Dorothy Garlock (18 page)

“You can't make me mad today. I've had bumps for a long time. You've just never noticed.” She thumped him on the chest with her fist and threw her arms around his neck. “I've been homesick, Joe.”

“So have I, brat, ”he said and hugged her again. “Were you surprised to see Thad? I knew he'd look after you until I got here.”

“Thad? Oh, Radna and Aunt Justine think that he's as handy as a pocket on a shirt. The problem is, he thinks I'm still fourteen.”

Joe's eyes swept over her again. “I doubt that. Huh, Thad? ”

“She definitely does not look like she did at fourteen. I remember how skinny she was. She was waspish then, too.”

“Thad Taylor, you hush up.” Jill lifted her chin and spoke again to her brother. “I'm eager for Aunt Justine to see you. Everyone back home says that you look just like Papa did when he was young.”

“Eat breakfast first.” Radna plopped the pan of biscuits down on the table. “While you're eating, I'll get her ready. Give me the key, Thad.”

“Ready for what? ”Joe asked. “And what's this about a key? ”

“Ready to meet her handsome nephew. What else? ”Radna had to tilt her head to look up at him. “Justine's got pride she hasn't used yet. She was a damn good-looking woman in her day. She'd not want you to see her until she's made presentable. Thad will tell you about the key.”

After putting a cup of coffee, a couple of buttered biscuits and a jar of strawberry jam on a tray, Radna prepared to leave the room.

“Come on, Princess Laughing Water, ”Thad said. “I'll open the door for you.”

Radna giggled. “Some day, Thad Taylor, a woman is going to tie you in knots.”

“I think you're right, princess.”

Joe looked at his sister and lifted his brows.

“She likes him. Aunt Justine dotes on him, ”Jill said.

Joe introduced Jill to Blue, who had been standing quietly behind his chair during their reunion.

“Blue, in case you haven't guessed, this is my little sis. I've got two more at home. She's the middle one.” He threw an arm around Jill. “Brat, when we first came out here, green from the farm, this fella saved my bacon, and Thad's, more than once.”

“How do you do? ”Jill held out her hand. “Thanks for being a friend to these two know-it-all country boys from Missouri. I know it hasn't been easy.”

“Hello, lady. It isn't so bad now that they've had some sense knocked into them.”

“You'll have to tell me about it. While I was growing up, they sometimes teased me until I cried. I need new information to hold over their heads.”

“I never did. It was Joe.” Thad came back into the room as she finished speaking.

“It was you, too, Thad Taylor. Don't try to deny it.”

“Blue, tell her about the fat girl who had a crush on Joe and set up camp near the well where we were working and how the men razzed him about his bucket of lard.” Thad cocked a knowing grin at Joe and pulled out a chair for Jill to sit down.

“If he does, I'll tell about how dumb you were to pay two dollars for a bottle of bootleg whiskey. When you discovered it was a bottle of well water, you jumped four roughnecks to get your money back and 'bout got your guts stomped out. You would've, too, if me and Blue hadn't taken pity on you.”

“Tell her, Blue, ”Thad said, “how you and I saved him from getting his head cracked open when he got into a fight with a driller who called him a stupid Missouri jackass because he let a pulley slip and ruin forty feet of casing.”

“He called me more than that. But I fought him because he said he hadn't met a Missourian yet that was worth the powder it would take to blow out what few brains he had. That made me mad! I could have handled him, too, but when his two buddies jumped in — ”

“Well, I can see that you and I will have some interesting conversations, ”Jill said to Blue as she passed him the biscuits.

“Be careful what you tell her, Blue, she's been known to make a mountain out of a molehill.” Joe smiled fondly at his sister. He couldn't get over how pretty she was.

“Excuse me, Miss Jones.” Lloyd Madison stood in the doorway. “I'm sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but would you tell the cleaning lady to leave me a towel? ”

“There's a roller towel in your room, Mr. Madison, and the bath towel was left on the table in the hall at your request.” Jill spoke briskly and not at all kindly.

“It wasn't there.”

“It was. I made sure of it.”

“Well… it could be that one of the other hotel guests took it.” Lloyd's eyes were going from Joe to the Indian sitting at the table. He came forward and held his hand out to Joe. “You must be Jill's brother. I heard that you were coming. Lloyd Madison, attorney at law, and temporary guest in your aunt's hotel.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Joe stood up and shook hands.

