Texas Bluff

CHAPTER THREE

LUKE RODE COCHISE HARD, his thoughts driving him. How could she believe those things? Had they been in two different relationships? This was it. He was through apologizing to Becky.

When he saw the sheriff checking the four wheeler, Luke pulled up and dismounted. In his present mood, he was ready to take on the sheriff and anyone else who got in his face.

The sheriff beat at the fender with a hammer, trying to pry it away from the tire.

“Need any help?” Luke shocked himself by asking. And his anger subsided as quickly as Becky had ignited it.

The sheriff looked up; his eyebrows knotted together like a frayed rope. “Nope. Just getting the wheeler ready to load.” Two ramps were positioned on the bed of his truck.

Luke tied Cochise’s reins to a tree limb. “Would you like me to ride it onto the truck?”

From the steely glint of the sheriff’s eyes, Luke thought he was going to refuse, but he replied, “Sure. Help yourself.”

Luke straddled the wheeler and turned the key. It spit and sputtered then roared to life. He drove it around then guided it up the steep ramps onto the truck. After killing the motor, he jumped to the ground.

“Thanks. I appreciate the help.” The sheriff shoved the ramps inside the bed.

“Mr. Parker.”

“Hmm?”

“They’re installing a new fence through here in a couple of days. You might want to warn Shane.”

“Don’t worry. The boy won’t be riding on Chisum land again.”

“That’s no problem.”

The sheriff slammed shut the tailgate with a deafening boom. Then there was absolute silence. A deer shot out of the mesquite bushes and quickly disappeared. An armadillo rooted in the leaves before scurrying away. A squirrel darted up a tree. From the strong negative vibes coming from the sheriff, a sane man would follow nature and leave, too.

But Luke had something to say. “Sheriff.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry I hurt Becky.” Since Becky wouldn’t listen to him, he thought he’d tell the man whose respect he’d like to have. “Back then I really loved her.”

The sheriff removed his hat and scratched his balding head. “Chisum, you hurt my girl and if you’re looking for sympathy from me, you’re not going to get it. Besides, it happened a long time ago. It’s time for both of you to move on.”

“Yes, sir.” Luke finally believed that.

The sheriff jammed his hat onto his head. “But I’ll tell you one thing, Chisum—you hurt my girl again and this time I will kill you.”

Luke nodded, believing that, too.

The old truck rattled out of sight and Luke grabbed Cochise’s reins. He swung into the saddle, then galloped toward home. Before reaching the big house, he pulled up and breathed in the fresh evening breeze, slightly tinged with the scent of cypress, cow manure and dust.

He was home, but he’d never felt more alone.

LUKE DIDN’T SLEEP MUCH. In the military for so many years, he had never slept soundly. He was hoping that would change once he returned to civilian life. So far it hadn’t. He was down early for breakfast.

Hap sat at the table stuffing bacon and eggs into his mouth.

Clover stood at the stove. “You don’t need to be playing poker with those young boys. They’ll take all your money.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, woman. We ain’t married,” Hap replied around a mouthful of food.

Luke poured a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter. “Why haven’t you two ever gotten married?”

“Are you kiddin’?” Hap gulped a swallow of coffee.

“Why would I want to marry him?” Clover thumbed in Hap’s direction. “He has no manners, tracks dirt into the house and talks with his mouth full. He eats like a pig and has no common sense. I’d kill him within a week.”

“Like you’re a Wal-Mart bargain. You nag every moment of every hour of every day. If I were married to you, I’d be begging for someone to shoot me.”

Clover pointed a spatula at him. “I’ll remember that when you want food again.”

Without another word, Hap took his plate to the sink. When he turned around, he pinched Clover on her butt and she swatted him with the spatula.

“I’m serious, Hap. We promised Sister Mary Margaret we’d help with the fundraiser at the orphanage and you’re not losing your money playing poker.”

“Don’t worry, Clo,” Luke said. “He’s a pretty good player. He might win some money.”

Hap winked, grabbed his hat and moseyed out.

Clover placed her hands on her hips. “Now that’s just encouraging him.”

Luke took a sip of coffee. “Clo, we don’t try to break anyone. We just have fun.”

“Hap’s too old to have fun.”

Luke suppressed a smile as he sat at the table. Hank walked in with his usual scowl, followed by their parents. His dad was dressed. This was a surprise.

Henry plopped into a chair. “I want oatmeal, Lucy.”

“Yes, dear.” His mother sounded tired. Or maybe just fed up. Luke watched her. Her jeans and shirt hung on her and her blondish-gray hair was combed back. She never took time to fix it anymore.

“Is the heifer sale all set?” Henry asked.

“Yes, Pa,” Hank replied. “Everything is set for the first week in April as always.”

