Cowboy at the Crossroads

by Linda Warren

  Cord didn’t answer, and she glanced at his face, which had gone a grayish white. “Cord,” she said in an urgent voice. “What is it?”

  “The arguments,” he whispered. “The arguments were about us. I remember one time—Clay must’ve been about sixteen, and Pa wanted him to work on the ranch but instead he was building computers in his room. When Pa found out, he was furious. He said he was going to throw the computers in the creek and take a rope to Clay to beat some sense into him. Blanche got between them, and I can still hear her words. She said, ‘Don’t you dare. If you touch one hair on his head, I’ll leave you.’ Pa stormed out of the room, but afterward he was more open-minded about Clay’s computer skills. I’d forgotten about that. And there was the time Colton tried his hand at smoking. He set his bed on fire, and Pa was livid at his stupidity. Pa took his belt off and said he was gonna teach him a lesson. Blanche took the belt away from him and said he wasn’t hitting Colton and that Colton would be grounded for a month and wouldn’t get an allowance until the damages were paid for. Pa never liked his decisions questioned, but he gave in to Blanche.”

  “Did you father ever hit you?”

  “No, he had a bad temper and always did a lot of threatening, but he never hit any of us.”

  “Maybe because he knew Blanche wouldn’t stand for it,” she remarked. “In her own way, Blanche was there for each of you when you needed her.”

  “I never saw it that way back then, and neither did Clay or Colton.”

  “Maybe it’s time you did.”

  He cupped her face and kissed her gently. “I wish I had your loving spirit.”

  She kissed him back, and for a minute they were lost in each other. He rested his forehead against hers. “Oh, I needed that.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Cord.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Blanche didn’t destroy the second will.”

  He pulled back to look at her. “What do you mean?”

  “It was the original. So why didn’t she destroy it? No one ever would have known, but something in Blanche wouldn’t let her do that. It’s called character. Granted, Blanche had to dig deep to find it, but she did. I wonder if your father left both wills in the safe as a test for her.”

  “Maybe,” he murmured. “But I can’t think about it anymore.”

  Blanche was a contradiction that tied him in knots. Who was the real Blanche? He didn’t know, and maybe he’d never understand what motivated his mother. But he was very clear on one thing: Becca was the stabilizing force in his life. She brought him joy, and she gave him perspective on the whole family mess. For now, he would just concentrate on her.

  He held her tighter. “The sheriff called a little while ago. They located Bates’s address, but he wasn’t there. Sheriff Reyes wants us to be on the lookout for him. Evidently Bates has been spouting off to everyone that’s he’s gonna get even with me.”

  “Then, he was the one who tampered with the brake line?”

  “That’s the way it’s looking, and I don’t want you going anywhere without me or someone else.” He kissed the side of her bruised face. “I could kill him for what he’s done to you.”

  “We’ll just let the sheriff handle it, and I’ll stick to you like glue.” She pressed herself against him. “Oh, yeah, I like that idea.”

  He growled deep in his throat as his lips found hers, but the sound of someone coughing discreetly drew them apart. Mona was standing some distance away, watching them.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but no one answered the door.”

  “That’s all right,” Cord said as he straightened.

  He made no move to get up and Becca saw no need to get off his lap. Their relationship was intimate, and she certainly didn’t want to keep that a secret.

  “Blanche and Edie are dealing with a lot right now and I guess they didn’t feel like answering the door,” he explained.

  “Is something wrong?”

  Cord told her about the will.

  “Cord, I’m so sorry,” Mona said. “How could Blanche do that?”

  “I’m still trying to figure it out.”

  “But I am happy for you. I know how you feel about this ranch.”

  “Thanks, Mona.”

  “When you didn’t come by today, I knew there had to be some kind of problem.”

  “Damn, Mona, it completely slipped my mind. I’ll try to get over there in the next couple of days.”

  “No hurry. Just take care of your family first.”

  “I will.”

  “Goodbye.” Mona tipped her hat. “Dr. Talbert.”

