by Linda Warren
“Ah, Mom, I can’t do that.”
“I can.”
“Does that mean...?”
She turned to Elias who was watching them with a keen eye. “We’ll take the house on one condition.”
“What’s that?” he asked with a lifted brow.
“That Chase and I help with the house.”
“The kid is going to help for sure, but I don’t know about you, Maribel. You’re kind of puny.” His eyes slid over her slim frame and that angered her.
“Puny! I can work just as hard as you can.” She glared at him, daring him to refute it. He didn’t.
“Deal, then?”
“Deal,” she replied. “Now, could you please tell me where my car is?”
“It’s been impounded over at Bubba Wiznowski’s garage. I’ll take you over there.”
Once again they got into the truck, and drove to the garage. Maribel had known Bubba from school and had always liked him.
All six-foot-plus and three-hundred pounds of Bubba grabbed Maribel in a bear hug. “You’re a sight for these tired old eyes.” He pushed her back to look at her. “My, my, you’re more beautiful than ever, Maribel.”
“Aw, Bubba, you always say the nicest things.”
“And mean every one of them.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Elias muttered. “He also believes in the tooth fairy.”
“Hey, Elias.” Bubba slapped him on the back. “I heard the news.” Bubba’s gaze rested on Chase. “I guess this is the new addition to the Rebel family.”
Chase bridled just as Maribel had expected him to.
“It’s taking some getting used to,” Maribel said to cover-up Chase’s rudeness. “I’d like to get my car, please.”
“Sure thing.” Bubba went inside the old gas station that had been there for fifty years and came back with her keys.
“What do I owe you?”
Bubba waved a hand. “For you, nothing.”
Elias cleared his throat. “Wyatt is not going to be happy with that.” He pulled out his wallet and handed Bubba some money. “Take it.” Bubba wouldn’t so Elias stuffed it into his pocket.
Maribel’s car was inside the eight-foot chain-link fence that surrounded the back of the station. Bubba opened the gate and she looked at Chase and said, “I’ll see you in the morning at the courthouse. Please be patient and polite.”
“I don’t have any choice. I’m in Hicksville and I have to stay here. That sucks.”
Maribel saw something she hadn’t seen before. Chase needed a man in his life. He reacted to Elias because he knew Elias wasn’t going to put up with his attitude, whereas she had always overlooked it. And she had put up with more than she should have. She turned and walked to her car.
“Wait, Mom. I need my football.”
Football. Her son lived for the game.
After tossing him the ball, she got in her car and drove away. She hoped Elias treated his son just as his father had treated him—with a firm hand and a lot of love.
* * *
ELIAS DROVE TO the motel and Chase didn’t say a word, which was a benefit. Elias needed a break to sort through his thoughts. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours and he was still reeling from the impact.
They walked into the room and Chase threw his duffle bag on the sofa and sank into a chair at the small table. “Well, this is better than that dump of a house.”
Elias held his tongue and sat on the bed, facing his son. “We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“Tomorrow morning and what’s going to happen.”
That cooled the boy’s temper for a moment.
“You’re in a very serious situation and I’ll do my best to get you out it, but I need your cooperation. You need to show some respect to the judge, to the DA, to the sheriff and to me. Without that, you’ll be sitting in a jail cell for a while. Do you understand?”
He nodded.
“Hiram Henley will be the judge and he’s a stickler just like the sheriff. But he’s also fair and known to give teenagers a second chance. He gave me one years ago and that might go against you. But then again, he knows me and how I’ve changed and if I tell him I’ll keep you out of trouble, he’ll believe me.”
“What did you do?”
“You don’t need to know that. You just need to know that I’ll be in there fighting for you all the way. But you have to change your attitude and you need to change it now.”
The football lay on the table and Chase picked it up. “All I want is to be able to play football and go to the NFL.”
“That road starts with how things turn out tomorrow.”
Chase twisted the ball in his hand. “My mom said that you left the ranch because of me.”
He didn’t want his son to be burdened with that fact and he tried to soften it. “Let’s just say my mom and I don’t see eye-to-eye. But we’ll work things out eventually.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I know my mother and I know that I’ve hurt her and it will take time for all of us to adjust to this new situation. But just know, you’re my son and I will fight for you with my last breath.”
The kid didn’t say anything, just kept staring at the football. Elias wasn’t sure what else to say. He’d pretty much said everything that was in his heart and that was something he never did. He was just feeling his way through all the emotions that seemed to be bubbling up inside him. He really needed to get some sleep. As he stood up, a knock sounded at the door.
“It’s probably Mom,” Chase said. “She’s worried you’re going to be mean to me.”
If it was Maribel, he might just lose his cool. And if it was Louann, he really would lose it.
He yanked open the door and Grandpa stood there. For a moment, Elias was speechless. He looked outside to see if Quincy had brought him, but Grandpa’s old Chevrolet truck was parked next to his.
“Grandpa, are you driving?”
“Of course, how do you think I got here?”
“You don’t drive in the dark and you hardly drive at all. What are you doing here?”
