by Ann Mullen
“I don’t know what I would do if you had died.”
“I don’t either,” he joked. “How are you holding up?”
“I’ll make it, but Larry Hudgins is dead.”
“Are you serious?”
“He was murdered.”
“Good! I’m glad he’s dead,” Billy said. He didn’t seem surprised, only relieved. “I don’t want to hear about him. Am I going to be a daddy?”
Hearing him say those words and seeing the look on his face made me realize that this gentle man could never do the terrible things Captain Waverly had accused, and there was no way I was going to ruin this moment by asking.
“Yes,” I whispered, with tears in my eyes. “You’re going to be a daddy.”
“Well, we’d better hurry up and get married before you change your mind,” he smiled. “Some women get crazy when they get pregnant, and I have a feeling you might fit into that category.”
“You can bet the bank on it,” Mom said, bursting through the door with her entourage of family members. “Jesse was a terrible child. I’m sorry, honey, but you were. I blame your father. He always let you have your way.” Without stopping to catch her breath, Mom walked over to Billy, gave him a hug, and kept right on talking. “She’s spoiled rotten, Billy. She’s used to having everybody do everything she wants. If she doesn’t get her way, she pouts. She’s a real good pouter. And she has to be the center of attention all the time, but I guess you already know that.”
“Mom, that’s not true!” I acted surprised at her assessment.
“We won’t stand for any pouters in this family,” Chief Standing Deer walked in to the room and announced. “Our women know their place.”
“Sure... sure,” Sarah said, brushing past her husband. “Now let me get over here and give my son and his woman a big hug. I’m so excited about this union! I can’t wait for the wedding!”
The room quickly filled with Billy’s family.
Beth, Sarah, and Billy’s three brothers wanted to see for themselves that he was still alive. Of course, they were worried.
“I’m telling you, Billy,” Daniel said, “This one ain’t gonna be cheap. Jesse almost totaled it this time.”
“Are you talking about my car?” I asked. “Do you have it?”
“Yes, and I’m afraid we’re talking about an insurance claim here. It’s probably going to cost two thousand dollars just in parts alone. I suggest you call your insurance company and file a claim. This is a major job. You don’t want to have to pay for it out of your pocket. That’s why people carry insurance. Let them pay.”
“It’s probably time to get rid of that car,” I said. “I love it, but every time I get in it, something bad happens. I think it’s cursed.”
Chief Standing Deer looked over at me with a surprised expression. “So you do believe in spirits, huh?”
“I didn’t say I believe in spirits, what I said was...”
“See, she’s getting more like us all the time,” Beth said as she walked over to me and gave me a hug. She pulled me aside and said, “Was I right about the chief and his predictions?”
“I guess you were right,” I said. “One day I will figure out how he does it. I think he just got lucky. He was guessing.”
“Give the man a little credit,” Mom butted in. “I don’t know how he does it either, but there must be something to it. He was right.” She turned her attention to the chief and said, “Can you tell me the exact day the baby will be born?”
Everyone laughed.
“Mom, he doesn’t carry a crystal ball around with him,” I said.
“Give me a little time and I’ll give you a date,” the chief told Mom.
“You can do that?” she asked. “Do you use cards?”
Sarah walked over to Mom and said, “No, he doesn’t use cards or tricks. He just comes and asks me.”
“Silly `ge ya,” the chief said. “I am the one with the sight, not you. You are my squaw... you do what I say.”
“Sam, nobody believes that crap,” Sarah said to her husband. “Give it up. They know the truth. They know who is in charge around here. Stop being such a know-it-all.”
“I am in charge! I am the chief!”
Sarah smiled and hugged him. “Sure, dear. Have it your way.”
Once everything had settled down, I managed to slip out of the room and have a chat with Jonathan.
“It sure has been a rough day, huh?” I said, trying to get myself prepared for the worst. “What I wouldn’t give for a cigarette.”
