by June Faver
Ty’s head whipped around to stare at the newcomers. He wiped his mouth on his napkin and slapped it down on the table. “Stay here,” he said in a low voice. He pushed back from the table and strode purposefully across the restaurant to where they stood by the front door. In a single move, he grabbed both of the Carter brothers by the arms and steered them out to the parking lot.
Every head in the restaurant turned, and people moved to the front windows to watch.
“’Bout time those Carter boys got their asses kicked,” one of the diners said. Murmurs of assent resounded.
“Oh no!” Leah cried and pushed her chair back, but before she could rise, Beau grinned at Colton, and both of them sprinted for the front door.
Big Jim heaved a sigh and threw his napkin down beside his plate. “Be right back, ladies.”
By the time Leah had gotten close enough to a window to see what was going on, she saw Beau laying into the one named Dean while Ray Carter was on the ground, getting his face pounded by Ty. Colton and Big Jim restrained the older Carter.
Leah’s stomach was tied in knots. The recent heavy meal threatened to be tossed right there.
The scream of a siren split the air, and the sheriff’s car pulled into the parking lot. The sheriff himself got out, along with one of his deputies. They ran to break up the fight.
Ty landed one last punch before being lifted off his target by Big Jim himself. Voices were raised, and a lot of finger-pointing was going on.
Leah realized her grandmother was peering out the big plateglass window right beside her.
“That Ty’s got a helluva right cross,” she observed pleasantly.
* * *
Ty felt a pair of powerful arms lift him like he weighed nothing. He was deposited on his feet, and his first reaction was to draw back his fist and round on whoever it was who had interrupted him in the midst of teaching Ray Carter not to mess with Leah or Gran.
He heaved a sigh and dropped his fist when he saw it was his father. Big Jim stood with his hands fisted at his waist, his gaze cool, but there was something else there. Could it be pride?
The tense muscles in Ty’s shoulders relaxed a bit, and he turned back to the scene from which he had just been removed. Ray Carter was still stretched out on the ground, but he was moving. Dean Carter was yelling and being restrained by the deputy. He had a cut lip, and blood was streaming from his nose and down onto his shirt. Good for you, Little Brother.
Old Man Carter was jumping around in front of the sheriff, yelling and pointing, while the sheriff was red-faced and looked like he was about to deck him. Another deputy pulled up and got out of his car. The sheriff called him over and gave him some kind of order, which could not be heard over Old Man Carter’s tirade. The sheriff turned and marched straight over to where Ty and Big Jim were standing.
The sheriff extended a hand and Big Jim clasped it. “What happened here? Mr. Carter claims your boys jumped his sons out of the blue. Is this true?”
Big Jim looked at Ty and cocked his head.
Ty sucked in a breath and blew it out. “Yesterday, the Carters attacked Fern Davis at Walmart and injured her. They threatened her and her granddaughter. I was in the process of explaining to them how they should stay away from the ladies, and Ray threw a punch at me.”
Big Jim cracked a smile. “Whoo! Big mistake.”
The sheriff looked amused but stifled his grin. “And then what happened?”
“I…uh…I hit him back and kept hitting him.” Ty shrugged. “Then Dean Carter tried to jump on me, but my little brother, Beau, pulled him off.”
The sheriff’s mouth twitched. “Fern Davis, huh? She probably don’t weigh ninety pounds. Those assholes attacked her?”
“Yessir,” Ty asserted. “Knocked her down, and she has a big, bloody bandage on her elbow.”
The sheriff’s brows drew together. “I’ll need her to make a statement.”
Ty looked around and saw Leah and Gran inside the restaurant. He waved for them to come out, and they pushed their way through the crowd of onlookers.
“Oh, Ty!” Leah rushed to his side and he drew her close. “You’re hurt.” She gazed up at him, a stricken expression on her face. Gently, she placed her finger near his eye, and he winced.
“Yeah, he got me a good one.”
The sheriff gave her a knowing look. “You’re the little gal who works for Breck Ryan. I took a report on these guys harassing you.”
