by Sharon Sala
He aimed the remote at the television and hit the mute button. "That little wart is still awake," he muttered. "Probably all that damned chocolate."
Angel looked up from a shirt she was mending. "Maybe I should read her another story."
He shook his head. "Knowing her, that's what she's angling for. How many did you read earlier?"
"Only two."
Royal grinned. "You, my love, are a pushover. I never read more than one."
"That's because you fall asleep first," Angel said.
He pretended to frown.
Maddie was beginning the second stanza of "Colors of the Wind," the theme song from the Disney video Pocahontas. It was loud and a little off key, but it was obvious by the way she was belting out the lyrics that she was into the moment.
Angel started to laugh. Not loud, and not at Maddie, just at the situation. Here they were, two reasonably sensible adults, fitting their lives to conform to a child's.
Royal studied her face as she sewed, watching the dexterity of her fingers as the needle went in and out through the holes in the button she was sewing on his shirt. Her face was in profile, highlighted by the reading lamp beside her. He stared for so long his eyes started to burn. She was so damned beautiful.
Before he knew it, he was out of his chair and on one knee in front of her.
"Hey," she said, when he took the needle and shirt out of her hands.
Then he took the ring box out of his pocket and set it in the center of her palm and closed her fingers over it. His voice was rough with emotion as he looked at her.
"If you'll have me."
Angel's heart skipped a beat. Even though he'd already proposed and she'd said yes, this made everything official in the eyes of the world.
"Oh, Royal," she said softly.
"Open it," he urged.
She laid it in his hand. "You do it," she begged.
A little nervous, he took out the ring, then slipped it on the third finger of her left hand.
"If it doesn't fit…"
He needn't have worried. It slid down her finger like pearls against silk. He looked at the diamond solitaire shining on her finger like a piece of morning sky. His eyes darkened. "I love you, girl. Marry me soon."
The weight felt strange upon her finger as she slid her arms around his neck.
"Name the day, and I'm yours."
He groaned softly and leaned forward. "You're already mine, lady, and don't you ever forget it."
"Daddy, whatcha doin'?"
Royal rocked on his heels and stood up with a jerk.
"What the hell are you doing out of bed?" he growled.
But Maddie wasn't about to be deterred. She pattered across the floor and crawled into Angel's lap as if Royal wasn't even there.
"You and my daddy were kissing, weren't you?" she asked.
Angel was trying hard not to grin. "Yes, we sure were," she said. "Want to join us?"
The idea obviously had merit. Maddie giggled and threw her arms around Angel's neck and planted a kiss on the side of her cheek.
"My turn," Angel said, and kissed the little girl.
"Now you do it, Daddy," Maddie demanded, and lifted her arms to be held in Royal's arms.
He sighed and did as she demanded. After all, she was the princess of it all.
Four kisses and a giggle fest later, Maddie was in bed with her teddy bear tucked under her chin. Royal was about to turn out the light. Angel was sitting on the side of the bed with a book in her hand.
Maddie peeked out from beneath heavy eyelids, checking one last time to see if they were still there. Then she sighed.
"Angel."
"What, darling?" Angel asked.
"You're sitting beside my lady tonight."
It was all Angel could do not to bolt. The thought of sitting next to a ghost, however imaginary, was a little unnerving.
"That's nice," she said, darting a nervous look in Royal's direction. As she suspected, he was frowning.
"I'm going to sleep now," Maddie said.
"It's about damned time," Royal muttered, but not loud enough that anybody heard.
He turned out the light and stood aside, waiting for Angel. The night-light was on by Maddie's bed. Her teddy was tucked under her chin. Angel blew him a kiss as she headed for the kitchen to make them some coffee. Royal watched her go, savoring the comfort that comes from knowing that for once, he was doing everything right.
He turned and gave Maddie one last glance. And just for a second, before he focused and blinked, he thought he saw the silhouette of a woman, head bowed, hands folded in her lap, sitting at the foot of Maddie's bed and watching her sleep. But the moment was fleeting, and when he looked back, she was gone. Angry with himself for even thinking it, he strode away.
