Caitlin's Conspiracies

by Mariella Starr

Caitlin looked to Chase’s oldest brother and back to the boy. The resemblance between father and son was strong. “It’s okay,” she said to the frowning man and turned her attention back to the boy.

  “I am.”

  “Whoa,” the teenager whispered almost reverently.

  “Wyatt, you have chores to do,” Range snapped.

  “Dad, this is the Infinitius. Infinitius is one of the best of the best gaming programmers. Infinitius created Recon Mission and Recon Survival and Battle…”

  “They’re games,” Range interrupted. “Get on with your chores.”

  The boy didn’t hesitate. “We’ll talk later,” he whispered to Caitlin as he left the room at a run.

  “Ms. MacFarland please don’t encourage him,” Range said sternly and he walked out of the room too.

  “Well that went well,” Caitlin said to Chase.

  “Wyatt has gotten into a lot of trouble over his messing around with computers,” Range’s wife Cathy said joining the conversation now that her afternoon school run was complete. “I’ve had to represent him in court twice now. The last time we got a tough judge and he was very close to spending some time in a reformatory. He’s still serving his community service sentence.”

  “If he’s smart enough at his age to get into protected systems, he should be encouraged,” Caitlin said. “Not to hack, of course, but to continue to learn programming.”

  Cathy’s eyes looked to her husband. “I don’t think that the path that Range wants Wyatt to follow.”

  Caitlin’s eyes glanced over to Chase. “Whatever path Wyatt follows, it should be more up to him than his father.”

  “Cait,” Chase interrupted. “Mom will be down for a few hours resting. Let me give you a tour of the place, and we’ll drive over to my place and drop off our stuff.”

  Caitlin followed Chase around the house and outside, heading for the barns. “Is you brother always so tyrannical in the way he treats his kids?”

  Chase shook his head. “Range desperately wants one of his two boys to take over his portion of the ranch. Morgan, his oldest, is in his second year of college and headed into pre-law, following in his mothers footsteps. Wyatt is his last chance and the boy is good at everything he does. Wyatt wants to study the computer sciences. His father wants him into agriculture or veterinarian medicine.”

  “Wyatt’s a kid. He should be able to check out dozens of options before he has to make a decision. He’s got a couple of years left to make that decision anyway, and most kids enter college without any idea of what they want to study.”

  “Wyatt’s skipped a couple of grades in school. He’s graduating high school next summer,” Chase explained.

  “So, his father is pressuring him to do something he doesn’t want to do,” Caitlin said. “That’s likely to backfire.”

  Chase gave a sigh. “I know, but Range only see’s computer as a necessary evil that he needs for the ranch finances, and he hires someone to take care of most of that. Naturally, he’s not been too happy with his son getting into trouble. Range is a good father, and he loves his family. He only wants what’s best for them.”

  “His idea of what’s best,” Caitlin said. “From Wyatt’s point of view, he probably sees his older brother getting to do what he wants to do in college. He sees his dreams being squashed by a tyrannical, overbearing father.”

  Chase gripped Caitlin hair at the back of her neck lightly and gave it a tug. “It’s not our problem. Stay out of it. Come see Satan’s Revenge. Dad bought him to infuse some new blood into our breeding program. Keep your distance. So far, no one has been able to get near him, and he’s dangerous”

  “Hey, Chase, can you help me lift this?” a raised voice was heard from across the barn.

  “Hold up, let me help Jess.”

  As Chase moved off toward the other end of the barn, Caitlin moved closer to the stall, where the stallion was hooked up to cross ties in the stall. Satan’s Revenge was a magnificent Morab, a cross between Arabian and Morgan, chocolate with white markings on all four legs and a blaze of white on its head. He had cream-colored mane and tail. Sixteen hands high, she guessed, tall for a Morab, this particular breeding had been successful and beautiful. Matched with the right mare of Arabian, Quarter or Thoroughbred, it would bring strength into the bloodlines. Caitlin reached out slowly, stroking and crooning to the animal until its muscles relaxed and its intelligence eyes went from wary to calm. She climbed up two slats on the gate and continued to croon and make repetitive clicking sound as she touched the stallion lightly and moved her hand slowly up to its ears and gave them a rub and dropped her hand down and under its jaw.

