Based on a True Story
Ronald H. Keyser
Roped & Tied
Copyright © 2019 Ronald H. Keyser
(Defiance Press & Publishing, LLC)
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or locales is entirely coincidental.
ISBN-13: 978-1-948035-04-0 (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 978-1-948035-03-3 (eBook)
Published by Defiance Press and Publishing, LLC
Bulk orders of this book may be obtained by contacting Defiance Press and Publishing, LLC. www.defiancepress.com.
Public Relations Dept. – Defiance Press & Publishing, LLC
281-581-9300
[email protected]
Defiance Press & Publishing, LLC
281-581-9300
[email protected]
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to Joe Newcomb, who trusted me with putting this story to paper. Without him, this book would never have happened.
Chapter 1
“If you find yourself in a hole,
the first thing to do is stop digging.”
―Will Rogers
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Dani O’Brien stepped into the Onyx Hotel elevator and gazed at her reflection in the mirror as the doors closed behind her. The ride to the lobby from the suite she and Jake were checked into was only nine stories down, but it gave her plenty of time to check her outfit one last time. Her black Halston two-piece evening dress fit perfectly, and the slit from her wrapped skirt started at her hip and curved down around to the front, beautifully accentuating her slim figure. Her long blonde hair was pinned up; the cut of the dress exposed her back and shoulders, revealing an exquisite string of black Swarovski crystals hanging down and across her back. The Giuseppe Zanotti high-heeled shoes elegantly completed the outfit. She looked stunning and she knew it. Smiling at her mirrored self, she said, “Let’s do this.”
The elevator sounded to let her know she was on the ground floor and, before the doors fully opened, she stepped out and turned left toward the hotel lobby. As she paused to look around, the joyful look on her face vanished and a huge knot formed in the pit of her stomach. The sounds coming from the bar area around the corner made her feel sick. They were all too familiar. Someone yelled, “Here’s to Jake “the Snake” O’Brien, the best damned rodeo cowboy there ever was!” followed by a resounding applause of “Cheers!”
It wasn’t panic she felt as she made a beeline to the commotion, but it did occur to her there was a chance she could stop him before it was too late. There were far too many parties where the same type of toasts were made, where Jake always became the center of attention, where he drank far too much and then had to apologize for everything the next day, and where she might have been able to stop him if she had only tried a little harder. She wasn’t going to not try tonight.
She quickly made her way past the front doors, walked into the lounge area, and immediately saw her husband bellied up to the corner of the bar, surrounded by fifteen to twenty people, most not even invited guests to their son’s engagement party, slamming back shots of Patrón Silver tequila. She muttered to herself in disbelief, “He couldn’t even make it fifteen minutes!”
It only took seconds to get next to him but, in that time, she realized she had been too generous in her first assessment. She quickly figured out that he hadn’t made it five minutes, judging by the number of empty shot glasses laid out on the black granite bar top.
She waded through a few of Jake’s new fans so she could get close enough to whisper in his ear through clenched teeth, “Hey, honey, you said you weren’t going to do this, remember?”
Jake turned to her and said, as if he hadn’t heard her, “Hey, everybody, this here’s my wife, Dani.” He put his arm around her waist and aggressively pulled her close as he added, “Isn’t she the prettiest little thing you ever did see?”
Dani put her palms on Jake’s chest to push herself away a bit before answering with a fake smile, “Hello, everybody. I guess I got here a little late. Looks like the party’s already started.”
Her outward appearance was still intact as she faced the bar, hiding her face from the fans. “You son of a bitch,” she hissed, “it wasn’t fifteen minutes ago that you were standing in the room promising me you weren’t going to drink tonight.” She bit him hard on the ear lobe before adding angrily, “What is wrong with you?”
“Damn, don’t do that.” Jake reached up to rub his pained ear. He turned to look into Dani’s eyes and quietly said, with as much charm as he could muster, “Ah, honey, a little shot or two ain’t gonna hurt nothing. Hell, it’s only five-thirty. Besides, I’m a little keyed up and I don’t want to spend the rest of the night feeling like I’m dressed up like some kind of clown.” Jake held his palms out and slowly looked at himself from his head down to his polished black, full quill ostrich boots as he added, “I mean, look at me.”
“You look very nice, Jake,” answered Dani, passing another phony smile around for the benefit of the group. “You’re not going to use a bullshit excuse like that on me just so you can get shit-faced tonight,” she said softly, for his ears only. Pulling him closer, she whispered in his ear, “I mean it, Jake, tonight’s too important. It’s all about Jason tonight, and you promised.”
“I know,” he muttered, studying the toes of his boots. “I know, Dani.”
