by Verna Clay
Eli held her elbow as he led her to the dance floor. She spotted Harris and Lucinda at the end of the line of dancers, but didn't have time to focus on them because Eli slipped one arm around her waist and held her hand with his other. The tune was lively and laughter from the dancers floated across the room. He said in her ear, "Do you want to join the line dance?"
She was feeling lightheaded. "No. Let's stay here." He paused to remove his glasses, place them in his pocket, and say, "Anything for an angel."
She giggled. "Eli, you're starting to sound like Harris. Before long you'll be his twin." When Eli didn't laugh or respond, she asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
He looked sad when he replied, "No," and started dancing.
The band switched to a slow tune and Angel stumbled. "Sorry, Eli."
He pulled her close. "I won't let you fall," he said against her ear.
Ah, that's so sweet. Angel swayed with the music and said, "I think I've had a little too much to drink." She laid her head on Eli's shoulder. They were barely moving their feet. She felt him nuzzle her hair and breathe in deeply.
"You have the most beautiful hair," he said low. "It's like a halo of golden light."
Angel giggled. "I never knew you were a poet."
"I didn't either until this moment."
She leaned her head back until she could see into his eyes. There was something dark and erotic in their smoky green depths. Sudden laughter from across the room interrupted the moment and she moved her head back to his shoulder.
Chapter 11: Truth
After dropping the women off at their RV and returning with Eli to their own, Harris told his brother he needed some time alone to air his head out. As Eli stepped out of the car, Harris didn't give him time to ask questions; he just sped away. A half hour later he arrived at the pub where his birthfather worked. It was late, after ten, and the night was dark with cloud cover. He drove to the back of the bar. A porch light at the top of the stairs lit a landing outside the small apartment, but it was dim and unwelcoming.
Harris' blew a breath. He was nervous about what he was about to do—had been all day. Now, with trepidation, he started toward the stairs, hesitated at the base, started upward, hesitated again, and then released a litany of curses as he continued toward the landing. His plan was to confront Lucky Larry to get answers to questions he'd always wondered about. After that, he'd return home for a good night's sleep, win the rodeo the next day, and then head for Waco the day after that. Or so he told himself.
He reached the landing, sucked a few calming breaths, and knocked lightly on the door. There was no sound of anyone inside. Maybe Larry was working in the bar. He knocked harder. He heard shuffling and his heart started racing faster than a locomotive at full throttle. After what seemed an interminable time, the door opened and Harris came face-to-face with his birthfather, Lucky Larry.
The stoop-shouldered man appraised Harris, cocked his head to the side, and then grinned. "So, you found me. I've been wondering when you'd return. I saw you the other day at the bar." He stepped aside and waved toward a cracked leather couch that had definitely seen better days. Harris entered the apartment and glanced around a room that was clean and well organized.
Lucky Larry watched him. "Did you expect your old man to be living in a pigsty? Have a seat."
"I didn't expect anything because you're nothing but a name to me."
Larry chuckled. "Got your mother's gumption, I see."
"You can leave my mother out of this!"
"Well, son, that's gonna be kinda hard since she birthed you into this world, and now you're wantin' answers from me."
Harris sat on the edge of the sofa, lowered his head to stare at the floor so he could gather his thoughts, tapped his fingertips together, and a moment later lifted his head to stare unflinchingly into Larry's eyes. He said caustically, "So what kind of answers do you think I want? Maybe I just came here to tell you what a lowlife you are for not stepping up to the plate with my mother. Maybe–"
Larry interrupted, "Is that so? Well, a man gets a feelin' 'bout another man after seein' him ride. I've been to all your rodeos that are close enough for me to get to and watched how you treat animals and people. You're a good man, not prone to outbursts, denigrating others, or attacks of vanity, even though you're a looker like I was." He smiled and Harris got a momentary glimpse at how Lucky Larry would have turned heads in his prime.
