How to Rope a McCoy (Hell Yeah!) (38 page)

As
he poured himself his second Scotch, Heath watched his cousins drive up in a
caravan of black SUVs. The
Tebow
McCoys
had arrived. “Ten, tell Ryder to put on a pot of coffee and make sure the high
chairs are set up around the dining table.” He drained his glass and set it on
the table.

“I
wish this were under happier circumstances,” Christian observed from his wheelchair
positioned in front of the fireplace. Since the weather was warm, the only
thing glowing in the hearth was a candelabra of flameless candles Pepper had
set up. She insisted on keeping the home seasonally decorated. One didn’t have
to look at a calendar in the McCoy home, they just checked the nature of the
wreath over the hearth and the decorations on the tables.

Opening
the door, he had to smile at the sight before him. Aron led the way, as usual.
“The Calvary has arrived, cousin.”

“I’m
glad, we may need you.”

Both
Libby and Aron carried a baby and behind them, Jacob and Jessie came. Jacob led
a little boy who was all smiles.

“Hey,
buddy!” Heath knelt down to speak to the small dark haired child.

“Bowie,
shake hands with Mr. Heath.” Jessie instructed.

Dutifully,
the little boy extended his tiny hand and Heath enclosed it in his big one. For
a moment, he let himself imagine his own child looking up at him in wonder and
trust.

A
more somber Joseph and Cady brought up the rear. They were walking slowly,
Joseph supporting Cady with his arm around her waist. Heath got the impression
that her weakness was more emotional than physical. “I can’t believe you two
came.” He met Cady with a hug.

“I
wanted to,” she said. “If I have to leave for the hospital, I will.”

Joseph
shook his head. “Families stick together.”

Skye
and Noah were following along, carrying diaper bags for the ones who had gone
before. Seeing his cousin made Heath remember the photo. He needed to take care
of that soon, maybe after supper he’d be able to get Aron alone.

“Where’s
Zane?” Skye asked. “I brought some things from the office he requested.”

“Should
be here soon,” Heath greeted them, taking some of the things from their hands
and setting them on the hall table.

Isaac
and Avery brought up the rear. Heath suspected they’d been necking in the
vehicle. “When’s the honeymoon
gonna
be over?” he
asked good-naturedly.

“Never,”
Avery answered with complete assurance. “Is Cato here?”

Bam!
Right to the point.

Heath
let out a long breath, he’d already made this announcement once to his family,
he
would make it one more time. “No, she isn’t. We’re not
seeing each other anymore.” Earlier, he’d told Ryder that Cato was no different
from Amy. She’d informed him emphatically that he was crazy.  

Avery
looked shocked. “I’m so sorry. I’m sure she’s devastated. I’ll have to call
her.” She moved off toward Ryder and Pepper, who had joined the others and now
had a baby a piece on their hips.

“Be
prepared, Heath, women don’t let things like this go easily.”

“Oh,
Cato is the one that let it go,” Heath replied tersely.

“I’m
not talking about Cato, I’m talking about Cupid Central.” Isaac motioned toward
the women of the family.

Heath
just shook his head. He had to get out of here soon, he loved and appreciated
his family but he needed some air.    

When
they gathered in the living room, Jacob motioned him over to where he stood
near the windows. “Look, I called my foremen and we’re sending you two crews up
in the morning to help you get that refinery up and going again.”

Heath
smiled. “Unnecessary, but highly appreciated.”

“Have
the police and the insurance done their duty?”

“For
the most part. They ruled it was deliberate sabotage, but like with everything
else lately, whoever is doing this mess to us hides their tracks pretty well.”

“In
other words, they’re professionals.”

“Yes,
I know
Arness
is behind the explosion. It seems like
a stupid thing to do, blow up something you’re claiming belongs to you, but
Caesar is not playing with a full deck. He’s more interested in hurting us than
he is in profiting off of us. Revenge and jealousy are burning him up.”

“I
can’t believe he’s claiming the mineral rights. Skye said Zane plans on zeroing
in on
Arness’s
claim as soon Philip is cleared.”

Heath
dry-scrubbed his face. Philip was his priority. “You know, I’m concerned about
reclaiming our rights and getting the company straight, but I’d trade it all,
every dime, to keep Philip out of prison.”

“I
know you would.” Jacob laid a hand on his shoulder.

Heath
had to laugh. “You know, if anyone has a claim on Highlands and the oil beneath
it, it would be you and your family. I don’t know what arrangements Grandpa
Isaac had with his wife when they divorced, things were different back then,
but the fact remains that your daddy was as much his child as my daddy.”

