A Child's Gift

by Linda Warren

  “If you change your mind...”

  “I’m not changing my mind,” Mr. McGregor assured him.

  “I don’t understand why you’re turning down the money.”

  “Jericho, I worked very hard to become a top-notch lawyer and I make good money. My parents were very frugal and spent only what they needed. A large chunk of money was sitting in savings and I shared half of that with my son. I don’t need the money from the property and I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I took it. I’m at peace with everything and I hope one day the McGregor property will be a working ranch again the way my father wanted.”

  “It will be,” Jericho said with confidence.

  “Please read the document closely. There are stipulations. The land can never be sold or divided, but there’s a fifty-year limit on that.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. I will never sell or divide the land. My plan is to make it a part of Rebel Ranch and it will still be a ranch long after I’m gone.”

  “My father would be pleased. He always admired the Rebels.”

  “So do I.”

  “There are other stipulations; I will send a truck for the antique bedroom suite in my dad’s room and the photos and some other things that my wife and son want. My son will take care of all of that before you take ownership.”

  “Sure. I’ll help him load everything or whatever he wants me to do. I’d be more than happy to help.”

  “Thanks for your offer, but my son will take care of it. He will only be in Horseshoe for the next week. He’s moving back to Dallas to join my law firm as I’m retiring to spend more time with my wife.”

  “I’ll be in his office first thing Monday morning and if you ever need anything, you just call me.” Rico gave him his cell number.

  “If my wife and I are ever in that area, we’ll stop by to see what you’ve done with the place.”

  “Anytime. I hope your wife continues to do well.”

  “Thank you, Jericho.”

  Rico felt he should say more and words failed him, but he forced himself to open up. He glanced at the document on his coffee table. A piece of paper that gave him more than he’d ever hoped for. “I don’t have the words to thank you for what you’ve done for me. I haven’t had a lot of good luck in life. In fact, I’ve had a lot of bad luck and this is just...an incredible gift. Thank you.”

  “Enjoy it, Jericho.”

  He clicked off and thought about all the good people that had come into his life lately. Things were turning around for him and...he glanced toward the ceiling and said a quiet, “Thank you.” Gratitude at the kindness of the Rebels and Mr. McGregor filled his heart. Every day he would strive to be the man they had made him and every day he would give thanks for the opportunity of becoming a part of their lives. He swallowed the tears in his throat. He couldn’t wait to share this with Ana.

  At the thought of her he jumped up. He was running late. He shaved and took a quick shower and put on his starched jeans, white shirt and good Stetson. They were really going to celebrate tonight.

  On the way to the front door, he stopped at Dusty’s room. He pushed the door open and walked in. His chest didn’t cave in and his breathing wasn’t labored. He’d finally let go. Wherever Dusty was, he hoped the little boy was happy. That’s what he really wanted for him.

  Now all he had to do was walk into a future that shined as bright as any stars he’d ever seen.

  * * *

  ANAMARIE HURRIED TO the bakery. This was a good day and the smile on her face showed just how important it was. Rico had finally let go of Dusty. That meant they had a future together. He still hadn’t said the magic words, but tonight he would. She knew Rico and all those feelings he had inside and how hard it was to say the words out loud.

  Customers were still in the bakery, buying kolaches for the weekend. She meandered around them speaking to several as she made her way to the kitchen. Margie was looking at the dinosaur stove with a frown.

  “The right burner just won’t turn on,” Margie said in frustration.

  Anamarie fiddled with it and gave up. “There are some old knobs in the storage room. I’ll see if one of them will work.” One of the knobs worked and they both were excited. “I’ve got to run,” Ana said. “I’ve got a date tonight and I want to look my best.”

  “Wear something tight!” Margie shouted after her.

  “Oh, please. I’ve already hooked him. I just need to reel him in.” Ana laughed as she went out the door. She hadn’t felt this good in a long time.

  She showered and did her hair and then found a black dress in her closet that she’d bought for funerals and church and didn’t fit her any more. After losing weight, she thought it might fit. It did, but it was sleeveless. And she wanted to wear black because Rico wanted her to. She rummaged in her closet and found the three-quarter-length black coat she rarely wore because it was never that cold in Texas. She grabbed it and went to the kitchen to make Mickey’s dinner.

  Hurrying back to the shop she realized she was early. Rachel’s SUV was at Angie’s. Anamarie went there to talk until it was time to meet Rico. Ana pulled off her coat and modeled her black dress. They said how great she looked and she never realized how wonderful that could feel. She wasn’t a vain person, but if they kept complimenting her, she might turn into one. When she told them that, they laughed.

  The laugh was punctuated by a loud scream from the bakery. They ran in and stopped short. Her mother lay on the floor clutching her chest. Margie knelt over her.

  “She just collapsed,” Margie cried.

  “My chest hurts and I can’t breathe.” Her mother gasped for air between each word.

  Angie and Ana fell down beside her. “I believe she’s having a heart attack,” Ana said. “Call 911.”

  “I’m calling.” Rachel had her phone in her hand.

  “Stay calm,” Anamarie said to her mother. “The ambulance will be here shortly.”

