Crossroads (Chance City Series Book Three)

by Robin Deeter

  “Yeah.”

  Sighing, Susan rubbed her forehead. “Let’s get you in bed so I can help you with it.”

  Wheels said, “I’ll be right there.”

  “Don’t dawdle, Wheels. You don’t need it getting any worse,” Susan said as he rolled out of the parlor.

  Nora asked, “Is there anything I can do.”

  Susan asked, “Well, do you want to learn what to do whenever this happens?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Come with me. I know it frustrates him, but when he overdoes things it puts him in agony. It’s just hard to watch him be in pain, so when he gets off schedule or hurts himself, it makes me angry,” Susan said, blinking back tears.

  Nora said, “I can only imagine what it’s been like for all of you.”

  “It hasn’t been easy, but he constantly amazes us with the things he can do. I’m so proud of him, but I worry, too,” Susan said.

  Wheels arrived in his room and grimaced. “You gotta go get Daddy and Carl. I can’t transfer again. I got back over from the toilet, but barely.”

  Nora said, “I’ll go get them.”

  She ran over to the machine shop, her worry over Wheels growing with every second. “Vern? Carl?”

  “Over here, sweetheart,” Vern said behind some metal shelving.

  “Please come quickly. Wheels is having a back spasm and can’t get into his bed.”

  Carl had heard and he and Vern immediately dropped what they’d been doing and ran out of the shop, which made Nora’s worry blossom into fear. She picked up her skirts and flew after them. When she reached Wheels bedroom, he was cussing a blue streak as Carl and Vern lifted him onto the bed and sat him up.

  “Nora, come here,” Susan said. “Please take off his shirt.”

  She didn’t hesitate to act. Susan had already started massaging Wheels’ lower back so having Nora take off Wheels’ shirt meant that she didn’t have to stop what she was doing. Nora was startled by the way Wheels’ legs trembled and the way his hands shook.

  Once he was shirtless, Vern and Carl turned Wheels over on his stomach. Susan showed Nora the proper way to massage liniment into Wheels’ back to release the spasm. Gradually, Wheels’ legs and hands stopped shaking and his groans of pain changed to sighs of relief.

  Vern had crouched by Wheels’ head, holding his son’s right hand the whole time. Seeing that Wheels’ pain was fading, he patted Wheels’ hand. “Better, buddy?”

  “Yeah. Thanks, everybody,” he said.

  “Sure thing. Now you mind your mama and Nora, Wheels. Rest, and no putting those braces on for a couple of days. You hear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Vern passed a hand over Wheels’ hair and left the room. Carl did the same thing, his blue eyes meeting Nora’s.

  “Thanks,” he mouthed before he left.

  Susan pulled the nightstand drawer open and got out a small bottle of laudanum. She took the lid off it and handed it to Wheels.

  “Don’t argue with me,” she said.

  Wheels slowly lifted up so he could take a swallow of the medicine, which he handed back to Susan. Groaning, he rested his head back down on the pillow.

  “Just rest. We’re going to go fix you some willow bark tea,” Susan said.

  “Just a little, Mama. I’m off my schedule,” Wheels said.

  “I know. Who’s fault is that?”

  “Mama! Not now!”

  Susan left the room and Nora crouched by Wheels’ head. His eyes reflected pain, anger, and guilt.

  “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Nora asked.

  He smiled a little. “Give me a good swift kick in the ass. It won’t hurt me, but it’ll make everyone else feel better.”

  Nora let out a snort of laughter. “You’re right. It would make me feel better.”

  “I know. Thanks. At least you’re still here,” Wheels said.

  “Don’t keep saying that to me. I’m not going to run at the first sign of trouble, Carter. So knock if off.”

  “Uh oh. Are you gonna be like Mama and call me Carter whenever you’re mad at me?” Wheels asked.

  “I just might.”

  His smile was a little lopsided. “You better tell Mama to hurry up with that tea or else it’ll be too late.”

  Nora kissed his cheek and went to the kitchen. Susan leaned against the sink, brushing away tears.

  Nora said, “He’s getting sleepy.”

