The Luxury of Being Stubborn (The Stubborn Series Book 4)

by Jeanne Arnold

  “Gabe! Don’t you dare leave. It wasn’t Caleb.”

  He slapped a hand on the bedroom door. “Then what happened?”

  “I fell off a motorcycle.”

  “Lane doesn’t have a motorcycle,” he said an octave above his normal voice.

  “He does now.”

  “What the flip? What kind?” He ran his long fingers through his hair and slapped his cap on backward.

  His older brother was without a doubt out of his mind, but I wasn’t about to present all the evidence. “I don’t remember. Sit down. You’re not touching him.”

  With a reluctant manner, he sat down beside me and looked me over until he found the bandages. He tugged my shirt down my arm. Then he grabbed my other arm and tried to remove the shirt. I leaned away and grimaced.

  “Aw jeez, Av’ry. You didn’t fall off—you flew off. He was thrashing it by the looks of it. Does Valerie know? She’s not going to like this.”

  I shook my head. “Caleb fixed me up. I’m not telling my mother. She doesn’t need to know anything. I made Deliah swear to keep her mouth shut.”

  “Well then, you can be sure your story’s as safe as a cupcake in a nursery school.” He plucked at the buttons on my shirt. “So what the hell possessed you to get on a crotch rocket? You freak out when I speed.”

  He worked his hand up inside my sleeve and rubbed shivers along the edge of the bulky bandage. As usual, he was diligent in his effort to get my shirt off in spite of my resistance. I missed his attention.

  “It looked like fun.”

  A ghost of a smile transformed his frown. Gabe was the most beautiful when he was visibly pleased by things I said. “Fun, eh? Is this fun?”

  He wiped a tear off my cheek, and then pulled a strand of my hair out of the sticky tape at my neck. His fingers left a trail of chills that spread down my front. Then he lifted the hem of my shirt in an attempt to break my will.

  “I’m gone two days, and now you’re nutty as a fruitcake. In the year we’ve been together, you twisted an ankle, broke a leg, mucked your arm up, and now this. There’s blood on the freaking sheets.”

  “Do you still want one?”

  He reared back on the bed, holding the bottom of my shirt in his fist. His eyebrows formed a line. I thought I saw a twinkle, but it could have been the moon’s reflection. The shirt came up and over my head while I bit my lips hard and muffled my cry. Gabe scowled and crawled around my side to check out my back. “Did you hit your head too? C’mon. Seriously?”

  * * *

  “You awake?” Gabe whispered over his shoulder. I had my arms wrapped around his chest, my leg draped over his hip. It was the only way to sleep without feeling the burn of my injury. It was also the best strategic position to stop him from touching me.

  “I feel achy all over,” I said.

  He tried to turn in my arms. My hand glided to the small scar on his middle. It was barely there anymore.

  “If you’re feelin’ down, I can feel you up,” he said.

  I swatted his ribs. “Where do you get these lines?”

  “Books,” he said.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Caleb,” he drawled.

  I traced the line of his scar and thought about how much my life had changed. “Last night you mentioned it being a year since we met. You’re lucky I don’t keep track of dates.”

  He twisted his chin to get a look at me. “A hell of a lot happened since you stepped off that train from Syracuse. I think I even proposed once.”

  “In a roundabout way,” I said as I remembered his half-assed proposal to fly somewhere warm and change my name.

  “I think our anniversary was last week.”

  “What do you consider our anniversary?”

  Gabe set his head down on my arm and gave pause before answering. “The day I wanted to take all your clothes off. That was the official day for me.”

  I snorted into his shoulder.

  “Are you going to tell me why Judson needed to go to Oklahoma?”

  The screen door creaked. A light knocking followed. Gabe rolled out of my arms and hunted for his jeans. He tugged them on and scurried out the door. “Better not be Lane.”

  “He’s not that stupid,” I muttered. He knew better not to show his face for a long time. I moved slowly to my back and cringed when the tape on my bandages pulled. My neck was sore. My ribs smarted with every breath. The screen door slammed. I heard talking.

