Winning Texas (29 page)

“
Let
’
s not fight about who got hurt the most,
”
she said.
“
You know why I left.
”

“
The point is that I
’
m making a fresh start, and you should, too,
”
he said.

“
What am I supposed to do, Jake? I haven
’
t even seen you for three years.
”
Her voice rose and she could feel herself beginning to get emotional. She saw that Jake knew it and wanted to defuse a difficult conversation.

“
Let me find you that Diet Coke,
”
he said, exiting the conference room.
“
Sorry, I guess I
’
m moving too fast. I
’
ll be right back.
”

Annie got up restlessly, smoothed her jacket and tried to calm herself. She scanned the pictures on his desk and managed to study the silver-framed photograph of the little boy without crying. It was obviously Jake
’
s son, a serious-looking child with blue eyes and dark curly hair. If they
’
d had a son, would he have looked like this? There were several other framed pictures of all three children, but none of his wife.

She slipped back into the conference room before he returned with a large plastic bottle of Diet Coke. He got two glasses and poured the beverage. She smiled and he toasted her with his half-filled glass.

“
To you, Annie. Whatever finally brought you here is a good thing.
”

“
Tell me about your colleague, Sam Wurzbach,
”
she said.

“
He
’
s a great guy who
’
s made a pile of money with his German bakeries,
”
Jake said.
“
They
’
re all over the Hill Country. The pastries are unbelievable.
”

“
What do you think of his German-Texas plan?
”

“
I think he
’
s a little hyped about the subject, but I
’
ve been waiting to see where he takes it,
”
Jake said.
“
So far, I think it
’
s a pretty decent proposal.
”

“
Do you really think so?
”
Annie said.
“
I thought you
’
d decided after the secessionist debacle that any kind of separatist movement was bad.
”

“
I
’
m not sure that giving streets German names and teaching more German in the schools is a bad thing in the Hill Country,
”
he said.
“
Calling a bunch of underdeveloped counties German Texas might be a creative way to promote growth and tourism.
”

“
Do you really think that
’
s all he wants?
”
Annie said.
“
I
’
m not sure I believe that.
”

“
I don
’
t know, Annie,
”
he said.
“
I haven
’
t had time to check it out thoroughly, but Sam
’
s a key legislative ally and a great friend.
”

“
Are you part of this crazy scheme?
”
Annie asked.
“
Be straight with me.
”

“
I
’
m leaning toward it,
”
Jake said.
“
What
’
s gotten into you? Why are you so suspicious and angry?
”

She told him about Kyle Krause, his support of the German-Texas movement and the death of Nate Hardin at his club. Jake of course had read stories about Nate
’
s murder.

“
I
’
ve only met Kyle Krause once or twice. I would agree that there
’
s something strange about him,
”
Jake said.
“
But do you really think he killed your reporter?
”

“
I don
’
t know what I think,
”
Annie said.
“
He certainly didn
’
t like the attention the
Times
was giving him.
”

“
I get regular reports on the secessionist movement from the Texas Rangers,
”
Jake said.
“
The last one said Dan Riggins might be border-hopping in Texas, near the ranch of your old boyfriend Tom Marr.
”

“
I don
’
t think Tom
’
s in touch with him,
”
Annie said.
“
He told me he was finished with the secessionists.
”

“
The plot thickens,
”
Jake said, looking at her flushed face.
“
Are you seeing Marfa
’
s lonesomest cowboy again?
”

“
We
’
ve talked on the phone a few times,
”
said Annie.
“
That
’
s all.
”

He frowned, looked at his watch and back at her. She could see he was wondering about Marr and miffed that they were in contact.

“
I
’
ve promised to go to Sam
’
s German-Texas fundraiser near San Antonio tonight,
”
he said.
“
Come with me. It will give you a chance to see what this group is all about. And we need more time to talk.
”

“
Sure,
”
she said.
“
I
’
d love to meet some German Texans.
”

CHAPTER 31

There was something about being in Jake
’
s old black BMW that brought back the sharpest memories. The car smelled like Jake, a hint of lemony aftershave and something she couldn
’
t define. Every person exuded his or her faint aroma if you got close. His took her back to their passionate nights together. The interior of his car as usual looked clean and mostly uncluttered, though the booster seat in the back and a few toys beside it were new. After he
’
d deposited her in the passenger seat and carefully closed the door, making sure her jacket wasn
’
t caught in it, he got in and put in a Coldplay CD she hadn
’
t heard since the last time they were together.

