"Yes, princess?"
"I did tell you I loved you before I found out you were a multi-millionaire, right?"
Jack stifled his laugh. "Yes, you did. I believe you told a struggling rancher you loved him and would work hard to make his business successful."
Abby nuzzled his neck. "I rock."
183.
He did nothing to contain his amus.e.m.e.nt this time. "You do, love, you certainly do."
Later, after he"d settled her into bed and Sam was curled against her, Jack rose and got dressed. It wasn"t late. There was still time for what he needed to do. He took the Benz, and it wasn"t even nine o"clock when he rang the doorbell at the stately home that had housed the Echols family for years. A weary butler opened the door.
"Tell Mrs. Echols that Jack Barnes is here," he said. "We have something to discuss."
184.
Chapter Fourteen.
Ruby Echols watched as the door closed. Adam was walking out the door once more. It was all happening again. At least she"d had her husband by her side that night twenty years before. She hadn"t been forced to face ensuing tragedy alone. This time she didn"t know where Hal had gotten off to. He should have been here. He could have made Adam listen to reason.
"Ma"am?" The maid"s voice cut through Ruby"s dark thoughts. "I have your medication."
Ruby looked up, and her eyes focused on the young woman in her black uniform. It was too tight. She would have to say something to the housekeeper about the help she was hiring. They weren"t up to the Echols"s standards. The brunette maid held a gla.s.s of water and a familiar bottle of pills. Which one was this? There were so many pills these days.
"I don"t want it," Ruby snapped. "Get my son."
The young woman looked slightly confused, but Ruby had long since decided that all young people were confused. The public education system was in shambles. They weren"t even allowed to spank the children anymore. "Ma"am, Walter moved out a couple of days ago. He left a number to call."
"How can Walter move out?" Ruby asked irritably. "He"s just fourteen years old." The idiot just looked at her. Ruby huffed. Good help was impossible to find these days. She pointed out the window where she could hear a door closing and the engine to a car purr to life. "Go and stop Adam from leaving. He just walked out the door.
Tell him his brother is missing. That should stop him."
185.
Yes, Ruby thought. If Walter was in trouble then Adam would take time out of chasing that tramp to help him. Why hadn"t she thought of that before? The stupid girl just stood there.
"Well, what are you waiting for?"
"Ma"am," the girl chirped in her irritatingly young voice, "the only person who just walked out of here was Jack Barnes. He"s a rancher. He owns the Barnes and Fleetwood Ranch outside town."
Ruby"s head hurt. She put a hand to her temple to rub the throbbing there. Yes, Jack Barnes had come by and threatened her.
He"d been calm about it, so Ruby knew he was serious. She understood that a man like Barnes was infinitely more dangerous when he was calm. He"d told her he could ruin her socially and financially and that he"d do it without a second"s remorse if she hurt Abigail Moore again. He was marrying Abigail Moore on Thursday.
He was giving that s.l.u.t his name and his protection.
Or had it been Adam who said that?
"Ma"am, please take your medication." The girl"s voice grated on Ruby"s nerves.
Without thought, Ruby downed the pill and took a drink of the water. She needed to rest. She had to plan. It was obvious Adam wasn"t going to see reason, and neither her husband nor her younger son could see how it all would end. They would tell her she was overreacting, but she would not have that tramp in her family.
Sometimes Ruby felt like Ca.s.sandra from the old Greek stories. She told them all what would happen, and no one would listen to her.
Ruby heard the door close softly and settled back against the plush cushions of the couch. She had to think, and this time she wasn"t going to bring anyone else into it. That had been her mistake. She let others influence her. She was his mother, and she was the only one who knew what he needed.
This time would be different. She would take care of that siren and save her son. Could a mother do any less for her son?
186.
Sam shook his head. "You never learn."
The sound echoed against the walls. The men"s bathroom at the Hamilton County Courthouse was empty save for Sam and Jack. Jack was happy with the circ.u.mstance. He was nervous. Trying to fix his tie was a nearly impossible task. Sam sighed and took over.
"Well, I don"t have occasion to wear them very often," Jack admitted. He allowed Sam to pull the silk tie off and stood quietly as Sam efficiently began to retie the knot.
