by June Faver
Big Jim gave both a stern look and then patted Mark on the shoulder. “I’ll be waiting outside for you after the bell rings.”
“Yes, sir.” Mark’s face was wreathed in a smile as he went back to his seat.
Big Jim continued to stare at the two young bullies in turn, giving them each the full force of his intense gaze, before pivoting abruptly and returning to his truck. When the bell rang, he climbed out and waited close to the door for Mark to come out. A rush of children spewed from the building, but Mark spotted Big Jim and ran to where he waited. Big Jim leaned down to give him a one-armed hug, then relieved the boy of his backpack and walked back to his truck, his hand on Mark’s shoulder.
It pleased him to see the expression on Mark’s face—his bruised face with the split lip. But it radiated happiness and that was all that mattered at the moment.
Before they headed to the ranch, Big Jim and Mark enjoyed a milkshake at the Dairy Queen and took one to Misty at the law office.
The little metal bell clanked against the glass in the door as they entered, and Misty looked up from the keyboard. Her face registered surprise when she saw them. “Well, what are you two rascals up to?”
Mark rushed up to her desk to present her with the milkshake. “We brought you a chocolate shake.” He turned around to gesture toward Big Jim. “And Big Jim picked me up so I didn’t have to ride the bus.”
Misty swallowed hard. It was easy to read her emotions.
“I just got lonesome and figured I would get Mark to help me give the horses some attention. I thought maybe a ride would give me and the horses some exercise.”
She grinned and reached to take the paper off her straw. “Thanks a lot, gentlemen. I appreciate the treat.” She stabbed the straw through the top of the container. “I appreciate you, Big Jim, for giving my little brother a ride home, and I appreciate the friendship between the two of you.”
Big Jim beamed. “You got a great young man here. Glad to have him in the family.”
* * *
After a night of vigorous lovemaking, Cade awoke just as the first rays of the sun were sending vibrant colors across the eastern sky.
Jennifer was clasped to his chest and she had one long, lovely leg thrown across his lower torso, covering his manhood with her warm flesh. Warm flesh that was causing a serious reaction to that very interested manhood.
He figured the kids would be awake soon, so he was reluctant to start something he wouldn’t have time to finish.
Gently, he rolled Jennifer onto her back, wondering how this woman could be so gorgeous without a speck of makeup. Her skin glowed with wellness and her long lashes fanned out on her cheeks.
Reluctantly, Cade climbed out of bed and began gathering his clothing. He managed to get everything on but his boots, and he carried those, silently slipping out the door.
He peeked into the children’s room. Lissy was on her back, her mouth open and both arms and legs flung wide. She had wadded the light blanket into a ball at the foot of her crib.
Leo was curled up on one side, his fists clasped together under his cheek. He made a pretty tight package.
Cade tiptoed to the living room and stepped outside, making sure to lock the door behind him. Keep them safe.
He climbed into the truck to pull on his boots, leaving the door open as he needed room to stretch his legs to accomplish this task. He glanced back at the house, warmed by the morning sunshine. So many people he loved were inside.
Cade started the truck and headed to Tio’s, the Mexican restaurant in the heart of Langston. He had worked up quite an appetite making certain Miss Jennifer had no unfulfilled yearnings.
When he entered the restaurant, the aroma of good food assailed his senses.
Milita Rios greeted him with a menu in her hand. “Good morning, Cade. All by yourself today, or meeting someone?”
“I’m alone,” he said, but he saw Breckenridge T. Ryan motioning for him to join him. “Looks like I’m not alone.” He followed Milita to the corner table where Breck held sway.
“Sit right down, Cade. Tell me what you and Jennifer are thinking.”
Milita slid the menu onto the table and started to walk away, but Cade stopped her.
“I want an order of migas and coffee.”
She smiled and took the menu. “Right away.”
“Looks like you’ve eaten here a lot,” Breck said.
