AlmostHome (12 page)

“You think Conner did it?” Haley asked.

Wyatt stifled a groan when she stepped onto the porch. When
she was standing beside him he put an arm around her shoulder and sighed. “I
don’t know, sweet pea. Offhand, I’d say he wouldn’t have it in him. He don’t
strike me as having the stones for that kind of savagery. And that’s what a
thing like that takes. Whoever done it, seems like they enjoyed it.”

Haley nodded. “I’m just grateful the kids didn’t find him.
They loved that hound as much as I did.”

“Been thankin’ the good lord for that, myself. Didn’t much
care for finding him but if it had been Ezzie—” Dooley shuddered.

“What do we tell the kids?” Haley asked.

Dooley scratched his stubble. “Can’t see my way around not
telling the truth. If somebody’s sending you a message—someone like your
Pa—like as not we got trouble brewing and the young’ns need to be on the
lookout.” He nodded, making up his mind. “Yup. I reckon we got to be honest so
they’ll pay attention to what’s going on around them.” He took off his battered
Stetson and smacked it on his thigh. “Danged if I know what the world’s coming
to if a body can club a sweet old dog like Snoop to death.” He settled his hat
on his head. “Come on up to the house. We’ll have some breakfast and talk to
the young’ns.”

More than anything in the world, Wyatt didn’t want to have
to see the looks in the children’s eyes when their daddy told them someone had
deliberately killed Snoop. Not that he didn’t think Dooley was right. He was…it
was just that the kids were so young and a thing like this set them on the path
to growing up too soon to suit him. Worse yet was the underlying threat to
Haley. Killing someone’s pet was personal and implied a level of viciousness
everyone at the One-Eyed Jack needed to take seriously. Especially Haley.

Ezzie and Carlita were crying, wrapped in their mother’s
arms. The older boys took on their father’s stern expression. Harlan
especially, having just started middle school, had seen with his own eyes just
how mean-spirited people could be if they took the notion.

“But why?” Ezzie asked, sniffling. “He was a good dog. He
never hurt nobody, not ever.”

Haley squatted in front of them, taking one of their hands
in each of hers.

“Sometimes bad things just happen, girls. There ain’t no
accounting for how some folks are gonna act. But old Snoop, he sure loved the
two of you.” She nodded at their trembling smiles. “He sure did. He loved
playing with you. I was always so busy, you know, so it made him real happy
that he had y’all to play with. That’s what’s important to remember when you
think about him. Remember the fun you had together and how much he loved you.
And one day, when we’re all feeling happier, we’ll call the wolfhound rescue
folks and get us another dog.”

The wobbly smiles reappeared. “Really? You’d want another
dog after Snoop?”

Haley shrugged. “Sure. Once we’re feeling better. I think
Snoop would want us to find another homeless animal to love. It’s where I got
him and he turned out to be a pretty good old dog, don’t you think?” Haley
smiled when the girls nodded. “Good. Now, do you think you could eat some of
that food you ma’s cooked up for us?”

The girls nodded, then Ezzie whispered loudly, “What’ll I do
when ma serves liver and onions for supper and Snoop ain’t there to eat it for
me?”

Haley laughed and gave the child a wink. “Well, we may have
to get a dog in here quicker than I thought.” She gave an exaggerated shudder.
“Liver and onions. Imagine that.”

* * * * *

Later that night, as she lay in bed with Wyatt’s arms around
her, Haley nodded to herself, her mind numb over what happened to her dog.

“I don’t understand that kind of meanness. It’d be different
if Snoop had been the kind of dog that raided the chicken coop or tried to bite
strangers but he wasn’t. He liked everybody. I’m scared, Wyatt.”

Wyatt squeezed her shoulder. “I agree and I got to tell you,
it’s got me rattled, honey. Seems like someone’s wanting to scare you. Any
ideas who could do something like this?” He was silent for a few minutes then
asked, “You think your brother could have done it?”