At forty-five years old, Jake O’Brien wasn’t in bad shape, but he was twenty pounds heavier now than when he was at the top of his profession. After he had consumed at least a twelve-pack a day for the last several years―most of the time a case―beer had put a noticeable belly on him and made his face appear much rounder than just a few years earlier. Still, his six-foot, two-inch frame handsomely filled out the custom-made Armani tux he wore. He glanced at himself in the mirror hanging behind the bar, then centered his All-Around World Champion gold belt buckle on his waist before looking back at Dani and adding loudly so everyone at the bar could hear, “Tell you what, folks, me and this pretty lady, and a few other folks standing here, are about to head on over to a place called…” he paused to look at Dani and asked, “What’s the name of the place we’re going to? Willow something or other?”
Thinking they were about to get into the rented Lincoln Town Car waiting outside, Dani answered with relief, “Willowisp Country Club.”
“Yeah, that’s it,” said Jake, smiling at the people around him. “We got to get to an engagement party for our son.”
“That’s a nice place,” someone commented.
“Congratulations,” added a few more.
“Thanks, thank you.” With a tip of his hat, Jake acknowledged the people who spoke. He glanced back at Dani, who was ever so slightly nodding her head toward the door. “And I think we all need one more shot of that cactus juice before we go.”
“Bartender, put this round on my tab,” yelled an unknown patron, evidently trying to pay Jake back for the ones he had already bought.
Jake smiled at Dani, but the look on his face told her he was going to do what he damned well pleased when he added, “Looks like we all got to do one more…you, too…and then we’ll g
o.”
Dani gazed around at the people looking her way before she said with a forced smile, “All right, then, I guess one more won’t hurt.” She leaned into Jake, rubbing his arm with fake affection, and murmured fiercely, “You win this one, Jake, but, if you drink anymore the rest of the night, then…”
“Then what?” Jake cut her off with a smile, but with a hint of meanness in his eyes. “What are you going to do about it?”
She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled in surrender. She smiled at the people crowding the bar as the bartender poured tequila into a row of fresh shot glasses. She turned to glare at Jake before she whispered, “Jake, you’re going to do this one last shot, and then that’s it. Do you understand? That’s all…no more. You are not going to screw this up for me. If you want to go back home tomorrow and drink until you shit all over yourself, you go right ahead, but tonight is Jason’s night.” She stared into his eyes for a second or two, then added before he could answer, “If you fuck this up, I swear I’m going to make you regret it for a long time.”
Jake reached back to scratch behind his right ear before he looked at her and pleaded, “Look, honey, I’m good. We’re going to do this one little old shot here and then we’ll be on our way.” He reached over and grabbed a couple of the small glasses off the bar, handed one to her, and smiled as he added, “I’m going to be so good tonight you’re going to want to rip this tux right off me when we get back here later.”
Without hesitation, Dani responded quietly, but firmly, “That I will do if you keep your word, but I’m warning you, if you don’t…”
Dani was cut off by the toast from the crowd as everyone yelled, “Here’s to the one and only Jake ‘The Snake’ O’Brien! Cheers!”
She shook her head in disgust before adding, “Cheers.” Sighing heavily, she held her shot glass up to Jake’s and murmured, “Here’s to tonight then.”
In unison, the crowd at the bar threw back their shots but, as soon as Jake set his empty glass back onto the bar top, Dani had him by the arm, forcibly propelling him toward the exit.
Jake pulled his arm away from her grasp and said, “Whoa, there, Dani.” He turned to wave goodbye to the people still standing at the bar and said, “Good night, all. Maybe we’ll see some of you folks back here after the party.”
He turned to Dani as the bellman held the exit door open for them to walk through and said, “You need to lighten up a bit, sweetheart. I thought tonight was supposed to be a good time.”
Dani only shook her head as she walked directly to the black Lincoln Town Car they had hired for the evening.
The driver opened the rear passenger door and said, “How are you folks?” as Dani climbed in. He then raced around to the other side and opened the opposite door before Jake had a chance to do it himself. A couple of minutes later, they were pulling out of the hotel parking lot on their way to the country club.
“I can’t believe you, Jake!” Dani snapped angrily as she glared out the window, shaking her head. “You promised me…over and over you promised me.”
Jake rubbed his right hand over the soft tan leather covering the seat as he asked, “You know what your problem is, Dani?”
Fire blazed from her eyes as she turned to him and answered, “What, Jake? What is my problem?”
“Well, for starters,” he grinned, “you know, it took us just about four hours to get here this morning, and I think I spent about three-and-a-half of that listening to you rehashing every detail of this party we’re going to.”
“So?” she demanded.
“So, I know what I promised, and I intend to keep that promise,” he told her. He winked before adding, “Look at me. Do I appear to be drunk at all? Even just a little bit?”
“No,” Dani sighed, “no, you don’t.”
Jake held both hands palms up as he said, “Well, there you go.” He turned in his seat and reached over to put his arm around her shoulder. “I think you’ve got yourself just a little too wound up over this shindig and you’re taking it out on me.”