Sam worked the silk with an easy hand. "You should be glad one of us listened to Julian"s numerous lectures on proper dress. I have to admit, it"s a little fun to see you so nervous."
"I"m not nervous," Jack lied.
Sam finished and looked over the pristine pinstriped suit Jack was wearing. "You look perfect."
Jack felt a little awkward. It was there between them. Jack could remember the way Sam felt underneath his hands. It was strange, but Jack was okay with it. This new relationship with Sam was something they could explore. The possibilities suddenly seemed endless. But first, he had some formalities to get through.
"Do you think we should have driven into Tyler and gotten her roses?" Jack looked down at the store-bought bouquet of lilies. It was wrapped in green tissue paper and covered with plastic.
"No," Sam replied. "Abby loves lilies. She"ll like the flowers, Jack. They"re the best we can get in Willow Fork. Now, I believe you"ll find that when we get to Hawaii, we"ll have to upgrade. Don"t worry, I planned everything out. We have the best suite, the finest hotel, first cla.s.s tickets to everything."
Jack nodded. "Good. I want that...for both of you."
Sam grinned. "Yes, Jack, you made that plain when you gave Abby the go-ahead to redecorate. I saw the check you wrote to the contractor. That was a lot of zeroes. I write the next one, okay?"
187.
Jack wanted to argue but shrugged instead. "All right. She"s your wife, too. Well, she will be in twenty minutes." Jack turned and looked at himself in the mirror, praying he didn"t look like an idiot.
Everything seemed to be in the right place. He needed a haircut, but when he"d mentioned it, Abby had sweetly pleaded with him not to.
She"d told him she liked his hair longer.
d.a.m.n, he thought, pushing the thick black stuff back, the things he was willing to do for that woman.
There were, however, some things he was not willing to do. "You talk to Kyle Morgan about what"s wrong with his football players?
You tell the coach that it is not my responsibility to give his players work. Ranching is not a part-time business."
For the last two days, the ranch had been inundated with high school boys looking for part-time work.
"I don"t think they really want to learn the business, Jack. Besides, a couple of them offered to mow the lawn or clean the pool...for free."
"Why the h.e.l.l would they do that for free?" Jack asked, letting irritation tinge his tone. "Why are they trying to do me favors?"
Sam shook his head and readjusted his own tie. "I don"t think they give a d.a.m.n about you, Jack. If you haven"t noticed, it"s Abigail they ask for." Sam looked down at his watch. "We have to go. It"s time to meet Abby.
Jack"s face flushed. "Are you telling me we"ve got twenty h.o.r.n.y high school boys sniffing around our wife?"
"Get used to it." Sam slapped him on the back. "She is one h.e.l.l of a woman. That"s the good news. She loves us. I doubt she"ll be running off with the quarterback. He"s the one who offered to wash her Benz." Sam guided Jack out of the bathroom and into the corridor that led to the Justice of the Peace"s office. "The running back has written a few lines of poetry to welcome Abby back into town."
Jack heard Sam, but his words didn"t really register. Jack"s attention was wholly on the woman in front of him.
188.
Abby sat on a bench just outside the office. She was talking to Christa and her mother. Mike stood in his best Sunday suit. He murmured something to the women, who looked up. Abby stood and smiled.
She was in a form-fitting, cream-colored suit with black heels.
Her glorious hair was in an elegant bun tied at the nape of her neck. A small hat sat dashingly on her head. She looked every inch the gracious lady, and Jack had no idea why a woman as beautiful as Abby wanted to marry the two of them.
"You still nervous?" Sam"s voice was full of emotion.
"I was never nervous, Sam," Jack replied, his own voice thick.
"I"m anxious. We need to get her to sign those papers before she comes to her senses."
Abby walked toward them, glowing with happiness.
"She"s never coming to her senses, Jack," Sam vowed. "She"s going to love us forever."
"Thank G.o.d," Jack breathed.
"I was beginning to wonder if I was getting stood up," Abby complained good-naturedly.
"Never," the men managed to say in complete synchronicity. They each took a hand and led her into the office.
