“Of course not.” He let out a bark of nervous laughter. “I told you we have a zero tolerance for violence at our school.”
“For weeks the three thugs you have sitting out there have been tormenting Juan.” He pointed at the door for emphasis. “You suspend him and I’ll have every news station in the area parked outside your school. You and every teacher here will find a camera in their faces from the time they get out of their car. People do not like bullies.”
“Why should anyone listen to you?”
Grant squared his shoulders. “I’m a Marine.” He raised his shirt revealing his wound. “I have been injured fighting for my country. Believe me they will listen.” The words came out in a rush.
Mr. Heron let out a weary sigh. With slow heavy steps he returned to his desk and slumped into his chair. He raked his hands over his bald head as if had forgotten he didn’t have any hair.
A timid little knock on the door broke the silence. Ms. Henley opened the door and peeked in. “Is everything okay?” Her eyes stopped on Grant.
“Yes, Ms. Henley. We’ll try to keep it down.” He gave Grant a direct look. “Only call the authorities if you hear furniture breaking.” For several more seconds she stood in the threshold eyes ogling him before she shut the door.
“I don’t like threats.”
“I don’t like making them, but you don’t give me any other choice. I will not allow you to suspend Juan. I’m not leaving this office until you see things my way.”
Mr. Heron peered at Juan sitting on the sofa. Not once had he spoken. “Why didn’t you come to me and tell me you were being bullied?”
Juan chewed his bottom lip. All eyes on him, he looked very uncomfortable. Seconds passed, everyone waiting to hear his answer. “Then I would be bullied for being a snitch. I wouldn’t have just Jeremy, Logan, and Derrick on my back.” His voice was small but strong. “The whole school would bully me.”
Mr. Heron propped his elbows on the desk and kneaded his forehead. He glared at Grant. “Mr. Wilson, what do you propose I tell the parents of the boys sitting out there bleeding on my chairs?”
“Tell them the truth. Tell them their boys are bullies. If you don’t feel comfortable telling them, I’ll be glad to do it for you.”
With a nervous laugh, he replied, “I think I’d better handle the situation on my own.”
Again Mr. Heron stood and crossed to the door. He opened it and waited for them to leave his office. The last one through, Grant stopped and offered his hand. The principal gave him a firm handshake. “I wish I could say it has been an honor.” He shifted on his feet. “Thank you for your service to our country.”
Instead of saying anything, Grant nodded his head. He had a hard knot in his stomach knowing he still had Nina to contend with. Something told him she wouldn’t be so easy to manipulate. The battle wasn’t over yet.
****
Grant was taking his own sweet time getting back to the farm. Too agitated to sit, Nina paced back and forth in front of the house. When he tried to explain at school, she had put her hand in his face and said she didn’t want to hear it. All the way home Juan kept pleading for her not to be angry with Grant. Said he did him a favor. Still, she didn’t like the fact they had kept a secret from her and Maria.
In the distance she heard the hum of his Camaro. It had its own distinctive sound. Arms crossed over her chest, she stopped pacing and waited for him to park the car and get out. “It’s about time. Where have you been?”
He took a sip of the beer and held it at arm’s length. “Needed something to give me some courage.”
She hesitated, not sure how to proceed. Even though she had been mad enough to eat nails, Juan had convinced her not to be too angry with Grant. “You know Juan looks up to you.”
“I think a lot of him also. He’s a great kid. Why do you think I helped him when he asked? If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have gotten involved.”
Nina took a breath. “I don’t like you keeping secrets from us. Maria should have known he was being bullied. She is his mother.”
He took another sip of beer. With long strides, he took the steps and sat in one of the rockers on the front porch. She followed and sat next to him. “Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten involved but I felt sorry for him. I do like the kid. The thought of someone bullying another, makes me mad enough to do something about it. If I could have solved the problem for him, I would have. He felt it was something he needed to handle on his own.”
