Doing Time In Texas, Book 2

by James E Ferrell

  Bonnie sat silently thinking about leaving her new home. She had begun to believe they belonged, and this could be the life she wanted.

  “I’m not leaving,” Bonnie said.

  “What did you say?” Willy questioned.

  “This place is the first home and peace of mind I’ve had in years. I will not leave and live the way we have been living,” Bonnie replied.

  “Bonnie, do you think this is a game? McDonald, Smitty and Val are killers. They don’t care if you are a woman! They will kill you and never blink an eye. I cheated the mob and they will make an example out of us. You better get that through your head!” He turned and let a sudden breeze blew against his face.

  “Tomorrow morning the farmer and I sign the papers for this place, I will leave early for town,” Willy stated.

  Bonnie thought about that for a minute and called after Willy, “I’m going to the courthouse with you.”

  “Suit yourself. I meet the farmer at nine sharp,” Willy said.

  The following morning Bonnie made her way out on the porch in the early morning haze. The songbirds were busy across the countryside and from all directions there was activity. Cows were mooing and new calves ran across the fields. The wind blew gently through the trees and touched her face. Funny, she thought, ‘I was raised in a rural setting within walking distance of the small town and school I attended, but I never noticed the solitude and peace I’m feeling now.’ The cool morning made her glad to be alive. Just sitting on the front porch swing was peaceful. From inside she heard Willy rustling around and felt secure and safe knowing he was there. A few minutes later he came out on the porch where she sat fully dressed ready to go to town.

  Willy looked at her suspiciously for a moment and asked, “What have you got up your sleeve, Bonnie?”

  “I want to go to town with you and you told me to be ready,” she replied.

  He sat down on the swing beside her and for a long time neither spoke. The quiet and peace was affecting him, too. Tranquil moments like this had never been a part of their life in Chicago. At nine that morning, they circled the courthouse where they saw the farmer leaning against his old truck.

  “Been waiting for you folks! The clerk has already got the deed made up. All we need is your John Hancock on the papers and pay me the money,” Mr. Waters said. After some small talk, the men entered the courthouse with Bonnie close behind. From behind a counter a portly clerk raised her head from her typewriter to give the newcomers the once over. Pulling a pencil from the bun on top of her head she asked, “Can I have the buyer’s name?”

  “Bonnie Baker,” she said.

  “Middle name, please?” the clerk asked.

  “Wilkerson,” Bonnie said.

  Willy could not say a word; the place was full of judges and county officials. Quickly Bonnie signed the deed never looking at Willy who was glaring at her. After paying the money and securing a receipt the two walked outside the courthouse. Willy moved out ahead of Bonnie. As soon as they were alone, he turned to her and exclaimed, “Are you crazy? You gave them your real name!”

  “That’s right!” Bonnie replied. “I want everything on the up and up. The ranch belongs to me. My family will inherit our place if McDonald makes good on his promise to kill us. If you want to marry me, I’ll give you half my spread.”

  “Quit trying to be funny. If we were alone, I would smack you one. Right in the mouth,” Willy said agitated.

  Bonnie chuckled and reached for Willy’s arm which he pulled away from her. She said, “Willy, this is where I will die if it has to be. I’ve done so much bad I feel that this may be a way I can make amends, somewhat. I have decided from now on I will not live a lie.” About to explode Willy walked back to the car and got behind the wheel.

  Bonnie let him simmer for a moment and walked over to the car where he sat. “I guess if I hadn’t done that and something does happen to us the place would go the highest bidder. Wouldn’t you like to know a very deserving family would get it?” she asked. Putting her head in the driver side window she said, “You said you were going to smack me when you got me alone. Now here’s your chance.” She kissed him on the cheek.

  “That was not the kind of smack I was planning on giving you,” Willy smiled in spite of all his efforts to stay mad. The closeness of her made him dizzy and he sighed, “Women!”

  Standing next to the car she ran her small hand over his large hand on the rear-view mirror. “You have lipstick on your cheek,” she chided. “Would you like to get some ice cream before we leave town?”

