The Wedding Gift (Colorado Billionaires Book 7)

by Regina Duke

  “Oh no, Dad, I’m sure that’s not true.”

  John struggled to compose his features. At last, he said gruffly, “The staff is going to put an extra bed in her room so I can stay with her. They won’t do surgery until morning. They said she needs something…stents? Is that the word?”

  Kenzie nodded. “How many?”

  John shrugged and shook his head. “I’m sorry, baby. There was so much information flying, I couldn’t catch it all.”

  Kenzie looked from her father to Clayton. “What should we do? Should we stay with Dad?”

  Her father made the decision. “No, no, you go on home and get some sleep. But if you want to come back in the morning and wait out the surgery with me, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Of course,” said Kenzie. She looked a question at Clayton.

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Shane, I’ll get her here.”

  A nurse bustled in to check the readouts on the machines attached to Marigold.

  John hesitated. He took a long look at his wife, then said, “Let’s step into the hall for a minute.”

  Kenzie and Clayton followed him.

  John said quietly, “Clayton, I’d appreciate it if you’d stay at the house and look out for Kenzie while her mother is in the hospital.”

  Clayton looked surprised. “Well, sure, if you want me to.”

  Kenzie was puzzled and a tiny bit annoyed. “Dad, I’m a grown woman. I can take care of all the chores. I’ll be fine.”

  “Under normal circumstances,” said John, “I would agree. But…well, you better take a look at those last messages that came on your phone. The ones your mother read right before she collapsed. They were showing on that gadget when I took it from Marigold, but the screen’s gone dark now. I don’t want you staying alone, period. Just do this for me and don’t argue.” The brusqueness of his words was softened when he planted a kiss on Kenzie’s forehead. “You go on, get home and feed the animals. Clayton, I’m counting on you.”

  The nurse left, and John resumed his vigil by Marigold’s bed.

  Kenzie hesitated, but Clayton took her hand and led her out of the ER. “Your mother will be okay,” he said. “Modern medicine is amazing. A couple of stents, and she’ll be like a new woman.”

  He tipped the valet for retrieving the Mercedes.

  Kenzie didn’t say a word until they were in the car. She pulled out her phone and opened the message screen. Her eyes filled with tears and her chin trembled. She turned the phone toward Clayton and whispered, “This is why she had a heart attack.”

  * * *

  Clayton pulled over to the curb and took the phone. He scrolled through the last three messages that Todd had sent. They were openly threatening, full of profanity. The last one, however, was direct and to the point.

  “I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. I’M COMING TO MAKE YOU PAY. WATCH YOUR BACK.”

  Clayton drew a deep breath, exhaled, and turned off the phone. “No wonder your dad wants me to stay with you.”

  “What am I going to do?”

  Clayton caressed her cheek. “What are we going to do,” he corrected gently. “Don’t worry. We’ll stop at the Cattleman’s so I can pick up my things, and then I’ll amuse you by helping feed the animals.”

  Kenzie almost smiled.

  “And once the chores are done, I’m going to make a few phone calls.”

  Seeing Clayton in her father’s overalls and boots was definitely one way to lighten Kenzie’s mood. After she hung her velvet dress lovingly in the closet, she donned her jeans and a plaid shirt, and headed down to the kitchen. The sight of Clayton made her laugh out loud. But her relief was fleeting, and by the time they finished the barn chores, she was weighed down once more with worry about her mother.

  True to his word, once the animals were tended to, Clayton sat at the kitchen table and began making calls. He began with the nursing station at the hospital on the floor where Marigold had been taken to await surgery, so he could leave his cell phone number for John Shane and a message that Kenzie’s phone had been turned off.

  Next, he called Thor. “You know the town and the people,” said Clayton. “Kenzie’s too upset to think straight right now. But from what I’ve seen since I got here, Eagle’s Toe is very fond of the Shane family. Maybe you could let a few of them know what’s going on.”

  Thor said, “Of course. Tell Kenzie to hang in there. We’re a small town but we have a world-class hospital. Have you talked to Ryan Hutch?”

  “I was just about to do that. But first, are Austin and Erin still there?”