“Cut to the chase, Jesse,” Jonathan said. “You and I both know you have something to ask me. You’re not a dummy. Just ask me.”
“Before you answer,” I hesitated, “I just want to say that I want the truth and regardless of what you tell me, it dies here.”
“I would not tell a lie—it’s not in my nature to be dishonest.”
I didn’t know Jonathan well enough to know whether he would be honest with me so the only thing I could do was trust in my ability to recognize the truth. If he should lie to me, I would see it on his face.
“Did Billy have anything to do with the murder of Larry Hudgins?”
“No, he did not.”
“What about...”
“Jesse, you asked your question and you have your answer.”
“But I have to know if...”
“I told Billy I would find Clayton Tyler, and I did. I also found Larry Hudgins. I had no control of their future.”
“Did you kill Larry Hudgins?”
“Would your opinion of me change if I told you that I had?”
“I don’t know.”
“Would you believe me, if I told you that I had nothing to do with the man’s death? What would you say to that?”
“I don’t know.”
“What does it matter? Your family is safe. My family is safe. A bad man is dead. We can go on with our lives. That is what you should do. Stop worrying about what happened to this man. He did not care about you.”
“You’re absolutely right about that,” I said. “He would have killed me and enjoyed it. He was a sick man. His quest for revenge ruined his life.”
“His life was ruined before you came into the picture. Did you know that he had been arrested three different times in connection to three different murders? He was never convicted due to lack of evidence. It seems that all the witnesses miraculously disappeared. He was one bad dude. Clayton Tyler was small potatoes compared to Hudgins.”
“I’m lucky that he’s gone. I guess I owe someone a debt of gratitude.”
“You would have never felt safe if he was still alive. People like him don’t ever give up. If they think you have wronged them, they won’t stop until they get justice... their justice.”
“What about Clayton Tyler? Do you think he’ll serve any time?”
“It would be in his best interest if he did. He’s not safe on the streets anymore. He has too many enemies, and he doesn’t have Larry Hudgins to protect him. His days are numbered.”
“Is that how it worked?”
“Tyler was the front man, but Hudgins was the real boss.”
“And now that Hudgins is dead, where does that leave Tyler?’
“Out in the cold,” Jonathan said. “Tyler was not the smartest man in the world. Hudgins was the brains behind the operation. Tyler relied on information from Hudgins to keep his business afloat. If Tyler had to run the operation on his own, he would be standing on the street corner, holding a sign that would read, Will work for food.”
I had made a promise. I told Jonathan the truth would die here, and true to my word, the truth as I knew it would stay where it belonged. I would live with the knowledge that even if Jonathan hadn’t personally killed Larry Hudgins, he probably knew who had. It was not my job to be the enforcer of justice—I only spy on the people involved.
“Okay, let’s put this matter to rest.”
“I answered your questions truthfully.”
“That
’s all I need to know. Thanks, Jonathan.”
Jonathan leaned over and kissed the side of my face. “You are a good woman, Jesse. You will make my brother happy. For this, I am glad. He deserves to be happy.”
“Don’t you be kissing my daughter, young man. She’s getting married,” Mom said as she walked out of Billy’s room.
“Ah, but it was only a friendly kiss, Mrs. Watson. I had to welcome her to the family. It’s a tradition.”
“Well, if we’re going to be family, then you must call me Minnie.”
“I can’t do that. My mother would have my rear end. She’d take a belt strap to me,” he replied, and then laughed.
“I doubt that very seriously, you’re too big!”
“Mom tells us all the time that we’ll never get too big for her.”
“That’s the same thing Mom always said to me,” I added.
“Oh, pooh, we all say that. You just wait until your baby comes along, Jesse, and you’ll see what I mean.”
Jonathan and I laughed at Mom’s silliness.
“I guess we need to go back inside,” Jonathan said. “I want to talk to Billy again before I leave.”
Mom turned to him before he had a chance to walk away. “Who killed that evil man, Jonathan? Was it you?”
