by Carol Finch
Nate sighed heavily and reminded himself that it wouldn’t be the first time an attempt to do good deeds went bad. He was living proof of that, wasn’t he? But still…
Well hell, what did he care? He would be back in Odessa, and the new branch manager would have to deal with all the headaches. Fuzz would have this entire house to himself to putter around in…and Nate’s young charges would slip back into their rut.
Nate winced at that depressing thought. This town could go to hell with his blessing, but those boys weren’t going down with it. He would have to make some sort of arrangements—whatever necessary—to see that the boys had a chance in life.
That was the last sensible train of thought Nate could manage. The sedative was taking effect, and the pressure in his chest eased up. He would have welcomed the hiatus from pain if the bluest eyes in West Texas hadn’t followed him into his disjointed dreams.
Chapter Thirteen
Katy’s brows puckered as she watched one of the contractors at the construction site flip a smoldering cigarette butt onto the concrete floor. She’d had it with these rascals who never picked up after themselves. They were worse than two-year-olds!
She tramped over to grind the heel of her shoe on the smoldering butt. “Put the cigarette out, pal,” she snapped. “The grocery store burned down last month because of an incident like this one. I want to see this building completed, not burned to cinders.”
The rail-thin worker pulled a face at her. “When is Channing coming back?”
What the contractor really wanted to know, Katy decided, was when could he get her off his back. The answer was, Only when he started cleaning up after himself.
“Nate won’t be back for at least a week,” Katy announced. “In the meantime I will be in charge.”
“Yeah, so we noticed,” one of the crew mumbled, then scowled.
“You are hereby informed that I am making a list and checking it twice. Anyone who isn’t pulling his weight around here can take a hike.” She hitched her thumb toward the exit of the warehouse. “I’ve got five teenagers outside picking up the trash you and the other crews tossed around. All of those boys are working circles around you, so get back to work.”
“Look, lady—”
“No, you look, buster,” Katy broke in forcefully. “I caught one of your men in an office this morning, sprawled on the floor, sleeping off a hangover, resting his head on a blasted hammer! This afternoon, one of your helpers was standing around the corner, out of sight, tapping his hammer against the wall to make everybody think that he was actually accomplishing something. I’m sick and tired of this slow pace you’re setting.
“According to the contract on file in the main office, you are two weeks behind schedule. Sunrise Oil does not pay for what it doesn’t get. Are we clear on that?”
“Yeah.” The bearded foreman with an attitude glared at her.
Not to be outdone, Katy glared right back. “Shift into first gear, and get the office doors hung before you shove off for the evening.”
Katy was pretty sure the four men saluted her with their middle fingers when she wheeled around and limped off. But she didn’t care what they thought of her. She had watched those jokers waste time with long, unscheduled breaks too often the past few days.
Digging the cell phone from her pocket, Katy punched in Nate’s home number. Fuzz answered on the second ring.
“Fuzz? It’s Katy. Did you hear back from the Department of Health and Human Services?”
“Yes, about twenty minutes ago,” he confirmed.
“Did they cut through the red tape?”
“I think so. The caseworker is supposed to be here tomorrow. The wheels are in motion. Millie and Mary Jane approve of your idea and all systems are go.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“How are things going at the construction site?” Fuzz asked.
“Slowly,” Katy grumbled. “These clowns spend more time finding ways to avoid work than actually doing it.”
“Good help is hard to find.”
“Amen to that.” Katy spun around to ensure Tweedledum and his Tweedledee crew were still working. “How’s Nate?”
“Irritable as a wounded rhinoceros. He demanded his phone to make business calls again this morning. I told him he couldn’t have it. That didn’t go over too well.”
“Tough cookies,” Katy said. “Nate was totally exhausted from working double shifts before he suffered those injuries. He needs to rest.”
“You can’t sell him on the idea,” Fuzz grumbled.
“You’re a retired sheriff. You know how to handle contrary inmates,” Katy encouraged him.
