AlmostHome (16 page)

“Where the hell you been?” Rafe demanded when Conner walked
through the door.

“Out to Junction, convincing my sister to give me a job on
that fancy ranch of hers.”

Winslow nodded. “Hand it over. I know she give you some
money, so hand it over.”

Conner, knowing Rafe would demand his share of the money,
had tucked a fifty away between the bench seat of the truck. He handed Rafe the
other fifty.

“This all she gave you?” When Conner nodded, the other man
snorted in disgust. “Cheap bitch, ain’t she? So what’s the plan?”

Conner shrugged. “Reckon I’ll go see the old man, then head
for the One-Eyed Jack in the morning.”

Rafe sauntered to the fridge and retrieved a beer. “Don’t
bother. Your pa’s gonna call here later. Just make sure you keep that cell
phone charged and keep some minutes on it. I’ll be calling to check in and give
you your pa’s instructions.”

Conner couldn’t help himself, he had to ask, “Where’s
Rebecca?”

Rafe twisted the top off the Lone Star and tipped the bottle
between his lips, taking a long gulp.

“Someplace ain’t nobody gonna find her.”

Conner felt a rush of fear as the blood drained from his
face. “What did you do to her, Rafe?”

Winslow smiled. “Same thing I’ll do to your sister you ever
think to turn on me, boy.” He crossed the room and slumped down on the couch,
propping his feet on the battered coffee table. “But I can tell you one
thing…there ain’t nothing like having your dick buried in a woman’s backside
while she struggles to take her last breath. You fuck with me, son, and I’ll
make you watch while I do the same to your prissy sister.”

Conner’s hands fisted at his sides. “You lay a hand on Haley
and I’ll kill you.”

Winslow threw back his head and laughed. “You keep telling
yourself that, pup.” When he’d had his laugh, he shooed Conner away. “You go
ahead and pack up your gear, get on back to your sister’s place. I’ll call you
and let you know the plan.”

Conner nodded, unable to speak. Turning, he went to his room
and began shoving his meager belongings into a duffle. Barely able to stand
without locking his knees, Conner sank onto the broken down mattress, head in
his hands. What the hell had come over his pa these last years? He’d always
been a mean bastard but Conner had figured it was because he bore the
responsibility for raising two small children when their mother died. But to
plan on marrying Haley off to a man like Rafe Winslow? The man was violent, a
killer. To think Kent was willing to give her to someone like that… Hell, she
was his own flesh and blood, just like he was. Did they mean so little to him?
Had Kent Kilpatrick ever loved them?

It was all Conner could do not to break down in tears as he
thought back over the years. Kent Kilpatrick had always been wolverine mean and
he’d taken that meanness out on his kids. Mostly on Haley, who always stepped
in front of Conner, taking the beatings meant for her little brother. Later,
after Kent had passed out or left the camper, Conner had done his best to care
for his sister, soothing her with a child’s words, brining towels filled with
ice to ease the pain. And always, his little boy self would tell his sister
that she had to be better. Pa wouldn’t hurt her if she would just try to be
better. He’d blamed her for the abuse heaped on her. Why hadn’t he seen it for
what it was? All the punches, all the injuries, were in places covered by
clothes, so no one ever really saw the abuse.

Even worse than the beatings was the humiliation. Kent in
the rattletrap truck, showing up at some big spread with his skinny, dirty
children, pleading for a meal and work. The pity in the eyes of the owner and
his crew. The secondhand clothes the rancher’s wives would pass on to Conner
and Haley. The scorn in the eyes of the hands when they soon figured out Kent
Kilpatrick was as lazy as they came. For the most part, the hands kept quiet
and picked up their father’s slack just so Conner and Haley could have a place
to live and three meals a day.

He remembered the way Haley worked, trying to make up for
their father’s innate laziness. She’d been mucking out stalls and hauling
wheelbarrows full of manure since she was seven years old. Conner, he admitted
to himself, took more after his pa, choosing to spend his days at the swimming
hole, far away from manual labor. If Haley wanted to work like a damn field
hand, let her. Shame washed over him, sticking in his gut like a knife. What a
damn sorry excuse for a brother he’d been and what a sorry excuse for a man
he’d become. He straightened, wiped his face and grabbed his duffle. Time he
made it up to his sister, even if it wound up costing him his life. Shouldering
the pitiful bag, he stomped to the screen door and shoved it open.

