Family Ties

by Joanna Wayne

  She laughed at the thought and hugged Petey, lacing the front of his shirt with more flour. There must be something to this cake-baking thing she hadn’t mastered yet. That or else Gold Medal was making a fortune. Five pounds of flour to one cake. Two cups for the mixing bowl, the rest for the countertop and kitchen floor.

  Petey grabbed a wooden spoon from the counter and jabbed it in the buttery mixture, making motor noises and kicking his feet against the counter. Ashley glanced at the clock. Four already, and she wanted the cake baked and iced and the kitchen clean before Dillon returned about five-thirty.

  He’d left her crying. When he came home, she planned to be smiling. And wearing the pink dress he liked so much, the one he said made her look like the fairy princess in Petey’s book. A sexy fairy princess, he’d said. The kind that would need a cowboy and not some sissy prince.

  He was right on all counts. She was sexy, and she needed a cowboy. But not just any cowboy. He had to be tall, rugged, handsome and have an adorable son named Peter Dillon Randolph. Bending, she kissed Petey and set him on the floor.

  “No, Mommy. Make cake.”

  “If you keep helping, I’ll never get through with everything before Daddy gets home. And Daddy and I have a lot to talk about, because your mommy is finally going to give this family concept a Texas try.”

  Dillon was right, though it had taken an hour of tears and two hours of wrestling with her conscience to admit it. She wouldn’t run, not anymore. Lester was after her. Not Petey and not Dillon. If he’d wanted to hurt either of them he’d had ample opportunity.

  She’d face Lester if it came to that. But she wouldn’t desert her husband or her son. She and Dillon and Petey were a family. And family they’d always be.

  Always. There it was again. That little word that gave her so much trouble. As long as Lester Grant was on the loose, always was counted in minutes and hours. So she had to make the hours and minutes count.

  “Make cake.” Petey pulled at her legs, determined to return to his previous spot on the counter.

  “Why don’t you play with-”

  Her proposal was interrupted by the doorbell. Dusting her hands on the snowy apron, she hurried to the living room and opened the door. “Trick! Am I glad to see you.”

  “Now that’s what I call a welcome.” He tipped his hat and rocked back on his boots. “But I don’t know what I did to deserve it.”

  “Timing. It’s all in the timing.”

  “I’d agree with you on that.”

  “Do you think you could play with Petey for a few minutes, just until I can finish with his birthday cake? Langley’s upstairs but he’s working on some variance graphs. I hate to bother him.”

  “Now ain’t that a coincidence? I came over to see if I could take Petey for a short ride. One of the heifers in Sagging Creek pasture calved this morning, and I figured Petey would get a kick out of the wobbly-legged baby.”

  “I was thinking maybe you could just entertain him in the house for a few minutes.”

  “Sure I could, but you can’t keep a young cowpuncher in the house all the time. You’ll make a sissy of him. Bore him to death, too. What do you say, pardner?” Trick picked up Petey and swung him around before putting him down. “Do you want to ride the horse with me?”

  Petey’s eyes lit up like Christmas morning, and he stuck his hands in the air, waving for Trick to pick him up.

  Apprehension spurred Ashley’s mind into a frantic search for a bad scenario, a half-worthy reason to say no. She was being ridiculous. Petey was every bit as safe with Trick as he was with her. Probably safer, considering the circumstances.

  Besides, Petey had been stuck in the house with her most of the day, and she really did want the cake to come out resembling something edible.

  “Go giddy-up,” Petey said, dragging Trick to the door.

  “How long will this take, Trick?”

  “I’ll have him back in half an hour, an hour at the most. We might stop by headquarters and see if Ryder’s in yet.”

  “You have to watch him every second.”

  “I’ll watch him like a starving man would a steak in a pack of wild dogs.”

  “Okay, if the calf is just over by Sagging Creek, I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”

  Ashley smeared Petey’s face with baby sunscreen and tugged a billed hat over his head, reminding Trick and Petey that he had to wear the hat in the bright sunshine. “Have fun, and be a good boy.”

