Phoenix

by Linda Warren

  “Can you watch Jake for a few minutes?”

  “Why? You know the last time I lost him, and I’m not inclined to do that again. Kids aren’t my thing.”

  Paxton got along well with Jake. He teased and picked at him and had fun with him. But Paxton pretended it was all a pain. Kids weren’t his thing, as he’d said. That was only an excuse because Paxton didn’t want kids to be his thing. He and Jake were forming a connection, if only Paxton would admit it.

  “I want to go over and talk to Mom for a few minutes.”

  “She’s not home.”

  “I saw her truck at the house.”

  “She’s been feeling kind of down since she had the flu. Jude, Paige and Zane took her out for dinner and then a movie to cheer her up.”

  “When will they be back?”

  Paxton lifted an eyebrow. “What am I? A mind reader? What’s so important about seeing Mom tonight?” His eyes opened wide as he connected the dots. He sat up quickly with one arm wrapped around Jake. “C’mon, Phoenix. You don’t want to do that. You’ve only known Rosie a few weeks. Give it more time.”

  “I know how I feel.”

  “It’s new and feels right to you now. But you need more time to think this through.”

  Paxton was holding Jake so he couldn’t see the TV, and Jake was trying to look around Paxton to see SpongeBob. Phoenix took his son from Paxton. “There’s a lot more going on. I’ll tell you about it later. I have to get Jake to bed.”

  He gave Jake a bath, dressed him in his jammies and tucked him into his crib with his blanket, Floppy and the toy horse.

  Phoenix went back into the den, trying to figure out what he needed to do. Jericho was in his chair and the TV was now on a Western. It was Jericho’s choice because the TV was his—a big sixty-five-inch smart HDTV. Phoenix and Paxton were hardly ever home and when they were, they worked and didn’t watch much television. If they watched anything, it was usually on their phones.

  Phoenix sank into his recliner.

  “What’s going on?” Paxton asked, his feet on the coffee table, beer in his hand.

  Phoenix told him about the McCray visit and Rosie’s feelings that they didn’t have a future.

  “They threatened you?” Paxton asked.

  “It’s not about that. It’s about Rosie’s reaction. She doesn’t think we have a future because of our families, and I can’t convince her otherwise.”

  Paxton removed his feet from the table and leaned forward, gripping his beer bottle. “It’s totally about that. We’ve worked hard all year to get to Vegas. If the McCrays beat the crap out of you, you won’t be riding, and everything we’ve worked for will be gone. Is that even sinking into your head?”

  Phoenix had thought about a lot of things, but he hadn’t even really considered that the McCrays might hurt him. He ran his hands over his face. So much was at stake. But all he could feel was the pain of losing Rosie. Nothing else mattered. His thinking might be off, but his heart was steady like a compass leading him back to Rosie. Everything else would fall into place. That might have been naive. But then, in the last few weeks he’d gone from being a carefree cowboy to a responsible father and a man deeply in love with a woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. If that was daydreaming, he wanted to dream for the rest of his life.

  “Phoenix, are you listening to me?”

  “Yeah.” He rubbed his hands together. “I don’t understand why Rosie and I have to suffer because of this feud that’s been going on for too many years.”

  “C’mon on, Phoenix. Take a break from Rosie for a few days. Let your mind clear and enjoy being home on the ranch. Three days is all you need. Three days to get your head straight. Once you tell Mom, there won’t be enough mops in this country to clean up the mess.”

  Jericho got up and went into the kitchen. He never joined in on family squabbles or offered an opinion when it wasn’t wanted.

  “Jericho, do you understand how I feel?” Phoenix needed an honest answer, and he knew he would get one from Jericho.

  The man poured another glass of tea. That’s all Jericho ever drank—tea and water. He never touched beer or the hard stuff. In his other life, before he came to the ranch, he said he’d had too much of the bad stuff, and he never wanted to go back to being a man out of control.

  Leaning against the counter, Rico said, “Miss Kate is a fair woman, but when it comes to the McCrays, her stance is clear and everyone knows it. There’s no middle ground for her. The McCrays are off-limits. I’ve heard it said that some men give up everything for true love. You have to ask yourself how much you’re willing to sacrifice for the love you feel. What can you live with or without? It won’t be easy, and as surely as the sun comes up tomorrow, you’ll feel pain like you’ve never felt before. Just be sure you’re willing to go through that.” He walked into his bedroom without another word.