Fuzz chuckled. “Yeah, but the only crime Nate committed was caring enough to get involved in this community.”
“Then he just gave up,” Katy murmured.
“Is that what happened? I wondered why his attitude turned so lousy.”
“That’s it in a nutshell. I made the stupid mistake of telling him what my father had done to him sixteen years ago. It wasn’t a good time to tell him, but I thought he deserved to know the truth. That, combined with his pain and frustration, made him throw up his hands in defeat.”
“Nate mentioned the incident to me yesterday. I was as hesitant to confide my suspicions about what really happened as you were. I never could find the right time to bring it up, either.”
“He took it pretty hard,” Katy reported. “Not that I blame him. I feel responsible for what happened to him way back when, and now. Having given up once myself, I know it takes several nudges and a lot of prodding to get back on track. I’m not about to let Nate give up.”
Fuzz chuckled. “Then he doesn’t have a prayer. Go get ’em, tiger.”
“I fully intend to.”
“I gotta go, Katy. The tyrant is yelling again. No telling what His Snippiness wants this time.”
Katy switched off the phone. A faint smile pursed her lips as she imagined how difficult Nate was to deal with in his present mood. She had only caught a glimpse of his frustration the night he had ordered her out of his life and given up his attempt to win over this bullheaded town.
Nate’s admirable strengths could also be his most notable faults, especially when he was confined to quarters, Katy mused. Undoubtedly, he was getting restless. He was probably wondering if her leadership would destroy his business. He probably doubted that she knew what the devil she was doing.
Well, she might not be an oil tycoon, but librarians who operated on the Dewey decimal system knew something about precise organizational skills. She had also pinched pennies on a limited budget at the library, and she knew how to get around, over and under obstacles standing in her path. She had applied those skills to the oil industry when she acted in Nate’s stead.
Thanks to Nate she had regained self-esteem and had become assertive. She was gradually gaining self-confidence by handling confrontations with Lester and the hotshot crew foreman at the construction site. The additional experience assured her that she could handle Nate’s duties until he recovered.
Come hell, high water—or both—the finishing crew was going to have the offices ready for occupancy by the time Nate was back on his feet, she vowed. Then she would hand the reins of command to Nate, and he would realize that he could trust her with his business, with his life, with his love.
As for the hidebound citizens of Coyote Flats, Katy wasn’t sure how she was going to cure them of blind stupidity, but she was going to do it, sure as shootin’.
Retrieving the phone, Katy put in a call to Tammy to bring hamburgers and fries for the boys, who had been working extra hard all week to ensure Nate’s projects weren’t neglected.
“Sure, I’ll be glad to bring out a picnic supper,” Tammy assured her. “Anything else, Aunt Katy?”
“As a matter of fact, there is. The Spring Festival of the Coyote is coming up this weekend, and we need to get some baked goods prepared to serve at the food booths. I am also in charge of hauling folding chairs f
rom the church to set up seating in the town square for the audience of the bands and vocal groups that are providing live entertainment. Do you think the boys would help you with that chore after they get off work? I have another matter I need to attend to this evening.”
“I’m sure Chad and the other guys would be glad to help,” Tammy confirmed.
“Sheriff Peterson informed me that he would rope off the entertainment area on Main Street this evening so we could set up the chairs, and the arts and crafts and food booths tonight.”
“Not to worry, Aunt Katy. We’ll take care of everything.”
“Thanks, kiddo, I appreciate it.”
Katy crammed the phone in her purse and strode off to double-check on the construction crew. She couldn’t leave them alone for fifteen minutes for fear they would give themselves another break. As for the cleanup crew of teenagers, Katy didn’t have to look over their shoulders. They were working their little hearts out for Nate.
No one offered Nate respect, he’d said. Bull, thought Katy. There were five teenagers outside who worshiped the ground Nate walked on. Someday those boys would become decent, responsible, hardworking men who had been taught morals and ethics by a positive role model. Even if Nate had convinced himself that he was fighting a hopeless battle, he had built on the foundation for the future. It was the youth of Coyote Flats who would eventually replace the lug-headed Lester Browns of this community.
