by Tina Leonard
“Thanks. And thanks for the stuff, too.”
“You’re welcome.” Alex hung up the phone, and instantly dialed Daphne’s number. When she answered, he took a deep breath to slow the pounding of his heart. “Daphne?”
“Yes, Alex?”
“Phillip and Gloria are very much enjoying a fruit basket, a gift of some thing for Gloria I didn’t quite catch—”
“Perfume,” Daphne supplied. “And one of my stained-glass frames.”
“Ah. And also a few baby outfits, one she likes most particularly because it has little cows on it.”
“Oh, yeah. That was the cutest thing I ever saw.”
Alex tapped the desktop in decisively. “So we sent a bunch of gifts over to them.”
“Yes, we did. I knew you would want that.”
“You’re right. Thanks.” Alex took a deep breath. “Daphne?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry I was short with you earlier.”
There was no answer for a moment. Then she said, “I under stand, Alex. I really do. I’m sorry my dad was the one who suggested Uncle Herman call Beatrice about his livestock.”
She didn’t get it. Yes, he was upset about money, but he was more upset that she hadn’t come back to him when he needed her so much. Danita had said to let Daphne be the stubborn one. Sinclair and Nelly had hinted that Alex was too domineering with Daphne. But it wasn’t about money. It never had been.
He wasn’t about to beg. If she wasn’t going to move back where she belonged, into this house so they could work on their marriage and be a family, then so be it.
“Good night, Daphne,” he murmured. “I appreciate you sending gifts to Phillip and Gloria.”
He barely waited for her reply before he hung up the phone. He stared out the window at the pasture, darkly dotted by moving shapes in the night as the cows moved among the hay bales. What he’d wanted to say to his wife was, It’s time for you and the children to come home. There’s no Beatrice, no entailment, no reason for us not to work out the problems we’ve caused between us. I’ve been patient, damn it. I’ve tried to be understanding about hormones and baby blues and a multitude of other things. As bad as this may sound, I’ve run clean out of understanding and patience. For the sake of our children, it’s time we get to work on our marriage.
But he couldn’t. Daphne had to come to him on her own.
Or else he would never know she would stay with him for always, through thick and thin, bad and good.
For better or worse.
WHEN THE DOORBELL RANG early the next morning, Alex’s heart jumped. It more than jumped—it began a hammering of thrilled anticipation. Daphne had returned, he just knew it. Be calm, he told himself, she’s probably just bringing the babies for a visit.
Sinclair walked into the den five minutes later. “Mr. Way to see you, sir,” he said, imperiously showing Cos into the room.
“Thank you, Sinclair,” he said, “and don’t call me sir,” he added softly for his employee’s ears alone.
“I apologize, Alex,” Sinclair said, drawing himself up. “It is my habit.”
“Ah.” Alex bowed his head before he went to shake his father-in-law’s hand.
“Alex, I’ve got me an idea,” Cos said heartily.
Oh, no. Alex clenched his teeth so he wouldn’t say the words out loud. “Sit down and tell me about it.” He forced the words out. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Cos—quite the contrary. But he had become quite wary of the older man and his money making schemes.
“Me and you oughta go into business together,” Cos said enthusiastically.
Alex raised his eyebrows as he waited for the punch line. Surely Cos wasn’t serious. When his father-in-law waited for a response, he opened his eyes wide in question. “Did you have some thing in mind?”
“I do. We may as well combine some of our lands and do some live stock breeding, et cetera, et cetera.”
“I don’t know, Cos—”
Daphne’s father raised a hand to stall his words. “I know what you’re thinking. I’m a farmer, not a rancher. You’re thinking I don’t know spit about breeding. You’d be right, Alex, you’d sure be right.”
Alex tried to smile. He settled for a rather grim flex of his lips. “I thought I would be.”
“But now, those Chileans have been by to see me.”
“They have?” In all the Beatrice excitement, he’d for got ten about his father’s bequest to Cos.