Aiming the old truck toward Junction, he pushed it as fast
as he dared. “Have to tell them about Rebecca.” He shook his head. “My word
against his. Oh god, he’ll kill me for sure.” Conner banged the steering wheel
with his fist. “You dumb son of a bitch. You should point this damn truck west
and keep on going. Haley’s got Wyatt to look after her. She don’t need you.”

But he kept on driving. How could he live with himself if he
abandoned Haley? She was sister and mother rolled into one. The only person in
the world who loved him. He made her a silent promise. From this day forward,
Conner Kilpatrick would be a new man. A better man. A man his sister would be
proud to call brother. He’d see to it that he headed off any trouble that might
come Haley’s way.

* * * * *

The first indication of trouble didn’t come for over a
month. Conner had settled in and was proving to be a good worker, doing scut
work without complaint. But he was worried and his concern made Haley worry.

At about seven in the morning on a clear, early summer day,
Haley and Wyatt heard a shout accompanied by loud whinnying. Both dropped their
breakfast forks and bolted out the front door to find two of the hands carrying
Conner toward the house while Dooley attempted to calm a frantic Geronimo.

“What happened?” Haley asked, torn between going to her
brother and helping calm her prized stallion.

“Rattlesnakes. At least a half-dozen.” Conner clenched his
teeth. “At least one of ‘em got me.”

Haley threw a frantic look at Wyatt, then began issuing
orders to the hands. “Get him inside and call 9-1-1.We need cops and
paramedics.”

Haley held the door open for the men to haul Conner inside
and put him on the couch.

“Go help Wyatt, I’ll see to Conner.” She set about removing
his boots and rolled his pant legs up. There were two sets of fang marks just
above the calf. Oh lord. Two bites. If the ambulance didn’t get here quick… No,
she wouldn’t think about that. Couldn’t let herself think about that. “Unbuckle
and let’s get those britches off, see if there’s any more bites.” While Conner
did as she directed, she took the phone from the cowboy who’d dialed 9-1-1,
explaining what happened and asking for instructions.

“A unit is on the way, ma’am. While you’re waiting, wash the
area where the bites are and make sure the patient keeps his leg below his
heart. Immobilize the leg if you can. Don’t put anything cold on the bites or
attempt to extract the venom. Just hang tight until the ambulance gets there,
they’ll administer antivenin.”

“Yes. All right but…his leg’s really starting to swell.”
Conner moaned. “Oh god, hurry, please hurry.” She tossed the phone aside to
tend her brother.

Haley yanked Conner’s jeans off and examined his legs for
any more bites. Fortunately he only had the two but his leg was swelling so
fast she didn’t see how it wouldn’t split and it was beginning to darken at an
alarming rate.

“Ah, sum bitch, it hurts,” Conner gritted out. “Am I gonna
die, Hales?”

“No sugar, you’re not. The EMS is on the way and they have
antivenin. Just hang in there, Conner. Take deep breaths and try and keep your
heart rate slow, okay? Nice, deep, relaxing breaths.”

While Haley tended to Conner, Wyatt burst through the door.
“Gotta call Ben and my cell’s dead. Geronimo got bit. Dooley administered some
bute and he’s hosing the leg down.” Haley took a deep breath, nodding. There
was nothing she could do for Geronimo at this point. Dooley was doing exactly
the right thing and Conner needed her. She cocked her head at the sound of sirens
in the distance.

Relief filled her voice. “Hear that, baby brother? Ambulance
is almost here.”

Conner shivered. “Cold. And I feel sick.”

Wyatt, using the portable phone to explain the situation to
the vet, hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a pan from a lower cabinet. Haley
took it and held it under her brother’s chin.

“It’s okay, Conner. You feel sick, you go ahead. I got you.”
Conner heaved and heaved, groaning in pain as the movement jostled his injured
leg.

“That fuckin’ Rafe. Had to be him. That many snakes in one
place. They were all full grown.” He groaned and heaved again as the sirens
roared up the ranch lane.

Haley stood by, helplessly watching as the paramedics
started an IV solution and put her brother on a gurney. She wasn’t even aware
she was crying until Wyatt handed her a handkerchief.

“We’ll be right behind you, Conner,” Wyatt reassured him,
then guided Haley outside and helped her into the truck. He nodded to a
concerned cowboy. “Tell Lloyd to meet us at the hospital.”

