Son of Texas (Count on a Cop) Page 16

  “Like it is with Ashley and Caddo.”

  “Mmm.” He turned onto the Silver Spur road. “Except Joe McCain was dead and so was Eli’s mother. We didn’t have that family interference or disapproval. We just had our own feelings to build on.”

  “And Mason is very much alive,” she said.

  “As is Lorna.”

  “As I said, batten down the hatches, this is going to be a rough-and-rowdy, take-no-prisoners kind of visit.”

  He heard her lighthearted words, but her voice told another story. She was worried. For Ashley. And Caddo. They were close, related by blood, and that bond was there, too.

  “It was nice having a sister,” she said in a faraway voice. “Even if I knew it was a lie.”

  He glanced at her. “Were you tempted to tell Ashley the truth when you first came here?”

  “No. She was always so sweet and I couldn’t do that to her. But it got to me when she kept asking questions about our father, wanting to know him better.”

  They pulled into the circular drive. “I was angry with Lorna, though,” Josie continued. “I told her that she knew Brett wasn’t Ashley’s father and it was wrong to let Ashley go on believing that lie. She went into one of her rages and ordered me out of the house.” She stared at the large hacienda. “Like Boone says, truth, like chickens, comes home to roost. Today’s a time for truth.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  THEY MET ON THE STONE walkway to the front door. Josie linked her arm through Ashley’s. “You okay?”

  “No. But as long as you’re with me, I’ll be okay.” Ashley glanced at the men behind them. “And Caddo. And Ranger McCain.”

  Ashley opened the door without ringing the bell and they walked into the foyer. “Where’s Caddo?” Ashley asked anxiously, noticing he wasn’t with them.

  “He slipped away,” Caleb replied.

  “He’s never been in the house and I guess it makes him uncomfortable. But I know he’s here. It’s uncanny the way he seems to be able to appear and disappear at will.”

  They followed Ashley into a part of the house Caleb hadn’t seen before. It was a large sunroom facing an even larger pool. The room was done in navy, yellows and greens and flowers and plants seemed to be everywhere. A buffet was spread out in silver chafing dishes. Lorna and Mason sat at a table, eating breakfast. The scene looked like a picture out of a magazine of a happy family. But there was nothing happy about this couple—or this family.

  Lorna glanced up. “Ashley, darling.” She pushed back her chair and ran to her daughter.

  Ashley stuck her hands out, preventing Lorna from hugging her. “Don’t touch me.”

  Lorna was taken aback and had a moment to really see her daughter’s appearance, with her wrinkled, dirty clothes, and her hair in rattails around her tearstained face. “Look at you. You’re a mess. What happened? Did someone hurt you?”

  “Yes. Someone hurt me,” Ashley answered in a very clear voice.

  Mason got to his feet, anger evident in his eyes. “Who?”

  “You hurt me,” Ashley stated without faltering. “You both have hurt me.”

  “Darling, what are you talking about?” Lorna asked. She appeared to be in complete control of herself today. “We would never hurt you.”

  “Oh, please, Mother. I know the truth and you can stop lying and pretending.”

  Lorna paled and Mason looked away, his anger suddenly gone.

  Boone walked in from the kitchen, a cup of coffee in his hand, munching on a soft taco. “Didn’t know we had company.” He took a seat at the table. “Found your way back, huh, Ash?”

  “I’m not back. I only came because Josie made me.”

  “Josie giving you orders these days?” He squinted at them as he took a sip of coffee.

  “Josie’s the only one who cares about me,” Ashley told him.

  Boone set his cup down very slowly. “I don’t remember Josie paying for any of those fancy schools.”

  Caleb thought he’d never met a more coldhearted man. Boone and Joe McCain certainly had something in common.

  “I never asked you to do that.”

  “Your mother sure did.”

  “Boone, please.” Lorna shot him an angry stare.

  “Now, girl…”

  “I’m only here for a minute,” Ashley interrupted, her eyes on her mother. “Why did you lie to me all those years? Why did you let me believe Brett Beckett was my father?”

  “Oh, darling, it was a very difficult time.”

  “Tell me!” Ashley shouted.