Nina took the bottle from him and took a sip. She placed it against her face. The coolness felt wonderful in the heat of the day. “It doesn’t change the fact that your interference almost got Juan suspended.”
His gaze filled with such tenderness. “I know. I feel terrible. I hope Maria will forgive me.”
“Oh, please. You can do no wrong in her eyes. Not once has she been angry at you. The way you came charging into Principal Heron’s office only caused her to admire you more.” Her voice low and filled with emotion, she continued, “She was worried when Mr. Heron said he was suspending Juan. Nothing’s more important to her than her son. He is all she has left.”
She took one more swallow from the beer bottle before she handed it back. They were so close she could smell the raw maleness of him. His fingers brushed against hers and she felt desire shoot through her. That was all it took from him. One simple touch and she wanted him. She studied him. There was no point in remaining angry at him. He cared for Juan and for that she was grateful. Another reason for him to stay.
“How about I make you a promise the next time Juan comes to me with a problem, we’ll talk things over with his mother.”
Nina nodded slowly. “I guess no harm was done.”
****
For the second time that morning Nina asked Grant why he kept checking his watch. “Just seeing how much longer before lunch. I’m hungry.” He threw a handful of okra in the basket and rocked back on his heels. He pulled his bandana from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow. “All this farming takes sustenance.”
Something was definitely going on with him. The man promised they would go back to the waterfall and have a romantic day and now was refusing to leave the farm because he didn’t trust her guests staying in the pool house. They had a huge argument when he returned to her room last night because she wouldn’t relent and ask them to leave. The man just didn’t understand business. If she asked them to leave, it could open the door for a lawsuit and she didn’t have time for such nonsense. Besides, they had not left the pool house and she assumed they were too hung over to get out of bed. Tomorrow they would be leaving and she would never rent to them again.
She preferred quiet guests that came to Twelve Oaks Farm to rest and relax. One more night like the other night and she was sure Grant and Clay would come to blows. Apparently the two men hated each other. Nina had to confess, she didn’t care much for Clay either. He was rude and obnoxious. It was as if he wanted to cause trouble with Grant. The man had to be stupid because Grant could wipe the floor with him.
“Maria said lunch would be ready at 12 o’clock. You only have thirty more minutes before we eat.”
Juan brought an empty basket and placed it on the back of the old truck. “Do you think this will be our last harvest?”
She looked down the long rows of okra stalks. “Maybe one, two more pickings. We’re lucky to still have a healthy crop in September.” Okra was her best seller and she knew she would get a large amount of money for the five baskets they had already gathered.
When she called and told Jerry she would have the okra to him by 1 o’clock, he was excited because he already had buyers. As the growing season was coming to an end, she felt a sense of panic. The only crops left were the peas and cabbage. In two weeks they would harvest the three fields of pumpkins and the growing season would be over. She hoped she would make enough off the pumpkins to sustain them for the winter. Already on a shoestring budget, she feared things would only get worse. Maybe she
could find a job at an animal clinic to hold them until Beth finished law school.
The sound of a motorcycle broke the silence of the morning. Juan asked, “Who’s that?”
Nina shaded the sun from her eyes with her hand. A shiny, black motorcycle appeared following the fence line. The driver stopped, lowered the kickstand with his foot, and got off the motorcycle. Tall and slim, the man walked as if he had a purpose. He wore ragged jeans with holes and a faded T-shirt that had seen better days. Shadow trotted toward the stranger who dropped to one knee and stroked his hands over his back.
“Josh!” Grant raced forward, wrapped his arms around the man, and gave him a bear hug. “God, it’s good to see you.” He pushed him to arm’s length and looked into his brother’s face.
With a huge smile on his face, Josh replied, “You look good. I think the fresh air and work’s been good for you.”
Grant dropped his arm over Josh’s shoulder and turned toward Nina and Juan. “This is my brother Josh.”
