"I've read about days like this, Sunny. Just never thought it would happen to me. Things keep getting worse and worse. The McCormack and Randolph standoff has deteriorated to an all-time low, and I have no idea how to change it. I've talked myself blue trying to convince Dad this idea to take over Brice's ranch is not only borderline insanity, but morally wrong. I've gotten nowhere. And now I'm stuck in this office, looking out at a two-by-four patch of grass, one skinny tree and a concrete street."
She craned her neck toward the window. "I can't even see the sun from in here. Maybe there isn't any sun, maybe it's just a big electric light-bulb. The only sound is the hum of computers and fax machines." She fiddled with her stapler. "You know, out at the ranch Brice has these great crickets and frogs that make the most awesome sounds. And the cows … did you ever hear cows mooing in the…" She slowly put the stapler down, then cowered back in her chair. "I'm clearly losing my mind. What in the name of Aunt Betty's jackass am I going to do about all this?"
"Go back to Brice. It's obvious you're crazy as all get-out about the guy."
"Right now, that's not counting for much. If I went back to the ranch, he'd probably shoot me for trespassing, since he thinks I sold him down the river … and maybe I did. I should never have read those letters we found."
"Well, now, hindsight is always twenty-twenty. And could you really have lived with yourself if you hadn't handed the letters over to your dad? You are a Randolph, and that's never going to change, no matter whom you marry. The way I see it, there's got to be a way of settling things. Then you and Brice can find a way to work things out. Did you talk to Eulah again? What puzzles me more than anything is why in tarnation she didn't give that letter to someone long ago."
"Eulah's lips are closed tighter than a lid on a honey jar."
"Go see Wes?"
She peered at Sunny as if the woman had clearly lost her mind. "A little social call at the Half-Circle is not going to get me anywhere except permanent residence in a pine box."
"Corner him in town. Get him alone. Pressure him." Sunny let out a deep sigh. "The judge feels plumb awful over all this. The poor man's home right now, lying on the couch nursing a killer migraine with a bottle of Jack Daniels."
Prudence stood and paced. "More than one person's taken that approach to our current problem. Maybe I should try it."
"The judge said you lost your breakfast in his trash can."
"Just another high point in my fun-filled day. I have to tell you it's the first time I've lost my breakfast in the judge's chambers, and I've been there more times than I can count."
Sunny folded her hands in front of her and was quiet for a moment before she said, "Uh-oh."
Prudence stopped pacing and turned to Sunny. "Uh-oh, what?"
"Prudence, dear, is there any chance you're the p word?"
"Huh?" She considered the question. "Oh, pregnant? Nope. Not a chance. None at all." She shook her head. "I'm positive I'm not. No babies for Brice and me." A twinge crept across her shoulders, and she tried to disregard it. "That would really be the fuse to the dynamite, now, wouldn't it. I mean, McCormacks and Randolphs fight over ranches and who can drive how fast on which roads and who should build what at a park. Just think of what they'd do to a child that belonged to both families."
Sunny took Prudence's hand, before she could start to pace again. This time she looked Prudence right in the eye. "Are you sure? It could be just nerves, but it could be nerves coupled with something else … like a baby on the way."
"I'm positive. In fact, being positive was a high-priority item with us. Once Brice even…" She pictured the condom that Brice had hunted up. The crinkled-up condom in the faded gold package that was a bit dusty and had been buried in the back of Derek's glove compartment under a lot of stuff for heaven knows how long. Did condoms have expiration dates?
"Oh, boy."
"Prudence, I don't want to hear 'oh, boy.' I want to hear more about 'I'm positive.'"
"How about maybe I'm positive?"
Sunny let go of Prudence's hand and drummed her fingers on the desktop. "Well, there's only one way to find out for sure if you are or aren't. And if you are, you'll need to make some plans, because that puts a whole new slant on the situation. Like, what in the world are you going to do about this feud and about the father of your baby?"
"Gee, I feel so much better since you put it like that." Prudence crumbled into her chair.
