by Linda Warren
“I can’t believe it.” Hilary glanced at a nurse who came in to talk to another waiting family. “Mama’s so gentle. She never tried to defend herself against the abuse. She just took it.”
“She snapped when she heard about Jared’s murder. In her mind she had to do the only thing that would protect us—something she hadn’t done before—confront her husband.”
“I guess.” Hil moved restlessly. “I just want to take her home.”
“Brooks family,” an E.R. doctor in scrubs called. Jena and Hilary got to their feet, and he walked over.
“Dr. Henderson,” he introduced himself, and they shook hands. “Your mother is still not responding. Her blood pressure is low, and her heart rate is dangerously low, too. We have her on an IV and are running tests, but so far nothing is jumping out at us. Did something happen to trigger this?”
“No,” Jena replied. “She was sitting in her chair, and my sister couldn’t get a response out of her.” No way was she telling him otherwise.
“We’ve ruled out a stroke and a heart attack, and we’re waiting on other test results. In the meantime, we’re taking her up to a room to monitor her for a few days. She might snap out of it, but please be prepared. I’ve seen this in nursing homes. Sometimes people just give up.”
“Thank you,” Jena replied, fearing what he said was true. Her mother had finally admitted what she’d done and now she’d given up.
They got the room number from the nurse, and then they took the elevator. Two nurses were getting their mother settled into a bed when they arrived. An IV was in her arm and she was on a heart monitor. Her skin was pale and her hair seemed grayer. Her eyes stared blankly into space, and Jena felt a catch in her throat.
She and Hilary sat beside the bed, one on each side. Hilary rubbed their mother’s arm and couldn’t seem to stop talking.
“Are you cold, Mama? I can get you a blanket. Or would you like something to drink? A cup of coffee? Water? Talk to me. Mama, please.”
But Norma stared straight ahead as if she couldn’t hear or see. She was locked in her own private world or maybe her own private hell. Living all these years with her secret had taken its toll. Jena got up and kissed her mother’s forehead. “I love you, Mama. You did what you had to do and I don’t blame you.”
Hilary kissed her mother’s hand. “I don’t, either. Please come back to us.”
Still there was no response. Jena and Hilary stayed by the bed, waiting. A nurse came in and checked Norma’s vitals and said nothing had changed. After a few minutes the heart monitor buzzed loudly. Nurses and doctors rushed in. Hilary began to cry and Jena held her, pulling her out of the way.
The nurse asked them to leave the room, and they waited in the hall. Hilary was crying openly now, and Jena tried to comfort her while dealing with her own emotions.
The doctor came out. “I’m sorry. We did all we could.”
“No!” Hilary screamed, and it took a while for Jena to calm her.
The doctor patted Hilary’s shoulder. “Your mother is at peace now.”
They were allowed to say goodbye. They stared at the mother they loved, the mother who’d raised them through the bad times, and there were plenty of those. But through it all they would remember the little things that made them happy—like the caps and mittens she’d knitted for them for school and the sweaters so they would be warm in the wintertime. They would remember the mother who’d kissed them good-night every night and protected them in her own way, but most of all they would remember the love they’d felt when she hugged them. Their life wasn’t perfect but today that didn’t matter.
They made arrangements for the body to be taken to the Dripping Springs funeral home, and then they walked out of the hospital. It wasn’t until they reached the front doors that they realized they didn’t have a vehicle. Jena’s phone buzzed at that precise moment.
“Hey, how is your mom?” Carson asked.
Hearing his voice, her emotions snapped and she began to cry. It took a second for her to gain control. “My mom...just passed away.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“We’re at...”
“I got the information from the ambulance driver. I’m on my way.”
“We’ll be at the entrance.”
She and Hilary sat side by side in a waiting area, trying to come to grips with everything that had happened today. It would take time. They didn’t talk much. Sadness clung to them like a trellis vine binding them in grief, the way only sisters knew. Her nerves were frayed and her insides queasy, but she had to stay strong for Hilary.
She was relieved when Carson walked in with his long strides. She went into his arms as if she’d been doing it for years. It was that natural.
“I’m so sorry. You okay?” he asked.
“We just want to get out of here.”
Soon they were in the car headed for Willow Creek. Jena told Carson what the doctor had said.
“She’s finally at peace,” Hilary said from the backseat.
They would cling to that thought in the days ahead.
* * *
CARSON HURT FOR JENA. He just wanted to protect her from the pain, but he knew he couldn’t. She had to process her mother’s death in her own way. He went with her and Hilary to plan the service. They opted for a private one, figuring the people of Willow Creek had forgotten Norma Brooks a long time ago.
A misty rain filled the morning when he picked them up for the service. Mrs. Brooks would be buried in the Willow Creek Cemetery next to her husband. Ethan, Abby and Walt, along with Levi and Mr. Henry, showed up. Before the preacher could start a short sermon, trucks and cars began to pull into the cemetery. A lot of them were Hilary’s friends from the café, and the others were people of Willow Creek who remembered Norma Brooks and wanted to pay their respects. Even Mabel and Bea came. Carson was happy for the show of support for the Brooks sisters. They needed it.
