“Has she?” Tilting his head, Hal gave him a hard look. “It seems to me like you’re in a rush to convict her for something without any evidence that she’s done it.”
Frustrated, Travis dragged his hand through his hair. “Hal, she admitted to meeting with a guy from Wave Oil. And she talked to you about considering drilling. Tell me that she wasn’t for it.”
“She wasn’t for it,” Hal immediately responded. “In fact, she seemed neutral. She pointed out the truth that if I did allow drilling, I could pay my medical bills. And then she offered to pay them herself.”
Stunned, Travis stared. “She did?”
“Yes. Her mother apparently left her well-off. She doesn’t have a horse in this race, Travis.” Hal took a deep breath. “I made a will out long ago. When I die, everything goes to you, Travis. I have no plans to change that. Stop looking for excuses and let yourself recognize a good thing when you see it.”
Not sure what to think about this, Travis went to the fridge to get himself a bottled water. He couldn’t help but notice the large brownish-green shake sitting on the top shelf. “Do you want me to pour this out? That way you won’t have to explain to Vivian why you didn’t drink it.”
“Nah.” Hal pushed his empty plate away and drained the last of his milk. “She means well, you know. Give it here. I’ll try to choke some of it down now that I’ve got something in my stomach. If I can’t, then I’ll pour it out myself.”
“Sounds good.” Travis put the shake down on the table. “Speaking of Scarlett, where is she?”
“She said something about meeting Amber in town for the fair. You should know she seemed really upset last night.”
“Maybe I’ll just go into town myself and see if I can meet up with her,” Travis ventured, feeling cautiously optimistic.
“I think that’s a great idea.” Grinning, Hal motioned him to get going.
* * *
The fairgrounds were predictably crowded. Travis circled for a good twenty minutes before finding a parking spot. The weather was perfect, sunny with a cloudless sky and not too hot. Judging from the line of people waiting to buy tickets, this year’s Harvest Fair might very well break attendance records.
Once he’d made it through the gates, Travis headed toward the building where they held the baking competitions. Since Delilah always entered, he figured he’d stop by and support her and maybe he’d luck out and find Scarlett and Amber there as well.
But Delilah said they’d been by earlier and were out exploring. She kissed his cheek and told him she hoped he would do right by Scarlett. “She’s special.”
Not sure how to react to that, Travis eyed the older woman. “I could ask what you mean, but I suspect I already know.”
“Honey, everyone could see it but you. Plain as the nose in front of your face too. I think you’ve got some apologizing to do. If you’re lucky, she’ll forgive you.”
If he was lucky indeed. Thanking Delilah, he walked away. He tried Scarlett’s number, but the call rang and then went to voice mail. He left a message. The exact same thing happened when he called Amber. He figured they were either on one of the amusement park rides or someplace where the noise level made hearing the phone ring impossible.
Fine. He’d search them out on foot.
Two hours later, he was forced to admit defeat. Checking his phone, he saw he had no return calls. He’d been to the livestock barn, the sheepdog show, the amusement rides and carnival games, plus the huge exhibition hall where people sold everything from homemade bread to belt buckles.
He ate a corn dog and washed it down with a cold beer. After tossing his trash in the nearest bin, he’d turned and headed for the exit when his phone rang.
Scarlett.
Smiling, he answered. “Where are you? I’ve been all over the fairgrounds trying to find you.”
“I’m already home,” she said, the anguish in her voice wiping the smile from his face. “Hal had some kind of seizure again. I found him unresponsive. I called 911 and they’re transporting him to the hospital. I’m about to head that way too.”
“I’ll meet you there,” he said, ending the call and sprinting for his pickup.
Chapter 16
“I don’t get it,” Scarlett said, pacing back and forth in the ER waiting area. “He seemed to be doing so much better.”
“It’s weird,” Amber agreed, checking her watch. “Mom and Frank are on their way too. Will was spending the day with them, and they’re bringing him.” She drew a deep, shuddering breath. “I just hope everyone gets here before it’s too late.”
