“I don’t think I can keep giving you a pass, Jake. I’ve reduced your bill for services rendered and applied the pathetic payments you have given me and your balance is still far too outstanding to just overlook. I guess I’ll have to take my pound of flesh instead.”
“Do what you have to do,” Jake replied, bracing himself for what would come next.
Kessler stepped forward and placed the shiny blade to his cheek. His laugh was chilling as he dragged it slowly downward. He felt the sting of the steel against his face, slicing into his skin. Warm blood oozed out an trickled to his neck — Jake waited for more.
The rank smell of Kessler’s breath, a mixture of alcohol and cigarettes, was nauseating when he stepped even closer and whispered, “That is just a tiny taste of what I will do to you if you don’t start paying up. I’m going to give you an assignment that needs to be completed this week. It will buy you another week beyond that to get me the payment you owe me. Miss the deadline and your debt becomes payable in full. I’ll take it in cash or flesh. Your pick.”
“That’s generous of you,” Jake said snidely, the taste of blood now seeping into his mouth as he bled more freely.
“Yes, it is generous of me,” Kessler replied curling up his lip and exposing his yellow teeth. “1762 Palmyra Lane. Agatha Selman. She, too, missed her last payment. You need to collect her payment or give her a very stern warning that will result in it being paid within the next forty-eight hours.”
“Fine,” Jake replied, not familiar with the woman’s name. He had no idea if he was dealing with a young mother or an old widow, but either way, he didn’t relish having to lean on a female. Still, what choice did he have?
“Let him go,” Kessler said to the two men.
Jake yanked away from them as they loosened their grip and blotted away the blood with the sleeve of his shirt. He heard Kessler taunting him as he left, but didn’t stop to reply. Instead, he made his way out to his truck and climbed inside. Glancing into the rearview mirror as he backed out, Jake could see that one side of his face was covered in blood, but he couldn’t make out how deep the cut was. He turned around and pulled onto the highway, headed toward Palmyra Street.
This was just another punishment for him. He knew that. Usually, the people Kessler sent him to strong arm were low lives and druggies. He didn’t have any remorse about having to knock them around a little or threaten them. The truth was that Kessler could just as easily send his two bulldogs, but he'd rather force Jake to do it just to be spiteful. Now, he was sending him to push around helpless women. Jake wanted to turn around, to go home and just deal with whatever came to him, but if he did, he wasn’t the only one that would suffer.
Pulling up to the house, he couldn’t help but notice that it was once a very nice place. It had apparently fallen into disrepair in recent years. The weed filled yard had not been mowed in months. Who knew what the reason might be? Taking a deep breath, he put the truck in park and reached for the small packet of Kleenex he kept in his console. Jake wiped away the blood on his face and neck. The thin cut had stopped bleeding. There was still a little blood on his shirt, but it would have just to stay.
He stepped out and knocked on the front door, surprised when it was opened by a teenage boy, maybe thirteen or fourteen. Jake muttered under his breath.
“Can I help you?” the boy asked, his gaze zeroing in on the bloody collar of Jake’s shirt and then back up at his face.
“I need to see your mother,” Jake told him.
“She’s in bed. Sick.”
Jake figured the boy was lying. He was very skilled when it came to gauging people’s reactions. It was part of his military training. The kid had looked away and dropped his voice an octave or so when he said the words. If that wasn’t enough of a giveaway, the slightest creak on the staircase behind him revealed that someone was attempting to slip close enough to hear but not be seen.
“What sort of woman sends her child to answer the door for loan sharks?” Jake called out past the boy.
The boy looked stricken and looked quickly back in the direction of the stairs. He was terrified. Jake hated that, but he hated that his mother had sent him instead.
“That’s just our dog,” the boy quickly explained.
“Right,” Jake replied, pushing his way through the door and past the boy toward the stairs. He stopped in his tracks as he got a good look at the woman standing there. She was maybe in her mid-thirties or early forties, but it was hard to tell due to her almost translucent coloring and drawn face. She wore a cap on her head to hide an absence of hair, but the lack of eyebrows gave away the fact that she had lost any she may have once had.
Jake stood looking at her while she peered back at him through vacant, tired eyes that reflected more resignation than fear. He said nothing, turning to walk back out the door. He wasn’t doing this, no matter what the cost.
Swallowing hard she asked, “Kessler sent you, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” Jake replied, as he watched her finish descending the stairs.
“To hurt me? To hurt my son?”
Jake shook his head. “To give you a chance to pay or a reminder of why you shouldn’t be late. You have forty-eight hours to make good.”
“You won’t hurt my boy?” Her eyes watered as she gripped the banister.
“I won’t hurt either of you. I didn’t know you were sick. I’m leaving.”
“What will happen to you?” she asked, catching Jake by surprise.
Jake shrugged and replied, “I don’t know.”
“If you hurt one of us, they will leave you and us alone for forty-eight hours?” she asked.
“Yes, but I’m not going to do that.” He peered into her eyes.
