by June Faver
“I’ll call first,” she said. “Be sure and find out if the doc is good with a visit.” She rang off, heartened that Scott was recovering. Happy that she would be able to see him. Irritated when her mother’s ringtone sounded again.
* * *
Beau was back in his element. He and his brothers had been working together just as they had for years…before the return of his long-lost love and the discovery that he was a father.
Not that he would trade Dixie and Ava for anything, but for the moment, he was enjoying the camaraderie of working alongside his brothers, trading irreverent insults, and feeling amazingly productive.
As the three brothers made their way back to the house, Tyler slapped him on the shoulder. “Good to have you back, Little Bro.”
Colton, the biggest big brother anyone could possibly have, looped his beefy arm around Beau’s neck. “Yeah, bro. You’ve been missed.”
“I’ve missed you two jackasses too, but I’ve got a lot going on right now.”
Colton rolled his eyes dramatically. “Oh, we know. You’re all about little Miss Dixie.”
Beau removed Colt’s arm and gave his brothers a long, steady gaze. “I love Dixie, just the way you love Misty and the way you love Leah.” He took a step back, continuing to stare them down. “I have a daughter. I love her. When you have kids of your own, you’ll understand.” He turned and stomped toward the ranch house. At that moment, all he wanted to do was get the hell off the Garrett ranch.
He strode into the house, intent upon washing up and heading to the feed store to check on Pete and his undercover helper. But that was before he ran smack into his dad.
“Whoa!” Big Jim jumped back. “What’s the hurry?”
Beau took a wide stance and hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “Sorry, Dad. Colt and Ty have been giving me a hard time about Dixie. When will they realize that I’m a man and not their little brother? This is my life, and I want to spend it with Dixie and Ava. They’re my family now.” He stopped short, realizing his rant was aimed at the wrong Garrett.
Big Jim’s face clouded. “What the hell? Of course they are, but they’re my family too. My little Ava is the link. She’s a Garrett. She and her mother will always have a place deep in my heart.” His granite jaw worked. “I would lay down my life for your females …you know that.”
Beau’s chest filled with emotion. He spread his arms and walked into his father’s embrace. “Thanks, Dad. I feel the same way.”
“Get yourself cleaned up, and let’s get out of here,” Big Jim said. “I’m going to take you to lunch at the steak house, and then we can go to the feed store.”
Beau complied, glad to have a little one-on-one time with Big Jim. He figured his dad needed some supplies from the feed store. Maybe he had called in an order. At least it would give Beau a chance to check on things without being obvious.
When he returned, Big Jim was talking to Leah and Tyler. Leah appeared to be excited. She wore a wide grin and spoke rapidly, her voice in a higher register than usual.
She grinned at Beau when she spotted him. “Hey, Beau. I’m going to Mexico.” She covered her mouth to giggle. “I feel so silly. I’ve never been anywhere, let alone out of the country.”
“I haven’t been much of anywhere either,” Beau said. “Don’t feel bad.”
Ty leaned close to her and gave her a kiss. “I’ll be glad when we can get those girls back to their parents. The whole thing’s got me worried.”
Leah made a shooing gesture. “Oh, you’re no fun at all.”
Ty picked her up and swung her around in a circle. “I’m plenty of fun. We’re having a baby, aren’t we?”
Beau shook his head and walked toward the front door before he got steamed again. Why didn’t Ty realize that Dixie was as precious to him as Leah was to Ty?
Beau paced back and forth between the array of pickup trucks parked in a row.
Finally, Big Jim emerged and strode to his own silver double-dually, extra-cab, four-wheel-drive truck, opening the doors with his remote. “C’mon, Son. Let’s get on the road. I’m ready for that steak. How ’bout you?”
“Yeah, Dad. I could eat.” Beau climbed into the front passenger seat, glad to be leaving his judgmental brothers behind.