When he took them home, he and Jena sat on the stoop and Hilary went inside.
“What did you do with the gun?” she asked.
“Don’t worry. It will never be found.”
“Thank you. It seems unreal. I still can’t believe my gentle mother would do that.”
“The abuse finally got to her.”
“Mmm.” She tucked her hair behind her ears. “I’m glad I got to spend some time with her. I took her walking one day.” A tear slipped from her eye and she quickly brushed it away. “I came home to find information about my child, but that didn’t happen. We found other answers, which I’m happy about. But none of that changed anything. Asa has truly won.” She clasped her hands together. “I’ll be leaving soon.”
His stomach gave way at the thought. “What about Hilary?”
“I want her to come with me to find a life she deserves.”
He rubbed his hands together. “What about me?”
She touched his face, and he caught her hand and kissed it.
“I feel more for you than I’ve felt for anyone in my life. I love everything about you—your sweet smile, your gorgeous eyes, your compassionate nature, your love for your kids. But you’re Asa’s son and that will always cause problems between us.”
She was right and that wasn’t easy to admit.
She stroked his face. “I’ll always remember our night together, but I have to go where I’m just Jena without a past.”
“What about this Blake guy?” He had to know.
“He’s my boss. That’s it,” she replied. “Please understand I have to go.”
He wanted to ask if he could come see her in Dallas, but that wouldn’t solve anything. And he couldn’t leave his kids for long periods of time.
He looked into her soulful eyes. “I understand, but it hurts.”
“I know.”
“I’m not saying goodbye.”
“Okay.”
He pushed to his feet. “But let me know when you leave.”
“I will.”
He walked away to his truck, his heart breaking. He had one thing to do before he said goodbye—talk to his father.
When he reached home, the kids were playing in the den. Trey was gently throwing the baseball he’d gotten at the Rangers’ game, which several baseball players had signed. He was throwing it to Claire, who never caught it. She’d squeal and chase after it. Pa watched with a contented look on his face. He was happy; the kids were home.
There was no way he could talk to his dad with the kids around. He stormed into his study, frustrated. He had to find a way. Pulling out his cell, he called Ethan. Within minutes he’d arranged for a playdate for the next day. Walt would take Kelsey and Trey fishing and Claire would stay with Chloe. He hated to impose on his friends, but this was important.
All night he wanted to pick up the phone to call Jena and beg her not to go, beg her to stay, beg her to give them a chance. But they still had the same problem: Asa knew where her child was and he refused to tell. There was no way around that. But tomorrow morning he was telling his father everything, and if there was a God in heaven, Pa would give him the information he wanted.
The next morning the kids were excited. They packed their things and were eager to go. He dropped them at Ethan’s and hurried home. Pa had had breakfast and he seemed in a good mood sitting in the den in his chair.
Carson hurried to his study to get copies from Jared’s journal. As he went back into the den, he saw Aunt Fran watching from the kitchen. She was worried, but she didn’t try to stop him. They both knew it had to be done.
He sat in a straight-backed chair facing his father. Asa had Trey’s baseball in his hand, trying to grip his fingers around it.
“Pa, could we talk?”
“Why?”
“Because it’s important.”
Asa looked around. “Where...the kids?”
“At Ethan’s, playing.”
“But...they’re coming home?”
“Yes.” Carson scooted forward. “Pa, I need you to listen to me. Some things are not going to be easy to hear, but I want you to listen.”
Asa frowned at him.
Carson held up the papers. “These are pages from Jared’s journal.”
“Sissy stuff.”
Carson ignored the response and started reading the notes about Jena, and then he read the last entry—the day Jared died. “Jared went to meet Roland because he discovered he was stealing from the Bar C. Roland shot him, not Lamar.”
“No,” Asa said, his voice gravelly. “Not true.”
“It is. Curly admitted it and so did Roland. The D.A. will present her findings to a grand jury in two weeks. She’s planning to prosecute them both for murder—Jared’s murder. You believed Roland, but he lied to you about everything, especially Jena.”
“Roland killed...my boy?”
“Yes, Pa.”
“Bastard! Bastard!” Asa banged a fist on the arm of his chair.
Carson gave him a moment. “The D.A. knows you had them kidnap Jena and that you took her baby. She’s going to prosecute you, too.”
“Don’t care.”
“Help me, Pa. Help me to help you. Tell me what happened to Jena’s baby.”
Asa leaned his head back against the headrest. “I’m tired.”
“Me, too, Pa. I’m tired of all the lies. For Jared, tell me what happened to his child.”
“I can’t” came out low, but Carson heard it. It was the first time his father had said anything besides “never.” He had to keep pushing.
“Why not?”
“Hurt...too many people.”
“Too many people have already been hurt. It’s time to tell the truth.”
Pa didn’t say anything and just hung his head as if he couldn’t take any more.
“Pa, tell me.”
“You’ll...regret it.”
That threw him, and for a moment he was hesitant. “Tell me. Where’s Jared and Jena’s baby?”