“Your aunt has been looking forward to your coming and will be pleased that you're here. She isn't well, you know. The doctor says she has creeping paralysis. I'm glad you got here while she is still coherent.”

“I knew that she wasn't well.”

“What in blazes — ”Jill started to speak but was cut off by Lloyd speaking to Joe.

“You've been working down near Bartlesville and Ponca City.”

“Among other places.”

“A good friend of mine has a field at Ponca City. I hear it's really producing. Perhaps you know my friend. His name is E. W. Marland.”

“Heard of him.”

“Almost everyone in Oklahoma has. He's the founder of Continental Oil Company. If you decide to go back down there, I'll send a letter — ”

“Excuse me, Mr. Madison, ”Jill interrupted, a look of pure hostility on her face. “Joe's breakfast is getting cold.”

“I'm sorry, Jill. Truly I am. I'm interested in Joe's opinion of the field, since he just came from there. Glad to have met you, Joe. We'll have to get together again. I'm eager for news of E.W I'll let you folks get to your breakfast. I've things to attend to at the office.”

As soon as Lloyd left the room, Jill sputtered, “Of all the nerve! ”

Thad got up and went to the door to look down the hall. When he returned and sat down, Joe gave him a quizzical look.

“What's that all about? ”

“That
will take some telling.” Thad shook his head in a silent signal while Jill was looking away from him.

“He's got the mark of the devil on his face. I've only seen it one time before, ”Blue remarked.

“It doesn't bother him a bit, ”Jill said heatedly. “I think he's proud of it.”

“What's this about Aunt Justine? Is she crazy or something? ”

“She's no more crazy than you and I. She wants us to lock the door to her room to keep
him
out. She's scared to death of him.”

“Why? ”Joe paused in putting gravy on his biscuits.

Jill waited for Thad to answer. “We don't know why …yet.”

“So much has happened. I don't know where to start.” Again Jill looked to Thad.

“Let them meet your aunt first, then we'll tell them as much as we know.”

“More coffee? ”Jill asked.

“I'll get it, honey.” Thad put his hand on Jill's shoulder to press her down in the chair. He got up, carried the coffeepot from the stove and filled the cups.

Honey? Not brat or squirt or tadpole? Not Jilly Justine?
Joe looked down at his plate and tried not to grin.
Holy hockey! Thad has fallen for my little sister.

Chapter 12

J
USTINE WAS SITTING IN THE CHAIR
beside the window when Jill and Joe came into her room. Her hair was combed back from her face and she had on a thin blue robe trimmed in white lace. Radna had helped her to look as nice as possible for the meeting with her nephew. Thad had carried her to the chair and then he and Radna had left the room.

“Oh, my. Oh, my.” It was all Justine could say when she saw Joe. Her eyes teared. “Come let me look at you. You're the spittin 'image of Jethro the last time I saw him.”

“Hello, Aunt Justine.” Joe squatted down beside the chair and took the limp hand that lay in her lap in both of his. “I'm told I look like my pa. It makes me proud. He's the best man I know.”

“Seeing you brings back so many memories. Jethro was handsome and the girls were wild about him. It almost killed him when he lost Jane. Is he happy now? ”

“I'm sure he is. Eudora, his wife, fits right into the family. The kids all like her or Pa wouldn't have married her.”

“I'm glad he found someone. It's lonesome being alone. I'm glad you're here, Joe.”

“I'm glad, too, Aunt Justine. We'll stay just as long as you can put up with us.”

“I'm so grateful to have some of my family with me.” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Now, now, don't cry, ”Joe said soothingly. “I regret that we didn't come sooner.”

“Did you hear about the girl that was murdered here? ”

“It was in the papers. That's one of the reasons why Blue and I hotfooted it right up here.”

“Radna said you had a friend with you.”

“Yes. Thad and I met him a few years ago.”

“I'm worried about Jill being here in this rough town. I shouldn't have asked Jethro to send her. I just wasn't thinking straight.”

“Don't worry. Blue and I are here now. No one's going to hurt our little sister, you or Radna.”

“Thad's been sleeping in the hall outside our doors.”

Joe chuckled. “A man'd be a fool to tangle with Thad. When he's got his back up, he's mean as a gunnysack full of rattlers.”

“I can believe that, ”Jill said, thinking of the gang he was willing to tackle the night he arrived.