“I have a sling. I will wear it in case they come by to check. Tell them you broke my arm and that I said I’d get the money within the two days.”
“What?”
“Just do it.”
Jake nodded and closed the door behind him. He felt like throwing up as he put the truck in reverse and backed out, heading back to the ranch
4
After Jake’s visit to the Selman’s home, he had tossed and turned all night. What was going to happen to her in forty-eight hours when people who weren’t nearly as kind-hearted as he showed up on her doorstep? What was going to happen to him in two weeks when he didn’t have his payment to hand over? His father would be so disappointed in him for getting mixed up in this mess, but he hadn’t felt like he had a choice. Jake never believed it would be so hard to get the ranch running in the black again. It was taking too long, and he was almost out of time.
He was up and back out in the stables early that morning. Vanessa arrived, as usual, to take care of Tamara and he wanted to hold her so badly. He knew that it was about his own need for comfort than anything. Jake felt so lonely and so distant from anyone else. The idea of having someone in his arms was so appealing right now and yet; it was probably the worst thing he could do.
As she walked up to the barn, he began to hear barking coming from the side yard. Apollo was home! He walked out just as the large chocolate Labrador retriever rushed Vanessa and almost knocked her down.
“Apollo! Heel!” he ordered the dog, sending it scurrying back to sit politely to one side. “Did he get dirt all over you?” he asked Vanessa.
“Where did he come from?” she asked, laughing as she brushed off his dirty paw prints from her shirt.
“He’s my father’s dog. He has a bad habit of wandering off for days to visit his neighborhood girlfriends.”
“How old is he?”
“About ten or so.”
“Wow. And he is still out wooing the babes?” Vanessa asked, turning to get a closer look at him.
“So, it seems. Everyone around here knows him and just puts him up for a few days until he decides to come home.”
“You haven’t had him neutered?”
“No. I guess that’s bad, huh?”
“Not necessarily bad, bu
t irresponsible, yes.”
“Is it too late?” Jake glanced down at Apollo while adjusting his Stetson.
“No. He can still be snipped.”
“I guess I will make an appointment for that then. He’s getting too old to wander off like this. One day, he’s not going to come home again.” Apollo whimpered as if understanding what their discussion was about, causing them both to laugh.
“I’ll set aside at time for you and get it done before he goes into hiding to avoid it. Now, let’s get a look at Tamara. Oh, here,” she said, extending her hand out to show him a freshly laundered t-shirt, his Renegade Ridge t-shirt.
“You didn’t have to do that. You can keep it if you like. Free advertising if you wear it on rounds.”
“I try not to be partial,” she replied with a slight grin.
Jake nodded and took the shirt before walking over to Tamara’s stall and opening it to walk her out.
“She’s moving much better today. That’s very good,” she told him.
“Then she is healing okay?”
“Yes, she is,” Vanessa responded as she moved the leg back and forth and put some pressure on it in different places. “I’m going to give her a shot today since she is still a bit tender, but I think that we can discontinue the shots tomorrow. I will check her then, and if I don’t see her react to pressure as much, I will discontinue them.”
“Then you won’t need to come out every day?”
“No. I won’t. I know that will be a relief to you.”
“A relief?” The doubt slipped into Jake’s voice.
“Yes. You said your budget was tight. I know you’ll be glad not to be billed daily by a veterinarian.”
Jake gazed into her eyes and said, “Well, I suppose there is that, but I will miss seeing you.”
She smiled awkwardly, as if not sure what to say to that and he mentally chastised himself for having said it. He shouldn’t have. It was out of line.
“I’m sorry. Listen, I’ll let you get on with things so you can get to other appointments.”
“Just let me give her this shot, and I’ll be out of your hair,” she replied.
Jake nodded and said nothing further. He had already stuck his foot in his mouth and felt embarrassed about it. The best thing he could do now was just to let it go and let her do her job so she could leave.
“All done,” she said a moment later, tossing her things back in the small case she carried in with her.
“Thank you, Dr. Hart.”
“Vanessa, remember?” She smiled.
“Vanessa,” he said half-heartedly.
“I think I will keep that shirt if you don’t mind.”
Jake smiled and picked up the shirt from where he had laid it on a nearby table, handing it to her. Her hand touched his as she reached out to take it and he felt a surge go through him. From the expression on her face, she felt it too, but she quickly turned and picked up her bag.
“I’ll get out of your way,” she told him as she made a rapid retreat from the barn.
Jake watched her as she made her way to the old camper outside and then put Tamara back in her stall. He swept his hand softly down her muzzle and whispered, “You are still my best girl. You may just be the only girl in my life for what’s left of it. Then what will happen to you? What will happen to this place?”
A melancholy mood swept over him. It wasn’t so much about the possibility of dying at the hands of Kessler as it was letting his father down. He had trusted him with this ranch. He had left this world believing that his son would take care of it the way that he had and that, one day, he would pass it down to his own children. Instead, there would be no one left to give it to, or he would have to sell it to pay off Kessler. He wasn’t going to do that. If he were to let his father down, he would rather it be by dying with his fists up fighting.