  But inside Ana was a quivering mass of anxiety and fear. She couldn’t lose her mother like this.

  * * *

  RICO SWERVED INTO the parking space next to Ana’s SUV and jumped out, eager to see her. The place was unlocked and the lights were on, but Ana wasn’t there. Maybe she stopped by the bakery? As he strolled to the building, two doors down, the cold north wind cut through his jeans and shirt. His jacket was in the truck and he wasn’t going back to get it. Right now he had to see Ana. That meant seeing Miss Doris, too, but in his present mood he could face the devil.

  He opened the glass door, stepped in and came to a complete stop at the sight in front of him. Miss Doris lay on the floor. Ana, Angie, Margie and Rachel knelt beside her. All of them were crying.

  “What’s happening?”

  “I think Mom’s having a heart attack,” Ana replied, tears streaming down her face. He noted she wore a black dress and heels. “We called an ambulance.”

  Without a second thought Rico knelt by the woman who hated him more than anyone. “How do you feel, Miss Doris?”

  “My chest hurts...and my arm and neck... I feel like I’m going to throw up...”

  “She is having a heart attack,” Rico announced. Seeing her distress he treated her as he would anyone else. “Does anyone have an aspirin?”

  “I do.” Angie jumped up and went into her office.

  “I’m going to help you sit up, Miss Doris, to take the weight off your heart.” He helped her into a sitting position and supported her back and neck. “Can you raise your legs?”

  Ana helped her with her legs and Angie was back with the aspirin and a glass of water.

  “Miss Doris, I want you to chew this aspirin before you swallow it. Chew it up good so it can get into your system quickly.”

  She did as Rico instructed.

  Rico looked at Ana. “Can you get her bra off? We need to get all restric
tions off her heart. We need to cut the waistband of her pants too.”

  Rico supported Miss Doris while Ana and Angie loosened her clothes. By then they could hear the wail of the ambulance.

  “I’m dying. I’m dying,” Miss Doris gasped. “Help...me.”

  “Stay calm,” Rico instructed.

  “The ambulance is on the way and you’re conscious and that’s good. You’re going to be fine. Just stay calm.”

  “Rico...”

  The ambulance backed up to the door and Wyatt and Bubba arrived. Two paramedics ran in and Rico told them what happened.

  “You probably saved her life,” one paramedic said as he checked Miss Doris’s vitals. “Let’s go. We have to get her to the ER now.”

  “Rico.” Ana flew into his arms. He stroked her hair and held her close.

  She wrapped her trembling arms around his waist.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Just a little shaky.”

  They watched as Miss Doris was loaded onto a gurney by the paramedics. She didn’t stir. She just lay there like a ghost of herself.

  “Go with your mother,” he told her. “I’ll meet you at the hospital. And try not to worry.”

  She kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” She climbed into the ambulance with Angie.

  As soon as the ambulance blared into the distance quietness settled over the bakery as onlookers tried to get a peek inside. Rico could hear his heart beating in his ears. He walked back into the kitchen area and took a long breath. All the good luck he’d had today could be washed away in a heartbeat if Miss Doris died. Ana would be devastated and so would he. He didn’t hate the woman. She was Ana’s mother and he respected that.

  But it cut deep to help a woman who thought he was vile and evil and not good enough for her daughter. His great-grandmother had taught him to never be afraid to turn the other cheek, to never be afraid to say you’re sorry, and to never be afraid to admit when you’re wrong. Was he wrong about Miss Doris? Could he forgive her for the things she’d said and for the way she’d treated him? The old Jericho would stand firm against her bigotry. But the new Jericho, the new soon-to-be Jericho Rebel, would be more forgiving. After all he’d been given by the Rebels and the McGregors he could do no less. For Ana and their future.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “LET’S GO OVER to my office and have a cup of coffee.”

  Wyatt’s voice startled him and he realized Wyatt was still in the bakery. “I have to go to the hospital to be with Anamarie.”

  “Take a deep breath,” Wyatt told him. “You need a minute, and I’d like to talk to you.”

  His insides felt like jelly and he realized he did need a moment.

  “Stuart will lock up the bakery.” Other than that nothing was said on their walk across the courthouse lawn to Wyatt’s office. Rico sank into a chair as Wyatt went to get coffee. This wasn’t how he’d planned this evening. He and Ana should be sitting in a nice restaurant staring into each other’s eyes. Instead they were both dealing with a lot of unexpected pain. He had this fear deep inside that his life was always going to be like this. But he had to hold on to the joy and not let the bad take him down as it had in the past.

  Wyatt handed him a cup of coffee just as Stuart came in. He and Wyatt talked for a minute.

  Rico rested his forearms on his thighs, staring into the dark coffee.

  “How did you know what to do?” Wyatt asked as he came back in.

  “From prison. An inmate on my block had a heart attack and I helped the nurse and then I later read up on it in the library.”

  “You probably saved Miss Doris’s life.”

  “It’s all kind of surreal right now.”

  Wyatt sat at his desk with a cup of coffee in his hand. “You have a lot of people in Horseshoe who care about you. I hope you know that.”

  Rico nodded. “Yeah.”