Harris returned his gaze to the carpet. "Okay then, let's get to the crux of my visit. Why did you treat my mom so bad by denying paternity? Why did you never come to see me?" He settled his gaze back on Larry and watched him lean his recliner back. Larry took his time in answering, and then surprised Harris when he said, "Because I'm an S.O.B. Always have been." Abruptly, he brought his recliner back to a sitting position. "But where are my manners? Would you like a cup of coffee or a shot of tequila?"
The shot of tequila surprised Harris. According to the bartender, Larry had been sober for years.
Larry laughed. "The tequila's not for me. I just keep it as a reminder that I never want to wake up in my own vomit again."
Harris shrugged as if it didn't matter. "No. I'll pass on the coffee and tequila."
"Okay, boy, then I'll answer your questions. First off, why did I treat your mama so bad by denying paternity? Because she was too sweet for me. Everything about her screamed domestic prison. There was no way I was goin' to be tied down to one woman when I could have a different one every night. Second, why did I never come to see you? Well, actually, I did once, when that guy in the wheelchair was there. Your mama rushed you into the house and then the two of them read me the riot act. I gotta hand it to Mr. Brightman; wheelchair or not, he's one hell of an adversary."
Harris just stared at Larry before saying, "That's it?"
Larry grinned. "Hell no! A few days later I was contacted by Mr. Brightman's lawyer and offered a settlement I couldn't refuse. A shitload of money if I never contacted you or your mama again, 'cause if I did, I'd have to pay it all back and get my arrest record aired to the world. Of course, the money was wasted years ago."
Harris' eyes widened. "You're telling me that my father bought you off, and you accepted?"
"Yup, son. That's exactly what I'm tellin' you."
"You son of a bitch!" Harris jumped to his feet.
"Now, son, that's what I already told you. I'm an S.O.B. In fact, by you comin' here, your pa may be able to demand a return of his money. Them lawyers he's got are clever devils."
Harris stomped toward the door realizing that the man who had spawned him was a low-life shithead. Before he reached it, however, Larry said, "Now why don't you ask me why I just admitted all this?"
Harris paused in reaching for the doorknob and after a moment said without turning around, "Why?" He heard Larry's recliner shift backward.
"Because I've always heard that the truth will set you free, and son, I don't want you to end up like me. You're a good boy, raised by a good mama and daddy, and you got a good life ahead of you." There was a long silence before he asked, "So, Harris, have I set you free?"
Slowly, Harris turned and stared into Lucky Larry's eyes. In his anger, he hadn't seen anything other than a pathetic excuse for a human being; but now he saw pain, guilt, and regret. He walked back to the couch and sat down.
Chapter 12: Driver
Sitting at the booth in his RV, Eli sipped his coffee and turned a page of the newspaper. He glanced out the window and wondered for the hundredth time what was going on with Harris. His brother had been acting strange for days, and after supper the previous evening with the ladies, he'd taken off without saying where he was going. He'd just given some lame excuse about needing to air his head out. Eli had been asleep when Harris returned, but heard him rise early that morning and leave again. His brother's peculiar behavior was starting to piss him off. Of course, right now, anything would piss him off. Dancing with Angel had been a mistake, but she'd looked so forlorn when Harris asked Luc
inda to dance, that he couldn't help himself. And the fact that she was tipsy from the wine hadn't helped either. On the dance floor she'd cuddled up to him like they were lovers and made his miserable heart even more miserable. Since Angel had started working for them, he'd hoped, or rather dreaded, that Harris would finally recognize her for the woman she'd become, not the child they'd grown up with. Hell, he'd recognized her womanhood when he was fourteen. Sometimes he just wanted to blurt the fact that he was in love with her and be done with it.
He heard Harris' truck pull up to the RV. "It's about time." he muttered aloud, saving choice words for when Harris walked through the door.
Harris stepped inside the RV and said by way of greeting. "I've got to talk to you about something important."
"It's about time you got back!" Eli barely controlled his temper. "What the hell is going on with you?"
Harris remained in the doorway. With no explanation he said, "I've hired a driver for our RV."
"Huh? Now why would you do that? I'm perfectly capable of driving it while you drive the other one." Eli waited for his explanation.
