Rudy stepped forward and reached out to shake Duke’s hand. “Congratulations to you both.” He smiled and cast a hesitant glance at his wife. “We’re happy for you.”
“Yes. Congratulations.” Loretta’s eyes traveled to Avalon’s stomach before meeting her eyes. “At least that explains the excessive amount of food you consumed at dinner tonight.” She remained in front of them, hands clasped, her posture wooden.
“Other than you, Mom, she ate very little compared to the rest of us.” Duke threw her a warning look and turned to his brother. “You’ll be an uncle, Cal. What do you think about that?”
Calvin shrugged. “It’ll be okay.”
One of the McNeil’s employees came in. “Dessert is ready,” she said.
Loretta nodded curtly and motioned toward the dining room. “On that note, shall we?” She led the way out, closely followed by her husband and youngest son. She managed to get up alongside Avalon and whisper, “You might consider skipping dessert tonight. You’ll have to watch the weight gain with your body type.”
Avalon felt her face grow hot. A scan of the room and she could tell no one else had heard the woman’s comment. She jumped when she felt a hand on her back.
“Are you okay?” Duke’s words were near her ear.
She turned and raised an eyebrow at him. From his expression, it was all he needed. “How about you?”
“Sure.” He didn’t sound convincing. “I need to learn to lower my expectations where my family’s concerned.”
Avalon’s heart hurt for her husband. “More of a response would have been nice.”
“Yeah. It would have.”
He deserved better. Father, please fill him with peace. He’s acting strong but that had to have hurt. Give him the strength he needs to get through the rest of the night.
Duke cleared his throat. “Let’s go eat some apple fritter cake and get out of here.”
Chapter Fourteen
The drive home was a quiet one. Avalon tried to start a conversation several times, but Duke couldn’t focus enough to express his own thoughts. The evening at his parents’ house might have gone worse. But there’d been a part of him that hoped, once he’d told them they would be grandparents, he’d get some kind of reaction. A show of excitement or anticipation at the idea of having a grandbaby would have been nice.
But there’d been nothing but the same old thing he’d received since he’d been a child. It never mattered how hard he tried, it wasn’t good enough. His mother had never approved of Avalon because Loretta didn’t think she was good enough for him.
Her attitude toward his wife was maddening, but for her to extend that to her own grandchild? The anger burned like acid in his throat.
“I’m worried about you, Duke.”
Avalon’s voice broke through his thoughts and he reached over to take her hand in his. “Don’t. I’m used to them.”
“Just because you’re used to how they treat you doesn’t make it okay.”
She was right. But it didn’t mean he was ready to analyze everything yet. “I appreciate that.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m exhausted and I’m not up to talking about it tonight.”
She said nothing else. They got home, let Khanrad out before bed, and put leftovers in the fridge.
Avalon went upstairs to get ready for bed but surprised him by coming back down again. She watched him and, even in the dim light, he recognized the concern in her eyes. He took in the oversized shirt and knit shorts she wore. The combination was one of his favorites. She moved closer to him.
“Please talk to me,” she said, her voice soft and laced with worry.
Duke ran a hand through his hair and moved to sit on the arm of the couch. His instinct was to excuse himself and go to bed. He didn’t like talking about his parents. He’d gone through his childhood developing — and then perfecting — the ability to push his emotions regarding them into the dark recesses of his mind. He couldn’t change them or the way they reacted to him. And there was little he could ever do that made his mother, especially, accept him for who he was.
The amazing woman in front of him expressed more interest, kindness, and concern than his parents ever had. It was a balm on his wounded heart.
“They didn’t show even the tiniest amount of excitement about the baby. It made me realize that, if they didn’t care about their own grandchild, then there really is nothing I can do to make them happy.”
Avalon shook her head. “Maybe we shocked them. Your mom showed me those bathroom tiles. That’s the most she’s ever said to me. We can hope she wants to change the situation and isn’t sure how to do it.”
What she said made a lot of sense. After seeing his mom talking to Avalon, he had to admit there’d been a flash of hope she might see the error of her ways. The notion was quickly followed by suspicion. “I doubt it, sweetheart. There are too many years of history to make me think otherwise.”
~
They had breakfast together and Avalon watched Duke drive off to work before cleaning up the kitchen mess and beginning the housework.
At one point, Khanrad asked to go outside and she obliged. He’d been good about staying right around the house. She closed the screen door and went back to dusting and listening to her music.
Avalon had been in the zone cleaning and forgot the dog was outside until over an hour passed. Suddenly remembering him, she gasped, turned the vacuum off quickly and the music down. She heard him barking right away and breathed a sigh of relief. At least he hadn’t wandered off.
It sounded like he was in the front yard and not at all happy. She stepped out onto the porch and stopped in her tracks.
There in the driveway sat Loretta McNeil’s purple luxury car, a sharp contrast to her Nissan parked next to it.
Khanrad raced from the driver’s door to the passenger door and back again. At each stop, he balanced on his back feet to see inside the window, unleashing a series of growls and barks.
