“You ain’t man enough to take it. Never have been. Never will be.” Deck took a blatant step forward. “Are you?”
Deck didn’t expect the first punch so fast. The second punch knocked him off-balance. The third punch sent him sprawling in the dirt.
Tell pounced on him, his fists connecting with flesh and bone. He let fly with years’ worth of pent-up rage.
Deck didn’t defend himself at all.
Unfortunately, Tell didn’t get many licks in before he was rudely ripped away from pummeling Deck’s face.
“What in the world is goin’ on here?” the man demanded.
Tell fought the adrenaline rush and jerked out of the man’s hold. All he cared about was Georgia. Who was crouched in the dirt next to Deck. Her hand on his arm. Her angry glare aimed right at him. At him. Not at Deck.
All the breath whooshed out of Tell’s body, along with that tiniest bit of hope.
“What has gotten into you?” she hissed. “Why did you attack him?”
Just out of Georgia’s line of sight, Deck’s lips lifted into a greasy grin that showed blood on his teeth.
The fucker had won. Georgia had chosen Deck again.
Tell stepped back.
When Deck opened his big, fat mouth, Tell turned and walked away.
Georgia had an overpowering sense of loss as Tell disappeared into the crowd.
She shook her head to try and clear the confusion. She’d been right there and she had no idea what’d just happened. Tell and Deck had been arguing about some past slight and then they were on the ground, Tell throwing punches that Deck hadn’t attempted to defend.
Something was wrong with that picture.
“You gonna go running after McKay now? Dry his tears? ’Cause guaranteed the loser is crying. He always does.”
She looked at him “Why would he cry? You didn’t even land a punch.”
“Not this time.” He wiped blood from his smirking mouth.
“What do you mean, not this time?”
“You think that’s the first occasion me’n him have locked horns? Nope. But I always beat his ass down.”
“Always? When was the last time?”
“End of senior year.”
All the blood drained from her face. She remembered Tell had come to school a complete wreck. He’d claimed the damage was from getting thrown off a bucking horse. “Those bruises on his face were your doing? You went after him? Why?”
“Because he gave you a ride home and he knew better than to touch what didn’t belong to him.”
“You stranded me at school. He drove me home. That was it.”
Deck shrugged. “Not according to him. He tracked me down, said you were miserable and cryin’ because of me and that you deserved someone better, so I oughta leave you alone.”
She backed away. “I had no idea.”
“Of course you didn’t. Even McKay ain’t stupid enough to brag about getting the shit kicked outta him.”
Georgia wasn’t talking about the fight. She was shocked that Tell had stood up for her years ago. A girl he barely knew.
“Seeing that look on McKay’s face when I told him you weren’t sticking around? Priceless.”
God. She felt sick to her stomach and as confused as ever. “Why do you hate him so much?”
“I don’t hate him. I just like putting him in his place.”
So it hadn’t been about her. Just another example of Deck getting his kicks out of being a bully. And Deck knew she’d take the side of the guy on the receiving end of punches, not the side of the guy throwing them. She’d played into his hands perfectly.
“The committee can hold on to my check for another week or so, right?”
Georgia refocused on her asshole ex-husband. “I guess. Why?”
“Me’n Tara-Lee are movin’ to New Mexico.”
“What? When did this come about?”
“As soon as Robert gave me money from the sale of the hog farm.”
“Is my dad going with you?”
Deck snorted. “No. Why would he?”
“Because he’s been like a father to you.”
“Whoa. Robert ain’t my dad. And it’s always been a little creepy how he acted like he was.”
But only up to the point where it benefited Deck, when Robert forked over a pile of cash to a guy he’d considered his son. “After all my dad did for you? You’re just gonna take the money and run?”
“I earned every penny of that money for the years I slaved at that hog farm,” he retorted hotly. “Robert and I are friends, Georgia, but mostly we’re business partners. Now the business is sold, we’re parting ways.”