She looked at him, shaking her head. “What if—?”

“He’ll be okay, sweet pea. The paramedics are administering
antivenin as we speak and he’ll be at the ER in under half an hour. He’ll be
sick as a dog but he’s gonna make it.”

Haley nodded. “Geronimo?”

“One bite near as we can tell. Dooley’s shaving his leg to
make sure and Ben’s on the way. Geronimo’s a big horse, honey, one little bite
won’t kill him.” She jumped at the sound of multiple shotgun blasts. “The hands
are taking care of the snakes.”

Haley closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the
seat. “Looks like it’s starting, don’t it?”

“Yup. Who’s Conner figure for this? Rafe Winslow?”

“None other. Pa ain’t out ‘til next month but you can bet he
had a hand in it. Could’ve killed his own son. What kind of man does that?”

Wyatt shook his head. “A bad man, honey.”

“Maria and the kids have to go back to the apartment in
town. They need to be off this ranch.” Dooley had reluctantly agreed to let his
family come back since things had quieted down but that had all changed now.

“You should go too, Haley.”

Haley opened her eyes and turned to look at him. “Ain’t no
way.”

Wyatt gave her a rueful grin. “Yeah. Figured you’d say that
but I had to try.” He reached out and took her hand, intertwining their
fingers. “He’ll be all right and so will Geronimo. It’s you I’m worried about.
Your pa told Conner they had to stop us getting married. I’m afraid what that
might mean for you.”

Haley blinked. What it might mean for her? What about what
it might mean for him? He was the most likely target.

“Marry me,” Wyatt said.

Haley’s jaw dropped. “What? Are you crazy?”

“Marry me. We can fly to Vegas tonight once we’ve talked to
Lloyd and we know Conner’s okay. We’re going to do it anyway so let’s just do
it before anything else happens. Once it’s a done deal, won’t be a reason to
try and stop us.”

Haley laughed bitterly. “Seriously? It’ll give him a reason
to kill us both.”

“Then let’s go on and do it. We can go to Vegas, spend a few
days in a hotel doing nothing but ordering room service and making love. No
Dooley kids around to interrupt us. Just you ’n me naked in a hotel room. We
won’t even tell until we get back. Then we can have one hell of a party and
invite the whole town.”

Haley cocked her head. “Just the two of us, naked in a hotel
room?”

“Absolutely.” He paused for a heartbeat. “We’ll make the
reservations after we’re sure Conner and Geronimo are okay. We can stay
anywhere you want.”

“Two whole days.” It came out on a sigh. “We could sleep in
a tent for all I care. Just so long as you’re there with me.”

Damn if he didn’t believe her. Wyatt’s heart swelled with
love for the woman sitting beside him. Then and there he made up his mind to
give her a wedding she’d never forget. Even if it was a quickie.

“I’ll make the reservations.”

Haley nodded. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure, sweet pea. This is one fight your pa ain’t gonna
win.”

“Okay then. Now all we need is Conner to be all right and I
need to call Holden.”

“What for?”

“To have him write me up a will. I aim to see to it that my
daddy won’t ever get his hands on the One-Eyed Jack.”

* * * * *

“And you don’t think any of your hands could have had
something to do with the snakes in the barn?” Lloyd Mattson walked with Haley
as she paced the floor in the emergency room. Finally, he reached out and
grasped her arm. “Ms. Kilpatrick, I really need you to focus, ma’am.”

Haley looked at the man, startled. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I asked if you thought any of the men on the One-Eyed Jack
could have had a hand in dumping those snakes in your stud’s stall.”

“I…no.” She gave her head a firm shake. “All of them worked
there before, for Aunt Jack. Wyatt trusts them and if he says they’re loyal, I
believe him. Besides, if Winslow was watching, he’d know that besides me, only
Wyatt, Connor and Dooly handle Geronimo, Wyatt, Conner and Dooley. Conner
already told you that Winslow threatened him after admitting he’d killed that
girl. No better place to dump those snakes than the one place he’d be
guaranteed to get at least one of his three targets.”

Mattson scratched the back of his neck. “I reckon so but I’m
gonna run a check on your employees all the same. I got a deputy out there
talking to them now and I’ll be needing to speak with your brother once he’s
able. You’re sure you or Wyatt didn’t see or hear anything?”