Avalon’s eyes moved to the panicked woman in the car. She sat in the driver’s seat and leaned forward as she pounded her fist on the windshield. Avalon could tell she was yelling something, but couldn’t make out a word.
Khanrad ran around to her side of the car again. When his paws hit the window, Loretta jumped a foot and Avalon imagined she hit her head on the ceiling. It took every ounce of control she had not to laugh out loud.
Loretta hit the horn. Avalon held a hand up and started down the stairs. “Khanrad, that’s enough. Come here, boy.” She clapped her hands loudly and then patted her leg.
Tongue flopping out of his mouth, he loped to her side and looked at her with pride. “Good boy. You’re a good boy.” She scratched his ears and approached the car.
Loretta’s face was all fury, her normally perfect hair mussed on one side with a section of it sticking out over her ear. She rolled the window down and stuck her head out. “Do you have that beast under control?”
Avalon made a point of grasping Khanrad’s collar. She hadn’t realized the strength the dog possessed until she tried to keep him still.
What was Loretta doing here? She waited as the older woman got out of the car, smoothing her hair back into place with her hands. Her eyes stayed on Khanrad. “You can put it away.”
“This is our new dog and I’m afraid he’s especially protective after the issues we’ve had around our property. He won’t bother you now.” Avalon gave her the kindest smile she could muster, hoping to set the older woman at ease. “What brings you by this morning, Mrs. McNeil?”
Avalon didn’t miss the hate in Loretta’s eyes as she glared at the dog. Her lips were pursed so tightly they would have been white if it weren’t for the thick, red lipstick that covered them. She took a few steps and bent down to retrieve a set of keys lying half buried in the dirt at her feet.
Avalon stifled another grin. She had no doubt that, since Loretta had dropped her keys in her haste to get away from Khanrad, the dog would’ve happily kept her trapped in the car for
hours.
Loretta frowned. “Have you heard anything else from the police regarding the attempted break-in?”
“No. They came by to take pictures and some evidence. If there’s any news, they’ll call us.”
Loretta nodded toward Khanrad. “And that’s why you got the dog.”
“Yes. We got him after the four-wheelers disappeared. Thanks to Khanrad, here, the intruder wasn’t able to get into the garage this last time.” Avalon patted the dog’s head. He’d calmed down and sat on the ground next to Avalon’s shoes, but he never took his eyes off Loretta.
“It’s probably not a bad idea. Though you can’t take him everywhere with you. I heard that another ranch on the other side of Yuma is having similar problems. The rancher’s wife was attacked and beaten when she got back from the grocery store.”
Avalon’s heart rate increased at the words, but she tried not to react. Was Loretta threatening her? Surely not. “I’ll be careful. I don’t intend to go anywhere without Duke or Khanrad by my side. Thanks for letting me know.” She paused. “Did you decide on a tile for your bathroom?”
Loretta waved a hand at her dismissively. “I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go with the gray.” The chill in her eyes made Avalon shiver. “Your parents must have a difficult time with you living down here and knowing that their grandchild will grow up so far away from them.”
“Not seeing them often is hard. But we’re going to make sure we go and visit regularly.”
“Pregnancy is a nightmare. I’ve gone through it twice and both times I wished for it to be over as quickly as possible. You will need help. You should consider going home again. Your parents would be happy to have you back.” She narrowed her gaze, her red lips pursed. “You don’t belong here and my Duke doesn’t need the burden.”
Avalon blinked at her, unable to believe what she was hearing. Loretta might not be a nice woman, but Avalon never imagined she could stoop this low. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. “Excuse me? I’m not going anywhere.”
Loretta raised her eyebrows, frown lines deepening around her mouth. “Go back to Texas where you belong.” She nodded at the room past Avalon. “Since you aren’t going to invite me in, I’ll go back to work. Unlike you, I have no time during my day to stand around and dog sit. Have a good afternoon.”
Avalon waited long enough to make sure she got back into her fancy car before she retreated into the house and locked the door behind her. With her back against the door, she tried to make sense of her conversation with Loretta.
She ran through the last few minutes again before pulling her phone out and dialing her brother’s number.
“Hey, Avalon!”
The sound of Lance’s voice acted like a soothing balm on her raw nerves. She sank down onto the couch and took in a steady breath.
“Do you have a minute to talk?”
“For you? Anytime. Are you doing okay?”
“Things between Duke and I are going well. But I have something I wanted to get your advice on.”
Avalon told him about the McNeil family’s reaction to her being back and the baby, about the stolen ATVs, the intruder the night before, and finally about the conversation she’d had with Loretta.
“What do you think? Am I overreacting?”
“Are you kidding? I’m tempted to fly down and deck both of his parents for reacting like that to the news of the baby.” His voice was deep with anger and Avalon pictured him clenching his fist. “What kind of people are they? To dismiss their own grandchild like that…”
“Lance. Trust me, you’re not saying anything I haven’t thought of already.”
“I’m sure that’s true. But you’re too nice to throw a punch. I’m not.”
Avalon grinned. Her big brother, always ready to protect her at a moment’s notice. “I miss you, Lance.”
“I miss you, too. It’s unlikely she’s responsible for the thefts. But from what you said, there’s no doubt she’s trying to get rid of you. She sounds like a real piece of work.”
