Peace River (Rockland Ranch Series)

by Jaclyn Hawkes

  Even with Judd around, life was good. Brushing off her riding boots on the scrubber mat on the sun porch, she glanced around to make sure there was no sign of him. What was she going to do about Judd? He’d always been hard to deal with, but lately things had gotten so bad that she knew something had to be done about him. Worst of all, he’d begun to hang around with some people at the track who were rumored to be involved with organized crime. It brought an element of lawlessness to her very home that was incredibly troubling.

  Thank goodness Judd hated mornings and was afraid of horses, especially Ebony Wind. Carrie thought to herself that it was wise for Judd to fear the great stallion. For some reason, the typically gentle beast hated Judd with a passion that scared even Carrie. He seemed a different animal whenever Judd ventured near, which was rare, thankfully. Carrie had seen outlaw horses before--those rare crazed individuals that seemed to have a blood lust. Ebony had acted just like that several times toward Judd. It was as if the animal could sense his meanness.

  Carrie had been taught by her grandfather not to hate and she was by nature kind and gentle, but she continually struggled to deal with Judd. She used to hate him. At least she’d gotten over that.

  Judd was her father, biologically, although she never considered him that. He had always been abusive. Carrie’s earliest memories were of his raging tempers that would leave her mother bruised and battered. Carrie had no doubt her mother had died a young and broken woman because of Judd. She’d passed away six months ago when Carrie had just turned twenty.

  For years, her grandfather had put up with Judd as well as possible because he was always threatening to take Carrie and her mother and leave. Everyone knew what would happen to them if he ever did, so the whole farm dealt with Judd for their sakes.

  She’d never loved Judd—never even liked him and had changed her name the moment she’d turned eighteen and could legally do so without his permission. She’d taken her Grandfather O’Rourke’s last name because she did love him with all her heart.

  Thinking of her grandfather brought tears to her eyes. It had been two months since a training accident had taken him. His death so shortly after her mother’s had hit hard, and the pain didn’t seem to be lessening much. His absence was still heartbreaking. Wind Dance Farms would never be the same. Sometimes she felt guilty for missing him so much more than she missed her mother, who’d quit living long before her death. But her mother had become so removed from everything around her and her grandfather had been involved with everything.

  She missed everything about her grandfather, his gentle spirit, his unbending character, his sense of humor, and his wisdom. How she desperately needed his wisdom in her life.

  Eli, half owner and head trainer, was wise. He had the humility acquired from growing up a poor black farm boy, tempered with the strength that had brought him to pursue his dreams of the race track. He’d worked his way from stable boy to become the most trusted and competent right hand of the legendary Hugh O’Rourke, and with Hugh’s death, Eli had become half owner. He seemed far more a father to Carrie than Judd had ever been.

  Eli was wise, but he would never recommend she leave her home. More and more lately she believed that was what she should do. Because her mother never divorced Judd, the small house they had lived in became Judd’s at the time of her death. It was right smack in the middle of the farm and so close to the main house it was practically attached. Her grandfather had tried to buy it back from Judd, but he’d refused. So, until something changed, they were stuck with him.

  When Carrie’s grandfather passed away, he’d left very clear and concise instructions concerning his estate. Carrie was to get the most valuable stallion, Ebony Wind, who’d won the Preakness and the Belmont a few years ago, as well as several other key races, and then had retired to become an incredibly successful racing sire. He was extremely valuable and was insured for $8,000,000. The other horses and the farm were to be left in equal shares to Carrie and Eli Johnson, with Eli calling all the shots until Carrie was twenty-one unless Carrie was married before that. In the event that Carrie married earlier, she and Eli would manage the farm as partners.

  For that matter, Eli already had Carrie helping run the farm as partners and she knew he was very, very good. She would never have questioned his management.

  Her grandfather had strictly stipulated in his will that under no circumstance was Denzel Judd to ever have ownership of any part of his estate, other than the small home. Everyone had assumed this clause would put an end to Judd’s scheming--until his distant nephew Deek arrived.