Haley shook her head. “No, I don’t. Conner don’t have that
kind of meanness in him. He can be spiteful and he’s damn sure lazy but he
ain’t wolverine mean. Whoever did that to Snoop…. But my Pa? He’d know men who
could do something like that without blinking an eye. I expect I should hire
some more help. You’re already wearing yourself to a nub running between my
place and yours. You can’t be here twenty-four hours a day and if there’s gonna
be trouble, I aim to see to it the Dooley kids are safe.”

He turned his head and kissed her temple. “I’ll make some
calls tomorrow.”

“Need more for ‘em to do, though.” She pressed a kiss to his
shoulder. “Wyatt?”

“Yeah?”

“A ranch should run some cattle, don’t you think? Seeing as
how I’m gonna hire more men. ‘Specially if I decide to train cutting horses
too.”

The resulting chuckle rumbled from deep in his chest. “I was
wondering when you might get around to that. I’ll have the hands cut your herd
out and run them over soon as you get more help.”

“I’ll pay fair market value.”

He kissed her temple again. “I’ll sell them to you for what
I gave for them but I get to keep the spring calves. Deal?”

“Deal. Is there a bull?”

Wyatt snorted. “No, there ain’t a bull. Jack used my bull.”

“Oh, okay.” She paused. “Is he a handsome bull? Because a
lady likes her bull to be handsome.” She ran her hand down his flat belly,
fingers raking through the tuft of hair at the base of his cock.

He shouted with laughter and rolled her onto her back. “Are
you comparing me to a bull?”

Haley opened her legs. “Well, you’re hung like one.” She
sighed when the head of his cock nudged her opening.

“And you like that, do you?”

“I’d like it more if you covered me like you meant it.”

“Got no condom handy, sweet pea.”

Haley drew his head down to her lips. “I know we was jokin’
around just now but…I need you Wyatt.”

“Ah, honey…” He entered her slowly. “We’re gonna have to get
you to that doctor soon and I need to get tested again, but so you know, I was
negative last time and I always used a condom.”

“Okay. Wyatt?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

* * * * *

The moment Wyatt’s truck pulled out, Haley gathered her
purse and keys. If Conner had anything to do with Snoop’s death, she’d know it
just by looking at him. He might fool other people but he’d never been able to
get past his big sister’s internal lie detector. Pulling the door shut behind
her, Haley bounded down the stairs, throwing up her hand in greeting to the few
hands Wyatt had sent over to keep an eye on the main ranch compound.

“Tell Dooley I got some errands to run and I’ll be back
later today,” she called, hopping behind the wheel of the ranch truck. She
slammed it in gear when she saw her foreman come around the side of the house
and sped away in a cloud of dust. Two hours later she was jouncing up the
rutted lane to the ramshackle ranch Conner called home.

A rusted-out Chevy pickup baked in the morning sun. Conner’s
truck was parked next to the barn. So Conner had company. If it was a woman,
she was in for a rude awakening. Literally. It was only eight in the morning
and Conner was not an early riser, neither were the barflies he brought home.
Haley smiled. Might as well start his day out right. She stomped across the
porch. The door bounced off the wall when she flung it open.

“What the fuck,” a male voice snarled.

“Who the hell are you?” she demanded, kicking the door shut.

“Who the fuck are you?” the man shot back. “Reckon you
should go first since you busted into my house.”

Haley’s lip curled. His house? “Last time I checked, I paid
the rent on this dump so I reckon that makes it my house.” Credit where credit
was due, he was a good-looking bastard. Tall and cut like a weightlifter, his
sleep-mussed hair was the color of a shiny sable pelt. But there was something
menacing about the man—something besides the baseball bat he held in his grip.
There was a hint of cruelty around his chiseled mouth, scowl lines on his brow,
and a split in his left earlobe where an earring had been torn out. She glanced
at his hands. Scarred knuckles. A brawler and probably meaner than a hot
skillet full of rattlesnakes. Still, he smiled and set the bat on the floor so
she figured he had to know who she was.

“You must be Conner’s sister. Haley, ain’t it?”

She gave him a terse nod. “And you would be?”

“Friend of Conner’s. Name’s Rafe.”

She turned and headed for Conner’s room. “Uh, you might not
wanna go in there, ma’am. He probably ain’t alone.”

She glared at the man over her shoulder. “Do I look like I
give a shit?”

