by Sara Orwig
She grabbed his upper arms, feeling the flex of solid biceps. Startled, she looked at him and he gazed back into her eyes and the moment changed. The anger and arguments no longer held meaning. For an instant, he held her, and as she clung to him, she remembered his kisses while sparks ignited her desire.
Setting her on her feet, he released her, leaving her bereft. “I’ll fix that damn latch,” he said, heading for the house.
“Jake, wait,” she called as she caught up with him. “I’ll get Terry to fix the gate. I’ll call him tonight.”
“Forget it. I’ll do it after dinner when it’s cooler.” They walked toward the back door together.
“Jessie Lou said she left dinner in the oven. Whenever you eat, you can just put any leftovers back in the oven.” She wanted to make it clear she didn’t intend to eat dinner with him.
“Fine,” he said, holding the door for her after she unlocked it. As she switched off the alarm, he passed her.
“Jake,” she called. When he turned around she said, “I’m going to skip the search tomorrow. All of you can go ahead. I’ll be in touch by cell phone.”
“Going to Dallas?” he asked, looking down at her.
Surprised he had so easily guessed she wanted to talk to her father, she nodded. “Yes. I want to know the truth. The trip will take most of the day.”
“We’ll get along and your hands will be with us so they can report back to you on everything we do,” he said in a tone dripping with sarcasm. He started to walk away and then he paused. “You can fly in my jet. I’ll tell my pilot. It’ll save you the long drive there and back.”
“Thank you, but I can drive,” she said, wanting to avoid letting him do anything for her.
“Don’t be ridiculous. This is no trouble. What time do you want to leave?”
“About nine in the morning,” she said after a moment’s hesitation, deciding it was silly to turn down his offer when it would save her hours of driving. “I’ll have to see him after his work and I want to stop to see my brother because I haven’t seen Nick for a while.”
“Going to see the politician, Representative Milan. How’s he getting along?”
“Nick keeps really busy. It’s been hard for him losing Karen and the baby. They were both so excited over the prospect of a baby.”
“Yeah. It was a drunk driver if I remember reading about it.”
“Yes. All three were killed. After the accident Nick poured himself into politics and he’s more interested in Washington now than he was before.”
“What about Wyatt and Tony? More political aspirations?”
“Not at all. Until the town gets full rights in 2015 to the Lavita Wrenville house, Wyatt will stay sheriff of Verity County. Sometime in the not too distant future, Wyatt will return to ranching.”
“And Tony got a law degree, didn’t he?”
“Of course, but no one will pry Tony off the ranch. He hung a shingle out at the ranch for one year to pacify Mom and Dad and then tossed it aside. He said that should take care of the family superstitions.”
One of Jake’s dark eyebrows arched higher. “How so?”
“You’ve forgotten. We not only have the legend of the buried gold at the family ranch, but there’s an old Milan legend that all male Milans have to go into the field of law or be doomed. They’ve all gone to law school.”
Jake shook his head. “That’s superstition. No one’s doomed if they don’t get into the field of law, practicing or enforcing it or, I suppose in Nick’s case, creating laws. I can’t imagine they are doomed if they choose another profession.”
“That’s what Tony thinks.”
“So now you have what—four lawyers in your immediate family? One is a judge. One is a sheriff. One is a legislator, a representative to the Texas legislature, and one is a retired lawyer after one year of practice who is a rancher and does the rodeo circuit. One out of five couldn’t stand the law profession—that’s not bad.”
“My dad loves being a judge. Ditto Wyatt being a sheriff. He’s a natural for that job. I’m sure Nick will be in Washington, someday, but he would like nothing better than to be a full-time rancher.”
“I can understand how he feels,” Jake said.
“Tony makes no bones about it. My grandmother, Mom and Dad, Nick, they all browbeat him into getting that law degree. He has a double major—law and animal husbandry. He spent one year satisfying those members of the family and that’s the last he’s opened a law book or anything else regarding law unless he’s had to for his ranch business. He is one hundred percent cowboy.”
“I envy him.”
“Anyway, I’d like to see Nick, maybe have lunch with him and go spend some time with Mom before Dad gets home,” she said, realizing her anger was fading slightly the longer she stood and talked with Jake.
“Drive to the airport in Verity and get the flight there. A limo will be waiting when you get to Dallas.”
“Thanks.”
He shrugged.
She still didn’t want to eat with him. If he had lied in any manner about her dad, she would stop this search for treasure and tell Jake to get off the ranch and not return. She suspected each one had his own version of the story, but if Jake had lied, she didn’t want to deal with him five more minutes. She couldn’t imagine he was right, but the nagging doubt persisted because he had been convincing.
Washing her hands, she got her dinner, serving herself to a pot of steaming chili and tamales, taking only one tamale and covering it with a little chili. She had lost her appetite. She poured ice water and carried her dinner to the study, closing the door to avoid Jake and eat alone.
First, she phoned her parents and talked to her mother before talking to her dad to ask if they would be home late tomorrow afternoon. Her mother was eager to see her and told her to stay as long as she could.