  Pausing on her porch, Carrie sighed and shook her head. Something had to be done, but food first. She was starving and Dante would be ravenous as usual.

  Pushing Judd, his friends, and his alarming behavior out of her mind, she hustled around the kitchen preparing breakfast. Other than the racehorses, cooking was her next great passion and over the years she had come to truly believe that good, healthy food could solve most any problem. It brought people together and strengthened relationships. It brought good will, health and happiness. Her philosophy was, you have to eat, so it might as well be one of life’s great pleasures.

  As she was setting out dishes, she was gently picked up in a bear hug from behind and swung around in a circle in the dining room. Automatically, she said, “Dante, put me down. For a second I thought you were Geoffrey. I have to finish getting breakfast.”

  She squirmed in his arms and he put her down and followed her back to the kitchen where he snatched a piece of bacon and said mildly, “Haven’t seen Stupid Geoffrey yet today and he couldn’t lift you anyway.” He chuckled as she absent-mindedly handed him glasses. Finishing his bite, he said, “You ever gonna tell that poor boy you’ll marry him so he’ll go away and leave us alone?”

  “It would never work,” she answered drily, “He’d just move in here. Don’t you want me to marry someone with a brain?”

  Dante picked up napkins and condiments and switched gears. “That stallion is still as fast as our most promising colts. Do you know that?”

  “I was the one riding him, remember? Of course I know he’s fast.” She reached around him to pick up the silverware. “So . . . who was the pretty girl in the little black sports car last night?” She looked up into his face with a teasing grin. “It’s about time you settled down with one of the girls who are in love with you, isn’t it? You need to hurry! I’m waiting patiently for nieces and nephews.” He followed her back into the kitchen for the rest of their breakfast.

  “There were two pretty girls in little black sports cars last night. Which one are you talking about? The movie star or the super model?” Teasing back, he took another piece of bacon and she swatted at his hand.

  “Dante, I swear! Were there really two girls?”

  “No, I was kidding. There was only one girl. She likes me. Dad said not to wait for him.” He swiped a third piece of bacon.

  “Of course she likes you. You’re adorable! Now sit down and use your plate. I want to hear all about her. I’ve seen her a couple of times now and I need details!”

  Between bites, Dante told her about his new girl. They teased back and forth until finally Dante pushed his plate back and folded his arms across his brawny chest and said, “Okay, out with it.”

  “Out with what?”

  “Don’t even go there. I know you better than anyone on the planet. What’s got your pretty little mind so wound up this morning? You obviously didn’t sleep well. You were out on the track even earlier than usual, which is ridiculously early anyway. You keep glancing over your shoulder like you expect ghosts. What’s going on?”

  “How do you know I didn’t sleep well?” She continued picking at her food.

  “Easy. You look like heck.” Dante was grinning when she looked up. “So why didn’t you sleep well?”

  She sighed. “Judd’s up to something and you know it can’t be good. This distant nephew or whatever of his is here a lot. I didn’t think much of i
t at first, except to notice that he’s as scummy as the rest of that crowd, but Judd has apparently decided I should marry him. In fact, now I wonder if that isn’t why he came in the first place.”

  She shuddered involuntarily. “The whole idea is revolting! Not only is he disgusting, but if he really is related to Judd, then unfortunately he’s related to me somewhere. It’s like incest or something as well.”

  Shaking her head, she continued, “I knew Judd was being too low key. I’ve wondered if something has been going on for a while. I overheard him on his cell phone the other morning talking to someone about confirming when they were bringing their mare over. Since when does Judd give a hoot about a horse?

  “And then the other night there were cars coming and going in the middle of the night, and there was a whispered conversation about knocking someone or something off. Honestly, Dante, I wondered if they were talking about killing someone! I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s true! Imagine hearing something like that from your own bedroom window!” She got up and started to clear away the breakfast to take it to the kitchen, then admitted more softly, “His latest friends really scare me.”