  Susan nodded. “Good. He’ll fight you at every turn, Nora. Just like a child. He’s so driven that he’ll keep going until the pain finally stops him. He’s so determined to be what he thinks of as normal that, well, this happens. We’re not being hard-hearted with him, but he knows what he needs to do and not do and sometimes he ignores it.

  “He’s proud and stubborn that way. Just like most men. It was so hard for him to accept it all at first. He was such a good soldier and he loved being in the military. He most likely would’ve stayed in until retirement if he hadn’t been paralyzed. For the most part, he’s adjusted, but on days like today, he forgets his limitations or just doesn’t want to remember that they’re there. Either way, he ends up suffering for it.”

  Nora said, “Most people have trouble with limitations. I’ll try to help make sure he behaves himself.”

  Susan smiled. “Thank you.”

  Nora took the tea to Wheels, who was in the process of turning over.

  “Let me help you,” she said.

  He nodded, too tired to argue. Nora lifted his legs as he twisted his torso and they quickly got him on his back. His breathing was slightly heavy as he sat up a little. He took the tea from Nora and drank it down. Relaxing back on the bed, he fixed his gaze on her.

  “Sorry about this.”

  Nora shook her head. “Please just be more careful. You have to take care of yourself.”

  “I know.”

  She took his hand and kissed it as his eyelids grew heavy. “Sleep. I’ll be here.”

  He gave her hand a weak squeeze and smiled as he drifted off.

  Nora laid his hand on his stomach and covered him with a quilt. Then she kissed his forehead and went back to the kitchen.

  Chapter Seven

  Carly waited up that night, hoping that Ray would come see her. She’d been thinking and worrying about him all that day. She wasn’t disappointed. Around midnight she heard the handle turn on the French doors to her balcony and he stepped into her room and shut them. She hadn’t lit a lamp, preferring to just sit in the dark and think, something she did often.

  Rising, she went to him, looking up at him. There was enough moonlight coming through the windows for her see his grave expression. His gaze met hers and the pain and confusion in his eyes tore at her heart.

  His voice was hoarse when he spoke. “Why do people have to hate each other? Why do they do such terrible things to each other?”

  Putting a hand on his arm, she said, “I ask myself that all the time, but there’s no answer. I’m so sorry, Ray. So sorry.”

  “Me, too. He never did anything to anybody. He was such a good man. There was no reason for anyone to hate him or Sandy so much.”

  “No, there wasn’t.”

  The sheen of tears in his eyes evoked tenderness within her. She understood all too well how much pain that kind of loss caused. Her sister’s brutal death still weighed heavily on her heart, so she knew how Ray felt.

  Ray slid a hand around the back of her neck and up into her silky blonde hair. “Please don’t hate me tonight, Carly. Can we pretend for just this one night that we don’t hate each other?”

  His touch made her pulse jump and the naked vulnerability in his expression brought on her own tears. Smiling tremulously, she unbuttoned his coat and pushed it off his shoulders. Ray let her undress him, sighing and closing his eyes as she ran her hands over his skin as she removed each piece of clothing.

  Her hands left him and he opened his eyes to see her removing her robe and silk nightgown. Her pale skin reminde
d him of alabaster in the moonlight. Ray had seen and been with so many different women that they all seemed to blur together when he thought about them.

  Not so with Carly. He had no idea why, but there was something about her that mesmerized him. She was slim and beautifully formed and he knew as long as he lived that he’d never get the images of her out of his mind. Her luminous blue eyes, full, sweet lips and graceful neck added even more to her allure.

  Coming back to him, she embraced him around his waist. Meeting his gaze, she said, “I don’t hate you, Ray. Come make love with me.”

  His mouth curved in a slightly sarcastic smile. “That’s what you’re paying me for, isn’t it?”

  She shook her head. “Not tonight, Ray. I want you for you, the way a woman wants a man. I don’t want to just have sex with you. I want it to mean something.”

  “Mean what? What are we, Carly?”

  She smiled and laughed a little. “I don’t know. I really don’t care. Do we have to label it right now? Can’t we just enjoy each other and sort the rest of it out later?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.”