“Room number three has two beds, Jill. Put Joe and his friend there. They'll be near.”

“We're not going to put you out, Aunt Justine. Blue and I can pay — ”

“I'll not hear of it! Thad'll not pay, either. You're my family and this is my home. I don't give a damn if this hotel makes any more money or not.” She looked up at Jill. “I'm going to have to lie down. I can't stay up as long as I used to.”

“Do you want me to get Thad, or will you let Joe take you to bed? ”

Joe stood up. “What do I do? ”

“Pick her up and carry her.”

“Well, what do you know? I've not carried a pretty lady to bed in a long time.”

“You rascal. That sounds like something Jethro would have said.”

Joe carefully scooped his aunt up in his arms, carried her to her bed and gently placed her on it.

“Thank you, Joe.”

“You're very welcome.”

“Jill has been awfully good to me. I feel guilty that I never did anything for Jethro's children when they were young.”

“We got along just fine.”

Jill moved her aunt's hands to her chest and pulled the sheet up over her legs.

“Would you like to sit up straighter? ”At her nod, Jill said to Joe, “Put your hands beneath her arms and lift her. I'll put some pillows behind her.”

When it was done, Joe went to the door. “I'll be back in later, Aunt.”

“Make yourself at home. Lordy, I wish I was able to show you around. Rainwater was a nice little town — before the gushers.”

After Joe left, Justine's eyes caught Jill's. “Is
he
gone? ”she whispered. Jill knew that the
he
was Lloyd Madison.

“He left about an hour ago.”

“Tell Joe to be careful of him.” Her eyes pleaded. “He'll hurt him if he can.”

“He came in while we were eating breakfast and talked to Joe about the oil field down at Ponca City. He said that one of the owners was a friend of his.”

“Bull-foot! Don't believe a word he says. He's warped.”

“Aunt Justine! ”Jill chided gently. “How do you know that? He couldn't be warped and be a lawyer. I'll admit that he irritates me, but that doesn't mean that he's — ”

“Evil. Believe me, Jill. He's evil, conniving and…dangerous.” She closed her eyes and said, “You stick close to Thad and Joe. Don't let him get you alone.”

“Thad told him that I was his girl. That took some of the wind out of his sails.” Jill giggled softly.

“He hates me.” The words came softly.

“Are you sure, Aunt Justine? I can't think of what you could have done to cause him to hate you.”

“He does. He's just waiting for his chance to get even.” Justine's eyes remained closed. “Leave the door open when you leave. If you should see it closed, get Joe and Thad.
He
will have closed it.”

“Don't worry. Thad's at the desk. If he comes in, Thad will keep an eye on him. I locked the upper door. If he comes into the hotel, he's got to come by the front desk and we'll know it.”

Justine's eyes opened. “I'll be kind of glad when it's over, ”she said tiredly, and her eyes sought the picture of her husband on the bureau.

“You don't mean …? ”

“It's exactly what I mean. When it happens, promise me that you'll leave here with Thad and Joe. Go home, Jill. Bernie Shepard, my lawyer, will handle things here.”

“Don't talk about that, Aunt.”

“I've got to talk about it. It's inevitable. Promise.”

“Of course I promise. There wouldn't be a reason for me to stay.” Jill bent and kissed her aunt's smooth forehead. “Get some rest. One of us will be within calling distance at all times.”

Jill left the room and went to the lobby, where Thad was tying up the long ends of the sweet potato vine that almost filled one of the side windows.

“The roots of this thing have filled a gallon jar and it keeps on growing.”

“We always had one of those at home, but it never got this big.”

“I remember. One time Joe and I got to scuffling and turned over the jar it was in. Julie ripped into us because water went all over the parlor carpet. There, that's done. The newspaper is here. Want to look at it with me? ”

“Anything in it about…the woman? ”

“No. They're still looking for the rest of her. Hunter Westfall has offered a hundred-dollar reward, so you can bet there are men out there looking.”

“Aunt Justine is scared of Mr. Madison, ”Jill blurted. “I don't know what to do to ease her mind.”

“Did Joe talk to her? ”

“Not about that.”

Thad took her hand and drew her behind the counter. “What do
you
think of him? ”

“He's nice enough … at times. But he gives me a creepy feeling. It's like he's a cat and we're mice and he's playing with us.”