Big Jim was silent until he turned onto the highway. “Don’t be too hard on your brothers, Beau. They just remember how she broke your heart when she ran off without even a fare-thee-well.”
“But Dixie’s mother lied to her. Dixie’s heart was broken too. She thought I had turned my back on her.”
“I understand that, Son, but it’s just gonna take a little time for your brothers to forgive her. They’re your brothers, after all.”
Beau tried to wrap his brain around that. On the one hand, he was glad to have brothers who cared about him, but he wanted them to realize how unfair it was to blame Dixie when she had suffered her pregnancy alone, thinking her father had disowned her and Beau had denied that the child was his.
His own pain had been visceral, becoming a part of every aspect of his life. He had finished the school year, his classmates constantly asking about Dixie. He had been relieved when Big Jim packed him off to college. Not that he had been an exceptional student, but at least he had been forced to turn his attention to his studies, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in land management and animal husbandry. Returning to the ranch, he was able to throw himself into work, and the pain of Dixie leaving him eventually lessened.
And now she’s back…
“Are you all set to take care of little Miss Gracie tomorrow? You have to pick her up from school and keep her overnight, then take her to school the next morning.”
“Yes, we’re all set. Ava is really excited about having a sleepover with her friend. She thinks Gracie is a rock star.”
Big Jim emitted a deep chuckle. “She’s all that.”
“Is there anything else you need done while you’re gone?”
“Just help Colt. He’s gonna have his hands full trying to get everything done all by himself.”
“I’ll be there,” Beau said. “I might not be speaking to him, but I’ll be there.”
Big Jim gave Beau a rough pat on the shoulder. “Aw, get over that attitude. I’ll tell Colt to keep his mouth shut about Dixie.”
“That will help.”
Big Jim drove to the steak house and made sure they were both stuffed to the gills before they left. His next stop was the feed store.
Beau had expected him to pull around to the back where something he had ordered could be loaded into the bed of the truck. But Big Jim parked in front of the store and was out of the cab before Beau could even comment. He followed behind his father, taking long strides to keep up.
Once inside, they found Pete in his usual place behind the cash register.
Pete looked less stressed than he had previously, a grin spreading across his face when he spotted the Garretts. “Well, howdy, Big Jim…and Beau. It’s good to see both of you. What can I do for you today?”
Big Jim fixed him with an expression that was hard to read. One of his dark brows was raised. “I suppose you can tell me what’s going on with your cousin Josh. That’ll do for starters.”
Pete’s grin faded. He blinked several times in rapid succession. “Well, I’m not sure what you mean.”
The formidable brows drew together. “C’mon, Pete. Beau told me your cousin has been in touch with you. What’s going on with him? Why doesn’t he come forward and tell Sheriff Rollins what happened out behind the shed?”
Beau realized that questioning Pete had been Big Jim’s sole purpose for driving into town.
Fletch had come in and stood nearby, listening attentively, but Big Jim had not noticed.
Beads of sweat broke out on Pete’s forehead. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful, Mr. Garrett, but my cousin is s
cared for his life. If he could come in, I’m sure he would.”
Big Jim planted his fists at his waist. “So you’re saying Josh is a witness to the attempted murder of this Scott person, and he ran away like a sniveling coward?” His expression and tone of voice left no doubt as to his opinion of this particular kind of coward.
Pete swallowed hard, giving his bobbing Adam’s apple a strenuous workout. “Well, sir, I suppose it’s better for Josh to be a coward than to git hisself kilt.”
Beau had to admire Pete’s loyalty to his cousin. “I agree, Pete. Just tell Josh to stay under the radar until the sheriff arrests the shooter.”
Big Jim turned a frosty glare on Beau. “It would be a helluva lot quicker if Josh would cooperate with the sheriff.” He noticed Fletch leaning in the doorway to the room with small animals. “Who do we have here?”
Fletch came forward, extending his hand. “Hey, Mr. Garrett. My name is Fletcher Shelton.”
