A Texas Family

by Linda Warren

  Jena checked her phone so many times she lost track. Carson hadn’t called. She knew he had a monumental task ahead of him, but if he didn’t call by Friday she would get in touch with him.

  But on Friday he called first thing in the morning and came straight to the point. “I heard from Ms. Stanton. She’s meeting with Roland at ten this morning at the prison.”

  “Thank you for letting me know. How long will this take?”

  “Depends how it goes. She said she would call as soon as it was over, and then I’ll call you.”

  “I’ll wait to hear from you.”

  And that was the extent of their conversation. Not friendly, as they had been before. They were now on opposite sides, as it should have been from the start. Somehow they’d gotten sidetracked.

  The morning seemed to drag. She glanced at the clock constantly. This could be it. Today she might know what had happened to her child. By eleven she could stand it no more. She grabbed her purse and headed for Carson’s office. She didn’t know if he was even there, but she couldn’t sit at home any longer.

  As she stopped in front of the building, it reminded her of the day she’d first come here with revenge in her heart. She’d found it wasn’t what she’d wanted at all. She had to admit, though, that her emotions were pretty helter-skelter. But she knew she wanted love in her life with a man she could trust. And that man had the face of Carson Corbett. God help her.

  * * *

  CARSON DRUMMED HIS fingers on the desk in frustration. How much longer was it going to take?

  Suddenly, the door opened and she stood there looking gorgeous in dark sunglasses. She had a grace and fragility about her that hid enormous strength.

  “Sorry, but I couldn’t wait at the house any longer. Hilary’s like a deranged bee buzzing around doing ten things at once. In case anyone asks, yes, she’s selling food out of our home. Mostly baking. Everyone in Willow Creek must have a sweet tooth.”

  “I’m not worried about Hilary, but if Bea or Mabel call I’ll have to pay her a visit. Tell her to contact the health department. In this rural area, a license shouldn’t be too hard to get.”

  “I will.” She removed her glasses and took a seat. “I guess you haven’t heard anything.”

  “No. I’m waiting.”

  She cleared her throat. “Have you talked to your father?”

  “No. I’m waiting for all the facts.”

  “I...I...”

  “It’s not your fault.” He wanted her to know that and he wanted to take that sad look from her face. “It’s a difficult situation, but I don’t blame you or...”

  His cell buzzed, interrupting him. He glanced at the caller ID. “It’s Ms. Stanton.” He clicked on and noticed the concern in Jena’s eyes. “Ms. Stanton, Jena is here. Do you mind if I put you on speakerphone?”

  “No. Not at all.”

  Jena moved closer and sat on the desk near him.

  “I just finished my meeting with Mr. Stubbs, and I must say it went better than I expected. He denied everything at first, saying I couldn’t prove a thing. I showed him pages from the journal and Mr. Sanders’s testimony. He knew the jig was up, but he still had that you’ll-never-convict-me attitude. I informed him he would be arrested for the murder of Jared Corbett and that I was going for the death penalty. That got his attention. I then told him the only way to avoid that was to tell me what happened to Jena Brooks’s baby. I gave him thirty minutes to think about it.”

  “Did he give you the information?” Carson asked, staring into Jena’s bright eyes.

  “Sadly, no. I’m sorry, Ms. Brooks.”

  Jena visibly sagged.

  “When I went back in, he was willing to make a deal in exchange for information. His story was basically the same as Mr. Sanders’s. After they took Ms. Brooks to her mother, they went back to the Bar C. Mr. Sanders was feeling sick and went to the bunkhouse. Mr. Stubbs walked to the house to see what Mr. Corbett wanted him to do. He knocked repeatedly, but no one came to the door. He drove to the Rusty Spur and got drunk. The next day Mr. Corbett told him to burn the bedding and towels from the basement, which he did. There was no mention of the baby and he never asked Mr. Corbett.”

  “And you believe him?” Carson asked.