  For the first time, Phoenix knew the love he had for Rosie would be tested in ways he’d never considered. His mother was not going to allow Rosie into the family. And Phoenix had to decide if he could live away from the ranch and away from the Rebels.

  He got up and walked toward his bedroom. After a shower, he sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone. He wanted to call Rosie so bad it hurt. But he knew she wouldn’t answer. Instead he sent a text: Call me when you’re ready to talk. I’ll be waiting. He meant every word. There was no middle ground for him, either. His future was with Rosie, and it would take a part of him to walk away from this ranch and his family. But somewhere inside him, he would find the strength.

  *

  ABOUT FIVE THE next morning, Jake crawled into bed with him. Phoenix pulled him close and covered them with a blanket. He kissed the top of his son’s head. This was what was important. His son. Rosie. And their life. It was clear to him now. Nothing mattered without her.

  The next time he woke up, he could hear Paxton and Rico in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. He changed Jake’s diaper, dressed him and slipped socks on his feet. Jake ran to the kitchen and crawled into his high chair. Phoenix locked the tray in place and went to fill a sippy cup with milk.

  His thoughts inward, he sat at the table with Paxton and Rico, eating scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits.

  “Rico, Elias and I are checking the herds this morning,” Paxton said around a mouthful of scrambled eggs. “Why don’t you and Jake come with us? It’s Saturday, and not much is going on except just taking care of stuff.”

  Phoenix wiped his mouth on a paper napkin. “I’m going to talk to Mom this morning.”

  Paxton slammed his fork into his plate. “Why can’t you let this go?”

  At Paxton’s loud voice, tears filled Jake’s eyes, and he reached out his arms to Phoenix. “Dad-dy.”

  “It’s okay, son.” Phoenix wiped Jake’s mouth, removed his plate and cup from the tray and took him out of the high chair. “Uncle Paxton’s being silly.”

  Jake ran to Paxton and slapped his arm. “No!” He darted to the sofa and jumped on it. Paxton was fast on his heels and grabbed Jake, tickling him until the house was filled with giggly screams.

  Rico reached for his hat. “I’m going to the office to talk to Falcon. I’ll see you later.”

  Paxton jumped up. “Hey, I’m coming with you.” He grabbed his hat and headed for the door, looking back at Jake on the sofa. “You want to come with us?”

  Jake slipped from the sofa and looked at Paxton and then at Phoenix. He shook his head and ran to his father. Phoenix was hoping Jake would go so he he’d have time to talk to his mother, but it was too soon. Jake wasn’t comfortable anywhere without Phoenix.

  After Rico and Paxton left, Jake played with his toys and Phoenix did the dishes. He laid the dish towel on the counter and turned to see Jake wasn’t in the den. Had he gotten out when Phoenix wasn’t looking?

  “Jake,” he called, running to the front door to see that it was still closed.

  Jake came out of the bedroom, trying to put on his jacket. He was tr
ying to poke one arm through the hood part, and the other arm was in an armhole. “Momma,” he muttered.

  Phoenix took the coat from him. “Not right now, son.” How was he going to tell Jake they weren’t going to see Rosie today? It was their routine and Jake was into a routine. Now he had to break his son’s heart, just like Phoenix’s was breaking.

  “No.” Jake tried to grab the jacket back.

  “Stop it.” Phoenix pointed a finger at Jake’s face. Jake’s bottom lip trembled, and Phoenix picked him up and hugged him. “Time for Bob.” He turned on the TV, and Jake curled up on a pillow Paxton had left on the sofa. It wasn’t the best parenting, but it would work for now, until he figured out how to deal with the next few hours.

  His phone buzzed, and he hurried to find it. It was on the nightstand where he’d left it last night after texting Rosie. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw it was Ms. Henshaw. He had no idea why she would be calling. Maybe she had to make another routine check or something. He clicked on.

  “I have some bad news, Mr. Rebel.”

