Curtis (Coyote Ridge) (Volume 1)

by Nicole Edwards

  What?

  The red haze intensified, and for the first time in his life, Curtis contemplated killing a man.

  “It’s true,” Mary Elizabeth said, looking up at Curtis. “Curtis would inherit it all if he were to marry Lorrie.”

  What the hell did that have to do with anything? He wasn’t going to marry Lorrie just so he’d get the Walker land. It was already his as far as he was concerned. And Gerald’s. And Joseph’s. And David’s. And Frank Jr’s.

  Mr. Jameson was looking at him once more. “I’ll give you my permission to marry Lorrie provided you pay me a sum equivalent to her worth.”

  Curtis’s fury consumed him, his hands fisted at his sides, and an involuntary growl tore up from his chest. This sorry, good-for-nothing bastard wanted Curtis to pay him?

  “It’s only fair, son,” Mr. Jameson went on to say as though this was a completely rational conversation. “If she marries you, that’s one less set of hands I’ll have to help out at home.”

  Not to mention one less mouth to feed, Curtis thought, but kept it to himself.

  Bastard.

  “And how much do you want?” Curtis dared to ask.

  “Five thousand dollars,” Mr. Jameson said smoothly, as though he had this all planned out.

  “Five thousand? Are you outta your fuckin’ mind?” That was more money than most people made in a year. Twice as much as what the folks in Granite Creek made.

  “Is she not worth five thousand?” Mr. Jameson questioned.

  “Lorrie’s worth more than any amount of money,” Curtis bellowed, angry that her own father could imply otherwise.

  “Then I don’t see that we’ll have a problem.”

  Oh, they had a big fucking problem.

  Curtis looked at his mother. For the first time, he realized she was sober. And she was crying. He had no idea what she was distraught about. She had to know that he would always take care of her. But did they have that kind of money? He knew the ranch was worth a lot, but that wasn’t the same as cash.

  When Mary Elizabeth looked up at him, her eyes were suddenly clear. She nodded her head once, a signal for him to agree to Mr. Jameson’s demands. The action shocked him, but he couldn’t bring himself to deal with that right now.

  “Fine,” he told Mr. Jameson. “But I’m marryin’ her today. And if you do anything to stand in my way, you’ll never see a penny. Now see yourself outta my house.”

  Mr. Jameson got to his feet. “I’ll expect the money before you marry her. And don’t think you can gyp me, boy. You pull a stunt, and you can bet your ass you’ll never see her again. I’ll send her away from here for as long as I have to. I’m sure there’ll be another ol’ boy willin’ to take her off my hands eventually.”

  Curtis couldn’t stop himself. He grabbed the front of Mr. Jameson’s shirt, jerked him forward, then slammed him into the wall, getting right up in his face. The rage blinded him, but he managed to speak. “If I ever hear you disrespectin’ Lorrie again, I’ll put my fist through your face. I don’t give a good goddamn who you are. She ain’t a goddamn piece of property.”

  Mr. Jameson’s eyes widened, a hint of fear swirling in the blue orbs, but he didn’t say anything, his breath rushing in and out of his lungs. It took every ounce of control Curtis possessed to keep from beating the man to a pulp.

  “Five thousand,” Mr. Jameson snarled. “I’m takin’ you at your word.”

  With barely restrained fury, Curtis managed to release Mr. Jameson’s shirt, then he took a step back and allowed him to pass.

  “I’ll tell Lorrie to pack her things. That you’ll be comin’ for her today.”

  That he would.

  Even if he didn’t quite know how the hell he was going to tell her about this.

  Or if he even should.

  “Don’t leave,” Mary Elizabeth whispered when Curtis started to walk out of the room after hearing the front screen door slam.

  Turning to his mother, Curtis tried to tamp down his anger. His mother wasn’t responsible for what happened and he didn’t want to take it out on her. He expected her to tell him to bring her a drink, or go check on the kids.

  “Momma? Is everything okay?” Frank Jr. asked, peeking through the doorway.

