"Can he force you, Cal and Charlie to sell?"
"He thinks he can. But the whole reason he"s doin" it is because he knows we"ll do anything to stop that from happening. He thinks he can force us into borrowing against what we own to buy him out." He picked up the shot and drained it. "We ain"t got that kind of cash. We"re land rich and cash poor. All of our profits go toward payin" ourselves and payin" off the yearly operating loan. With the way the Ag business is right now, family farms and ranches goin" under, there"s no way any bank would risk it."
"So what happens now?"
"If I had the money I"d buy him out and not give a s.h.i.t if I ever see him again. But that ain"t an option. So we"re stuck with him."
"Sweetheart. Why didn"t you talk to me about this?"
"Because I"ve been too p.i.s.sed off. The kids don"t need to see me this way either."
Her heart ached for him. Because of Casper"s machinations, Carson couldn"t even grieve his father. Rather than ask more questions, she sat next to him and sipped her soda.
Carson gestured to the bartender for another beer.
Carolyn was about to head outside to tell Cord to go home, when someone behind them said, "If it ain"t another drunken McKay."
When Carolyn started to turn around, Carson put his hand on her forearm, stilling the movement.
"You drowning your sorrows because Daddy died?"
He ground out his cigarette.
"Bet that puts the future of the McKay Ranch in question."
Carson slowly turned around on his barstool. "First of all, Timmons, f.u.c.k off. You don"t know nothin". And I ain"t that drunk, so tread lightly."
She couldn"t help but spin to see who was stupid enough to taunt Carson.
The guy was big. Easily six foot four, but skinny as a telephone pole. Over the years she"d become familiar with most of the families in the area, but she"d never seen this man.
"I"d like to tread all over your G.o.dd.a.m.ned spine. I owe you payback," he sneered.
"For what?"
Timmons shuffled closer. "Don"t play dumb. You know what for."
"It"s been almost twenty years and you nursing a grudge ain"t my problem."
"Nursing a grudge over what?" popped out of Carolyn"s mouth before she stopped it.
"None of your business, b.i.t.c.h. Turn the f.u.c.k around and shut up."
Carson"s boots were on the floor and he was in the guy"s face. "Speak to my wife like that again and I will shut that fat mouth of yours."
"You always did bandy around like the c.o.c.k of the walk." The guy loomed over Carson. "Too bad it don"t hold water no more. You don"t-"
Before the guy knew what hit him, Carson"s fists connected several times in a row. The last crack to the jaw rocked him back and Carson charged him, knocking him to the floor.
He pummeled the guy, but not without consequence. Timmons got in a couple of good shots. Which only served to infuriate Carson more.
As she watched fists fly and blood spurt and heard the dull thud of flesh smacking into flesh, it seemed ten minutes pa.s.sed before a bouncer intervened, when in reality it"d only been a few minutes.
The bouncer shoved Carson back. "For Christsake, McKay, ain"t you old enough to know better by now?"
Carolyn tried to hand Carson a stack of bar napkins to mop up the blood and sweat dripping down his face, but he angrily smeared his face across his shirt sleeve.
"You keep letting a.s.sholes like him in here and I"ll keep wiping the floor with them."
"What the h.e.l.l did he do to you anyway?"
Carson glared at the man wheezing and bleeding on the floor. "The dumb f.u.c.ker insulted my wife. That ain"t ever gonna go well for any man, no matter how old I get."
Carolyn wanted to blow him a kiss but she refrained.
"Evidently he"s still got a beef about something that happened nearly two decades ago."
"d.a.m.n right we do. You McKay f.u.c.kers took advantage of my grandpa and bought his land right out from under us. That parcel should"ve been pa.s.sed down to his family. But no. You dangled a fat check in front of him and he sold to you without discussing it with any of us. That"s sneaky s.h.i.t."
"You"re just p.i.s.sed off that your granddaddy sold his land and pocketed the money to enjoy his retirement rather than pa.s.s down a heritage none of you gave a d.a.m.n about. He was happy to sell to us because he knew we"d take care of it and keep it productive. That"s what burns your a.s.s. Your granddaddy preferred sellin" to strangers rather than entrusting it to his own family."