“Enough.” Cade smiled at Breck. “Thought you and the lovely Dr. Ryan would have breakfast together.”
Breck tilted his head to one side and raised his cup of coffee in a mock salute. “You would think, wouldn’t you? But no. My beautiful wife made a house call to deliver a baby way early this morning. So I ate my breakfast right here.”
Milita brought a cup for Cade and filled it at the table, then gave Breck a refill. “Enjoy, gentlemen.”
“Have you and Jennifer made a decision as to which buyer you’re going to sell to?”
“Not yet. I think we need to investigate more, and neither one of us is really qualified to do the research. I had a talk with Big Jim, and he had a lot of insights. He only wants the best for this community.”
Breck nodded. “Big Jim Garrett is a fine man. Glad you sought his advice.”
“Now I just need to find a computer genius to do a little more digging into the prospective buyers. Research into all their interests.”
Milita set the plate of migas, a combination of eggs, salsa, and crisp corn tortilla chips with lots of melted cheese, in front of Cade, and he dug into them. “Haven’t had this for a while.”
“Looks good.” Breck clapped him on the shoulder and rose from the table. “About that computer genius…come by my office when you’re done here, and I’ll unleash my own computer genius on your research.”
Chapter 26
Leah had told Jennifer that she could find good childcare for the children at the church.
Jennifer hadn’t realized there was a prekindergarten and nursery available during the week, but she was glad to drop the children off after she had given them a good breakfast and cleaned them up.
Now she was driving through the entrance gates to the airstrip feeling a little antsy. She just wanted to take one last look around before giving in to the inevitable. Everyone was urging her to make a decision on the sale of the property, and she could not give one solid reason not to sell.
She took a slow drive around the place, noting that several hangars had their doors open and people were moving around inside. Quite a few small planes were lined up in rows along one side of the strip, with lots of room for them to taxi onto the runway.
The hangar leased by Magdalena Swearingen’s company was open, and there was some kind of activity going on inside. The sleek Gulfstream aircraft had a company logo on the side, but Jenn was not sure what enterprise the organization was involved in.
As she idled outside the hangar, Maggie appeared and flashed a big, toothy grin and waved. She came to Jenn’s car and greeted her as though they were old friends. “Hey, Jennifer. I’m so glad to see you. I was going to give you a call and see if you wanted to do lunch sometime.”
“Um, that would be nice. Your plane sure is big.”
Maggie laughed. “Well, I have big ideas.” She leaned her elbows against Jenn’s door and lowered her voice. “I was hoping you were ready to accept my offer to purchase this property. So, how is it going? Can I count on you to be in my corner?”
Jenn groped for words. “Well, we haven’t really come to any decision yet. There’s another local man who has an offer on the table, and—”
Maggie huffed out a derisive snort. “Oh, yes… Mr. Edgar Wayne Pell. I don’t think you should bother with him. I’m certain he’s not serious about the purchase.” She straightened and fisted her hands on her hips. “Frankly, Pell doesn’t have the resources to follow through.” Sud
denly the radiant smile was back. “So, can we get on with this business? I’m ready to transfer the money.”
Jenn shrugged. “Well, I suppose you could say that I’m the speed bump. My brother put so much of himself into this place, and I’m just not sure we should sell.” She swallowed hard. “I know I’m not qualified to run the business, and everyone is urging me to get it over with…but…”
Maggie’s lips tightened. “Just make sure that my offer is the one you choose. I’ll make it worth your while. I have a lot riding on this.” She turned and strode back into the hangar and yelled something to one of the men working inside.
Jenn was stunned. She had no idea what Maggie was talking about and hadn’t considered that Maggie had become a loyal ally. Was this woman trying to buy Jenn’s vote on the sale of the property? Could Jenn be influenced by money?
Jenn put the car in gear and continued her circuit of the airstrip.