“I suggested Pete hire someone to take Josh’s place since we don’t know when or if he will be back.” Beau gestured toward Fletch.
“Good idea. You’re Herb’s oldest son, aren’t you?”
“Yes, sir. I’m a local homegrown boy.”
“Weren’t you in the military? Seems I recall Herb telling me something about that.” Big Jim stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Yes, sir. Army…two tours in Afghanistan.”
Beau could see his father’s admiration growing. “Well, thank you for your service, young man. Glad you’re home now.”
Fletch grinned. “Me too, sir.”
“Well, we won’t take up any more of your time.” Big Jim turned as if to leave.
“Hang on a sec, Dad. I need to get some more of that rabbit food for Ava’s bunnies.” He pushed past Fletch to enter the room that had chickens, ducks, and other small animals, and Fletch fell into step behind him.
“I’ll help you,” he said. “I just rearranged the small animal food.”
When the two were hunkered down beside the shelves of rabbit pellets, Beau shook his head. “Sorry, man. I had no idea my dad was going to confront Pete about Josh.”
Fletch spoke in a low voice. “No problem. We’re monitoring Pete’s home phone and the store phone. When Josh gets in touch with him, we’ll be listening in.” He winked. “And I’ll be right on hand in case something pops here.”
Beau paid for the rabbit food and climbed into his father’s truck. Pete had tried to give him the bag of pellets, but Beau didn’t want to establish any kind of precedent for nonpayment.
Big Jim climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the door. “Damn! Didn’t learn a damned thing.”
“I thought you were going to let the sheriff deal with things,” Beau said.
Big Jim expelled a long breath. “Thought I was too.” He smacked the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. “I’m worried that your little Dixie might be in big trouble. Vern Moore, her father, was killed at night, and they’re trying to pass it off as a robbery, but then that other guy got shot behind the shed in broad daylight.” He cranked the motor and revved the engine before putting it in gear and pulling out of the parking area. Once on the highway, he seemed to relax a little.
Beau looked out the window at the familiar countryside whizzing by. Fence posts, grasslands and various breeds of cattle passed in a blur. He thought about Fletch, undercover at the feed store, and about the phone taps in place. He had no idea what Josh had seen, but he hoped that the authorities would locate him soon and learn what he knew.
“And those little Mexican girls that were hiding in the loft—what about them?” Big Jim appeared to come out of his reverie.
“What about them?” Beau echoed.
“They’re the third strange thing happening at the feed store. Can you believe that Vern’s store is a center for human trafficking?”
“Um, no, Dad. We’re not sure what’s going on. I think we’re all going to have to be patient and leave it to law enforcement.” He stopped abruptly. “But I agree with you. I told Dixie to stay away from the store, for Ava and for me.”
Big Jim snorted. “How did that go over?”
A grin spread across Beau’s face. “Yeah, just like that.”
Chapter 17
Dixie drove to the hospital in Amarillo with Ava strapped into her child safety seat in the back passenger side. She wasn’t thrilled at the thought of taking her daughter into a hospital, which she considered a hotbed of germs and disease, so Roger had promised to meet her outside the entrance and take his favorite goddaughter for a lunch date at a small café across the street.
Dixie knew how much Roger and Scott adored Ava, treating her as a daughter instead of a goddaughter. They had been on hand all of Ava’s life, and she thought of them as her uncles. Now she had two more uncles, a grandfather, and her loving and protective daddy. Quite an array of male role models. A girl could do worse.
An unwilling smile spread across her face. It was good to have more family, especially since Dixie had just lopped off communication with her mother, the doting grandmother. Her smile evaporated abruptly. She knew she would have to deal with her mother, but at the moment she was too mad. She needed to be able to control her inner rage and not lash out. She couldn’t imagine any scenario in which her mother would have been justified in telling such hurtful lies.