“You have invitations ready to send to all the buyers?”

“Of course, that’s the point of the sale.”

“Don’t get smart, boy.”

“I’ve been doing this for years and at fifty I think I can handle just about everything on this ranch.”

“Now you listen here—” Henry shifted to face Hank. “Lucy, bring me a cup of coffee.”

His mother didn’t move or say anything.

Henry turned to her. “Lucy, did you hear me?”

Lucy threw a dish towel onto the counter. “Get your own coffee, Henry.”

Complete silence followed those words. The only sound was the ticking of the antique grandfather clock in the corner.

Henry recovered first. “What did you say?”

“I said get your own damn coffee. If you can bellow orders without any consideration for me, then you can wait on yourself. Being ill doesn’t give you the right to act like a complete ass.”

Lucy ran from the room, tears streaming down her face. Luke forced himself to stay in his seat. His father had to go after her, not Luke or Hank.

Henry frowned. “What did she say?”

Before anyone could reply, Clover answered, “She said you’re an ass. Rightfully so, too.”

Henry pointed a finger at her. “Watch your mouth. You can be gone in a heartbeat.”

“Just say the word, Mr. Henry. The nuns would welcome me back—” Clover paused “—in a heartbeat.”

Henry stood abruptly; his chair toppled backward to the hardwood floor making a loud banging noise. Luke jumped to his feet, but his dad didn’t need any help. He shuffled off to the den.

Hank and Luke stared at each other in bewilderment. Hank tipped his head toward the den. “Go talk to him.”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a job for the oldest?”

“You’re the favorite, so get in there.”

Luke thought of his father’s set expression and decided to give him some time. He’d check on his mother first. He had a feeling she needed him more.

As he walked toward the hall, Hank snapped, “Luke.” But Luke didn’t pay him any attention.

He stopped short in the doorway to his parents’ bedroom. His mother was throwing clothes into a suitcase.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“I’m leaving.” She grabbed more clothes out of a drawer and dumped them into the case. “He can’t treat me like this.”

His parents argued, but he’d never seen his mother so upset. He caught her by her forearms. “Mom, look at me.”

Tear-filled blue eyes looked at him and he felt a catch in his throat. “Pa’s been a little hard to deal with since he’s had the stroke, but you’ve been married for over fifty years. You can’t just walk out and leave him.”

Lucy gripped him around the waist, sobbing into his chest. “I can’t take any more. I just can’t.”

He smoothed her hair, thinking he’d rather take a bullet on the battlefield than listen to his mother cry. “What do you want me to do?”

She hiccuped and pulled away. Wiping at her eyes, she said, “Call Becky.”

Becky. He swallowed. “Why?”

“I can talk to Becky.”

“You can talk to me.”

“Becky’s a woman and she understands. Please, Luke.”

His mother curled up on the bed in a fetal position. His chest tightened at the sight. Why couldn’t she talk to him? Clearly she needed help he couldn’t give her. That wasn’t easy to accept.

As he charged upstairs to his room to make the call, he kept thinking the bullet would hurt a lot less. Becky answered on the second ring.

“Becky, this is Luke. My mother would like to see you.”

There was a noticeable pause, then she asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Yes,” was all he could say.

“I’ll be right there.”

Luke didn’t allow himself to think about Becky. They were now strangers, probably what they’d been all along. He’d just been too pigheaded to admit it.

When he reached the den, his dad was sitting in his chair, staring into space. Hank came over to Luke.

“What happened?”

“Mom’s leaving.”

Hank’s eyes narrowed. “You mean going to town?”

“No. I mean she’s packing to leave for good.”

Hank turned a shade of gray Luke had never seen before. “But don’t panic. I talked to her and she’s lying down. She wants to talk to Becky.”

Hank nodded. “That’s good. She talks to Becky a lot.”

Luke glanced at their father. “I talked to Mom, now you talk to Pa.”

“I got my hands full with this sale.” Hank headed for the kitchen. “So make yourself useful.”

Luke wanted to shoot him the finger, but that was a younger Luke. The mature Luke walked over to Henry.

He sat on the footstool and remembered all the times he’d sat here as a kid asking a million questions. “Pa, how do birds fly?” “Why are there stars in the sky?” “What’s a Big Dipper?” “How do men walk on the moon?” Henry had answered everything and when he hadn’t known the answer, he’d made it up. Luke had believed every word, though. There was nothing his father didn’t know. There was nothing his father couldn’t beat.

Except being incapacitated.

“Pa, you doing okay?”

“I’m not a man anymore.”

“Excuse me?” Luke wasn’t sure what his father was talking about.

“I knew she’d leave me and it didn’t take long.”

