Last of the Red-Hot Heroes

by Tina Leonard

  Quite different from his sprawling, country-style house where dogs and horses roamed. Gypsy would not have been welcome in this house.

  “Declan!” Gertrude O’Rourke rushed to hug her long-lost son. “You came home!”

  “Mom.” He hugged her back, noting that Fallon was grinning like a jack-o-lantern behind her.

  She stood back, seemingly transfixed by the sight of him. “I can’t believe you’re here. I . . . missed you. So much.” She held him as if she feared he might disappear again. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked perplexed. “Why are you here?”

  “It was time.” He shrugged. “Fallon said he’d leave me alone for the rest of my life if I—” He stopped as a shadow crossed his mother’s face. “I’m sorry. It’s not a teasing matter, I know.” He took a deep breath. “I came home to see you. And Dad.”

  “You’ll have to track your father down. I’m afraid I’m on my way out.” She hugged him again. “Promise me you’ll come see me,” she said, whispering in his ear. “I’m so sorry I never helped you the way I should have.” Her gaze searched his for a moment, and Declan was stunned by the amount of pain he saw there. She hugged Fallon, too, then hurried out the front door. A burly ranch hand followed her, carrying a trunk on his shoulder.

  The front door closed. Declan swung to stare at Fallon.

  “What the hell just happened?”

  “I think,” Fallon said slowly, “Mom may have just ditched.”

  “Ditched?” He went to the window to peer out. The ranch hand loaded the trunk into the back of a white truck. His jeans-and-boots clad mother said something to the hand, probably thanking him, took one last look at the house, then got in and drove away. “Ditched who?”

  “Dad. This pile of bricks and madness.” Fallon followed him to the window. “I told you, things have changed. Come on. Let’s go see if we can find the old man, but he may be over in Hawk if Mom was making her getaway.”

  “I didn’t know you meant it was imminent. I guess I even thought that your persistent nagging to get me home was to maybe try to smooth things over between the folks.”

  “This can’t be smoothed. It would take a miracle.” Fallon glanced in their father’s study. Went down a few more halls, checking rooms, finally met Declan in the kitchen, which had seemed the safest place to wait as his brother searched.

  “There,” Declan said.

  They looked out at their father, standing by himself as he peered over the cattle that roamed the backside of the property.

  “Shit,” Fallon said. “We get clean-up duty. He has to know she left.”

  “Not me,” Declan said. “I didn’t sign on for this.”

  “Yeah, you did. Because if Mom’s gone, that means the Black Widow can move on in. Come on. Do your good deed, brother.”

  “You better be damn sure who shot me,” Declan grumbled. “This is turning into an unpleasant mission.”

  “I never said I was sure. I said I had a guess. And that and fifty cents will buy you a cup of coffee at Hattie’s. Hey, Dad.”

  Collin O’Rourke turned at his son’s voice, halted stock-still when he saw Declan. “Declan.”

  “Dad.” Declan nodded, hung back while Fallon went to shake their father’s hand respectfully.

  “You just missed your mother. She’s . . . gone into town.”

  “We saw her.” Declan stared their father down, daring him to make any smart-aleck comment about the prodigal son returning.

  To his shock, Collin wiped sudden moisture from his eyes. “I can’t live without her,” he said, and Fallon and Declan glanced at each other.

  Right then and there, Declan vowed he was never going to make such a mess of his life. If Harper ever gave him any kind of a green light, she was going to know that he adored her, that she meant the moon and the sun to him. He wasn’t going to end up like his father, with nothing but a handful of regrets. He didn’t even have family left here who cared about him; Fallon mostly lived out at the Training Center with the other Horsemen.

  Collin regained his composure. “It’s good to see you, Declan. I always hoped you’d come back.”

  “I’m not back,” Declan warned. “I’m just here to . . .” The look on Fallon’s face stopped him from saying I’m just here to get Fallon off my neck. “I’m just passing by.”

  “Come outside. Let’s sit on the porch. I’ll have my man bring us some beers.”

  His man. Not the individual by name, but his man. Declan followed his brother and father onto the patio, shaking his head.