  “It’s fine, honey,” she assured him. “Now go on. I need to talk to your brother.

  Frank Jr. nodded, then disappeared.

  “Please sit down.” His mother motioned to the chair that Mr. Jameson had just vacated.

  Taking a deep breath, Curtis sat down, pulling his cigarettes from his pocket. He lit one up and tossed the pack on the table, figuring his mother would need one, too. As he inhaled and exhaled slowly, he finally managed to calm down some. Mary Elizabeth pulled an envelope from her lap and set it on the table in front of her.

  Bloodshot eyes lifted to meet his.

  “I know your father wasn’t the nicest man in the world.”

  That was an understatement. The man was a world-class bastard.

  “But I loved him.” A sob tore from her chest and a tear trickled down her cheek. “I loved that man with all my heart.”

  Curtis had never doubted that. His old man hadn’t been a people person, but the love Curtis had sensed between his mother and father had always been genuine.

  “And he loved me, Curtis. And the most important thing was that I knew he loved me. He made sure I knew.”

  Not sure what to say, Curtis took a drag on his cigarette and nodded.

  Mary Elizabeth slid her hand over the envelope briefly.

  “It’s hard without him here. Not because I need him to help with you kids or with the chores.” Mary Elizabeth shook her head. “I know I haven’t been the best mother lately. You’ve taken over everything since he passed. Just as I knew you would. I always knew I could depend on you to take care of us. There was never any doubt. I think your father knew it, too.”

  Now that he didn’t believe.

  “Mr. Jameson is right, though,” she told him, taking a deep breath. “We’d always tried to keep it quiet, but your father’s will outlines everything. The first of you boys to marry receives the land and the ranch.” A small smile tilted the corners of her mouth. “He always believed that love would win, Curtis. He was a hard man to live with, but he loved furiously. I think to the point he often didn’t know how to deal with it, how to express it appropriately.”

  “I don’t wanna buy Lorrie,” Curtis blurted. “Not for no amount of money in return. I don’t care about the land or the ranch. She’s the only thing I need.”

  “I understand that,” she said kindly. “And Lorrie understands that, too. There’s no way a girl can’t see the love in your eyes. It’s right there, Curtis. And since the day you started seein’ her, I knew she was the one for you.”

  “Why would you agree to pay Mr. Jameson?” That was the one thing Curtis didn’t understand.

  Mary Elizabeth passed the envelope over to him, her fingers trembling. He saw that his name was scrawled across the front in his father’s clumsy block letters. Curtis set his cigarette in the ashtray on the table and unwrapped the string that kept the envelope closed, then pulled out a single sheet of paper.

  He glanced at his mother as he unfolded the paper, resting his forearms on the edge of the table.

  Curtis,

  I wish I could be there right now to see you reading this. I know that I’m not, because if I were, you would be hearing it directly from me, not reading the words on paper. Just know that I’m with you in spirit.

  It has always been my wish that one of my boys would take what our ancestors have built with their own hands and continue to cultivate it and grow it for future generations of Walkers. Since you’re reading this, it means you’re the first of my boys who will marry, and the other letters I’ve written aren’t necessary. Truth is, I’ve always known that you would be the best choice, but still, I left the decision up to fate. It is my wish that the first of my sons to marry will inherit what we’ve worked so hard to build.
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  What you don’t know, and what most people don’t know, is that the ranch is only a small portion of what we own. There’s no doubt in my mind that you haven’t agreed with the way that I’ve raised you kids, but just like all children, you only see what you want to see. I purposely kept things from you, but know that I’ve never had ill intentions.

  Granite Creek belongs to the Walkers. Every inch of it. From the land that our ranch sits on to the land that surrounds it. Everything. The school, the diner, the Gas n’ Go. Every tree, every flower, every patch of dirt. And though I’ve allowed people to use the land to build their businesses and to raise their families, some pay me a fee, others live on it for free, it still belongs to the Walkers. Therefore, on your wedding day, it is being passed down to you.

