by June Faver
Big Jim seemed to have pigeonholed his daughter as some helpless little dimwit. It had been hard enough for her to get through the little drama with Derrick. At least Big Jim was acting as though he approved of Derrick. Whether he truly felt this way would probably come out eventually. But in the meantime, at least, Angelique had no problem spending time with the one man who accepted her completely… Well, almost completely.
She heaved a sigh, opting at least to broach the subject. “You know, Dad…”
He turned back to her and patted her hand. This was much the same as when he had tousled Gabrielle’s hair. “What’s that, baby?”
“Dad, if you’re in the mood to open a restaurant, I’m your partner. My boyfriend and I had a small restaurant in New Orleans. It was quite successful.”
“That’s nice, but you got a sweet little girl to take care of. You don’t need to work outside the home. She is your full-time job.” He looked at her as though this was a good thing.
She realized it was a good thing. He was willing to support her so she could take care of her daughter as he was taking care of her. They were safe. “Um, thanks, Dad.”
“Now, you gotta tell me what you want for Christmas. If there’s anything special you want, just let me know.” He tilted his head to one side. “’Cause otherwise you might get a gift card, and that’s no fun to unwrap.”
Angelique shrugged. “Aw, I don’t need anything. You’ve done so much for us already.”
“No, really. I want to give you something you really want. This is my first Christmas with my daughter, and I want to spoil her. Maybe something you’ve always wanted.” He nodded at her encouragingly. “Some little bauble? A nice piece of jewelry?”
She tried to smile, but couldn’t quite carry it off. “No. Not a thing. My mom gave me all her jewelry, and she had some really nice pieces.” She touched the gold chain hanging around her neck. “We’ve got everything we need. You have taken us in and given us a safe place to live. You’re providing us with everything we could possibly want.”
“I hope so, honey. But if there is something you think of, you will let me know, won’t you?”
Angelique tried to swallow, but her throat felt dry as the desert. “Sure.”
“I think I gotta have one more of these chocolate things before I call it quits.” Big Jim reached for the biggest brownie on the plate.
Chapter 14
Derrick drove into town and parked in front of his office. There were other trucks belonging to deputies with the official county emblem on the doors.
He climbed down out of the truck and gazed up at the sky. It looked as if a dark-gray blanket had been stretched overhead. The temperature was dropping, and there was an icy forecast.
Derrick went into the office, stamping the slush off his boots outside the door.
“Hey, Sheriff!” Duane, one of the longtime deputies, greeted him. “Gonna be a cold one.”
“Yeah, and we know what that means.” Derrick headed for his office, dreading the upcoming events of the day. There would be icy sleet. People would drive off the road and crash into each other. Power would go out and people would be shivering in their homes.
All of the county-owned vehicles were equipped with all-weather tires, which kept them from sliding around on an ice-covered highway. But he felt responsible for all the deputies, and their well-being was of prime importance to him. He had known most of them all his life. Known their parents and the girls they married.
“Hey, Derrick.” Duane poked his head in the office door. “I’m gonna run out and check on the Mendez family. The old man has that breathing problem, and I thought I would make sure they’re okay. He was wheezing pretty bad in church last Sunday.”
“Sure, go on.” Derrick waved a hand. “And you might also check on Miss Sarah. She lives out that way too. She’s getting on in years and lives all by herself.”
Duane gave a two-fingered salute and grinned. “I’ll check them both out.”
Other deputies were making rounds, too, so Derrick found himself alone in the office. He checked his email and the incoming statewide alerts. He printed them and took the stack of papers to his office. Two men had robbed a convenience store in the next county over, and a parolee had skipped bail and was on the lam from his latest arrest.
Derrick shook his head and tossed the papers on his desk, but one slid onto the floor. He bent down to pick it up and froze. There was the image of Angelique Guillory on a Wanted poster. He could hardly draw a breath. He felt as if he were being strangled. “Angelique!” He sat down heavily in his old wooden desk chair. The words on the page seemed to dance before his eyes.