  But Petey wasn’t into goodbyes, not when a horse was waiting. She stood at the door as they trotted away, Petey cuddled in the saddle in front of Trick, pulling on the reins and laughing and yelling giddy up at the top of his lungs.

  A Kodak moment. The camera wasn’t handy, but she filed the picture away in her heart, along with a million others.

  BRANSON SWERVED out of Susan Richards’s driveway and into the center lane. The afternoon sun glared through the window, almost blinding him. He’d planned to be home by now, should have finished a half dozen chores around the place, but those could wait. He plucked his sunglasses from the dash and then punched in Dillon’s car phone number.

  Busy. At least he’d gotten back from Austin and made it to the car. If the plane had landed on time, he should be just getting to the edge of the city limits. That would put him home by five, a little before Branson. He tried once more, but the busy signal persisted.

  He could call Ashley, but she’d only worry. He’d much rather let Dillon be the one to call the shots on this issue. He’d probably want to share the news with Ashley in person. Besides, even if Branson did tell her what he’d found out, she might not believe it coming from him. Who could blame her?

  He’d been way off base on everything. If he’d been giving odds as to who at the ranch might have had previous dealings with Lester Grant, he’d have been dead wrong. Now it turned out one of the men they’d trusted most might be Lester Grant’s number-one assistant. And Ashley could be in real danger.

  Branson pulled up at a red light and punched the redial button. His hands knotted around the steering wheel as the persistent busy signal droned loudly in his ear. He tried Trick’s number, or Ernest, as Susan had called him. It might be good to know exactly what he was doing at this minute.

  ASHLEY PACED the house. Trick had promised to have Petey back in half an hour. She checked her watch again. Their absence had stretched to an hour and ten minutes. And there was no sign of them yet. Nervously, she picked up Bear from the corner of the sofa and hugged him to her chest.

  Odors of baking wafted through the house, sickeningly sweet. She opened the door and leaned against the frame. The roaring of a motor jerked her to attention, and she strained her neck to see who was coming.

  A ragged pickup pulled up in front of the house, and Trick jumped out and sprinted toward her, but Petey was not with him. Instant panic coursed through her veins. “Where’s Petey?” Her tone telegraphed her fears.

  “He’s hurt. Not bad, at least I don’t think so. The horse bucked and threw the both of us. Petey hit his head.”

  The blood drained from Ashley’s brain, leaving her weak and disoriented.

  “I called the ambulance and got one of the ranch hands to stay with him. Then I came to get you fast as I could.”

  Her feet flew into action. She grabbed Petey’s bear and ran to the truck without thinking about calling to Langley. Trick gunned the motor, creating a cloud of dust, and slamming her against the seat.

  “Faster. Go faster!”

  And Trick did.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Trick left the road, cutting across dry pastureland, slowing only when he came to a closed gate. Ashley jumped from the truck before it stopped, pushed open the gate and jumped in, still urging Trick to drive faster. He took a sharp turn to the north, away from Sagging Creek.

  “Why are you going this way? You said you were riding Petey up to Sagging Creek.”

  “Well, that’s the scary part, Miss Ashley. Petey and I went way back on the far
northern end of the ranch. The good part is, I’ve been fibbing to you just a little. You see, Petey didn’t really fall.”

  Her heart slammed against her chest. “What are you talking about?”

  “Petey’s not really hurt. You’re his mama. You ought to be glad about that. The truth is, I wouldn’t do nothing to harm that little fellow. He’s a real special kid, that boy.”

  She was shaking so bad she wasn’t sure she could steady her voice. “He is special, Trick. And he’s just a little boy. Where is he?”

  “We’re gonna get there. It’s a little out of the way, but it’s a spot where you and Lester can have some privacy. He just wants to talk to you, Miss Ashley. You talk to him real nice, tell him where the money is, and we can all walk away from this with our boots clean.”

  “You left Petey with Lester?” Fear wrung her heart with near paralyzing force.