The only resemblance Nina saw that proved they were brothers was the dark chocolate eyes and the extreme height. Josh was slimmer and darker than Grant with olive skin, but just as handsome.
“This is Nina, she owns the farm.” He pointed toward Juan. “And this is Juan.”
Josh ruffled Juan’s hair as she had seen Grant do on many occasions. “Nice to meet you, young man. Then he held out his hand and she gave him hers. He gave her hand a firm squeeze, his eyes sparkling mischievously. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
Josh shifted his weight and tore his eyes away from Nina to look at his brother. “I thought I’d surprise you. Found myself between jobs and thought I’d hang out with you for a couple of days.”
“Come on and we’ll get you cleaned up before lunch.” Together they sauntered toward the motorcycle. Over his shoulder he yelled, “We’ll see you at the house.” Josh threw his leg over the motorcycle and Grant climbed on behind. The engine revved and they bounced over the bumpy ground.
How strange. Nina watched the two as they disappeared from sight. Grant had said very little about his brother, yet they seemed close. Only thing she knew about him, he was from Richmond, Virginia. For him to show up unannounced had her curious. Always neat and well groomed, Grant seemed so out of place next to his disheveled brother. He had a-two day stubble and his hair was mused from wearing the helmet.
“Is something wrong?”
She peered at Juan as he handed her the empty basket. “No, everything’s fine.”
****
Out of hearing distance, Grant asked, “How’d you get here so quick?”
Uncle Tate sent the chopper to Richmond. The pilot landed in a pasture just up the road, helped me unload my bike, and I rode in from there.”
Grant laughed. “Why the ragged clothes?”
“You said you didn’t want Nina to know I was a homicide detective. I was going for the free spirited drifter thing.”
“You look like a hippy from the 70’s. I didn’t even know you had jeans with holes in them.” The clothes were so out of character for his younger brother. He had always had a taste for the finer things in life and that came across in his attire.
“You said it was only going to be for a few days. I wouldn’t look like this for just anybody. Besides, if your lady saw how much more handsome I am, she would drop you in a heartbeat. I am the hotter one.”
“What makes you think she is my lady?”
Josh snorted, “Please, the sexual tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.” His voice became deeper. “Is it serious?” Josh parked the motorcycle in front of the barn where Grant gestured.
Grant opened the door to the barn and stepped to the side for his brother. It would be just like his brother to get right to the point. He wasn’t the type to pussyfoot around. “I like her. I like her a lot. She’s a very special woman with strength and beauty, but I don’t think I’m ready to commit. I have a lot on my plate right now.” His brother knew just how much of a mess he was at the moment. No man in his right mind would want a permanent relationship when they had his troubled mind. Besides, he had never been interested in a long-term relationship.
Josh let out a whistle. “Nice place. When you said you were renting a room in a barn, I imagined you sleeping on a bale of hay. Pretty elegant.”
“It’s comfortable. I like it here.”
Grant opened the door to the bedroom and took Josh’s backpack. He threw it on the bed. “Are you sleeping in the house, or is she sneaking out to the barn?”
“A gentleman never tells.” To change the subject, Grant asked, “Are you still sleeping with everything in skirts?”
“You know me. I love variety.”
Grant shook his head. “I’m glad you came. Did you have trouble getting the time off?”
“No, I told them I had a family emergency. I’ll deal with the questions when I return to Richmond.” Josh moved to the window and opened the blinds. He seemed enthralled with all the animals that dotted the pasture eating the rich green grass. “A man could get accustomed to waking up to this every morning.” Silence followed until he asked, “Tell me what’s going on with the gorgeous Nina.”
By the time Grant had given Josh a full account of the danger surrounding her, Juan knocked on the door. He opened it a crack and peeked in before announcing, “Mama has lunch ready.”
Juan looked at Josh with interest. Grant knew he probably had a hundred questions he wanted to ask but refrained from asking them. Now that his brother was there he felt better. A decorated officer, he would be able to protect Nina, Juan, and Maria while he was dealing with Collins. It was like having a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders.