It felt like the longest day as he took care of things about the ranch, feeling numb, detached. When he went home, he just stared at the walls, finally climbing into bed and falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. He wasn’t content, just exhausted. He felt like he was completely worn down, spent. Sleep was a much-needed respite.
It was short lived though. Jake awoke in the wee hours of the morning in a cold sweat. He had been dreaming about his days in the desert, leaving him even more unsettled than he had been before he had gone to sleep. Crawling from the bed, he made his way to the kitchen for a drink of water and then stood leaning against the sink. Looking out the window at the moon outside, he spoke aloud to himself.
“You are okay. You’re going to be fine, Jake. I don’t know how, but you’ll figure this out. Think. Just think.” Time seemed fluid as he struggled to find a bit of calm. Everything was a nightmare right now. He didn’t know how he was going to manage, and he felt tired, so incredibly tired. Apollo joined him from the backyard, sweeping into the dog door that led from the kitchen to the fenced-in area behind his house. Jake knelt down to pet him, giving him a big hug for good measure. It was the closest thing he had to affection in his life, sadly.
After pouring some fresh food and water into Apollo’s bowl, he gave him another pat on the head and dragged himself off to the shower to get cleaned up for the day. Hopefully, the water would wake him up a bit. When he stepped out, he was surprised by a knock on the front door. Slipping his towel around his waist, he went to the door and opened it to find Vanessa standing there.
“I’m sorry. I caught you while you were still getting dressed,” she said, her eyes drifting down his chest toward his towel and then off to one side. He detected a hint of a flush spreading up her cheeks, as well. She was embarrassed.
“It’s no bother. Come on in, and I’ll go get dressed.”
“I can wait outside.”
“Don’t be silly, Vanessa. It’s getting warmer out there, and the bugs will eat you alive.”
She nodded and stepped inside, carefully avoiding looking at him again as she stood next to the wall by the door. He was a bit amused by her shyness about his near nakedness.
“I’ll be right back,” he told her, turning to make his way down the hall. “Make yourself at home in the living room.”
He found himself wondering if she was watching him as he walked away and he also found that he really hoped that was the case. Grabbing some jeans and boxer briefs from his bed, he pulled them on and then slipped a t-shirt over his head. He struggled to find two socks that matched and then picked up his boots. Carrying them to the living room he sat in a large armchair adjacent to the overstuffed sofa on which Vanessa was waiting.
“So, what’s up?” he asked.
“I’ve already been to the barn to check on Tamara. Tucker was out there,” she said.
“Right,” he replied, beginning to pull on his socks. He glanced up at the clock and noted that it was already after seven. It had completely eluded him how late it was in his agitated state this morning.
“I told him, but I also wanted to tell you, that I won’t need to come back after today anymore. As we discussed yesterday, your mare is well enough to continue healing on her own. I will come back next week to follow up…make sure all is going well and if you see anything you think is questionable in the interim, just call.”
“That’s great. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied. Jake expected that she would get up to leave, but she hesitated, looking down for a moment and then back up at him curiously. “Jake, are you alright?”
“Yes, sure. I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. There is just something about you this morning. You seem a bit far away…that’s all.”
“Far away? Nope! I’m right here,” he told her as he pulled on his boot.
When had he become so transparent that even a stranger knew he was suffering a personal crisis? He needed to get a grip, but the truth was he had resigned himself to the fact that he only had two choices; sell or pay the price. Once again, he much
preferred to dishonor his father by dying over selling a ranch that had been in his family for well over a hundred years. The property itself, over two hundred years.
“Okay. I will have to take your word for it, but if you need a friend, I’m here.”
“I appreciate that,” he replied as she stood to go. A movement caught his eye. It was the first time he realized that Apollo had been lying beside her the entire time they had been talking without moving. It only was when she stood that the dog too got to his feet and began to follow her toward the door. “It appears you’ve made a new friend.”
“Yes. He came in while you were getting dressed.” She bent down and rubbed the lab between his ears.
“I didn’t realize he had gone back out. He was in the kitchen eating when I got in the shower. He’s a tough cookie to try to keep up with.”
“I’m sure he is.”
Jake showed her to the door and opened it. Vanessa hesitated awkwardly for a moment, but then began to cross the porch outside and descend the steps. Before Jake could determine even what was coming over him, he called out to her.
“Vanessa?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you like to go to dinner with me sometime?”
“Dinner?” She turned to face him.
“Yeah, you know. Food.”
He smiled sheepishly at her as if he had never asked out a girl before in his entire life. He was usually much smoother than this, but his experiences in the last few years had changed him. The certainty of, well, pretty much anything was long gone, and he didn’t know how to act toward women anymore.
“Sounds good. Just as friends, though. Okay? I don’t want to interfere with our professional relationship.”
“No problem. I’ll even split the check if you want.”
“Well, let’s not get carried away, shall we?” she joked.
Renegade Ridge Page 5
