“A good looking woman with a chocolate cake,” he said. “Check my pulse, will ya?”
“Oh, my,” Charlene laughed. “Get the door. We can be alone in the kitchen.”
Crockett did just that and cleared a space on the counter so she could put the cake down.
“I want to thank you for this,” Charlene went on.
Crockett smiled. “Just dead fish,” he said.
“It’s much more to me than that,” Charlene went on. “It’s good people and a budding relationship among new friends. I appreciate it.”
Crockett smiled. “Is this where I stob my toe and tug on my forelock?” he asked.
“This,” Charlene went on, “is where you give me a hug, and I kiss your cheek,” she replied.
“Done and done,” Crockett said.
And they did and did.
Crockett grabbed two four-packs of Guinness before he and Charlene returned to the deck. Greetings and hugs were exchanged with Satin and Danni. Clete smiled at her.
“Miz Charlene,” he drawled. “Ain’t you as purty as a sorrel filly standin’ in new fescue. Mercy.”
Charlene looked at him and smiled. “No mercy, Cletus,” she said. “No fear, either.”
Satin elbowed Crockett in the ribs and grinned.
“Oh, hell,” he said.
The gathering was a major success, highlighted by a moonlight cruise around the lake on a slightly overloaded baby pontoon boat. After everything broke up, Clete, Crockett and Satin sat on the deck around midnight, sipping scotch and enjoying the night.
“You and Charlene seemed to get along well,” Satin said.
“Here we go,” Clete grunted.
“I mean,” Satin went on, “that the two of you weren’t throwing rocks at each other or anything.”
“If I’m gonna throw rocks at anybody around here,” Clete said, “it probably ain’t gonna be her.”
“That’s nice.”
“You don’t quit, do ya?”
Crockett shook his head. “Let me ask you again, Clete,” he said. “Have you met my wife?”
Clete leaned toward Satin. “She seems like a nice lady,” he said. “She’s good lookin’, too. Got money, is bright, funny when she wants to be, sophisticated as she needs to be, an’ any man that didn’t notice her has problems we don’t need to go into right now. She’s got a lot goin’ for her. She also has a husband. That there is what is known as a drawback.”
“Temporary,” Satin said.
“Temporary don’t mean it ain’t there.”
“She mentioned to me that you mentioned to her that you would probably be down this way to keep an eye on the Triumph Trust’s investment from time to time.”
“Part of my job. I still work for a livin’, ya know.”
“She said you volunteered to trailer the horses from your dad’s place.”
“Gotta take care of Ivy’s investment.”
“And that you even offered to maybe work any problem horses.”
“So?”
Satin smiled. “This mean you’re going to, ah…let me see. Get back on the horse?”
“Aw shit,” Clete said, getting to his feet. “I’m goin’ to the house.”
Crockett watched Clete walk off into the night before he spoke up.
“Having fun?” he asked.
“Who? Me?” Satin said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The next morning Crockett and Clete abandoned Satin to her own devices and drove to Liberty for some Corner Café biscuits and gravy. Clete leaned back, released a tiny belch, and eyeballed the remains on his plate.
“Son,” he said, “I am tighter’n a tick. I shoulda got a half order. That is some fine B&G, but I think I hurt myself.”
Crockett grinned. “I didn’t want you heading back home on an empty stomach.”
“I could wait two days an’ it still wouldn’t be empty.”
“You been kind of quiet this morning. Something on your mind?”
“I been studyin’ on that Charlene gal.”
Crockett grinned. “No!”
“That ain’t what I mean, dammit!” Clete went on. “Sometin’ ain’t right. Her hubby just handed over a section and a half of land to her. Land in Hart County ain’t exactly the most expensive dirt on the planet, but still, that’s nine hundred an’ sixty acres, son! Put that together with that big ol’ barn you told me about, an’ all them society horses, an’ that club for kids, an’ you got a feller that’s tossed millions her way. Millions! Now that’d be fine if they was all lovey-dovey an’ shit but, from the feelin’ I get from her an’ from what you an’ ol’ Satin has told me, that ol’ boy ain’t even home most of the time; an’ she ain’t got much use for him, anyway. Seems like a bidness relationship. She makes him look good with the shit she does, an’ he shovels cash at her so she can. Satin told me Charlene said she even figgerd he might be fixin’ to trade her in on a newer model down the road a ways.”
“That’s how it looks. She claims she’s done things to be sure she’s taken care of.”
“Shouldn’t have to, pard.”
“No, she shouldn’t.”
“Looks to me like he keeps her busy so she don’t ask no questions about where all the money is comin’ from. Looks to me like she’s his front and is smart enough to stay dumb enough to get what she wants. Looks to me like, as sharp as she is, she probably knows a damn site more about what’s goin’ on than he gives her credit for. Looks to me like, if he ever figures that out, her stock goes way down. If she loses her value, Lord knows what might happen to her.”
“And you’re going to….”
“I looked into the feller some a while back. Just a overview like you asked for. I’m gonna do some real diggin’ into this ol’ boy, son. I am on his ass like ugly on a ape. This’ll take some time, but it looks like we got some with this new dog an’ pony show on the way. What I know, you’ll know. If this shithead is dirty, we’ll git our shovels.”
