by R. C. Ryan
Instead of the usual shouting and teasing that seemed a necessary element of anything involving the Malloy family, this crowd seemed unusually subdued.
By the time Yancy pulled up to the entrance and helped Nelson, Lily, and Kyle from the truck, the others had assembled in the examining room. They stepped inside to join Frank and Grace, Burke, Matt and Nessa, Luke and Ingrid, and Ingrid’s foreman, Mick, as well as Gemma and Jeremy.
Leaning on Yancy’s arm, Great One refused the use of an armchair to stand with the others. Lily hurried over to hug her sister, Ingrid. Kyle walked up beside his mother, who had refused all medical help until Reed was taken care of. Like the rest in the crowded room, Ally was watching and listening intently as Dr. Anita examined Reed, describing aloud each wound to her uncle, who stood on the opposite side of the bed, making markings in a chart.
“Gunshot to the right arm. Clean entrance and exit. Gunshot to the right shoulder. Bullet still lodged in muscle. We’ll treat for possible infection after removal of the bullet. Cheek swollen. No bones broken there. Eye blackened. Again, no bones damaged. Knuckles swollen and bloody. Minor damage.” She moved to Reed’s torso. “Several broken ribs…”
As she continued her litany, Kyle tugged on his mother’s arm.
“Who hurt Reed, Mama?”
“Archer.”
At the mere mention of that dreaded name, the little boy buried his face against her leg while the doctor’s voice droned on.
At last Dr. Leonard turned to the crowd. “We’ll be taking Reed to OR now to remove the bullet from his shoulder and repair any other damage as needed. If you folks care to go over to D and B’s or Clay’s, you’ll have a couple of hours before you can see the patient.” He turned to Ally. “As for you, young lady, you’ll come with me now before you collapse.”
Ally followed the old doctor from the room.
Instead of protests or complaints, the rest of the group filed from the room in silence and settled themselves in the waiting room, where they would remain until Reed and Ally would be taken to recovery rooms.
Anita pulled Colin aside and studied the pain in his eyes. “What’s wrong, Colin?”
“I’m worried about my nephew.”
“You’ve seen worse.” She shook her head. “This is about something other than his wounds. I’ve had the opportunity to observe your family during a crisis. They’re loud and more than willing to express their feelings. Tell me what’s happened.”
He sighed and drew her close, pressing his face to her temple. “You’re right. It’s much more than Reed’s gunshot wounds or the fact that he was just in the fight of his life. But if you don’t mind, I’d rather wait until the surgery is over. Our family is reliving a loss that’s more than two decades old, and deeper than anything we’ve ever suffered.”
She put a hand on his cheek. “That’s when you lost your brother.”
He nodded.
“Let me operate on Reed and get him comfortable. There will be time enough for explanations later.”
He brushed a quick kiss over her lips. “Thanks for understanding.”
He caught up with his parents and offered his mother his arm. She shot him a grateful look as she leaned into him.
He glanced beyond her to Frank, holding Grace’s hand. For the first time in his life, his father and mother looked their age. Both were bone-weary.
As he glanced around at the rest of his family, seated in silence, he wondered if his own face reflected the emotions he could read on all of them. They were shell-shocked. And trying desperately to process all that had happened this day.
It had become so much more than an attempted murder. It had ripped open raw, gaping wounds that, though decades old, had never healed.
Reed kept fading in and out of consciousness. He struggled to see the faces that occasionally hovered over him, but they were a blur. The pain came in waves, but mostly it was dulled by whatever the doctors were giving him through his IV.
Mostly he slept. His dreams were fragments of scenes from his childhood. Riding up to the hills with his father. Struggling to keep up with his brothers as they rode ahead, leaving him in their dust. His father telling him that one day he’d be as big as Matt and Luke, and they would look up to him the same way he looked up to them. His mother making his favorite grilled cheese sandwich and telling him she’d added something special: love. Bits and pieces of voices and laughter and genuine tokens of affection that he’d thought would always be there, but were now carried only in his memories.
The sudden shocking void left after one cold, snowy night, when his parents were taken away without warning.