  The stallion’s eyes were locked onto hers, but it didn’t shy away.

  Caitlin felt an arm go around her waist as she was lifted down from the stall door.

  “Don’t you ever listen?” Chase demanded angrily. “I told you to stay back!”

  “He wasn’t going to hurt me,” Caitlin said confidently.

  “No, you’re the exception,” Chase scoffed. “He’s injured two men already. Don’t let me catch you near him again! They say he’s untamable!”

  “Chase, I know horses,” Caitlin said calmly. “He’s beautiful, probably the best example of Morab I’ve ever seen. I’d love to breed him with Porsche, my palomino Quarter Horse.

  “You have a mare named Porsche?” Chase questioned.

  “Why not, she’s top of the line. You have a stallion named Satan’s Revenge. Maybe if you’d called him Gumby he wouldn’t as nasty.”

  “Okay, time out,” Chase said. “First off, Satan isn’t my horse. He belongs to my Dad, and he came with the name. My Dad has hired a wrangler to try to tame him. Although Satan will probably never be a riding horse, Dad wants him tamed enough to be controllable. You stay away from him. Dad would have my hide if you got hurt messing around with him.”

  Caitlin made a rude noise. “You do know the testosterone level around here is ridiculous!”

  “At least we’ve got it and we know how to use it,” Chase countered with a grin and hooked an arm around her waist. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before you get into any more trouble. We’ll go to my house and unpack.”

  “Do you have any horses?” Caitlin asked as they headed for his truck.

  “I have two good saddle horses, Smokey and Red,” Chase answered.

  Chase’s house and barn were fifteen minutes away. He pulled up next to small single-story ranch style house with a porch running across the front of the house. It was plain, as he’d said - a no-frills kind pre-fabbed structure. Caitlin didn’t bother to go in. She headed for the barn. Chase carried their bags inside before he walked out to join her.

  “Very nice,” Caitlin said already in one of the stalls getting acquainted with a chestnut colored horse with graceful lines. “Let’s go for a ride! I haven’t been on a good long ride in a while.”

  “I can fix that,” Chase said grinning.

  “A horseback ride, you moron,” Caitlin defined with a smirk.

  “Don’t you want to check out the house first?”

  “Am I sleeping in your bed?” Caitlin asked.

  Chase nodded. “You are.”

  “Does the bathroom have everything a bathroom is supposed to have and is it reasonably clean?”

  “It does and is.”

  “Good, that’s all that’s important,” Caitlin exclaimed. “Let’s go for a ride. Show me this place from atop a horse.”

  “You’re on,” Chase agreed and led her to the tack room.

  Chapter 9

  Caitlin had been on the Sassy Sal Ranch a week. She adored Chase’s mother Karen Bennett and spent quite a bit of time with her. His grandmother was on the top of her list of favorites too. She did notice that Celia Bennett spent a great deal of time in her apartment.

  After nearly a week, Celia invited Caitlin into her apartment and Caitlin found out why the older woman stayed out of sight. Celia was always busy working. She was a skilled quilter and artist
, with a quilting frame and an easel set up in large workroom. Celia admitted that although she loved her children, grand- and great-grandchildren that she also liked her private, quiet time where she could work on projects while listening to her audio books. She showed Caitlin her latest project – a double wedding ring pattern that was both complex and beautiful.

  Caitlin liked Shelley, Chase’s sister who was a stay-at home-mom, although that was a misnomer. Shelley spent a great deal of time taking her children to activities. She was the ultimate definition of a soccer mom. Her husband, Bruce, owned a construction company, but managed to arrive on time at the communal dinner table most evenings. They left in the early evenings to return home for their family time. Cathy, Jessie and Marie, the daughters-in-laws seemed nice enough. They were working moms, with varied careers as lawyer, bail enforcement agent and children’s book author. Cathy and Jessie worked during the day, but as soon as they came home, they seemed to fit the Stepford Wives role, at least in Caitlin’s mind. They catered to their children and husbands, and it seemed to her always cowed to their husband’s wishes. Chase’s father, his brothers and Shelley’s husband were - she thought - united in their bossiness. The worst of the lot were Shelley’s husband Bruce and Chase’s brother Range. She considered both of them dictatorial and overbearing and she steered clear of them as much as possible. She was watching for abuse, but other than the occasional snapped answer or warning look, she hadn’t seen any evidence of it. Caitlin was fully aware that she had no right to judge, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. This was the first time she’d been exposed to close knit family where male dominance was considered the norm. She’d known Valerie’s parents for a couple of years but had never suspected them of practicing domestic discipline.