  “No!” the high voice shrieked. I jerked the covers over my head and pretended to disappear. Why was my sister at the ranch?

  “Av’ry,” said Gabe as he spanked the bottom of the mattress. “Giddy up.”

  “Why is Brianna here? Who brought her?”

  He yanked the covers off me and grinned wildly. I was only wearing underwear. “Just get up. Cover your back. I mean literally cover your back. The bandages,” he leaned in and whispered into my lips.

  My mother was unpacking a box of groceries and organizing food in our cupboard when I came out of the bedroom. I noticed a new stack of books on the floor at the front door.

  “Hi,” I mumbled to no one in particular as I finished buttoning Gabe’s shirt.

  “I was expecting you to be up,” said my mother.

  “You broked my Barbie!” Brianna shouted. She was jumping on the couch.

  Gabe gave a coy look and waved his finger at me but stopped as soon as my mother turned around.

  “Banana, get down right now,” I scolded before my mother could grab her.

  “Deliah said you had nothing to eat—that your cupboards were bare. If you can’t manage to go to the store, Avery, maybe you shouldn’t live out here.”

  I rubbed my eyes when she opened the refrigerator and lined up juice boxes and yogurt. Gabe snooped in a bag. There was little chance my mother brought anything that was made with artificial food coloring.

  “We can manage just fine. I’m going shopping today.”

  “Well, this will get you started. Why are you wearing flannel? It’s sweltering in here. I’ll see if Meg has a fan you can borrow.”

  “Lane was going to fix the generator. Then maybe we’ll get an air conditioning unit.”

  “He’s taken ill,” she said. “Your father said he won’t be coming into work for a few days. He must be heartbroken over that child.”

  “I’ll check on him later,” said Gabe as he gave me an all-knowing glance.

  My sister tugged on my mother’s shorts and pointed to the door. “I wanna go swimming.”

  “Valerie, I’ll take her out,” Gabe said.

  “I’d rather she not go out there.”

  “Why not?” he asked. Brianna grabbed his hand and pulled him to the door.

  “Dead heads,” my sister said excitedly.

  Gabe’s forehead lifted. “Am I missing something?”

  My mother turned her back and emptied the last of the contents in her box while Gabe made eyes at me. He still didn’t know. I wanted to enjoy his calm mood for a little while more.

  “My sister’s in the midst of planning Joel’s surprise party,” said my mother. “I’m taking her shopping in Bismarck this week, so I’ll need you to help Deliah watch Emmie and Brianna. With Lane out of work, you’ll be out of work, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  I looked at Gabe. He was lifting my sister into my cowboy boots. He once told me he couldn’t resist her silly requests or her curly pigtails.

  “All set. We’re going now, Brianna. Say goodbye.”

  My little sister clunked across the room. “I have to go potty.”

  “Just send her out to the car when she’s done.” My mother picked up her empty box. “I almost forgot. There’s a dress for you on the chair. I made Deliah the same one. Can you please try it on and see if it needs adjusting?”

  “Right now?” I tugged at the long sleeves of Gabe’s flannel. I wasn’t going to let her see my bandages or lecture me on motorcycle safety. “I’ll do it after I shower. I’ll let you kn
ow.”

  “It would be nice if you had something to wear in public other than cut-offs.”

  Gabe took the box out of her hands and walked outside. My mother followed. They fell into a discussion as soon as they were out of earshot. I noticed his truck was back, parked in front of the cabin.

  I took Brianna’s hand when she started fooling around with the light switch in the hall.

  “Bad you,” she said as she held up her Barbie wearing a dress made from pink fabric. “Kiss her and make nice.”

  I rolled my eyes wide and guided my sister into the bathroom.

  After my mother and sister drove off, I found Gabe standing in the doorway with my dress. “I adore this shade on you,” he teased. “It brings out your stubbornness.”

  “What did my mother have to say out there? She’s being secretive. The other day when we went to see Lane at work, she was talking with Joel the whole time.”

  “You’re being paranoid.” He stretched the dress across his chest. “As I recall, your sis said she was chewing him out.”