  “No. They left about ten minutes ago. Axel and Taylor just left, as well. They may be headed your way.”

  Clayton sighed. “All right. I’ll try them after I call Hutch. Did you learn anything more?”

  “I had a colleague check out that house they were living in. A few locals mentioned that they’d seen Todd in the area, but not since yesterday. One of them thinks he’s on the move because they haven’t heard his motorcycle ripping up and down the streets today.”

  “He’s definitely on the move,” said Clayton. “He texted Kenzie that he was coming to get her.”

  “That’s not good.”

  “No kidding.”

  Thor said, “You take care of Kenzie. I have a couple of ideas. I’ll get back to you.”

  Clayton hung up the phone and stretched some of the tension out of his neck. “Will the dogs let us know if any strangers come around?”

  Kenzie nodded. “They’re old, but they still feel like they’re on duty.”

  “Do your folks own any guns?”

  “Yes. Dad used to go hunting a lot. I’ll show you.” She led him to a hideaway under the stairs. The door was only five feet tall so they had to duck to go inside. Kenzie pulled the chain on the light in the ceiling and revealed two gun racks and boxes of ammo. There were also two hardwood cases, each containing a handgun. “They got these when they got married,” she said. “My grandparents gave them His and Hers guns. I don’t know if they ever used them.”

  Clayton whistled soft and low. He hefted a big carbine off the rack. “What exactly did your dad hunt? Elephants?”

  Kenzie shook her head. “Elk. Moose. The usual.”

  Clayton put the carbine back. “Wow. I’m impressed.”

  “He told me if I ever needed protection, I should use the little twelve-gauge,” she said. “That way, I didn’t have to be a sharpshooter to do some damage.”

  “I like the way he thinks. Let’s get a couple of these out and loaded. Just in case. Does Todd own a gun?”

  “I think so, but I only saw it when his lowlife friends were around, so I don’t know if it was actually his or if they were just loaning it to him.”

  “Interesting,” muttered Clayton. He was still transfixed by the gun collection. “Your dad collected all these weapons?”

  “No, not all of them. At least half of these rifles belong to my brothers. My sister was into archery.” She pointed at the modern crossbow in the corner.

  “Holy moly. If I had know about all this before I met you, I don’t think I would have had the courage to talk to you.”

  Kenzie grinned. “Don’t worry. Daddy hardly ever shoots people.”

  “Hardly ever, huh? Glad to hear it.”

  Kenzie collected the twelve-gauge and a box of shells. Clayton took a deer rifle, the only firearm he had experience with. They moved their weapons to the kitchen table.

  “I’m probably overreacting,” he said, “but your house is twenty minutes from everything.”

  “You said you’re calling Hutch. What can he do for us?”

  Clayton stared at the contacts on his phone. “I’m hoping he and Thor will have some ideas. They didn’t have much time to fill me in, what with all the kids around and Aunt Polly to deal with.”

  “She’s a peach,” said Kenzie darkly.

  Clayton reassured her. “She has her good points. Nosiness and bossiness are not on that list.” He frowned at the tiny screen. “I could ha
ve sworn I put Hutch’s contact info in here. Maybe I should just call the police.”

  “No, please! The Mustang—”

  He jumped a foot when the landline rang.

  Kenzie made a face. She’d been startled too. She pulled the handset off the kitchen wall. “Hello?”

  “It’s Doreen Patterson. I just heard the news about your mother.”

  “That was fast,” said Kenzie shakily.

  “My sister works in the ER. What do you need? What can we do for you?”

  “I’m not exactly sure. I’m in shock at the moment. Dad seems to think she’ll be all right. He said something about them putting in stents in the morning. I’m not sure what we need, frankly. It’s just me and my friend Clayton at the house. Someone’s got to stay home and take care of the animals.”

  Clayton gestured for her to hand him the phone. She did so, and he spoke into it. “This is Clayton.”

  Mrs. Patterson chatted at him a while. Clayton nodded and replied with vague sounds, along with a few affirmatives and a few negatives. He motioned to Kenzie that he needed a pen and paper. When she complied, he jotted down several names and numbers. Then he handed the phone back to Kenzie. “She wants to talk to you a bit.”