Crockett grinned. “When you get excited like this,” he said, “it just makes me tingle all over, honey.”
Clete returned his grin. “Ain’t I somethin’?” he said.
“I spent a little time with Jack Bryant at a party he had for the employees of the kid place,” Crockett went on. “He made damn sure I knew he had more money than Oprah and that he threw a lot of it at his wife to keep her happy. Inferred that she was high maintenance and needed to be kept busy. The kept busy part, I can believe. The high maintenance part? Not so much.”
Clete’s brow wrinkled. “You ‘spose she knows where he goes when he ain’t around? I mean, that Russia, China, and South Africa bit is okay, but could she be more specific about exactly where and exactly when?”
“Maybe I’ll put Satin on it. Seems to me that, from time to time, you have gotten a little vocal about me getting involved in some kind of shit because of a woman. And now, here you go getting all emotionally erect over somebody you would have never taken another peek at if some female who looks like a runway model had not attracted your ah, let’s see…attention seem correct?”
“Me? Now lookie here, son. I’m a fuckin’ rookie compared to the likes a you. First there was Rachael, then come that haint an’ her cute li’l blond grandaughter, then there was Inez an’ her boy, then they was Bailey Carson…”
“Carson Bailey,” Crockett interjected.
“An’ doan fetgit that little injun hooker gal, ah…”
“Puma.”
“Yeah. Godamighty! An’ that showgirl down at the lake that you drug up outa all them carp an’ then shot that feller for, and that little gal out at the marina that didn’t like my ass, uh….”
“Mazy.”
“That’s her. Dammit, she’s the reason you got involved in these knife killin’s yer messin’ with. Hell, son! Yer still a-tryin’ to help her!”
“Don’t forget Ruby.”
“Nobody that ever met her could fergit Ruby, gawdammit. Bless the Lone Star, Crockett! You got a strin
g a women behind yer ass that’d stretch from here to the hippie’s livin’ room, an’ yer kickin’ shit on my boots ‘cause I thought I maybe could hep out one a ol’ Satin’s friends a little bit.”
“Accent’s getting pretty thick, Texas.”
“Ain’t one damn bit thicker’n yer head, Yankee!”
“Charlene is a handsome woman though, doncha think?”
“Purtier than a sunrise in the Smokies, but that there ain’t the point.”
“It isn’t?”
“Hell, no!”
Crockett grinned. “You lie to your friends, and I’ll lie to mine,” he said, “but I sure do hate it when we lie to each other.”
Clete glared at him for a moment, then stood up. “I’ll be waitin’ out by the truck,” he said. He dropped a twenty on the table and stomped out.
Crockett grinned and settled back to finish his coffee. It was a pretty day. Wouldn’t hurt the Texican to wait a little while.
That afternoon Charlene came by to see everybody off as Clete headed back to Chicago and Danni left for Sikeston. After the departures she joined Crockett, Satin, Stitch, and the dogs on the deck.
“I think your daughter is amazing,” she said. “I never saw anyone dig into a project as fast as she has.”
Satin smiled. “She had it pretty rough for a long time,” she said. “Got turned around not too long ago. I’m proud of her. Crockett made a big difference in her life.”
“She made a big difference in her life,” Crockett said. “Great kid.”
“She going to be a tremendous asset,” Charlene went on, turning to Satin. “I believe she’ll handle a lot of the responsibility of the project I intended to give to you.”
“Thank God,” Satin said.
“So,” Charlene went on, “if you’re up for it, I intend to pass on a lot of my responsibility to you.”
“Me?”
Charlene smiled. “Ideally, here’s what I want to do. Since you and Danni are so close and she can’t, and probably shouldn’t for her daughter’s sake, get on site until at least March; I want you to take over the installation of the infrastructure for both the horses and the dogs.”
Satin looked a little startled. “Charlene, I don’t have any experience in that kind of thing!”
“But you do have experience with Danni. Your job is to make sure her plans and ideas are carried out. You’ll oversee the project to make sure we get what she thinks we need.”
“That’s a big responsibility.”
“You’re up to it. Of course, you’ll be relieved of any duties at Kid Country. That place is simple and can easily be run by a couple of staff who are already in house.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“The land will be in my name by the end of the week. Jack signed everything he needed to before he left. I’m just waiting for the lawyers to tidy it up, and we’re off and running. You need to check out various buildings and builders, organize with Danni, and get things moving. We need to have the roads and structures in place and the electric and waterlines run before it gets too cold. This winter the interior work can be done while the weather is a factor, and by spring the complex will be ready.”
“That’s awfully fast.”
“Hire who you need to get it done. You’re in charge. Just keep me informed as to the progress. Whenever Danni needs to come over to check things out, be sure she keeps a record of her expenses. You’ll cover them and give her a per diem for her time.”
“I will?”
“Sure. I’ll sign whatever checks you need, you pass ‘em out. Plus, I know that money is not nearly as important to you as achievement, but you still need to be rewarded. Think over what salary you believe to be fair and that is what you will pay yourself. When I get the books and everything set up, you’ll have control of the money.” She turned to Crockett. “You ever get tired of your Dudley Do-Right thing, there’ll be a place for you, too. You’ve got a feel for horses and dogs. I know it.”