  “You must be here because of the will,” Collin said to Declan.

  “It seems to be a point of interest for my brother.” He shrugged. “Personally, you and your money can go to Hell, for all I care.”

  Collin stared at him. “You always were the most ornery cuss.”

  “Guess I’m your son, then,” Declan said. “Though I suppose that was never in doubt.”

  Collin kept silent as “his man” put beers down for them. Once the man had cleared the room, Collin sat up. “Well, whatever worked to get you home doesn’t matter. I have a problem, and I need your help.”

  “Not me. My job here is done in about forty-five minutes.” Declan looked at Fallon. “We have an agreement.”

  “My problem is this,” Collin said, ignoring him, “I’ve got myself in a bind with a certain lady friend.”

  “I want nothing to do with your private life.” Declan stood. “In fact, I’m done here. Fallon, get me out of this joint.”

  “You have to stay the full rest of the thirty minutes before I give you any clues as to who shot you,” Fallon said, and Declan said, “Screw that. I’m out of here.”

  “Shot you?” Collin straightened his chair. “Hell, I know who shot you. Everybody knows who shot you.” He looked at his sons, seeming confused. “I hear things even out here.”

  Declan raised a brow. “So?”

  “You help me fix my problem, and I’ll tell you,” Collin said, cagey to the last.

  “If everybody knows, I’ll just ask somebody else.” Declan glanced at his brother to tell him he was ready to leave, realized Fallon was strangely focused on their father. Realized his brother believed their father was probably privy to information they weren’t. Declan sat back down. “All right. I’ll bite. Who made me their dart board?”

  “It’s not a reason for humor,” Collin said sternly. “You could have died. And then what would I do with this ranch? Leave it all to Fallon?” He shook his head. “I always intended to split this between the two of you, even though you get along about as well as a cactus and my bare ass.”

  “Out with it,” Declan said. “Enough of the manipulation. Or I walk out of here right now, just like Mom.”

  Collin’s lip curled, and he looked undone. Declan felt a quick stab for a moment, a stab of conscience for speaking so harshly. He told himself to cool off for just a couple of moments. “Well?”

  “Sheriff stopped by to say he has strong evidence that Ivy was behind it. And is pretty convinced she put one of the Horsemen up to it. Probably Jake.”

  “So why did Steel come out here to tell you?” Declan demanded.

  Collin looked cagey again. “You’re my son. I know what goes on in town. But Steel wanted to get my thoughts on whether Fallon had known it would happen.”

  “Me?” Fallon jumped up. “I resent the hell out of that! I’m going to kick Steel’s ass!”

  “I recommend you don’t,” Collin said. “Violence against an officer of the law means you’ll likely do time.”

  “That son-of-a-bitch! I’ve always considered Steel open-minded and fair!” Fallon tore his hat off his head, sank back down into the chair, seemingly deflated. “That lowdown sneaky-ass snake. The next time I see him, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.”

  Declan laughed at his brother’s anguish. “Come to think of it, I believe I did see your truck out at the creek that—“

  “Shut it.” Fallon pointed at him. “I know you and
I haven’t ever gotten along, but don’t get any bright ideas about pinning that shit on me.” He looked disgruntled. “Holy crap. If I was going to shoot my brother, I wouldn’t have missed.”

  “I hope you told Steel it wasn’t Fallon. He was at the creek that night with Harper’s old team. I actually saw him walking down to the creek. He could have followed me to the other creek where Harper and I were, but it’s not likely. There were naked women in the water.”

  “Damn right.” Fallon nodded. “Naked women mean a lot to me.”

  “I told him,” Collin said. “Calm down, Fallon, before you stroke out.” He looked at Declan. “My money’s on one of the other Horsemen. It was too easy to make it look like Fallon was likely involved. Everyone knows there’s bad blood between you. Which I’m hoping is dissipating.”

  Declan didn’t say anything. Fallon sighed. “Come on, sourpuss. You did your duty. You got the information you wanted. I have someplace I need to be, so let me drive you home.”

  “How’s the shoulder?” Collin asked him.