  She continued almost tiredly as they cleaned up, “We have to do something. I know we do, but I don’t know what, or how to do it. I actually called the police yesterday to see about getting a restraining order. They said I had to prove he was an immediate threat before they would get involved.” She put a syrup pitcher on the counter, slopping syrup over the side and turned to him. “What in the world are all the calls we’ve made over the years about him, if they aren’t proof that he’s dangerous?”

  At this point Eli poked his head into the kitchen door. “Is it safe to come in here in search of a bite to eat?”

  She smiled. “Come on in, Eli. We’re just putting breakfast away while we’re talking. Your plate is right there beside the microwave.”

  Advancing into the room, he said, “I couldn’t help but hear part of your conversation. I’ve been meaning to sit down and talk to you about some things as well, but I think we should be more discreet.”

  Carrie realized he was right. They should have been talking somewhere more private. If Judd heard them, he’d raise a fit. They went into the dining room and shut the door and talked while Eli ate. The consensus was that Judd was definitely up to no good and his friends were dangerous. He needed to go, but none of them were sure how to accomplish his removal. Maybe they could offer to buy his house back again and this time he’d accept. They decided to think about things, and Eli would check with their attorney and meet back together that evening.

  Judd had been much better to her when her grandfather was alive. He knew he had a cushy lifestyle here on the farm and rarely did anything to endanger that. Carrie also believed he knew her grandfather would never have allowed Judd to treat her the way he’d treated her mother.

  Her mother had never done anything to stop Judd. She had had some twisted sense of responsibility about having to live with the bad decisions she’d made, namely marrying Judd. She’d refused to leave him or even press charges, and neither Grandpa nor Carrie could seem to help her change. They'd gone to the police numerous times, but her mother would never cooperate to have Judd punished and the legal system hadn't been too eager to force her. Finally, Carrie and her grandfather had quit trying because the bigger deal they made of it, the meaner Judd got.

  However, her grandfather would never have stood for Judd abusing Carrie on his farm and Judd had known it. For years it had been a sort of tenuous truce where Grandpa let Judd live in the home he had given to Carrie’s mother with no responsibilities, and Judd let Grandpa and Eli raise and care for Carrie as they saw fit.

  Carrie had spent most of her time out of the little home. One day, when she was twelve, after a particularly nasty tirade, she’d quietly moved into her grandfather’s home and seldom went back to the little house, except to visit her mother. Over the years they’d learned to stay out of Judd‘s way, and toward the end of her mother‘s life they’d moved her over too.

  Carrie was sure Grandpa and Eli were glad Judd had an aversion to the horse part of the farm. Had he ever tried to help with the raising and training, it would’ve been a fiasco. Judd had a raging temper with an incredibly short fuse and was hopelessly impatient. Animals and people alike steered clear of him as much as possible.

  That suited Judd. All he wanted to do was drink, gamble, and stay out until all hours with his degenerate friends. Carrie had no idea where he’d gotten the money to gamble all those years, and she was sure she didn’t want to know. Lately however, she believed he’d become a compulsive gambler, and apparently his source of funds couldn’t keep up with his habit.

  Since the death of her grandfather, he’d become increasingly more demanding and threatening, and Carrie knew something had to be done. Several times lately Judd had approached her as she crossed between her home and the farm buildings, or when she was coming or going. She always tried to be polite to him and most times they could be civil, but yesterday when he’d tried to tell her whom she should marry, she’d told him exactly what she thought. Things had gotten ugly fast.

  Lately she felt more afraid, especially in her own home. Grandpa was gone and Eli lived in his own house with Dante, and while Carrie’s home was securely lockable, she’d seriously considered starting to carry the pistol Grandpa had given her. Her grandfather had been a gun collector and had been proud of her prowess with the little gun. With Judd’s house being so close to hers, and with his kind of friends, carrying it was starting to make more and more sense.