Finally, Harris puffed a breath, stepped aside, and motioned someone into the RV. Eli frowned as an older man who looked like he'd had one hell of a ride during his lifetime, stepped inside holding his hat to his side. He was still frowning when Harris said, "Bro, I'd like you to meet Lucky Larry, my birthfather."
Although Eli heard his brother's words, he couldn't wrap his mind around them. He stared at Lucky Larry until the gray-haired, haggard looking cowboy with piercing brown eyes, shifted his gaze away. Slowly, Eli stood and said evenly, "Harris, can I speak with you in the other room?"
Harris nodded and followed Eli to the back bedroom. As soon as the door shut, Eli whispered, "Are you shittin' me? You hired the man who abandoned you?"
Harris shuffled from one foot to the other. "Yup."
"Why?"
"It's a long story."
"Harris, right now, I've got nothing but time."
Harris' shuffling turned into a defiant stance. "I don't have to explain anything to you. I hired him," he hesitated, "just like I hired you, and if you don't like it, you can leave at any time."
Eli glared at his brother, refusing to respond.
Harris released a long sigh and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. It's just that, well, you're going to have to trust me on this." He placed a hand on Eli's shoulder and waited for his brother's reaction.
Eli puffed air through his cheeks. Throughout the years he and Harris had often squabbled and said hurtful things, each realizing the other had a short fuse, and he knew Harris didn't mean the words anymore than he would have. Finally, in an attempt to diffuse the situation, Eli said, "He has to sleep on the lower bunk, because I'm not giving up the upper one."
Harris almost smiled. "Okay."
Eli couldn't help but get a parting shot in. "I sure hope you don't end up regretting this."
In a raspy whisper Harris replied, "Me, too."
Chapter 13: Headache
Angel woke with a raging headache. Groaning, she pulled her pillow over her head and tried to meditate on a meadow of wildflowers gently swaying in a breeze. Sometimes that helped, but not today. Images of Harris dancing with Lucinda kept flashing across her mind. But more than that, her intimate dance with Eli was causing her untold vexation. The longer they'd danced, the more she'd enjoyed his embrace and sweet words; so much so, that she'd continued to dance with him throughout several songs, and no matter how lively or slow, they'd slowly shuffled back and forth like no one else was in the room. At one point, she'd even felt him kiss her neck. It was then that she'd come to her senses and backed away from him, saying she'd had too much to drink and was ready to return to their table. She'd hoped that by confessing she was fuzzy headed he'd realize that her coziness was because of the alcohol.
Groaning again and rolling to her side, she pushed up until she was sitting on the side of the bed and waited for her head to stop spinning. Several minutes later she grudgingly rose to shower and dress. In the shower she closed her eyes and, much to her consternation, relived the feel of Eli's mouth on her neck. It had felt so good.
When Angel entered the main room, Lucinda was seated at the booth and tapping on the keyboard of her laptop. She looked rested and ready for the day. She glanced up and grinned. "I just started my article on Harris and I have to say, he's not what I expected. After my rudeness yesterday, I thought he'd probably toss me out on my ass. He's really a nice person. I–"
There was a knock on the door and Angel moved to open it. Eli stood outside and she only met his gaze for an instant before glancing away. His hair was a little mussed, he hadn't shaved, and his glasses made him look sexy and nerdy at the same time. It was a paradox that Angel hadn't noticed before. He said, "Angel, could I speak to you outside for a moment?"
"Sure." She turned to Lucinda. "I'll be right back."
Although Lucinda looked curious, she went back to typing on her laptop.
Outside the RV, Eli was pacing and looking worried, and Angel thought she knew what was wrong. Tentatively, she said, "Um, about last night, I was a little drunk and acting irrationally. I'm sorry…" she paused when Eli looked at her as if he didn't know what she was talking about.
Finally, he said, "Oh, that. Don't worry about it."
Angel was taken aback and, well, frankly, hurt. He was dismissing their actions as inconsequential and meaningless. But wasn't that what she wanted?
He spoke again. "We have a problem, Angel."