Rafe, whoever he was, laughed. “No ma’am, you surely don’t.”

Haley turned the knob and kicked Conner’s door open. A woman
screeched and yanked the covers up over her breasts. At the same time, Conner
sat up and shouted, “What the fuck?”

“Get out,” Haley said, snatching up the woman’s clothes and
tossing them at her. “Rafe will give you a ride home, won’t you Rafe?”

Conner’s friend stood in the short hallway outside his room.
“Sure I will. Come on, sugarplum, get them clothes on and I’ll see ya home.”

She didn’t give her brother time to gather his wits. “Did
you kill my dog?”

Conner’s mouth dropped open. “Snoop’s dead? And you think I
did it? Damn Hales, I know I can be an asshole but I’d never hurt an animal.”

Haley glared at him. “You hurt my horses by leaving them in
filth and not feeding them. Why wouldn’t I think you’d hurt Snoop?”

Conner’s bottom lip jutted out, just like it always did when
Haley called him on his shit. But she knew by looking at him that he hadn’t
killed her dog.

“Will you go out to the front room ‘til I can get dressed?”
Conner pleaded. “And I swear, sis, I didn’t do nothing to your dog.”

“Fine,” Haley said, turning away. “I got to get back.”

“Wait!” Conner called to her. “We need to talk. It’s about
Pa.”

Haley stopped in her tracks. “Not interested.”

She heard the rasp of a zipper and then Conner was behind
her, nudging her into the kitchen. There was nothing Conner could say that she
hadn’t already heard a million times before. Pa’s pissed. He wants to see you.
He wants money. Same shit, different day and Haley was fed up.

“I’m not sending him any more money, Conner. I won’t go see
him and I don’t give a fart in the wind if he’s pissed. He can rot in jail for
all I care. He should rot in jail for what he done to us.”

“Will you just sit down and hear me out?” He went to the
fridge, grabbed a beer, twisted off the top, took a long gulp and belched. “He
knows our aunt died and left you some big ranch in Kimble County. He aims to
have it for himself.”

Haley snorted. “Not a chance in hell of that happening and
you can tell him I said so.”

Conner sat down beside her on the ratty couch. He traced a
tiny scar over her right eyebrow with his index finger.

“I remember the night he give you that,” Conner said, his
almost dreamlike. “He was coming after me. You stepped in front of me, told me
to run. I was five and you were eight. It was summer and we were on the road.”

“Yeah. So?” Haley said with a shrug.

“So he ain’t above doing worse and you know it.” He sighed
and took another long pull on his beer. “Hell, he sent that asshole, Rafe
Winslow, to live here so he could keep me in line.”

Haley closed her eyes, shoulders slumped. “Is he the one who
killed Snoop? Did he club my dog to death with an oak limb and leave him where
my ranch hand’s children could find him?”

“I don’t know, Hales,” Conner said. He looked her in the
eye, something he never did when he was lying. But he looked scared. “I can’t
say he did or didn’t but I wouldn’t put it past him.” He reached out and
touched her knee. “Please, Haley, just pay the old man off when he gets out so
he’ll leave us both alone.”

Haley stood slowly. Poor Conner. He actually believed a
single payoff would get the old man out of their hair forever.

“You don’t get it, Conner. He’ll never leave us alone. Not
ever. Not ‘til he’s rotting in the grave. But I’m done with him, you hear me?
He can make all the threats he wants but I won’t give him nothing. You tell him
that and you tell him I said he can go to hell for all I care.”

Chapter Nine

Life moved on, the hours taken up with the daily routine of
ranch life, but the pall cast over the ranch with Snoop’s death weighed heavily
on everyone. Wyatt came and went as usual and their relationship was settling
into a pleasant routine they both knew would eventually result in the merging
of the two properties. Fat cows once more dotted the One-Eyed Jack’s pastures.
Dooley taught Haley how to use the tractor and she planted a huge vegetable
garden, working in it on a daily basis with Maria and the wives of the other
ranch hands. But there was a heaviness in the air, a sense of anticipation, of
dread. The place was an armed camp, the ranch hands going around with rifles in
their trucks, pistols attached to their belts. Wyatt and Dooley had cleaned out
the apartment over the roadhouse, and Maria had moved in with the children. All
of a sudden, the laughter was gone from her life, replaced by a sense of some
looming disaster. And still, nothing happened.