  Lorna twisted her hands. “My father and Boone had business dealings and they wanted Brett and me to marry. I’d been in love with Brett since I’d met him, so I didn’t have a problem with it. Brett did. He was in love with…Marie Cortez.”

  Josie stiffened beside him.

  “Brett wasn’t giving us a chance and I knew he’d forget about her once we were married. He still refused and Boone forced him. I wanted our marriage to work. I…”

  “Is that why you were sleeping with his brother? To make your marriage work?” Ashley’s words were sharp and insolent.

  Lorna put a hand to her forehead. “Darling, please…”

  “Is it?” Ashley persisted.

  “I started seeing Mason to make Brett jealous. That’s all it was.”

  Mason clenched and unclenched his hands, but he never said a word.

  “It was more. You were pregnant with his child, which you tried to pass off as Brett’s.”

  Lorna stuck out her chin. “Brett kept wanting to go to the doctor with me, but I kept finding excuses. The pregnancy had made me very weak and he thought something might be wrong with the baby, so he went on his own. That’s how he found out I was farther along than I’d told him. That was it for him. He wouldn’t listen to me and he didn’t even want to know who the father was. He just wanted out of the marriage.”

  Silence filled the room. Josie stood as still as a statue.

  “Why didn’t you marry Mason before I was born?”

  “Because I was still married to Brett. I was determined to never give him a divorce and Boone hired a lawyer to make sure it never happened. After a year, we thought Brett had given up. Boone was on a trip to South America to look at some cattle and I took you and a nanny on a cruise to just get away. While we were away, Brett pushed it through somehow. We were never sure how he did that, but the divorce was final and I didn’t have any strength left to fight it.”

  Josie suddenly knew why the divorce went through. She’d overheard her parents talking about it. Brett had found a judge who disliked Boone and his heavy-handed tactics. Boone’s lawyer tried to stop it, but the judge granted it. Her parents were married soon after.

  “Why would you even want to fight it?” Ashley asked. “He was in love with someone else.”

  Lorna’s eyes darkened. “Do you know how that felt? At night in his sleep he’d call her name and I hated her. She ruined my life.”

  “Excuse me?” Ashley said, and Josie clamped her lips together. Ashley had to fight this out with her mother. “You ruined your life by trying to hold on to a man who didn’t want you. And you’ve ruined mine by lying to me. Take responsibility for what you’ve done.”

  Lorna flinched and seemed unable to speak.

  “Why couldn’t you have married Mason and made everything right?” Ashley kept on.

  An agonized laugh left Lorna’s throat. “You remember your grandfather. Can you see him letting me marry a man with a record? A murderer. His career would be in shambles.”

  “Grandfather’s been dead for ten years. Why haven’t you married Mason since then?”

  Lorna touched her forehead with a trembling hand. “It’s hard to explain….”

  “So you kept lying to me and sleeping with Mason when the need arose. Do you know what kind of woman that makes you?”

  Lorna whimpered deep in her throat.

  Ashley turned to Mason for the first time. “Why did you never tell me? Didn’
t you want me to know that you were my father?”

  The hard lines of Mason’s face cracked a bit. “I respected Lorna’s decision.”

  Ashley gasped in disbelief. “Mason Beckett respecting anyone’s decision is a laugh. You just didn’t want me, either.” Her voice broke on the last word and Lorna reached out for her.

  “Darling…”

  Ashley jerked away. “Don’t touch me.”

  “Enough,” Boone bellowed, finishing his breakfast and getting to his feet. “You’re a Beckett. That’s all you need to know, girl. Now get upstairs and get cleaned up. You look like hell. And I don’t want to hear any more of this nonsense. They lied to you, but now you have the truth, so get over it. You’ve had a helluva good life.”

  Ashley stood her ground under the crude orders. “I’m not going upstairs, but I am leaving. I’ll live my own life, my way.”

  Boone eyes narrowed at the unexpected disobedience. “Don’t force my hand, girl.”

  “I’m not fourteen years old and you can’t force me to stay here,” Ashley said in defiance, her jawline rigid.

  “Wanna bet?” His eyes narrowed. “Now get upstairs before I lose my patience.”