She was driving slowly, trying to notice everything, when Edgar Wayne Pell emerged from one of the hangars and waved her down. “Hello, Miss Jennifer. How are you doing this fine day?”
She shifted into park and let the window down. “Hello, Mr. Pell. I’m doing okay. Just thought I would look around.”
He grinned, his reddened and scarred face twisting into a somewhat pleasant expression. “Does this mean you’ve decided to sell the airstrip to me? I’m ready to rock and roll.”
She had to laugh at that. “I’m afraid there is no decision yet. Our lawyer contacted a real estate broker in Dallas and stirred up some interest. There are some huge offers in the works, and I’m sure I will have to agree to one of them soon.” She shrugged. “Sorry.”
“Aww, bad news. I would have really loved to be working here every day. It’s what I love.” He wiped his hands on an oily rag and stuffed it in his back pocket. “Wanna go for a spin?”
Surprised, she furrowed her brows. “Spin?”
He pointed up to the sky. “In the air. I was just getting ready to take ’er up. How about I show you the Palo Duro Canyon the way Jason would have shown you?”
Jennifer swallowed hard. “In the sky?”
“C’mon. You’ll love it.” He put his hand on the car door and opened it, offering his hand.
“Okay. I would love to see the canyon, especially as Jason would have shown it to me.” She accepted his hand and gave it a shake when she stepped out of the vehicle.
“This is my plane right here.” Pell led her to where his plane was sitting in front of the hangar he leased. He showed her where to put her foot to step up into the interior. It was small but comfortable enough for maybe five or six people at the most. Pell closed it up and took his place in the cockpit. “Sit up here with me. You can see the sights.”
Jennifer slipped into the seat beside him. Her stomach was doing flip-flops, but she reasoned that this was an opportunity she would probably not ever have again.
“Don’t you have to call in to a tower or something?” she asked.
He laughed, a single syllable. “Do you see a tower? I don’t.”
Jennifer felt her face flush. “No, but…”
“Relax. We’re not going to be flying at a high altitude. Just cruising over the canyon. It’s really beautiful at this time of day.”
Pell was busy getting ready for takeoff, and Jenn was steeling herself for that very same thing. She didn’t want this man to realize what a complete wuss she was about flying. Even a big passenger plane caused her to grip the armrests on takeoff, and she had no idea how she was going to get through this new experience, but she was willing to stanch her fear to see the world her brother had loved, the way he’d loved it. “I can’t wait,” she breathed.
Pell grinned at her. “All right then. Let’s get this baby in the air.” He flipped some switches and fiddled with a few dials and the plane began rolling toward the runway. Pell turned the plane, and they sat for a minute while he made a couple of adjustments, then the plane went straight down the runway, the nose lifting as they neared the end.
Jenn’s stomach was in a clench and she couldn’t draw a breath. She wanted to close her eyes but forced herself not to flinch. She let out the breath she hadn’t even known she was holding.
“Perfect day for a flight.” Pell was grinning broadly. “Not a cloud in the sky. You can see all the way to Amarillo.” He was in a great mood, and it was infectious.
Jenn found herself looking at the scenery below as Pell described it. “That’s the Garrett ranch. Biggest spread around here. Nice folks, though. You wouldn’t know they was richer than shit.” His face twisted. “Oh, pardon me, ma’am. I didn’t mean to offend.”
“I’m not offended,” she said.
He nodded. “Glad of that. I’ve been a lonesome old coot so long, I forget the niceties.”
“No problem. Thanks for taking me to see the canyon. I know Jason would appreciate it.”
“I was hoping I could continue the aerial tours over the Palo Duro. It’s a beautiful place, and I wish I could share it with more folks. It’s the second largest canyon in the United States. Only the Grand Canyon is bigger.” He pointed out more sites, but then they were over the canyon.
Suddenly, the deep and colorful gorge was below them, and Jenn was enraptured. As the plane flew lower, she made comments on the thrilling colors.