  “Just for a little while, so I could come and get you. Lester thought you’d be a shade more cooperative if Petey was already out at the shed waiting on you.”

  The shed. There were a dozen or more on the ranch, just like the one she’d almost burned to death in. And Lester could have Petey in any of them. Terror filled her, cold and shadowy, stealing her powers of reason when she’d never needed them more.

  Somehow she had to win Trick to her side, and she had to get word to Dillon. He’d be coming home soon, wondering where she was. But he’d never know where to look.

  “Lester is a murderer, Trick. He’s very dangerous. Did you know that?”

  “Now see, Miss Ashley, you aren’t talking nice. Talk like that makes Lester very angry. Just tell him where the money is.”

  “Why are you helping him? Can you at least tell me that?”

  “Because he owes me two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He’s been owing me for more than seven years, but seeing as how he was in prison and all, I’m not charging him a penny’s interest.”

  “Don’t play with me, Trick. I know you like to play the innocent country boy, but that’s not true, is it? You know exactly what you’re doing.”

  “I’m afraid you found me out. You see, I just happened to be visiting relatives in Longview when that bank robbery took place. A million dollars floating around, and I didn’t see why in the world a smart guy like me should be poor all my life, while trash like Lester had a million dollars.”

  Trick was laughing, enjoying himself. Bragging about his crooked dealings was obviously a treat for him.

  “What did you do for Lester?”

  “I visited him in jail and offered to help him out, for a price, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  “You see I already knew the chief witness. Susan Ellen Richards, a hot little number. She lived in my aunt’s apartment complex, and she liked me a whole lot. She was thrilled to tell what she knew on the stand-after I convinced her she knew it. And there was really no need in Lester going to jail for murder when he could blame it on a dead man with just a little help.”

  “That dead man was my brother.”

  “I’m real sorry about that.”

  “I’m sure you are.”

  “Looks like we’re here.” Trick jerked to a stop and swung out of the truck. Ashley flew to the shack and pushed open the door.

  “Mommy!”

  “Yes, sweetie, Mommy is here.” She realized Bear was still clutched in her fingers. She pushed the toy into Petey’s hands. “You take Bear outside and play while Mommy talks to the men.”

  “That’s a real good idea,” Trick said, taking Petey’s hand and leading him toward the door.

  “Not so fast, Ernest. You’re not the boss around here,” Lester barked.

  “Whatever you say. But it’s no use frightening the boy. Your quarrel’s not with him. And it’s Trick, remember? I always did hate the name Ernest.”

  Petey reached for a loose board, and Trick grabbed his hand, pulling him away. “That thing is full of rusty nails. They can hurt you,” he said, hoisting Petey to his shoulder.

  Ashley watched in amazement. She’d been wrong about Trick. He was ruthless and conniving. She’d also been right about him. His feelings for Petey were genuine. Now she had to find a way to use that knowledge to keep Petey safe.

  “So we meet again,” Lester said, as soon as Trick was out the door. “But this time we don’t have any nosy cops or brave husbands to get in the way.”

  “Then I guess you win.”

  “I guess the same thing. Where’s the money?”

  “Here, on the ranch,” she lied, knowing she had to stall for time. Trick might have a few redeeming qualities. Lester didn’t.

  “I suspected that all along. That’s the real reason you came back here, isn’t it?”

  “You certainly don’t think it was because I wanted to be stuck out in this wilderness?”

  “No, you came here to get the money and run. Now that I’m finally out of that rat-hole prison, you knew I’d be back to get what I’ve got coming to me.”

  “I knew you’d try, if you could find me. If Dillon hadn’t found me first, you’d still be looking,” she answered, trying to play Lester’s game.

  “It doesn’t really matter. I want the money, Ashley. All of it. I might have shared with you if you hadn’t made me work so hard for it. But you’ve made me real mad now.”

  “No, you wouldn’t have shared, Lester. It’s not your style. Unless we’re talking about sharing the blame for murder. It was you who killed those people in the bank, not my brother.”