“Business partners?” she repeated. “You’ve always been much more than that.” Hadn’t they?
Deck shook his head. “I like Robert. He’s a great guy. I know you need someone to blame for how things ended up with your father after RJ died, but your dad didn’t choose me. Your mom left. You left in mind and spirit months before your body did. Robert didn’t have anyone else but me. I never tried to take RJ’s place, Georgia. I never tried to take yours, either. Robert’s been a broken man for a long time. Maybe it’s time you step up to the plate and help put him back together.”
Deck’s accusations settled in and he walked away for good.
Georgia had a weird punch of anxiety when she pulled up to the house she hadn’t seen in years. The house she’d fled from and never looked back.
It’s concrete and wood. Neither the structure nor the memories contained within have power over you.
As she started up the sidewalk, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She saw her father sitting on a pile of tires, staring at the house. Even from a hundred feet away, an aura of defeat surrounded him.
“Dad?”
He turned his head toward her as she erased the distance between them. “Georgie?”
Her retort, “Does anyone else call you Dad?” came out a little harsh.
“Nope.”
“I saw Deck at the Devil’s Tower Rodeo. I’m a little shocked he’s just up and moving to New Mexico.”
He grunted.
“Were you surprised he’s leaving?”
“Nope. Deck’s been restless and lookin’ for an exit since he knocked up Tara-Lee. After nearly nine years, we were both ready to move on.” He spit a stream of tobacco juice on the ground and squinted at her. “What brings you here?”
“I came to see if you’re okay.”
“I see you’ve still got that sweet streak you inherited from your mother.” He sighed. “I’m not okay. Haven’t been for quite a while. I’m tired. Some days it’s just too much. And now… It ain’t like I’ve got anywhere to go.”
Georgia didn’t know what to say. Her father was the most closemouthed person she’d ever met. So he must really be in distress if he was opening up to her.
“Things between you and Mom…?”
“Irina ain’t invited me to live with her in Boulder if that’s what you’re asking. I’d go in a heartbeat if I thought there was a chance she’d take me back. But I’m sure you don’t wanna hear about that.” He squinted at her. “Today was the last rodeo for that PR company you work for?”
Who had he heard that from? She hadn’t told him and it wasn’t common knowledge. “Yes.”
“So when are you going back to Dallas?”
The idea of getting in her car, leaving Tell and Wyoming, made her stomach hurt, her eyes burn and her heart heavy. Her life had changed these past months. Changed for the better. Although if she talked to Tell, she doubted he’d see any change in her at all, since she’d kept the truth from him again.
“Maybe the question oughta be are you going back to Dallas?”
“I don’t know. My time here has turned out differently than I imagined.”
“Has Tell McKay played a part in that?”
No reason to lie now. “A big part.”
“He’s a good man. I saw him…makin’ sure you were okay on the ann
iversary of RJ’s death.”
She stared at him in shock. “Tell never said anything about you being at the cemetery.”
“I wasn’t there for you any more than you were there for me. It’s a day I’d like to forget, but I can’t seem to, no matter how hard I try.” He pointed to her tattoo. “Your brother would like you done that in his memory.”
Georgia saw his expectation—he wanted her to say something poignant, but the words wouldn’t come.
“Look, I’m sure whatever you decide about stayin’ here or returning to Dallas, Barbara will understand. She’s a tough old broad, but she’s able to look at things from different angles. It’s why she’s been so successful.”
The hair on the back of Georgia’s neck stood up. “Whoa. Are you telling me you know Barbara Wyrelinski?”
Her father nodded.
“How long have you known her?”
A pause. A heavy sigh. “Forty-some years. She’s the sister of my army buddy who got killed in Vietnam. She sorta adopted me as her big brother. We both had interest in the western lifestyle and we stayed in touch.”
“Why didn’t I know that?”
“I’ve been around the world and I’ve got lots of friends you aren’t aware of,” he said tightly.
