by JL Curtis
The old man looked around the room one more time, “Lastly, what we did was illegal in the USA, and we could all be prosecuted for it, so I’d recommend you keep your mouths shut.”
A round of nods showed everyone agreed and the old man wondered how Spears would handle it with Bucky, since technically she was working with Tomas and not with him. Not my monkey, not my circus. I’m going to have enough on my plate, between dealing with Montoya and trying to explain this to Jesse. I feel for Aaron, but that’s between them, he thought as he walked out of the living room, grabbed his backpack and bag, and followed Aaron to the van.
***
Tomas deposited them outside the terminal with handshakes and the old man sent Aaron in to get the tickets as he found a quiet place to make one more phone call. Pulling out the burner phone, he dialed Montoya’s number.
After a quick data dump to Montoya, and an offer to hand over one of the thumb drives, he was surprised to hear Montoya say he would get the data from his government contact in a couple of days. The old man reported that Willie had been killed, and gave him a quick overview of what was being done for his family.
Montoya surprised Cronin again, telling him that he, Carlos Montoya, would match the amount of money Phoenix was going to send, he’d also covered all the team’s salary and expenses from another set of funds. He also told him his money had been redeposited in his account by Phoenix as a refund, so as to not call attention to the transfer.
Mystified, the old man hung up as Aaron returned with two tickets, “You want to drive home tonight?”
The old man cocked his head, “We get in at what, a little after four? I’d say let’s do it. I’d like to sleep in my own bed tonight, and I’m pretty sure a couple of people want to see you.”
Aaron blushed, “I just texted Jesse. I told her I’d let her know if we were coming in. I’ll text her and let her know we should be there by midnight.”
Aaron came back just as the airline called for boarding, “Jesse is pissed. I think she figured out we weren’t just down here on vacation. She said she will be waiting on us when we get home.”
The old man threw up his hands, “Ah damn. Well, it’ll be on me, not on you, Aaron. Just make sure you’re clear of the blast radius.”
Aaron just shook his head, mumbling, “Yeah, right.”
***
Aaron and the old man stepped off the airport shuttle at the remote parking lot and walked slowly to the Suburban. As they got closer, the old man saw someone sitting in a car next to their truck and he threw out a hand to stop Aaron, “I don’t like this. It’s just a little too convenient for somebody to be sitting in a car next to ours. Ease around the far side a row or two over, like you’re going to a different car, just in case this goes bad.”
Aaron started to protest, but the old man grabbed his hand, shook it, and said loudly, “Well, nice talking to you, Bill. Hope you get home to the wife okay.”
The old man flexed his hands, wishing he had something to defend himself with, but he just shook his head and walked forward, hoping for the best. As he got close to the car, he saw Larry get out and fiddle with the car door, saying, “I hear y’all did good. And I hear you’ve got something for me.”
The old man sighed, “You are one sneaky bastard, you know that? Don’t kill him, Aaron. He’s supposedly one of the good guys.”
Larry didn’t look around, but the involuntary hunching of the shoulders made the old man smile, especially when Aaron asked plaintively, “Are you sure he’s one of the good guys?”
The old man laughed, “Yes, I think he actually is.” Unlocking the Suburban, he pitched his bag in the back seat, and pulled one of the thumb drives from a pocket of his backpack. “I think this is what you want. Tomas said it has all of the paperwork, plus all the pictures he took during both raids.”
Larry took it and slipped it in his shirt pocket, “Thanks, and I also heard you lost one.”
The old man dipped his head, “Yeah, Willie Garcia. He took out a suicide bomber by throwing himself and the bomber over a drop off.”
Larry winced, “Ouch. That took balls!”
The old man nodded, “That it did. I’m going to make sure the family is taken care of. I owe it to him for that.”
Larry nodded, “Push the info to me, and I’ll see what we can do too.”
“Thanks, now if you don’t mind, we have six hours of driving, then a pissed off female to deal with.”
Larry stuck out his hand, “Thanks, John. You done good.” The old man shook it, and he turned to Aaron, “You did too, and you’re the Marine Corps’ loss. If you ever get bored, we can use folks like you.”