Angelique Guillory was wanted in New Orleans for theft of jewelry valued at over $100,000.
Derrick sat staring at the paper for some time. He couldn’t imagine any circumstances in which the sweet and sensitive Angelique Guillory he knew would be driven to steal a loaf of bread, much less expensive jewelry.
There had to be a mistake, but no. This was an alert from the New Orleans Police Department, and Angelique had arrived in Langston straight from that very city. He gazed at the beautiful face on the poster. The face of the woman he loved.
He swallowed hard, then folded the page and tucked it in his pocket. On the computer, he deleted one alert, and only one. He would have to have a serious talk with Angelique.
Derrick recalled how beautiful she’d looked, sleeping in his arms.
So trusting…
So innocent…
He hoped.
* * *
Gabrielle was fast asleep, but Angelique continued to rock her. Big Jim had relocated the big, cushy rocking chair to the room Angelique shared with her daughter.
It would have been easy to put Gabrielle in her bed, but for some reason it was as comforting to Angelique as it was to her daughter to hold the sweet little human and rock them both gently as she hummed a wordless tune.
She had been antsy all day, realizing that her life would be spent in this sort of comfortable void. Truly, she felt safe, a condition she had not enjoyed for some time. Since Remy’s death.
She knew Big Jim would protect her and Gabrielle. The safest thing to do was to sit down and shut up. All of their needs were taken care of. They had a great place to live, plenty of food, and mostly kind people surrounding them.
As Angelique let her head drop back onto the headrest, an image of Colton and Misty sprang to mind. The expressions on their faces told the whole story. They didn’t believe that Angelique was Big Jim’s daughter, illegitimate or otherwise. She didn’t think she quite rated complete hatred and loathing, but some serious dislike was emanating from both her oldest half-brother and his wife.
She pressed her lips against Gabrielle’s soft curls. How could anyone dislike an innocent child and her not-so-innocent mother?
Okay, time to stop being a leech. Angelique stirred herself into action and put Gabrielle in the bed. Gabi was dressed in a warm pajama set so Angelique did not cover the child, but tiptoed from the room, leaving the door ajar so she could hear.
Big Jim had gone out to do his morning chores, mostly involving taking care of his animals and making certain his property was as he had left it the night before.
Angelique slipped into the kitchen, not at all surprised to find Fern had gotten there first.
“Good mornin’. How are ya, purty lady?”
Angelique swallowed hard. “Who? Me?” She raked her fingers through her hair. “I’m not exactly pretty.”
Fern did an elaborate double take. “Why, whoever tol’ yew that? Ye’re about tha purtiest female I ever seen…other than my Leah, o’ course.” She gave Angelique a wink.
Angelique felt herself blushing. “Thank you, Miz Fern. I’ve never thought of myself as being pretty.” She swallowed. “I guess it’s because my mom was so very beautiful. Everyone said so.”
Fern crossed her arms over her small bosom. “Well, I kin believe that, ’cause ye’re a real beauty too.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Kin I pour ya a cuppa coffee?”
“Yes, please.” She accepted the cup Fern offered and inhaled the fragrance. “This is really nice, but it’s not what I’m used to. In New Orleans, we add chicory to our coffee.”
Fern’s wisp of an eyebrow rose on her forehead. “Why, whatever for?”
“It’s a tradition. Cafe du Monde bows to the tradition and makes their coffee with chicory. It’s so lovely to go there in the morning and have a beignet and a cup of coffee.”
“Jus’ what is this chicory? Some kinda grain?”
Angelique smiled, remembering fondly the times she had shared a plate of beignets with Remy on an early morning, inhaling the fragrance of the chicory-laden coffee. “It’s actually the root of a plant that has a pretty blue flower. The root has been roasted, ground, and added to coffee for hundreds of years.”
“Hmpf!” Fern snorted. “Ain’t yew tha coffee expert.”