  “Hurts, but nothing I haven’t experienced before.” It was out before he could stop it—and the flash of recognition in his father’s eyes revealed the shot had struck home.

  “Fallon, leave me with your brother for a moment.”

  “Fine.” He took his beer with him, still grumbling about being ill-used by the gossip vine in Hell.

  “I’ve spent many nights wishing I hadn’t been so hard on you, Declan.”

  “Doesn’t matter now, does it?” Declan said.

  “No. And I’ve reaped my just rewards.” Collin sighed. “I’m not proud of that. Kills me, in fact. But I can’t do time over.” He perked up. “However, I can move forward.”

  “I guess,” Declan said, thinking he’d not be moving forward with him.

  “I hear you and a certain lady in town, who has a child, are getting cozy.” Collin looked at him.

  “None of your business,” Declan said evenly.

  “True,” Collin agreed, “but I like the idea of grandchildren on the ranch. Someone to take over one day.”

  “Pin that duty on Fallon or our other three brothers. He wants it. I don’t.”

  “I should make up for . . . past sins.” Collin gazed at him.

  “No,” Declan said. “I’m only here because Fallon wants your ranch. He doesn’t want your lady friend getting what he’s worked all his life for, and much as I may not like my brother, I’d rather see him get what he wants than one of your—”

  “The ranch stays in O’Rourke hands,” Collin said. “And she isn’t in my life anymore.” He sighed. “I shouldn’t have had her in the first place.”

  “Not my fairy tale.” Declan put up a hand. “I don’t want to know.”

  “You are responsible for your brother. That means the ranch is split between all of you, as long as you oversee the operations and finances. If you can’t be the executor of the living trust and handle the ranch for ten years, Ivy has first bid on it. After that, it goes up for auction. If Fallon wants to buy it then, he can.”

  “Why?” Declan was astonished. “Why are you doing this? Why are you tying us together?”

  “Fallon’s not as strong as you are.” He sighed. “I know you think I was hard on you—”

  “Understatement.”

  “But you were by far the stronger of the two of you,” Collin cut in. “He needed your protection.”

  “Fallon is plenty tough now. Funny how he got tough without being beaten in his youth,” Declan said bitterly.

  “Tough, but not like you. You’re strong, Declan. I know what you did when you deployed. Fallon couldn’t have done what you did.”

  “He didn’t choose to,” Declan cut in. “You’d tied him to the ranch, anyway.”

  “He wasn’t the strongest of you. You were always bigger, stronger, tougher. A little wilder. I tried to mold you into what I thought it would take to be a man who could stand up to anything and everything.”

  “Thanks for nothing.” He was tough and strong thanks to his father—true—but Jesus. It had been at a cost he would never ask a son of his to pay.

  Or Michael.

  “You look out for the ranch, and then it splits evenly between all of you.”

  “We have three other brothers you could hand this duty to.”

  “They’re deployed—and to be honest, you’re the only one with the business mind that could keep this place from falling apart. There’s a lot to running a ranch this size. Besides which, I’m trying to make up for past sins. I want you and Fallon getting along. Just by combining your financial interests together, you two are working together against me. I call that progress.”

  “Why do you have Ivy in this mix? Especially if you believe that she shot me?” Declan asked, disgusted.

  “Think about it. The answer will come to you.”

  Declan stared at his father. “Did Ivy shoot me to take me out of the equation?” he demanded. “Because if you brought this on me, I’ll . . . you may want to call your man back in here to protect you.”

  “No.” Collin shook his head. “Ivy doesn’t know a thing. She’s made an offer for the property, and I told her to get herself out of my sight. Unfortunately, the black widow is a friend of hers, in fact she introduced us—”

  “Jeezus H. Christ.” Declan stared at his father. “You ran Mom off for a whore?”

  “Now wait just a minute.” Collin glared at him.

  “How do you know that it wasn’t the black widow who had me pegged with an arrow?”

  “That thought occurred to me,” Collin said reluctantly.