  “You’ve known Mona for a long time?” Becca asked, as Mona walked away.

  “Since we were kids. She and Clay are the same age. She had a crush on him when they were younger and she still asks about him.”

  “But Clay didn’t feel the same way?”

  “No, he preferred feminine blondes.”

  “Really? Must be something in the Prescott genes.”

  He grinned. “Not entirely. These days, this Prescott prefers dark hair and dark eyes and…” The rest of his words were drowned as she kissed him.

  “And a lot of that,” he added in a whisper.

  Becca settled against him, feeling content. “Mona seems so stern and…sad.”

  “She’s had a very difficult life,” Cord said. “She was the only child of a man who wanted a son, which he never bothered to hide.”

  “I thought she was a man the first time I saw her.”

  “Sometimes she thinks she is. She runs her ranch better than almost any man I know. A few years back, she fell in love with a guy at the feed store. I told her what the hell, go for it, but then she found out he was married and she was devastated for weeks. Since then, I think she’s given up on any chance of love or marriage.”

  “That’s such a pity.”

  “Becca, Becca, Becca!” They could hear Nicki shouting as she came through the gate, her ponytail bouncing. Becca got up and met her halfway, and Nicki ran into her arms. “You should’ve seen me,” Nicki gushed. “I roped. Gus is teaching me. Gus said I was fast as greased lightning.”

  Becca kissed her cheek. “I’ll bet you are.” Her nose twitched as a pungent smell reached her nostrils and she noticed the dirt—or something else—on Nicki’s jeans.

  “What’s that smell?”

  Nicki brushed at her jeans. “I fell in the dirt when I jumped off Half Pint.”

  “I think it was more than dirt, little bit,” Gus said from behind.

  “It don’t matter,” Nicki said, then spotted Cord. “Daddy, wait till you hear!” She immediately ran to Cord.

  Cord held her close. “I heard, baby.”

  “I can rope real good,” Nicki mumbled into his shoulder.

  Cord just continued to hold her. He loved his child with all his heart, just as he loved the woman staring at him with those sparkling, gorgeous eyes. He was truly blessed. The anger inside slowly eased as he realized that. It was hard to stay angry when he had so much. Somehow, he had to find a way to keep this family together. He knew that was what Becca wanted and now he wanted it, too. Truly wanted it, in a way he never had before.

  “Let’s get you cleaned up,” Becca said, and took Nicki’s hand.

  “Gus said he ain’t seen nothin’ like it. He said…” Nicki was chattering away as they went into the house.

  Gus removed his hat. “What’s goin’ on, Cord?”

  Cord told him about the will.

  “Good God Almighty, what’s wrong with that woman?”

  “It’s a big mess” was all Cord said.

  Gus shook his head. “By golly. Ain’t this somethin’?”

  Cord didn’t want to tell him Blanche might have been harassing Anette. He still wasn’t clear on that.

  “Yeah, but there’s someone else I want to talk about,” he muttered.

  “Who?”

  “Joe Bates.”

  “Have they foun
d the bastard?”

  “No, but they found where he lives. His girlfriend said he was out taking care of business and the sheriff feels that business might be me. So I want everyone to be on the alert.”

  Gus stood. “Don’t worry. He won’t get past us again.”

  “Thanks, Gus, and I’d like to apologize for snapping at you the other day.”

  “No problem. We were all wound tight about the doc.”

  “I just can’t stand the thought of someone hurting her.”

  Gus patted him on the shoulder. “Yeah. Well, ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to the doc as long as we’re around. You can take that to the bank.”

  As Gus walked off, Cord hoped he was right. He’d feel a whole lot better when Joe Bates was caught.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  THAT NIGHT, after they’d put Nicki to bed, Cord and Becca sat in the den curled up on the sofa. Blanche and Edie were in their rooms. They hadn’t even come to supper. Nicki kept asking questions about it; she’d gotten used to Edie and Blanche eating with her. Cord just told her they had other plans for the evening. Nicki was disappointed because she’d wanted to tell them how well she could rope. That was the only thing on her mind, and she didn’t notice any tension in the house, which was a relief to Cord.

