck and told Doris I wouldn’t be coming back. I drove away, leaving everything behind—the heartache, the pain and my family.”
Elias rubbed his hands together, trying to believe what she was saying. His mother’s part in this he didn’t believe, just yet. It didn’t ring true for the woman he knew, the mother who always stood up for her children and fought for them. He’d deal with that later. Right now, he was grappling with the fact that he had a child, an out-of-control son.
“I’ll pay you back, Elias. I just can’t let my son stay in jail.”
Elias got to his feet. “I’m not spending one dime to get that kid out of jail.” He headed back to the sheriff’s office with Maribel behind him.
“You don’t mean that!”
She followed him straight into the sheriff’s office. “Elias, please.”
“I need to talk to you, Wyatt.”
“Elias.” Wyatt sighed. “It’s five o’clock in the morning. I’m going home and whatever you want to talk about we can do it on Monday.”
“We have to do it now.”
Wyatt stared right at him. “Why?”
“You asked me for a favor and now I’m asking you for one.”
Wyatt laid down the pen he was holding. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but what favor?”
“I want you to release Chase McCray into my custody without any money changing hands.”
Wyatt gave a chuckle. “I think you’re sleep deprived. I’m not releasing Chase McCray to anyone. He stays in jail.”
“You released the other two boys into the custody of their parents.”
“Yes, because I know them and I know they’ll be in court on Monday morning.”
“You know me, too, don’t you, Wyatt?”
“Too well. And I know once you get something in your mind you never let it go, just like an old hound dog.”
“So you know I’m not stopping until you release him into my custody.”
Wyatt sighed again. “Elias, why is this kid so important to you?”
He took a deep breath and said the words for the first time: “He’s my son.”
“What?” Wyatt frowned and looked from Elias to Maribel. “You mean you and Maribel were a thing in high school?”
“Yes. It happened one time and we both knew that because of our families we couldn’t be together and we never saw each other again. I didn’t know Maribel was pregnant and she told me for the first time tonight. So, are you going to let my kid go or not?”
Wyatt ran his hands through his hair. “Holy cow. This is just what I need. I knew something was going on with this kid and now the Rebel/McCray feud is going to get stirred up all over again.”
“You don’t have to worry about Chase running. I’ll stick to him like butter on a biscuit. I’ll have him at the courthouse on time for the hearing. And you know I always keep my word.”
“I just can’t release someone because you ask me to.”
Elias leaned over and tapped Wyatt’s badge on his khaki shirt. “You’re the sheriff and you can do anything you want. I’ve seen you do it many times and no one has questioned you. The people in this community trust you to make the right decisions.”
Wyatt reached for the keys. “Damn it! I’m going to release him into your custody and if he does one little thing and is not there for the hearing—” Wyatt pointed to the jail cell “—you’ll be sitting in that cell.”
“Got it.” Elias took the keys from Wyatt. “I want to talk to him first.”
“No,” Maribel spoke up. “I’ll tell him. He needs to hear it from me.”
Elias faced the woman who’d just driven an ice pick through his heart. “I will tell him. You had the opportunity for seventeen years and now it’s my turn. He needs to hear this from me—his father.”
“I need to do this,” Maribel insisted.
He shook his head. “Not gonna happen. That kid has an attitude and he’s going to learn respect and manners and he’s going to learn it from me.”
Wyatt coughed.
Elias looked at his friend. “You think I can’t do it?”
“I just want to go home. Whatever you do with your child is your business. But I’ll say one thing for you, Elias. You’ve always shown me respect, even when you were in the wrong.”
“Elias...” Maribel called after him as he walked away to the cell. Chase lay on the cot with his hands behind his head. He slowly sat up when he saw Elias entering the cell.
“What do you want?”
Elias sat on a cot, facing his son and he couldn’t stop staring at him and reliving the memories that churned inside him. That night when he had come upon Maribel fixing a flat, he thought all his prayers had been answered. There had been an electricity between them for some time and he had just wanted to talk to her, away from school, away from their families. She’d accepted his help graciously and then they had scrambled into his truck to get away from the sleet.
Breathing the same air as Maribel had been as intoxicating as any beer he’d ever had. She’d smelled of strawberries, and being young and stupid and besotted he’d thought it was because of her strawberry colored hair. He’d loved being close to her. Her hair had been wet and he’d grabbed an old jacket from the back seat and had helped to rub it dry. When he’d touched her skin, her soft skin, something had happened to both of them and they’d kept on touching each other. One kiss had led to another and before either of them could stop, they were ripping off clothes and getting warm in an old familiar way.