At four minutes after three in the morning, the wind began to blow. A low rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance, and Royal rolled to the side of the bed and sat up. Almost at the same moment, Maddie began to cry. Royal heard her first and was out of bed and halfway down the hall before Angel knew what was happening. She followed.
The light from Maddie's room spilled into the darkened hall. When she entered, Royal was sitting on the side of the bed with Maddie in his lap, and it looked as if there was no consoling her.
"What's wrong?" Angel asked, as she sat beside them and began stroking Maddie's hair. "Did you have a bad dream?"
Thunder rumbled again, closer. And then it dawned on Royal. The storm. Maybe she was afraid it would storm like it did before.
"Are you afraid it will storm?"
"No," she sobbed, and surprised them both by crawling from Royal's arms into Angel's lap. Angel held her close and rocked her where she sat.
"Don't cry, sweetie," she whispered. "Daddy and I are right here. There's nothing to be afraid of, right?"
"She said he was coming to get you," Maddie sobbed.
Angel's heart skipped a beat, and she tried hard to smile. But there was a part of her that already knew what the child was going to say.
"Who, darling?"
"The lady. She said the man was coming to get you. I don't want you to go. I want you to marry us and stay here forever."
Royal was starting to get scared. Between the look on Angel's face and Maddie's tears, it was more than he could handle.
"Damn it, Maddie, there is no lady. You're just having a dream."
Angel wasn't so sure. That sick feeling in the pit of her stomach was growing stronger.
"Royal, would you bring me a wet washcloth? We're going to wash away all these tears. And when they're gone, the bad dream will be gone, too."
Glad to have something to do, Royal stalked into the bathroom. As soon as they were alone, Angel cuddled Maddie close. It took her a minute to find the right words, but she knew they had to be said.
"Maddie, sweetheart?"
"What?" Maddie asked.
"What man is coming to get me?"
"I don't know," Maddie muttered, her eyes already closing in weary defeat. "Just the man. The man from the road."
Angel clenched her jaw to keep from screaming. When she looked up, Royal was standing in the doorway with the washcloth in his hands. Water was dripping onto the floor. He looked as if someone had unloaded a shotgun into his belly and he was waiting to feel the pain.
"Hellfire," he muttered, then turned and flung the washcloth into the tub. "Isn't this ever going to end?"
"Do you believe her?" Angel asked.
"Do you?" Royal countered.
Angel was too scared to cry. "Yes. God help me, I do."
Royal lifted Maddie out of her arms and started down the hall toward his bedroom. Angel followed. Maddie roused only slightly, settling as soon as he laid her down.
"What are you doing?" Angel asked as he set Maddie in the middle of his bed.
"Get in," he said, pulling back the other side of the covers and motioning for her to lie down.
"All of us?"
Royal's expression darken
ed. "Until I figure out what the hell's going on, I don't want either one of you out of my sight."
Angel crawled in beside Maddie, who was already asleep. Royal touched Angel's hand, gently fingering the diamond.
"Angel." His voice was quiet, just above a whisper.
"What?" Angel's voice was low, too, so as not to awaken Maddie.
"I won't let him hurt you."
She shuddered, drawing comfort in the warmth of his touch.
"I know."
The thunder came and went. Not a drop came from the moisture-laden clouds. Sometime before daybreak, Royal slipped out of bed and went into his office. He unlocked his gun case, loaded a hunting rifle and carried it to his truck.
It was against the law to carry a loaded gun in a vehicle, but he didn't give a good damn about laws. All that mattered to him was keeping Angel alive.
* * *
It took Tommy Boy the rest of the day to get his truck fixed. When he finally left Dallas, it was getting dark, and from the looks of the sky a storm was brewing. He didn't care. In fact, he welcomed it. People died in the rain just as easily as they died on a clear day—and it was easier to hide the evidence.