“Mom! That’s a terrible thing to ask. Jonathan’s a bounty hunter, not an assassin. You’ve been watching too much television. Just be thankful that man’s out of our life.”
“I am, honey. Believe me, I am.” She looked at Jonathan and winked. “I was just kidding. I know you didn’t kill him. But if you did, I just wanted to say thank you. It had to be done and somebody had to do it.” Mom shook her head. She turned around and headed back to Billy’s room and mumbled to herself. “I can’t believe I just said that. What’s this world coming to?”
Jonathan put his arm around my shoulder as we turned and walked back into Billy’s room.
Chapter 26
Saturday morning, the 1st of December, Billy was released from the hospital and was back home with me. By then, I had pretty much embraced the idea of being a new mom. It would be a challenging job, but I was sure that I was up to the task. We were going to be great parents.
The temperature had dropped and a fresh, light dusting of snow enveloped the yard as I paced about the house and contemplated the past few day’s events. So much had happened. I flinched at the thought that I had killed two people, but I did it in the defense of my family. I didn’t have a choice. Billy and I had almost been killed by someone out of our short past together, and now that person was dead. Cole had been shot in the head—grazed; we were informed while he was still in a coma. Fortunately, he emerged from the coma a day later, but had suffered partial paralysis to his right side. The bullet passed by just deep enough to nick the skull, and cause nerve damage. The road to recovery was going to be long and hard according to Dr. Bryant. But at least he was alive.
“He’s paralyzed on his right side from his face down to his knee. He has some feeling in his right foot and calf. That’s a good sign. This might be temporary, but we’re not sure. The rest of the body works, but his days of law enforcement are over,” the doctor had told us.
“What about physical therapy?” I asked. “Won’t that help him?”
“We’ll just have to wait and see. He will need a lot of support from his family. This is going to be a tough transition. Cole has always been an active person. He might need professional help to get him through the dark days, and there are going to be a lot of dark days.”
Mom and Claire packed up the kids and went back to Dogwood Valley. Later, I found out that the two of them were going to take care of Cole when he got out of the hospital. I figured that meant he would move in with Mom, but Claire said she fully intended to take care of him at his house. She would become his twenty-four-hour nurse. It would only be temporary. Sure, I can read between the lines. The kids were going to live at grandma’s house. They would spend part of their day at Cole’s house with their mother and at night they would go back to grandma’s house. It sounded like a pretty good arrangement to me. However, Claire’s soon-to-be ex-husband might not like it, but who cares? I’m still hoping he gets eaten by a bear.
Clayton and his brother, Doug Tyler, and what was left of Clayton’s subordinates were going to spend many, many, years in prison once Cole, Billy, and I testified against them.
Larry Hudgins was no longer a threat. Someone had taken him out of the equation. And it’s that someone who makes my nights restless ones. I weighed the pros and cons of actually trying to solve that puzzle, but decided to stick by my steadfast rule—it was them or us.
And Rose Hudgins was dead. Rose was an innocent bystander in this whole vile mess, but yet she was the one who had paid the highest price. She was the one who had suffered the most. Her mother was a psychotic killer; her brother was the demon from hell; and her father had been the scum of the earth. She never had a chance. The memory of her will be a sadness that will always haunt my heart.
Billy walked in the kitchen to where I stood. He leaned over and kissed the back of my neck as I gazed out the window. “What’s on your mind, `ge ya? You’ve hardly spoken ten words since I got home. Are you mad at me? I know I should be resting like the doctor ordered, but if I have to stay in bed a minute longer, I will lose my mind.”
“Would you like for me to fix you some lunch?” I asked as I turned and walked over to the refrigerator. I opened the door and looked inside. “We have some sliced ham for a sandwich or maybe you’d like a piece of leftover chicken. Mom always fixes chicken. I think it’s because she was raised on it. When she lived on the farm, they had chicken a lot. I guess once you get used to something, it’s hard to change.” Tears welled in my eyes; my heart ached. I leaned my head up against the refrigerator door, and let the tears flow.
