Tonight, after dinner, she was going to tell Alexander everything.
* * *
It had been a long time since Alexander had gotten such a rush off working on a project. He’d done all sorts of grant proposals over the years, worked on creating bills for the legislature, but being a part of the community in which the work would be making such a big difference was something special.
Sure, he’d gotten letters from grateful constituents. But he’d also seen the hateful ones from people who didn’t agree with policies. He’d even met some of them in person at various town hall events. But he didn’t know any of them, not like this.
He sat back in his chair after finishing the meal, watching Rachel and Janie laugh at the kids’ antics. He’d always wondered what it would be like, his family growing to a point where the next generation sat at the dinner table. He hadn’t gotten to a place where he felt comfortable settling down, and William had his share of failed relationships, but being part of this family scene made Alexander wistful.
There’d been a spark today between him and Janie, and the expression in her eyes at the time had told him that she felt it, too. If he were honest with himself, he would say that what he wanted most in the world right now was to follow that spark and see where it led. It had killed him when Sam had asked him to be his father. Bucky didn’t deserve a kid like Sam. And Alexander would do anything for the little boy. He wanted to call out Bucky for being such a self-absorbed jerk.
The senator was wrong for wanting to hide Janie and Sam. They would be an asset to his campaign. People would like the senator more for owning up to his son’s irresponsible actions. They’d respect him for stepping up and doing the right thing.
But it didn’t explain the blackmail.
As he looked over at Janie, he still couldn’t make sense of that. As angry and prideful as she was over the situation, there was no way she could be taking the senator’s money.
But he’d examined and reexamined the letters.
“Let’s play hangman,” Katie said.
It must have been a popular game in the family because Janie got up and walked over to a drawer, from which she pulled out a notebook that she plopped down in front of everyone.
As Janie drew out the details of the game and each kid called out different letters, Alexander stared at them, trying to see if they matched up to any of the writing in the blackmail letters. He’d already tried observing her handwriting as they dealt with fire-related issues, but it didn’t seem to match.
Could someone else have written the letters for her?
Janie passed the notebook over to Rachel, and Alexander tried to look at her writing as well. But there were no similarities.
What did it all mean?
Even though the senator would probably accuse him of having ulterior motives, the right step would be to ask him if there was another angle. Another explanation for the blackmail. There was no sign of the money, no indication of Janie’s willingness to take the money, and the handwriting didn’t match. Alexander wasn’t skilled at blackmail operations, but nothing about the situation could convince him that Janie was blackmailing the senator.
But could he convince the senator of that?
“I don’t like this game,” Sam said. “Let’s go play a better one.”
Alexander’s heart ached for the little boy who was frustrated at playing a game with letters. It wasn’t Sam’s fault that he couldn’t read the same way everyone else could. But, hopefully, Janie would pursue the grant and get Sam the help he needed.
“Poppa Ricky has Candyland,” Katie said, jumping up from her seat and running out of the room. Sam followed, and Alexander couldn’t help but smile at how the two of them got along.
“They’re something else,” Alexander said.
Rachel nodded. “You’re telling me. You should see them when Ryan gets in the mix. The three of them are going to take over the world someday.”
Everyone at the table laughed, and once again, Alexander felt full of the love of family. It was just like being at home, only his parents and brother were missing. Maybe he would see if he could talk them into coming for Thanksgiving. William needed to know these people, and understand the love from them. And even though his parents weren’t technically related, by the way Ricky included Janie and her family in the mix, he knew they would feel the same warm welcome.
He just wished he’d taken the time to learn more about his family heritage a long time ago.
But maybe it wasn’t too late.
“I know we’re doing the town Thanksgiving,” Alexander said. “But I came here hoping to learn more about my heritage. My mother’s family brings a lot of traditions from their Scandinavian roots, and I know we have Mexican roots. What traditions do we have?”
Ricky shrugged. “Thanksgiving is an American holiday. We do what the Americans do. Have turkey, lots of food and family time. We just like any excuse to get together and celebrate. Besides, we are Americans. I’m the fourth generation on this land, and you’re the sixth. We are proud of the life we built here, and of having such a successful ranch.”
Then Ricky stood. “But we do honor our Mexican roots, and we honor the ancestors who came before us. I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures around the house of our history, but let me take you for a more detailed tour. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten the chance to explain it to you sooner.”
When Alexander stood, Rachel did the same. “I’d like to join you as well. I’ve heard the stories, but it seems like every time you tell one, there’s a new detail, and I love hearing about my family.” She looked over at Alexander. “If it’s okay with you, that is.”
He nodded. “I’d like that. I’m still getting used to the idea of finally having family who look like me, instead of being the oddball in a group of light-haired, light-skinned, blue-eyed Norsemen. What does your family think of you exploring your roots?”