  Caleb moved forward. “I promised to take her out of here when she’s ready.” He looked at Ashley. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes,” Ashley replied.

  “Like hell!” Boone yelled in anger. “Ranger man, you’re on my turf and what I say goes here. Take Josie and get out while you can.”

  “Ashley goes with us.” Caleb’s words rang loud and clear in the large room.

  The steel in Boone’s eyes glowed like fire. “Are you calling my bluff?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You’re a fool, Ranger. I can have twenty vaqueros in here just like that.” Boone snapped his fingers. “They’ll take you out in the blink of an eye and your body will be found somewhere on the prairie, buzzards picking at your bones.” The glow of his eyes leveled on Caleb. “You got five seconds to leave—without Ashley.”

  Caleb stared back at him, unblinking, unmoving as the seconds ticked off.

  “Pablo!” Boone shouted.

  “Sí, señor.” Pablo appeared from the kitchen.

  “Tell the vaqueros I need a job done—now.”

  “Sí, señor.” Pablo backed out.

  “Pronto!” Boone hollered after him. “You still got time to leave, ranger man. It’s always wise to know when you’ve been beaten.”

  “You’re not scaring me, Mr. Beckett.”

  “It’s okay,” Ashley spoke up. “Just go, please. I don’t want them to hurt you.”

  “I made you a promise and I’m keeping it.”

  Josie touched his arm. This was getting out of control. She didn’t want Caleb hurt, and even though Boone was mostly a lot of hot air, she was beginning to feel a little afraid. There’d been bodies found in Sagebrush Creek and Eric always thought it had something to do with the Silver Spur. Nothing could ever be proven, though. Boone was the law here.

  Caleb’s muscles were tight and Josie knew he wasn’t backing down or budging. How many vaqueros could she and Caleb take on? She was mentally calculating when Pablo rushed back into the room, looking flustered.

  Boone looked behind him. “Where’s the boys?”

  “They no come, señor.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “Caddo say no and vaqueros no cross him.”

  “Who the hell is Caddo to be giving orders?” Boone’s face turned red in anger. “This is my land and I give the orders.”

  “Pa, let it go,” Mason said.

  “Like hell. I want that half-breed off this land now.”

  “He’ll take every vaquero with him, then who’s going to work this ranch?”

  “Where would they go? And who in the hell’s side are you on anyway?”

  Josie saw him before anyone else did. Caddo jumped from the second floor balcony, which looked out onto the sunroom. He landed squarely on his feet, his eyes as blue and heated as Boone’s. Chills crept up her spine. The day of reckoning had more than arrived.

  He wore faded Wrangler jeans and had a knife attached at the waist. His chest was bare, his long hair hanging around him. If he’d had war paint on his face and chest no one would have been surprised. It was as if a character from an old Western had come to right a wrong.

  For a split second everyone was speechless. Then Caddo spoke to Mason. “Whose side you on, big man?” Evidently Caddo had been listening to every word from his perch upstairs. Ashley had said Caddo’d never been in the house, but Josie was betting he knew it like the palm of his hand.

  Caddo was angry, that was very clear from the glint in his eyes to the veins popping out on his neck. Josie wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. Mason seemed to have turned to stone.

  “Get the hell out of this house,” Boone screeched.

  “Come on, Caddo,” Ashley said. “Let’s go.”

  “No,” Lorna screamed. “Don’t go near him. He’s barbaric and you don’t know what he’ll do. He could hurt you.”

  Ashley gave a small smile. “Caddo won’t hurt me. He’s my brother.”

  And the walls of secrecy came tumbling down. Quietly. But everyone heard them, crumbling, exposing the unspoken secret of the past. Everyone stood in stunned silence.

  “Sonofabitch!” Boone collapsed into a chair, the open truth more than he could stand.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Ashley feigned regret. “Wasn’t I supposed to say that out loud?”

  Lorna rounded on Mason. “Look what your sleeping around has done. How could you do this to our daughter? To us? That’s the very reason I’ll never marry you. You can’t be trusted to stay away from the Mexican tramps.”