She spotted Roger pacing back and forth in front of the hospital entrance. There was a covered drive-through area where discharged patients could easily be picked up. In this case, Dixie idled under the canopy to allow Roger time to remove Ava from her constraints. “I’ll meet you two at the café after I visit Scott.”
Roger gave a jaunty wave as Dixie pulled away to find a parking spot. Once she had hiked back to the hospital, she rode the elevator to the level where Scott had been transferred. She had no idea what a “step-down unit” was, but it did sound less daunting than intensive care unit.
When she stepped out of the elevator, she found the nurses’ station with a cheery-looking woman working on charts. She asked for Scott’s room and was given directions to a nearby cubicle with a window. Drawing in a sharp breath, she immediately noticed that Scott had lost his healthy tan and seemed to have also dropped quite a few pounds.
His eyes were closed when she entered the cubicle, but when she got closer, they slowly opened. A hesitant smile spread across his face as he recognized her.
“Hey, Dixie.” His voice was just above a whisper.
She leaned down to place a kiss against his forehead. “Hey, big guy. You sure look out of place here.”
“Tell me about it.” His breath came in short gasps. “I want to go home.”
“Don’t blame you.” She pulled a chair closer and sat down. “Any idea when they’re going to release you?”
He sucked in a breath and expelled it. “Getting therapies…physical, occupational, and respiratory…guy got me in the lungs.” Apparently exhausted, he let his head fall back onto the pillow and closed his eyes.
Dixie’s own heart pulsed in her ears. “You saw the guy who shot you?”
His eyes snapped open. “Hard not to see him.”
“What did he look like? Did you recognize him? Where did he come from?”
Scott raised one hand in supplication. “Slow down…the guy was just there…out back.”
“What caused him to start shooting?”
His eyes closed again. “I was just looking…I went up some stairs…narrow metal stairs.”
“Yes! I know what you’re talking about. What did you find?”
“Nothing. I wanted to look…out the door up there, but…it was locked tight.” His breath sounds were starting to sound labored and a little raspy.
She patted his hand. “Just rest and I’ll tell you about the ranch. Ava is having such a good time getting to know Beau and the entire Garrett family.�
��
Scott’s expression morphed from exhaustion to annoyance.
“Did I tell you that Beau got her two of the cutest rabbits? Bertram and Anastasia. She just loves her bunnies.”
“Don’t make me gag.”
“Aw, don’t be grumpy, Scott. I’m truly happy, and so is Ava.” She shrugged. “The fact is that my dear mother lied to me about my father and about Beau and the Garretts.”
“Really?” His voice was heavy with sarcasm.
“Believe me. It took a lot to convince me, but I found my father’s letters. I cried buckets.” She pressed her lips together and drew in a breath. “I hurt him so deeply. I don’t know how I could have believed that he disowned me.”
Scott’s expression softened. “Sorry, babe.”
“And I caused Beau such pain. He had no idea why I disappeared.” She had to swallow hard to keep the tears at bay. “I have so many things to regret, but most of all I regret that Beau wasn’t with me for Ava’s birth. That he missed her first years.”
Scott reached out to her, enfolding her hand in his. “I can’t believe Mamie would do that to you…to all of us…but you seem to have it all figured out.”
“I’m just glad that I’m on the right track now.”
“Me too, but I’d rather you…live in Dallas.”
“I’m getting back to my roots. But getting back to the feed store…when you were in the shed and went upstairs, what happened next?”
“Nothing. I tell you… There were some young girls…up there. They didn’t speak any English.” He sucked in another raspy breath. “I think they were playing some kind of game…like hide and seek…”
Dixie frowned. “Hide and seek?”
He nodded vigorously. “When they saw me…two of them scrambled…behind some big bales of hay.”
“That makes sense. Then what happened?”
“I went back downstairs, and then this guy shot me.” He sighed and closed his eyes.
“What guy?” She stood and leaned over him. “Just tell me what he looked like. Give me a hint.”