  “Yes, but I told him if I found any holes in his story, the death penalty would be back on the table.”

  Jena’s face paled and his heart broke for her.

  “Ms. Brooks, rest assured this isn’t over. I will look into Asa Corbett’s involvement.”

  “Thank you,” Jena replied, her voice hoarse.

  Carson clicked off and Jena buried her face in her hands. “Roland doesn’t know. Asa’s the only one who knows what happened to my baby. And he...”

  Carson took her into his arms and stroked her hair. “I’ll talk to him tonight and tell him everything that’s been discovered. Don’t give up.”

  She leaned back and brushed a tear away. “I’ll never do that.”

  Their eyes met and he tucked her hair behind her ears. “When I’m with you, I can’t think of anyone but you. I look into your eyes and I see forever. With everything between us, I don’t know why that is.”

  “Me, neither.”

  “We’re wrong for each other.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why does this feel right.” He kissed a tear from her cheek and then gently took her mouth. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck as heated emotions took over. Somewhere between paradise and heaven his cell buzzed. Reluctantly, he tore his lips away. “Give me a minute.”

  He grabbed his phone. “Yes, Mrs. Wesley. I’ll be right there.” He glanced into her dark eyes, darker now because of the passion they’d shared. “There’s a vehicle parked on her road she doesn’t recognize. I have to check it out. It won’t take long.” He reached for his hat. “Wait for me.”

  Going out the door, he had no idea what he was doing. He only knew he couldn’t stop himself from touching her, kissing her.

  * * *

  JENA STOOD IN an aura of warmth. Carson always made her feel that way. She wrapped her arms around her waist. Ms. Stanton’s words chilled the warmth to sub-zero. And, like always, the old doubts and fears returned.

  Asa was never going to give up his secret. The old man had won. That tore at her like a splinter buried deep into her soul. She would not go down without having her say.

  After parking her car on the circular drive of the Bar C, she marched to the front door and rang the bell. It opened quickly.

  “Ms. Fran, I’d like to speak to Asa.”

  The woman’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, dear, I don’t think that’s wise.”

  “Are the kids here?”

  “No.”

  “Well, then, I think it’s very wise.” She pushed past her into a large foyer. A dining room was to the right, and she could see a kitchen beyond that. She walked straight ahead into a large den with Ms. Fran right behind her. Asa sat in an electric wheelchair in front of a TV.

  “Hello, Asa,” she said as she walked closer.

  His dull green eyes stared at her. His hands shook on the arms of the chair. The strong, robust man she’d once known was gone; an old, frail man had taken his place. Some of her anger vanished, but her determination hadn’t.

  He continued to stare at her and she realized he didn’t know who she was. That was the last nail driven into her heart. How could he not remember?

  “I’m Jena Brooks.”

  His pale face flushed with anger. “Get...out.”

  “You would like that, wouldn’t you? But I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what happened to my child.”

  “Bit-ch.”

  “Bastard,” she replied with just as much venom. “You had me kidnapped and forcefully took my child. No woman sh
ould have to live through such horror. I was just an innocent teenager. What kind of monster would do that?”

  “Go...a-way.”

  “What did you do with my child?”

  “Get...out.”

  “Where’s my child?”

  He looked her straight in the eye. “Never...tell.”

  In that moment she knew that neither arrest, jail nor facing death would ever change his mind. He’d won and there was nothing she could do. But she would have her say.

  “Jared and I were the best of friends. We were just two kids who at times hated our fathers. Yeah.” She nodded. “Strange, isn’t it? You, with your manipulative and cruel ways, drew us closer together. You’ve called me a tramp, white trash and many other derogatory names. None of them were true. They were lies fed to you by Roland. Jared and I slept together one time, and I was a virgin. We didn’t mean for it to happen, and we both regretted it. When I found out I was pregnant, Jared decided we would get married and give the baby more love than we ever received in our lives from our fathers.” She stopped short of telling Asa everything. She’d leave that up to Carson.