“I get that. But this is my boss we’re talking about, Dad. In the four years I’ve worked for her, she never once mentioned knowing you. Why?”
“Because I wouldn’t let her tell you.”
Georgia frowned. She thought back to her conversations with Stephanie. About the odds of getting assigned a job in Sundance, Wyoming. So what were the odds that Barbara, a business owner from Dallas who just happened to be a friend of her father’s, just happened to be one of the employer interviewers in Laramie, Wyoming, four years ago?
Astronomically slim.
Then she knew. Her father had set up the entire thing. He’d always run her life with a heavy hand and it seemed no matter how far away she moved, she’d never be out of his reach.
She stood and paced angrily, kicking up dust that reeked like pig manure. “I always believed I’d nailed that interview with Barbara on my own merits. But now I find out you…” Her entire body burned with humiliation.
“You did get hired on your own merits, Georgie. Yes, I asked Barbara to do the official interview at UW, but she does that all the time. And she wouldn’t have hired you as a favor to me—she’s too shrewd a businesswoman for that. Barbara liked what she saw in you—that’s why she offered the job. And I’ve not meddled in your life since.”
Her head spun. “Did Mom know about this?”
“No one but me’n Barbara knew.”
“Didn’t you think it was wrong if you had to keep it a secret? From everyone? Especially me?”
“What would you have done, Georgie, if I’d told you that I’d asked an old friend to interview you? You would’ve refused the meeting out of anger and resentment, just because that option came from me.”
She opened her mouth. Closed it. That wasn’t true. Was it?
“I’ll agree some of your anger toward me is justified. But you are my daughter. I care what happens to you. As your father, you can’t fault me for tryin’ to help you secure a job so you could provide for yourself. I’ll repeat, the only part I had in this process was getting you the first interview. The rest you did on your own. And you should be proud of that. God knows I am.”
Georgia was too mad to acknowledge his pride in her. “And what part did you have in convincing Barbara to assign me to a job in Sundance?” she demanded.
He looked away.
“Not meddling in my life anymore? Bullshit.”
“I know what it looks like. But Larry and Kim Pradst, who own L bar K, are friends of mine. They’ve stuck by me when no one else did. When they hit tough times because of Larry’s cancer, I gave them Barbara’s name for a possible buyout since rodeo promotion is part of her business. Barbara handled it from there, but the Pradsts knew you worked for her.”
“How?” she demanded.
“Because I told ’em.” His voice dropped. “They got a promise from Barbara that you’d take over their events in Wyoming, if only for this season.”
Throughout her realizations and recriminations, one question kept repeating in her head: had her life ever been her own? Had she ever been allowed to make her own decisions?
Her father’s gruff voice roused her. “Georgia Lou. Please. Stop cryin’. You’re gonna make yourself sick.”
She reached up to find her cheeks were wet. And although the sun beat down, she was cold. So cold. She shivered.
“I’ve gotta go. I’ve gotta…” What? Where did she go when her life was in shambles?
Then her dad did the strangest thing. He hauled her into his arms, hugged her tightly, patted her back awkwardly and released her abruptly. “I know you’re upset. But that was the last thing hanging between us. Now that everything is out in the open, we can start fresh. I don’t wanna lose you, now that there’s a chance we can fix this.”
Georgia nodded numbly, trying to ignore the pleading tone. The only thing she wanted to fix right now—was a drink.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
At the Golden Boot, Georgia poured her heart out to Stephanie.
Stephanie made sympathetic noises, patted her hand, handed her tissues, ordered her another drink. “G, you know I love you, right?”
“Yes. And can I just say the day we became college roommates was one of the luckiest days of my life?”
“Such a suck-up,” Stephanie said dryly. “But that sweet sentiment doesn’t mean I’ll sugarcoat my observations.”
“I know.” Georgia wiped her eyes. “Which is why I had to tell someone who’d have an unbiased opinion.”
