Curtis (Coyote Ridge) (Volume 1)

by Nicole Edwards

  “I hope you’re not expecting me to thank you,” Dorothy snapped.

  That had been the absolute last thing on his mind.

  “Momma, come on,” Mitch said, his eyes meeting Curtis’s briefly. Based on Mitch’s expression, it looked as though he didn’t know what was going on, either.

  “I don’t know who you think you are throwing your money around, acting like we’re your charity. It might’ve worked when you bought Lorrie, but you can’t buy me. Or my other daughters.”

  He felt Lorrie’s eyes on him, but he didn’t look away from Dorothy. There were so many things he wanted to say to her at the moment, but he remembered where they were, what they were here for. It wasn’t the time or the place.

  “Momma,” Mitch whispered loudly. “What’re you talkin’ about? I paid for this. Janice and I. Curtis didn’t pay a dime.”

  He hadn’t, either. He had offered it to Mitch, but Mitch had kindly declined, just as Curtis had thought he would. Mitch Jameson was a proud man. A good man. He had taken it upon himself to take care of his family after their father had died, and Curtis respected him for that. The only thing Curtis had done was handle the logistics, with the help from his own mother, who had been just as devastated by the loss of Lorrie’s sisters as everyone else.

  Dorothy’s head snapped toward Mitch, her eyes wide. She looked horrified.

  Since she’d basically revealed the fact that Curtis had paid Phillip Jameson in order to get his approval for Curtis to marry her, she should be shocked. And ashamed.

  He took a deep breath and glanced down at his wife. She was staring back at him, tears in her eyes. She didn’t know the whole story, but he knew Dorothy had said just enough for her to put two and two together.

  Now, the only thing he could do was hope she would hear him out.

  Lorrie wanted to crawl into a hole and die. As people started leaving the graveside, she felt dozens of eyes on her, all likely feeling pity. Not a lick of it was due to her sisters’ deaths, either.

  She didn’t have a clue what her mother was talking about, but she’d heard enough to know that it wasn’t good.

  She tried to free her hand from Curtis’s, but he held tight.

  “Let me go,” she hissed, trying to keep her voice low.

  “No,” he insisted, his grip firmer on her hand as he led her toward the car.

  “What did she mean when she said you paid for me?”

  “We’ll talk about it when we get home,” he said brusquely.

  Again, she tried to yank her hand from his, but Curtis stopped abruptly, then turned to face her. “It is not at all what you think,” he said, his voice low, rough. “But I expect the benefit of the doubt, and I expect you to hear me out.”

  “What makes you think you deserve that?” she countered hotly, fury replacing the sadness that had consumed her for days.

  It actually felt good to get angry. So much better than the throbbing ache in her chest that she’d endured since the minute she’d learned of Kathy’s death, followed closely by Celeste’s.

  “Because I’m your husband,” he remarked.

  Lorrie noticed people were watching them, and she knew how things worked in Granite Creek. If they thought for a second that there was trouble in paradise, the rumors would run wild. That was the last thing she needed on the heels of such a tragedy.

  Composing herself, she relaxed her hand in Curtis’s and allowed him to lead her to the truck. A short time later, after they had pulled into the drive of their house, before he pushed in the emergency brake, she bolted out and ran up to the door.

  She was inside before Curtis even got out of the truck. Anger sparked the dry kindling of emotion still in her chest, and the only way she could release it was by screaming her hatred for the situation. It wasn’t even Curtis she was mad at, although she definitely deserved an explanation. No, her hatred was at God for taking her sisters from her, for leaving her family in shambles. She wasn’t sure how they would pick up and move forward without Kathy and Celeste there.

  She screamed until she was hoarse, then she found herself in Curtis’s arms, her face buried in his chest as he held her tightly. Her knees gave out again, but rather than move her to the couch, he lowered them both to the carpet, pulling her into his lap.

  “I never wanted you to find out,” Curtis said softly when her sobs quieted.