When he drove into the outskirts of Alvarado, he realized he should have waited until morning. Everything in the small town was closed. He peered into one storefront after another, reading the signs.
Open at Eight.
Open at Nine.
He sighed. He wouldn't get anywhere until morning.
A police car turned a corner at the end of the block. His pulse accelerated. No need calling attention to himself. He got into his truck and started out of town. He'd seen a picnic area at a roadside park a few miles back. Good a place as any to spend a long night.
When the clouds rolled over and thunder rattled the windows in his truck, he rolled on his back and looked out the windshield to the dark sky above. Every now and then a periodic flash of lightning would show, but the rain never fell. When he looked up again, it was morning.
It was easier to find the Justice ranch than Tommy Boy would have believed. All he did was drive into Alvarado, order breakfast, then pump the skinny little waitress for information. He got more than he bargained for.
She said Justice, the man who owned the ranch, was well-to-do. People were saying the woman he'd hired as housekeeper was going to be his wife. And his little girl was starting kindergarten in the fall. He paid for his food and walked out of the café with one purpose in his mind.
So maybe the black-haired woman hadn't been a whore, after all. That would explain why she'd been so angry about his offer. Then he reminded himself she'd still taken a ride with a trucker. Maybe she was living a decent life and wasn't out infecting the good men of this world with her disease, but she'd still seen his face. She was the only witness who stood between him and safety. Tommy Boy was short on sympathy. She had to die.
He got in his truck and started out of town. All the way to the ranch, he kept discarding one scenario after another as to how he would effect what he'd come all this way to do. Maybe she'd be the only one in the house. If so, all he'd have to do was knock on the door.
Then he reminded himself there was the man to consider, this Justice man. Tommy Boy had seen him in the truck. He appeared quite large. Maybe even larger than his daddy had been. If the man was still at home…
Tommy Boy's fancy wandered. He finally decided he would play it by ear.
* * *
Royal was nursing his third cup of coffee and pacing the kitchen floor waiting for Roman to call. He could hear his daughter giggling as she and Angel made up the beds. His thoughts were on what was going on in Maddie's head, not what was happening in the real world, and how much, if at all, the two were connected. As much as he was opposed to the idea and as difficult as it was for him to believe, he would be crazy to ignore all the signs. Whether he understood it or not, something out of his control was choreographing his world. It was all he could do to keep up.
He drained the last of his coffee from the cup and turned to set it in the sink when the phone rang.
"Finally," he muttered, and answered. "Hello?"
"It's me," Roman said. "I've got a man on the way."
Royal went weak with relief. "Thanks, brother," he said softly. "I don't know what I would have done without your help on this."
"Don't mention it," Roman said. "Besides, I'll remind you of that next time I want a favor."
Royal grinned, and then got to business. "What's his background?" he asked.
"Retired undercover narc. He's a funny-looking little guy, but he knows his stuff. He'll be there before long and asking for work. Oh, yeah, you should know that he can't ride, so don't put him on a horse."
Royal laughed.
Roman added, "Just don't worry. You can trust him. He's the kind of man who blends into the background. You won't even know he's there unless it matters."
A phone rang in the background. Royal heard his brother talking to his secretary, then he came on the line.
"Look, Royal, I've got to take this call. If you have any concerns, don't hesitate to let me know."
"Thanks again," Royal said. It wasn't until they'd disconnected that he realized he hadn't asked for the man's name. Then he shrugged. What could it matter? How many funny-looking little guys were going to show up today on the pretense of asking for work?
* * *
Tommy Boy topped a low hill and whistled between his teeth as he slowed to absorb the size of the ranch in the valley. Money. The man had money. He reminded himself why he'd come, and accelerated. The sooner this was over, the sooner he would be home.