His eyes flew open and he looked around the sterile hospital room until his gaze settled on Ally. She was in a reclining chair positioned beside his bed, lying on her side, her red hair spilling over one eye.
She bore the bruises of Archer’s fists.
His heart contracted, experiencing fresh pain.
As if sensing he was awake, she suddenly sat up, shoving hair from her eyes.
Reed struggled to speak. “How long have you been here?”
She glanced at the big clock on the wall. “A day and a night.”
“Is Kyle with my family at the ranch?”
She nodded. “He wanted to stay here. Everyone did. But Anita said you’d be out for a good long time. They finally gave up and left.”
He studied the heavy drapes covering the window. “Is it day or night?”
“Midnight.”
“You should have gone with them.”
“Too late. They left hours ago.”
“That chair looks uncomfortable.” He patted the side of his bed. “Join me over here.”
“Anita won’t like it.”
“She’s probably home and sound asleep. Come on, Red. I want you here.”
She reluctantly slid out of the chair and settled into bed beside him. When he tried to put an arm around her, he was forced to suck in a breath on the sharp burst of pain.
“See? This isn’t right…” She started to slide away but his hand snaked out, closing over her wrist.
“I’ve still got one arm that works. Besides, if you had any compassion at all, you’d wrap your arms around me.”
“Like this?” She snuggled close and did as he suggested.
“Oh, yeah. Now that’s a lot better.” He turned his head until his breath feathered the hair at her temple. “Do you mind filling me in?”
“On what?”
“I’ve got some blank spots in my memory. Is Archer dead?”
“Yes.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.
“Did he admit killing my parents, or did I dream it?”
“He admitted it.”
He sighed and fell silent for so long, Ally thought he’d fallen asleep.
“Was Archer the one who ordered the police to shoot Lon Wardell?”
“Yes.”
“Bastard.”
Ally went very still. When there were no more questions or comments, she drifted off to sleep. When next she awoke, Reed had turned away from her, lying as still as death.
She stared at his broad back, his muscled arms and shoulders, and absorbed a series of tremors along her spine. They’d had so little time together. And now…
He’d turned away.
She slid silently out of his bed and walked to the window. Outside, the first faint ribbons of dawn were streaking the sky.
She pulled on her boots and let herself out of the room before making her way down the empty hallway to a small kitchen, where she plugged in a coffeepot. A short time later she sat alone in the staff kitchen, watching the sun climb from behind the hills.
The Malloy family would be arriving today, since Dr. Anita had said they could take Reed home.
Home.
Everyone, it seemed, had a home. Where was hers?
She’d come here hoping to reunite with family and had been coldly rejected.
She’d found a warm and loving acceptance with
the Malloy family and had thought, for a while, Reed’s family could be hers, as well.
And now?
Now her family had brought pain and heartache to the Malloy family.
It wasn’t something any of them would soon forget. As for her, it was branded into her memory for all time.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
It was late afternoon when Burke walked into the clinic waiting room. Seeing Ally, he quickly removed his hat. “They tell me Reed can come home.” He looked past her to where Agnes sat behind a reception desk. “Is he ready?”
The assistant nodded. “Dr. Cross is giving him last-minute instructions right now. She’s already signed his release papers.”
Minutes later Reed was pushed out in a wheelchair. When he spotted the ranch foreman, his smile grew.
“You’re looking good, son.” Burke leaned close, and the two clasped hands.
Burke stepped up behind the wheelchair and pushed it out the clinic doors to where the ranch truck was parked. While Ally held the passenger door open, Burke helped Reed inside. Ally climbed into the rear seat.
As they started toward the ranch, Burke said, “Yancy’s been cooking and baking since he got up this morning. I hope you’re bringing an appetite.”
Reed put on sunglasses, shielding his eyes from view. “I doubt I’ll eat much.”
“Make an effort, son.” Burke glanced in the rearview mirror and noted that Ally had put on sunglasses, as well. Which wouldn’t be unusual, except that the day seemed to match their moods. Cloudy and overcast and threatening rain.