  “About what?” Lorrie was too weak to even lift her head to look at him. She knew he was referring to what her mother had said.

  “About what your father did.”

  It wasn’t difficult to figure it out. Lorrie wasn’t stupid. She remembered the conversations that had taken place right before Curtis had asked her to marry him. She hadn’t been privy to the details, but her father had gone from forbidding her to see Curtis to shipping her off the next morning.

  “You paid him.” It wasn’t a question. She already knew he had.

  “I had to,” he whispered, his voice broken.

  Needing to look into his eyes, Lorrie slipped out of his lap and onto the floor, kneeling across from him. She didn’t even have to ask him to explain before the words started tumbling from his mouth.

  “Your father came to me, gave me an ultimatum. You already know that part.” Curtis looked down at his hands. “I wasn’t going to allow him to take you away from me, so I asked you to marry me. That was what he wanted, but I didn’t understand why at the time. I knew I would marry you eventually, so it wasn’t a big deal.

  “I stayed up all night trying to figure out how we would make this work. Where we would live, how I would make money to support you. Then, out of the blue, your father showed up first thing that next morning. When I walked into the kitchen, I found him sitting at my mother’s kitchen table.” Curtis frowned. “I still remember the smug look on that bastard’s face.”

  Lorrie didn’t interrupt, knowing there was more.

  Curtis lifted his eyes and met hers. “It was no secret that your old man hated my family. He was jealous of what we had; everyone knew that. But my father never let it bother him, and we kids never thought much of it. A lot of people didn’t like us. Mostly because they didn’t understand us. We were wild, often out of control. I got that. What I didn’t get was how a man could walk into another man’s house and blackmail him.”

  Lorrie’s eyes widened. “What?”

  She saw his Adam’s apple move slowly up and down. He seemed to be processing what he was going to say.

  “Just tell me what happened, Curtis. No more secrets.”

  “That’s the thing,” he replied harshly. “It’s not that I purposely kept it from you because of what I did. I’d do it all over again if I had to. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to know what your father had done.”

  “What did he do?”

  Curtis took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “Your father had somehow found out about the details of my father’s will. No one knows how he managed to do that, nor have I ever asked. It doesn’t matter. My father stated in his will that all of his land and the ranch would go to the first of his sons to marry.” He narrowed his eyes as he met her gaze. “I didn’t even know about it at the time. No one did. No one other than my mother, anyway. So, he confronted my mother with that information, and she confirmed that it was true. Apparently that had been your father’s angle from the beginning.”

  “Oh, my goodness.” Lorrie’s hand was on her mouth; she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It all made perfect sense, right down to why her father had insisted that she get to know Curtis shortly after Mr. Walker’s death.

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “Your father pushed you into meeting me because he wanted to benefit from my father’s will.”

  “But why’d you pay him?” She wasn’t even sure she wanted to know how much.

  “That morning, after I had asked you to marry me, he told me that he would not give his permission. That he’d changed his mind.”

  That didn’t surprise her.

  “
I told him he was fucking crazy. That he couldn’t do it. My mother reminded me that you were underage, and I couldn’t marry you without his consent.” His eyes locked with hers. “Your father was a mean bastard, Lorrie. As mean as mine.”

  “How much did you pay him?”

  Curtis shook his head.

  “Tell me,” she insisted.

  “Five thousand dollars.”

  Lorrie was up on her feet, appalled by the notion that her father would insist on that much money.

  In the next breath, Curtis was standing before her, his finger curled beneath her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

  “I would’ve paid any amount he asked, Lorrie. I was not going to lose you. Especially not because of a selfish, greedy man.”

  “That’s why he seemed so happy that morning,” she mused.

  It all came back to her. The way her mother and father had been smiling when she’d come to tell them the news. She hadn’t figured out how they would’ve known, but she hadn’t cared at the time. It was her wedding day and the only thing she could think about was Curtis. Marrying him and spending the rest of her life with him.

  “Where’d you come up with that kind of money?”

  Curtis’s eyebrow lifted.