His question appeared to hit a nerve in Rachel, whose face darkened.
“My mom died when I was ten, and I never knew my father. So I grew up in foster care. Coming here gave me the family I never had.”
He hadn’t thought about Rachel’s past until now. And while they had worked together somewhat during the fire, he hadn’t gotten to know her personally. But from what he did know, he liked her.
One more reason to talk to the senator and figure out a way out of this mess.
Not only did he not want to lose Janie, but he wasn’t sure he could lose his sister as well.
As Ricky took them on a tour through the ranch house, he explained how this had been the original home of the first Ricardo Ruiz when he came to America, and how and where it had been added on to over the years. This wasn’t just a house, but a place of living history.
Every photo on the wall, every piece of artwork and even much of the furniture spoke of the history of this ranching family who’d settled in a wild land and created a life for themselves.
Alexander found himself pausing at the large photo of his father, Cinco. He saw it every day, but for the first time he really looked at the man he’d refused to accept as being his father because it had felt like a betrayal to the man who loved him and cared for him his whole life.
The expression on Cinco’s face was so much like William’s when he was annoyed. He could almost picture Cinco telling the photographer to hurry up and take the picture because he had better things to do, just like William would.
When Ricky took them back to his office, he closed the door behind them.
“It might look fancied up now, but this room was the original cabin my great-grandfather built. If you move the bookcases, you can see some of the original log chinking. I wish my predecessors had done a better job of preserving it, but I think the wives got involved and thought it was ugly, so they covered it up.” He moved a set of books to reveal a small safe.
“I
put the ranch in a trust to preserve it, so there isn’t much for me to leave for you. But I do have a few things that mean a lot to me, and I want to share them with you while I’m alive so you can hear the stories and appreciate them.”
Alexander’s throat closed with tears. He hadn’t been expecting this.
Ricky pulled a small, hand-carved wooden box out of the safe and opened it. He held it out to them. “My great-grandfather loved to carve. When he was on the long cattle drives, he would sit by the fire, carving things. Then he’d give them to his wife when he returned. My grandmother threw most of them away because she thought they were junk. But this box survived, and it is our greatest family treasure.”
Then he opened the box and emptied its contents. Four coins.
“Most people don’t know this, but they had four sons. The first one was my grandfather, and the others died tragically as young adults. But when my great-grandfather came home with the proceeds from his first big sale, he set aside these four coins for his four boys. He had big dreams for the ranch, and he always wanted the boys to remember its humble beginnings.”
Ricky gave each of them a coin. “I’m told they’re worth a great deal, but to me they’re priceless. You can sell them if you want, but I hope you’ll keep them as a reminder of where you came from.”
He looked over at Rachel. “I’d intended to give you one as a wedding gift, but I got distracted, and then there didn’t seem to be the right time. But it feels right for me to share with you now.”
Alexander was crying like a little boy, and when he looked over at Rachel, she was openly sobbing as well. Alexander reached forward and hugged Ricky, but Ricky brushed him off.
“I’m an old man, and I won’t be here forever.” He pointed at Rachel. “But she is your sister, and while I know you two don’t know each other well, I hope in time, you can learn to be there for each other. Rachel has the finest husband a woman could ask for, but nothing beats the love of family.”
Alexander turned and held his arms out to her. She stepped into his hug, and he held her tight.
His baby sister. He had William, but who did she have?
An amazing family, that’s what. And it killed him to think that if he didn’t find a way to fix things, he might be the one to destroy them all.
“I’ll always be here for you,” Rachel said.
That was supposed to be his line, but it felt good to have someone say it to him.
They talked a few minutes more, then Ricky said, “All right now, enough of this mushy stuff. You two play with the young ones, and I’m going to relax for a bit.”
Rachel gave Alexander one last hug as they stepped out of the room. “I know we keep pushing you toward Janie. But I want you to know, it’s only because we love you both. And if things don’t work out, that’s okay.”
He nodded, then gave her another quick hug. “Thanks. That means a lot. I’m not ready for a relationship, and I’m doing my best not to make any promises I can’t keep. I wouldn’t hurt her for anything in the world.”
“I know,” Rachel said. “You’re a good man. I wouldn’t want you with her if I believed otherwise.”
Her praise only made him feel worse. He’d been planning to wait to call the senator, but with everything so heavy on his heart, he had to do it now.
“You go on ahead with the others. I have a call to make, and then I’ll join you.”
He went into the den and closed the door behind him, then pulled out his phone. The senator answered on the first ring.
“Well? Is it done?”
Alexander took a deep breath. “No. I think we’re barking up the wrong tree. I don’t think Janie is blackmailing you. Is it possible that someone is making it look like it’s Janie to cover their tracks? I see no evidence of your money being spent by her. Every time I’ve pressured her to take the money, she staunchly refuses, almost to the point of being offended. I looked at her handwriting, and it doesn’t match the blackmail letters. We’ve got to be missing something.”