Sunny stood and tucked her purse under her arm as if on a mission. "The first step is to get one of those pregnancy kits at Finn's Drug Store. Think I'll get three to make darn sure. No use worrying if we don't have to."
"I can go."
Sunny went around the desk and hugged Prudence. "Honey child, if you went over there right now, the word would be all over town before you got to the checkout counter." She let out a little giggle that made her sound like a young schoolgirl. "On the other hand, if I go into Finn's and buy pregnancy kits, why, the whole blessed town will think the judge is the Stud of Serenity. It'll do his old ticker good when people start asking questions and making comments about his … manly attributes. It'll get his mind off this here feud, and get everybody talking about something other than the McCormacks and Randolphs for a bit."
"Glad someone can find something to laugh about in all this."
Sunny winked. "I'll be back before you can say 'mommy and daddy.'"
"Not funny," Prudence said, as Sunny started out the door. Prudence felt her stomach roil, and she tore for the bathroom. "Not funny at all," she mumbled to herself as she closed the bathroom door behind her.
* * *
Chapter 11
« ^ »
Brice slammed the door of his truck, kicked a big rock across the yard of the ranch, then tramped out his frustration as he headed toward the house. Workpeople were busy scraping the old paint from the side, and, judging by the sounds coming from inside, he suspected there was more work going on there.
The late-morning sun chased the chill from the air and spring buttercups danced in the light breeze. The cloudless sky and a hint of honeysuckle promised another perfect spring day in Texas. But none of that mattered to him one little bit. It wasn't even noon yet, and the day had already been a total disaster.
Halfway to the house, he saw Derek sitting on the top step of the porch. Derek grinned as Brice dropped down next to him, then asked, "Bad day?"
"Bad as a kick in the butt with a frozen boot."
"Well, doggies, that is bad. What's going on now?"
"Surprised you haven't already heard. The gossips of Serenity have got to be out in full force today. Telephone company should double their rates, they'd make a killing."
"I've been out of gossip range since last night. Fill me in."
"Were you checking things out on the south pasture like I asked?"
"Talking to Sally Randolph till dawn and taking a walk with her over at Pine Tree Ridge this morning."
Brice paused in his tirade and raised his left eyebrow. "Talking? Walking?"
"That's what I said, and that's what I meant. 'Course, her mama thinks Sally spent the night with her cousin. Now, give me the scoop on what's happening."
"Well, for openers, Bob Randolph is suing us for the Randolph's share of the Half-Circle—whatever the hell that is, I don't know. To top it all off, Pru's the one who gave him a love letter she found from Wes to Eulah that states Cilus knew about the oil—"
"Whoa. Wait a dang minute, here. Wes and Eulah? A … a love letter? I don't believe it."
"Well, you better. And Pru and I have split because of it. I mean, how can I trust her after that? All of which means she isn't here, she's in town and likely to stay there."
"Well, if that don't beat all. Seems to me you two hardheads are at a Mexican standoff. You've chosen your family and ranch over your wife, and she did the same. Trouble is, from the look on your face, I'm guessing you want Prudence back, and I'm guessing she wants you back, too. How do you intend to fix it?"
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"Prudence Randolph can stay exactly where she is."
"Sure she can. Like I said, how do you intend to fix all this?"
"Hell if I know." Brice watched a turtle amble across the yard and thought about what Derek had said. Yeah, he wanted Pru back as much as he wanted his ranch. And that was the rub. He couldn't have both. But he missed her, damn it. He missed Pru's cheeky smiles when she one-upped him on something, her soft curls that tumbled in the spring wind, her blue eyes that smoldered when he made love to her, and her pink toenails that tickled him to no end. He missed talking to her about stuff that mattered a lot and stuff that didn't matter diddly. Dang, she belonged sitting here with him, not with anyone else, even if that someone happened to be her father.
But if they got back together, then what? Would she choose him over her family the next time something came up? Would he do the same? Without mutual trust, they had nothing together.
"Guess this long pause in the conversation means either you miss Prudence a powerful lot and don't know what to do about getting her back, or you've fallen asleep with your eyes open."