The Justice of the Peace had never actually married a couple where the woman held hands with two men. Abigail Moore had said her vows with a steady voice, but the judge saw her squeezing Sam Fleetwood"s hand though she was becoming Jack Barnes"s wife. It was an odd but emotional little ceremony. Barnes didn"t seem to have a problem with Fleetwood kissing the bride after the ceremony. It wasn"t a friendly peck, either. It was quite the pa.s.sionate kiss, but the new groom merely smiled indulgently before taking another kiss for 189.
himself. The small wedding party congratulated the bride, the groom, and Sam Fleetwood.
Just like that, the former outcast of Willow Fork became its queen.
One simple "I do" and Abigail Barnes became the richest woman in the county, so the judge wasn"t about to say a thing about the odd, apparently true rumors about the ranchers" habits. Money turned perversity into eccentricity, and the judge was smart enough to know it. He simply signed all the paperwork and wished the happy couple a good marriage.
Abby held her new husbands" hands as they walked out of the judge"s office and toward the exit of the court house. She felt a sense of satisfaction she hadn"t known existed. She had everything she wanted. She would build a life with Jack and Sam. Sam dropped her hand and hurried ahead to open the door for her.
"I know that the three of you are anxious to get on with the honeymoon," Christa announced as the small party began to march out of the courthouse. "Still, I put together a little lunch reception at the cafe. Some of your friends and neighbors would like to celebrate.
You aren"t flying out until tomorrow, so come by and do your duty."
Jack frowned as they walked into the brilliant fall day. "Are there going to be any high school boys there?"
Christa"s laughter had more than one head turning. Abby had hoped Jack hadn"t noticed the mob of high school boys plaguing their door.
"No, Jack. They"re all in school. Abby is safe," Christa a.s.sured him.
"Then let"s go have lunch," Jack offered magnanimously. "Now that I have a wife, I should get used to doing more social things."
Abby grinned. He didn"t sound like he was looking forward to it.
He would get used to being social, Abby promised herself.
190.
She intended to fit in, even if it killed her. It had occurred to her that this town needed a few things. Willow Creek lacked a free health care clinic. Young girls, like she had been, had nowhere to go for health care. Abby felt a crusade beginning and knew Jack and Sam would have to put in face time with the county politicians if she wanted to make her clinic into something real.
Jack offered to bring the truck around when Abby caught sight of trouble.
"d.a.m.n that woman," Diane Moore cursed.
Abby saw Ruby Echols walking toward them. She was dressed in a pale blue suit and elegant little pumps. She"d had her hair done and carried a large designer bag. It looked far too big for such a small woman to carry, but Ruby managed with her usual flair. She looked all around with great disdain for the ordinary men and women walking in and out of the courthouse. Her eyes were looking around the park in front of the courthouse, and Abby had no doubt who she was looking for. Abby sighed. She wasn"t about to let that old biddy ruin her wedding day.
"I"ll call Walter," Mike offered, pulling his cell phone out.
Sam tugged on Abby"s hand, but she resisted. She remembered how Adam"s mother had backed her down a couple of days ago. She needed to understand that Abigail Moore... Barnes wasn"t going anywhere.
"No, Sam. It"s long past time for me to stand up to that bat. I"m not letting her push me around anymore."
"Mrs. Echols." Jack greeted her with a low warning as she stepped tentatively onto the courthouse stairs.
Ruby had the strangest expression on her face as she looked at Jack. She seemed, to Abby"s mind, almost affectionate as she looked at Jack. Her eyes went slightly watery, and her hand was in her bag looking for something.
"h.e.l.lo, dear. You look so handsome in a suit. I always knew you would be a handsome man."
191.
Jack and Sam exchanged a nervous look. Mike seemed to have gotten in touch with Walter. He was explaining the situation. There was something wrong with Ruby Echols, and her son needed to take care of it. Mike flipped his phone shut.
"Mrs. Echols," Mike said gently. "Your son is on his way. Why don"t we go sit down and wait for him?"
Ruby"s silver head shook. "Silly boy, my son is right here." She looked at Jack with a maternal smile. "He"s here making the biggest mistake of his life. Luckily, he has his mama to correct it."