“Charlene,” Satin said, “this is very generous of you. And very trusting. I’m a little overwhelmed!”
Charlene smiled. “Get over it,” she replied. “You don’t have time to be overwhelmed. You have too much work to do. At least, your husband has contacts to get the county licenses pushed through. Come out tomorrow, and we’ll take the Gator and check over the land for the correct sites. Then you can get the county satisfied, have the plans drawn up, and start on the roads. Can you come too, Crockett?”
“I have the day off.”
“Good. I appreciate it. You’ll notice things that we won’t. Stitch, could you meet us at my place around nine in the morning with your helicopter? It might be nice to be able to check things out from the air first. I have a plat of the acreage we can refer to. Make things easier when we’re on the ground.”
Stitch grinned. “Far out,” he said. “Recon and insertion. Ass in the grass an’ shit. Air-cav, motherfucker.”
Charlene smiled. “Thank you,” she said, getting to her feet and turning to Crockett. “I have a feeling that you are curious about my husband.”
“I am,” Crockett replied. “We need to talk sometime.”
“After all the papers are signed,” Charlene replied. “I don’t know a lot, but I’ll help in any way I can.”
“Suits me,” Crockett said.
Charlene smiled. “I thought it might,” she said, and left the deck.
They watched her drive away, and Satin went inside for a moment. When she returned, she had Guinness for all.
“Thanks, man,” Stitch said. “Anybody else feel like they just missed getting hit by a tornado?”
“A big one,” Crockett said.
“Man, that chick is one straight ahead sumbitch. Dig it. Why don’t somebody take me home on the pontoon boat, man? I’ll paddle back later and get my truck. Ol’ Charlene got my ass all twisted up. Right now, this Guinness needs a water back, ya know.”
Satin watched the boys motor slowly down the lake as she scratched Dundee behind the ears. “You have any Idea what just happened here?” she asked.
Dundee grunted and flopped on the floor.
Satin took a couple of swallows of Guinness and looked down at the dog. “Don’t get too comfortable,” she said. “Charlene can find something for you, too.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Dale Smoot grinned across the booth at Crockett. “Seen Satin lately?” he asked.
Crockett grimaced at his coffee. “A couple days ago. Actually got a look at her. Usually I just see a blur as she whizzes by. She even remembered my name.”
“That’s good. Means at one time or another you made an impression on her.”
“Maybe at the wedding. The limo was memorable.”
“How’s it going out there?”
“She’s using the dozer guy and his crew that got Stitch’s place in. He and his bunch have put in the main roads and cleared the areas for the horse barn and two arenas. Plus they got the land cleared on the north parcel for the dogs. They’re putting the kennels in the middle of a bunch of old oaks. It’s really nice. Cleaned out all the underbrush and junk trees. Gonna be a lot of shade in the summer. They’re getting ready to trench out everything for the water, sewer, septic, and electric on both places, and there are three or four bobcats running around breaking horse trails. Satin figures that they’ll be able to get around fifteen to twenty miles of ‘em on that section and a hundred and fifty acres or so of clear pasture for hay.”
“No kidding?”
“Nope. It’s a helluva project when you think of it. They’re gonna pour the foundation for the big barn later this week. The metal and girders and stuff should arrive in a few days. Satin claims the external structure will be up in about two more weeks. Says they’ll be under roof in time for Halloween and have the stalls and everything finished by Thanksgiving. Soon as they’re done pouring for the big barn, they’ll start on the dog runs. Chain link and stuff is already on site so they can set the posts during the pour. Dog
runs and such should be done about the time the barn is roofed.”
“Jesus. No wonder you haven’t seen much of Satin. She must be going in nine directions at once.”
“She’s gone by the time I get up and gets home late. Falls into bed. Enthusiasm for the project is all that really keeps her going. She does usually take Sunday off. Walks around in her ratty old robe and grunts at me. It’s a magical relationship.”
“You really okay with it?”
“She a woman on a mission. Beat to shit and happy as a clam. It’s good for her. If it’s good for her, it’s good for me.”
“You’re not so dumb.”
Crockett tapped the side of his head. “Kidneys,” he said.
Smoot chuckled. “How’s Danni?”
She’s gonna be over tomorrow evening and stay through Sunday. Stitch is gonna pick her up in the helo and fly her in.”
“Better’n that long drive. Bringing the girl with her again?”
“Lucy. Yeah. Gives me a chance to continue my education on how to deal with short people. Everybody who’s met her says she’s a great kid. I have no frame of comparison except for the two girls I met when I was involved in the McGill murder. I’ve never been around little children much. I’m a stranger in a strange land. She prattles on in what might as well be another language. She’s cute. She minds. Seems to like hanging around with me. We go for boat rides. I promised to take her fishing this weekend. She calls me Pop.”
Smoot’s eyes twinkled. “Grandpa Crockett,” he chuckled.
“I treat her more like a sub-compact human than a kid, I guess,” Crockett went on. “Is that okay ya think?”
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