Brice shot his brother a withering glance. "Did you come all the way over here so you'd have an audience for your questionable wit, or did you want to discuss something important?"
"Both. Figured someone of your advanced years can always benefit from my excellent sense of humor." Derek reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a check. He handed it to Brice.
Brice looked at the slip of paper. "This is the money I gave you for the down payment on your new truck. What's the matter? Not enough?"
Derek shook his head. "Don't need it. I'll get the truck on my own. Figure if it's all the same to you, I can start taking on more responsibility in running the Half-Circle, now that you've got Prudence on your mind and all. I can earn my own money."
"You … you want to take on running the Half-Circle?"
"Help out. I'm older than you were when you took on the whole shebang, Brice. 'Bout time I got more involved than just punching cows. I've got a business degree, remember?"
"There's no rush." Brice cleared his throat, feeling his world go slightly off-kilter. He had run the ranch for so many years virtually alone, making all the decisions, consulting no one. And now, well, now he didn't know what to do. "I thought you were trying to impress Sally Randolph. Thought a new truck was just the thing to do that. Sure you don't want to take the check?"
Derek shook his head again. "Turns out Sally doesn't need impressing." A hint of pink followed by crimson inched its way up Derek's neck. "Truth is, she likes me for who I am. She even likes my jokes."
"Now, that sounds serious."
"I'm teaching her how to ride. Bought her a white Stetson. She's teaching me … French."
Brice nearly fell off the step at that one. "Little brother, doesn't any of what I'm going through here have an impact on you? You and Sally are going to wind up in the same muddled mess as Pru and me. Pick someone else to teach to ride and buy cowgirl hats for. Concentrate on English. Spare yourself some grief."
Derek gave Brice a long hard look that suggested he wasn't always the fun-loving guy everyone thought he was. "Is that how you really feel about Prudence? That you're going to toss her over because she's a Randolph who happened to stumble across some stupid letter?"
"That letter could very well cost us a huge chunk of this ranch."
"Or not. Your wife is as unhappy with what's going on as you are—I'd bet my boots on that. Never seen a woman look at a man the way Prudence looks at you. She's crazy about you. You think she's fixing this here house up just for herself? I don't think so. Word has it that she's bought brown-leather furniture and has bids on several Navajo saddle blankets over in Amarillo. That's not the way Randolphs decorate, that's cowboy stuff. Prudence is furnishing this house with you in mind, brother."
Before Brice could digest all that, Derek grinned and continued. "Guess you should know, Sally and I are waiting till things with you and Prudence settle down to a dull roar, then we're thinking about eloping."
Brice's gaze connected with Derek's. "Holy smoke." No wonder Derek was pushing for more responsibility. Little brother wasn't so little anymore. But running the Half-Circle? Was Brice ready for anyone to help him do that?
Derek cut into his thoughts with "Another marriage between a McCormack and a Randolph is sure to get everyone riled up again. Can't let Serenity get too serene, now, can we?" Derek grinned.
"At least wait until the judge and Sunny squeeze in a trip to England before things go straight to hell in a hand basket, okay?"
Derek looked confused. "England?"
"It's a garden thing." Brice gave Derek an I-don't-get-it-either look, then said, "Well, now, since you and Sally are aiming to get serious and cause a whole new set of problems. I suppose I should work on the present one and knock Bob Randolph's claim to the Half-Circle ten ways to Tuesday."
Derek gazed at Brice. Determination set his jaw. "I can help, Brice. I really can."
Brice slapped Derek's thigh good-naturedly. "Of course you can." Brice forced a smile. Sharing responsibility of running the ranch was going to take some getting used to. If there was to be a ranch to run. "I'll drive into Amarillo tomorrow and get one of my law school buddies there to give me advice on how to fight off Bob Randolph."
"I'll hold down the ranch till you can get back. Don't worry about a thing. Good luck." He gripped Brice's shoulder in a gesture of affection. "Things will work out between you and Prudence. I know it. She loves you, brother. You have to learn to trust each other to do the right thing."