“Kyle and Lily are baking up some surprises of their own.”
“They are? Well, I guess I’ll have to fake an appetite.”
“See that you do.” Burke grinned.
As they left town behind and turned onto the interstate, Reed leaned his head back and covered his face with his big hat.
Out of respect for his need to sleep, Burke and Ally fell silent.
When at last the truck pulled up to the house, the entire family spilled out the back door and down the steps to welcome home their hero, with Lily and Kyle leading the parade.
Frank and Grace were the first to hug Reed.
“Oh, how grand to see you up and around,” Grace managed to say through her tears.
“Don’t cry, Gram Gracie.” With his good arm Reed drew her close. “You know what that does to me.”
“Welcome home, sonny boy.” Frank started to give him a bear hug, then remembered his grandson’s injuries in time to give him a more gentle embrace.
“Hey, bro.” Matt slapped his back, while Luke tugged on his hair.
Their wives laughed and hugged him fiercely.
Great One, standing on the back porch, held out his arms, and Reed hurriedly climbed the steps to embrace him.
Yancy pumped his hand. “I’m sure you’re sick of hospital food, so I’ve made all your favorites for your homecoming.”
“Thanks, Yancy.” Reed turned to find Colin coming up behind him.
“I’m glad you’re home where you belong,” his uncle said.
“Me too. I figured you’d pick me up at the clinic so you’d have an excuse to see Anita.”
“I wanted to. Chores,” Colin said by way of explanation. “Thank the heavens Anita’s as busy as me, and understands.”
“Well.” Grace noticed Ally standing back and looped her arm through the young woman’s. “Come on. It’s time we gave Reed a real Malloy welcome.”
The kitchen was perfumed with the most wonderful, mouthwatering fragrances. Over the table hung a hand-lettered banner that read: WELCOME HOME. It was obvious that Lily and Kyle had spent hours decorating it with drawings of horses, cattle, and even a dog and her puppies. And in the middle of the banner stood a tall stick man that was undeniably Reed.
Reed took long minutes to examine every drawing.
“What do you think?” Lily asked.
“It’s the best homecoming banner I’ve ever had.”
The two children were beaming with pride.
While the men tipped up frosty longnecks and the women sipped cool white wine, Yancy and the children began carrying trays and platters to the ornately decorated table.
When Yancy summoned them to eat, they began passing platters of slow-roasted beef in gravy and steaming bowls of mashed potatoes, as well as tender peas and carrots from the garden and baskets of hot rolls fresh from the oven.
“I see you fixed all my favorites.”
“This is a celebration.” Yancy circled the table filling goblets with ice water.
Luke turned to his wife. “I guess it pays to get into a brawl every now and then, just so Yancy remembers our favorite foods.”
Ingrid closed a hand over his. “Your brawling days are over, cowboy.”
Everyone was chuckling as they dug into their meal.
If Reed was silent, allowing the others to carry on a conversation, it didn’t seem unusual. He was, after all, still recovering from an exhausting, painful ordeal.
Kyle looked across the table at the dressing on Reed’s shoulder. “Does that hurt?”
“Not much.” Reed moved the food around his plate before draining his beer.
When the meal ended, Kyle turned to Lily. “Want to give Reed our surprise now?”
The little girl looked at Yancy. “Is it okay?”
He nodded and the two children pushed away from the table, returning with a plate of cookies.
“They’re your favorite,” Kyle announced.
Reed pretended surprise. “Chocolate chip?”
“Uh-huh.”
He chose the biggest one, causing the two children to giggle. He bit into it, then made a terrible face and pretended to gag. Seconds later, when they realized he was having fun with them, they both broke into laughter.
“You were just teasing, weren’t you?” Lily scolded.
“You bet. These are the best I’ve ever tasted.” He indicated the plate. “Want to pass them around, or are you saving them all for me?”
Lily and Kyle circled the table, offering their special treats to everyone and smiling proudly at all the compliments.
After emptying the plate of cookies and drinking their milk, Kyle turned pleading eyes to his mother. “Can me and Lily go and see Molly’s puppies now?”