  Wyatt scooted forward in his chair. “There was nothing I could do about Dusty.”

  Rico looked at his friend. “I know that now and I guess it all turned out okay. It just took me a while to realize that Dusty wasn’t mine to keep.” Rico sat his cup on Wyatt’s desk. “I have to go to the hospital. Anamarie needs me.”

  Before he could get to his feet, Wyatt’s cell buzzed. He clicked on and talked for a minute and then laid his cell on the desk. “Miss Doris is going to be okay. She has to have heart surgery to put a stent in and she should be able to come home in a couple days.”

  “That’s a relief. I have to be there for Anamarie.”

  Rico let the stress of the day wash over him and he slowly relaxed for the first time in an hour.

  * * *

  ANAMARIE PACED OUTSIDE her mother’s room, waiting for Rico. He should be there any minute, but fifteen minutes later he still wasn’t. Something was wrong. She could feel it. They’d come so far. Why wasn’t he here? Was he going to hold a grudge against her mother for the things she’d said. He had every right to but... She needed her phone so she could call him, but it was in Angie’s office.

  Taking a deep breath, she ran her hands through her hair. She was a mess and she needed Rico to ease all the stress inside her. Peggy poked her head around the door of their mother’s room. “Mom wants to see you.”

  “Where’s Rico?” her mother asked as she entered. “I want to see him before I go into surgery.” Her mother was still very pale and she looked so fragile with her gray hair against the white pillows. But what stood out in her mind was she’d called Rico by his name for the first time.

  “He’s still in Horseshoe.” She really didn’t know where Rico was, but she didn’t want to worry her mother.

  Her mother started to cry and her dad who was sitting in a chair by the bed patted her hand. “I’ve been so wrong about him. He saved my life.”

  Patsy handed her mother a tissue.

  Their mother dabbed at her eyes and choked back sobs. “I’m a foolish old woman, but I would like to see him.”

  “I’ll tell him,” Anamarie said, but she had this sinking feeling that Rico wasn’t coming.

  To ease her frustrations she took Peggy’s phone and went out to the hall to call him. He answered immediately. “Peggy?” Confusion was evident in his voice.

  “No, it’s me. I’m using Peggy’s phone because mine is in Angie’s office in my coat pocket. Where are you?”

  “I’m in Wyatt’s office and I’ll be there soon as I can. Are you okay?”

  “I am now.” She’s worried for nothing, but fear was a tangible thing she couldn’t ignore considering the past.

  “How’s your mom?”

  “Better. She wants to see you.”

  “Why?” She could almost see the frown on his face.

  “To thank you for what you did today.”

  “Now that I’m looking forward to hearing.”

  “Just get here as soon as you can.”

  “I will.”

  Everything was going to be okay. She had just overreacted and soon they would put this horrible day behind them.

  * * *

  RICO WALKED TO his truck, which was parked at Ana’s shop, and got in. He took a moment to catch his breath and then he called Miss Kate to let her know what had happened. Rumors spread like poison ivy in a small town.

  Putting his phone in his pocket, he thought about Ana’s phone and decided to get it for her and take it with him. Angie’s door was unlocked and he went inside and found a black coat across a chair.

  Stuart appeared in the doorway between Angie’s office and the bakery. “Oh. I heard the door open and wondered who was coming in.”

  Rico held up the coat. “I’m just picking up Anamarie’s coat and phone and taking them to her.”

  “No problem. Thanks, Rico.”

  As he backed out of the parking spot, Wyatt came running across th
e courthouse lawn waving his arms. What now? He had to go. Frustrated, he pushed a button to roll down his window.

  “Come back to the office!” Wyatt shouted. “I have some disturbing news.”

  Rico drove to the sheriff’s office not even daring to wonder what had happened. Miss Doris had to be okay. That was his only thought.

  “What is it?” Rico asked, feeling edgy as he walked back into Wyatt’s office.

  Wyatt was on the phone talking. He stopped for a moment, putting his hand over the receiver, and said, “Dusty is missing.”

  The bottom fell out of his stomach. “Wh-what?”

  Wyatt wrote a number on a piece of paper and hung up. “You better sit for this.”

  Rico sat in the chair he had just vacated, hardly able to breathe.

  “Darlene Miller’s neighbor said that Dusty knocked on her door about six o’clock this afternoon and asked if she would call Rico and tell him to come get him.”

  “Wh-what?”

  “She told him to come in and that she would call you, but she called the police because she didn’t know who Rico was. Dusty must’ve heard her. He bolted before she could catch him. He left a penny on the table and an apple was missing. She said she often gave him food and he always wanted to pay her. She also said he only had on a dark long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, no coat, and he looked as if he’d been in the clothes for a few days.”

  “Damn, where’s Darlene Miller?” Anger clawed at his insides.

  “They don’t know just yet. They’re looking for her, too. Her apartment door was open and the police went in and looked around. That was Sergeant Cole Chisholm on the phone. He said the place was a mess—trash, dishes, clothes and beer cans everywhere. The electricity had been turned off and there was no food anywhere.”

  “So she left him alone in the apartment with no electricity or food. How long has he been in there?”