  Turning his head so he could see the lipstick smudge in the rearview mirror he said, “No!” Willy sat in the car looked up at Bonnie standing beside the car with a tight grip on the deed and began to laugh.

  “What are you laughing about?” Bonnie asked.

  “Well, I might as well enjoy life while we are alive. You are surely going to get us killed. It’s too early for ice cream,” he said.

  Bonnie smiled, “It’s never too early for ice cream. There is a candy store across the street. Let’s go.” Willy was a strange man who could be mad one minute and totally at ease the next. The two went arm and arm across the street laughing together. “Wait a minute! I need to wipe that lipstick off your cheek.”

  “Nothing doing! I intend to leave it on all day just to embarrass you,” Willy chuckled.

  “Willy, stop and let me wipe that off. You can’t go in there like that!” Bonnie said.

  “Watch me!” Willy said.

  “Now, there’s a happy couple,” O’Hara said to Cage.

  “I’ve seen them around; they were boarding over the diner. He smiles all the time, but this is the first time I’ve seen them together. Now I know why he smiles so much. She sure is a looker,” Cage said.

  “Yeah, he is a lucky man……are you going to buy something or just look all day?” The bell over the front door jingled and O’ Hara said, “Move over, Boy, looks like I have a couple of real paying customers here.”

  “Hello folks! Just step around this overgrown kid with the badge. He has been looking in that candy case all morning. Never buys anything just waits till I give him a free sample. I haven’t seen you around so let me welcome you to Huntsville. My name is O’ Hara this is Ranger Cage Cruise out of Austin. I guess you know you have a set of lips on your cheek. They look suspiciously like the pair right next to you,” Grady O’Hara said grinning.

  Willy was somewhat timid, but Bonnie was not. “He thinks he is going to embarrass me,” Bonnie said. “My name is Bonnie and this shy gentleman is Willy. He is going to treat me to some ice cream; that is, if he has any money left. He just bought me a ranch,” she said with a laugh. Willy rolled the brim of his hat around in his hand and grinned. A curl of black hair hung down in his face and made him look even younger than his twenty-four years.

  “I have seen you in the boarding house a couple of times, but never took the time to introduce myself,” Cage said. The two men shook hands while O’ Hara led Bonnie down the counter.

  “I make all my ice cream here. I have six flavors!” O’Hara said proudly.

  Willy sat on a bar stool and watched Bonnie. She had class and was cordial. This was a new side to the woman he had been with for the past year and her warmth was contagious. She was making herself at home in this town and getting to know the people. Suddenly he began to be jealous of the tall Texas Ranger who stood by giving Bonnie a broad grin. He was glad he had left the pistol under the seat of his auto for this ranger was a very observant man. The attention and closeness to the ranger made Willy cut his visit to town short. As soon as he could he ushered Bonnie out of the candy store.

  C24 - Just A Few Close Friends

  Annie couldn’t wait to go meet the new woman on the next ranch. She turned her horse down the road; enjoying the cool mornings that always came with the early Texas spring weather. Susie barked several times then stood wagging her tail as Annie dismounted and tied the horse’s reins to a railing on the front porch. “
Nice dog! Good Dog!” she said as she knocked on the front door.

  Out of a sound sleep the commotion outside brought Willy to a sitting position. He had been laying on the couch with a newspaper over his face sound asleep. Bonnie was drying her hands on her apron and had almost reached the door when she heard Willy’s voice behind her saying, “Don’t answer the door until I’ve had a look outside.”

  Bonnie stood looking at the gun he held in his hand and the memory of the life she had been living came back fresh on her mind. “Put that thing away. I hope we never need that here!” Bonnie chided.

  Willy stepped over to the window and looked through the curtain. A horse was tied to the porch rail and he could see a girl standing on the porch. With his head he motioned for Bonnie to answer the door as he retreated into the bedroom.