Haley left the day to day running of the ranch to Dooley and
concentrated on training her horses, spending countless hours with the new colt
and working to condition Geronimo for the upcoming rodeo. Already, she had
several customers—parents wanting her to teach their daughters to barrel race.
She was disappointed that she had to turn down the parents’ requests for
lessons. It would have been fun to have a bunch of kids running around the
ranch but she couldn’t take the chance that innocent children would be around
when the other shoe dropped. So she focused on conditioning her stallion and on
racers wanting Geronimo to stand stud for their mares and waited. By the time
the rodeo came to Austin, Geronimo was ready to race and the Dooley children
were jumping out of their skin in anticipation of watching Haley in action.

When the day finally arrived, Haley loaded Geronimo into
Wyatt’s trailer and climbed onto the passenger seat beside him. She thanked her
lucky stars he was driving because it had been some time since she’d raced and
she was nervous. The Dooleys loaded their brood into the ranch pickup and they
were off to the rodeo.

“Nervous?” Wyatt asked, maneuvering the truck and trailer
into the participants’ parking area.

“A little. I haven’t raced in a while.” He parked and walked
around to open her door.

“You’ll do fine, both of you. You and that stallion are like
two sides of the same coin. I’ve never seen a better racer.”

Haley’s cheeks flushed with pleasure. It surprised her that
she was still blushing at his compliments after all these months.

“Thank you. But I’ll bet there a lot of younger riders out
there better than me. I mean, I’m twenty-five now.”

Wyatt raised his eyebrows and let go a low whistle. “That
old? Then I must be ancient, pushing thirty-three like I am.”

Haley rolled her eyes. “You’ll do for an old fart.”

Wyatt gave her a menacing scowl. “I’ll show you old, woman,”
he growled, pulling her into his arms. His kiss was hard, deep and demanding
and she responded in kind, wrapping her arms and legs around him, pulling him
closer.

They stopped mid-kiss when a voice behind them sighed in
exasperation. “Pa, they’re at it again.”

Haley’s cheeks heated like fire while Wyatt belted out a
merry laugh. “Yes, Miss Ezzie, we are. And when you get older and fall in love,
you’ll be singing a different tune.”

Haley stared at him, open-mouthed. Had he just said what she
thought he’d said? He turned and saw her stunned expression.

“What? You’re surprised I love you?”

Haley blinked. “Well, you never mentioned it.”

Wyatt chuckled. “It don’t take a genius to spot a goat in a
flock of sheep, sweet pea. Figured you knew.”

Haley cocked an eyebrow. “You’re familiar with that old
saying about assuming?”

Wyatt chuckled and reached into his shirt pocket. “I was
gonna wait ‘til later but…” He pulled out a ring. “It’s one of those chocolate
diamonds. Kind of matches your eyes.” He paused for a moment. “I love you,
Haley. I know your life’s been hard and I know trust doesn’t come easy to you.
But I swear, you can trust me to love you for the rest of our lives. For better
or worse, I’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with you. I’ll give you all the love
you can handle and more…babies and dogs and whatever you want.” He held up the
ring. “Will you wear it? Will you marry me?”

Haley burst into tears and hurled herself into his arms.
Never in a million years had she ever let herself dream she’d find someone like
Wyatt. This new life she’d been given was more than any woman had the right to
expect and, despite the threat of her daddy hanging over their heads, she
thought she was the luckiest woman on the face of the earth. “Yes, I’ll wear it
and yes, I’ll marry you.”

“Hot damn!” Dooley crowed, when Wyatt lifted her of her feet
and kissed her.

“Pa,” Ezzie moaned. “Ain’t they ever gonna get tired of
kissing?”

* * * * *

Haley took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. This was the
final race of the day and Geronimo was warmed up, ready to go. She’d been
walking him in circles near the gate, getting closer each time, reins held
loosely in one hand so he wouldn’t push for the gate until she took the reins
in both hands. The previous rider finished her run and Haley was finally up.

