by Sam Crescent
“I made you a coffee,” Brant said, handing his brother a cup. “What are you doing in here?”
“Thinking. I always come here to think. Dad used to come here to think.” Their oldest father, George, was known for sitting on the bed, thinking. Some of the best ideas came from sitting in that very room.
“I know. Every problem he had was sorted out in this room. I used to sit with him while he thought things through. He always demanded silence, but when Mom walked into the room, Dad would stare at her.” Brant smiled, remembering the moments with fondness. His two fathers loved his mother. The love made him wish for Tessie to be in his arms.
“They only ever had eyes for Mom.” Markus let out a sigh. “I’m thirty-five, Brant. I can’t wait any longer.”
Brant had been the surprise baby ten years after Markus. The Stones were well known for sharing a woman, but they were not well known for having many children. Two boys was the largest number known to the family. He couldn’t recall any girls being born, and he didn’t know of many long-lost relatives.
“I know. We’ve got to find a way to reach her, though. I can’t imagine a life without her.”
He took a sip of his coffee and looked at the corner of the room. The rocking chair held a lot of memories. It was an antique, passed through generations. Every Stone woman had rocked their newborn child and nursed him in that very chair.
“You’re the brains of both of us, Brant. You know what’s best.”
“Don’t say shit like that,” Brant said. He hated his brother putting himself down. The dyslexia had hit Markus hard. His brother tried to hide everything, but Brant had been the one to figure it out. Their fathers didn’t mind and had invested in teachers. Markus did everything he could to get by.
“It’s the truth.” Markus sipped at his coffee.
“Tessie never gave a shit about stuff like that. She’s a caring person. Always has been, and always will be.”
Silence fell on the room. Brant sipped his drink while waiting for his brother to speak.
“I’m sorry. It’s because of the shit that happened this morning. It won’t happen again.”
“We’ll figure a way to bring her around to us.” Brant slapped his brother’s thigh. “I’ll see you in the morning. Breakfast at the Flippin’ Tasty, right?”
“You’ve got it right.”
Markus stood, leaving him alone.
Seconds later, the sound of Markus’s bedroom door opening and closing echoed throughout the house.
Brant ran fingers through his hair, trying to clear his thoughts. He’d never been able to think clearly in this room. Whenever he was in the room, he always thought about Tessie. She was such a sweet woman.
The troubles she’d been handed were unfair. He and Markus did everything they could to help her situation. Standing up, he closed the door on his way out. It was only eleven, and he was far too wired to go to sleep.
He went to the office to pick up the box marked with Tessie’s name. The box contained a yellow summer dress he’d found online. He’d gotten the dress sent to him first, in case there was something wrong with it.
Leaving the house, he climbed into his truck and drove in the direction of Tessie’s house.
There was one light on in the top bedroom. He knew it was Tessie’s room. Climbing out of the truck, he walked to the steps and placed the box on the front porch. Most people would think he and Markus were stalkers, and to a point, he guessed they were, but their love for Tessie was pure.
He’d been with other women through college, but on that trip where he agreed Tessie was their woman, he’d stopped. No other woman would do, and he wouldn’t ruin their chances with a quick, cheap fuck. Women deserved better than to be used. Instead of chasing girls through college, he got his head down, studied hard, and finished top of his classes in most subjects.
Climbing back in the truck, he took off in the direction of her old ranch. The Holland ranch was located off the beaten path on the outskirts of town. He shut the engine off as he looked at the house in the distance. Staring at her old home, Brant couldn’t help but feel unsettled about what he’d learned. Tessie had nothing to do with the confusion about her old home. He remembered her tears and sadness at losing the place she grew up in.
When her father died, it was the only time she cuddled up to his brother. Shaking his head, he put the truck in reverse and went home. He’d get to the bottom of the mystery if it was the last thing he did.
Chapter Three
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Tessie said, shouting the words.
“Tessie Holland, watch your language,” her mother yelled through the house.
Staring down at the package on the floor, Tessie let out a string of silent curses. She knew it wasn’t shoes this time. The box was too thin and long to be a pair of shoes. Picking the box up, she headed into the kitchen where her mother was flipping pancakes again. All week, her mother would cook pancakes and then next week, they’d revert back to cereal and toast.
“What has got you in a twist this morning?” Lillian asked.
Slamming the package on the counter, she waited for her mother to turn around.
“Not shoes this time? What is it?”
“Mom, does it matter anymore?” Tessie sat down on the seat and stared at the pretty, decorative box.
“You’ve been accepting these anonymous gifts for some time, honey. You’re just going to stop?”
“I don’t know. Should I be creeped out?”
“Open the box, honey.” Lillian piled pancakes onto a plate.
Untying the string, she pushed the lid off the top. Inside laid a beautiful yellow summer dress.
“Didn’t you have one of those when you were younger?” her mother asked.
Tessie recalled having a similar yellow summer dress with rose patterns all over it. The dress got torn on a metal gate she was climbing over at the time. She’d ended up throwing the dress in the trash, and she’d mourned it.