  Kenzie sagged onto a kitchen chair. “Hi again.”

  “Sweetheart, don’t you worry about a thing. Andy is in the other room talking to Thor Garrison. Thor called and said you might need some help with a situation you’re in.”

  Kenzie stuttered, not knowing how much to tell her about Todd, the car, and the money. “I—I—I guess I could use some help.” She laid a hand on one of the shotguns on the table.

  “I was telling your friend Clayton how much your parents helped us out when Andy got kicked by that bull. Did your mother tell you about that? We were going to lose everything, and your folks took a second out on their farm because no one would loan to us. They saved us in our darkest hour. I gave Clayton a few names and numbers to call. It’s hard for Andy to get around, so he’s going to stay here and field phone calls. Meanwhile, I’m on my way over with warm bread, and I’m prepared to stay as long as you need me.”

  Kenzie wanted to speak, but no words would come, only tears of gratitude. She choked out the words, “Thank you so much.”

  “I’m on my way. Trust in the Lord, Kenzie dear. That’s what we did when Andy was hurt, and what do you know? The Lord sent angels in the form of John and Marigold. Now it’s our turn. You can hang up the phone now.” She ended the call.

  Kenzie gazed up at Clayton through her tears. “I wondered why Mom and Dad took out a mortgage on the farm. They were saving the Pattersons.”

  “I have a sneaking hunch they’ve helped out a lot of people over the years. Mrs. Patterson told me to call everyone on this list.”

  Kenzie wiped the tears off her cheeks and peered at the list. “Oh my. The Finemans? The McAvoys? The Feltons? George and Faith Washburn? The Darbys?”

  Outside, the dogs started barking. Clayton picked up a shotgun and went to look out a window. A few moments later, someone knocked at the front door and he moved toward it. Kenzie followed him, saying, “Good grief, there’s half the town on this piece of paper.”

  Clayton replied, “And it looks like they’re all coming down your driveway.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  By nine p.m., the living room and dining room were full of people. Kenzie could remember a time, back when she was still in elementary school, when her parents would have people over several times a year. As life wore on and became more complicated, those events dwindled. By the time Kenzie was a junior in high school, they had stopped altogether. She was overwhelmed now by the number of visitors in the house.

  Fortunately, the women had each prepared something. As good as her word, Doreen Patterson brought warm homemade bread. Krystal Fineman and her new husband, Zachary King, brought three different dishes.

  “This one is out of the freezer, Kenzie dear, and should go in the oven,” said Krystal. “How is your mother doing?”

  Kenzie took the proffered dish and stammered, “F-f-fine. I mean, stable. Surgery in the morning.”

  Doreen silently took the dish from Kenzie’s hands and motioned with her head for Zach to follow with his armful.

  Krystal gave Kenzie a careful hug and a peck on the cheek. “I’m sure she’ll do well. Did your mother ever tell you we were locker mates in gym class? It feels like a lifetime ago.” She paused, then added, “Oh my, it really was a lifetime ago, wasn’t it?”

  From somewhere deep inside, Kenzie pulled a memory out of storage and found herself using her mother’s own words. “It’s so lovely of you to come, Krystal. I hope you’re feeling better these days. Mother mentioned that you had a weak spell a while back.”

  Krystal’s gray eyes twinkled. “Did she, now?” The corners of her mouth turned up in a tiny smile, and her eyes filled with kindness. “Marigold and I were best friends in high school. I can’t imagine a universe without her in it. When my first marriage was in trouble, she called me often, and it was she who convinced me to bring my family back to Colorado. I wish we had known sooner that they were having a hard time making ends meet. They never complained about anything.” She covered Kenzie’s hand with both of hers and squeezed gently.

  Zach returned to Krystal’s side, his weatherworn tan a sharp contrast to her pale complexion. “You tell your father he can have those cattle back whenever he wants. They’re all fattened up now.”

  “But he sold them to you.” Kenzie frowned.

