Home Again: Starting Over

by Becki Willis

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  The fire department wasn’t far behind. Once Cutter was certain all three women were safe and the danger was past, he teetered between amusement and aggravation.

  “I thought the doctor said to take it easy,” he scowled. “And Genny, what are you doing out of bed? The doctor said five days.”

  Madison answered for her friend. “She obviously can’t count.”

  “Obviously.” His frown slowly turned into a smirk as he read Genny’s pajama top. “I guess that’s a purr-fectly good explanation for why you’re out here, instead of recuperating like the doctor told you.”

  Genny crossed her arms over the thin top and lifted her chin. “I guess so.”

  He merely shook his head as he pushed past the women and made his way into the backyard. The ambulance was already on scene, loading an injured Myrna Lewis onto the gurney. They had called the fire department for lift assist.

  Brash had Lisa Redmond cuffed and seated in the back of the police cruiser. She kept glaring at the three women who waited impatiently in the front yard. Brash had given them instructions not to leave, not until he had taken their statements.

  “What is keeping that man?” Granny Bert grumbled.

  “I’m sure Myrna is ranting about something. Too bad the paramedics didn’t give her something to calm her down,” Madison said.

  “Aka, to shut her up,” Genny added with a grin. “Look, here they come now. And listen to her. Still cussing and carrying on.”

  “They should drop her, just for good measure,” Granny Bert suggested. “I don’t care if she was the one to get shot; we’re the ones who have suffered the most, having to listen to her mouth.”

  Brash broke away from the group as they headed toward the ambulance. He came toward the trio with a weary smile.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting. I’ll try to make this brief.”

  “Can’t we do this at home, Brash? Genny’s not even supposed to be out of bed.”

  “I know, sweetheart. But the fact is, she is out of bed, and right smack in the middle of a crime scene. But I promise, I’ll just take preliminary statements now and finish the rest at the house. Who wants to go first?”

  Granny Bert gave her rendition first. As expected, it came with a few embellishments and personal opinions. Maddy added more details and tried to keep to the facts. By the time it was Genny’s turn to talk, her throat was bothering her a great deal. She kept her version to the minimum.

  “What they said. Lisa Redmond is a nut, she shot Myrna, and tried to kill us all. Again.”

  Brash gave her a stern look. “You could offer a few more details.”

  Cutter had joined them by now and spoke up in Genny’s defense. “Come on, Brash, give her a break. Her throat hurts and she should be in bed. Can’t the details wait until this afternoon?”

  “Oh, all right,” Brash decided with a sigh, snapping his little notebook shut. “Go home, all of you go to bed, and I’ll be by in a few hours.”

  “Thanks, Brash,” Madison smiled.

  “Come on, Genny. I’ll walk you to the car. Granny Bert, need any help?” Cutter offered.

  “Are you kidding me, boy? That little episode in there did me good. Got the ole’ heart pumping and the blood zipping through my veins. I feel twenty years younger already.”

  The firefighter laughed as he put a supportive arm around Genny’s waist and pulled her along toward the car. “That’s good to know. By the way, I have a message for you from Sticker.”

  “Is that old coot still in town? I plumb forgot he was in for a visit,” she lied.

  “He said to tell you he wants a weather report, whatever that means.”

  Granny Bert paused in her step, staring thoughtfully over at the handsome young man. He looked so much like his grandfather. The grandfather she had once loved but had been too foolish to acknowledge. Her face clouded and her eyes flickered with distant memories.

  “You tell the old coot if he has a question, he should ask it in person,” she replied gruffly.

  Madison listened to the exchange from where she stood beside Brash. She wanted a moment alone with him before his duties whisked him away.

  “Thanks, Brash, for coming so quickly.”

  He groaned, putting a hand behind her neck as he stepped closer. “God, Maddy, you’ve got to stop doing this to me. I don’t know how many more times my heart can take it, knowing you’re in danger.”