* * *
Two days later, Brice headed back into Serenity, having driven four hours straight through from Amarillo and his friend's law offices. Brice knew he had got some great help there, along with a job offer. He laughed at that one—him in a law office fit like a shirt on a hog. He squeezed his truck into an Unloading Zone in front of the congested courthouse. If he got a ticket, he didn't care. Today, that was the least of his problems. Securing the Half-Circle had top priority.
If that was true, then why had he spent an incredible amount of time while in Amarillo thinking about Pru? Probably more than he'd spent thinking of a way to save his ranch. God, he missed her. He just didn't know what to do about it.
He checked his watch. It was fifteen minutes till high noon and the start of Bob Randolph's day in court. Brice fastened the top button of his shirt and straightened his string tie. He put on his Resistol and grabbed his briefcase from the passenger side. Then he headed up the stairs, meeting Derek at the doorway.
"Good to see you, big brother. Got your battle plan ready?" Derek stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and assumed a nonchalant expression as they walked into the crowded courthouse. They stood in the main hallway that connected to the courtroom.
There was a glint of uncertainty in Derek's eyes that Brice had never seen before. His little brother was more concerned about what was happening today than he was letting on. Who could blame him? The Half-Circle was his home, too.
Brice said, "The case is looking good for us. Don't worry about a thing, okay? I've got it on excellent authority that Bob Randolph and his kin don't have as strong a case as they think. When Wes wrote that letter, he was trying to impress Eulah because they were lovers, or close to it. It was a letter of passion more than a recounting of history or a detailed journal or diary."
Relief brightened Derek's eyes and pulled his lips into a grin. "Now, that's damn fine news."
"Everything okay with the cattle and oil rigs?"
"Everything's right as rain, just like it was last night when you called. I can handle things, Brice. Just trust me."
"I do. I really do." And he did, but… For some reason Brice couldn't get rid of the "but." He'd overseen every aspect of the Half-Circle for more than ten years, now. It was asking a lot to share the responsibility. Did Derek know enough to take charge of some things? He had a good education behind him. He'd worked on the oil ri
gs while in college and been Brice's right-hand man for years. For sure, he had more training than Brice had had when he'd taken over the whole enchilada. Maybe … maybe next year. Yeah, next year was soon enough.
Derek nudged Brice's shoulder and nodded at the doorway. "Here comes Judge Willis, that old dog." Derek chuckled and shook his head. "Like Uncle Judd says, just because there's frost on the roof doesn't mean the fire's out in the furnace."
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"
"Word has it that Sunny was over at Finn's the other day and bought—get this—a pregnancy kit. She bought three, in fact."
Brice felt his jaw drop but was too startled to stop it from happening. "Sunny? She's … she's … you're kidding, right?"
"Nobody seems to know for sure one way or the other, if she is or if she isn't. But Janet over at the library said Sunny checked out four books on pregnancy, and Thelma at Thelma's Threads said she bought the pattern for a baby quilt. It's mighty interesting, and it sure has given the town something else besides the feud to talk about."
Derek glanced at his watch. "Hey, we better get inside. Willis doesn't take kindly to tardy lawyers, and lately he's been more feisty than ever. This pregnancy thing's gone right to his head, or some other part of his anatomy."
Brice followed Derek, snaking his way through the mob of people, taking encouraging words from some and offering reassuring words of his own to others. He saw his mother and aunt across the hall, and gave them a thumbs-up sign as they entered the courtroom.
He caught a glimpse of Sunny Willis. The judge and Sunny were having a baby? Weren't they a little old for that? Was it even biologically possible? Today the judge looked cocky enough for it to be very possible, indeed.
Brice tried to picture Sunny pregnant, and didn't have much luck. Then he caught a glimpse of Pru at the drinking fountain and pictured her pregnant without even trying. He could imagine her all soft and round with his child growing inside her. Heat pooled in his gut, and his desire for Pru barreled through him like a bronc busting out of a rodeo gate.
COURT-APPOINTED MARRIAGE Page 16