Aaron shook his hand and replied, “Thanks, but I think my wife is going to have something to say about that.”
Larry laughed, “Y’all get out of here.”
***
After a quick phone call to Billy, they met him at the Bass Pro Shops parking lot in Katy, and the old man gave him a quick data dump on the whole trip. Billy promised to come visit within a few days, and they got on the road to the ranch.
***
Six hours later, they pulled into the ranch yard. The lights were on, and Yogi and Boo Boo came bounding off the porch, jumping and running alongside the Suburban as the old man eased to a stop next to Jesse’s car.
Jesse stood on the steps, Jace in her arms, as Aaron got out. He walked quickly to her, and enveloped both of them in a hug. The old man got out and stretched, giving them a few moments of privacy. He turned and ruffled Yogi’s fur, then opened the back door of the truck to get his bags. Yogi took that as an invitation and jumped in the truck, and the old man sighed, “Out Yogi. No ride tonight.”
Yogi whined, but finally hopped out as the old man threw the backpack over his shoulder, and grabbed the other bag. Walking slowly up the walk, he smiled at the picture presented by Aaron, Jesse and Jace still embracing as Boo Boo tried to get between Jesse and Aaron.
Jesse, tears in her eyes, looked at him, “Papa, I’m glad you’re home. She reached out and included him in the group hug, and he felt his eyes get misty. Hugging her back, he stepped by her on the porch.
He turned, “It’s all my fault, not Aaron’s, for not telling you what we were doing. Don’t blame him.”
Jesse just looked at him, “Why, Papa?”
“It’s simple, Jesse. If it’d gone south, you literally would have had no knowledge, and that would have been a good thing. Trust me on this. Other than Billy, nobody knew.” Other than Larry and who knows who up his food chain, that is. “Not the sheriff, not Clay, not Bucky, nobody.”
Home Sweet Home
Jesse woke suddenly, but didn’t move. She listened for a few seconds, then realized what woke her was the old man padding down the hall to the kitchen, followed by Yogi. Boo Boo had heard the noise too, and pawed at the door. She looked over in the dim light of the clock and saw Aaron still out like a light.
Shaking her head, she eased out of bed and cracked the door so Boo Boo could go visit. She stood at the foot of the bed, debating, then climbed quickly back in bed and snuggled with Aaron vowing to enjoy the extra time in bed.
But sleep evaded her and she rolled on her back, staring at the ceiling, scattered thoughts running through her head. Well, we’re home. Or maybe I should say I’m home. I’m happy Aaron and Papa are back in one piece, but I still don’t know what to do to try to ease him into this lifestyle. All he really knows is the Marines, and he just doesn’t get the rhythm of a ranch. Maybe law enforcement? I know the sheriff said he’d hire Aaron for either patrol or the jail. Dammit… Talking to Papa reminded me that Aaron probably wouldn’t do well with an inside job, like the jail. But four months in Houston? Jace cried softly, and Jesse gave up on going back to sleep.
Getting up, she put on a robe, remembering the old man’s comment from the other week, she nipped into the bathroom closed the door softly, and turned on the light. Seeing to the necessities, she ran a quick brush through her hair, vowing to get a
better robe. She’d had this one since high school, and yes, it was ratty. Turning off the light, she moved over to Jace’s bed and picked him up.
Carrying Jace, Jesse walked slowly down the hall and stopped at the kitchen door. The old man was putting coffee in the pot and filling it with water. Jesse was struck by how old he looked. The grey hair was now white, and he was almost constantly rolling his neck and shoulders. Doing the math, she realized he was almost seventy now.
Jace mumbled and cried, but the old man didn’t even hear it as Jesse stepped into the kitchen saying, “Morning, Papa.”
The old man jerked around, “Didn’t hear you come in. Coffee‘ll be ready in a couple of minutes. Lemme get the dogs back in.” He walked slowly over to the back door, opened it and whistled. Yogi and Boo Boo bounded through the door and the old man eased it shut behind them, as Boo Boo came over and nosed Jesse.
“You alright, Papa?” Jesse asked.