  Carly led him over her bed and they laid down together, kissing and caressing until their passion was too hot to hold back. Their coupling was sensual, slow, and sweet.

  Carly had never felt anything so wonderful before. Ray took her to heights of ecstasy that she’d never known existed, saying things to her that heightened her excitement and made her feel beautiful and appreciated.

  And appreciate her, he did. For the first time, Ray let himself become so lost in a woman that he didn’t know where he ended and she began. It didn’t matter that she was older than him or that she was the mayor. It didn’t matter that he was just a lowly prostitute. In that moment, they were just two people brought together by happenstance, who brought each other comfort and bliss.

  As they lay entangled, slowly floating back down to Earth, Carly rested her head on Ray’s chest, listening to his fast, strong heartbeat. Slowly, she ran a hand over his shoulder, across his chest and down a muscular thigh. He was just too delicious and she couldn’t stop touching him.

  Ray was used to being lusted after, but while women had enjoyed touching him, none of them had ever given him very much pleasure. It had always been about them and what they wanted, never about his desires or needs. Carly was different, eager to please him and make it as enjoyable for him as it was for her.

  Even as her caresses stoked the fire of desire in him again, he thought about the way she made him lose control and how he’d forgotten protection again.

  Kissing her neck, he said, “At this rate, we’re gonna have to get married really soon. I don’t have anything with me.”

  Smiling and pulling him close, she said, “I don’t care. We’ll say it was a whirlwind romance. It’s happened before to people, even among those in powerful positions.”

  “What about making me respectable?”

  She chuckled as he rolled her over and knelt between her knees. “We’ll do that quickly and you’ll have to do some public courting, of course.”

  “I can do that as long as I still get to do this with you at night.”

  Meeting his gaze, she asked, “It doesn’t bother you that I’m almost ten years older than you?”

  “Not one bit. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen and you do something to me that I can’t really explain,” he said. “I mean that. It’s not some line of bull crap.”

  “I believe you.”

  “Good.”

  His kiss was insistent and any more conversation was put on hold as they set out on another flight to the pinnacle of passion.

  *****

  Walt showed up at Wheels’ house the next morning madder than a hornet.

  Wheels was startled by the angry gleam in the attorney’s eyes as he admitted him into his house the next morning.

  “I hope yer happy with yerself for pullin’ that stunt yesterday,” he said, sitting down at the kitchen table. “I just got done with Judge Fairbanks and he almost ordered ya back to jail. I had to beg and plead to make him change his mind. I explained to him how close ye are with Sandy and Jim and prayed on his sympathy. Yer just lucky that he’s friends with them, too. Ya can’t do this again, lad.”

  Wheels sighed. “But I want to go to the funeral.”

  Walt banged the table. “Ya don’t get it! Yer a prisoner! Ya don’t get special favors, Wheels.” His voice softened a little. “I know that yer hurtin’ and that ya wanna be there for Sandy, but ya can’t go.”

  Wheels let out a noise of frustration and left the room. Walt rubbed his forehead and then followed him.

  “I’m sorry, Wheels, truly I am.”

  Wheels tried to rein in his temper. “I know. Thanks for your help.”

  His curt tone told Walt that the conversation was over. “Yer welcome. I’ll keep ya informed about Luther’s case.”

  “Ok.”

  Walt gave him a tight smile and left. Wheels needed physical action to work off his frustration. He began propelling himself around his house, back and forth from the kitchen to his bedroom as fast as he could. Powerful anger spurred him on and he had plenty to burn.

  *****

  Brock stood by the filing cabinet when Johnny entered the sheriff’s office.

  Spotting Brock, Johnny asked, “Where’s Cy?”

  Brock lifted a brow at his brusque tone. “In his office.”

  “Good. Outside. I need to talk to you both right now.”

  “I’m sort of in the—”

  Anger flared in Johnny’s eyes. He grabbed Brock’s ear and twisted it hard, pulling him towards the kitchen.

  “Ow, ow, ow!” Brock said.

  Johnny let him go after several steps and shoved him into the kitchen. “Outside, now!”