She nodded. “And yesterday, they knocked my grandmother down.”
“I think we can sort this all out at my office.” The sheriff turned to his deputies and told one to transport the two Carters to his office and the other to interview the witnesses. “Big Jim, if you and your family will follow me to my office, I can take your statements there.”
Leah appeared to be frozen in place. “Oh no! What does that mean?”
Ty turned to put his arm around her. “We need to tell the sheriff everything that happened. He can decide what to do.”
Concern etched her face as she gazed up at him. “Are you in trouble?”
“Probably.” Ty grinned and only then realized he had a split lip. “But it won’t be the first time.”
Big Jim leaned closer. “Why don’t you take your brothers in your truck, and I’ll bring the ladies? I don’t think that little girl needs to be in the middle of this.”
Ty nodded. “Thanks, Dad.” To Leah, he said, “Go with my father. You and your grandmother can file a report on the attack at the store yesterday.”
Leah nodded wordlessly, her hand on his forearm. “I want Gracie to stay here at the restaurant with her friend. Milita will watch her until we’re done. Please be careful.”
He gave her a kiss, which made his lip hurt, but he didn’t care. “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.”
* * *
Leah gathered Gran and shepherded her back to where Big Jim Garrett stood waiting for them. He assisted Gran into the front seat and closed the door, then reached to take Leah’s hand and assisted her into the back seat. “Thank you,” she whispered.
She noted that he didn’t appear as fearsome as when they had first met. The thread that united them was their mutual concern for Ty.
Gran’s face clouded. “Is Ty going to be all right? I feel bad that your boy got in trouble while fightin’ them Carters for me.”
Leah was surprised when Big Jim turned to pat Gran’s hand. “Of course he’ll be fine, Miz Fern. Don’t you worry.”
When they arrived at the sheriff’s office, Ty’s truck was parked and empty. She presumed the three brothers had trooped inside.
As Big Jim was turning off the motor, Breck and his wife pulled alongside. He got out but left the truck idling, and his wife remained inside. When they met up in front of the office, Breck said, “I thought I better come along in case I’m needed.”
Big Jim pounded him on the shoulder. “Glad we can count on you, Breck. No telling what my sons might say.”
Breck made a motion toward the door and swung it wide for Leah and Gran to pass. The outer office seemed to be filled with people. Both the Carters were inside, with the deputies standing between them. Ty, Beau, and Colton leaned up against the opposite wall. If looks could kill, they would have all been goners.
Breck and Big Jim hailed the sheriff as he emerged from the back of the building.
“Breckenridge T. Ryan, Esquire, are you representing the Garrett boys?” the sheriff asked.
“I am,” Breck assured him.
The Carters exchanged a baleful glance and then resumed their hate-filled glares across the room.
The sheriff directed his deputies to escort the Carter brothers to two separate offices to take their statements. Ray dragged himself to his feet, and Leah noted he was limping as he made his way down the hall. Dean followed behind him, but she saw the depu
ty pull him into a different room.
Leah wanted all this to be over with so she could take her small family back to Gran’s farm and keep them safe. Now that Ty was with them, everything would be better.
The sheriff gestured for Leah and her grandmother to be seated in the outer office and then motioned for Ty and Breck to follow him and led them down the hall.
She drew a shaky breath and pressed her lips together.
“Don’t worry, Leah,” Beau said. “We didn’t throw the first punch. I’m sure the witnesses will bear that out.”
Leah noted the bloodied knuckles on both his hands. He looked relatively unscathed otherwise.
“Those Carters have been devilin’ me ever since my Albert passed on.” Gran shook her head. “It sure done my heart good to see ’em take a poundin’.”
Leah put her hand on Gran’s arm. “Don’t say anything like that to the sheriff. That might make it worse.”
Gran nodded wisely.
Leah felt like she was under intense scrutiny as Big Jim and Ty’s brothers kept glancing at her. She didn’t know what they were expecting of her. What had Ty’s previous girlfriends looked like? For certain they didn’t have a child. They didn’t have the baggage Leah brought with her.
