Jesse's Brother (18 page)

Jesse’s eyes were glued to the photograph he held in his hand, his mouth opened in disbelief. Was he seeing correctly? Did he have too much to drink? He blinked his eyes and forced himself to look at the man kissing Samantha.

A sudden burning sensation rushed through his veins like boiling water; so hot, he thought he’d explode. He tore the picture into tiny pieces, opened his hand and watched them scatter like confetti onto the floor.

Joe sat quietly, seemingly mesmerized. “What’s wrong?”

Jesse tried to speak, but the words got caught in the back of his throat. He opened his mouth, then shut it again, and stood staring out the window into space. A muscle flickered on his tightened jaw. Shocked beyond belief, he began to pace back and forth, rubbing his hand through his thick hair. If anything was going to sober him, this was it.

“Jesse, talk to me.” Joe rose to his feet and came up beside him. “Do you know this guy?”

Jesse kicked the scattered pieces with the toe of his shoe, and snorted like a bull. “Yes. I know the son of a bitch. He’s my brother.” He kicked a few more pieces, then stood by the window, staring, but not seeing anything. “Well, I won’t have it. He can’t have the woman I love… and I’ll make sure of that.”

“Want him taken care of, Jess?” That was why he loved the toothless man. Joe was the “do it all” kind of guy.

“No. I don’t think we need to do anything so extreme. You let me take care of this. That son of a bitch is going to get it where it hurts the most.” He twisted his mouth into an evil grin as he tapped his finger against his chest directly above his heart. “Right here.”

“What’s that mean?”

“A few years ago, I convinced my father to let me take a case because I knew my brother wouldn’t stand for it. I couldn’t tolerate his self-righteous ways anymore and I wanted him away from us. When my parents took my side, he disowned the whole family, as I had known he would.”

“Good for you, Jess.” Joe formed a big smile. He looked away in disgust.

 
“Now I’m going to take his girlfriend.” Jesse picked up a pen and scribbled a note to himself,
present for Joe: a new set of teeth
.

“Lovin’ it, Jess, but how you doin’ that?”

“Money overrides love, Joe. Samantha’s no different than the others. In the end she’ll pick the good life.”

“Let’s drink to that.” The two men clinked their glasses and downed the alcohol.

CHAPTER 22

“Where is Samantha? She had plans with someone else last night, won’t answer her phone today, missed our lunch date and now she isn’t home,” Noah said to no one in particular as he lowered himself down on the small sofa and twisted the hoop earring. “Have I done something to upset her?”

He glanced at the cellphone on the table next to the TV and fought the temptation to call her again. He’d already called four times. She’d think he was crazy.

“Leave her alone,” he said out loud.

Blue squawked in response.

“She’ll call me when she gets home. Right?” he asked the bird.

A knock on the door startled him. He wasn’t expecting anyone.
Was it her? He smiled. It had to be. Nobody else came to his trailer. He pulled the door open.

“We need to talk.”

* * * *

Samantha noticed an odd car in the driveway as soon as she turned the corner. Apprehension filled her at the sight as she pulled into her regular spot. Who could it be? Maybe one of her mother’s church friends?

If she had any luck at all, her mom would be entertaining somewhere out of sight, but she didn’t hold her hopes high. It seemed that her luck had run out a long time ago. All she wanted was a shower to wash off the remaining stale beer and get into some clean clothes before anyone could see her.

As soon as she clicked the front door shut behind her, she knew there was trouble. Trouble floated through the tension-filled air all around the house. Mom hustled from the living room. She must’ve been watching for her to arrive home.

“Come into the kitchen, Samantha,” she called over her shoulder. “Now!”

“Nope. I need a shower, then I’ll be down to talk to you.” She started up the stairs.

“I said now, Samantha!”

Once she heard her mother’s tone, she froze with her foot on the first step and her hand on the banister. She knew the tone. Mom meant business. Whatever was going on, it was big, bad and she was part of it. She walked into the kitchen and her heart dropped. She instantly knew what was taking place…the reason her mother was so riled up.

They were all gathered around the kitchen table. Noah had come in looking like he’d been relaxing at home in some shorts and a tank top. Samantha, Mom and Dad were there, plus Cousin Lucas. Everyone looked serious. Lucas had brought a newspaper with him and fiddled with it, indicating that whatever the family wanted to say, it wasn’t important to him.