“They have, Alex, and I’m telling ya, there’s gold in them four-legged critters.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Now, don’t pawn me off with that lifted brow of yours. I got a plan.” Cos leaned forward. “I got you into a bad job with the cattle Brother Herman sold your aunt. Now, who woulda figured that a Banning wouldn’t have been good for the money, I ask you? We—er, Herman—sold her those cows in plumb good faith. But seeing as how you’re owing Brother Herman, I say you let me pay him for them with the money the Chileans have given me for breeding my skinny cattle.”
“I can pay your brother what I owe him, Cos,” Alex said stiffly. “I do appreciate you trying to help me out, though.”
“No, no.” Cos waved his hand airily. “Don’t be saying no just yet. Your daddy already paid me once for those cows ‘fore he kicked off and give ’em back to me. So it’s nothing off of me to pay Brother Herman. But I’ve been wanting to get into business with you for a while.”
“You have?” Alex couldn’t digest that. Being in business with Cos might be as dangerous as being in business with Beatrice.
“Oh, sure. What, I’m crazy, you think? We got stuff in common. A merger is obvious.”
Alex leaned back in the leather chair. “What do we have in common?”
“Daphne, of course! And those sweet babies, which are living in my house.”
Some thing in that last part snared Alex’s attention. It had never bothered Cos and Danita before to have a houseful of their off spring. What was he up to?
“You see, we’re family. Family’s a funny thing. It’s kinda like your nose. You just cain’t get away from it. I mean, it’s in your face. So you gotta learn to live with it.”
“I—yeah. You have a point, Cos,” Alex agreed, totally lost.
“And so I figure there’s some profit to be made for both of us if we’re in business together. You get your cattle bill paid for, and I get to go after more of this bull sperm business. I’ll need a bit more land for the operation I’m considering, you see.”
Alex nodded. He had a ton more land than Cos did, so he could finally see what the wiry farmer was after. “I’d get your name on the business, which will draw customer interest, and you’d get my business savor fairy, and you could use a bit of that, Alex. You know you could.”
Cos’s savoir faire was debatable, although Alex had to admit the old man could cook up some business. His mind was always working on a new project.
“And the biggest plus of all,” Cos said on a loud whisper, as if anyone might be in the enormous den to hear him, “is that you cain’t get away from your family. Hard to ignore ’em if there’s no gully between them.” He looked very satisfied with his plan. “You’d get your wife back, and I’d get my house back.”
Alex stared at his father-in-law incredulously. “Are you suggesting that I go into business with you so that we’ll be so connected there’s no point in Daphne living with you, so she might as well live with me?”
“Well, is there? I mean, if me casa is su casa, she might as well be in su casa as opposed to mine.”
“Why don’t you just ask her to move out?”
“No, I ain’t kicking out my only girl.” Cos shook his head. “I’m just giving her a little less motivation to feel like our house is a perteckted reserve where she can hide.”
Alex frowned. “This is a rather elaborate scheme, Cos.”
“All my schemes are elaborate,” he confided. “When they look simple is when you realize the true great
ness involved. Alexander never figured out that I was working him like a dog all those years. But I was, ya know.”
“I long suspected that was the case,” Alex admitted. “I even suggested as much to Daphne.”
“You did?” Cos drew himself up, insulted. “What did she say?”
“She much preferred to see you as the poor serf my father was bullying.”
Cos grinned bigger than a hinged teapot top. “That’s my girl, always looking out for her dad. Your father wouldn’t have been such an easy mark,” he said with a shake of his finger, “if he hadn’t really thought he was a king.”
“He did that.” Alex clasped his fingers over his chest. “But I can’t go into business knowing I can’t trust my partner.”
“Trust? Why cain’t you trust me?”
He shook his head at Cos’s indignant squawk. “You just admitted you were cheating my father all along.”
“Yeah, but he was no family of mine,” Cos said with vigor. “Me and you’s relations. And as I’ve been trying to tell ya—”
“It’s like the nose on your face. You can’t get away from it,” Alex interrupted.