Suddenly, Asa raised his head and flung the ball at him. He caught it before it blasted into his chest. “You want to know so bad...I’ll tell you. Maybe...I can die in peace.”
Carson placed the ball on an end table. “Where’s the baby?”
Asa’s mouth worked, but no words came out.
“Where’s the baby?” he kept on.
A diabolical expression spread across his father’s face. “He sleeps upstairs every night. You call him...son.”
A shiver of alarm shot through Carson. “That’s not funny, Pa.”
“No, it isn’t.”
He took a controlling breath. “Trey is my and Beth’s son.”
“Trey is Jared’s and...her son. You wanted to know. There it is.”
He stood because he could no longer sit still. “I was at the hospital with Beth when Trey was born. I was the first one to hold him.”
“Yes, you were.”
“Then how can you say he’s not mine?” Carson could feel his control slipping.
“Because...he’s not.”
Carson gulped in air and sat again. “What happened the night you had Jena kidnapped?”
His father was calm and his speech was better. “I did everything Minnie told you. I wasn’t going to let her pass that baby off as a Corbett. As soon as it came out I pushed Minnie aside and bundled it in a big towel. Minnie cut the cord, and I took it upstairs to my room. I wrapped the towel tight, hoping it would suffocate. She took my son. I’d take her child.”
“She didn’t take your son. You never had him.” His voice was angry and he couldn’t help that. “Oh.” Suddenly, he remembered Jared’s keys and wallet lying on his dresser. He had to have had them with him when he was murdered. Pa had returned them to his room after they were released by the authorities. The diabolical pieces of the puzzle fitted together in his head. “After the murder, you found the marriage license and the receipt for an apartment in Jared’s room, didn’t you? You knew Jared was leaving you and the Bar C behind, just like everyone else has left you. That’s why you wanted no one in his room. That’s why you hate Jena.”
“Yeah.” For a moment Asa looked contrite. “She filled his head with...nonsense. She made him turn his back...on his birthright.”
“No, Pa. You did that all by yourself.”
“She...she...”
“What happened next?” he asked, refusing to listen to any more hatred of Jena.
“When Roland and Curly left with her, I had to decide what to do with...the baby. As I was going up the stairs, I heard...Beth scream. I found her on the floor and I put her back in bed. She said something was wrong with the baby. The baby wasn’t...breathing, but I told her Trey was fine. I picked him up and told her to rest...and I’d take care of him.”
“Where was the nurse I hired?” Beth had to have a C-section with Trey, and she’d lost a lot of blood before they finally delivered the baby. She was so weak she could barely hold her son. He was scheduled to leave for Afghanistan in three days. It was hard to go, but he made sure his wife had round-the-clock nurses.
“I sent her home early because...”
“Yeah, I know why. What happened next?”
“I took Trey to my room and...laid him beside the other baby. I blew in his mouth and pressed gently on...his chest, but he was dead.”
“No.” Carson held his face in his hands. “No!”
“Beth called for me to bring the baby back, and I knew I couldn’t...tell her. She couldn’t take it. I unwrapped the other baby and saw it was a boy. The babies were the same size despite the fact that Beth’s was two weeks old and...hers just a newborn. They
even looked alike. And...I knew...it was Jared’s son. I took him into the bathroom and cleaned him up and then...I put Trey’s clothes on him. I wrapped him in Trey’s blanket and took him back to Beth. Only the night-light was on, so she couldn’t see very well.”
“But she would have known the next morning. The nurse would have known.”
“I fired the nurses and I took care of the baby. Beth had been so weak and slept so much in those early days, she was really only able to hold and feed it before she needed to rest again. I made sure she never...saw the umbilical cord. The new baby had no problem taking the bottle...and he filled out fast. By the time we took him to be circumcised, he was Beth’s baby. She grew stronger and stronger and never suspected a thing. Neither...did you.”
He stood in an angry movement. “Who gave you the right to play God?”
“I did what...any father would do.”
“You took a woman’s baby from her.”
“And saved your wife’s sanity. Besides...what kind of life could Jena Brooks have given him?”
“You...you...” He couldn’t even put his emotions into words. “You had no right.”
“Beth was like a daughter to me. I did what I had to for her...and for you.”
“Wait a minute.” Carson’s head pounded from all the lies. “You’ve known since Trey was born that he was Jared’s son, yet you’ve continually denied that Jena’s baby was Jared’s. Why?”
“I didn’t want anyone to get...suspicious. I had to keep up the act to protect...you and Beth. You can’t let...that woman take your son.”
“You’re insane.” Carson ran his hands over his face. Trey was Jena’s baby. When Trey was born, he had sandy-blond hair like him, but as he got older Trey’s hair had grown darker. Since his and Beth’s families were basically blonds, they wondered where he’d gotten the dark hair. From his mother. Jena.
Oh, my God!
“What are you going to do?” Asa asked. “The truth...isn’t so easy to swallow...is it?”
Carson stared at this man who was his father, and in that moment he hated him more than he’d hated anyone in his life. The hate seemed to boil through his system like acid eating away at his control.