Next she called her brother Nick and they agreed to meet for lunch. She hurt for him when she broke the connection. It had been almost two years since the car wreck, but the loss was not one Nick could ever completely get over.
Madison carried her dishes to the kitchen and was relieved to see Jake wasn’t there.
Would she regret learning the truth? Either way, she would be hurt and angry.
It would be another sleepless night, but by this time tomorrow, she would have some answers to her questions about Jake.
Six
She entered the kitchen by seven and Jessie Lou turned to greet her, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Jake has already left for today.”
“I’m going to Dallas to see my folks today.”
“Ahh. That will be good,” Jessie Lou said and turned back to the pie crust she was making.
Madison stared at Jessie Lou, realizing while she kept quiet and in the background, she saw and heard a lot.
“Jessie Lou, Jake told me he didn’t walk out on me on our wedding day because he didn’t want to marry me. He said he was told to.”
With deliberation Jessie Lou washed her hands, dried them and then turned to face Madison. For once, the woman had lost her smile. “Then it probably is time for you to find out the truth.”
“Do you know it?” Madison asked because she had always felt as close to Jessie Lou in some ways as she did her mother.
“No, I don’t. I’ve just always wondered. I think it’s good that you go.”
Jessie Lou’s answer shook Madison because she had expected to have the cook tell her she was being foolish to even think about questioning her parents.
“I can’t believe my dad would do anything to hurt me,” Madison whispered, but Jessie Lou heard her.
“Well, it’s time you know. You and Jake were very young. Very young.”
“You do know something.”
Jessie Lou shook her head. “No. I wo
uld have told you as badly as you were hurt. Maybe not right away, but I never would have waited all these years and let the hurt fester in you the way it has. I see the way the two of you look at each other. It’s time the truth comes out.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“It’s best to go ask because now you’ll wonder until you do.” She turned back to the pie crust.
Madison had lost her appetite and carried her dishes to the counter. Jessie Lou looked at her. “Are you all right?”
Madison nodded. “I think so. I’m going to get ready to go. Jake is letting me fly in his plane. His pilot will be waiting.”
Jessie Lou nodded. “I will be thinking about you—both of you.”
Feeling far more worried, Madison left to get dressed.
* * *
At eleven, she rode in a limo to a restaurant in Dallas where she told the driver she would call him when she needed him again. She hurried inside the glass-enclosed round building. In the lobby Nick stepped up to greet her and give her a light hug. Three inches over six feet tall, Nick oozed personality. He was a politician through and through and she had heard their dad talk to Nick about a presidential run someday. She couldn’t imagine, yet Nick had won every race he had entered from Most Popular Boy in the Sixth Grade to his reelection to the Texas legislature.
Gold cuff links complemented his tailor-made white shirt. He wore a brown suit and a dark brown tie. Whether it was a working day or not, Nick was always camera-ready.
His dark brown hair was the color of hers and his eyes were blue. There the similarity ended because his face was longer, his hair wavy, his nose had a slight crook from being broken playing football in a neighborhood game. Nick had perfect, snowy teeth, along with a smile that probably helped him win votes. People had always liked him and he seemed full of life, able to enjoy himself more than most people. Every day was an adventure for him and she had often been amazed by his perpetual optimism and energy. He had changed after the loss of his pregnant wife and their baby, but to her relief his cheerfulness was beginning to return to him.
Hugging her, Nick smiled as he stepped away. “Thanks for calling. I’m glad to see you. I’ve got a table waiting.”
They looked at their menus briefly, ordered, and while they waited, he smiled again. “I saw you drive up. So what’s the deal with the limo? The art must be doing extremely well.”
“Jake Calhoun let me fly in his private jet today and he arranged for the limo. That’s his chauffeur.”
“After the heartbreak Jake caused you, I don’t see why you agreed to let him search on your ranch.”
“I still think of it as the family ranch, even though Dad has put it in my name. It would benefit us, too, if Jake finds anything. Today, some of our men are with him, so he’s not out there looking without Milan interests being protected. And I’ve gone with them every day until today.”
“When we were at Verity High, I liked Jake, but after what he did to you, I haven’t trusted him or wanted to be around him or have any dealings with him.”
“Sounds funny, coming from you, because you’re always friendly to him,” she said, unable to argue with him. “You’re always friendly with everyone,”
He grinned. “I want to keep those votes coming.” His smile vanished. “Kidding aside, you said he’s giving you the treasure if you find it—I think that’s suspicious. Why is he being so generous? I don’t believe for a second he’s interested in his ancestors’ remains. It’s not like remains that need to be returned to a sacred tribal burial ground.”
“I told you he’s hoping to find a deed giving him a bit of the McCracken ranchland.”
“Sounds fishy to me, Madison.” He shook his head, unconvinced. “Be careful. If you find remains, you won’t know whose they are. Could have been a posse after a Milan or a Calhoun.”
“Well, if we find bones, we’ll get a forensic specialist to identify them and any Milan bones will get a proper burial in our Milan cemetery.”