Guiding Geronimo to the start line, she focused on the first
barrel. At the signal, Geronimo’s muscles bunched. Horse and rider shot
forward. Exerting just the slightest pressure on the inside rein, she leaned
into the left lead, guiding Geronimo into a tight turn. At the next barrel,
they approached from the right. As the horse executed another flawless turn,
Haley knew their timing was perfect. Seconds ahead of the other riders. Going
last was nerve-racking but at least she knew the times she had to beat and
Geronimo did so handily. As they finished the last of the cloverleaf pattern,
Geronimo poured on the speed, exiting the gate in record time.

“Good boy,” Haley praised, stroking the animal’s neck. When
the announcer called out her time, the audience whooped and so did Haley.
Urging Geronimo back into the arena, she took a victory lap. She spotted Conner
in the crowd as she walked the stallion back to the trailer. Great, just what
she needed on what was unquestionably the best day of her life. Of course, he’d
show up. She’d won a hefty purse. Not that she had to worry about that sort of
thing anymore, what with royalties from the gas wells.

Wyatt was waiting for her. With a huge grin, he lifted her
off her feet and spun her around.

“Knew you could do it, sweet pea. Never doubted you for a
minute.”

Removing Geronimo’s tack, Haley slipped a halter over his
head and attached a lead line. Wyatt walked beside her as the horse cooled down
after a day of strenuous races. When they returned to the trailer, the Dooleys
were waiting for her, but they weren’t alone.

“Hey, Haley,” Conner Kilpatrick said. There was a slight
flush to his cheeks and his gaze glanced off hers before focusing on his feet,
one of which was stubbing out a cigarette.

“You ain’t allowed to smoke back here, Conner.” She closed
her eyes for a moment. She hadn’t meant to snap at him but she was still so
aggravated by his neglectful behavior with her horses that it was all she could
do to keep a civil tongue in her head. “What’re you doing here?”

Conner cleared his throat. “Come to watch my big sister
ride. Like always. Wasn’t sure you’d be racing ‘til I seen your name on the
program.” He gestured to his companion. “You remember Rafe Winslow.”

She remembered him all right, with his split earlobe and
scarred knuckles. The man nodded to her. Haley gave him a terse “Hello,” then
turned a raised eyebrow at her brother. “Figured you’d help yourself to the
prize money, did ya?”

“No!” His gaze bounced from her to Wyatt and back to her
again. “Pa said I should but I told him it wouldn’t do no good. I went on ahead
and give him what you left me when you took the horses.”

At his pleading look, Haley sighed and nodded. “You okay?
You’re skinny as a fence post.”

Conner shrugged. “Ain’t much work to be had hereabouts so I
ain’t been eating regular.”

Haley glanced at a tight-lipped Wyatt. He shrugged, leaving
the decision as to what to do about her brother up to her.

“I’ll wipe Geronimo down and trailer him.” He dropped a
quick kiss on her cheek and led the stallion to the opposite side of the
trailer.

Now that they were engaged, Haley knew Wyatt would have
something to say about the situation with her brother, but angry as she was she
couldn’t bring herself to let Conner go hungry. She jerked her head toward the
truck and Conner followed. Reaching behind the seat, she extracted her purse
and thumbed open her wallet.

“This is all the cash I got.” She handed him several bills.
“You still living on that patch of dirt?”

“Yeah. I need to get away from there, though, before Rafe
does something to bring the law down on us. He’s bad news, Hales, and I don’t
like the way he talks about you.” He folded the bills and stuffed them in his
front pocket, barely able to look at her.

“What’s he say?” Conner shook his head, refusing to answer.
What was this? Conner feeling protective of her, embarrassed to take money from
her? “Okay. I’ll send you a check to tide you over ‘til you can find work.” She
searched her brother’s face and saw real fear there. “You scared of him,
Conner? You reckon he’s dangerous?”

“He’s a friend of Pa’s. Yeah, I reckon he’s dangerous.”
Conner cleared his throat. “I don’t suppose you got any work?”