Avalon sighed. “Yes, she is.”
“Are the police getting anywhere with the investigation?”
“Not so far.” Lance said nothing for a moment and she started to wonder if the line got disconnected. “Are you still there?”
“Sorry. Yes, I’m here. Document everything. And watch your back. Do me a favor and don’t go wandering around on your own. Keep that dog with you.”
“I’ll be careful — I promise. How’s Lexi doing?”
“She’s well. She loves her new job at the pediatrician’s office and I get to see her more with the different schedule. You won’t hear me complaining.” The happy lilt to his voice revealed how in love he was.
She smiled, picturing her brother and the completely besotted expression she’d seen on his face whenever he’d been near Lexi. “I’m glad to hear it. I’d better let you go. Don’t work too hard today.”
“I’ll try not to. I love you, little sister.”
“I love you, too.”
Chapter Fifteen
When Duke returned home to eat lunch and pick up Avalon, he was shocked to learn about his mother’s visit. “She told you what?”
Avalon repeated herself and Duke shook his head, trying to process her words. He planned to call the police and find out if there really had been trouble at one of the other ranches in the area.
His mother hated that he’d married Avalon. She’d all but told him he should ask her to leave. He’d hoped things would change once they knew about the baby. But if she encouraged Avalon to go home now, then he feared his mother would never change. The realization that he didn’t trust her any further than he could throw her bothered him.
What made him angrier than anything else was how she’d considered the baby — and Avalon — a burden to him. He put his hands on Avalon’s shoulders. “I don’t want you to think for a moment she was right in what she said. You and the baby are as far from being a burden as you can get. No matter what, that will never be the case. You hear me?”
Avalon nodded and he tugged her into his arms, brushing a kiss against the top of her head.
Did he think Loretta would stoop low enough to cause his wife harm? Duke didn’t want to believe she could. But there was enough evidence to put a tiny bit of doubt in the back of his mind. He wasn’t putting Avalon or the baby at risk.
Avalon moved to take a step away from him, staying in the circle of his arms. “I called my brother and talked to him about some of this. He said to make sure we document everything. I’ll write down what your mom told me. Lance doesn’t like the idea of my being alone. At least, between you and Khanrad, I never am.”
Duke agreed with her brother. After hearing about his mom’s visit, he wasn’t keen on leaving her on her own again. But there wasn’t a lot they could do about it – at least not all the time. Praise God they had the dog. “Khanrad really had my mom trapped in her car?”
“Yep. Without her keys. I’m pretty sure he would have kept her there for hours. It’s a shame I heard him barking so quickly.”
There was no missing the amusement on her face. Duke tipped his head back and laughed loudly. “He’s a good judge of character.”
~
Avalon waited until Duke ended his call. “What did they say?”
He’d called the police department to question them about the claims his mother made. He laid his phone down on the table. “Well, she told you the truth. A woman was attacked when she got home from the grocery store. She and her husband own a ranch on the other side of town. She got away by sounding the car alarm using her key chain.”
“Did they have any idea whether it’s connected to what’s going on here or not?”
“No. They caught the man who did it within an hour.” Duke released a huff of frustration. “This doesn’t give us any answers. If mom had lied about it, I would consider that a threat. But she probably used the story to scare you off.”
“And after everything else that�
�s been going on here, she figured it wouldn’t take much.”
He nodded his agreement. “Are you ready to go?”
“Absolutely.”
They needed groceries and Duke insisted they go together that morning. Harvest was beginning and that meant he would be out in the fields all day for a while. Avalon was thankful he took the morning off.
After making sure Khanrad couldn’t reach any of the food in the house, they got in her car and headed out.
“How long does the harvest last?”
“We grow three kinds of lettuce. We’ll be harvesting for the better part of the next three months.” Duke steered the car down the dirt road to the main highway leading to Yuma. “It’s quite the process. But that’s why Yuma hosts a lettuce festival in February. To celebrate getting through the harvest and enjoy the crops.”
“It sounds like everyone works together. I’d like to come out with you in the afternoons.”
“The actual harvest is a lot of work, Avalon. I’d worry about you getting too tired with the baby and all.” He must have sensed she wanted to argue with him because he held a hand up to stop her. “But I’d love to show you how it’s all done and you can watch all you want. It’s a real display of teamwork.”
Avalon smiled. “That’ll be great. I’m looking forward to it.”
They neared the highway. Their car passed under the sign for the McNeil farm but Duke didn’t seem to be slowing down. Her gaze snapped to him as he stomped hard on the brakes. Their speed didn’t change.
“Duke?”
“The brakes aren’t working.” He pumped them a few more times. When nothing happened, he reached for the emergency brake. “Hang on.”
The entrance onto the highway drew closer. Avalon gripped the sides of her seat and sucked in a breath. Duke eased the emergency brake on.
She swallowed a gulp of air. “We’re not going to stop in time!”
“I know. I’ve got this.” The brakes squeezed against the rear tires, grinding, as they continued to move.
Finding Courage (Love's Compass Book 3) Page 11