“Go and try it on.”
Not wanting to argue, she went upstairs to her bedroom and tore her uniform off. Her hands shook with her movements. Pulling the dress over her head, she tore out the clip containing her hair. Her hair fell around her body and, staring in the mirror, she was transported back so many summers to when her life was easy and carefree. She remembered a time when there were no worries about paying the bills or how her mother was handling working.
Running her hands down the fabric of the dress, she was overcome by a wave of emotion. Tugging the dress over her head, she threw it back in the box. After she did her hair and put on her uniform, she walked down stairs to find her mother eating.
“Where’s the dress?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Sitting down at the table, she forked a piece of pancake once again.
“Honey, why don’t you want to talk about it?” Lillian asked.
“There’s nothing to talk about. Someone keeps leaving me crap and I can’t handle it anymore.” The dress and the memories were the last straw.
She remained quiet all the way to work. Nothing her mother said would ease her troubled thoughts.
Storming into the diner, she saw it was packed with the breakfast rush.
Tessie didn’t stop to talk. She rushed into the kitchen and took several deep breaths.
“What’s the matter, honey?” Bessie asked. Jake, Bessie’s husband was stood by the grill. They owned the Flippin’ Tasty, and most of the cooking was done by Jake.
“Nothing.”
“That doesn’t look like nothing, Tessie,” Jake said.
“You know what? Everything is not okay. For the longest time, I’ve been getting boxes delivered anonymously to my door. Clothes, shoes, handbags and even freaking underwear have been mailed to me. Do you have any idea how long for?” She looked between the two and they shrugged. “For the last five years. No one has come out and said anything. Mom thinks it’s some kind of crush, but you know what I think?” Tessi
e didn’t wait for them to speak. “I think I’ve become the town’s freaking charity case. I don’t need charity, and I’d like it if the boxes stop appearing on my doorstop. At first, I thought it was sweet, and then I hoped it could be an admirer, but now, I just want it to stop. Just stop!”
Her voice had risen with every word she spoke. She grabbed herself a spare notepad and walked out of the kitchen. The whole dining room was staring at her as if she was some kind of crazy person.
“What are you all looking at? Eat.” She went behind the counter and grabbed the coffee before serving customers.
Tate touched her hand as she passed. Ignoring the comfort, she served coffee, ignoring all inquiring questions. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with questions.
In no time at all, talk started up again. Markus and Brant Stone were sat in her section. She poured them some coffee before looking at either of them.
“What can I get you?” She put a smile on her face, even though she felt more like bursting into tears.
Markus reached out, touching her hand. Staring at his darker, tanned skin, a surge of heat filled her body. His touch alone made her want so much more.
Pulling her hand away from his touch, she looked down at her notepad. “Is there anything I can get you?” she asked.
“Tessie,” Markus said.
“Please, just order. I’ve got a lot of things to deal with today.”
She heard both men let out a sigh before ordering their usual breakfast. Tate tried to get her alone, but she kept working. Her outburst had left her shaken.
Tessie was so disappointed. She’d wanted the clothes, the shoes and everything else to have come from a secret admirer, maybe even two. Her dreams would never be coming true. There was no guy out there who wanted to get to know her. Five years she’d been getting gifts. There was no way a guy waited five whole years to make his admirations known. The only conclusion she could come up for the gifts was being a charity case.
Without looking at either Brant or Markus, she served them their food. They tried to draw her into conversation. She ignored them. The sooner her shift was finished, the better it would be. When she got home, she could let herself mourn in several bowls of chocolate chip ice cream.
She was looking forward to the weekend where she could stick around her mother and bake. There was no man in her future.
* * * *
“If you guys don’t tell her then I will,” Ruby said.
Markus and Brant had left the diner to go to Ruby’s place. The red-haired woman stared at them as she filled shelves with new stock. She kept glaring between them.
“You heard?” Markus asked.
“What? Did I hear about the way Tessie was ranting in the kitchen at the diner? Of course I heard. No one can keep many secrets here.”
Ruby slammed the shoes down on the shelf before turning back to them. “I agreed to help you because I thought you’d have done something by now. All you’re doing is hurting her. She thinks the gifts are charity.”
He would never get the sound of Tessie’s distraught voice from his mind. When she served him, it had looked like she was going to burst into tears. He couldn’t bear to see her crying.
“We were going to ask her this weekend,” Brant said.
The woman shook her head, walking toward them. “No, no more gifts. I’m done helping you. Either you find a way to date Tessie this weekend, or come Monday, I’m telling her the truth. I’m not being part of this charade anymore. I don’t hurt anyone with my secrets.”
She left them to go to the back of the shop. They walked out and made their way over to his truck. Markus climbed into the driver side and waited for his brother to settle in.
“We fucked this up,” Brant said.
“We’ve got this weekend to sort it out. We’ve not lost our chance and it’s not fucked.” Markus headed back to the ranch.