  Mason grabbed Lorna’s face in one hand, his fingers cutting into her cheeks. She tried to jerk away, but he held her tight. “Don’t say one word about Theresa. You know nothing about our relationship. She never used me like you did and she loved me just like I loved her. I was crushed the day she died in labor with our second son. I promised her I’d take care of Caddo and I have.” He released her and stepped back, curling his hands into tight fists.

  Lorna rubbed her face, her eyes glittering with hate.

  “Pa made raising him out of the question, but I saw to it that someone was always there for him.”

  “How did Boone force you not to raise your own son?” The words slipped out before Josie could stop them.

  Mason swung to Josie. “By his arrogance and narrow-mindedness. He told me repeatedly that if he caught me with any Mexican girl, he’d disinherit me. I knew he meant every word because of what had happened with Brett. I couldn’t risk everything I’d worked my whole life for. Your coming here opened old wounds and created family tension. You knew one of my secrets and I just wanted you to leave and never come back. I’d do anything to protect Ashley.”

  Josie swallowed the gigantic lump that had formed in her throat. “Are you saying you tried to stop me by shooting me?”

  “Goddammit, how many times do I have to tell you and the ranger that I didn’t shoot you? I just wanted you away from my family before any of this came out. But you couldn’t let it be, could you? You…”

  Caddo removed the knife from its sheath and moved toward Mason. Mason paused and Caleb stepped closer.

  Caddo pointed the knife at Mason. “I could stick this between your ribs into your heart. You’d feel nothin’. But Caddo no do. He has honor.” He beat his chest with his other fist. “Not from Beckett blood. From Karankawas’s. My ancestors are proud and honorable. Caddo need nothin’ from you. You’re a coward. You no hurt Josie, Ashley. Sí.” Caddo shoved the knife back into its sheath and headed for the door.

  “Wait,” Mason called.

  Caddo stopped, but he didn’t turn.

  “Never thought of myself as a coward and I’ve never been afraid of much of anything. Loved a woman who thought I wasn’t good enough to be a father to our child. Theresa loved me for who I was, but
Pa took that away from me and I wasn’t man enough to stand up to him.” He took a deep breath and faced Boone. “If Caddo leaves here, so do I.”

  “Good riddance,” Boone muttered, pouring whiskey into his coffee.

  “Mr. Beckett.” Caleb walked over to him. “Take a good look at everything you’re losing. Your sons disobeyed your rules by falling in love with Mexican women, but look at your grandchildren. Caddo is as fine a man as I’ve ever met. And you yourself said Josie has fire and spirit. This is an opportunity to become a family. Don’t let your pride stand in your way.”

  “Don’t preach to me, ranger man. Just get the hell outta my house.” Boone’s steely resolve was evident in his eyes and voice.

  Caleb didn’t budge. “My father never claimed me. He denied who I was right up to his death. But I was lucky. I had a mother and a stepfather who gave me everything he couldn’t. Never realized how lucky I was until I came here. If you let your son and grandchildren go, you’ll die heartbroken and lonely. Take it from me. I know. My father died a broken man.”

  Boone took a gulp of the coffee.

  “You’re a powerful man, Mr. Beckett. Just how powerful are you?”

  The corners of Boone’s mouth twitched. “Not too damn powerful at the moment, ranger man.” Josie’s grandfather knew when to cut his losses. That’s how he became so powerful.

  Boone rose to his feet. “I need a strong goddamn drink.” He spun toward the den and stopped, turning to look at them. “Ashley, if you want to leave, go ahead. I’m gettin’ too old and too tired to try and make my kids understand about their heritage. No one seems to care about that, but me. So go, but know that you always have a home here.” He glanced at Josie. “No one here tried to kill you. I hope you find out soon who did. And like Ashley, you have a home here, too. Caddo, not sure about you, boy. Might take me a while. Mason, in my den. Now!” With that he was gone.

  Josie looked around. Caddo was gone, too. Maybe he could disappear at will.

  Mason followed Boone, and Josie stood staring at Lorna, needing more answers. “Why do you hate me so much?”

  “Go away, Josie,” Lorna said with a wave of her hand. “Haven’t you gotten what you wanted?”