  “Do I even wanna know?”

  He led her over to the couch, easing her down and sitting beside her, facing her.

  “Not all of my family’s money is tied up in the ranch like I’d assumed. My father willed the land and the ranch to whichever of his boys married first. What your old man didn’t know was that my father owned all of the land in Granite Creek.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means Granite Creek belongs to me now. Us.”

  “All of it?”

  “Right down to the very land your momma’s house sits on.”

  Lorrie frowned. “Did my father know that?”

  “No one knows that,” he said, his voice gentle. “And I don’t want anyone else to know. What you and I choose to do with it is our decision to make. I hated your father for what he did, but I wasn’t going to hold it against your family, so I’ve kept it to myself.”

  Of all the things she’d expected to come out of this conversation, that wasn’t it. Not only had her father blackmailed Curtis and forced him to pay him, Curtis now owned Granite Creek.

  Goodness gracious.

  Just when she thought she had things all figured out.

  chapter TWENTY-SIX

  WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1969

  I don’t want to jinx it and say that things are perfect between Curtis and me, but things are going really well. It hasn’t been easy the last few months, especially after Kathy and Celeste died, but the more time that passes, the easier it is to move forward. It’s still hard to think about my sisters. I miss them terribly, but I know I have to keep my head up, keep moving forward. It’s what they would want.

  I can honestly say I wouldn’t have made it through it without Curtis. He knows that I need a distraction, so he’s teaching me to help him on the ranch, and I’ve been trying to decide if I want to go to college or not. At the moment, I would prefer to be a rancher’s wife, but I want to learn everything there is about being a rancher. I don’t want to sit at home while Curtis works, and I’ve told him this a million times. I think he finally got the hint.

  Oh, and tonight we went to a New Year’s Eve military ball. It was incredible. I dressed up in my prettiest dress, and Curtis wore his Army service uniform… We had so much fun.

  Shh. Don’t tell anyone, but we snuck into a supply closet and we had sex. I still can’t believe I did it, but it was actually my idea. I don’t know what Curtis has done to me, but I can’t get enough of him.

  SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 1969

  We got the best news today! Mitch and Janice came over to tell us they’re expecting a baby. A baby! I’m so excited for them. The baby is due in October, right around Curtis’s birthday. This is the sort of news we all need right now. I’m so happy for my brother. I’m going to be an aunt.

  SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 1969

  We had another Sunday dinner today with Mrs. Walker and Curtis’s brothers and sisters. It was the first time Curtis actually mentioned something about having Sunday dinners. Apparently he likes the idea. I told him that one day, when we have kids of our own and they are grown and moved out, I want them to come home every Sunday so we can share a meal together. It made me feel good that he agreed.

  Just don’t tell Mrs. Walker that Curtis took me into his old bedroom and we had sex. Up against the door.

  chapter TWENTY-SEVEN

  SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1969

  I think I’m dreaming. I think in a few minutes someone is going to come in and wake me up. There is no way this could be happening. The only thing that makes me think today hasn’t been a dream is because there is no way I would’ve ever imagined something like this. Ever.

  Last year for my birthday, Curtis surprised me by coming home. This year, Curtis has outdone himself. If he keeps it up, I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it through another birthday.

  Getting Lorrie out of the house and away long enough for Curtis to do what needed to be done for her twenty-first birthday took far more resources than he’d intended. Initially, he had asked his mother to take her to lunch. Mary Elizabeth had been more than willing. For some reason, Lorrie had said she wasn’t hungry.

  First attempt: fail.

  Then, he had bribed his brothers to see if she’d be willing to help out with the horses. Joseph had been fairly convincing when he told her they couldn’t do it without her. For whatever reason, Lorrie had said she wasn’t interested in working today.

  Second attempt: fail.

  Then, he had called Mitch, asking his brother-in-law to help out. Mitch and Janice had asked Lorrie if she wanted to go shopping for baby things. Completely unexpected by any of them, she had said she’d prefer to sit at home and enjoy the day.