He drove as fast as the late-afternoon traffic would allow, heading from Austin to Grey Forest, a small town northwest of San Antonio known for its single but substantial landmark, the Grey Moss Inn. Annie hadn
’
t been there before, but she
’
d always heard about the restaurant and knew that it had the reputation of being impossibly romantic. That wouldn
’
t be the case tonight. The German-Texas Society had rented the whole place for a large party.

“
I heard there
’
ll be a good band, with dancing,
”
Jake smiled.

“
You know I
’
m not much of a dancer,
”
Annie said.

“
Annie, you
’
re crazy. Those long, sexy legs were made to dance.
”

She laughed out loud, feeling lighthearted and a little reckless. The sadness she
’
d felt earlier had evaporated and what remained was the charged-up awareness of his body. She remembered the ten-hour trip they
’
d made from Marfa to Houston long ago, when he
’
d renounced the secessionist movement and barged in to take her away from Tom Marr
’
s ranch. That tempered her giddiness somewhat as she wondered if Marr was in touch with Riggins, the state
’
s most sought-after fugitive, as Jake had implied. She didn
’
t really think Tom was lying about forsaking the secessionist movement, but a shred of doubt remained. She
’
d question him about it the next time he called. She couldn
’
t think about that right now.

They got to the town of Grey Fox in less than two hours, slowed down for its notorious 30-mile speed limit that trapped unwary drivers and soon spotted the secluded grounds of the inn.

They got out of the car, enjoying the rural view. Across the parking lot, in an adjoining pasture, she saw some whitetail deer and a group of smaller animals.

“
Are those wild turkeys?
”

“
Yeah. Cute, aren
’
t they?
”
Jake said.

She
’
d always been tickled that he enjoyed animals, especially her cats, as much as she did. It was one of the things about him she found most endearing.

A canopy of huge oaks and a stone wall encircled the inn. The wall was only a couple of feet high, but it still gave the place the air of an ancient fortress. Annie could see that the long, low building and its spacious patio in back were lit up with hundreds of twinkling lights. She and Jake walked through the restaurant, enjoying the buzzing ambience of people anticipating a festive evening. Well-dressed couples stood in clumps or sat at crowded tables, sipping wine and champagne. The partygoers ranged from beautiful young people in white jeans, fancy cowboy boots and flashy jewelry to wealthy-looking retirees in their seventies and eighties in full cocktail regalia. Waiters, mostly younger, tuxedo-clad Hispanic men, were passing trays of fancy canap
é
s.

“
I think the serious partying is this way,
”
Jake said, steering her through the room to the outdoors area.

On the patio, a country band was playing some beer-hall tune that Annie vaguely recognized as German. A number of couples, mostly younger people dressed in dirndls and lederhosen, were dancing to the sprightly music. The traditional Bavarian outfits looked cute on the young women, Annie thought, but the leather shorts and knee socks on the guys reminded her of movie scenes depicting Hitler Youth. She halfway expected them either to break out in German drinking songs or hoist guns or knives at a given command. She chided herself when she looked closer and realized that most of them were young, probably high school or college students.

“
What do you think?
”
Jake said.
“
Very colorful, huh?
”

“
Seems kind of over the top,
”
she said.
“
Maybe I
’
m just not used to the whole German-Texas vibe. Ever been to that big German festival in New Braunfels in the fall?
”

“
Wurstfest? I
’
m a Hill Country boy. Would I pass up the festival of sausage?
”
Jake said.
“
This is a much more refined bunch of folks. People aren
’
t quite as drunk, either.
”

Annie studied the crowd and to her surprise, spied Travis with Senator Sam Wurzbach. She waved them over and introduced Travis to Jake. Jake was his usual amiable and talkative self, but Travis seemed stiff and a little angry.

“
I left several messages on your cell,
”
he said.
“
I didn
’
t know whether you wanted to meet for dinner or what. When I didn
’
t hear anything, I accepted Sam
’
s invitation to this party.
”

“
Sorry, Travis,
”
Annie said.
“
I just lost track of time. I
’
m glad we
’
re both here.
”