She frowned. If their problem wasn't them, what could it possibly be?
Eli stopped pacing. "Harris met up with his birthfather and hired him as a driver."
Angel tried to register that revelation and finally gasped, "What!"
Eli grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the RV. "He's adamant that this guy joins us and refuses to listen to reason, so I was just as adamant that he couldn't reveal our driver was his birthfather." He jerked his head toward the RV door. "Not with a reporter watching his every move."
Angel's headache returned with a vengeance as Eli gave her a short history lesson about Lucky Larry. What had Harris done, not only to his career, but to his family?
Lucinda didn't need to be hit with a brick to know something was up. She tapped a few more keystrokes and then closed her laptop. The beginning of her article was taking shape as she described what it was like being a greenhorn surrounded by rodeo jocks, cowgirls, and fans. She also gave her reaction to meeting up with Angel and Eli. As for Harris, he'd remain a blank slate for the time being.
She reached for her coffee, sipped, and tapped her fingernails on the table. Did Eli's private conversation with Angel have anything to do with Harris? She'd bet the farm it did. She thought about the night before and dancing with him. He was a great dancer and all around fun person. Several people in the restaurant had greeted him by name and there had been much back and forth banter. She'd even been introduced to the PRCA's current All-Around Cowboy who had greeted Harris warmly with a pat on the back and then proceeded to heckle him, but only in jest.
Something else Lucinda had observed was all the attention Harris received from females, both young and old, and in between. He was quite the lady's man. Her mind returned to dancing with him. She was still amazed that he hadn't asked another woman to dance. In fact, he'd seemed to really enjoy teaching her to line dance.
Reality suddenly intervened in her thoughts and she scoffed, You're a reporter doing an exclusive on him. Of course, he's going to cater to you.
The door opened and both Angel and Eli entered the RV with serious expressions.
Yep. Something is definitely going on.
Chapter 14: Ponderings
The next ten days was a whirlwind of activity for Lucinda as they traveled to the Waco rodeo and then on to El Paso. Roaming among the RVers, she met more competitors, their wives and children, and employees of the rodeo circuit. For the most part, everyone was friendly and he
lpful. And Larry, the new driver of Harris' RV, was a curiosity Lucinda couldn't ignore. He was nice, but private, never mingling with anyone even though he seemed to have encyclopedic knowledge about the sport of rodeo. And it was Larry's secrecy that had Lucinda believing he was the crux of something important. Since he'd been introduced as Larry Jones, she'd done an internet search and come up empty. Oh, there were hundreds of people named Larry Jones, but she couldn't tie any of them to rodeoing, and although she couldn't prove it, she had a suspicion that Jones was a bogus surname. Being a reporter and believing she was on to something big, she began to delve deeper into Harris' life.
Soon she was discovering things that had her mouth gaping in surprise. She'd accepted this assignment believing it would be mundane and predictable and neglected to do her homework before arriving. Researching his mother, Tooty Brightman, Lucinda discovered that she had authored two poetry books and a nonfiction love story from the 1800s under the pen name of Anna Belle. And from her age, she had been seriously young when Harris was born. Lucinda's search then landed pay dirt when she read Tooty's Wikipedia page and found out she was married to Maxwell Henry, the famous author. Lucinda couldn't believe it. She was writing a story about Maxwell Henry's son! Why hadn't Harris or Eli mentioned anything about their famous father? And if this Larry guy fit into the picture, how did he fit in? Was he just a cowboy needing a job and Harris had hired him for altruistic reasons?
Something in Lucinda's gut told her that wasn't the case.
Chapter 15: Spill
Eli needed a break from his hectic life as Harris' manager and was looking forward to a few days off to attend Hannah Tanner's wedding with Angel and Harris. They had left the state of Texas and were now in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their plan was to fly from Albuquerque to Cortez, Colorado, and then rent a car to drive to Paxtonville. Eli had assumed Lucinda would take her own days off and Larry would stay at the RV. To confirm his assumptions, he confronted Harris. "Surely, you're not going to bring Larry to Paxtonville with us."