  Becca ran her fingers through Cord’s hair. “What are you thinking about?”

  He kissed the palm of her hand. “I called Colton and Clay while you were reading to Nicki.”

  “How did they react?”

  “They were shocked, but both said basically the same thing. Pa left them a trust fund, which they got, and they’re satisfied with that. They said that whatever Edie and I decide to do about the ranch is up to us and they’ll support us. But we plan to meet and discuss it. Colton asked about you. Evidently your father mentioned the accident.”

  “What did he say?”

  “His usual warning. Also that it’s time for you to return to Houston, but he didn’t seem as adamant as before.”

  She told him about the phone call to Ginger and that she thought Colton and Ginger were sleeping together.

  “That’s your best friend?”

  “Yes, and Gin and Colton are always at each other’s throat. I guess they finally found something not to argue about.”

  He looked into her eyes. “Are you happy about that?”

  She smiled. “What do you think?”

  He kissed her deeply, then asked in an aching voice, “What am I going to do about Blanche?”

  She stood and took his hand. “Let’s go upstairs and forget about Blanche and everything that’s happened today. Let’s just think about us. Tomorrow things might look different.”

  Arm in arm they went up the stairs. Inside her room, he took her into his embrace. “I love you,” he said. “I can’t get through this without you.”

  That was all she needed to hear. Somehow they’d survive this—as long as they had each other. They still hadn’t talked about the future; that was for later. There were too many other things that took precedence. At the moment, Houston seemed a lifetime away.

  THE NEXT MORNING Cord was up and dressed before she even woke. She stirred, and he kissed her lips.

  “I’ll get Nicki up for breakfast, then I’m going into town to talk to Pa’s lawyer. He’s got a lot of explaining to do.”

  She sat up. “Okay, but I’ll miss you.”

  His eyes strayed to her breasts and he kissed each one slowly, his mustache a brush of delight. “If you don’t stop, you’ll never leave,” she teased.

  “I know.” One last kiss, and he was strolling toward the door. At the door he added, “Don’t stray too far from the house. Gus and the boys are on the lookout, but Bates could be anywhere.”

  “I won’t,” she promised as she headed for the bathroom. After getting dressed, she went down to the kitchen, looking forward to a cup of strong coffee. Nicki was there munching on cereal and telling Della about her roping at the same time.

  “Morning, sweetie.” She kissed the top of Nicki’s head, then filled the largest mug she could find with fresh coffee.

  “I’m gonna rope again today, Becca. Gus said I could, and you can watch me ’cause I’m real good. Gus said so.”

  Gus entered the kitchen. “How you doing, Doc?”

  “Fine, thanks, Gus.”

  He glanced at Nicki. “Ready to go, little bit?”

  “Yep.” Nicki slipped out of her chair and looked at Becca. “C’mon.”

  “I’ll finish my coffee and be right behind you.”

  “’Kay.” She ran out the back door and Gus followed.

  Becca watched as Della nervously wiped the table. “Della, are you all right?”

  She faced Becca. “What’s gonna happen to this family? Everything was going so well, but now—how could she do that to Cord?”

  “I can’t condone what Blanche did, but I don’t think she meant to hurt anyone. She wanted to remain part of the family and she was afraid there wasn’t much chance of that if the will surfaced. She should have trusted Cord, though. I thinks she knows that now.”

  “It’s just awful, and so is the stuff with Joe Bates. What else is going to happen?”

  Becca put an arm around her shoulder. “Nothing. The Prescotts are due for some good luck. Now I’d better check on Nicki. She might have Gus all tied up.”

  She got a partial smile out of Della. As she walked to the stables she wondered if Cord was at the lawyer’s yet. She hoped he could find some answers to help him sort through this.