Grandpa pushed past him into the room. “Stop asking so many questions. I came to meet my great-grandson.”
“Grandpa—”
“Just cool your heels, okay?”
Elias gritted his teeth and he didn’t know how much more he could deal with today. His nerves were on the brink of exploding and Grandpa had just lit the fuse.
Chapter Seven
“Who are you?” Chase asked as Grandpa walked up to him.
“I’m John Abraham Rebel, your great-grandfather.”
“I don’t know you.” Chase didn’t say it rudely. He was just stating a fact.
Grandpa slid into the chair across from Chase. “That’s about to change.” Staring at Chase, Grandpa shook his head. “My, my, that apple fell right under the tree.”
“What are you talking about?” Chase asked.
“You look just like your father.”
“Everybody says that. I don’t see it.”
“Well, then you need to buy a mirror, or even better...” Grandpa reached for his wallet in his back pocket. He pulled out several photos and laid them in front of Chase. “See if you can pick out Elias.”
Chase pointed to one.
“Yep. That’s him with his brother Egan. They were about thirteen and fourteen at the time. And look at that one. That’s Elias at fifteen. Now tell me you don’t look like him.”
“I guess we favor.”
“You sure do.”
Grandpa and Chase kept talking and Elias stood there with one thought on his mind: Grandpa carried pictures of him. He didn’t know why that shocked him. Quincy was Grandpa’s favori
te. Normally that wouldn’t have bothered him or affected him either way. But today, it seemed to pierce his heart in a good way.
“Do you like hamburgers?” Grandpa’s words caught his attention.
“Yeah.”
Grandpa looked at Elias. “Go down to the diner and get us some hamburgers. I haven’t eaten supper and the boy is hungry.”
Before Elias could respond his phone buzzed. He had a text from Quincy.
We can’t find Grandpa. He was supposed to eat at our house tonight. Is he with you?
“Grandpa, Quincy is looking for you. You’re supposed to eat at his house tonight.”
Grandpa waved a hand at him. “Tell him I’m busy.”
Elias took a deep breath, knowing Grandpa wasn’t going to budge. That stubborn gene ran all the way through the Rebel family. He texted Quincy.
Grandpa’s okay. He’s here. I’ll get him home ASAP.
He got a quick text back.
Where’s here?
Elias didn’t answer because he didn’t want the whole family piling in on Chase. It would be too much.
“Are you getting hamburgers or what?” Grandpa asked. “And get a piece of pie, too. I want coconut.” He looked at Chase. “What kind do you like?”
“Chocolate.”
Grandpa thumbed toward Elias. “He likes chocolate, too.”
Elias picked up his hat from the bed, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. He walked out the door leaving Chase in Grandpa’s hands. When he came back, he could hear Chase laughing through the door. It was a magical sound. Up until now, he’d only heard anger in his voice.
He set the bag of food on the table and they dug in. Chase unwrapped his hamburger. “Grandpa was telling me about you when you were younger.”
Grandpa.
Chase must have seen the shock on Elias’s face. “He said for me to call him that.”
“I sure did,” Grandpa added. “That’s who I am.”
As they ate, Elias had to wonder if Chase would ever call him Dad.
After the meal, Grandpa went to the bathroom. When he came back, he went to the bed near the window and removed his shirt. He sat down and took off his boots and then his jeans. He crawled into bed.
What the...?
“Chase, find me the Western channel.”
Chase got to his feet, eager to help. “I don’t know where it is.”
“Get the remote. You can find it.”
Chase sat on the bed next to Grandpa and flipped through the channels.
“That’s it!” Grandpa shouted. “That’s Clint Eastwood. You know Clint Eastwood?”
“I know Scott Eastwood.”
“Same thing. Elias, get me another pillow.”
Groaning inwardly, Elias grabbed one out of the closet and tossed it to Chase. He tucked it behind Grandpa’s head. “Do you need another?” Chase asked.
“Nah. This is just right. Now let’s see what ol’ Clint is up to.”
Elias drew a long breath and went into the bathroom just to get some quiet. Grandpa was making things worse. But on the other hand, he and Chase had made a connection and that was good. He just wanted to go to bed and forget this day had ever happened. There was no going back, though. Elias’s free loving days were over. Responsibility felt like a yoke around his neck. He had to be the man his father had raised him to be. He had to be a father.
He sent Quincy a text.
Grandpa will be home tomorrow.
Feeling better he walked back into the room. Grandpa was snoring and the TV was blaring.
“He’s asleep,” Chase said.
“Yeah. That’s why he likes the TV on. It helps him to go to sleep.” He nodded toward the bathroom. “Time to go to bed.”
Chase was back in a minute in his boxers and a T-shirt and slid into bed with Grandpa. Elias wanted to say something but for once words eluded him. They all needed to get some rest. He turned off the TV and the light and crawled into bed with a sigh of relief.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING, Elias awoke at 5:00 a.m. and wanted coffee. There was none in the room, only a coffeemaker. He quickly showered, shaved and changed clothes and then got in his truck and went to the store to get breakfast tacos and coffee. Grandpa woke up when he smelled the coffee. They had a quick breakfast and everyone got ready for the day.