Angelique had to giggle at Fern’s skeptical expression. “Not really. But I was curious about it, and my mom always went the extra mile to make sure I was given all the information. She was amazing.”
“Sounds like she was a special lady.”
Angelique nodded, trying not to show the emotions crowding her chest. “She was,” she whispered, while reaching to touch the pendant she wore on a chain around her neck. A present from Sofie, her loving mother. She wore it under her clothing, just to feel as though her mother was close at hand.
* * *
Big Jim surveyed his domain from the saddle of one of his favorite horses. It was the big Appaloosa that had borne his weight for the past eight years. Good horse. Mainly Big Jim was watching his eldest son.
Colton was hauling bales of hay out to the herd of Black Angus that had gathered near the pasture fence. There was still snow on the ground. Although it hadn’t snowed in a couple of days, the frigid temperatures hadn’t allowed any snow to melt. Colt was industriously hauling a bale down off the back of the truck, clipping the baling wire, and heaving the bale over the fence.
For their part, the cattle were happy that their servants had brought food. Big Jim was angry with Colt and wanted to confront him, but on the other hand he didn’t. He was glad to have Colt pitching in and helping out around the ranch. He knew that his son was trying to atone for his ill treatment of Angelique Guillory, but somehow Big Jim doubted the sincerity. He suspected that Colt had put a cap on his apparent mistrust of his half-sister, not wanting to face off against his father.
Big Jim blew out a deep breath, creating a stream of white vapor. He glanced up at the cloudless blue sky. There would be a deep freeze come dark. When it was very cold or snowing heavily, giving animals extra forage and supplement helped to keep their body temperature up to get through winter storms. “Good job, Colt.”
Colt grinned and raised a hand in acknowledgment of his father’s praise. “Remember when we planted that windbreak, Dad?” He gestured to the row of densely spaced cedar they had planted when he was in middle school. “They sure did grow in nice and tight.”
“Sure did,” Big Jim said. “North wind usually comes down hard. Good to have them on that side of the pasture.” He remembered how he had rented an auger to drill holes and how his oldest son had helped him with the actual planting, holding up the spindly trees while Big Jim shoveled dirt around the roots. He heaved another big sigh. Colt was a good boy…a good man. But he had to come around and accept that Angelique was his half-sister and stop treating her like dirt.
“Let me help you with that, Son.” Big Jim started to dismount.
“No, Dad. I’ve got it.” Colt cut the baling wire around the last few bales of hay and picked one up to carry it to the fence. He hefted it over and returned to get the next.
“Thanks, Son.” Hard to stay mad at him…but then there’s Angelique…and Gabrielle. “Hustle up, and we can get back to the house. Fern Davis is there, and she’s been bakin’ up a storm making Christmas goodies. Maybe we can warm up with coffee and something tasty.”
Colt’s mouth tightened for a moment, but then he huffed out a breath and nodded tersely. “Sure, Dad.”
Big Jim figured Colt was not anxious to come into contact with Angelique, but he refused to back off from his stance that Colt must accept her as his father’s daughter, even if he refused to accept her as his own sister.
“I’m gonna head back. You come on right away.” Big Jim picked up the reins and goaded his horse to turn around and head back to the ranch house, leaving Colt to follow in the truck.
He urged the big Appaloosa forward, enjoying the short sprint to the house. He pulled up to the stable and dismounted, leading his horse inside. He removed the saddle and gave the horse extra grain after he was back in his stall. “Good ride,” Big Jim said, giving the horse a few pats on the neck.
By the time he had trudged back to the house, he found Colt sitting in his truck with the motor idling. Before Angelique’s arrival, Colt would have barged right into the house he grew up in. Now he was waiting for an escort.
Colt turned off the motor and fell into step beside his dad.
Big Jim wanted to give him the proverbial smack upside his head, but controlled himself long enough to get into the house.
Sure enough, he found Angelique and Gabrielle in the kitchen. “Where’s Miz Fern?” he asked.