  Curtis looked up at Mary Elizabeth to see her watching him. She must’ve read the question in his eyes, because she nodded. He turned his attention back to the letter.

  I wish I could be there to see you marry the woman you will spend the rest of your days with. There is nothing better in this world than the love of a good woman. I was one of the lucky ones, the blessed ones. Even I can’t deny that I’ve been a far better husband than I have been a father. I would’ve gone to the ends of the earth for your mother, and sometimes I did. She’ll tell you if you ask. I’ve ensured that she will always be taken care of. She’ll never want for anything, and she knows that.

  Now, son, a marriage requires a lot of work. It’s never one-sided and it never should be. The woman you choose to spend your life with holds your heart in her hands, and you trust her to do so. The opposite is also true. Take care of her, and in turn, she will take care of you.

  I can’t say it enough. I wish I were there to see this day, but since I’m not, take these words of wisdom with you. Love furiously, son. It’s the only way to live.

  Dad

  When Curtis looked up at his mother, this time he saw more tears dripping down her cheeks. He felt his own tears welling in his eyes, a hot ball of emotion choking him. It felt as though his father were speaking to him from the grave.

  “He loved you kids. All of you. He wasn’t the greatest at showing it, but that” — she nodded toward the letter — “is proof that he knew what love was.”

  Curtis swallowed past the lump in his throat. “I love her,” he said.

  “I know you do. And you’ll do as you said. You’ll give Mr. Jameson the five thousand dollars, and you’ll marry Lorrie. And you’ll move forward knowing that you own the land his house sits on. What you choose to do with that knowledge is up to you. Your father never flaunted it. Never wanted people to know. More importantly, he never wanted you kids to know. He believed in hard work. In earning what you want.”

  That he had. And Curtis respected him more for it now.

  His mother smiled. “And though people didn’t much care for him, what they didn’t know was that he always believed in giving back. The land that their houses and businesses sit on, the land that their children walk on to get to school, the land that their cattle graze on… It all belongs to the Walkers. And as with his father and his grandfather and all before them, no one flaunted it. Instead, they chose to do right by the town they’ve all called home.”

  Curtis only wished they’d seen that side of him. But it appeared he’d only allowed one person to see it. The love of his life.

  “I want you to be there,” he told his mother. “At the courthouse when we get married today.”

  His mother smiled softly. “I wouldn’t miss it, Curtis. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  chapter NINE

  SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1963

  Me and Curtis are getting married!!!! Married! Today!

  “I’m so nervous,” Lorrie whispered, her belly fluttering as she stared at herself in the mirror.

  She was getting married. Today.

  “You look so pretty,” Kathy told her as they sat in their bedroom, putting the finishing touches on Lorrie’s hair. Celeste had been there with them, but she’d run outside to see if she could find flowers for Lorrie’s bouquet. Although Lorrie had told her she didn’t need one, Celeste had argued, insisting that she did.

  When Lorrie had woken up that morning, she’d waited for Kathy to open her eyes so she could tell her the good news. Not long after Kathy had woken up, Celeste had, too. Then, the three of them had talked for almost an hour, whispering from beneath the blankets on Lorrie’s bed, until Kathy had finally convinced her that she needed to tell Momma and Daddy. So, with her nerves rioting, she’d gone into the kitchen to find her parents sitting at the table, both of them smiling. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen them smiling that brightly before, but she didn’t ask questions. The good news was that they were in a good mood, so she’d hoped her announcement wouldn’t set her father off.

  Unable to keep the words in, Lorrie had blurted that she was marrying Curtis. Her mother had nodded but quickly turned her attention to Linda, who was sitting in her lap, sucking her thumb. Her father had stared at her momentarily, then said, “Yes, you are.”

  It hadn’t even registered that he’d seemed to already know; her excitement had blinded her to that initially. Lorrie still didn’t know how their conversation had gone when Daddy had told Curtis that he had to marry her, but she was too happy to even care. The only thing that mattered was that she was marrying Curtis.

  “Today,” Daddy had said.

  Today?