She pulled away and glared at him. “Jake, I’ve had to worry about a lot of different things over this ‘shindig,’ as you call it. I’ve spent the last three months worrying about a thousand different details, but do you have any idea what’s kept me up at night the most?”
“Whether Jason will ever be as good a calf roper as me?” he asked with a smirk.
“Listen, I’m serious,” she said. “The thing I’ve worried about the most is whether you’d drink too much tonight. So far, we’re not off to a good start.”
Jake didn’t seem to have a good answer so, for the next few minutes, a hush fell over the interior of the car. A small shudder went through Dani as she tried to shake off a multitude of dreadful thoughts. She felt lines of worry crease her face, and felt a strange, overpowering mix of emotions that took several minutes to sort through.
On one hand, she was happy, excited, and proud for her son. Two hundred fifty people were invited, and Dani had invested an enormous amount of time and money meticulously planning the event. Most everyone who ever had, or was trying to make a living by throwing a rope, riding a bull or bronc, or racing barrels was going to be there. If everything went by design, this evening’s grand event would be the talk of the rodeo community for months, maybe years to come.
On the other, she felt a dark, depressing sense of apprehension. Her husband’s drinking habit, and the train wrecks that came along with it, had overshadowed almost everything else about their marriage the last four to five years. It had also put a tremendous strain on the relationship between Jake and Dani’s entire family. So, even though she hoped tonight’s celebration would turn out perfectly, something deep inside told her there was more than a good chance she would be terribly disappointed…again.
The weight of her concern was suddenly intense. Away from the limelight, she could endure the extreme roller coaster of sights, sounds, and temperaments of a man who seemed to self-destruct on a daily basis, but to tolerate those humiliations in front of her kids and the public was something she could never do. If those people expected her to stay on that ride, they were completely out of their minds.
For years now, she had come to know firsthand how extreme the ride could be. Jake routinely started most days with the same apologies and promises, then spent the next eight or nine hours working harder at his craft than anyone she had ever known. Every day she witnessed the incredible drive it took for someone to become the best in the world at his trade.
Then, every afternoon between three and four, she saw what it took for that same person to throw all the efforts away. To see him suddenly switch directions and dive off into the abyss with the simple phrase, “A cold beer sure sounds good,” was something she had long ago grown numb to, but to say she loathed the expression would be a monumental understatement. On a good day, it was hard to watch. On a bad day, it was hard to stay out of the way.
Her thoughts jolted back to the present when she felt Jake grab her hand and say, “You don’t have to worry about a thing. I’m going to make sure our boy has the best engagement party a kid could ever want.”
Wanting to believe him, Dani smiled and answered, “I sure hope so. And I guess maybe you’re right. I have been a little high strung over this whole thing.”
“A little?” asked Jake with a smile.
Dani held up her right hand with her thumb and forefinger slightly apart as she laughed and said, “Maybe just a little.”
Jake leaned over and kissed her on the cheek before he answered, “Look, honey, I know what I need to do. You just sit back and relax because everything’s going to be just fine.” A minute passed before he added, “You know what? This car is amazing…I can’t believe how good it rides. I might have to come out of retirement so we can get one of these.”
She laughed. “Yeah, that’s just what we need.” She then took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly before turning to look out the window. She said softly, “Please, Jesus, just th
is one time.”
Ten minutes later, they stepped out of the car underneath the covered valet stand at the country club. Jake took Dani’s hand as they made their way through the front doors, past the receptionist’s desk, and up the wide, winding, marbled staircase that led to the ballroom.
At the top of the stairs, they walked toward the open doors where the party was soon to take place. A large, colorful sign rested on a large chrome easel that read, “Congratulations, Jason and Amanda!” in an arc above a photo of the couple, framed by a piggin string shaped into a heart.
“Wow! Would you look at this!” said Dani as they strolled through the doors and took in the sight of the massive room.
The ballroom was approximately two hundred feet long, one hundred feet wide, and was lined with a plush, black carpet with long silver streaks running in every direction. A polished wooden podium with a microphone stood on a small stage set up in the middle of the right side of the room. Huge panes of glass made up the entire wall behind it, showing a panoramic, well-manicured golf course.
The left side of the room was a mahogany wall with three entrances where servers could come and go from the kitchen area. The sound system was already on and the voice of George Strait crooned over the loudspeakers, singing, ‘She’ll Leave You with a Smile.’ The five band members, dressed in tuxedos, were busy setting up their equipment in the far right corner of the room.
Full-service bars were positioned in the other three corners of the ballroom, and the bartenders manning those stations were checking to make sure everything they needed was on hand. All the country club employees wore identical black pants, white shirts, and black bow ties with black vests.
Waiters were busy tending to fifteen to twenty large round tables with white tablecloths draped over the tops, each with an ornate, fresh flower arrangement in the middle. Crystal wine and water glasses were perfectly placed at each setting and every chair surrounding the tables was draped under a white satin cover with a bow on the back.
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