The doorbell rang, preventing Luke from getting an explanation. Henry wasn’t making any sense. His parents had been married forever.

He shifted his train of thought and concentrated on the woman on the other side of the door. He took a moment, then opened it. Becky was in her work clothes—green nurse’s scrubs printed with tiny stethoscopes. Her hair bounced around her nape and her eyes were deep with concern.

“I didn’t want to bother you,” he said, “but my mother insisted.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “Where’s Lucy?”

“In her bedroom.”

His parents occupied the master bedroom downstairs. Becky followed him into the den and went directly to Henry.

“How are you this morning, Henry?”

“Not good. Lucy’s mad at me.”

Luke stood in complete shock. His father was talking to Becky.

“What did you do to make her mad?”

Henry shrugged. “Just being me, you know. And that ain’t much these days.”

“Are you doing your exercises?”

“Sometimes.”

Becky rubbed his shoulder. “All the time, Henry. To get better you have to fight it, and I know you’re a fighter.”

“Have been all my life.”

“Good. I’ll go talk to Lucy.”

Luke paced as he waited. About twenty minutes later, Becky came out. “Did Mom talk to you?” he asked anxiously.

“Yes.”

“So what’s wrong besides the obvious?”

“Henry’s not able to do a lot of the things he used to.”

“I know that.”

Becky shoved her hands into the pockets of her top. “I don’t think you do.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It’s sexual.”

Luke swung away. “Oh God. I don’t need to hear this.”

“Grow up, for heaven’s sake. They’re your parents but they’re also husband and wife. Henry’s not able to do what he used to and he thinks it matters to Lucy, but it doesn’t. He bellows orders at her because in his mind every time she waits on him that means she still cares for him. But a woman can only take so much yelling and insensitivity.”

“Oh.” Luke finally understood. “How’s Mom now?”

“She’s soaking in a hot bath. That’ll help to relax her. She called Angela Carrick and they’re going to San Antonio to get their hair done and to shop. Lucy needs to do something for herself for a change.”

“She’s going to be out all day?” That didn’t come out the way Luke had intended, but he couldn’t take the words back.

“Yes, and I know you’ll take care of your father.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Really? An insensitive clod like me?”

She pushed her bangs from her forehead. “I overreacted last night. I’m sorry about that, and you’re right. We need to put the past behind us. We’ve both moved on.”

“Yeah.” He held her gaze. “So why are you still so angry?”

She glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to go. I’m going to be late for work.”

“We’re going to have that conversation one of these days, Becky,” he called to her retreating back.

With her hand on the doorknob, she turned to look at him, her eyes dark. “You might not like my answer.”

“I’ll take my chances. I’m a gambler.”

She nodded and was gone. Luke went to deal with his parents, but he wasn’t so angry now. Becky was talking to him.

THE DAY PROVED to be stressful. Henry barked orders at Hank until he was hoarse. Luke couldn’t get him to go back to the house to rest and give them all a break. By late afternoon Henry ran out of steam. All day his dad had not once mentioned Lucy’s name.

As Luke drove to the house, he saw his mom maneuver her Cadillac into the garage. She got out smiling. Her hair was done in a new style and hung like a bell around her face. Lucy gathered shopping bags out of the car and still Henry didn’t say a word.

Luke sensed a blue norther gathering force, and it was fixing to blow through Great Oaks.

Becky’s Tahoe stopped behind them. She got out with a long package. Evidently she’d been in contact with his mother during the day. He didn’t know whether to feel good about that or not.

Becky helped Lucy with her bags while Luke got his dad’s walker from the back of his truck. Silently they made their way into the house. Henry sank into his chair. His mom and Becky continued down the hall. Luke heard voices coming from his mother’s room, happy voices. His dad stared at a blank TV screen, not one flicker of emotion on his set face.

Becky came into the den carrying a cane. “Henry, I have something for you.”

Henry looked at her and his eyes went wide at the cane. “I talked to your therapist the other day and he felt you were ready for a cane. Want to try it?”

Without one objection, Henry rose and reached for the cane. Luke watched in wonder.

“Try to pick up your left leg,” Becky said. “Great. You’re doing great.”

“I am, aren’t I?” Henry asked, slowly making a circle around the room.

“Yes, you are,” Becky answered. “And let me tell you, you look awfully handsome with that cane.”

“You think so?”

“Oh, my, yes.”

Henry stopped walking and Luke saw a smile on his face, the first one in days. “You are such a liar, Becky Lynn, but you’re so sweet I’m going to believe you.”

Becky smiled and Luke felt his heart race. “Will you do me a favor, Henry?”

“Anything.”

“Apologize to Lucy.”

Luke waited for the stubborn attitude to return, but it didn’t. Henry nodded and made his way with the cane down the hall to the bedroom.