She remained still, trying not to call attention to herself. Beau and Colton exchanged a few words, mostly light banter, but she sensed Big Jim was as concerned as she was. Leah stood up and went outside for a breath of fresh air. She made a conscious effort to smooth out her furrowed brow. Pacing back and forth, she tried to release the tension in her neck and shoulders. When Leah turned, she ran smack into Big Jim Garrett. “Oh, sorry!”
He steadied her with a hand on her arm. “Easy. Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I just had to step outside. I thought I might explode in there…and I’m concerned about Gracie. We’ve been through so much together. She’s not used to being separated from me for very long.”
Big Jim released her. “Don’t worry about your daughter. I’m sure she’s doing okay with Milita Rios. She’s a fine young woman.” He fumbled for his cell phone. “Why don’t you call and check on her? She’s probably worried about you too.”
Leah smiled. “That won’t be necessary. She’s with her friend. I’m just being overprotective.”
Big Jim’s craggy face split into a grin. “You must be very proud of your little girl.”
She released a sigh. “That I am. I just want to make sure she’s safe. And my gran too. I’m worried these men might come by the ranch when I’m at work.”
Big Jim gave her an odd look. “Let’s see what we can do about that.” He held the door open for her to return to the waiting area.
After a while, Ty came out and thumped Beau on the arm. “Your turn.” He took the seat beside Leah that Beau had vacated. He held out his hand to Leah, and when she slipped her hand into his, he kissed her fingers. She noted that his knuckles also looked as if he had shredded them against a rasp.
After Beau, the sheriff questioned Colton and then asked Miz Fern Davis to step into his office. Leah started to rise, but the sheriff waved her back to her seat. It appeared he wanted to question Gran by herself.
“Don’t worry,” Colton said. “Breck Ryan is there, and he won’t let her say anything she shouldn’t.”
Leah swallowed, hoping he was right. She didn’t know where she would get the money to pay Mr. Ryan, but perhaps he would just take it out of her paycheck…maybe a little at a time.
After Gran came out, looking somewhat smug, the sheriff motioned for Leah to follow him. She stood and took in a deep breath. Just stick to what happened with the Carters.
As she was being escorted to the sheriff’s office, she noted that the rooms where the Carters had been taken were now empty. She imagined they had finished their statements when she was outside. But how had they gone? She hadn’t seen them make an exit. Maybe there was a side door? When she entered the sheriff’s office, she saw Breck leaning against the far wall. Just the sight of him strengthened her resolve.
“Sit down, Leah. This won’t take long,” he assured her. “Tell the sheriff what happened at Walmart yesterday when your grandmother was assaulted by Ray Carter.”
“Assaulted? Oh, I guess she was.” Leah sat in the wooden chair across from the sheriff, who turned on a small recorder.
He asked her to state her name and her relationship to Fern Davis. Then he asked her to relate the events of the morning when she and Fern Davis had encountered Ray and Dean Carter at the local Walmart.
Leah responded as well as she could, recounting the incident in question and the threat when Dean Carter had promised to pay them a visit.
The sheriff asked a few more questions and then shut the recorder off. “I think that will do it. Be sure to see the judge first thing Monday morning.” He frowned, the set of his mouth grim. “Tell him to call me ’bout all this trouble.” The sheriff stood and reached out a hand to Breck and then to Leah.
She allowed him to shake hands with her but wondered what she needed to meet with a judge about the next day. She glanced at Breck uncertainly.
He ushered her through the door and down the hall. “Tomorrow,” he said, “we’ll go see the judge about a restraining order.”
* * *
Once outside, Ty arranged Leah and Gran in his truck. Breck and his wife took off for their ranch with a curt nod.
Ty said goodbye to his brothers, and they piled into his dad’s truck. That only left one person to be dealt with. He turned to his father.
“Thanks, Dad. I appreciate everything you’ve done today.” He offered his hand, which seemed oddly formal after the big, back-slapping man hugs he’d been exchanging with his brothers.