  “Oddly enough, my life in Dallas was quite dull. Nothing like this ever happened to me there,” she murmured, fingering the badge on his shirt.

  “What are you saying? Are you thinking of going back?”

  “Of course not.” She looked at her best friend and grandmother, crawling into the Buick with the help of the attentive fireman. Thank God they were all safe. “My life is here now. With them.” She raised bright hazel eyes back to his. Her hand slipped from the badge and pressed against his chest. “With you.”

  Brash pressed his forehead against hers. “Maddy, I know this is hardly the time or place. And I don’t know if you even heard me that night at the hospital, the first time I said it. It’s been too crazy since then to discuss it, but there’s something I’ve got to say to you, sweetheart.”

  He pulled back, so that he could look her directly in the eyes. An ambulance sat behind them, its strobe lights throwing stripes of weak color across the lawn. Emergency personnel and policemen passed by them as they trekked back and forth from the crime scene and their vehicles, heedless to Myrna Lewis’ prized lawn. Nosy neighbors lined the sidewalk and leaned over the hedges Myrna was so proud of, trying to get a closer look. Her grandmother and best friend waited on her. Lisa sat just feet away in the cruiser, complaining about being hot and thirsty and the abuse she had suffered at the hands of Maddy and her ‘gang.’ And just before the paramedic slammed the door on the box, Myrna’s angry tirade floated from the depths, punctuated by words that could make a sailor blush.

  None of that mattered. He had to tell her.

  “I love you, Madison Reynolds.”

  She was a grown woman. A widow. A mother. A professional. Still, a goofy smile lit her face and her knees turned wobbly. “I thought I had imagined it before,” she whispered. “I thought I was dreaming.”

  “No, sweetheart. I told you that night. And I’m telling you again. I love you.”

  “That’s good. Because I just happen to love you, too, Brash deCordova.”

  Instead of a long, lingering kiss, they were interrupted by an irate Lisa Redmond. “What is this?” she squawked. “Misconduct! Misconduct unbecoming an officer of the law. I want my lawyer!” She drummed her feet against the floor of the cruiser, making as much noise as she could muster, given her restraints. “Let me out of here! I could have been poisoned by that witch, and you’re over there kissing her!”

  Brash’s sigh was heavy as he pulled away and leaned his forehead against Maddy’s once more. “Duty calls.”

  “I know. Come by when you can. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, sweetheart.” He gave her one last peck and stepped away.

  He was already speaking to Lisa as he walked to the cruiser, his knee protesting with a pop. “You can and will be charged with destruction of public property if you do any damage, Mrs. Redmond. Just so you know.”

  “Just so you know, I want my lawyer.”

  “You can call him from the jailhouse.”

  ***

  An officer was dispatched to Naomi State Bank, where he escorted Barry Redmond to the emergency room. The doctors believed that with the right antidote and a few days’ rest, the banker would suffer no lasting effects from the poison his wife had administered.

  Madison personally delivered the news of Lisa’s cruel and twisted mind to Carson Elliot. Despite Brash’s admonishment to go home and rest, she thought Carson deserved to know that while his friend had, in fact, died of alcohol poisoning, it was not of her own doing.

  When he wrote her a bonus check for f
our thousand dollars as promised, she balked and tried to return it.

  “I don’t feel right accepting this, Carson.”

  “I promised you a bonus if you proved her innocence.”

  “Yes, but…”

  “Madison, my dear, I had no idea that what I asked of you could be so dangerous. You and Genesis could have been killed. Twice. This check is the least I can do for putting your lives in danger.”

  “None of us had any way of knowing the outcome of this case.”

  “Still, I insist. Take the money.”

  “But…”

  “Take it.” He deftly changed the subject and effectively squelched her protests. “And tell me. Where is your delightful friend? I had hoped she would come with you.”

  “She is still confined to bed rest, even though she broke the rules and went with me to Myrna’s. But don’t worry. When I left, Cutter was standing guard at the door. He says she’s not getting out again.”