Stephanie thoughtfully stirred her drink. “I’m usually the first to point out there’s no wrong way to grieve, but the way your father handled RJ’s death? Was the wrong way. Many families implode after that type of event. Yours is no exception. It’s always seemed to you that your dad chose Deck over you. I can’t speak to the logic of that, except to point out that if your father had kicked Deck to the curb, would you have pitched in and helped him with the hog farm?”
Georgia wrinkled her nose. “No.”
“Your dad, who was grieving, threw himself into a new enterprise to take his mind off his loss and pain. He needed help, but he didn’t get it from his wife or his daughter. Who was the one person that did support him?”
“Deck.”
“Yes, Deck. His son-in-law, the man you married, the guy he considered part of his family. That’s natural, Georgia. Maybe it wasn’t natural for you to leave and Deck to stay, but that’s how it played out. And wishing it was different won’t change anything.”
“Never crossed my mind to ask Deck to come with me, because it was him I wanted to get away from.” She winced. “I wasn’t exactly a good wife.”
“You were too young to be saddled with the responsibility of marriage. Add in the other stuff… I’m surprised you lasted two years. You bailed only a few months after your mother. Didn’t change the fact your dad still needed help. Deck stood by him. I highly doubt your father agreed with Deck’s treatment of you.”
Hadn’t her father tried to explain, in his gruff way, that a woman leaving a man makes the man do stupid things? Strange to think her dad hadn’t been talking about Deck and her. He’d meant that he hadn’t been thinking straight when his wife had left him.
How could Stephanie be turning this issue on its head and making Georgia sympathetic toward her father?
Maybe you’re finally growing up and putting those perceived slights in the proper context. Seeing it from your dad’s point of view. Seeing that the tragedy of RJ’s death made everyone act irrationally. Including you.
“His only option was to somehow make it up to you. When it came time for you to spread your wings, he wanted you to have a safe landing, so he brought in Barbara.”
“But isn’t that controlling and manipulat
ive?” Georgia asked.
Stephanie sighed. “Only if he told you he’d brought Barbara in especially for you and expected you’d take the job offer no matter what it was, because refusing it would ruin their friendship, and he’d gone to all the trouble for you, so you’d better fall in line.
“But he didn’t tell you he’d set it up, probably because you’d refuse a great opportunity on principle. Yes, you scored the interview because of him, but you scored the job on your own. And sweetie, you’re really naïve if you think that type of nepotism doesn’t happen all the time, in every corner of business.”
“What about this summer rodeo gig? He basically set that up too.”
Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Yes, you’re having such a lousy time in Wyoming. Not stuck in a stuffy office. Reconnecting with old friends. Proving yourself in sales and event management. Having fun. Acting your age for a change.” She leaned closer. “Need I point out that you’ve fallen in love with Tell McKay?”
“No. It’s scary, these feeling I have for him. But whatever he might’ve felt for me? I destroyed by lying to him. I saw it on his face, Stephanie. Distrust, disbelief and disgust.” Georgia briefly closed her eyes, trying to blink away that image. “Him washing his hands of me is probably for the best.”
“The best for who? You’re the happiest you’ve ever been—or you were up until today. You can just snap your fingers and forget all that, like it never was?”
Georgia shrank back in the booth. “God no.”
“But you expect Tell can forget it? And he will?”
“That’s not a fair comparison.”
“It is fair, because it’s true. Tell loves you. I could see it that night at the reunion regardless if he was ready to admit it yet. You’re so worried about everyone making decisions for you that you don’t realize by walking away you’re doing the same thing to him.”
That stunned her. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Take control of your life. Nothing is predestined, Georgia. People make major changes in their lives every day.”
“But my job is in Dallas. My life is there.”
Stephanie smacked her hand on the table. “Can you please admit that you only really started living your life when you returned to Wyoming?”
Kissin' Tell: Rough Riders, Book 13 Page 32