  A knot formed in his stomach, and he walked into the den so he could see Jake. “What is it?”

  “Valerie Green has surfaced.”

  The knot tightened. “And?” He knew there was a big and coming.

  “A judge in Colorado ruled that her maternal rights were illegally terminated.”

  Phoenix sank into a chair. “What?”

  “The judge has ordered another hearing for custody of Jake.”

  “No! They can’t do this. He’s my son and they just can’t do this.”

  “It’s already been done, Mr. Rebel. I’m so sorry. I got a call at home, and I’m in my office this morning because I felt you deserved a personal call. And I have to meet with the CPS worker handling the case.”

  “Valerie abandoned him. How can they say her rights were terminated illegally?”

  “She contends that she’s been calling her grandmother regularly, and her phone records back it up. Her husband is in a high-powered job in the military, and they’ve been stationed in several war-torn countries. She felt it was best if Jake stayed with her grandmother. It seems she didn’t just abandon him as the neighbor and the girlfriend had said. She got a judge to listen to her, and now another judge will rule on who gets custody of Jake.”

  The walls caved in on Phoenix, and he felt the pain rip though him. He had trouble breathing. He had trouble thinking. He glanced at Jake lying on the sofa, his eyes on the TV screen, totally enraptured. Now Jake’s world would be torn apart once again. So would Phoenix’s.

  He swallowed the lump in his throat. “When is this hearing?”

  “That’s the main reason I’m calling. Since Jake now resides in Texas, the Colorado judge ruled the hearing to be held in Austin at ten o’clock on Monday. Ms. Green had it rushed through because she wants her son. And the judge agreed with her. By the way, she’s now Mrs. Stephens.”

  Phoenix stood, his back straight and his resolve strong. “She will not get my son. I don’t care who she is or what she contends. Jake belongs with me. I will fight this with everything I have.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. Rebel. I have more bad news.”

  He gripped his phone so hard he was waiting for it to crumble in his hand. “What else could there be?”

  “The judge has ordered that Jake be removed from your custody until after the hearing.”

  “No! No way. Jake stays with me!”

  “Mr. Rebel, you have to abide by the court’s ruling. It’s just two days.”

  “No way in hell are they taking my son. He’s been through enough. The judge should have the decency to leave him where he is until after the hearing. Why uproot him now? They did that once. Are they even thinking about Jake and what this will do to him?”

  “Yes, they are. The judge feels Mrs. Stephens has a right to visit with her son before the hearing.”

  Phoenix gritted his teeth and wanted to scream. To Phoenix, Valerie had no rights. He took a deep breath to calm himself. “Ms. Henshaw, please, don’t let them take my son.”

  “It’s out of my hands now. Just be patient. The judge will go over everything and you will have a chance to put your case forward, as will Mrs. Stephens. The best parent will get custody. Trust me on that. In the meantime, Jake will be put with a very nice foster family, and Mrs. Stephens will visit with him later today and on Sunday. We have to go by the rules, Mr. Rebel.”

  “They’re going to take Jake today?”

  “Yes. That’s why I’m calling on a Saturday.”

  Phoenix ended the call abruptly, slipped his phone into his pocket and went into the bedroom. He started throwing things into a diaper bag—everything he and Jake would need for the next few days. If they left now, they could be out of the state in no time. The authorities would never find them. That was his only option. He had to run. To keep his son, he had to run.

  Pulling jeans and shirts out of his closet, he paused. If he kidnapped his son—and that was what he would be doing—he would be wanted for the rest of his life by the police. No family. No rodeo. No Rosie. That was no life. That was pure hell. He couldn’t put Jake through that. He sat on the bed and sucked air into his tight lungs. They were going to take his son. How could he let them do that?

  Jake trailed in, dragging his coat behind him. “Momma, Dad-dy.”

  He picked him up and kissed his cheek. “I love you, son. In the next few hours we have to be strong. Can you be strong?”

  Holding his son against him, he knew he couldn’t run with Jake. They had to do it the legal way. Even though it would take a slice of his heart to let go, he had to believe he could get his son back. He had to call Gabe, his uncle, who was a lawyer and could help him.