  “You’ve got that right. He wasn’t even keen on robbing the bank, much less doing the dirty work.”

  “But you talked him into it. How clever of you.”

  “You give me too much credit. You were the reason he robbed the bank. He wanted to get a place of his own so you could come and live with him. He was going to buy you nice clothes, send you to college, take care of his little sister. That’s the reason I know he got that money to you.”

  Ashley swallowed the hurt that engulfed her. Peter had always wanted to do the right thing. He’d just never known how. And she had never known how to help him. Maybe that was part of the grief she carried with her, knowing she hadn’t been there for him, not even in the end.

  But she’d do something for him now. She’d outsmart Lester Grant if it was the last thing she did. And it well might be.

  “You can have the money, Lester, but only under one condition.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Let Trick take Petey to his grandmother at the big house. He can tell her I’m busy, that I need her to watch him for a little while.”

  “Nice try, but no way! I’m tired of the games, Ashley. Where’s the money?” He took a gun from his pocket and twirled it on his finger.

  She had to think fast, to come up with a plan that would stall for time. Only one came to mind. “The money’s in the lean-to where you dumped Potter Bingley after you killed him. It was you who killed him, wasn’t it?”

  “You catch on real fast. But you’re lying. Trick’s already searched there. We figured that might have been why you ended up there by yourself the other day. You were ready to cut out.”

  “Not in broad daylight, I couldn’t. The money is under the shed. I was just making sure no one had been digging there.”

  It was working. She could all but see the cogs turning. If she could make Lester hold off until dark, there was at least a chance Dillon could find them.

  DILLON CLIMBED from his car and headed inside the house. Ashley would be totally blown away by his discovery, especially if the money really was inside Bear, if it had been in her hands all the time.

  The phone was ringing when he opened the door. By the time he reached it, the caller had hung up. Ashley must be at the big house visiting his mother. Maybe he’d be able to catch up on some paperwork before dinner.

  “Dillon, are you in here?”

  Too late. Branson was at the door yelling like a wild man. “In here, Branson.”

 
“Grab a gun,” Branson ordered, stamping through the house. “I think Lester’s got Ashley and Petey. Lester and Trick.”

  Every fiber in Dillon’s body grew rock hard. “Where?”

  “That’s what we have to find out.”

  “GO EAT, Mommy.”

  “We will soon, baby.”

  Satisfied with her answer, Petey went back to playing on the balance board Trick had fashioned out of two rough boards.

  Lester paced the grass in front of the shack and growled. “Not soon enough for me. It’s another hour yet before it will be good dark.”

  “Then take your chances in the daylight.”

  “And make it easy for your hubby and his hired guns to find us? You’d like that, wouldn’t you? You just better hope the money’s there, Ashley.”

  “The money will be there.” She was bluffing. Lester probably suspected as much, but he couldn’t afford to take chances. If he killed her now and the money wasn’t there, he would have lost his only link.

  “The money better be there,” Lester repeated, once more with feeling.

  “Want money?” Petey asked, tiring of the beam. He stuck Bear in her face. “Bear have money.”

  “No, Petey. Take your bear and play.”

  Petey twisted a finger into the stitching at Bear’s ear. He worked long minutes at the task and then pulled out a bill and handed it to Lester. “Bear have money.”

  Lester unrolled the bill, comprehension washing over him in visible waves. Hands shaking, he grabbed the bear and ripped it open, staring in disbelief as wadded bills fell like rain. Thousands of bills, and one note.

  Ashley shuddered and gripped the side of the wall for support. The money. There it was. But it couldn’t be.

  Petey grabbed for his bear, but Lester jerked it out of his reach.

  “No hurt Bear! No, no!” Ashley lunged for Petey, but before she could reach him, he had hauled off and kicked Lester in the shins, screaming no over and over at the top of his lungs.

  Lester reached down to grab him, but Ashley reached him first, handing him to Trick. “Take him outside,” she ordered, no idea where she found the courage to give orders, and even less idea why Trick obeyed her.