Haley blew out a breath. So that’s what he wanted. “I don’t
know. I’ll have to talk to Dooley and see what he says. And I’ll have to
discuss it with Wyatt.”

Conner’s head shot up, eyebrows raised. “What’s he got to do
with it?”

Haley held up her left hand, turning it so Conner could see
the ring. “Because we’re getting hitched. Figure that gives him a say in the
goings-on at the One-Eyed Jack.”

“Pa ain’t gonna like that one little bit.” Then he smiled.
“You love him, Hales?”

Haley’s throat tightened. “Yeah, I do and I don’t give a
hoot what Pa thinks.”

“He’s good to ya? You’re happy?”

“He’s real good to me. And yes, I’m happy. He’s a good man,
Conner.”

He pulled her into an awkward hug. “Then I’m happy for ya, I
guess.” He let her go, searching her eyes. “That ever changes, you let me know,
ya hear?”

Tears stung the backs of her eyes. Conner feeling protective
of her was a new sensation.

“Count on it.” She was about to say more when Ezzie piped
up.

“You ain’t gonna kiss on him too, are ya?”

Haley choked on a laugh. “No, silly, he’s my brother.” She
turned to Conner and his companion. “This is Ezzie Dooley.” She nodded to
Dooley and the rest of the family, introducing each one. “This here is my
brother, Conner, and his friend Rafe.”

Dooley accepted Conner’s outstretched hand but the set of
his mouth said he did so reluctantly.

“This the one that starved them horses and let them stand in
their own filth?”

Haley nodded. “That would be him. But Conner’s trying to
turn over a new leaf. Ain’t that right, little brother?”

Conner’s face was beet-red, his eyes narrowed with anger but
he kept a civil tongue in his head.

“Yeah, I’m working on it.”

“Glad to hear it,” Dooley said, then he lifted his head as
the announcer spoke. “Better get a move on, girl. They’re fixing to award the
prize money. We’ll meet you at Casa Miguel for supper.”

Haley grinned. Wyatt had remembered that Casa Miguel’s was
her favorite restaurant in the Austin area.

“Man, I can taste that enchilada soup already.” She turned
back to her brother, gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, then whispered,
“Watch for the mail.”

* * * * *

“You got nothing to say?”

Wyatt gave Haley a sideways glance. “About?” He stifled a
chuckle at her derisive snort. “You mean about your brother.”

“Give the man a cigar.”

Wyatt didn’t speak right away, busy forming his response in
his head before letting the words out of his mouth.

“He’s your brother, sweet pea. I know you love him. I figure
I got no say in the matter.”

Haley gave a shout of laughter. “Bullshit. I seen the look
on your face. Best you go on and spit it out. We’re getting married so I figure
you got a stake in this too.”

Well, at least she was willing to think about his feelings
and that was considerable progress for a woman determined to do things her way.
And she was right. As her future husband, he did have a stake in how she dealt
with her family. Conner Kilpatrick was a lazy, good-for-nothing who had lived
off his sister’s hard work most of his life. There was nothing about the man to
respect and even less to trust. Whatever Haley ultimately decided to do about
her brother, Conner bore watching. At least if he came to work at the One-Eyed
Jack, that task would be a mite easier. Still, he couldn’t help but think Haley
would be better off if she cut her brother out of her life altogether. His mind
said proceed with caution, but he thought he might as well give it a try.

“I just don’t want to see him take advantage of you. Him or
your pa.” She squeezed his thigh gently, encouraging him to continue. “They’ve
hurt you, darlin’.”

“And you’d like to see to it they don’t keep on hurting me.”

He smiled. “Give the lady a cigar.”

She snorted again. “He says he’s been looking for work but
there ain’t much out there.”

Wyatt turned on the blinker and cautiously merged into
traffic, ever mindful of the trailer and the valuable cargo it held. He shrugged.

“Maybe he has, maybe he hasn’t. Reckon I could make some
calls and see if he’s made the rounds at any of the ranches around Austin.” Out
of the corner of his eye, he watched her shoulders sag. Bless her heart, she
wanted to believe everything her brother told her. If Wyatt checked and found
out the boy hadn’t been looking for work… “Did he ask you for a job?”