Nate didn’t understand that he was winning the battle for acceptance one teenager at a time. As for Lester, Katy planned to have a long talk with him this evening. It was time to do something about that pain in the patoot!
Katy frowned curiously when she cruised over the hill to see two farm trucks pulling away from Lester Brown’s barn, which sat a quarter of a mile from his house. Alarm bells went off in Katy’s head when the truck drivers failed to turn on their headlights as they headed north on the gravel road. Katy drove past the house, then turned around near a grove of mesquite trees.
Hopping from the car, Katy hiked through the ditch and noticed the silhouette of a man walking toward the house. Katy had the unmistakable feeling that Lester was up to something sneaky. She knew for a fact that Lester had declared bankruptcy years earlier. She had often wondered how he could live on the rent payments he received from what little farm ground and pastureland he had left to his name. She assumed Lester had applied for welfare or unemployment benefits to support him, but she was beginning to wonder if Lester had made arrangements for a more lucrative income.
Katy silently fumed when she recalled how Lester had accused Nate of dealing drugs and spiffying up Millie’s house for pickups and drop-offs. Interesting, wasn’t it, that Lester was hell-bent on casting suspicion on Nate. Maybe the fact was that Lester wanted to distract the folks of Coyote Flats so no one would suspect him of wrongdoing.
Determined, Katy eased between the barbed wire strands of the fence, then cut diagonally across the pasture to reach the barn. She stepped inside to see a gigantic stack of square hay bales.
Hmm. Now why would someone deliver hay—in the cover of darkness—to Lester’s farm when he no longer kept a herd of cattle or flock of sheep that needed feed?
Good question. Katy wanted a logical answer to go with it. She dug the cell phone from her pocket and dialed quickly. “Fuzz?”
“What’s up, Katy?”
“I know it’s late, but I just happened onto something very interesting when I drove out to speak to Lester Brown about the way he has been harassing Nate. Could you come out here and meet me in Lester’s barn?”
“What’s going on out there?” Fuzz questioned warily.
“I’m hoping you can figure that out, being a retired sheriff and all. I suggest you be discreet, Fuzz. I don’t want Lester to know either one of us are snooping around in his barn.”
“Sounds intriguing,” Fuzz said. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Just be careful, girl.”
“I will,” she promised. “I’ll just tuck myself behind all these bales of hay that were delivered to Lester’s barn a few minutes ago.”
“In the dark? Hay bales?” Fuzz hooted. “Lester doesn’t run livestock.”
“Like you said, Fuzz, it sounds intriguing.”
“I’m on my way.”
The phone clicked, then hummed. Katy disconnected, then limped to the far corner of the barn to position herself between the tall stacks of straw. Remembering how Lester had tormented Nate to no end with negative gossip, graffiti, and hate mail made Katy fume in outrage. Unless Katy missed her guess—and she seriously doubted that she had—Lester had been covering up illegal activities, while casting shadows of doubt and condemnation on Nate.
Just wait until Fuzz got here to dig into this pile of straw! Fuzz would know how to handle this situation, and Lester was going to be dreadfully sorry he had tangled with her!
Nate’s brows shot up in surprise when Fuzz barreled into the bedroom, pulling the wheelchair. “Does this mean I’m finally allowed out of solitary confinement?”
“I’ve got someplace I have to be in a hurry,” Fuzz said as he positioned the wheelchair beside the bed. “You can watch TV in the living room while I’m gone. The boys called a while ago and said they were coming to visit you.”
Nate flinched when Fuzz grabbed hold of his arm to situate him in the chair. Nate barely had time to find a comfortable position before Fuzz wheeled him out the door and down the hall.
“What’s the all-fired rush?” Nate demanded crankily. “Slow this thing down! I’m not in good-enough shape for racing.”