  The weather cooperated for the planned barbecue and by noon, there were another thirty or more adult relatives milling around, with droves of children and teenagers. The women headed for the kitchen or took on the job of riding herd on the younger children. The men headed outside, sat in lawn chairs and discussed football, cattle and whatever else that seemed to cause them to laugh a lot, in addition to firing up at least half dozen grills. As she watched most of the meal preparations being performed by the women, Caitlin offered to help although her cooking skills didn’t go much beyond punching a button on a microwave.

  “That will change,” Jessie said laughing with the other women. “Have you and Chase set a date yet?”

  Caitlin jolted at the question. “No, it’s way too soon for that. We haven’t been together that long.”

  “I don’t understand, Caitlin. Chase has been in love with you for at least five years,” Karen said looking confused. “Oh, dear… aren’t you… I mean… I thought…”

  Caitlin understood Chase’s mother’s confusion. “We have known each other for five years, Karen, but we haven’t been together all that time. I was part of his work. He couldn’t get involved with me.”

  “Oh, you worked in the Marshal’s service?” Jessie guessed.

  “Not exactly,” Caitlin admitted. “In real-time spent together, it’s only been a few weeks.”

  The women looked at each other somewhat puzzled, but Caitlin didn’t offer an explanation.

  “Ms. MacFarland?” Wyatt stood in the doorway with a large textbook in his hand. “I was wondering if you could help me with this.”

  “Wyatt, you know what your father said,” Cathy said softly with a warning tone to her voice.

  “It’s not programming Mom, its calculus,” the boy said holding up the book so she could see the cover.

  “Oh, I suppose that’s okay,” Cathy said glancing at Caitlin and giving her smile.

  Caitlin was soon enjoying herself. Wyatt was a smart, and a creative thinker, and she was surprised at how quickly he picked up on the theory behind a very complicated subject. This kid was a serious math student, and he wasn’t the least bit self-conscious about the fact that he was doing college-level work. The material was tough - so tough that she had to take the time review and jump-start her brain before trying to explain it to him. She had no idea how long they’d been at it when they were disturbed by someone standing in the doorway, and clearing his throat. She and Wyatt both looked up in a distracted manner. Wyatt straightened up his eyes on one the men standing in the doorway.

  Caitlin looked up to see both Range and Chase standing there. Range looked furious.

  “What did I tell you, Wyatt?” Range growled.

  The boy gulped as he faced his angry father.

  “This isn’t programming,” Caitlin said, remembering what the boy’s mother had said.

  “I asked you not to interfere,” Range said furiously.

  “Actually, you asked me not to encourage him,” Caitlin said blandly. “I was assuming you were referring to anything associated with computer programming.” She flipped over the book, so the title was evident. Calculus: Multi-Variable Calculus and Linear Algebra with Applications to Differential Equations and Probability “Apparently, you have an issue with me working with your son on anything. Personally, I’d be extremely proud that I had a kid his age that understood third-year college mathematics, but I see that’s not the case. Regardless, Wyatt had his mother’s permission for me to tutor him.”

  Caitlin got up from the table where she and boy had been working. “Wyatt, I think you’re very near genius level. You should think about registering for the Mensa test. I believe you’d ace it, and it would be major plus on you college applications, and might even merit some scholarship money.”

  She turned back to Range. “Why don’t you spend some time helping your son with his mathematics,” she snapped at him angrily and swept out of the room.

  Range turned to his brother. “You need to control your woman,” he growled.

  “You need to get your head out of your ass,” Chase snapped back. “If you take this out on Wyatt, you and I are going to have a go at it!” He turned and followed Caitlin.