The plane gave a little shake. Nothing big, but it scared her just the same. “What was that?” she asked.
“Not sure.” He leaned forward, peering at the instruments before him. Another shudder and the plane started descending…fast. “Brace yourself!”
* * *
After Cade had devoured his plate of migas, he went to Breck’s office. He didn’t see Breck’s truck in front when he pulled in but hoped he was in his office.
The little metal bell over the door clanked against the glass of the inset pane. He saw Misty at her desk, intent upon something on her computer screen.
“Hi, Cade. Come on in.” She waved him inside. “Breck had to go to Amarillo for a bail hearing, but he gave me my orders before he left.”
Cade felt a little ill at ease, as apparently his cousin’s wife was to help him gather information on the companies that had put in offers on the airstrip. He approached Misty’s desk and stood awkwardly. “I—I’m not sure what Breck asked you to do, but he told me to come to his office.”
“Sit down here. Let me show you what I’ve found so far.” Misty handed him a file folder. “I’m still doing research, but this can keep you entertained.”
He sat down in front of her desk and opened the folder. “I’m not sure what I’m looking at.”
“I started on the list of prospective buyers. Breck said you want to know what other interests these companies have. This is just the beginning. I have so much more to wade through.”
He noted that the first name on the list was Edgar Wayne Pell. The paragraph below his name was short. Pell was a veteran who had served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force until his plane was shot down. Pell sustained serious injuries and burns over a large part of his body.
Cade swallowed hard. This accounted for the taut, red skin on Pell’s face. Apparently, Pell had recovered and returned to his place of birth to live on a small farm and enjoyed flying his small plane.
Cade picked up the next page in the folder. This one was much longer. Magdalena Swearingen came from old money in Dallas. The list of companies owned by this family was impressive, to say the least. Cade wasn’t sure he could grasp the information about the company, but he was certain of one thing: this Maggie lady could afford to buy the airstrip.
“I’m working on them in the order that we received information that these companies were interested in the property.” She sighed. “I’ll have the rest for you by the end of the day.”
“That’s awesome, Misty. I’ll take them to Big Jim’s to look over. I appreciate your
working on this, and I’m sure Big Jim will too.”
“Hey, I get paid by the hour.” Misty grinned at him. “This is more interesting than most of the work I do.”
Cade stood and took his leave. “I owe you, Misty.”
“Not a thing. As it happens, I owe Big Jim Garrett more than I could ever repay.”
* * *
The plane shuddered and sputtered.
Jenn’s heart raced as she gripped the seat, her jaw tight. Her feet pushed against the floorboard so hard it seemed she would push all the way through.
“C’mon, baby. You can do it.” Pell spoke in a soft, coaxing voice. He clutched the wheel with both hands. “We’re gonna make it. Don’t you worry.”
Jenn wasn’t sure if he was speaking to her or the plane.
Pell dodged the steep edges of the canyon, zigzagging as they lost altitude. “Hold on!”
With a screech, the plane slid to a rough landing among dense brush and kicked up a lot of sand in the process.
Jenn opened her eyes but couldn’t see out the front due to the sand and dust swirling in the air. Her heart tried to beat its way out of her chest, thundering in her ears. She leaned her head back against the headrest, gasping for air.
Pell had collapsed forward, grasping the wheel with both hands and wheezing. “Thank you, sweet Jesus!” he rasped out.
When she was finally able to draw a deep breath, she turned to face him. “What happened? I don’t understand.”
“Beats me. I gave her a complete overhaul yesterday. She was in great shape.”
“I can’t believe you managed to land. I thought for sure we were done for.”
Pell reached to touch her arm. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m okay. Are you hurt?”
“Not this time.” He shook his head ruefully. “Not like the last time. I almost burned up.”
Jenn had her cell in hand and made a quick call to Cade, but it went to voicemail. She called the sheriff’s office next.
They both jumped when they heard pounding on the outside of the plane.