  A knock sounded at the door. With more strength than he’d thought he had, he got to his feet and made his way into the den with Jake in his arms. Through the glass on the door, he could see a woman and an officer outside. His mom, Grandpa and his brothers stood behind them. Evidently CPS had been looking for him at the house.

  He took a deep breath and opened the door.

  “Mr. Phoenix Rebel?” the woman asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Vera Connors with Child Protective Services. I have a court order to remove minor child Jake Rebel from your custody temporarily.”

  No way on this earth! was his first thought. But with the maturity he’d learned over the last few weeks, he stood tall and looked the woman right in the eyes. “He’s two years old. He’s not going to understand what’s happening. All he’ll know is that you’re taking him away from me. How can I explain that to him?”

  “Mr. Rebel, I understand your situation, but kids are very resilient and have a short memory. Jake will do fine.”

  Even at that young age, Jake sensed what was going on, and he wrapped his arms around Phoenix’s neck and burrowed into his chest.

  Ms. Connors attempted to take Jake from him, but Jake slapped her hand and shouted, “No!” and burrowed further into Phoenix.

  “Can’t you see this is upsetting him?”

  Ms. Connors motioned to the officer, who physically removed Jake from Phoenix’s arms. Phoenix wanted to hit him, but he curled his hands into fists to prevent that. Jake screamed and kicked and shouted, “No. No. No!” The man walked out with Jake screaming at the top of his lungs. “Dad-dy,” Jake screamed, holding his arms out toward Phoenix.

  His chest hurt and his breath came in gasps. Ms. Connors handed him some papers, and then she followed the officer. Jake’s screams of “Dad-dy!” echoed through the landscape, and the family stood there paralyzed with anger, just as Phoenix was. He put his hands over his ears to stop the sound. He’d never felt so powerless in his life. He couldn’t protect his own child.

  They’d taken his son.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Phoenix’s brothers, his mom and Grandpa gathered around him. His mom hugged him. Grandpa patted his arm and Quincy rubbed his shoulder.

  “You’ll get
him back,” Quincy said. “Just stay calm.”

  Calm!

  He’d been sinking into a dark abyss, and nothing or no one could reach him. That one word jolted him and ignited fire in his belly. How could he be calm when they’d just taken his child?

  He stared at Quincy. “You want me to be calm? Would you be calm if someone had ripped your child from your arms?” He looked at Falcon. “How about you? Would you be calm if someone had taken John?” He glanced at Egan. “Would you be calm if someone had stolen Justin?” His eyes settled on Jude. “Would you be calm if someone had snatched Zane?”

  They looked back at him with worried expressions.

  Jude stepped closer to him. “Quincy didn’t mean it like that, Phoenix. We know how you’re feeling and we just want to help.”

  “You don’t know how I’m feeling, Jude. No one knows because you haven’t had your child taken from you, so don’t try to be sympathetic or consoling. I don’t need it. I just need my kid.”

  His mom put an arm around his waist. “Son…”

  He stepped back. “I’m sorry…I’m losing it. I didn’t mean to…”

  His brothers gathered round, and for a moment he leaned on them for support because they were family and he needed…he needed…

  Turning, he went into his room and closed the door. Sitting on the bed, he buried his face in his hands. Daddy ran through his mind like a chant he was never going to escape. He would hear it for the rest of his life. He took a couple of deep breaths to keep the tears at bay. He wouldn’t cry. His dad had always said strong men didn’t cry. A Rebel didn’t cry. He’d been wrong.

  There was only one person who could help him. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. He touched the screen a couple times and waited for her to answer. She didn’t. He knew she wasn’t going to click on, but he had to try. When it went to voice mail, he left a message. “Rosie, please pick up. I need you. Something bad has happened, and I need to talk to you. Please call me.” Tears clogged his throat, and he had to click off.

  She’d call. He’d just have to wait. In the meantime, he had to find a way to get his son back. He called Gabe only to learn that his mother had already contacted him. Phoenix got to his feet, reached for his hat and headed for the door to meet Gabe at his office. He stopped when he noticed Jake’s coat on the floor. He picked it up. They had taken him without a jacket or any of his things. What kind of agency would do that?