“Thank you, Becky,” Luke said when the door closed. “I don’t think he would have done that for Hank or me.”

“You’re welcome.” She glanced at her watch and he was beginning to see she did that when she was nervous. “I’ve got to run.”

“Becky. You don’t really believe I’d brag to my friends about what happened between you and me?”

Her eyes caught his, but she didn’t say anything.

“I wouldn’t. I would never intentionally hurt you.”

Those teenage years and all that emotion hung between them. “I know,” she murmured. “You put such a dent in my confidence, though, it’s hard to remember that.”

She walked out the door before he could gather his thoughts, but he felt a whole lot better about the situation than he had last night.

He heard a sound and listened closely. Was his mother giggling? Yes, he heard it again. When his dad had apologized, he must have done it in style. Luke needed to ask for pointers.

Lucy came into the den, all smiles, wearing a beige linen pantsuit. In makeup and high heels, she didn’t even resemble the distraught woman of the morning.

“Where’s Clover?” she asked.

“In the kitchen, I suppose.”

“Tell her that Henry and I are having dinner in our room tonight.”

“Oh. Okay. Does this mean you’re staying?”

“What?” She shook her head. “Don’t be silly, Luke.”

She kissed his cheek and Luke knew his mother was back. That was good in more ways than one. Tonight was the weekly poker game. Now he could leave the house without a guilty conscience. Maybe things would return to normal, or whatever constituted normal in the Chisum house.

Tonight Luke needed to razz and bullshit with his friends—friends he’d known all his life. It was a release for him, just as it had been in high school, to deal with his crazy dysfunctional family.

Today had been a little crazier than most.

BECKY DROVE INTO HER YARD and parked beside Danny’s car. He’d picked up Shane from basketball practice. Shane had called and told his father he didn’t want to come for the weekend. Danny didn’t like it and wanted to talk to Shane in person.

She got out and watched Danny walk toward her. He was a kind, patient man with thinning blond hair and green eyes. After the divorce, they remained good friends. He tried with Shane but they had nothing in common. Shane loved sports and the outdoors. Danny was a CPA, and going to the movies was his favorite pastime. He knew every movie that had ever been made. His favorites filled a room lined with shelves from top to bottom.

“Did you talk to him?” Becky asked as he reached her.

Danny waved a hand. He did that a lot when he talked. “He says he has to help Hub with the four wheeler. It’s just an excuse. He doesn’t want to visit us anymore.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know he feels left out, but I have two other kids.”

“I’ll talk to him again.”

Danny looked into her eyes. “Luke is back.”

A sliver of fear ran up her back and she didn’t know why. “Yes.”

“How do you feel about that?”

Becky shrugged. “I see him all the time. It’s hard.”

There was silence for a moment, then Danny said, “It’s time, Becky.”

She glanced off to the blue sky and the puffy white cotton clouds. Any minute a cloud was going to split open and dump a whole lot of reality on her. More than she was ready to face.

Now or ever.

She chewed on her lip and admitted the truth. “Since Luke has been back, I’ve known the time was coming. But I…I…don’t think I can.”

“Would you like me to…”

“No. I have to do this myself.” This was her problem and she wasn’t involving Danny in her life again. He had his own family now. She brushed back her hair. “I’m just worried about Shane.”

Danny touched her arm with affection. She wondered, as she had so many times in the past, why his touch didn’t ignite her senses. But she couldn’t fake it. She’d tried and had ended up hurting both of them.

“If you need me, just call.”

After Danny left, she walked to her dad’s workshop. He was sanding the fender of the wheeler, getting it ready to paint.

“Why isn’t Shane helping you?”

Her father looked up, his eyes partially hidden by his cowboy hat. “You’ve grounded him, remember? Sometimes you’re too hard on the boy.”

“Like you were never hard on me.”

Hub shoved back his hat. “Like it did any good.”

Unable to stop it, a tear slipped from her eye. She quickly brushed it away, but another followed. “Everything I do, I do for Shane and it always seems to be wrong.”

Hub laid down his sandpaper and took her in his arms. “C’mon, Rebecca. It’s not that bad. You’re a wonderful mother.”

“But I’ve lied to him,” she sobbed into his chest.

Hub lifted her chin. “Then tell him the truth.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Why not?”

She fought tears and ran her hands up her arms, feeling the goose bumps. “I’ve taught Shane how to be kind, considerate, loving, caring, giving and forgiving. He knows how to admit when he’s wrong and how winning is important but there’s no shame in losing. I’ve taught him to look for a lesson in the bad things that happen. He’s never defeated by much of anything. I’ve taught him to respect others and to respect himself. But will he remember any of that when I tell him Luke Chisum is his biological father?”

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