“I am not paying you to investigate her. I’m paying you to get her signature.”
Alexander was glad they were doing this over the phone, and not in person. Because he wasn’t sure how he would keep from losing his temper.
“But if it’s not Janie, her signature isn’t going to get the blackmail to stop. You need to dig deeper.”
The senator’s loud sigh told Alexander that he might have gotten through to him. “I’ll get an investigator on it. But I still need that signature. Who knows who will get to her?”
If anything, the senator’s paranoia convinced Alexander all the more of his need to be in touch with people and get to know them personally. If the senator had only done that with Janie, he would understand.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with her, and used every angle I could to pry Bucky’s name out of her. She still refuses to name him. She’s not a threat.”
He half expected the senator to argue, but when he remained silent, Alexander continued. “And that’s what else I wanted to talk to you about. As you know, their community has been hard hit by a wildfire. They’re planning a Thanksgiving celebration, but everyone who usually donates turkeys to them has donated other supplies, so they can’t do the turkeys this year. I thought if you could donate the turkeys, it would be an excellent photo opportunity. It could boost your campaign.”
While he had the senator’s attention, Alexander took a deep breath and said, “It would also give you the chance to meet Janie and see for yourself what kind of woman she is. And it wouldn’t hurt for you to meet your grandson. Sam is a great kid, and rather than being a liability, I think they could be assets to you.”
“You’re doing a lot of thinking for someone who’s not paid to think. I gave you orders, and it sounds like you’re doing everything but following them.”
He should’ve expected this. After all, he was a lower-level employee, without the experience of some of the senator’s senior advisors. But it was a good idea, and he would have been wrong to keep it from the senator.
“You don’t have a lot of support in the smaller communities of our state. Giving them their turkey and celebrating Thanksgiving with them would go a long way to improving your image.”
“I don’t need to improve my image!” the senator practically yelled. “If you’d been in the office, you’d see my latest polling numbers. I’m going to win, easily, and I need to make sure that little tramp and her brat don’t ruin it for me.”
“She’s not a tramp,” Alexander said, unable to keep his voice steady. “Janie Roberts is a good woman with a loving heart, and no one who knows her would describe her that way.”
He hoped the silence on the other end was a good sign, but the sinking feeling in Alexander’s stomach said otherwise.
“That good woman sent another blackmail note, saying that with the fire her circumstances have changed, and she’s going to need double the amount of money outlined in the nondisclosure agreement to keep her mouth shut.”
There was no way. It couldn’t have been Janie.
“There has to be a mistake. I specifically talked to Janie about the change in her circumstances, and suggested that taking the money you offered could be a solution. She was very much against the idea. Why would she tell me one thing, then send a letter to you, saying something completely different? That doesn’t make sense.”
The senator made an annoyed noise. “Whether it makes sense or not, that’s what she did. I’m texting you a picture of the note so you can see for yourself.”
The phone beeped with the text, and while the note looked like all the others in his file, it still didn’t look like anything from Janie.
“This still doesn’t mean it’s her. You need to get an investigator to find out who’s really behind this.”
Finally, the senator said, “Let me make myself clear. Your only job is t
o get that woman’s signature on the nondisclosure agreement. If you are not back in the office at the end of the Thanksgiving holiday with that signature, consider your employment terminated, and I will find someone more qualified to do the job, no matter what it takes.”
He hung up before Alexander could respond, leaving Alexander to stare at his phone, wondering what had just happened.
Thanksgiving. He had until Thanksgiving to get Janie’s signature.
While it would be disappointing to lose his job, Alexander had plenty of contacts elsewhere in the political community, and he could find something. It would just delay his timeline a little. But more worrisome than that was the threat about Janie.
The senator had tried an investigator. He’d tried the gentle touch with Alexander. So what would he do to coerce a woman to sign a document that she didn’t want to sign?
Alexander took a deep breath, then noticed the door was slightly ajar. He was sure he’d closed it behind him. When he went to the door, he opened it and saw Janie standing there. She pushed her way into the room.
“What on earth did I just overhear?” she asked.
Chapter Ten
She couldn’t have heard what she’d just heard. There had to be a rational explanation. But from the look on Alexander’s face, it was exactly what she’d thought.
“Who was on the other end of the phone?” she asked.
The guilty look on his face gave her the answer before he spoke. “That was Senator James Blackwell. He’s my boss. He claims you’re blackmailing him to remain silent over Sam’s paternity.”
Now that was something she hadn’t expected. Yes, she had thought he was talking to the senator. But she hadn’t considered how deeply involved Alexander might be.
“But I told him it had to be a mistake,” Alexander added quickly. Too quickly. Like he felt guilty.
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