As he walked outside, Elias said, “It’s time for you to go home, Grandpa. Quincy’s waiting for you.”
“I’m not going home until I know this boy gets justice.”
“I can take care of it.”
“I know you can. I just want to give you some support. That’s what grandfathers do.”
Elias gave up. There was no arguing with his grandpa. They made it to the courthouse by 7:30 a.m. Maribel stood outside, waiting. He hardly recognized her in a black pantsuit and a white silk blouse. Her hair was up in a neat bun and she looked sophisticated and sexy. His mind went back to all those years ago and that dirt road.
“There’s Mom,” Chase said, and jumped out of the truck as Elias pulled into a parking spot.
Elias and Grandpa joined them. Grandpa shook Maribel’s hand.
“I’m sorry I didn’t do more all those years ago.”
“It’s okay, Mr. Abe. It happened the way it was supposed to happen, I guess.”
“I’m going inside to talk to Hardy and Wyatt,” Elias said. He went up the stairs toward the courtrooms and saw Hardy and Wyatt talking in the hallway. Elias joined them and they all shook hands.
“Don’t try to influence us,” Hardy said.
“Now why would I do that?” He looked at the DA and the sheriff. He’d known them all his life. Although at times he’d been on the other side of the law, they’d remained friends all these years. He felt he could say what he wanted to.
He looked at Hardy. “I just want to remind you that you know more about what I’m feeling since you found out you were a father when your daughter was ten years old. It’s not a good feeling and I know you’d do anything for Erin, just like I’m going to do everything I can for Chase.”
“Elias, it’s not the same thing.”
“All I’m asking is for a fair shake for my kid. I’m in his life now and I’m going to make sure he does the right thing and makes good decisions.”
“He broke the law,” Wyatt said.
Elias stared at Wyatt. “What if it was Jody?” Jody was Wyatt’s sixteen-year-old daughter.
“Jody is a straight-A student and she knows better.”
“My son is a straight-A student, but the move from Dallas derailed him. He made a mistake and I’m asking you to give him a break. Just be fair, that’s all I’m asking.”
Maribel, Chase and Grandpa came up the stairs and Hardy and Wyatt walked into the courtroom.
“What did they say?” Maribel whispered to him as Grandpa and Chase made their way into the courtroom.
Maribel’s eyes were worried. So were Elias’s. “They’re being tough, but I can be tough, too.”
“Elias...”
They took their seats on the right in the courtroom. Chase sat between Maribel and Elias and Grandpa sat next to Maribel. The Wentz and Polansky families sat on the left. Wyatt and Hardy were at a table facing the judge. It was an informal hearing to decide if the crime warranted going to trial. Elias had declined an attorney, as had the Wentz and Polansky families. They were counting on the fairness of the judge.
Judge Henley walked in with his secretary and stenographer. Everyone stood until the judge took his seat at the bench. The judge was of medium height and balding and wore round wire-rimmed glasses. His secretary handed him a cup of coffee and he took a sip, then he glanced at the DA.
“What do we have, Hardy?”
Hardy stood and handed t
he judge a folder. “Three teenagers stealing beer around Horseshoe.”
“Good heavens.” The judge looked at Brandon and Billy Tom. “Don’t your parents have beer at home?” Sometimes the judge tended to have a sense of humor and Elias was relying on it.
Mike Wentz got to his feet. “The new kid in town talked them into it.”
The judge looked down at the folder. “Who’s this new kid in town?”
“Chase McCray,” Hardy replied.
“Is he one of the McCray family?”
Maribel got to her feet. “No, Your Honor. I’m Maribel McCray and Chase is my son. We moved away before he was born and we lived in Dallas. I recently returned home to help my sister Rosemary.”
“It says here that Elias Rebel is his father?”
“Yes, Your Honor, he is.”
The judge shook his head. “Lord help us all.”
Elias got to his feet to say something, but the judge waved him down. “Wait your turn. I’m taking the other two boys first.” The judge studied the folder.
Then he looked at Brandon and Billy Tom. “Two star football players making a mistake like this. What were you thinking?”
Mike got to his feet again. “Your Honor—”
“Sit down, Mike. I want to talk to the boys.”
Billy Tom and Brandon stood. “It was stupid,” Billy Tom said. “We made a mistake and we won’t do anything like that again.”
“I hope not.”
The judge glanced at Hardy. “Any suggestions?”
“Billy Tom’s and Brandon’s records are clean and I’m inclined to be lenient. Probation would be fine with the state.”
“Sounds good to me. Billy Tom Wentz and Brandon Polansky, I sentence you both to one month of probation and once a week community service for a month. And you will pay for the stolen beer. You’ll report to the sheriff. If you stay clean during that month, this will be expunged from your record. And you better win the state championship this year. You’re free to go.”
The family strolled out of the courtroom, but the boys looked back at Chase, who remained stoic, looking straight ahead.
The judge turned to Hardy once again. “I see Chase McCray ran from the sheriff. What’s your opinion?”