“Right. Good to see you pay attention, Alex.”
He sighed heavily. “I appreciate the offer, Cos, and don’t think I don’t see what you’re up to.” Taking a second to think over his words so he wouldn’t offend his father-in-law, he said, “It’s just that I don’t want Daphne to come home to me just because she feels like she might as well because she can’t get away from me. I want her to come home because she wants to. I’ve had all the manipulating, game-playing machinations I can stand, whether my father’s or Beatrice’s or even this admittedly unique plan of yours.” He made his voice soft so Cos would know he wasn’t trying to dismiss the thought he’d put into his strategy. “And to be honest, I would appreciate it if you and Danita wouldn’t get in the middle. I’m very serious about Daphne coming home once and for all.”
“I unnerstand,” Cos said quietly, “it’s just I don’t think you realize, Alex, that my daughter’s got herself up a tree. And she’s not sure how to come down.”
Alex shrugged. “All the same, while I thank you for trying to save me from paying what I owe your brother, I believe you’d have to agree that Daphne’s going to have to figure a way down out of that tree this time without anyone rushing in to save her.”
Cos was quiet for a few moments. Then he nodded. “All right, Alex. Rats.” He smacked his lips in resignation. “I sure was looking forward to going into the breeding business, though. I need me a good, recognizable name on my business cards. Banning Breeding, I was thinking.”
“No, Cos,” Alex said with a laugh. “Way Breeding would be much more likely to attract attention. You do have seven children.”
“Your name, my cattle,” Cos insisted.
“I’ll think about it,” Alex said as he walked his father-in-law to the door. “Maybe if Daphne and I ever work things out, we can talk.”
“Daphne coming home is the same thing as waiting on the cows to come home,” Cos warned him.
“Trust me, nobody knows that better than me.” Alex closed the front door after Cos had left. The likelihood of his wife or his lost cows coming home was about the same. He wouldn’t bet the ranch on it.
Chapter Seventeen
“Daphne, can we talk to you for a minute?” Danita called.
Daphne put Alexis Abigail in her crib and kissed her goodnight. Then she went down the hall. Cos and Danita were sitting in the den, ostensibly watching TV.
“You wanted me, Momma?” Daphne asked.
Her parents turned to look at her at the same time. “Sit down, honey. We want to talk to you.”
She sat, a strange fore boding coming over her. “Yes?”
“Daphne, are you proud of us?” Danita bluntly asked.
“Yes! Of course I am!” Daphne cried. She clasped her hand to her chest. “How can you ask such a question?”
“Because we wondered, gal.” Cos looked her straight in the eye. “How come you’re slinking around here, acting like you ain’t good enough for that boy up there? You ashamed of being a Way?”
“No! It isn’t that at all!” Daphne stared at her parents in shock. “You know I’m proud of you.”
Danita shook her head. “You’re not acting like it.”
She couldn’t stand it. Folding to her knees, she clasped her parents to her. “I am so very proud of you both. You’re spunky and hard working and loyal. And you take such wonderful care of me.”
“Well, we wondered.” Danita ran a hand through Daphne’s hair. “You used to be spunky and hard working, too. Frankly, we’re worried about you, hon.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” she replied softly. “I know I’ve been different lately.”
“Nope.” Cos put a gnarly hand against her cheek to stroke it. “Quite frankly, you’re acting like a scaredy-cat.”
“I feel that way for some reason.” Gently, Daphne disentangled herself from the loving hands and got into her chair. “I talked to the doctor about the fact that I’m tired all the time and that my nerves seem a bit frayed.”
“And?” Danita asked.
“Well, she says I’m perfectly normal for a woman who’s just a month or more past child birth.”
“Yep,” Danita agreed. “And you had three young ‘uns. Plus, when you shoulda been resting, you’ve been fretting.”