  Several of the cowboys waved and she waved back. Dusty rode up. “You feeling better, ma’am?”

  “Much better, and tell all the boys thanks for searching for me.”

  “No problem, ma’am. Have a good day.”

  He rode off, and Becca climbed onto the fence. Gus and Nicki were some distance away on horses. Gus twirled a rope over his head and swung it at a post. It circled the post swiftly and accurately.

  Nicki had a much smaller rope, but she guided Half Pint toward the same post and swung the rope like Gus. Wobbly it landed on the post. “Did you see, Becca?” she called excitedly. “Did you see?”

  “Yes, sweetie, I saw.”

  “I’m like greased lightning Gus says.”

  “Gus should know.” Becca stayed for a while longer. Sometimes Nicki hit the post, sometimes she didn’t. The misses didn’t count, but the hits drew lots of shouting. Becca suspected she’d learned that from Gus.

  Watching Nicki, she suddenly had the urge to call her own mother. She hadn’t talked to her since the accident and needed to hear her voice. She felt deeply grateful for the love they shared; being around so much bitterness had made her realize what their lives could’ve been like if they hadn’t had the strength to forgive. Cord, too, would forgive his mother, she thought. When he was ready, when he’d worked through his anger and his sense of betrayal.

  “Sweetie,” she called, “I’m going to the house to make a phone call. I’ll be right back.”

  “’Kay,” Nicki yelled, not taking her eyes off Gus.

  Becca made her way to the house, where she met Della at the back door, clutching a large purse. “Today’s my grocery day,” Della explained. “See you later.”

  The house seemed eerily quiet as she walked upstairs. Edie and Blanche were still in their rooms. She started for the phone, then saw Anette’s albums lying on her dresser. She’d been planning to store them for Nicki, but with everything that had happened she hadn’t had the chance. On impulse, she picked them up and sat on the bed. The first two were typical photos of a family. The third one wasn’t an album at all. It was some sort of journal. There were notations in what she recognized as Anette’s handwriting. Becca settled back and began to read.

  I hate this place. Why can’t Cord see that? Why doesn’t he take me away from here? If he loved me, he would.

  She scares me. Every time I see her, my skin crawls. She says nasty things and I don’t know how to respond. Why can’t she just lea
ve me alone?

  I want to tell Cord, but I can’t. She said she’d get even if I did—that she’d hurt my baby. I have to keep Nicki away from her.

  Little by little she’s driving me crazy. The pills don’t help anymore. I have to tell Cord. He’s the only one who can stop her.

  I love Cord and I love Nicki. Why can’t I fight back? Why am I so weak? She’s evil. I know she’s evil.

  There were more entries, all of them much the same. Becca slowly closed the album. “Oh, Blanche, what have you done?” she said under her breath. She had championed Blanche, thinking there was some good in her, but the woman had obviously driven Anette to her death by her abrasive behavior. How could Becca have been so wrong about her? Maybe she was evil. But Becca rejected that idea. She’d seen a side of Blanche no one else had—her vulnerability. Something wasn’t fitting here.

  The troublesome thoughts went around and around in her head. She placed the albums on the dresser again and wondered what to do about them. Cord had to see these, but she didn’t want to cause him any more pain.

  As she struggled with what to do, she remembered the quilts Anette had made and went along to Anette’s room to retrieve them. She put the quilts and everything they’d saved for Nicki in a box and stored it in her closet. She left the journal on her dresser; Cord had to see it, she decided.

  She called her mother and talked for half an hour or so. As she hung up, she heard a sound—a loud thump. She thought Nicki might have followed her into the house, and quickly opened her door to check. She was startled to see Mona in the hallway.

  “I knocked, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone around,” Mona said.

  Becca wondered why she hadn’t just left instead of coming into the house uninvited. “I’m sorry, but this isn’t a good time,” she said in a cool voice.

  Wordlessly, Mona pushed her way into the room and locked the door.

  “Wait a minute! I—”

  “Shut up,” Mona screeched in barely controlled rage.