Fuzz slowed his urgent pace. “Sorry. I’m working on a short clock. If you need anything, the boys can take care of you while I’m gone. Mary Jane already left for the night.”
“Fine, but—”
Bemused, Nate watched Fuzz grab his baseball cap and fly out the door without so much as a goodbye. Nate’s curious gaze drifted from Fuzz’s departing back to the cordless phone. Painful though it was, Nate pushed himself toward the end table, then picked up the receiver. For two days he had debated about calling Katy and apologizing for being so terse with her the night he’d sent her away.
Of course, he hadn’t changed his mind about getting out of her life, getting out of this sorry-ass town, but he did feel the need to apologize for hurting her. Damn it, she was the last person on this planet he wanted to hurt.
Impulsively, Nate dialed the number, disappointed that Tammy was the one who answered the phone. “Hi, Tammy. May I talk to Katy?”
“Sorry, Nate, but she isn’t here. How are you feeling?”
“Lousy, but thanks for asking. Do you happen to know where I can reach Katy?”
“No, she said she had something to take care of this evening, but she didn’t say where she was going or when she’d be back,” Tammy reported. “Do you want me to tell her you called?”
Nate debated about that, wondering if fate had intervened to prevent him from hearing the sound of her voice, which would probably cause his resolve to crack. Yet, the thought of leaving town without talking to her didn’t set well with him. It seemed like the coward’s way out, and in no way did he want his departure to resemble the night he was forced from town sixteen years earlier. No way could he leave without telling Katy where she could reach him if she needed him.
“Ask Katy to give me a call when she gets home,” Nate requested. “No matter what time it is, I want to talk to her.”
“Sure thing, Nate.”
Nate barely got the phone hung up when the doorbell chimed. “It’s open. Come in.”
Five fashionably dressed boys, their hair neatly clipped, filed into the living room. Taz came immediately to his feet to greet the guests and beg a few pats. The boys, who received very little affection from their families, gave the mongrel all the attention he wanted. Taz was happy as a clam when he received so many pats on the head and scratches behind his ears.
A pang of sadness stabbed at Nate while he watched the teenagers fawn over the mutt.
He had gotten used to having these kids underfoot. Damn, it was going to be lonely as hell in Odessa without these boys, without Katy….
“How are you feeling, sir?” Chad asked as he sank onto the sofa, then glanced around the room. “Man, this is really a fancy place you’ve got here.”
“Yeah,” the other boys chimed in. “Really cool.”
While four of the boys made themselves at home and carried on about the big-screen TV, Jake Randolph hung back, his head downcast, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. The kid refused to meet Nate’s gaze. Nate suspected Jake was tormenting himself because of the incident that took place at his house.
“Chad, why don’t you and the guys bring Jake and me a cola from the kitchen,” Nate suggested. “Some of Millie’s fresh-baked cookies are on the counter. Help yourselves to them, or any other snack you want.”
When the boys strode off, Nate motioned for Jake to take a seat. The kid shook his head, refusing to budge from the spot.
“Just when things were starting to get better, it all went to hell,” Jake grumbled bitterly. “I was starting to have a little pride in myself at school, because my grades are getting better. The new clothes you and Katy gave me made me feel like I fit in. It felt good to have other kids compliment my clothes, to admire something I had, ya know?”
Jake’s head dropped lower, his shoulders slumped. “Then you got hurt while you were at my place. Now I don’t feel like I belong here, don’t deserve the job you gave me,” Jake mumbled. “Not after what my old man did to you.”
“That wasn’t your fault,” Nate told him.
Jake glanced up, his eyes filled with torment and regret. “Wasn’t it? I know how my old man operates. I should have been counting the bottles of booze, just like you said. Because I didn’t notice the signs in time, you’re stuck in a wheelchair, and Katy had to close down the library so she could take care of things for you.”
“Did she?” Nate had wondered how she managed to juggle her professional duties, as well as his. Now he knew. She had placed his needs and obligations above her own. That was just like Katy, wasn’t it?