The old man shrugged, “I’ve felt better. Gettin’ old ain’t for sissies. Just a little bit stiff, after the last couple of weeks.”
Jesse snorted, “Sure, Papa. Running around in the jungle at your age should be just a walk in the park, right?”
The old man hung his head, “Jesse, I said I was sorry…”
Jesse interrupted, “It’s over and done. I’m just thankful you’re both back safe. I really don’t want to talk about it anymore. What I want to talk about is getting Aaron to go to the academy in Houston. Didn’t you say it was four months long?”
The old man nodded, “About four and a half. It’s pretty hard, but he’s already in shape and he can shoot, so the only issue will be the classroom stuff.”
“The one I looked up online is for HPD, I didn’t see another one. Did I miss something?” Jesse asked.
The old man replied, “No, it is taught by HPD, but sheriff’s deputies can also attend it. It’s the closest one to here that I’d want him to go to.”
***
Jesse stood on the back steps biting her lip as Aaron tried to get up on Buttercup. She knew he was frustrated and unhappy with himself, just by the way he moved. He’d tried mounting from the left, but with no feeling in the prosthetic, he’d slipped all the way through the stirrup at least twice that she’d seen.
She saw a hand come up on the cantle from the right side, and was thankful Buttercup had been trained to allow mounting from either side. She saw Ricky bob his head, and Aaron reach for the back of the saddle as he stepped up with his right leg.
He stood precariously on one stirrup as he tried to figure out how to swing the other leg and prosthetic over the horse’s loins without banging into them. He finally bent at the waist and hiked the leg over, got a seat in the saddle, and fumbled to get his prosthetic into the stirrup. Ricky finally came around and helped him, and she saw him wiggle experimentally, then listen intently to Ricky as he told Aaron something.
Aaron nodded, and Ricky mounted Buck, flipped the gate open, and lead Aaron and Buttercup slowly out of the corral. Jesse stepped down, “I’ll get the gate. Y’all go have fun.”
Aaron shook his head ruefully, “If I could just get on the damn horse, this would be a lot easier…”
Jesse patted Aaron’s knee, “It will come. Riding isn’t easy, okay?”
Aaron said grimly, “I’m going to get this right. Be back in a little bit, I hope.”
Jesse smiled, “You will.” Her phone rang and she continued, “Listen to Ricky, okay?”
Aaron replied, “I will.” Ricky lead off at a slow walk, and Aaron dutifully followed, gingerly tapping Buttercup with his heels.
“Hello?” Jesse said into the phone.
Felicia was on the other end, and had good news, Matt was officially retired and they were leaving tomorrow morning. She hoped they would be able to make it to Texas in one day, but Felicia said she was having random contractions, which were scaring the hell out of Matt.
Jesse smiled, “Well, I know what they’re doing to you, and as long as your water doesn’t break, and you can get a hot bath, you should be okay. I haven’t told Papa or Aaron y’all are coming yet.”
Felicia wasn’t happy about that, fearing Matt would let something slip, so Jesse agreed to tell them at dinner.
***
Jesse was feeding Jace in the high chair as Aaron came limping into the kitchen, “Damn, do you know how bad my thighs hurt?”
Jesse coughed trying to keep from laughing, “Thankfully I’ve forgotten that feeling, but I heard you never fell off!”
Aaron smiled ruefully, “Nope, ‘cause I was afraid I’d never get back up. There’s got to be a better way, otherwise my thighs and hips are going to fall off!”
Jesse laughed at that, prompting Jace to start laughing too, as she said, “It’s going to hurt until you get used to it.”
The old man came in and asked, “Used to what?”
Aaron and Jesse chorused, “Riding.”
The old man winced in sympathy, “Thighs and hips, right?”
Aaron nodded as he sat down, “Both. And this damn prosthetic isn’t helping me any! I can’t tell where the foot is, and I had a hell of a time getting on Buttercup. I can’t imagine trying to mount a, what do you call them, spirited horse?”
Handing the spoon to Aaron, Jesse got up and continued fixing dinner, “All I need to do is pull the stuff out of the oven, and dish it up, then we’ll be ready to eat.”