She was the sexiest girl he’d ever touched. He remembered every emotion he had felt that night. It was like a movie in his head and he could bring it up at the oddest of times. Her moans, her smile, her long hair all around him. He remembered it almost every day of his life. And he regretted it almost every day of his life. Now, he was staring at the results of that night. The child they’d created, not in love but in passion. A powerful passion. And after it was gone, the only thing that had remained was the regrets.
“Are you just gonna stare at me, or what?”
“What has your mother told you about your father?”
“What? That’s none of your business.”
“You know we had this talk about manners and respect. Do we need to have it again?”
Chase frowned. “Are you a deputy, or what?”
“Or what.”
“Why do you want to know about my dad?”
“I’m just curious. Your mom is trying to get you out of jail and...”
Chase tried to see around the bars. “Is she talking to the sheriff?”
“Yes, he wants a thousand dollars upfront to make sure you don’t run or leave town.”
“My mom doesn’t have that kind of money.”
“Maybe your dad does.”
“I don’t know who he is. Mom doesn’t talk about him. The only thing she told me was that he was someone in high school, someone she shouldn’t have gotten involved with. He wasn’t ready to be a father and she had to raise me alone. She never told him abou
t me, and that’s okay. We had Nana.”
“Who’s Nana?”
“She’s my grandmother, or the lady who took my mother in when she was pregnant. She became my grandmother and she loved both of us. It hasn’t been the same since she died. After that, we had to move into an apartment. We did okay until Mom’s boss fired her because she wouldn’t sleep with him.”
Maribel had failed to mention that. He could imagine her life must’ve been pretty hard raising the kid alone. He was glad she’d had someone there for her like Nana to help. The guilt was now beating against his head with the force of a two-by-four. He should have known something was wrong when she’d left town without graduating. He should’ve been the one to put it together, but he had been busy doing other things. Maturity hadn’t been his strong suit back then, and some people would say it wasn’t now, either.
Elias decided to let it go for now. Later, he and Maribel would talk about a lot of things. He rested his forearms on his thighs and looked at his son. “You seem to have had a pretty good life. Why are you so angry?”
Chase looked down at the floor. “I don’t like it here. No one wants us here. I want to go back home to Dallas. I play football and I’m hoping scouts will notice me and I can get a scholarship to college because Mom won’t be able to afford to pay for me to go. I want to play in the NFL. All that is ruined now and I’ll never get noticed in this one-horse town. My life is over.”
“So life is all about you. Have you even thought about what it’s like for your mother to come back here and face her family and the guy who is your father?”
“No.” Chase continued to look at the floor.
“Have you ever thought of getting a job to help out?”
His head jerked up. “A job? I don’t know how to do anything except play football.”
“That’s going to change.”
Chase narrowed his eyes. “Says who?”
“Says me. You have to pay for the beer you stole and to do that you have to get a job and make money. A new concept, huh?”
“My mom will pay for it.”
Elias’s shook his head. “No. You will, and I’m going to make sure that you do.”
“You can’t make me do anything. My mom won’t let you.”
The crux of all Chase’s problems—his mother. Elias was going to undo some of that, at least the pampering.
“You’re seventeen years old and it’s time for you to stand up and be a man and take responsibility for what you did.”
“I’m sorry, okay?” There was a note of regret in his voice and it was the first sign that it was getting harder to carry around that big ol’ attitude.
Elias got to his feet. “The sheriff has released you into my custody.”
“What? Why would he do that? I don’t even know you. My mother will not stand for this.”
“Your mother has agreed, so this discussion is over.”
“I’m not going with you. I’d rather stay in jail.”
Elias placed his hands on his hips and stared at this kid that he and Maribel had created. It was time for a dose of reality. For the kid. And for Elias. “That guy from high school who your mom said wasn’t ready for responsibility would have taken full responsibility for you.”
“How do you know that?”
“I’m that guy. I’m your father.”
Chapter Four
“No.” Chase shook his head. “You’re not my father. My mom would’ve told me.”
“She told me for the first time tonight, so I’m in shock just like you. I guess she never wanted either one of us to know.”
Maribel couldn’t stand it any longer. She walked to the open jail door and faced her son. They rarely talked about Chase’s father and she liked it that way. But now her pride was going to take another hit. She had never meant to keep it a secret. It had just happened. Never in a million years had she planned to tell Chase this way.
“Mom, tell him it’s not true. He’s not my father.” Chase was not ready to hear the truth, but he was mature enough to handle it. If he wasn’t, that was her fault.
She stepped closer to Chase and spoke softly. “Elias Rebel is your father. I’m sorry. I should’ve told you more about him, but I didn’t feel it was necessary at the time. I never planned to return to Horseshoe.”
A shattered look came over his face. She’d seen that same look the day Miss Vennie had died. A part of her would hurt the rest of her life for creating this moment—for hurting her son like this.