  “That’s right,” Daddy had explained. “And it’s time for you to go get ready. I already talked to Curtis. He’ll be by to pick you up in a bit. Pack your stuff. A married girl can’t live at home.”

  Talked to Curtis? How was that possible?

  For a moment, Lorrie had been shocked. She wasn’t sure how she’d gone from sneaking out, committing to marry Curtis, to actually getting married all in such a short period of time, but from the look in her father’s eyes when he’d told her that, he’d been serious.

  “Did you get all your stuff packed?” Kathy asked now, not meeting Lorrie’s eyes in the mirror.

  “I did.” It was sad that everything she owned fit into a small suitcase, but she couldn’t think about that due to the other pressing issues on her mind.

  Like how she would get money for things she needed. Girl things. Things she was too embarrassed to talk to Curtis about.

  Or how she would get more clothes when the ones she had got old and tattered. Her mother had made all her clothes up to this point, but luckily Lorrie had learned how to sew. Maybe she could make her own.

  But most importantly, she wasn’t sure where they would be living.

  That was the scary part.

  The thought of moving in with his mom and his brothers and sisters made her uneasy. What would they think of her sleeping in Curtis’s bed? Would she be sleeping in Curtis’s bed? That was what a wife was supposed to do, right?

  Or would they live alone? And would that be worse? She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to act around him. Was she supposed to cook his dinner? Wives did that, right? Did she have to clean his clothes? Momma handled all of that for Daddy.

  A nervous flutter ripped through her again, making her hands shake.

  “I’m gonna miss you,” Kathy said.

  She took a deep breath, swallowing her panic and forcing a smile. “I’m gonna see you at school, silly,” Lorrie told her sister. She still wanted to go to school. Curtis had said she could.

  “Lorrie!”

  Her father’s roar made her jump. Kathy ran to the window and pulled back the curtain.

  “He’s here,” she muttered. “Curtis is here in his daddy’s truck. Well, I guess it’s not really his daddy’s truck anymore.”

  No, it wasn’t.

  There was a knot of emotion lodged in her throat as she moved to the window and peeked out. Curtis had already climbed out of the truck and was walking up to the front door. He looked nice in his church clothes.

  “He’s so handsome,” Kathy said wistfully. “You’r
e so lucky, Lorrie.”

  That she was, but she knew there was so much more to Curtis than his good looks.

  “Go!” Kathy giggled, throwing her arms around Lorrie. “Go get married.”

  “Yes. Okay.” Lorrie laughed, but it sounded strangled. When Kathy released her, Lorrie grabbed the handle on her suitcase and lugged it toward the door, smiling back at her sister.

  When she got to the living room, Celeste was the first to greet her, handing over a small bouquet of flowers she’d apparently picked herself.

  “Thank you,” she whispered to her sister as Celeste hugged her tightly.

  When Celeste let go, Lorrie pivoted around to find Curtis standing in the doorway, his hat in his hand as he watched her. He smiled the moment their eyes met, and all of her nerves dissipated instantly. The next thing she knew, he had taken her suitcase from her.

  “You look pretty,” he said approvingly. “Ready?”

  Lorrie nodded. When she looked back at her mother, she noticed Dorothy was crying. For a brief moment, she thought about running into her arms and hugging her, but her mother would frown on that.

  “I’ve already signed the papers giving my consent,” her father said, nodding toward Curtis.

  That was it? Her father had signed papers and was just sending her on her way? Was that how it really worked?

  “My mother is goin’ to the courthouse with us,” Curtis said, as though he could sense her tension. “The judge’ll be there to expedite the marriage license, and he’s agreed to marry us today.”

  “Okay.” She didn’t know what else to say. It hurt that her own parents weren’t going to be there, but had she really expected them to?

  “Take care of him, Lorrie. It’s your job now.”

  Lorrie frowned as her father’s words sank in.

  She didn’t like the fact that her father saw loving someone as a job. But that made sense now that she thought about it. Her parents loved each other; she knew they did. Even though they never acted like it. But her father did have the outlook that a woman was supposed to be at his beck and call.