  A frown puckered the older gentleman’s forehead. “I have heard you mention this Cutter before. Is this Genesis’… brother?” he asked hopefully.

  “No, not brother. A friend.”

  “Close friend?”

  She understood what he was asking. With a kind smile, she dashed the gentleman’s hopes as gently as possible. “I think so. Perhaps closer than either of them is ready to admit just yet, but, yes. A close friend.”

  There was a grain of sincerity as he half-jested, “And what about you, Madison? Do you have a close friend?”

  This time, her smile was unabashedly wide. “As a matter of fact, I do. A boyfriend, in fact.” She hadn’t said those words in twenty years, since before she and Grayson married. A lifetime ago. She tried them again for good measure. “I have a boyfriend.”

  “Well, good for you, Madison dear. You deserve to be happy.”

  Madison cocked her head to one side as the words in his pleasant voice registered. “I do deserve to be happy, don’t I?” she murmured.

  “And you deserve that check. So please, take it with my blessing.” He stood, signifying that their meeting was over. His silver-frosted hair was down today, flowing behind him in the breeze. Madison knew it was not a word normally used to refer to his gender, but there was no denying this man’s beauty.

  “And please, remember me if you should ever wish to brush up on your dancing skills. For an upcoming wedding, perhaps?” He lifted his brows in speculation.

  “I don’t know about that,” Maddy laughed, “but I will definitely keep you in mind.” She thrust out her hand for a firm handshake. “Carson, it has been a pleasure. Thank you.”

  “It is I who is thankful. You have eased my mind and cleared my dear friend’s name and reputation. You have added a bit of dignity back to her tragic death. Goodbye, my new friend.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Back at the house, Cutter settled in on Granny Bert’s sofa. Genny was resting, Maddy was out on an errand, and the twins were still in school. With any luck, they hadn’t heard about the day’s events yet, but he wouldn’t count on it. The grapevine that connected The Sisters was a powerful and prolific thing.

  Even Granny Bert had disappeared into the kitchen, Sticker close on her heels. This left just him and the television.

  He flipped through the channels, knowing the polite thing to do was ignore the conversation taking place in the kitchen. But knowing and doing was not always the same thing.

  With a grin, Cutter turned down the volume.

  “You look good, Belle. Damn good for a woman your age.”

  Sticker took an uninvited seat at the kitchen table and grinned up at the woman towering over him.

  “Who invited you to come here, Sticker Montgomery?” she demanded, hands upon her hips.

  “Why, you did, Belle. You told my grandson I should ask my questions in person. So here I am. In person.”

  With a huff, she turned away to make coffee. He watched her move about the task with sure, quick moves. Even at eighty, she moved with grace and efficiency. It was more than he could say about his own battered body.

  When the coffee was done, and not until then, Granny Bert joined him at the table. She pushed a cup his way.

  “Might as well speak what’s on your mind,” she said.

  “I just want to visit with you, Belle. Get to know you again. It’s been a long time, you know.”

  “I know.”

  He blew on the dark brew to cool it down. “You broke my heart, Belle,” he finally acknowledged.

  Her snort was less than graceful. “Seems to me you got over it mighty quick. You were married within the year.”

  “You made it clear there was no future here with you. And back then, marrying the girl was the proper thing to do.”

  She arched a judgmental brow and sipped her coffee.

  “And you’re wrong, Belle. I never did get over you.”

  “I say you have five kids that would beg to differ.”

  “Loving my kids and loving their mommas are two different things, Bertha Hamilton. Two different things altogether.”

  “Tell me about your kids, Sticker.” It seemed a safer topic at the moment, safer than all this nonsense he spouted.

  “Well, you know Mary Alice. Don’t tell the others, but she’s the prettiest one of the lot. And the sweetest. Yes ma’am, Margie and Henry did a fine job raising up my daughter. And she married right, too. Tug Montgomery is a good man. A good provider. And they’ve made me right proud with all those young ’ns they had.” He sat back with a pleased expression upon his face. “Yes ma’am, my little Mary Alice did all right for herself.”

