My guts go liquid for a hot second before shifting to ice. Not. Again. “Got a piece of paper proving that?”
“Everyone here knows what you did to my daughter, Alex Craig.” He pitches his voice loud enough that anyone in this county or the next could hear him.
“You mean, Alyss? The one who’s living in Charleston with her husband the doctor who wrote a letter to the judge who dismissed your trumped up charges? That daughter?”
He gapes like a catfish cleaning the bottom of a pond. Did he assume I wouldn’t know?
“Unless you have a piece of paper, signed by the judge, I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m not some green teenage boy caught with his pants down, Sheriff. Not this time.” If he’s going to call me out, I might as well finish painting the picture.
“Do they know you had to tie her up? That you can’t be with a woman unless you restrain her because no sane woman would want you. Pervert.”
“Well, Sheriff.” I tilt my hat back and scratch my hair before replacing it. “Being that gossip travels through this town like a twister on rails, I’m pretty sure they already know. But if by chance some of them missed it, now they do. And no, I’m not embarrassed by my love of ropes and all things ranching or my fascination with the Japanese artform of Shibari. As you well know. And being that these folks all came out here for Sunday dinner, to celebrate my homecoming with my family, I’d say most of them don’t care.” My mother is standing at my side. “They probably do still wonder why your wife left you so abruptly. And they’ll wonder later why you tried to arrest me on charges the judge already tossed out. Might even make them nervous to vote for you in the next election once they figure out you don’t follow the law.”
“I am the law.”
“No sir. You aren’t. You’re an angry little man who has made my life and that of my family’s miserable for far too long. Now unless you have a piece of paper you want to show me, I’ll say, ‘Good day, sir.’” If he pulls out a warrant, I’ll die right here. He goes to his car, opens the door, and leans in.
Fuck, he’s calling my bluff.
He pulls off his hat and places it on the passenger seat.
Is he leaving?
He stands back up and points his finger at me. “This ain’t over. One day, you’ll get what’s coming to you.”
“I’m sure the Lord will provide for you as well,” I respond.
My mother play slaps my arm. She’s not the only one that can drop a ‘bless your heart’ like burning oil from a castle fortification. Our group doesn’t move until the only thing that remains of the sheriff is the dust cloud on the road away from our ranch. After that, folks make their goodbyes as if nothing happened.
A few days later, I’m carrying my suitcase down the stairs.
“You sure you can’t stay a while longer, son?” My daddy’s question stings, because I hate disappointing him, and I’ve loved being here. My mother clinging to his arm and blinking up at me doesn’t help.
“I didn’t give them much notice when I left. Promised I’d be back to finish the resort in time for the grand opening. And since I’ve got a stake in it—” My shoulders rise as the finish of my explanation.
“Proud of you, son. Despite everything, you’re doing something with your life. Literally building something.” He claps my shoulder. “Proud of you.”
Someday we’ll have to have a discussion about the ranch, but not for several more years. Who knows, I might want to settle down here again. Or maybe the suburbs will have pushed so far out, the ranch will be a gated community. My parents will retire and finally see some of the world. I don’t know, but now I can come back anytime they need me.
“You’ll be here for Christmas, right?” Momma grips my forearm in her still strong hand. “Your sister’s coming with Ray and the kids.”
“Promise. Nothing could keep me away.” Except maybe one of those damn Texas ice storms. Hell, I’d rent a sled and get my ass here because I’m not disappointing them again. Ever.
When I finally get back to the Sunflower that night, the place is dark, but the front light turns on automatically when it detects my movement. One of the upgrades Blake and his team did before his accident. My key slides easily in the lock and I drag myself in. The trip back seemed to take twice as long as the trip to Dallas. A faint hint of lemon oil lingers in the air. There’s a single light on in the living room area.
“Stone.” I acknowledge the silent man in the chair.
“Alex. How’s the family?”
“Good. It was a good trip.”
“Any trouble with that Mad Dog sheriff?”
Not sure how Stone knows the sheriff’s nickname, but it’s Stone. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
“Glad you’re back. The final inspection is scheduled for next week. Gabe’s done an excellent job of filling in, but I’d like your eyes on it. We’ve got some buyers ready to close and Amy’s just about ready to put this place on the market. All depends on being able to move in.”
“Sure it won’t be a problem.” I have my one bedroom unit waiting for me. Living on site will make the next phases much easier. No commute. Guess I’ve committed to staying. Wasn’t completely sure until that moment. But as much as I love my family, I have a future here. One I’ve worked hard for. Earned all on my own.