Nick’s blue eyes rested intently on her. “Keep me posted and watch Jake. I wouldn’t trust him one second.”
“I will. How are you doing, Nick?” she asked, suddenly eager to change the subject.
“Busier than ever,” he replied. “People are sounding me out about running for a U.S. Senate seat.”
“That would be fantastic. I’m thrilled for you,” she said and for an instant saw a slight frown crease his brow, but then it was gone. “You don’t want to do that?”
“We’re a long, long way from me having to make that decision, but yes, I’d like to. In a way, I hate to get so far from Texas and the ranch, but politics is my life and if I really get a chance for this, I’m taking it.”
“Of course you should,” she said. “Your life revolves around politics.” While they were served, they remained silent. She watched as a tossed salad was placed in front of her and then a waiter placed a hamburger in front of Nick.
“Do the folks know you’re letting Jake dig on the ranch?”
“Of course. Someone, maybe Charley, keeps Dad posted and Dad has already called to try to talk me out of letting Jake search. So far it’s been as useless and hopeless as when y’all dug for that treasure when you were kids.”
Nick grinned. “We imagined finding a big trunk filled with gold. We never gave a thought to ancestors’ bones and knew nothing about a deed.”
“We’ll see. You can always come join us.”
He laughed and she smiled because she knew his schedule kept him busy every minute, which was what he wanted. She was certain he was trying to occupy his time so he wouldn’t have a chance to think too much about his loss.
She chatted and ate, finishing and sipping iced tea until Nick glanced at his watch. “I’m sorry. I have to get back to the office. I have an appointment.”
“It’s been good to see you. I need to call the limo,” she said as they stood to walk out. She put away her phone. “He’s already here and waiting. Want a lift back to your office?”
“No, thanks. I drove myself.” Nick smiled at her. “Thanks for having lunch with me.”
“Thanks for taking me,” she replied. “You take care of yourself, Nick.”
“You, too. See you soon,” he said.
He followed her until they were almost at the limo. “Shall I tell the chauffeur to drive carefully?”
She grinned. “You? My brother who got into trouble for drag racing?”
He laughed and shrugged. “I’m grown up and responsible now.” He smiled at her and walked away as she climbed into the limo for the ride to their parents’ home.
It wasn’t too long until they reached the gated community where mansions started above one million in price. The well-landscaped grounds had tall oak trees along the wide, winding drive to the house while giant magnolias grew between the oaks.
Like the house on their family ranch, this was another Georgian redbrick with white Corinthian columns. Two beds of red and yellow hibiscus bloomed on either side of the front porch. She used her key to unlock the front door. A small shaggy brown dog stood in the foyer wagging its tail.
She hurried inside, stopping to pet the happy dog. “Hi, Prissy,” Madison said, scratching the dog’s head. “Where’s your family?”
The little dog danced around her as Madison searched for her parents, finding them in the study, her father playing with another brown dog, her mother holding a laptop. The moment she saw Madison, she smiled and came forward to hug her.
Catching a whiff of her mother’s rose perfume that she had worn as long as Madison could remember, Madison felt foolish for even coming because she couldn’t imagine that her father had done anything to hurt her or that her mother would allow him to.
Even after the hug, her mother’s beige silk blouse and matching silk slacks did not have a wrinkle. Madison
had always thought her mother was a beautiful woman and at fifty-two, Evelyn Milan still looked beautiful to Madison. Her short brown hair was perfectly styled.
“Well, look who’s here,” her dad said as he came to hug her. Twelve years older than her mother, her dad’s life revolved around law and being a judge. Even in his aged brown slacks, a white dress shirt and a favorite brown cardigan he looked imposing and judicial. He had never had to raise his voice to get Madison or Nick or Wyatt to obey him when they had been children. Only Tony had been the wild one who could sometimes wear their father’s patience to the breaking point.
Madison kissed both parents and sat to talk to them, bringing them up to date on the search for the buried treasure. Her father sat listening quietly, which she knew meant he was thinking.
“I’ve always heard about the gun battle and that members of both families were killed,” he said, “so it’s logical their bones are out there somewhere if they weren’t carried off by animals.”
“Pete, that’s gruesome,” Evelyn Milan said, shivering.
“It’s the truth. I can imagine someone from each family returning to bury their own dead. That part of the tale I’ve always thought was true. As for a buried treasure—who knows? Could have been or might be pure myth. It might be as little as two or three gold coins. And he didn’t ask you to split the booty with him?”
Madison shook her head. “No, sir. He said he didn’t want the treasure, whatever it is, just his ancestors’ bones.”
“That’s generous,” Evelyn said.
“I don’t think he believes there is really any treasure and it’s an inducement to get me to agree to this,” Madison explained.
“That makes sense,” Pete said. “I imagine he’s done plenty of looking on his side of the boundary when he was a kid. Besides, you said there might be a deed giving the Calhouns some McCracken land?”
“Yes, that’s what Jake is hoping to find,” she replied.
“Madison, be careful. I don’t trust the Calhouns. There may be more to this than we know.”