Ally shrugged. “I’ll leave that up to Ingrid.”
Ingrid smiled. “You two have been so good, and I know you’re dying to get to the barn. Go ahead.”
The boy and girl caught hands and flew to the door.
While the men sat around the table, bringing Reed up to date on the progress of the last of the roundup, the women helped Yancy clear the table.
A short time later, they all strolled out to the barn to admire Molly’s brood.
Kyle was cuddling his favorite pup as he walked over to Reed. “Look how big Toughie’s getting.”
“If he keeps on growing like that, you’ll soon be able to ride him like a pony.”
“I won’t need to.” Kyle nodded toward the pasture. “You said when I’m big enough to ride, Freckles will be just the right size, too.”
“I did promise you that, didn’t I?” Reed dropped his good arm around the boy’s shoulders. “I can’t wait to take you riding, little buddy.”
“Me too.”
“All right,” Ingrid called. “It’s Lily’s bedtime.”
Kyle set Toughie in the pen with its mother and the other pups before taking Ally’s hand.
As they walked to the house, he was talking a mile a minute. “Me and Lily…Lily and I had the best day. We colored that banner for Reed. And then we baked cookies. And we picked the peas and carrots from the garden.” He looked up with wide eyes. “Yancy even let me dig some of the carrots. Then me and…Lily and I got to take turns mashing the potatoes. Yancy said we’re getting so good that pretty soon we’ll be able to cook right alongside him. And you know what’s the best thing of all today?”
“What?” Ally said softly.
“Seeing Reed back home with us. Isn’t that the best thing of all?”
Ally nodded and was forced to swallow the huge lump that was lodged in her throat. “Yes, it is.”
He was still smiling as they climbed the stairs to his bedroom. And when he’d undressed and put on his pajamas and climbed into bed before saying his prayers, he was still smiling. When his eyes finally closed and he’d fallen fast asleep, the smile was still on his lips.
As Ally made her way downstairs, there was a knock on the door, and Eugene Graystoke stepped in.
“Evening, folks.” He whipped his hat from his head and paused in the kitchen to shake Frank’s hand. “I wonder if I could have a few minutes of your time.”
“Sure thing, Eugene.” Frank indicated the great room, where the rest of the family had gathered.
Grace smiled. “Good evening, Sheriff. Would you like some coffee and dessert?”
“Just coffee.” He looked around at the family. “I finished meeting with the state police detectives.” He turned to Great One. “Nelson, they were grateful for that report you received in the mail from Ally’s former employer.”
Everyone turned to look first at Great One, and then at Ally.
Great One merely smiled. “It came while you were at the clinic. I passed it along to Eugene.”
The sheriff nodded. “And I passed it along to the state police. Now I’ll try to give you their summary.”
Yancy handed him a cup.
Eugene sipped before setting it aside. “Those state boys did a thorough search of Archer’s house.” He looked down at his feet, choosing his words carefully. “I know that what I say will be painful for all of you to hear, but it has to be said. They reported that Archer’s bedroom looked like some kind of shrine to Bernadette. His desktop and dresser were lined with framed pictures of her, many of them with someone cut out, probably Patrick.”
Everyone went silent.
“He had an old boom box, loaded with music from the eighties. Kenny Rogers singing ‘Lady.’ Rick Springfield’s ‘Jessie’s Girl.’ The lead detective said they were badly worn, as though he played them a lot. He also said this is a classic behavior of arrested development. Archer was stuck in another time and place.” The sheriff began turning his hat around and around in his hands, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “The state boys think once Archer made that fatal decision that caused Patrick and Bernadette’s death, he couldn’t move on. He wanted her back, but he wanted her as he’d first known her. It’s a sad testament to his sick mind. He’s been living in his own private hell for all these years, loving her and knowing he’d caused her death. And none of us put it all together. We just thought his drinking and temper tantrums were part and parcel of who he was.” He coughed, hoping to hide his discomfort. “I made a serious error in judgment all those years ago by accepting my deputy’s word about the damage to his truck. The report sent from that security firm to Great One corroborates what Archer admitted to.”