Billy rushed to my side. “What is it, honey? Why are you crying? Oh, I know what it is! It’s your hormones. Mom said you would probably cry a lot. You’ll have to forgive me if I seem insensitive, it’s been a long time since my kids were born. I forgot what it was like to be around an expectant mother. Wow, I like the sound of that, don’t you?”
Bless his heart. Billy’s such a good man. I wouldn’t hurt him for the world, but I had to tell him about what happened between Cole and me. I had to clear the air. It meant nothing.
“I need to tell you something,” I said. “You’re not going to like it, but I have to say it anyway. I don’t want any secrets between us. I refuse to marry you with this hanging over me. It clouds my every thought. It shouldn’t because it didn’t mean anything...”
Billy stepped back. “I don’t like this already. It has something to do with Cole, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does,” I replied. “Why don’t we go over by the fire and sit down. We can talk about it...”
“I think maybe you should just spit it out right now. I don’t want to sit down. Please tell me that Cole’s not the father of this baby.”
“Cole’s not the father of this baby.”
A look of relief came over his face. “Then I will never ask that question again,” he said.
“I told you in the hospital that you were going to be a daddy. Did you think I would lie about something so important? Do you think I would lie to you about anything?”
“No, I don’t think you would lie to me, but I do think you would avoid telling me the whole truth. I’ve seen you do it before. If I want the complete truth from you, I have to ask a hundred questions.” He turned and walked over to the front door, leaving his back to me.
“You won’t have to,” I said. I walked up behind him and put my arms around his waist. “I may turn out to be a good private eye after all. Aren’t they supposed to be able to be discreet and keep the truth to themselves?”
Billy turned to face me. “I believe what you tell me. I trust you and I love you. I am not usually a jealous man, but when it comes to Cole, I’m afraid I might be. Tell me what happened and let’s dea
l with it.”
“I think Cole’s trying to accept the fact that it’s over between us, but it’s taking him a little while.”
“It was kind of sudden,” Billy said. “I can see how it would be hard for him to accept. You two broke up a short while ago, and now we’re together. We’re going to get married and we’re going to have a child. He’s probably in shock. I would be, too, if I were in his shoes.” Billy put his arm around my shoulder and guided me over to the sofa. We both sat down. He took my hand in his and asked, “Is it over? Do you still love Cole? I know things moved much faster than they should have with us, but I’m taking it as a sign of good things to come. I’m not wasting my life wondering if I should do this or do that, I’m just doing it. I want you, and if you want me, we can work anything out.”
I reached over and kissed him on the lips. My body ached for his touch.
“No,” he said, and then pulled away. “We have to talk first.”
“Cole made a pass at me while I was being held captive,” I said.
“When you say pass, do you mean he flirted with you?”
“It means he kissed me, and I let him.”
“You let him do what?” Billy asked, his face turning red. His body tensed up and he slid away from me. “How far did this kiss go? Did you have sex with him?”
“You’re joking! How can you ask me something like that?”
“You don’t see me laughing, do you?”
“Of course, I did not have sex with Cole. I love you; not him.”
“Things can happen. I understand how he might be able to convince you to have sex with him. He’s a decent looking man and he has charm. All the women like him. It’s been like that all his life. I can’t for the life of me see why women put up with him, he treats them terrible.”
“I let him kiss me, and at the time, I liked it. But I only liked it for a minute. I guess I still had feelings for him.”
“Had feelings, as in past tense? What changed your mind?”
“It just didn’t feel right anymore. The physical attraction was still there, but the love wasn’t in my heart.”
There was a long pause before either one of us spoke. I wanted to give Billy time to soak in what I had just said, and I guess he was using that time to do exactly that. He got up from the sofa and walked over to the fireplace. He stirred the coals and then added a log to the fire.