  As they were leaving, Carrie heard Eli whisper, “Why does she look so hammered?”

  When Eli and Dante headed back out the door toward the horses, Carrie went in and sat with her laptop at the kitchen desk to start checking emails and feed delivery schedules, as well as handling some registration business.

  An hour later, the housekeeper had arrived, put away Carrie’s dry cleaning, and was washing windows in the front entry. Carrie was still sitting at the computer when she heard Judd snarl something at the housekeeper as he walked into the kitchen. Carried looked up, panicked as he stalked in. It was obvious Judd had had a wilder than usual night.

  She took a deep breath, striving to stay calm and not let her voice shake as she said evenly, “Judd, you can’t just walk into my kitchen uninvited. Get out. Now. Before I call Eli and Dante.”

  He roared in anger and she winced as he swept everything on the countertop within his reach to the floor and roared again, “No! If every hand on this farm can walk into your kitchen, then your father ought to be able to!” If he hadn’t been raging he would have sounded like a spoiled child as he continued to bellow, “You’re going to wait on me at least as much as you wait on those stable boys out there. You treat them like they own the place and try to pretend like I don‘t exist.” He glared around the kitchen looking for something else to shatter. Unfortunately, everything breakable was already in pieces on the tile floor.

  Carrie continued to try to stay calm. “Some of them do own the place. And I have no intention of serving you. Get out. Now.” She started to shut down the computer so she could get away from him, but it was still powering off when he started in again.

  “No! YOU own this place and you need to act like it! And you’ll start to show me some respect or I’ll beat some into you! It’s time you realize I will have some say around here!” He raised his voice even more. “What? Do you think you can just pretend I’m not here and I’ll go away? There are going to be some changes around here, or you’ll figure out that you shouldn’t have trifled with Denzel Judd! I have people who would have no problem taking out a stable boy or two! I have ways of taking some control, if I have to. You’d be much better off just agreeing to marry Deek and going along with the plan. Not nearly as many people have to get hurt that way!”

  Without realizing it, she had backed away from him until she was now up against the wall. She wasn’t even sure what other h
orrible things he said to her as he continued to snarl in her face. She just knew that his threats were horrible and went on and on.

  He abruptly broke off his tirade when suddenly there were several riders and hands in the kitchen doorway. They must have heard him clear from the barns. Each of them carried a pitchfork or shovel and wore a grim expression. Judd pushed past them and out the door and then a minute or two later Eli shoved his way through. He went to Carrie and put an arm around her shoulders and was starting to ask if she was okay, when she turned to the kitchen sink and was violently ill.

  She’d tried to stay calm. When Judd had treated her mother like that, Carrie had learned things seemed to go better if her mother stayed calm. But the things he’d threatened! He’d actually threatened to kill those who lived on the farm if Carrie didn’t do as he demanded! Eli and Dante--even the hands were at risk!

  Eli wrapped his huge arms around her and she let herself turn her face to his chest and cry. She’d known things were bad, but she hadn’t realized they were this bad! She didn’t know how things had gotten to this point and she didn’t know how to fix it. How grateful she was for Eli and Dante! How many times had they saved her like this? For years it was only Carrie or her mother Judd had threatened, but now he was threatening them all.

  Finally, she raised her head and blew her nose on the tissue Eli handed her. Dante had come in and all the rest of the hands had left them alone. Sniffling, she shook her head. “I have to go, Eli. That’s what this is all about. He thinks he’s going to force me to marry Deek and he’ll gain control of the farm.”

  At the mention of her leaving, Eli began shaking his own head and said with that soft drawl, “No one can make someone marry.” He put his arm around her again and assured her over and over that this was her home and that she wasn‘t going anywhere.

  He was right that Judd couldn't get away with it, but what would they all have to go through while he tried? These people had begun to seem like monsters. Eli didn’t understand like she did. Judd would never just give in. And now with his friends . . . things were escalating.