“Don’t even talk like that.” Scarlett ordered sharply. “He will pull through, just like he did last time he had a seizure.”
“I sure hope so.” But Amber didn’t sound too certain.
The front doors whooshed open and Travis came barreling through. He went straight to Scarlett and pulled her into his arms. She allowed herself to sag against him, trying to draw comfort from his strength.
“How is he?” Travis asked.
“Not good,” she admitted, reluctantly disengaging herself from his embrace.
“Can I see him?”
“No. No one can go back there now. They’re trying to save him.” She broke down as she said the words.
“Here’s Mom, Frank and Will,” Amber cautioned. Hurriedly, Scarlett wiped at her streaming eyes, not wanting Will to see how upset she felt.
Vivian rushed inside, Will trotting after her. A tall, thin man with gray hair followed at a more sedate pace.
“What happened?” Vivian demanded. “He seemed so much better.”
“I don’t know,” Scarlett answered. At least her voice wavered only slightly. “I got home from the fair and found him unconscious.”
“I saw him a couple of hours ago,” Travis interjected. “He was fine.”
Scarlett eyed the tall man who stood silently behind Vivian. Something about him seemed familiar.
Noticing her staring, Vivian made quick introductions. “Scarlett, this is Frank. Frank, Scarlett.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Frank said, holding out his hand. His elegant demeanor seemed at odds with his flinty gaze. “Though I’d rather it be under different circumstances.”
She swayed, hoping her expression gave away none of her mounting horror. Forcing herself to shake his hand, she stepped back until she bumped into Travis.
“Steady there,” Travis said, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
Nodding a bit too fast, she turned so that she faced him. Desperately trying to figure out a way to talk to him privately, she went with the most obvious one. “I think I need some fresh air.”
“Come on,” he replied, keeping one arm around her shoulders. “Y’all holler at us if you hear any news.”
“We will,” Amber promised, distracted by her son tugging at her and asking what was wrong with Grandpa.
Heart pounding, Scarlett attempted to breathe normally. Having Travis so close helped.
“It’s him,” she said, keeping her back to the ER window. “Frank. He’s the guy who attacked me in the bathroom at the ball.”
“Frank?” Travis squinted down at her. “Are you sure? He always makes a big deal out of being a pacifist.”
“Positive.” She shivered. “I could never forget that voice. And even though he had a mask on, he’s the same height and size. Frank’s the one who threatened me.”
Before Travis could respond, Amber stuck her head out the door. “Come back inside. The doctor wants to talk to us.”
Travis took her hand. “Come on.” They followed Amber to where the doctor waited.
“Please follow me into the family conference room,” the doctor said. Scarlett tensed. That meant bad news. She’d been through this before with her mother.
One of the aides offered to keep Will b
usy so they could talk. Amber agreed, her eyes full of tears. After the aide led Will away to get a snack from the vending machine, they all silently filed into the small room. A wooden table and eight chairs were the only furniture. A large box of tissues sat in the middle of the table.
“Have a seat,” the doctor said. “Mr. Gardner is in kidney failure. We’ve tested his electrolytes and found ethylene glycol—antifreeze or some other household poison. Over time, this will crystallize in the kidneys and can be fatal. We’ve begun treatment to help with this. He’s in the ICU now and it will be touch and go for a while. Any questions?”
They all looked at one other in stunned disbelief.
“Have you run this test before?” Vivian asked, her expression bewildered. “Because Hal has visited multiple hospitals and seen many doctors. No one has ever mentioned anything like this.”
“Mr. Gardner has never had this test before as it’s not part of routine blood work. We decided to try it just in case and we’re glad we did.”
His pager went off and he checked it, before looking back at Vivian. “It’s possible this is a recent development. I’ve got to go. I’ll leave you alone to discuss.” The doctor exited the room, closing the door behind him.
“Someone poisoned Hal?” Amber asked, sounding bewildered. “Who? And how?”