Angelique smiled sweetly at him; then, glancing at Colton, her smile faded. “Hi, Dad. Um, Leah came to pick her grandma up. She wanted to take her to a doctor’s appointment.”
Big Jim frowned. “I didn’t know she was feeling poorly.”
Angelique shrugged. “She wasn’t. Leah wanted to be sure she got a pneumonia shot. Miz Fern wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about getting one, but Leah said she was protecting her and insisted she go with her.”
Colt remained conspicuously silent.
“Got any coffee left?” Big Jim asked.
“Just made some.” Angelique picked up the coffeepot. “How about you, Colt? Would you like a cup?”
Colt swallowed hard. “Yes, that would be nice.” He removed his Stetson and tossed it on the back of a chair. “I better wash up a bit.” He turned and went to the half bath near the kitchen.
Angelique pressed her lips together, but carried two mugs over to the table.
Big Jim washed his hands at the kitchen sink and dried them on a dishtowel. “I appreciate you, honey.” He took a seat at the table and patted the chair beside him. “You can sit down and join us, can’t you?”
“Um, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your talk.” She poured coffee into both cups but hurried back behind the counter. “I’m making lunch.”
Big Jim could tell how uncomfortable she was. “What are you making?”
She shrugged. “Just some gumbo. I made some for Derrick the other day, and he really liked it.”
Big Jim smiled at her. “I have a feeling Derrick would like anything you made for him.”
A little smile, but she kept her eyes down.
“Where’s my little Gabi?”
She smiled wider. “Right down here on the floor. She’s playing with the pots and pans. She doesn’t have much in the way of toys here.”
Big Jim nodded. “Maybe Santy Claus will have something for little Miss Gabrielle to play with in his bag.”
“That would be nice, Dad.”
Colt returned then, turning to gaze at Angelique when she said the word dad. He looked away quickly and seated himself beside Big Jim at the table. He wrapped his hands around the mug of coffee. “Thanks,” he mumbled.
Colt seemed to be as ill at ease as Angelique was.
Big Jim sipped his coffee, watching his children ignore each other. “That gumbo smel
ls great, honey.”
“I hope you like it. It’s almost ready.”
“Gwampa?” Gabrielle climbed to her feet, abandoning the pots and pans she had been playing with. She peeked around the side of the counter and let out a squeal when she spotted Big Jim.
“Yes, your grandpa is over there,” Angelique said.
Gabrielle took off at a fast pace, running toward him with her arms raised and a wide grin on her face.
Big Jim gathered her in his arms and sat her on his lap. “I swear, Colt. Have you ever seen a prettier little girl?”
“Um, no. She’s very pretty.” Colt gazed at Gabrielle, his expression guarded.
“Here, you can hold her. She’s about the cuddliest little one I ever saw. C’mon, Colt.” He lifted her toward his oldest son.
“Uh, okay, Dad.” He allowed Big Jim to pass Gabrielle to him but he held her stiffly, staring at her.
“Oh, you can do better than that. Let her sit on your knee.” Big Jim gestured to him. “C’mon. She’s adorable.”
Gabrielle looked at Big Jim uncertainly. Her lower lip jutted out and trembled.
“Aw. See? Now you’re upsetting her.” Big Jim gave Colt a glare.
Colt eased Gabrielle to a sitting position on his knee and patted her back. “Um, hey, little girl.”
“That’s better.” Big Jim leaned back. “I knew you could do it. I’m sure you and Misty want to have kids someday. Kids are wonderful…especially this little one.” Big Jim leaned over to give her cheek a pat. “This big fella is your uncle. Can you say hello to Uncle Colt?” He pointed to his son.
“Hello, Unca Colt,” Gabrielle responded, gazing at him uncertainly.
Big Jim glanced at Angelique, but she looked worried. He hadn’t intended to cause her any distress, but this was her brother, dammit! There had to be some kind of relationship here. “Angelique, look at your brother here. Colton is getting the hang of being an uncle.”