  Range raked his hand through his hair and looked down at the title of the book and over into the eyes of his son and every bit of anger faded and changed to grief. “I’m not angry with you Wyatt and I’ll fix this if I can. I’m sorry.” He turned and shut the door. “Sit down son. I need to talk to you, and I need to apologize.”

  Caitlin was heading for Chase’s pickup, and he picked up his pace to intercept her. “Cait, wait up,” he yelled but she ignored him. She was already in his truck, had started the engine and was backing up. He jumped up on the running board, leaned over the steering wheel, turned off the ignition and took the keys out.

  “Fine!” Caitlin growled. She slammed the truck into park, scooted across the bench seat and was out the passenger door before he got around the truck. She was beyond furious. Her whole body was rigid with temper. Chase grabbed her, and before she could swing at him, swirled her around and ducked down and had her over his shoulder.

  “God damn it, Chase! Let me the down!” she yelled through gritted teeth.

  “Not until you calm down,” he said firmly.

  “I’m not going to calm down as long as you’re fucking manhandling me!” Caitlin yelled, punching him in the ribs.

  “Then you’re going to be up here a while,” Chase exclaimed and he headed for an outbuilding that housed tractors and equipment. He opened the sliding door, pushed it aside and turned on the overhead electric lights, pulled the door shut again. Only then did he set her down on her feet.

  Caitlin no sooner got her balance and she hauled off and kicked him in the shin, hard.

  “Cait!” Chase hissed and stepped back before she could land a more damaging, much higher kick. He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her across the shed where he sat down on a wooden toolbox and tossed her over his knee.

  Caitlin kicked and screamed, but it was a losing battle. She was face down, and Chase was spanking her hard. The fabric of her jeans wasn’t much protection against his hard hand.

  “Stop it!” she screamed.

 
“No!” Chase said bluntly, and he landed another five whacks on her backside before the first sob escaped her throat. He landed ten more hard smacks before he paused.

  “Are you ready to calm down?” he demanded.

  Caitlin didn’t answer, she only cried and nodded.

  Chase sat her up, but he didn’t loosen his grip on her. He waited until she stopped crying and was snuffling. She was so furious she was shaking.

  “I’m leaving,” Caitlin said straight out.

  “No, you’re not,” Chase said firmly. “This entire family barbecue was set up to welcome you. I’m not going to allow you to hurt my parents that way!”

  Caitlin shut her eyes and got to her feet, walked over a stood by the wall still shaking with temper. It was a full minute before she spoke. “I’ll go back, and I’ll get through this barbecue, but only for your mother’s sake. After that, I’m leaving. You can make up any excuse you want. I don’t care! I’m not staying here. I won’t be around your brother, or the Stepford wives, not for another minute. I can’t stand what he’s doing to that boy, and I won’t stay here and watch him do it.”

  “Range is wrong,” Chase said quietly.

  “Tell him!” Caitlin yelled.

  “I have,” Chase said calmly. “Cait, I can’t interfere with my brother’s family. I can tell him he’s wrong, but I can’t change his mind for him. He has to realize what he’s doing and change it himself.”

  Caitlin faced off against him with tears running down her cheeks. “Meanwhile that boy pays the price for his father being an arrogant, egotistical tyrant! I’ve been where Wyatt is now. I was sixteen when I entered college on a full ride scholarship. Do you have any idea how hard it is for a kid that age to be on a campus full of college-aged students? Some are kids, but most are obnoxious young adults! It’s like throwing a puppy in with a bunch of abused pit bulls. Do you know how hard it is for that kid to know that he’s smarter than most people around him? Being that smart, at that age, means it’s really hard to have friends - real friends - and not kids that want to use you to do their homework. Being that smart means you’re a target for bullies and anyone who wants to have a grudge against you because they can’t keep up with you! Ninety percent of normal people can’t! Wyatt is going to have it hard enough without his idiot father trying to make him deny his intelligence. I didn’t have a family to support me, and that kid is not going to have one either because his father is a pig-headed ass, and his mother is afraid to speak up for him.”