  “Does she suspect anything about the accident?”

  “Nope.”

  “I’m going to let her think Lane’s down in the dumps because of Eli and not because he’s all beat up.” I lifted my arm to grab the dress before he actually put it on to taunt me. I cringed at the discomfort in my shoulder. “Why is my mother making me clothes? I’m not five years old. I have no occasion to dress up like Deliah or a doll.”

  * * *

  I leaned forward at the table so I wouldn’t rub my back against the chair. I was fully entertained watching Gabe devour my mother’s famous chicken salad. He always ate like it was his last meal. His attitude was pleasantly sunny since his truck had been returned in one piece.

  “Can we go to the lake for a swim? It would feel good on my shoulder.”

  “Yup,” he responded as he swallowed a mouthful of sandwich.

  There was a knock outside the door. “I’ll see who it is,” I said. I pushed out my chair, and Gabe jumped up and beat me to the door.

  “The custodian of Gabriel J. Halden,” said a man holding a manila envelope. He had a badge around his neck and introduced himself as an officer of the court.

  “I’m Gabriel. I don’t have a custodian. You can hand it over.”

  The man left. I stood on the welcome mat beside Gabe as he tore into the envelope and scowled.

  “What’s a preliminary injunction?” I asked as I peered at the cover letter. He brushed past me and stopped at the table to set down the papers. Then he lifted his glasses out of his shirt pocket and put them on.

  “Says I’m to seize all commercial activity, farming, ranching, exploration, and extraction of minerals and gas.”

  I bit my bottom lip as he continued to read silently. I could feel the displeasure seeping out of his pores. His shoulders squared, and his jaw tensed as he flipped through the pages.

  “Until a historic or native burial ground is ruled out? I’m about to gut the lodge. Now I can’t work? I’m gonna sign a mineral lease when I turn twenty-one. Who the hell would go to court and file against me?”

  “Brigg Barrett?” I didn’t know why, but his face came to mind.

  Gabe appeared surprised I brought up his name. There was another knock at the door before he could answer. I startled when Gabe flew to the door without hesitation. He disappeared as I stepped outside to see what was going on. He was chasing Travis into the weeds like an animal in attack mode. A jar with a bouquet of lavender flowers had tipped over on the step. The water poured out in the grass.

  “Gabe!” I shouted.

  A minute later Travis was sitting in the lawn catching his breath, looking petrified, while Gabe stood above him. “What the hell did you run for?”

  “He brought these.” I sat down beside the vase to show Gabe.

  “I’m really sorry, ma’am,” he muttered into his chest.

  Gabe looked puzzled. “Sorry for what now?”

  Travis stood up and grabbed the back of his neck nervously. His light hair stuck to his forehead.

  “You’re sorry for what?” Gabe repeated.

  “It’s my fault she…uh…crashed.” Travis made a run for his tractor. I shouted thank you for the flowers.

  “You gotta set him straight or I will,” Gabe told me. “He’s pitiful.”

  “You hired him.” I snickered at his needless jealousy. I stuck my nose in the flowers and inhaled.

  Gabe kicked out a chair and motioned for me to sit. I didn’t like being told what to do so I rested my hip against the sink instead. My jaw dropped open when he grabbed for the cabinet door behind my leg, crouched down, and made his arm disappear into the space. He slid out a rifle he had hidden in the wall.

  “Is this about Travis? What are you going to do?” I asked confused.

  I followed him outside when he didn’t answer.

  “Gabe, where are you going with that?”

  “To find out what’s going on.” He climbed into his truck, rolled down the window, and stuck out his arm. I took hold of the side mirror as he threw the truck in reverse. He grabbed my arm. “What is your problem?”

  “We found a skull in the field.”

  His chin jerked around, and I swallowed hard. He pushed me out of the way with the door and jumped out of the truck holding the rifle.

  “It could be nothing. Come inside.”

  “A skull? Like a human skull?” His eyes bugged out of his own head. “Was there a body?”