“You did it,” Frank said, pointing a shaky finger at Scarlett. “I imagine you couldn’t wait for your father to die so you could claim your inheritance.”
Scarlett stared back, letting her expression mirror her disbelief and fury. “Such blatant hate from the man who’d physically assaulted me is the last straw.”
“Physically assaulted?” Vivian looked from Scarlett to Frank and back again.
“Yes. At the ball. It was him.” Scarlett pushed to her feet, facing Frank down. “You’re the one who attacked me when I went to the restroom. I don’t know why, but I’m willing to bet you also tried to run me off the road and used fireworks to stampede the cattle.”
“But Frank wasn’t even at the ball,” Amber interjected.
“Oh, he was.” Crossing her arms, Vivian glared at her boyfriend. “He supposedly wasn’t feeling well, so he left. But he was there.”
“I recognized his voice,” Scarlett told the older woman. “He had a mask on, so I couldn’t see his face, but I’ll never forget the voice. And his build. He attacked me. I’m positive it was him.”
“You know what? I believe you.” Judging by the tight set of her mouth, Vivian was trying to tamp down her own shock and fury. “I don’t know why he would do such a thing, but I know you wouldn’t lie.”
“Thank you,” Scarlett said. “And I also think Frank was somehow poisoning Hal.”
Frank opened and closed his mouth. Before he could even attempt to respond, Vivian grimaced, eyeing him with fresh horror. “It was you,” she said, pointing at him with a shaking finger. “You poisoned him. Those shakes you made for Hal. You put antifreeze in them. What’d you do, double up the dose on the one I left him this morning?”
“That’s why Hal was feeling better,” Travis said. “He’d stopped drinking those smoothies. When I was there earlier, he had me give him that giant one that was in the fridge.”
“What if someone else had drank that?” Amber demanded to know. “What if you’d poisoned me or Will? Or Travis or Scarlett? What kind of monster are you?”
Scrambling from his chair, Frank lunged toward the door. Travis jumped him, grabbing his arm and spinning him back around. “Sit.” Travis ordered. “What my mother says makes sense. You poisoned Hal and tried to hurt Scarlett. Amber, call the police.”
“I’m already on it,” Amber replied, phone up against her ear.
“I demand an explanation.” Arms crossed, Vivian glared at her boyfriend. “What did Scarlett or Hal ever do to you?”
Staring back at her, his mouth working, at first it seemed as if he wouldn’t or couldn’t answer. Finally, he sighed and shook his head. “You just don’t understand. I didn’t do any of this for me. I did it for you.”
“That makes no sense.” Clearly, Vivian wasn’t buying that.
“Once Hal dies, the ranch will revert to you. You were his wife after all and he never remarried. Unless he changed his will to let his newfound daughter inherit it all. I wanted her to leave before he got the chance to do that.” Frank spread his hands, his tone conciliatory. “You and I would have married and let Wave Oil put as many drills as they liked. We’d use the money to travel. I know you’ve always wanted to see the world as much as I do. Paris. Rome. The Greek Islands. Just imagine it.”
Judging by Vivian’s repulsed expression, she had no plans to imagine any of what he described. “I hope you rot in hell for what you’ve done,” she cried. “How can you justify murdering someone just so you could travel? How could you?” She turned her tortured gaze to her son. “Plus, Hal changed his will years ago. The ranch will go to Travis when Hal passes.” Blinking back tears, she shook her head. “I can’t believe this.”
“The police are here,” Amber announced, holding up her phone. “I stayed on the phone with dispatch, just in case. I’m going to go get them.”
Frank thrashed about, trying to struggle, but Travis effortlessly kept him in place. Though they were of similar height, Travis easily outweighed the older man.
Amber returned, leading two uniform police officers. Travis quickly explained what was going on, including Frank’s admission of guilt. “Everyone witnessed it,” he said. “And in addition, Scarlett would like to file assault charges against him for attacking her at the ball. She’d already made a police report.”