Aron
joined them, he’d heard what Heath said. “We have
Tebow
,
you have the Highlands. I’d say things worked out like they were supposed to. You
won’t ever have any trouble with us.”

Heath
nodded his head. “I appreciate that.” No matter what Aron said, Heath had
already considered what he’d do if the mythical silver mine were to prove
reality. But that was still a big ‘if.’

The
evening wore on and they shared a meal, all crowded around the dining table.
Every leaf had to be added. Zane and Presley arrived in time for dessert and he
informed them they were prepared, that he felt good about the case. “I have two
more witnesses to call in the morning, and I think their testimony will seal
the deal.”

“Who?”
Philip asked.

“Cato
and her boss.”

Every
eye turned to look at Heath. “I hope they can help.” He left it at that.

Afterward,
they reminisced, shared stories and encouraged one another that the events of
the next few days would turn out for the best. Soon, everyone retired for the
evening but Heath and Philip.

“Everything’s
going to be okay.” Heath promised his brother and he prayed his words went from
his mouth straight to God’s ears.

“I
know.” Philip nodded. “I have faith.” He stood. “I think I’ll lie down.”

“All
right, I’m going to head out.”

“Where
are you going?”

Heath
knew Philip thought he might be going to see Cato. He wasn’t. Not that every
cell in his body wasn’t screaming for her—but it was over. “I’m going to
Jimmy’s. I’ll meet you at the courthouse in the morning.”

“Be
safe.”

“Don’t
worry.” He hugged Philip.

Both
knew that was easier said than done.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Unable
to sleep, Cato had gotten up early. She’d sent an email to Bernice, informing
her she had to go to court,
then
she returned to the
computer. She stared at one screen after another. As she’d lain in the bed the
night before with thoughts of Heath running through her mind, Cato become more
determined to find whatever it was she was missing. For hours, she tried
different keywords, different searches until something popped up and when it
did, Cato sat and stared. Instinctively, she reached for the phone, then she
drew back…

She’d
found it! The proof Heath needed to keep his company, his land and all of the
treasures that lay beneath it. For a second she let herself remember Cady’s
dream about the oil and her sitting around the table with the family,
celebrating. Oh well, at least part of the dream would come true. Again, she
reached for the phone. Heath would be happy to hear the news, but would he be
happy to hear from her?

No
matter, this was too important. Taking a deep breath, she placed the call. But
it kept going to voice-mail. Looking at the time display, she realized he was
probably already in the courtroom. So, she sent him a text, but it too went
unanswered.

Well,
what did she expect? He didn’t want to talk to her.

Still,
the family needed this information. She hit the Print button and went to get
dressed. She’d just go in to Austin early and try to catch one of the family at
the courthouse.

Mechanically,
Cato went through the motions of showering, dressing and making the half hour
commute. When she walked into the main hall at the courthouse, she looked
around for a familiar face. Finally, she saw one. Ryder sat on a bench near
some windows. She was holding one of Libby’s, either Colt or Jordan. The sight
did funny things to Cato. That the family had rallied together didn’t really
surprise her, but it brought home the fact that she didn’t have anyone and
would never be a part of this one.

“Hey.”
She walked up to where Ryder was cooing at the baby.

“Cato!”
she exclaimed. Standing up, she hugged her.

Cato
was relieved to be made welcome. “How are things?”

Ryder
shook her head. “Tense, I just had to walk around for a few minutes. Good thing
we have these little guys to distract us.” Patting the bench, she said, “Sit
down and tell me what happened with you and Heath.”

“A
lot.” Cato didn’t know what to say.

“I
want to hear your side of things because men have their heads stuck up their
asses.”

Cato
couldn’t help but laugh. “I like you, Ryder.”

“I
like you too. That’s why I want to fix this. You and Heath are perfect for each
other.”

“Heath
doesn’t think so.”

“Wait.”
Ryder held up her hand and the baby grabbed it, which made both of them giggle.
“That’s not what Heath told us. Explain.”

Cato
didn’t know the protocol. She probably shouldn’t share her and Heath’s private
business, but she needed someone to talk to. “When we landed at the airport
after returning from San Francisco, Jimmy was there. He was just kidding with
us, but he asked when we were getting married.”

Ryder
blew out a breath. “And Heath made some inane, stupid remark, didn’t he?”

“Yes,
he said that he had no plans to get married, that marriage wouldn’t make him
happy and that what we were doing didn’t mean anything.”