  “Hello, Neighbor! I’m Annie Parker from the next farm over and I came over to say hello. Your dog is giving me some hungry looks,” Annie said. Bonnie stepped out on the porch and introduced herself. It didn’t take long for the women to warm to each other.

  Willy stepped back into the bedroom to get his shirt on mumbling. ‘This place has more traffic than a city street.’ Listening to the women talk he knew that Bonnie was getting too close to the neighbors. He had to have a talk with her and explain that they could never be like ordinary folks. The life she was living would get them killed if they got careless. He stayed in the house listening to their conversation while the two drank coffee on the front porch. Bonnie was careful to steer around the areas of her life that she did not want known. She had decided she would have a new life regardless of the consequences. From now on she would not hide from people she wanted to meet.

  The morning was almost gone when Annie excused herself and headed back home. Bonnie was delighted because tomorrow Annie would bring an extra horse and they would ride. In the days to come despite Willy’s argument Bonnie continued her friendship with Annie. He saw the two riding across the fields and along the country lanes enjoying each other’s company like a couple of schoolgirls. They became the best of friends. Bonnie became quite skilled at riding. Almost daily the two would meet on their favorite riding trail.

  “Willy, I want a good riding horse of my own and I want you to start riding with me once in a while,” Bonnie said.

  “Bonnie, think about what you are saying. We are just one jump ahead of McDonald. If these fancy friends of yours ever find out about this fake life you and I are living they will be the first ones to turn on you. What you are building will someday tumble down!” Willy stated.

  “I can’t go back to the life we lived in the past! Your logic only works for people who live in the shadows. I don’t want to live a double life. It is my intention to rectify all the wrong I have done and walk a different path from now on,” Bonnie replied.

  Willy stood watching the determined look on her face before shaking his head and walking away.

  That evening Bonnie sat at a lamp and wrote her mother a letter. Beside her the trashcan was full of previous attempts. Willy walked into the living room and wiped shaving cream off his ear. Looking at the waste can he stooped over and picked up a wrinkled piece of paper. “Dear Mom……” he started then looked over at her and said, “You know you might put your family in harm’s way if you contact them?”

  Weakly she said, “I’m just trying to think of a way to say I’m sorry for the hurt I put them through.”

  Willy moved a chair over by the desk, smiled at her and said, “Bonnie, if you will give me a few more weeks I believe I can clear up all this mystery and remove the danger we are in forever. Then you can contact your parents and our lives will look just like all the rest of the good citizens in Huntsville.”

  Bonnie nodded in agreement but night after night she wrote letters. Night after night she ripped the pages apart and cast them in the waste can. She couldn’t think of enough lies to cover up her past. In fact, there was no way she could put a lie on paper to her mother. If she contacted them surely her sordid past would someday be revealed to them. One morning she sat drinking coffee and looked at the latest attempt at a letter. Frowning she wadded it up and threw it in the trash. The sun was up, and birds were singing outside.

  Today she would explore every inch of her land and see what the place looked like. Stamping on her new boots she walked along a fence line looking at the cattle that eyed her suspiciously. She had never ventured so far into the backwoods as today. Moving across a pasture she followed a small stream deep in a wooded area. Suddenly she stopped. Before her was a log cabin buried in honey suckle vines. Bees and insects buzzed around the flowers and hummingbirds darted about. Startled, she stood looking at the picturesque cabin. Ivy clung all around the cabin and encased its clay chimney. There were grape vines and fruit trees beginning to bud. ‘This is like a cabin in a children’s fairytale. I feel like I just stepped into a story,’ Bonnie thought.