“Is that true, Frank?” one of the cops asked.
“I want an attorney,” Frank replied. “I’m not saying another word until I speak with a lawyer.”
They read him his rights and then cuffed his hands behind him before leading him away. Once they’d gone, Vivian sank down into a chair and put her hands over her face. “This is all my fault,” she moaned. “I brought Hal those smoothies and encouraged him to drink them.”
“Mom, it’s not.” Amber squeezed her mother’s shoulder. “You didn’t know. You thought you were helping him.”
“She’s right,” Travis said. “Don’t beat yourself up about this. What we need to do now is focus on getting Hal well.”
“I wonder if they’ll let us see him.” Restless, Scarlett knew if she didn’t get out of the little room, she’d lose it. Bad things happened in these consultation rooms. She’d had her fill of those. Time to move on to good.
“I’m going to go ask the nurse,” she said, heading for the door. Everyone else filed out silently behind her, following her to the nurses’ station.
“One family member at a time can visit in the ICU,” the nurse said. “And we ask that you don’t stay very long. We need to focus on monitoring and healing. He’s in room four.”
“Understood,” Travis replied, when Scarlett found she couldn’t speak past the sudden lump in her throat. “Scarlett, you go first.”
Though she turned in the direction the nurse pointed, Scarlett stumbled. Travis took her hand, engulfing it with his much larger one. “Come on. I’ll go with you but I’ll wait outside the room.”
More grateful than she could express, she drew on his strength and made her way down the hallway. Though he had no way of knowing, her past memories mingled with the present, filling her with sorrow and apprehension. It hadn’t been very long since she’d found herself in a similar place in Georgia, walking toward the ICU to see her mother.
“Here we are.” Travis pointed to the room number. “I’d go with you if I could, but I don’t want to take a chance on us all getting thrown out for breaking the rules.”
Gazing up at him, she managed a smile, though she still gripped his hand. “Thank you,” she said. “It’s been a crazy day.”
And then she made
herself let go of the man who was rapidly becoming her lifeline and opened the door.
Inside, Hal lay with his eyes closed, attached to several beeping machines. She went closer, her heart aching, still trying to fathom how someone could have deliberately hurt this man.
Dropping into the hard plastic chair next to the bed, she leaned over and took his wrinkled hand. “I just found you, Dad. I refuse to let you leave me so soon.”
She could have sworn his eyelids fluttered, but when nothing else happened, she figured she’d imagined it. “Get well,” she ordered, planting a light kiss on his forehead. “I’ll let the rest of your fan club take a peek at you now.”
* * *
Though technically obeying the nurse’s request of one visitor at a time, Travis watched through the side window where the ICU nurse observed and made notes as Scarlett talked to an unconscious Hal. When she leaned over and kissed her father’s forehead, Travis’s eyes stung. He’d been wrong about so many things, and nearly let his own stupidity completely ruin any chance he had at happiness.
He could only hope it wasn’t too late.
Scarlett came out, wiping her eyes. “Your turn,” she said. “I’ll go get Vivian and Amber. I’m sure they’ll want to see him too.” She rushed off before he could comment.
In the hospital bed inside the room full of machines and screens and electronic sounds, Hal looked smaller somehow. And too damn vulnerable.
Throat aching, Travis approached his stepfather. While he’d known this day would eventually come, he wasn’t ready for it to be now.
There were a hundred things he’d never said. If he got the chance, he vowed to say them, no matter how difficult doing so might be.
Glancing behind him, he saw Scarlett had returned with Vivian and Amber. He slipped quietly out of the room and put his arms around his weeping mother. “It’s not your fault,” he reassured her. “You didn’t know.”
While he comforted Vivian, Scarlett took Will’s hand while Amber went into the room. A moment later, a nurse came along and shooed Amber out. “Just for a moment,” she said. “I need to check a few things.”
Texas Ranch Justice (HQR Romantic Suspense) Page 22