Chase jerked a thumb toward Elias. “He says the sheriff released me into his custody and I’m now his responsibility.”
Maribel was tired and didn’t want to deal with more drama tonight. “We’ll discuss this later.” She nodded toward the doorway. “Let’s go home.”
Chase followed her without another word. Maribel was very aware that Elias was behind them. She had to make a stand and she had to do it now. Stepping outside in the early morning dawn, she turned to face Elias and all her sins seemed to hit her full force. His stern expression sent a direct message to her heart: he wasn’t going to go quietly out of their lives. Her stomach roiled with anxiety. But maybe he just needed a nudge.
“I really appreciated your help tonight. You went above and beyond what I expected and I’m very grateful my son did not have to spend more time in jail, but I can take it from here. I will make sure he’s at the hearing on Monday and he will be grounded until this is over.”
“Really, Maribel? You think I’m going to slither out of my son’s life with gratitude?”
“I’m not your son!” Chase shouted.
Elias’s lips tightened and she could see it was an effort to control his temper. “This is how it’s going to go,” he stated, his voice clear and unrelenting. “You take the kid back to Phoenix’s and get some rest. I’ll follow you out to Rebel Road and then I have to talk to my mom and my brothers to let them know what has happened.”
She should be thankful he was willing to take responsibility but she didn’t need his help now. All she wanted was for him to disappear out of their lives once again. She had raised Chase all these years and she could continue to do so without his input. She was fighting for her independence and somehow she knew it would be the biggest fight of her life.
“There’s really no need...”
“What are you afraid of, Maribel?” An eyebrow lifted toward his hat. “Are you afraid my mother might tell a different story than you’ve told me?”
“I’m not afraid. I know the truth, but there’s no need to rehash the past. It’s over and we should all move on.”
“Yeah, we’ll see,” he said in a snarky tone that irritated her. She’d had enough for tonight and walked toward Rosie’s truck and got in. Chase followed. Nothing else was said as Elias went to his truck. All the way to Rebel Road she was aware of his truck behind her. He wasn’t letting them out of his sight. When she passed the Rebel Ranch house, he turned into the entrance and Maribel breathed a sigh of relief.
She had to wonder how his meeting with his mother would go. She wasn’t going to take it well. Since Maribel had been living with Phoenix and Rosie, Miss Kate had avoided her, but she couldn’t avoid her son. He would want answers. She’d love to be a fly on that wall. But then again, she’d rather forget the whole thing. She had a permanent reminder, though, who stalked behind her into the house.
“Go to bed,” she said to her son. “We’ll talk when you get up.”
“Mom...”
Phoenix came into the kitchen where they were standing. “You’re home. I have to get to work.”
Chase walked passed Phoenix without saying a word in his usual sullen mood.
“What happened?” Phoenix asked, staring at Chase’s back.
She told him most of what had happened during the night. She did
n’t mention Elias, but Phoenix had to know and Rosie did, too.
“He’s out of control, Maribel. You have to do something.”
She took a deep breath. “I know. You’ve never asked me who Chase’s father is and neither has Rosie.”
“I figured that was your business.”
“Yes, well, to get Chase out of jail I had to ask for his father’s help, so this whole town will know by the end of today. I want to tell Rosie and I need your permission to do that.”
“Who’s his father?”
Her throat went dry and she had to swallow to say the words. “Your...brother...Elias.”
“What!”
“It’s true. It was a one-time thing that should never have happened. Chase is a result of that one time. I never told Elias but I had to tell him tonight because I needed his help.”
Phoenix swiped a hand through his hair. “Oh, man. Does my mother know about this?”
“Elias is telling her now.” She didn’t elaborate. She’d let Elias tell them the rest.
Phoenix grabbed his hat from a rack near the door. “Rosie and Jake are still asleep. Do you mind fixing breakfast?”
“No. Can I tell Rosie? I wouldn’t want her to hear it from someone else.”
“Sure.” He walked out the door and Maribel trailed down the hall to the master bedroom. Rosie, with her red hair everywhere, was propped up against the headboard. When she was small, Maribel had called her “Little Red Hen” because of her hair. They’d had an old hen that had had feathers the same color.
“You’re awake.”
“I always wake up when Phoenix kisses me goodbye.”
Maribel sat at the foot of the bed. “You’re absolutely glowing.”
Placing her hand on her protruding stomach, Rosie said, “I can’t lose this baby.”
“You’re won’t because we’re not going to let you. You have about three months to wait and even if the baby comes early, she’ll still be okay.”
“Phoenix and I are happy it’s a girl. We’re going to call her Grace. Gracie for short.”
“And she’ll be beautiful just like her mother.”