  “If you feel revenge makes up for your failings as a father, then keep your secret. If you feel that I earned your hatred by being there for your son when you weren’t, then by all means take your secret to the grave. Remember all the times you beat Jared with your belt? Your behavior now is just one more lash on his body. But also know that one day you’ll have to face Jared and tell him what you did to me and to his child. Are you prepared for that? That day of reckoning is coming, Asa, and you’d better be ready to explain to Jared why you took his child from its mother. All I feel for you is sympathy. You never knew the wonderful son you had or the loving person he was inside. That’s your loss. May God have mercy on your evil soul.” She turned on her heel and walked out, feeling drained of every emotion she had.

  She met Carson in the driveway. “Jena, why did you come here?”

  “I had to.” Her hands trembled and she clenched them into fists. “I had to face him. He’s never going to tell what happened that night and I can’t live in this limbo of hate. I’m leaving. I have to go to save my sanity.”

  “Wait.” He caught her arm. “Please, don’t go. Give me a chance to try and open his heart.”

  “There’s nothing that will accomplish that. He doesn’t have a heart.”

  “Please.”

  She sagged at the entreaty in his voice. “Carson.”

  He stroked her arms. “Give me some time. At least tonight.”

  His touch was her undoing. “Okay. I don’t know how you do that. My mind is all set and you change it so easily.”

  “We started this together and we have to finish it together.”

  She grimaced. “It’s not so easy.”

  “I know.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll call later.”

  She drove away and found the angst in her chest wasn’t so strong. She’d faced the monster and survived. Maybe all wasn’t lost. Maybe a tiny glimmer of remorse lingered in the organ Asa called a heart. He was Carson’s father, so there had to be some good in him. If only it hadn’t been destroyed by hatred.

  * * *

  CARSON STROLLED INTO the den. His father was sipping a glass of water Aunt Fran was holding. Asa turned the chair to face Carson.

  “Kids...with you?”

  “No, Pa, I told you they went with Ethan and his family to a Texas Rangers’ game. They won’t be home until tomorrow.”

  “Why’d you...do that? They...need to be here.”

  “We had this conversation this morning. It’s summer and they want to have fun.”

  “Non-sense. They need...to be here. Help me...in bed, Frannie. No reason to live...without the kids.”

  “Just a minute, Pa. Jena Brooks was just here. What did she want?”

  “Nothing,” Asa spat.

  “That’s not true, Asa.” Aunt Fran spoke up. “You’ve hurt that young girl. Couldn’t you see it on her face and hear it in her voice? Tell her what happened to her baby. She deserves to know.”

  Asa’s face turned red. “Don’t tell me...what to do, Frannie. Ever.”

  Aunt Fran ran to the kitchen.

  “Well, Pa, you just pissed off the last person on your side. Not a wise move.”

  “Going to...bed.” Asa pushed the joystick and buzzed into his room. Carson followed because he knew his father needed help. That blood tie was hard to shake.

  Asa stopped the scooter by his bed. Without a word, Carson placed the walker in front of him. Asa shuffled, turned and sat on the bed. Carson lifted his legs into the bed and covered him with a sheet. The bed was adjustable, so Carson handed him the control and also the TV remote.

  Asa didn’t turn on the TV, so Carson thought it would be a good time for a talk. “Pa, did you know that Jared wrote in a journal about his life?”

  “Sissy stuff” was the quick retort. “Told him...he had to learn...to be a man.”

  “Yeah, Jared and I were both familiar with your outlook on life, especially the belt part.”

  “Where’s the kids?” he shouted.

  “Stop asking that,” Carson shouted back. “I’m not answering it again. We’re talking about Jared and Jena.”

  His father glared at him. “Don’t let them go...anywhere again.”

  Carson was taken aback at his father’s controlling tone. “They’re my kids and I make all decisions concerning them. Got it?”