  Zach fiddled with his Stetson. “I know, but heck, we been using them for breeding, and I’m sure the stud fees and new calves would more than cover what we paid for them.”

  The McAvoys brought along a young man in a white coat and chef’s hat, and Alice Kate directed him as he laid out their hot covered dishes. Reese took Kenzie’s hand. She could have sworn he was taller before she went away to college.

  “Sweet little Kenzie,” he murmured, then wagged a finger. “I remember your senior prom. You looked like a queen surrounded by her subjects that night. And I don’t think the prom queen ever got over having you steal the show.”

  Kenzie was taken aback. “I wasn’t trying to steal anything.”

  “I know, I know. You never did see yourself as others saw you. I remember your mother when she was your age. Looking at you is like peeking through the window of a time machine.”

  Kenzie wasn’t sure what to say. At last, she managed, “It was so kind of you to move our prom to your ballroom that year. It rained so hard that spring. Who knew there was a huge hole in the roof of the gym?”

  Reese smiled, showing the gap in his front teeth. “Your dad was one of the first to volunteer over there, getting that roof fixed before graduation. He never failed to help out a neighbor. He was the one who urged me to talk to the town council about expanding the hotel, and then he started bringing in funding from folks around town. I never realized how many people he knew.”

  Kenzie smiled weakly. “They used to have big parties,” she said lamely. She herself had never thought much about all the neighbors dropping by, each with their own problem. One by one, her dad would either lend a hand or give advice. Didn’t everyone do that? How many other aspects of her parents had she taken for granted?

  Taylor and Axel Garrison approached to offer their support. Taylor said, “Don’t worry about work tomorrow. Sunny said she would cover for you.”

  Right behind her, Sunny piped up, “Brady told me how great your folks were to him when his uncle died and left him the garage. I guess his uncle and your dad’s family were great friends. Your dad signed over his twenty percent of the garage to Brady so he could own the whole thing. He said he only bought in so the place wouldn’t close down when Brady’s uncle got too old to really do it all. That’s why he wanted Brady here. Lucky for me.” She tossed her hair back and gazed adoringly at her husband, who was chatting with Reese.

  Thor Garrison, Austin Masters, and one of Doreen’s daughte
rs, Darlene, a pudgy, athletic woman in a deputy sheriff’s uniform, filed by, each with a story about her parents and each offering to do whatever they could.

  Kenzie felt as though she were walking through a kaleidoscope world of remembered kindnesses and debts owed. When Clayton brought her a plate of food, she just stood there, staring at it.

  Clayton leaned close and said, “Use the fork. That’s how most people get started.”

  Kenzie blinked up at him. “How could I be so oblivious to my parents’ world?”

  Clayton put an arm around her shoulders. “I don’t think any of us really know our parents as people. Just Mom and Dad.” He humphed thoughtfully. “I know there are things in my father’s past…things about my mother, and my godmother, Lulamae…that he can’t bear to talk about.” He squeezed her gently. “Maybe I should back off and let him tell me in his own time.”

  Kenzie smiled. “I guess so.” She pushed a green bean around the plate with her fork. “When that call came about them being at the ER? I thought it was my dad. He’s the one who’s been so sick and weak.” She shook her head. “Mom just looked tired to me.” She felt guilty that she hadn’t been able to tell.

  “Don’t feel bad. They probably conspired to keep lots of truths from you. Parents do that. When things are really awful…” He flashed back to the day his father told them their mother was gone. Lulamae was standing in the doorway, biting her lip, and looking…tortured? Well, she and his mother had been close all their lives.

  Kenzie nudged at him with her plate. “I can’t really eat right now,” she confessed. She glanced at the wall clock as Clayton set her plate on the the table. “Wasn’t Dad going to call and give us an update on Mom’s condition?”

  No sooner had she voiced it than the phone rang. Clayton answered it and handed it to Kenzie. “It’s your dad.”

  Kenzie took a deep breath and clutched the phone like a lifeline. “Dad? Is she still doing okay?”

  John’s voice sounded stronger than it had since she’d come home. “She’s quite the fighter,” he said. “She woke up a little bit ago and told me to go home and get some sleep.”