****
After Nina and Juan left to deliver the okra crop and the last of the tomatoes to the farmer’s market, Grant called Uncle Tate to meet him in Raleigh. No way would he be back before Nina returned, but she would think he and Josh had gone somewhere together since his brother had orders to stay out of sight until he returned.
He put the windows down and enjoyed the breeze. Together again with Josh had him feeling carefree as they were in their youth. After their father’s death, they had forged an even stronger bond.
It took forty-five minutes to get to Raleigh. After making sure he had not been followed, Grant pulled into the parking lot at Sunshine Park and walked to the bench under the shade of a huge oak. From behind him he could hear the laughter of children. A merry-go-round piled with children of various ages twirled. His stomach rolled because he had never been able to handle spinning in circles. Unable to watch, he turned his back and sat on the bench.
A couple of squirrels circled a huge oak loudly chirping. It was a peaceful scene, but he found himself missing Nina and the seclusion of the farm. Maybe he was in deeper trouble than he first thought. It seemed she was constantly on his mind. Swamped with distress, he wished he would have held part of himself back instead of letting Nina slip into his heart. Sex had a way of clouding a man’s mind.
In the distance he saw Uncle Tate walking toward him. He stood and embraced his uncle. “You look good. I’d say the time away from the battles has been just what you need.”
“I feel great. Thanks for giving me a reason to get my life in order. It beats sitting on mama’s couch watching TV. Twelve Oaks Farm is quiet and secluded. I can relax there.”
“You might not think so when you hear what I have to say.”
Grant took a deep breath to control the rapid beat of his heart. Did his uncle have proof that Nina was involved with Collins? By his demeanor, he had some terrible news.
“Maybe you should sit down.” Tate sat beside Grant and took off his sunglasses tossing them to the bench. He opened his brief case and pulled out a manila envelope. He peered over his shoulder to make sure no one was in the vicinity to see what he had in the envelope. He handed Grant a stack of pictures. He took his time flipping through the violent scenes.
“Last night someone took out ten men associated with the Mendez Cartel.” Some of the dead men were no more than boys. “It was a bloodbath.”
One particular photograph caught his attention. The boy in the picture wasn’t old enough to be involved with drugs. It was a gruesome scene. “Who is the Mendez Cartel?”
“They cross into United States in a plane from Mexico. Then they parachute four or five men to clear areas for the planting of marijuana. Next they plant the seeds and take care of the crop until harvest time. They live in tents, never leaving the crop. When it is time to harvest, they dry the crop in nearby trees. The only time they leave the area is when it is time to transport the crop to a warehouse, usually in the middle of the night in boxes. For years they only parachuted into the wilderness of the western states. Pablo Mendez has moved into North Carolina and surrounding states because of the drought in the west. We have been trying to catch him for years.”
His stomach twisted. The pictures brought back the terrible battle that Grant lost his men. Ben McKenzie was only twenty-eight years old and left behind two small children. He blinked so he could get the image of Ben bleeding out in the desert of Iran out of his head.
Some of the faces he found himself looking at couldn’t be more than sixteen. After he was released from the hospital, he visited the families of his three fallen comrades. It had to be the most heartbreaking thing he had ever done.
“Do you know who killed them?”
“The only person I can think of is Collins. The Mendez Cartel is a huge organized operation. Word on the street is someone warned them to pull out of North Carolina, or suffer the consequences.” He tapped three of the images on the picture. “Mendez’s three sons.” Uncle Tate visibly shuddered. “An old red truck was parked in the drive. Mendez’s wife peered under the canvas draped over the truck bed. Can you imagine the shock when she saw the bodies of her sons and seven other men we assume worked for Pablo Mendez? The neighbors heard her screams and called the police.”
Whispers of the Falls: Book one (Twelve Oaks Farm Series 1) Page 13