  “Stupid.”

  Carson gritted his teeth. “What did Jena want?”

  “She’s making a fool...of you.”

  Carson threw up his hands and walked out, his blood pressure about to explode through the top of his head. Asa was insane—that was the only explanation.

  Aunt Fran was in the kitchen slamming cabinet doors and rattling dishes. He caught her in a big hug. “Hey, calm down.”

  “I’m just mad I was so blind. Jena was sad and strong. I could see she wanted to cry, but she wouldn’t in front of Asa. She told him a thing or two, though. I can’t believe my brother is that cruel.”

  “Yeah, and it doesn’t seem as if we can change his mind, either.” He opened the wine cabinet. “We need something strong.”

  “Oh, Carson.”

  “A glass of wine, Aunt Fran, will be good for our spirits.”

  Carson opened a merlot and poured two glasses. “Oh, yeah, this is what we need.” He sipped the wine.

  “Not bad.” Aunt Fran sat at the table and he joined her.

  “I don’t understand why Pa’s so fixated on the kids being away.”

  “If you remember, he wouldn’t let you or Jared go anywhere when you were little. I think he was afraid you wouldn’t come back like your mother.”

  “I’d forgotten that.” He swirled the wine in his glass. “Talking about my mother was taboo around here, so I never asked about her.” He stared into the rich burgundy liquid. “Why did my mother leave two little boys who needed her? I never understood how she could do that.”

  Aunt Fran took a big swallow. “My husband didn’t live long after we married, and I was lonely and came here often to see my nephews. Asa was very controlling of Caroline. He wouldn’t let her go anywhere without him. There were a lot of parties here, and if a man looked at Caroline, Asa accused her of flirting and even cheating. I spent the night one time, and I could hear loud voices coming from their room. Caroline had bruises on her arm the next morning. I told Asa later he needed to cool his temper, and you can imagine how well that went over. I guess Caroline couldn’t take it anymore.”

  “How could she leave us, her babies, behind?”

  “She didn’t voluntarily.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Aunt Fran took another swallow. “I shouldn’t be telling y
ou all this. It’s over and done.”

  “But it’s not. Asa is still hurting people. What happened?”

  “According to Asa, he came home one afternoon and Caroline had the car packed with you and Jared inside ready to leave. He had the ranch hands remove y’all from the car and take y’all into the house. He told her she was free to go, but she would never take his boys. If she attempted it again, he would...”

  “What?”

  Aunt Fran took a long time inspecting the wine stem. “He would kill both of you.”

  “He would kill his own sons?” Carson was aghast, but he was getting the full spectrum of his father’s vindictiveness.

  “I don’t think he meant it,” Aunt Fran was quick to add. “It was his sadistic way to get her back. Could we talk about something else? This is too depressing on top of everything else.”

  But Carson couldn’t stop. “So she let Asa have us?”

  Aunt Fran nodded. “She was scared of Asa and what he would do to her babies. A month later, she had a nervous breakdown. Her health continued to deteriorate, and her father was taking her to a clinic in Philadelphia when the plane crashed.”

  “My grandfather died, too?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t remember that.”

  “You were too little.” She took another swallow of wine. “My brother is one disturbed man, and Jared’s death pushed him over the edge.”

  “Why haven’t you told me any of this before now?”

  “Asa let me take care of you on the condition that I never mention your mother to you.”

  “That sorry...” Carson stood and let the anguish and despair sweep through him. He’d figured as much about his mother and Asa, but it was much more difficult to hear it as fact. He sucked in a deep breath and thought it was as good a time as any to tell his aunt the whole story.

  “So it’s true Roland killed Jared?”

  “Yes, the D.A. will present her findings to a grand jury, and once she gets a criminal indictment, arrests will be made, Pa included.”

  “Asa made it easy for Roland to get away with murder. I don’t know how your father is going to take this.”