He pulled up to the main house and parked. That blue Chevy truck was off to one side. He frowned. That probably meant the cowboy was home. A small delay, but nothing he couldn't handle. He got out and glanced in the mirror on the door of his truck, making sure his hair was slicked back and his cap was on straight. His narrow angular face was shiny in the early morning sun. He rubbed a hand over his chin, savoring the lack of whiskers, satisfied he was unrecognizable. He hitched his pants a little higher over his bony hips and started for the porch. The heavy weight of the switchblade bumped the outside of his leg as he walked. It was a good feeling to know that help was so near at hand.
He knocked, bracing himself for the moment of confrontation, practicing what he would say. A few seconds later, the door opened, and his first thought was that the cowboy looked even bigger without his hat, which seemed silly.
He yanked off his cap, revealing his thinning hair and high, shiny forehead.
"Mr. Justice?"
Royal glanced over the man's shoulder to the little red truck he was driving, then at him. He nodded.
Tommy Boy wadded his cap without thinking. That hard blue gaze was intimidating, and it was all he could do to stare him straight in the face.
"My name's, uh, Wilson, Fred Wilson. They said in town that you might be needing help. I'm a hard worker, and I need the job."
Royal frowned. Boy, Roman hadn't been off the mark on this one's description. He was a funny-looking little fellow, and if ever someone could blend into the background, he would be it. He glanced at the dusty red pickup and then stepped onto the porch. Time enough later to explain to Angel what was going on.
Justice's exit from the house was unexpected. Tommy Boy took a step back and grabbed his pocket in self-defense. But when the man started talking, Tommy Boy let go of the knife. He felt as if he'd fallen down the rabbit hole with Alice. Nothing made sense.
"So when can you start?" Royal asked.
Tommy Boy looked startled. "Start?"
"Work."
"Oh, uh, now."
Royal nodded. "My brother filled you in on what's going on, didn't he?"
"Uh, yeah, right," Tommy Boy mumbled.
"Roman said you don't ride, which is just as well. I don't want you far from the house. Just find yourself some things to do around the barn and keep an eye on my family."
Tommy Boy d
idn't know what the hell was going on, but he'd landed on his feet with this one.
"Yeah, sure," he said quickly. "I can do that."
Royal nodded and pointed to a small, whitewashed building on the south side of the barn.
"That's the bunkhouse. Just unload your stuff. You're the only one who'll be staying there."
Tommy Boy nodded. Speech was beyond him.
"You'll eat your meals with us. Breakfast at seven. Dinner at twelve. Supper at six." Then he added, "I like to eat with my daughter, and she goes to bed around nine."
Tommy Boy's head was bobbing like a float on the end of a fishing line.
"Yeah. Right. Seven. Twelve. Six. Got it."
"Then I'll let you get at it," Royal said. "If you have questions, I'll be around."
Tommy Boy bolted for his truck and crawled inside. His hands were shaking as he started the engine and drove toward the bunkhouse. All he could think was that he must be dreaming and that he wanted to get this over before he woke up.
* * *
Chapter 17
« ^ »
"Hey, Angel," Royal called as he went in the house.
She came out of Maddie's room carrying a load of laundry in her arms.
"Yes?"
"I just hired a new man to take over Rusty's job," he said.
"Oh?"
"His name's Fred Wilson. He's an odd little duck, but don't let it worry you. Roman vouched for him."
Angel nodded and started toward the laundry room when something Royal said registered. She stopped and turned. Royal was still there, watching.
"Why would you need Roman to vouch for a man you hire?"
He hadn't meant to get into this now, but as he'd said before, he wouldn't lie to her again. Maddie came out of her room carrying a coloring book and a box of crayons. He frowned, trying to find a way to answer Angel without saying too much in front of Maddie.
"I hired him to, uh, take care of you two when I'm not around."
Her eyes widened. She would have asked more, but Maddie spoke.
"Daddy, come watch me color," she begged.
"I can't, honey. I've got to check on some cows in the north pasture. Want to come with me?"
"Yeah!" she yelled, pivoted and ran toward the door, still holding her crayons and book.