  Declan got to his feet, forced himself to count to ten. “I’m really trying hard here not to turn the tables and dispense some of what you ladled out to me all those years of my childhood.” He couldn’t believe how much it hurt; the anger he thought he’d put away long ago, what he’d run from by enlisting, rose to the surface all over again with fresh pain.

  “But I’d broken up with her a couple of months ago,” Collin said. “Haven’t seen her since.”

  “Then why did Mom leave?”

  Collin shrugged. “She’d had more than enough of me.”

  Declan paced to the edge of the patio, took a deep breath. Turned back around to face his father. “Why are you tying Fallon’s just desserts to me?”

  “Because I want you to look out for him. He needs it. I don’t want everything I built to waste away.” Collin looked resigned. “He hasn’t got the business head you do. I have hopes it comes in time. Also, his friends are questionable.”

  “His friends are your friends. Swim in the same pond.”

  “But I managed to avoid the pitfalls. I don’t know if Fallon will,” Collin admitted.

  “This is not my problem. And maybe if you hadn’t coddled him to death he might have been a little more able,” Declan said.

  “It’s only ten years. Then you’re free.”

  Declan stared. “I don’t want the ranch. Or anything to do with it. There’s nothing but unhappy memories here for me.”

  “So flatten the house. Start over.” Collin glanced around. “The land is what matters. I know land matters to you. I know about the place you bought. Sounds like a nice place. Great place to raise a family.” He looked at Declan. “What about the lady who’s starting up the new team in town? The one you’re backing?”

  “What difference does it make?”

  “I’d like to see one of my sons married,” Collin said wistfully.

  “It’s not like you’d ever get to spend any time with any children I had,” Declan warned.

  “Sins of the father,” Collin said. “Has to stop somewhere or it just keeps on getting handed down.”

  “I don’t believe in juju. If I did, I’d go out to see Madame Griselda and let her stare into her magic ball for me.” He went to the door. “I’ll think about it. I’m not going to give you an answer today, because my answer would be something along the lines of a very famous country song.”r />
  “Take this job and shove it?” Collin asked.

  “That’ll do.” Declan stalked out, ran across his brother in the kitchen. Gave him a none-too-gentle slap upside the head as he passed him. “Let’s hit the road.”

  “What happened?” Fallon asked, following after him at light speed, forgoing even saying goodbye to their father.

  “I did my time. I did what you asked. And apparently I did it for free, since the old man already told us who had it in for me.”

  “That isn’t my fault,” Fallon said. “I didn’t know what he was going to say.”

  They got in the truck. “What happened?” Fallon asked again.

  “Not a damn thing I didn’t know was going to happen. Nothing.” Except he’d nearly gotten hooked into something he didn’t want to do—which was the reason he hadn’t wanted to come in the first place. “He hasn’t changed a bit.”

  “Maybe none of us have.”

  “You better have, if you want that ranch.” Declan sighed. “He says you have to start pulling your weight. And he’s putting me in charge of the ranch, and your finances, for ten years.” It sucked, it really did.

  “Wow,” Fallon said. “He really does hate me, doesn’t he?”

  “Hate you? You were the golden boy. Always.”

  “You never understood Dad.” Fallon sighed. “Dad only appreciates hard work, tough skin. You had both. I had neither.” He drove slowly away from the ranch. “He just saw so much of himself in you that he always felt like he had to train the wildass out of you. Bake the hardass in good.”

  Declan’s mouth twisted. “Anyway. That’s the way the story’s going to go. Hope you got what you wanted. If I don’t agree, then Ivy gets first chance at buying the ranch. After that, it goes up for sale. Apparently, he thinks you’ll lose the ranch through mismanagement.” He felt resentment washing through him. “I’m not sure why I have to be responsible for your dumbfuckery, but I would be, if I took the job on.”

  Fallon straightened. “You would. I mean, you are, right?” He sounded panicked.

  “I have to think about it. You’re more trouble than you’re worth. And anyway, it’s a very high risk, low reward scenario from my point of view.” He glanced at Fallon. “You knew Ivy was strongly figured to be the one who used me for target practice, and you didn’t say a word. Didn’t want to squeal on one of your meal tickets.”