Big Jim took the hand and pumped it twice with a firm grip. “I did nothing.”
Ty held his gaze. “Thanks for being so nice to Leah and her family. They mean a lot to me.”
Big Jim nodded. “I can tell. You take care of yourself, boy. Don’t go looking for any more fights.”
“Can’t promise that. I have to protect Leah and her grandmother from the Carters.”
Big Jim snorted out a derisive sound. “No, you don’t. Let the law take care of the Carter boys. You just stay clear.”
Ty shrugged. “I will if they will.”
* * *
After an amorous night of lovemaking, wherein Ty proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had no serious injuries resulting from his encounter with the Carters, Leah drove into Langston the next morning.
She was surprised to find Breck had arrived before her. When she looked in on him, he was lolled back in his chair with his boots propped up on his desk. He grinned at her. “Ready?”
“Um, I guess. What am I ready for?”
He swung his boots off the desk. “We’re going to see the judge.”
Talons of fear clawed their way up her throat. “What? Now?”
He grabbed his Stetson and headed toward the doorway she was blocking. “Sure. We want it in place before the Carters get out of jail.” He settled the hat on his head and gestured for her to precede him.
She was glad she hadn’t bothered to put her purse in her desk yet. “They’re in jail?”
“They started the fight at Tio’s and assaulted your grandmother the previous day.” Breck escorted her out the front, putting the closed sign in place before helping her up into his truck. “If we time this right, we might get to Judge Horton before court.”
Leah buckled her seat belt as Breck started the truck and headed for the highway. They drove in silence to the county seat, where he parked in front of the courthouse. Leah scrambled out, clutching her small handbag under her arm.
After walking down a long corridor, Breck knocked on a door marked Private. A stern voice called out, “Enter.”
Breck leaned into the doorway. “Judge? Got
a minute?”
The small man, decked out in cowboy regalia, turned with a grin on his face. “I’ve always got a minute for you, Breck. Who is this pretty little thing?”
Breck introduced Leah and very quickly produced copies of the statements she and Gran had made the previous day.
The judge scanned them over quickly, his brow furrowed. “I know the name Carter.”
“They’ve been in trouble before, but it’s escalating, Your Honor.” Breck outlined the need for what he called a TRO for both brothers on behalf of Leah and her grandmother.
The judge picked up his phone and asked someone to step into his office. Almost immediately, a pleasant-looking woman entered through a different door. The judge outlined what he wished her to prepare, and when she had gone, he slipped into a black robe hanging on a rack. “Daisy will get the documents drawn up right away, and I’ll sign them. You’re welcome to wait right here.” The judge took his leave after effusive thanks from Breck.
Leah was feeling a bit bewildered, having no idea what a TRO was. She sat down in one of the leather chairs and clasped her hands in her lap.
In a few minutes, the aforementioned Daisy returned for Breck to look over the papers she presented. He approved them, and she disappeared again. Breck leaned back in his chair, apparently satisfied that he had accomplished his objective.
The next time Daisy appeared, she presented Breck with a sheaf of papers in a folder. He looked them over and then thanked her. He turned to Leah and she stood, following him out the door. She heard Daisy turn the lock behind them.
“Well, you look mighty pleased with yourself, Breck,” she said. They traced their way back down the long hallway, their shoes sounding loud on the polished granite floors.
He chuckled. “I just got the judge to sign temporary restraining orders against each of the Carters on behalf of you and your grandmother.” He shrugged, setting the hat back on his head. “It’s only a piece of paper, and it won’t protect either of you, but if they violate the order, the consequences will have more teeth.”
She sucked in a breath when they stepped out into the heat. The air was dry, like walking into an oven. Breck tucked her into the truck and went around. For a moment, the feeling of baking in a blast furnace overwhelmed her, but then Breck got in and turned on the air conditioner full force. As they headed back to Langston, Leah hoped the pieces of paper would be enough to keep the Carters from any further contact with her or her grandmother. It didn’t matter to her that the Carters could be punished for violating the restraining order. It did matter that they probably would anyway.