Timmons huffed and puffed as he maneuvered himself upright. "No one around here trusts any of you McKays and we"re all laughing that Jed finally kicked it. Good riddance to that manipulative b.a.s.t.a.r.d. We"re all hoping the rumors are true-rumors comin" from your own brother-that you"re all about to get your comeuppance and be forced to sell everything."
The next thing happened in slow motion.
Cord stepped forward, hitting Timmons with such force in the sternum that the man dropped back to his knees. Then he clocked him in the ear and the guy was back on the floor, writhing in pain. Cord stood over him, vibrating with rage. "Shut your f.u.c.kin" mouth about my grandpop. You ain"t fit to speak his name. And I can guarantee you the McKays are gonna be around for a long G.o.dd.a.m.ned time, so get used to it."
"Out," the bouncer said to Carson and Carolyn. Then he pointed to Cord. "You ain"t old enough to be in here anyway, pup, so beat it."
None of them said a word until they were in the parking lot.
Cord spoke first. "Dad. It"s not true, is it? That we stand to lose the ranch?"
"No, son, it"s not true. Your Uncle Casper is tryin" to pull some s.h.i.t, but that"s all it is: a big pile of horses.h.i.t "cause he"s got no other play. Makes me sick that my own brother is running his big mouth all over the place because he can. Puts all the McKays in a bad light."
"p.i.s.sed me off what that guy said about us."
"I noticed that," Carson said dryly.
"This happened a lot to you, didn"t it? Havin" to fight when some a.s.shole started talkin" s.h.i.t about the McKays."
Carson wiped his bloodied mouth on his other sleeve. "It"s still goin" on. I expect it always will. The bouncer was right about one thing. I"m getting too d.a.m.n old to fight."
"Not from where I was standing."
A beat pa.s.sed and then Carson grinned at Cord. "Your old man"s still got it, eh?"
"Looks like. Lucky thing you"ve got five sons, one daughter and five nephews to set folks straight on what it means to mess with the McKays."
Carolyn frowned. Why hadn"t Cord included Casper"s four sons in that tally?
Because he sees them as part of the problem, not the solution.
Those kids couldn"t help their parentage, and they were only little boys. But guaranteed they"d turn out bitter like their father if they didn"t have a better influence. In that moment she knew she"d try to foster a relationship between the cousins-even if she had to fight her husband to make it happen.
She tuned back in to hear Carson say to Cord, "Nah, we"re good. Your Ma is gonna take care of me, right, sugar?"
Her eyes met her husband"s. The l.u.s.t glittering in those blue depths liquefied her bones. As soon as they were alone the man would have her pushed up against the side of his truck pounding into her, or he"d have her bent over the tailgate slamming into her.
And she couldn"t wait.
She rested her hand on Carson"s chest. "Let me grab my purse from Cord"s truck and then we"re good to go."
Carson didn"t respond, but the s.e.xual heat and urgency rolled off him.
Carolyn grabbed Cord"s sleeve. "Come on."
After she"d shouldered her purse, her oldest son got right in her face. "Ma. Dad is scaring me with the way he"s actin". There"s a look in his eye I"ve never seen before so I think it"d be better if he rode home with me."
Cord was on the cusp of manhood; she suspected he already had experienced the pleasure found in a woman"s body. And even if it might embarra.s.s them both, he needed to understand the full spectrum of the night"s events. "Your father would never hurt me. Fighting revs him up. I know how to handle him and what he needs."
His eyes widened and then he blushed. Embarra.s.sed by his blush, he retorted, "I don"t know why I"m standin" here feelin" shocked about you and Dad getting..." He shook his head as if to clear the mental image. "It ain"t like the walls upstairs are that thick between the bedrooms. Just drive safe."
"I will. Don"t wait up."
After she"d become her grieving husband"s refuge, letting him lose himself in the potency of their physical connection, welcoming his body powering into hers, she soothed him, bringing him to the calm after the storm.
Whether it was the booze or crashing from the post-fight and post-s.e.x adrenaline high, Carson finally opened up about his father"s pa.s.sing. The man"s tears were rare and that much more heartbreaking when he sobbed in her arms.
They didn"t return home until the middle of the night.
Once they were in their bed, Carson reached for her again, almost desperately. He made love to her with such tenderness, with such sweetness, with such devotion, she couldn"t stop the tears from falling even as she shuddered in pleasure beneath him.