The old man nodded and started pulling plates and silverware out, stacking it on the island. Pulling the coffee pot out and sniffing it, he said, “I’ll make a fresh pot. This is leftovers from this morning.”
***
With the dishes in the sink, and Jace gleefully playing with the dogs on the kitchen floor, Jesse took a sip of coffee to wet her suddenly dry mouth. “Um, I’ve got some news.”
Aaron and the old man both looked at her, and the old man said, “And?”
Jesse scuffed her cup in a circle on the table, “I, ah, I hired a ranch foreman.”
Aaron looked at her quizzically, “A what?”
The old man replied, “Somebody that manages the day to day operations of a ranch. Are you firing Felix? And Ricky?”
Jesse quailed from the old man’s look, “No, Papa. Felix wants to get back to his business full time, and Ricky wants to stay. Y’all were gone, and I didn’t know when or if…”
“So you just took it on your own hook?”
Jesse, her temper rising, looked squarely at them, “Yes, I did. You told me I was in charge, so I made a decision. I interviewed the person, found him to be eminently qualified, and made him an offer. He’s agreed to a six month tryout.”
The old man leaned back, “So, when will he be here? And who is it? Somebody local?”
Jesse replied, “Oh he’s got ties to the local community, his wife is from here. They will be here tomorrow afternoon or evening. They’re coming from out of state.”
Aaron interrupted, “Hey, Matt and Felicia are getting here tomorrow too! Matt and I talked a little while ago, and he’s retired as of yesterday. It could get a little crowded.”
Jesse was relieved to know Matt hadn’t spilled the beans and looked at the old man, “Will you at least keep an open mind?”
Grumbling, the old man replied, “Guess I don’t have any choice. But after ninety days…”
Jesse glared at both of them, “If after six months, either of y’all don’t like him, then you can fire him. Fair enough?”
Aaron held up his hands, “Okay, okay! Calm down.”
Jesse muttered, “I am calm.” Jumping up she grabbed Jace in a bear hug, “Bath time little human!” Putting him on her shoulders, she marched out of the kitchen, Boo Boo trailing close behind.
Aaron looked at the old man, “What the hell?”
The old man shrugged, “She took me literally, and did what I told her. I guess I can’t fault her for hiring somebody, but I just wish…”
Aaron finished, “She had asked you?”
The old man nodded
, “Well, us really. After all, we’re now partners, right?”
Aaron nodded, “Yes, sir. But I don’t know if two against one is good enough odds…”
***
Matt and Felicia pulled into the ranch yard a little after nine, just as the old man was letting the dogs out. Jesse had just put Jace down, and Aaron was busily applying for the HPD academy, so neither of them were aware of the arrival, until the old man opened the door and ushered Matt and Felicia in, as Felicia groaned.
Jesse took one look, “Contractions?”
Felicia nodded, “The last hour. But my water hasn’t broken.”
Taking Felicia from Matt, she walked her slowly down the hall, “I’ll get a bath started. Where’s your bag?”
Felicia groaned, “In the truck. Matt knows where. Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed it so hard.”
Jesse said, “Well, you’re here now. So we’ll make this work.” Turning, she said over her shoulder, “Papa, meet your new ranch foreman, and his pregnant wife.”
Epilog
Thanksgiving had turned out to be surprisingly warm, so they’d set up tables in the back yard. Gathered around the tables were Aaron, Jesse and Jace, Matt and Felicia, Clay and Ronni Boone, Eddie and Iris Guilfoile, Jose and Beverly Rodriquez, Billy Moore with the old man sitting at the head of the table.
Jose asked, “So, Matt, how are you liking our little town and working for the old grouch down there?”
Laughter followed the question, as Matt took a sip of coffee, “Well, he hasn’t run me off yet, nor shot me, Sheriff. So I’m thinking that’s pretty good.” Reaching over and hugging Felicia, “And with Felicia’s family here, she’s happy too. I guess it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Beverly looked at Felicia and Iris, then asked, “Aren’t you both due?”
Felicia sighed, “Actually I’m due today. But the doctor says he’ll wait a week, if I don’t have the baby by then, he’s going to induce. Angelina checks on me every morning, and drives me nuts!”