“It has been unusually stressful, I suppose.” Daphne gave a small shrug and smiled at her parents so they would see she still had some spirit left in her. “I felt a lot better after hearing from my doctor that I was normal and just suffering average new mom stuff. I’ve had some deep baby blues, but that seems to be working through my system, as well.” She blew out a breath that was really a heart felt sigh. “Tell you the truth, I have felt better every day. Stronger.”
“Then how come you’re so sad?” Cos demanded.
“I’m not sad,” Daphne denied. But she wouldn’t meet her parents’ eyes.
“Daphne,” Danita said softly, “we’re proud of you being brave. But you don’t have to be that way with us. We understood why you left him in the first place, hon, but he’s done plenty to make amends. And he’s hurting, too.”
“I know.” Her lips twisted with sadness. “It’s just that things keep happening that make me feel less equal to Alex. I’m so afraid that one day he’s going to look at me and think, now why did I marry that woman? Even though I know it’s not rational, it’s the way I feel.”
“Why do you think Alex would have doubts?” Cos asked.
“Because I do,” Daphne whispered. “And because I think he deserved better.”
“So you are ashamed of us.” Cos stood abruptly. “Daphne Way, I’ve been married to your mama for more years than I can count, and I’ve never been more proud of her than when she agreed to be my bride. It didn’t matter that she was always going to be the brains in the family. It didn’t matter that I was always going to let her be the boss. I might not have ever brought home the money other men did, but I love your mama with all my heart. And that, my girl, is all that counts.” He gestured toward the Banning mansion. “And either you give that same love to Alex or you just let him go. Because that man ain’t happy, and he already had enough to suffer over. If he was a dog, I’d say shoot him and put him out of his misery.”
“Dad!” Daphne ex claimed.
“Well, hellfire,” Cos complained, falling into his recliner. “What I’m saying is make up your mind, make it up tonight and get off the fence you’re straddling. All this going back and forth is wearing out my easy going nature.” He wrinkled his lips, exhausted from his speech.
“I know you’re right.” Daphne rose and kissed them each on the cheek. “It’s not fair to Alex. I’ll tell him tonight.” She left the room, her heart stinging from the knowledge of what she had to do.
Cos looked into Danita’s eyes after Daphne was out of earshot. “Did I overdo it?”
Danita thought for a moment. “I’m not sure. You may have gone a bit over board with the dead dog business.”
“Heck. I plumb lost my train of thought for some reason and started thinking about my old hunting dog.” Cos inhaled a deep breath. “Deer season’s coming, and—”
“Cos!”
“Sorry. As I said, I got to thinking about my dog. It’s his eyes! Alex is wearing that same sad look on his face that my dog gets when he can’t ride in the truck.”
“I think it’s far more serious than that.” Danita glanced down the hall. “Sh! I think I hear her coming.”
They glued their attention to the TV set.
Daphne came to stand in front of them. “Thanks, Mom and Dad. I appreciate your pep talk.”
“You’re a good daughter,” Cos told her.
“I try. Do you mind watching the babies for a while?” Daphne asked.
“Nope. Be a pleasure.” Danita gave her a soft smile. “Going some where?”
“I’m going to tell Alex what I think needs to be done about our marriage.”
“Oh?” Cos perked up, but Danita elbowed him.
“Take your time. We’re just going to sit here and watch an old movie.”
“I’ll be right back.” Daphne left the room. They heard the front door slam. A second later the Suburban roared to life.
“Well? What do you think she’s going to tell him?” Cos asked his wife.
“She’s going to tell him it’s over,” Danita said, her eyes sad.
“How do you know?” Cos demanded.
“Because she’s not spending the night. If she was telling him she was going back to him, she’da asked us to watch the babies over night.”
Cos shook his head, putting his hand over Danita’s. “I guess I did overdo it,” he said glumly.
“No.” Danita leaned back, putting her head against the recliner cushion. “Daphne’s been determined to find the escape hatch in that marriage ever since she heard Alexander babbling about boy heirs. The old coot didn’t know it, but he put a curse on that marriage that can’t be lifted.”