  “The others?”

  “Her sister Loretta, now she’s a different story. Margie and I had already split by the time she was born, so she never thought of me as her daddy. Truth is, I often wondered if I was. She’s the only one with dark hair and a sour attitude. But still, I sent just as much money for her as I did for Mary Alice. Even when Henry married their momma, I paid my share. But for Loretta, it was never enough. Especially when I made it to the big time. She’s always spouting off about back pay, wanting me to give her a part of the business. Truth is, she married herself a lazy no-good for a husband. It’s easier to ask me for my money than it is to ask him to get a job.”

  “I met her husband a time or two,” Granny Bert acknowledged. She agreed with his assessment of the man.

  After a few sips of coffee, he continued.

  “I had a few wild years,” Sticker acknowledged. “I was riding high on the standings. Didn’t seem to be a bull I couldn’t ride. And the ladies do love a cowboy,” he chuckled. “Those buckle bunnies were in every town, always eager to make me feel welcome. And I was running from a broken heart after you rejected me. I was just fool enough to try and drown the memories in a bottle of Jack Daniels and my ego. That’s how Jack came about. Truth is, I hardly remembered his momma at all. But the boy never held it against me. He came out on the circuit when he got old enough, trying to live up to his daddy’s name. When I started sliding in the standings and he still hadn’t made his way up them, he convinced me there was more money in raising stock than raising hell. Together, we started the Blazing P Brand. Now he manages the ranches in Colorado and Montana, and is president of the company.”

  “Sounds like a smart man.”

  “He is, he is. Must have got that from his momma.” He gave a wicked wink and added, “Whoever she was.”

  “Sticker Pierce, you should be ashamed of yourself!”

  He had the grace to hang his head. “I am, Belle. I didn’t always do the right thing. I wasn’t as good a man as Joe Cessna. I remember Joe, you know. He was a good bit older than me, but I always looked up to him. He was a good and decent guy, a real leader, even when we were kids. But I can tell you one thing, Belle. I loved you every bit as much as he did.”

  She fluttered her hand in the air. “You were telling me about your last two children.”

  “Wynona came along in Wyoming. Seemed a righ
t fitting name. I tried to be a husband to her momma, but as it turns out, she was a bigger hellcat than I was. We parted after a few years. But Wynona, now she’s a smart one, too. She heads up the western wear line.”

  Granny Bert got up to freshen their coffee.

  “And the baby?”

  Sticker gave her his signature charming smile. “Truly a baby. I have grandchildren older than Roper.”

  “This mother must have been quite a bit younger.” She was surprised to hear the dismay that seeped into her own voice.

  “That she was,” Sticker agreed. “After a couple more wives in a couple more states, I found me a pretty little thing in Oklahoma. Just as sweet as she could be, too. Before I knew it, she agreed to marry me and we had a baby on the way. I thought that marriage might last, but I reckon she finally grew up and realized I didn’t hang the stars, after all. She’s the only wife I still keep in touch with. I drop by to visit her and her new husband, every time I’m in Oklahoma. In fact, he and Roper manage my ranch there. So it all worked out for the best.”

  Something spiteful inside made Granny Bert speak out. “Except for the fact that, even with all those wives and all those kids, you still ended up alone.”

  He nodded without remorse. “Except for that.”

  A long silence settled between them, before he asked in a low, sad voice, “Why, Belle?”

  He didn’t have to say anything more. She knew what he was asking.

  “I was young and foolish, Sticker. I used a yardstick and a calendar to decide my future.”

  “Bull feathers, Belle. The girl I knew was strong enough not to pay attention to those things.”

  “Maybe I wasn’t as strong as you remember.”

  He studied her with cunning eyes, absently twirling the ends of his handlebar mustache. “I don’t think so. I kept up with you through the years, you know. You were mayor here for years. An elected county official. A daredevil. A role setter. You never backed down from a challenge. Except from one. Me.”