Afterward he kissed her, keeping the physical connection of their bodies. "I love you, Caro. I ain"t an easy man to love. I"m grateful every d.a.m.n day that you see past what"s on the surface and know the man I am down deep. It"s never scared you-even when it"s scared me. You give me more happiness and love in one day than I ever thought I"d have in a lifetime. Thank you."
She"d been married to the man nearly twenty years and he still had the power to surprise her. To move her. To remind her that she, too, was lucky.
The images turned fuzzy and then disappeared entirely. Then she floated in that gray matter again.
No! I want to go back. I want to relive what happens next. I have to remember it all!
But as Carson"s words, "Come back to me. I"m right here. Where I"ve always been, where I"ll always be. I love you. Please. Come back to me," registered as the end of their time together, the grayness became black, swallowing her completely.
Chapter Twenty-Five.
Hospital, Day 4-early evening "Funny, you don"t look like the anti-Christ."
Carson jolted awake. G.o.d. How long had he been asleep? He squinted at the clock. Only fifteen minutes. Between the flashbacks and the dreams, he had a serious time disconnect.
"Dammit. I woke you up, didn"t I?"
"Uh, yeah." He blinked and tried to orient himself. He looked at his daughter-in-law. "Hey, AJ. Sorry I"m out of it."
"Which I expected, given the circ.u.mstances. I won"t ask if there"s been any change, because even though you banned everyone from the ICU, you would"ve let someone know."
"Of course I would have." He paused. "They really are painting me out to be the anti-Christ, ain"t they? I didn"t ban them from the ICU waiting room, just the ICU itself."
AJ opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. "Why don"t you sit over here?"
"That bad, huh?" he said as he lowered himself into a different chair.
She moved in behind him, setting her hands on his shoulders. "Just relax and let your head fall forward."
"What"re you-"
"I"m ma.s.saging your shoulders and your neck because I can see your tension."
"AJ, darlin", you don"t have to do this."
"I know. It"s my way of contributing to your well-being since rumor has it you"ve already gotten plenty of cookies."
"d.a.m.n, girl, you didn"t bring me cookies? You can just get the h.e.l.l out of here, right now."
She laughed. "No secrets in the McKay family. But in all seriousness, I know my sisters-in-law have been here and have told you we"re on your side in this decision. But I"ll also point out that you pa.s.sed on the stubborn male McKay gene to your sons, so it is partially your fault. The extreme reaction of them being unwilling to listen to reason is why we"re all so ticked off. They"ve got it in their fool heads that you"re just being petty because you can be. Granted, I didn"t grow up in your household, but I"ve never seen you as that kind of man. Then or now. So they"re just bein" jerks because they"re scared."
He forced himself to breathe slowly and steadily as she dug her thumbs into the back of his neck.
"Your kids have had some tragedy in their lives, but they"ve not had to deal with the trauma of havin" a sick parent or losing a parent. I have. Macie has. Channing has. India has. Domini has. Jack has. And your McKay offspring don"t know the sense of helplessness that comes with that loss. Or the feeling of desolation that eats at you, sitting in the hospital day after day, praying for a miracle. Please don"t take that as we don"t have hope Carolyn pulls out of this. We all do. It"s just we all understand where you"re coming from in having to make hard decisions because we"ve seen similar situations and watched our parents struggle with it."
"I suppose you"ve tried to explain that to them?"
"Tried bein" the word. I let Cord have his rant and then I calmly pointed out his emotions were overcoming his common sense. That"s when he stopped talking to me." She started a slow rub on his shoulder blade. "I"d say it"s been quiet around our place, but Cord isn"t the chatterbox in our family anyway."
"Speaking of... How is Miss Avery?" Carson asked slyly.
"Busy. She"s almost got her father convinced to buy her a horse-no pony for her because she"s a real cowgirl."
"I don"t have a saddle to pa.s.s on to her, since Keely has claimed all her old tack. Not that I think Jack will let Piper get on a horse."
"That"s too bad. I say hook them early on the love of horses. That way once they"re older and they love riding above all else, when they need discipline, making them exercise and groom their horse, but not letting them ride it is the best punishment."