  Third attempt: fail.

  Finally, Curtis had convinced his mother and his sisters to come over and drag Lorrie out of the house, simply not taking no for an answer. Jesus H. Christ. He loved the woman with every ounce of his being, but she definitely wasn’t making this easy.

  Final attempt: success.

  Granted, Lorrie had promised to pay him back later, so perhaps it wasn’t quite as successful as he’d hoped, but still, she was out of the house just as he needed her to be.

  With help from Lorrie’s sister Rose and her brother Bruce, along with his brothers, Curtis managed to get the house completely decorated for the party. Joseph went to pick up the cake they’d had made, while Frank Jr. and Bruce made sure everything was where it needed to be. And when it was time, David went to pick up a couple of Lorrie’s friends who she’d gone to school with, and after a little convincing, Lorrie’s mother agreed to come, bringing with her the rest of Lorrie’s siblings.

  The only thing left was the big surprise, which he planned to have arrive after they had cake and ice cream. A surprise on top of a surprise, kind of.

  Although it hadn’t started off easy, getting it all set up went off without a hitch, and now the only thing left to do was wait for her to return.

  “What do you think he’ll get you for your birthday?” Daphne asked when they were driving back from the movies.

  She hadn’t wanted to go out today, preferring to spend the day with Curtis, but he’d seemed adamant that she go. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what he was doing. Clearly he was planning to surprise her; she just didn’t know with what.

  Lorrie shrugged. “Don’t know.”

  “Last year you said he gave you the best present ever,” Lisa reminded her.

  At twelve, the girl sure did remember a lot.

  “He did,” she agreed.

  “By coming home?” Maryanne asked.

  “Yes.” That would forever go down as the best birthday present ever, no doubt about it. There was nothing Curtis could possibly buy her that would be better th
an that.

  “What do you want him to get you?” Maryanne gripped the back of the seat, leaning forward.

  “Nothing, really,” she answered as she stared out the window, watching the trees pass by.

  “What about a horse?” Lisa suggested. “That’s what I’d want.”

  “I don’t need a horse.” They already had plenty of horses. Lorrie didn’t need her own.

  “If it was me, I’d want a car,” Daphne stated.

  Mary Elizabeth cleared her throat and glanced at her daughter in the rearview mirror.

  Lorrie smiled as she peered over her shoulder at the girls in the backseat. “I don’t need a car, either. Curtis takes me anywhere I need to go.”

  “Yeah, but don’t you ever wanna go somewhere by yourself? I wouldn’t wanna spend all my time with my husband if I had one.”

  “I like spending time with Curtis,” she said, chuckling at Daphne’s comment.

  When they pulled into Mary Elizabeth’s drive, Lorrie didn’t see anything out of the norm. As they ventured down the dirt road that led to Lorrie and Curtis’s little house, she realized no one was there, either. Maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe there wasn’t going to be a party.

  “Y’all are home,” Curtis said, stepping out onto the porch, wiping his hands on a towel. “I didn’t expect you back so soon.”

  Her husband looked as relaxed as ever. Not like a man who had put together a surprise party after making it obvious that he was trying to get her out of the house. She tried not to be disappointed when he leaned over and kissed her on the lips, but she saw the smile on his face.

  Maybe he was up to something.

  “Come on inside for a bit, ladies,” Curtis said to his mother and sisters.

  Lorrie allowed him to steer her inside. The first thing she noticed was that the lights were off.

  And then they weren’t.

  “Surprise!”

  The eruption of noise scared her, and she actually shrieked, laughing as she stumbled back against Curtis. Although she’d been somewhat expecting it, they’d still managed to put one over on her. She glanced over her shoulder at the man she loved and smiled up at him. He had given her a surprise party, which, as far as she was concerned, was the greatest gift in the world. She continued to stare at him, completely enthralled by his handsome face and that sexy smirk, and then it registered again that Curtis was giving her a surprise party—and there were more than a dozen people in her house. She finally remembered her manners.