“Idiot,”
Ryder murmured. “You’ve got to realize that Heath has defense mechanisms, he
has said those words so many times that he says them automatically. I bet
everything I own that he didn’t mean them this time. What did he say to you?”

“He
didn’t know I heard or saw or whatever you want to call it.” Cato captured
Colt’s finger. Funny, she could tell them apart once she looked at his little
face. “They were having a private conversation, but I was standing near. Heath
didn’t think I was aware of what they said, but I could see their faces in the
tinted window of Jimmy’s car.”

“I’m
so sorry, but I’m sure he didn’t mean it. You need to talk to him.”

“That’s
not all.” Cato decided to just rip off the
band-aid
and tell the worst part. “I met Amy and she was horrid.”

Ryder
laughed. “That should come as no surprise.”

“She
attacked Heath, she defended
Arness
and she…she
questioned how Heath could stand to listen to me talk.”

“What?”

“Yes,
and Heath admitted that I embarrassed him.”

“He
did not!”

“Yes,
he did.”

“No,
I’m serious,” Ryder was adamant, clutching Colt so close that he began to cry.
“There was some misunderstanding, Cato. I know my brother. He doesn’t feel that
way about you and he would never, ever say anything like that.”

Cato
didn’t argue. She didn’t say anything else about the topic. Ryder hadn’t been
there. “Look, that’s not why I’m here.” Pulling a document from her purse, she
handed it to Heath’s sister. “I found this.”

Ryder
took it and began reading. It took her a few seconds to comprehend the
magnitude of the document. “This is our deed to the mineral rights.”

“Yes,
Dalton Smith had it. He’d been doing research on Highlands at some point. I
don’t know if it was for an oil company or if it had to do with the search for
the silver mine. I tried to call Heath this morning, but he doesn’t answer.”

“You
need to talk to them both, Heath especially. But they’re in court right now,
let’s see if we can get Presley, she’ll know what to do.” Ryder dialed Zane’s
partner and fiancée. “Hey, let me give you this number, she’s as smart as Zane
and a lot easier to get ahold of.”

Cato
took the number and entered it into her phone while Ryder informed Presley of
what had happened. In a few minutes, Presley joined them.

She
took the document in hand. “This is exactly what we needed. We’ll do a title
search and signature verification, plus we’ll check the volume and page numbers
of the recorded documents.”

Not
all of that was Greek to Cato, she understood there were ways to verify deeds.
“I’m glad I found it.”

“Found
what?” Zane’s partner Adam had joined them. Presley shared their find. “We’ve
got him, then.
Arness
won’t know what hit him.” Adam
celebrated. “But first, we need to wrap this trial up. Are you ready Cato?”

She
stood. “No, I’m not. But let’s do it.” She followed him off to prep her
testimony.

*  *  *

“What
I intend to prove, ladies and gentlemen, is that Philip McCoy is innocent of
these charges. He was framed. In fact, I’m going to prove that he was actually
the intended victim of the bullet that killed Dalton Smith. You see, all of
this was prompted by greed and revenge. A decade’s old feud between two
families and the hunt for a mythical lost silver mine has been dragged into the
light of day. Hang on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is
going to be a wild ride.”

Zane
was a natural born litigator. He had a flair for telling a story. Soon, he had
every member of the court hanging on his every word.

Heath
sat there and watched. He was still raw. Seeing the trial unfold as Zane called
witness after witness made him edgy. Easing back in his chair, he looked over
his right shoulder. Then he looked again.

Cato
was here. Fuck, he missed her. For a second their eyes met and he felt
invisible cords of longing tug at his heart. Then she broke their gaze and
looked down. Hell! Hell! Hell! He squirmed in his seat. Damn, he had to take a
walk.

Being
quiet, he made his way down the aisle, careful not to look at Cato. Right now,
he couldn’t deal with it. Ryder stopped him at the door, they stood just
outside so they could still hear the proceedings. “What?” he asked abruptly,
his manners were out to lunch.

“Have
you talked to Cato?”

“No,
and I’m not going to.”

“You
need to, there’s been a huge misunderstanding…”

The
bailiff’s voice sounded out. “We call Miss Cato Vincent to the stand.”

Ryder
and Heath looked at one another, then moved in together and took a seat.

Cato
arranged herself in the witness box, she shook with nerves.

Zane
approached her and gave her a reassuring smile. “Hello, Miss Vincent. Could you
tell us about your research on the lost Bowie silver mine?”

“Objection,”
the prosecutor spoke up. “Irrelevant.”