Samantha crossed her arms over her chest and fought the urge to plug her nose. Could they smell her? If they could, it would make matters a whole lot worse. Her mother would blame Noah for it as well.

“Martin, why are we here? Doing this? I have more important things to do.” Mom folded her hands on the table.

“I’m getting old and tired. I can’t take care of the ranch any longer.”

“That’s great,” replied Lucas.

She shot him a dirty look as if to say “shut up”. Taking the look into consideration, Lucas leaned back and opened the paper to pretend to read.

“Thanks,” said Daddy with a sting of sarcasm. “But I’m going to let Noah buy half of the ranch.”

Lucas threw down the newspaper. His face was crimson and his eyes looked as if they were going to bulge out of their sockets.

Dad stared him straight in the eye but Mom looked down at the table. Both Noah and Samantha took turns glancing around the table at all of the emotional faces.

Lucas shot a glare over to Dad. “The farm should be mine!”

“But it isn’t, Lucas. You haven’t had any business with this ranch since you became of age to do it. Noah has been here. You haven’t.”

Lucas shook his head. “The only other person who should be entitled to it would be Samantha. However, she’s a woman and women have no business running a farm. I’m the only male in the family so therefore it’s mine. You’re my uncle.”

“I don’t care if I’m your uncle. Noah has been there more for me than you ever thought of. Family is more than an occasional discount at your hardware store.”

Mom stood up from the table. She put her hands on her ample hips and turned to Dad.

“The land should be Lucas’s. It would only be right.” Mom smiled at Lucas and then pointed her stubby finger an inch from Noah’s face. “He’s nobody to us.”

“Noah and I already signed the papers to be partners with this farm. None of you can change that now.”

“What! The only reason you’re doing this is because he’s fornicating with our daughter!”

“This deal between Daddy and Noah has nothing to do with me,” Samantha said, shaking her head.

“She’s right. I decided this before Sammy even got here,” Dad insisted.

“This family is going stark raving mad.” Mom paced across the kitchen floor. “First she leaves for college, Noah is here, now she’s coming home with the stench of alcohol all over her and now partners?” She almost spit last word out at the group of people at the table.

“Yes,” said Noah holding up the legal document. “Partners until he passes away, then I become sole owner of the farm.”

“Reverse it now!” screamed Mom. She tried to snatch the legal agreement away from Noah. He pulled it out of her reach in time.

“No!” Dad shouted back at her.

“Reverse it now, Martin, or I’m leaving you. I don’t want that hooligan being part of the family and around our daughter.”

“Then leave me, Frances. Our daughter loves him, so it’s a little bit too late for threats.”

Mom looked as if she had bitten into a lemon. She spun on her heel and stomped out of the kitchen. No one said a word over the stomping as she angrily mounted the stairs, and slammed the bedroom door with such force, the house echoed.

“This is bullshit.” Lucas broke the silence around the table.

She looked at her cousin, her childhood friend. They never talked anymore but had been playmates most of their life. She’d always admired his seriousness and thought it would be Lucas who went off to college. His glasses and dark brown hair were so different then hers.

“I think it’s time for you to leave, Lucas,” Dad said forcefully.

“You’re really willing to give up your marriage so this guy can have the farm? I don’t think it’s right,” Lucas said.

Dad stood, towering over Lucas. “What happens with my marriage or my farm is none of your business. Leave my home right now.”

Everyone in the kitchen flinched at the boom of Dad’s voice. Lucas jumped up from the kitchen chair as if it had ignited. He almost ran to the back door.

“I’m sorry for all the trouble this is causing your family,” Noah said softly once Lucas was gone.

Mom was still stomping around on the second level.

“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing is right, so there’s nothing to be sorry about.”

She wanted to go upstairs to get a shower, but she sat there. How did her father feel about her mother leaving? Did he even care? He didn’t look like it. She slid her hand into Noah’s and entwined her fingers with his. It felt so natural, so right.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think Mom will really leave you?”

“Yes. I think she will,” he said with a sigh while glancing up at the ceiling that vibrated with her stomping.

“Are you upset about it?”