  “No. Just a skull. We don’t think isn’t a burial ground if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  “How on earth could I be thinking anything at all? I just learned of this. Who found it?”

  “I fell on it. There was a snake. Caleb sort of dropped me.”

  “Caleb was there? Nobody thought to call me or Jud? If I can’t develop this land, I can’t keep this place. I had big plans.” He slammed the truck door.

  The uneven sound of a helicopter rotor droned in the distance. We both looked in the direction of the noise. The aircraft came into view and flew directly at us.

  “Please calm down. Caleb told Joel everything. He brought in some forensic agent to take a look at it. The area is roped off and covered by a tent. They took the skull to run tests. That’s all that’s happened so far.”

  “That’s just great. It’s gone public. This place will be crawling with reporters.”

  Gabe circled the truck, climbed onto the bumper, and vaulted the tailgate so he could observe the area.

  “Did your grandparents drill for oil on this property? They would’ve run into bodies if they had.”

  “It wasn’t commercially viable in this stretch. Too expensive to drill two miles down and have it run out before they made a profit. Oil was trapped in the shale. We’re talking before hydrofracking made drilling lucrative. Jud said they rented out the lodge. Raised horses. Ran a stable.”

  “So they lost money from oil. That’s why Joel wanted to revamp the company because he had a vision that oil drilling would come back online,” I shouted as the chopper invaded our conversation.

  Gabe turned around and offered a puzzled look. “They drilled all over the state, but wells ran dry fast. They could only get what was in the drilling area. This here’s virgin land. I gotta call Jud. He knows this place. He’ll know what to do.”

  “What do we do about the helicopter?”

  He jumped down and grabbed my hand.

  “Hope it crashes and burns.”

  * * *

  The cursing started when I was making the bed the following morning. Gabe had been up early playing his brother’s guitar in the living room. I distinctly heard him working the same Willie Nelson song over and over before I drifted off again. I didn’t realize he had gone outside until I heard him through the bedroom window. His language escalated to an intensity that made me blush and cringe simultaneously.

  “Av’ry, I’m fixin’ to split!” His boots came stomping through the cabin. “You
up? I’m in a hurry.”

  “Are you in a hurry to split an artery?” I dropped my pillow and turned around. “What’s gotten into you? If my mother was here, she’d shove a bar of Irish Spring down your throat.”

  He tightened his eyes, and I saw a hint of a smirk. “I’d take a spanking—you better believe it. I’m losin’ my vertical hold here.”

  “Did somebody slash your truck tires?” Maybe they expanded the area where they found the skull. He wasn’t at all happy when he saw the yellow tape.

  “Damn close,” he drawled.

  I pulled my hair into a band and made a bun on top of my head. Gabe held the screen open as I slipped my feet into my flip-flops. I swallowed hard when I got a look at what had him so peeved.

  “Protect our land…let our ancestors rest,” I read out loud. “Uh oh. I didn’t hear anyone last night.”

  Gabe kicked a sign flat and stomped on it as if he were trying to snuff the life out of it. “They’re all over. Hundreds of them. They musta snuck in here at the asscrack of dawn and decorated god knows how many acres.”

  “How do they know the skull didn’t belong to a farmer years ago? How would they even know you planned to drill here?”

  “They don’t know shit. It’s not even my land yet. I haven’t filed for permits. There’s nothing!” he screamed so loud I swore I heard an echo. “I need a lawyer. This is private property.”

  “Where are the protestors? If they took the time to do all this, you’d think they’d stick around and make a bigger stink.”

  He rubbed his chin and squeezed his lip between his fingers. He was adorable when he was flustered, but I knew inside he was a time bomb waiting to go off. I wandered into the field beyond the yard and studied the signs. Each one was nailed to a stake and all were about the size of a pizza box. They were hand painted.

  “Gabe, look here.” I waved him over when one sign in particular caught my eye.

  He sidled up to me and lifted his HalRem hat to wipe his brow. “So? They’re all the same sign.”

  I shook his arm and pointed. “Go green and keep it clean? That has nothing to do with protecting the dead. I think you know who you’re dealing with.”