  The door was covered with spiderwebs. It had not been used for a long time. Walking around the cabin to the back door looked much the same. Stopping suddenly, she stood very still. Laying on the back porch was a big red wolf. The wolf had been surprised by her appearance. Susie stood wagging her tail. It was obvious they knew each other. The wolf jumped up and ran off into the woods. The back door, however, was easier to enter. Inside the cabin, except for a heavy coat of dust, warmed her heart. Susie walked from room to room sniffing everything. The furniture had been covered with old sheets and the mantle was adorned with several dusty pictures. Stepping to the mantle, Bonnie dusted a picture with her sleeve. An elderly couple stood outside by the chimney holding hands. It was a very old picture. No doubt these were the people who had lived here. She was excited. She would clean up the cabin and it would be her place of solitude. Now she needed to get back. Susie was acting funny. It may be time to have her puppies. The dog was wheezing when they finally got back to the house. She laid down on her blanket with a great deal of effort. Bonnie didn’t know anything about animals, but she thought it must be time for her to have her litter. Laying on the porch Susie could not seem to get comfortable. “Willy, come out here! We are going to have puppies any minute. I need your help!” Bonnie yelled.

  Willy came out on the porch with a questioning look on his face. “What do I know about dogs having puppies?” he questioned.

  “Men are so helpless! Go get me a towel and some warm water! The puppies are coming now!” Bonnie exclaimed. A half hour later Susie lay panting while seven puppies squirmed, making grunting noises. They were both excited to see the newborn puppies squirming around on the blanket. Willy had taken to the birthing and was as excited as Bonnie.

  “I always wanted a puppy when I was a boy,” Willy said.

  Bonnie looked at him and couldn’t imagine what his childhood was like. Every child had a puppy when they were young!

  “What are we going to do with all these dogs?” Willy asked.

  “They are half-wolf, and we will give them to our friends,” Bonnie explained.

  “What are you talking about?” Willy asked.

  “There is a fairytale cabin way back in the woods where I saw a big red wolf. He wouldn’t come near me, but he kept eyeing Susie. I think he is the father of these puppies,” Bonnie related.

  Willy grinned and said, “Girl, you have a great imagination. Fairy tale cabins, red wolves. It sounds like Hansel and Gretel may be living back there.”

  “Willy, I am finally home again. This is where I want to be. I need you to help me make this place pay,” she stated.

  “Make this place pay? What are you talking about? We are not here to become a couple of hick ranchers. We are on the run from the mob. I have things I have to take care of! Then we’re gone. One day soon, we will be leaving here. The reason we bought this place is because of that big barn over there. It’s part of my plan,” Willy explained.

  ‘Tomorrow is Sunday and the small church down the road may be just the place where God could start whipping my family in shape,’ Bonnie thought. />
  C25 - The Devil Gets His Due

  It was an overcast morning when Thomas entered Ed’s garage. “Thomas!” Ed said. “I’ve been waiting for you!” Ed raised his head from under the hood of an old Dodge and stepped back wiping his greasy hands on a rag. “I expected you to come around sooner. We need to talk about that job,” Ed said.

  “I’m not interested about what you and Bart are fixing to do,” Thomas stated firmly.

  Ed jerked Thomas around and said, “Get this straight, Boy! I’m tired of this small town, of being broke, and working on these old junk cars. You better not mess this deal up for me! The man says we need three drivers and you are the only one who knows how to drive big trucks. You have to teach Bart and me how to drive big rigs, pronto.”

  “I told you, Ed, I’m through with anything outside the law,” Thomas reiterated his feelings about the job.

  “Not this time, Shine Ghost! I have too much on you to let you ruin this big deal for me. You will do this one thing, because if you don’t, I will go to Bart with your drunken confession the other night. He will certainly take care of you, because you can put him in the electric chair,” Ed growled.

  C26 - Night Trips

  Willy wiped his mouth and placed the napkin next to his plate. Sliding his chair back from the table, he sat and watched Bonnie moving about the kitchen. Most of the women he had known didn’t know how to boil water, much less how to cook. “Bonnie, you are the best cook I have ever known. Your mother taught you well. If you don’t fatten me up, it won’t be because of your cooking!” Willy stated.

  Bonnie replied, “I’m enjoying country living and this house is a dream come true!” Her face was aglow as she turned back to cleaning a pot in the sink.

  “I’ve got to go meet with someone. I will be back early tonight,” he said.