“Do you even know what this weekend is?”
“Yes.” Markus yelled the word at his brother. “Yes, I know what this weekend is, but we’ve got no other choice. It’s either date her or our secret is out. I don’t think she’s going to take too kindly to being told we’re the ones giving her gifts.”
They’d waited too long and now they were close to drowning if they weren’t careful. When they got back to the ranch, Brant went inside while Markus headed to the fields. He needed to walk, clear his thoughts, and check on the fences in the surrounding fields. Stone Valley rarely had any poachers and they’d never suffered with missing cattle, but fences needed to be kept working.
Here was where Markus allowed himself the time to think through his troubles. The love he felt for Tessie was pure and absolute. For five years, he’d waited to claim her. He waited for his brother and then he’d waited for the right time.
No time ever felt like the right time. It was like he was always fighting with himself to ask her to be theirs. The only thing he could think to make it any better was to tell Tessie how he felt that weekend.
He couldn’t hide from his feelings anymore.
Markus checked each fence, going across the fields until he had no choice but to head on back home. Brant was in the barn rubbing down one of the horses when he returned.
He acknowledged several of his workers as he passed them.
“Did you get your thinking done?” Brant asked.
“Yeah. We’ll go and see Tessie this weekend. Donald will be there for Lillian, which leaves us with our woman.” Markus walked over and stroked a hand down the horse’s body. He loved working with animals and using his hands. How Brant managed to stay indoors behind a computer desk all week was beyond him.
The open air, the smell of freshly cut grass, and hearing nature was what called to Markus. Even if he didn’t suffer with dyslexia he’d prefer the outdoors than staying in. Even when he was younger, he loved being outside rather than inside.
“Do you think Mom and Dads would have liked her?” Brant asked.
Out of the two of them, Brant had spent the smallest amount of time with them. He was away at college when the accident happened.
“Yeah. They would have loved her. I know it.”
“I miss them. There are times when I think our Dads would have had the perfect answer. They would know what to do about Tessie and our situation.”
Looking at his little brother, Markus was struck again by how young he actually was. At twenty-five years old, Brant was the baby of the family. Their parents made sure he didn’t have to worry about the pressure of running the ranch or dealing with the men who worked for them. A surprise baby, but a welcome brother for Markus, Brant would never have the pressure of running a ranch. Throughout their history, the Stone men had only ever given birth to two boys.
“Our Dads would probably be horrified that we’ve lavished all of these gifts and yet done nothing about our intentions. Five years is a long time to love a woman.”
“We never even told them about our plans to make her ours,” Brant said. They’d kept their love for Tessie to themselves. They were going to tell their parents on the night they’d gotten killed in the car accident.
“I think Mom and Dads knew.” After the accident and the funeral, he and Brant had changed the main bedroom. They felt it was best to rid themselves of the burning memory of their parents and embrace their future. It was what their parents would have wanted, for them both to move on and to know they were loved.
“You know, it all seems to have happened in the last five years. I mean, Tessie’s dad dies and then a couple years later, our parents die. I just don’t have a clue when it’s going to end. When do we wake up and everything is better?” Brant asked.
He went to his brother, wrapped his arms around Brant, and held on. “Everything will get better with time. All we’ve got to do is hope.”
Holding his brother, Markus waited for the calm to settle over them once again.
“I was thinking we could go to the Holland Ranch and take a look around,” Markus said.
Since Brant had come to him a couple of days ago, the ranch had been plaguing his thoughts.
“Do you think we can have a look around? It hasn’t been lived in for a long time. Then, we’ve had some harsh weather, and it looks in pretty bad shape,” Brant warned.
“I need to go and check it out. Call it a hunch.”
“You’ve got Dad’s hunch.”
George Stone always had a hunch about something. His hunches always came true.
Markus shrugged. “I’ve just got to know something.”
“I’ll grab the keys and we’ll head on over there. Anything to help our woman is good enough for me.”
* * * *
Brant drove to the Holland ranch in silence. It was only a short distance from their own ranch, but long enough away from Tessie’s current residence. They travelled the short distance with little small talk. The radio was playing some country music. Brant hated country music, but he didn’t care for changing the channel.
His thoughts kept going back to Tessie and the sound of her voice as she was yelling at Bessie in the kitchen.
“Pull over there a second,” Markus said. Brant did as his brother instructed and looked at the ranch. In the cold, harsh light of day, he saw the house in clear view. The once-white-painted wood was flaking and appeared to be falling down.
“What’s the matter?” Brant asked when Markus simply looked at the house.
“I don’t know. There’s something about this house, and I don’t like it.”
“Don’t let Tessie hear you say that. She loves this house and used to talk about it often at school.” Brant turned the engine off and sat in silence.
“I’m not talking about the house in general. I’ve got a bad feeling. I don’t know. Something doesn’t seem right.”
Before Brant could question his brother further, Markus got out of the truck.