  “What the hell’s gotten into you?” Brock said, stepping out into the yard. He rubbed his sore ear as he stared at Johnny.

  “Cy! Get out here!” Johnny hollered.

  A moment later, Cy came out of the Dog House and walked over to the other two men.

  “Hi, Johnny. Stopping by for a visit, huh?”

  With startling speed, Johnny smacked Cy upside the head.

  “Now, you two jackasses listen to me. You gotta quit all this fightin’ at home. You’re upsetting your women, especially Leigh, and with her being in the family way, it ain’t good for her. Every day, when it’s close to time for you guys to come home, she starts getting’ jumpy. I shouldn’t say this, but I heard her talkin’ to Daphne about it and it’s really takin’ a toll on her,” Johnny said.

  Cy and Brock looked at each other. Guilt burned in Cy’s chest at the thought that he’d upset Leigh so badly.

  “She was cryin’ and everything. It makes Daphne nervous, too, and supper ain’t any fun because everyone’s on edge. We all know it’ll only be a matter of time before you’re at each other’s throats. I don’t know how, but you gotta get past your differences, if not for yourselves, for your family.” Johnny’s expression turned even fiercer. “So the next time you argue around those wonderful women, I’m gonna deck you and don’t think I can’t. Keep that in mind.”

  He glared at them for a few moments and then left the yard, leaving the two men to stare after him and then at each other.

  *****

  “Johnny! Hold up!”

  Johnny had been striding angrily towards the store, but he turned at the sound of Ray’s voice behind him.

  Ray grinned as he caught up to him. “I need to talk to you. Come with me to the Chowhound. It’s important.”

  “Ray, I’m busy,” Johnny said curtly.

  “Someone’s cranky today,” Ray said. “I promise that it’s important. I really need your help.”

  Johnny capitulated when he saw Ray’s genuine expression. “Ok, but only for a little bit. I got a lot of work out home to do.”

  “I can help you with that. Come on and I’ll explain it all to you.”

  Johnny rolled his eyes
, but went with Ray.

  *****

  Johnny took a long pull of the beer that Mandy had poured for him. She was tending bar because Sandy had other business to deal with. He and Ray sat at one of the back tables of the almost empty bar.

  “So let me see if I have this right. You seduced the mayor and now you’re gonna marry her.” He spoke barely above a whisper. “She’s gonna pay you to be her husband and become a father. In the meantime, you’re gonna quit whoring—”

  “Hustling,” Ray interjected.

  “Ok, fine, hustling. You’re gonna start acting respectable and all so that your marriage is accepted without too much fuss.”

  Ray nodded. “Yeah. So I need a regular job and you guys need someone to help you out right now. You have a bunkhouse available. I’ll live and work there while I’m courting the mayor. Now, I’ll pay you fifty bucks every week to go to church with me.”

  Johnny almost spit out the swallow of beer he’d just taken. “What? You’re going to church?” This surprised him more than the fact that Ray had seduced Carly.

  “Yeah. It’s all a part of looking repentant. The church might fall down, but I’ll do it. I don’t wanna go alone, though. You’re a good guy and everyone respects you. You don’t have to keep going once Carly and I are married,” Ray said.

  “Do you love her?” Johnny asked.

  Ray chuckled. “Nah. I hated her, then I wanted her, and now I’m not going to be able to stay away from her. What do you call something that’s halfway between lust and love?”

  Johnny shook his head. “I don’t know. I can’t believe you seduced the mayor.”

  “It was mutual. She seduced me as much as I did her, believe me. I’ve never felt anything like it,” Ray said. “I know you don’t understand what I’m talking about, but you will someday.”

  Johnny sighed. “Yeah, I guess. Anyway, you seem to be forgetting something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “When Miss Branson gets pregnant, that means that you’ll become a father. That baby will be as much your responsibility as hers. You have a duty to love and protect your baby. Have you thought about that? That’s not something you just walk away from if you’re any kind of man,” Johnny said. “Think about what your own father did, deserting you and your ma like that. Do you want to do that to your own child?”