“Au
contraire,” Zane argued. “I’ll show the court that this silver mine is not only
relevant to this case but pivotal. You see, it was never about a love triangle
as the prosecutor has alleged. This mystery is firmly planted in the annals of
time and Miss Vincent knows as much or more about it than anyone.”

He
nodded for Cato to testify, and so she did. She answered question after
question and revealed all of the details about the history of the area, James
Bowie and the lost mine. While she spoke, you could have heard a pin drop.
Everyone was enthralled.

Cato
forgot her anxiety. She found her rhythm and shared her knowledge. Zane didn’t
ask her to repeat any answers and she couldn’t see Heath. He wasn’t sitting
where he’d been earlier. Apparently, he had left the courtroom. Maybe he
couldn’t stand to look at her. No mind, she focused on Zane, who summed up what
she’d said.

“So,
you’re telling me the lost mine may be real. Is it worth murdering for?
Possibly in some men’s eyes. Is it true that Dalton Smith was also looking for
this mine?”

“Yes,
I uncovered evidence on a thumb drive found at the scene which has been
verified as belonging to Mr. Smith. It clearly proves he was searching for the
mine.”

Zane
put a couple of documents into evidence that confirmed what Smith did for a living
and some affidavits about his previous dealings with others who were avid
treasure hunters. Addressing Cato once more, Zane continued, “So, you were
asked by the family to search through these documents for clues. Why?”

She
wasn’t sure what he was getting at. “I have some expertise in this area, as I
testified earlier. I work for the Texas Cultural Center and before that, I
worked for the same governmental agency in the state of Louisiana.”

“Can
you tell us anything specific you found in those documents which showed Mr.
Smith had sought out help to find the lost San Saba or Bowie mine or whatever
it’s called?”

“It’s
called both. One name refers to the suspected location, the other to the most
famous man who claimed to know its location.” She realized Zane was carefully
orchestrating the level of confidence the jury had in what she was saying. “But
yes, I uncovered an email where Dalton Smith pretended to be the defendant,
Philip McCoy, in order to gain access to information concerning Highland’s property
and the caves located there.” 

The
prosecutor vehemently protested. “We haven’t seen this evidence, Your Honor.”

When
questioned, Zane put the matter to rest. “They had access to the same
information, Your Honor, they just weren’t able to put two and two together
like we did.”

There
was movement in the courtroom. Cato wondered if her boss had been called to
testify. She needed to resign and remove her things from the office. This was
about to get ugly.

Zane
asked a few more questions, then he veered off in a new direction. “You also
were shot at on Highlands Property. Correct?”

“Yes,
shots were fired. Actually, I was grazed. I was riding next to Philip and
Heath. Philip could have been the target.”

“Exactly,
in fact, there was a great deal of resemblance between Smith and Philip McCoy.
They looked similar from a distance.” He smiled at the jury. “Both of them
tended to dress like Indiana Jones. In fact, we feel Dalton Smith was never the
target.” He put up pictures of both men. “I intend to establish reasonable
doubt and show that Dalton Smith was killed because the shooter thought he was
murdering Philip McCoy.”

Zane
said he had no further questions, now it was the prosecutor’s turn. He
questioned Cato brutally, making her repeat a lot of things she’d said. Then,
he went too far. “Isn’t it true that you’re dating one of the
McCoys
? How can we trust your testimony? It’s tainted.”

Cato
dug her fingernails into her palms, seeking calm. “I did see Heath McCoy
socially, but that’s over. We’re no longer dating. What I’ve told you is true
and I have extensive research and documents to back up everything I’ve said.”

When
he finished, Zane asked for a rebuttal. “What proof do you have that Smith had
any interest in the McCoy property, in particular?”

Cato
had no problem answering the question. “I have the email, a surveyor’s plat and
last night I found a copy of the original deed, the mineral rights deed that
proves the
McCoys
are the sole owners of the oil
beneath the ground or any silver in the mine.”

There
was murmuring in the crowd. The judge sounded his gavel. Heath sat up
straighter. “What the hell?” 

Ryder
grabbed his hand. “This is what I wanted you to hear.”

Cato
continued testifying. “Yes, last night I found the original deed that gave
Isaac McCoy ownership to all of the minerals rights on Highland property. Smith
was a
landman
, searching out property ownership was
his business. He had notes that unequivocally stated that when that ranch was
sold, first to R. D. Runnels and second to Al Hollings, the mineral rights did
not pass along with it.”

More
murmurs. Details of the dispute and what it could mean to the area economy if
Highlands Refinery was shut down had made the news. The judge banged his gavel.
“We’re not here to try that case.”