Dinner with the Blakemores (The Blakemore Files Book 5) (7 page)

While Saxton was rubbing down Longshot, Lucy showed everyone to their rooms.  Odessa pulled her mother-in-law to the side. “Ms. Lucy, my father has a bad hip. Is there a room downstairs for my parents?”

Lucy waved her hand. “Oh, pooh, girl!  You do know we have an elevator!”  Lucy pulled Big Sarge into it as everyone else climbed the grand staircase. Odessa reached the landing and could feel the tug at her lower belly. 
Maybe I need to take the damned elevator, too
. Each day, the changes in her body were dictating the limitations of her condition. She rubbed her tummy. “Mommy is tired, baby.  You are taking a lot out of me.”

Lucy stepped from the elevator at the end of the hall, dragging Big Sarge behind her. The three bedrooms on the right side of the hallway were open, fresh, and ready for their new guest.  What was new was the nursery.  Odessa’s eyes were wide as Lucy opened the door next to Saxton’s room.  “We haven’t had a nursery up here in years.  I was so excited. I had Dusty get started on it.  I am just waiting for you to pick out patterns and wallpaper this week, so we can have it done!”

The giddiness of Lucy was new.  Her mother-in-law not having a drink in her hand was also something new.  Her exuberance was contagious.  Even Dora was pulled into it. “Odessa, this is exciting.  Have you even finished the nursery in your own home?”

In truth, she had not given it much thought, nor had Saxton put any effort into it, because in her heart, she knew, her husband was going to have to come home at some point.  It seemed as if he was waiting for the right time to tell her, just as she was waiting for the right time to tell Ryanne how her life was going to change.

“Well, don’t just stand around, y’all!  There is a kitchen full of good food to eat, stories to tell, and a baby shower to plan for tomorrow!” Lucy exclaimed.

Odessa was still standing in the door of the nursery.
I am going to be a mother
. She absentmindedly rubbed her tummy.
In that chair is where I will nurse and sing to you
. Tears welled in her eyes as her brother and sister both flanked her; Kevin’s arm around her shoulder and Ryanne’s arm around her waist. It was Kevin who spoke first. “I am going to be the world’s best uncle.”

“And I am going to be the world’s best aunt,” Ryanne added.

Her head still low, and fingers on her tummy, Odessa said through her sniffles, “I am going to be the world’s best mom.”

Saxton arrived at the top of the stairs, winded but anxious to speak to his wife. “Yes.  You will be, Mrs. Blakemore,” he said as he leaned against the wall. He grinned at them. “Guys, give me a few minutes to get showered and changed and I will give you a tour of the ranch,” he told Kevin and Ryanne as he took Odessa by the hand.

In the privacy of the bedroom, behind closed doors, he kneeled in front of his wife and kissed her belly. “I know it was only a couple of days, but it felt like forever.  I have gotten so spoiled lying down each night beside you, and waking up to you each morning….”

Odessa’s fingers ran through his hair. “Saxton, are we ready for this?”

“We are as ready as we will ever be,” he told her.

“Your mom is working on the nursery….”

It was the way he exhaled that made her pause. “Odessa….  At some point, I have to come home.  My family will live in this house.  Our children will grow up on Blakemore land, eat Blakemore beef, and learn how to take care of the earth as we pull from it Blakemore oil. I was sitting in a saddle before I could even walk on my own….”

His eyes beseeched hers for understanding.  “I didn’t want the company.  I succeeded that to my brother, but the ranch … I am the heir to all of this….”

His hand rubbed her stomach.

Odessa understood it all. “And he is the heir apparent?”

Saxton rarely discussed his family, or the details of why he left home.  She was never clear on what he was running from, but figured in time he would tell her. “Belva can’t have children,” he said softly.  There was something in his eyes that she could not read.

“And Connard?  He will produce Blakemore heirs as well, right?” she asked him.

Saxton shook his head no, then thought about it and shrugged.

Odessa didn’t understand.

“I thought he and his wife were planning to have some children this year?” Odessa said to her husband who had turned away.  He was pulling socks and undies from his chest of drawers, which meant he was shifting the energy in the room and closing the conversation.

“Saxton, what are you not telling me?”

He turned to her. “Well … his wife is his beard.”

She knew it took a lot for him to admit that to her, as if he was breaking his brother’s confidence. Odessa moved the conversation on to another subject. “…And what are you not telling me about Dwight?”

It wasn’t random. He knew it wasn’t random. “Your sister’s bullet didn’t kill him.”

Odessa stood up from the bed. “Then who did?”

“No one knows. His heart stopped.  Some people in the hospital mentioned a dude playing a guitar, but the funny thing is, no one can remember what he looks like,” Saxton told her.

They both knew what it meant. A new player had entered the game and was cleaning up loose ends.  It was going to be important for Ryanne to start talking and tell them why she shot her husband. 

What did she learn that she was also not telling them that could be the difference between life and a quick death?

In the middle of the night, cries could be heard from down the hall.  Neither Odessa nor Saxton were heavy sleepers and both were up with weapons drawn, bullets seated in the chamber, as they tiptoed down the hall, following the muffled cries. Initially they both thought it was Ryanne finally letting go of the pain, but it came from the room her parents were sharing.

Saxton tapped lightly at the door.  It was opened by a much-frazzled Dora, who looked like she had been put through the ringer. Odessa asked, “Mom, what’s wrong?”

Dora pointed to Big Sarge who was prostrate on the bed, moaning. “Sir,” Saxton said. “Are you in pain?  Do I need to call for a doctor?”

Big Sarge flopped over to his back. He had been crying.  In all her life, Odessa had never seen her father cry. He was rolling back and forth on the bed.

“Daddy, please tell us what is wrong?” She begged of her father.  He wiped away his tears, as he struggled to sit up on the bed, but gave up and plopped back down.  “I stepped on a live mine coming down the
Ho Chi Minh
Trail in Nam. I took shrapnel in my side and still carried my buddy five miles, uphill both ways, to safety. And today I am going to die from a distended asshole from eating that woman’s chili!”

Big Sarge grabbed at Saxton’s gun. He cried out, “Kill me.  Make this pain stop.”  A loud gurgle could be heard from his belly as he scrambled to get to his feet.  Saxton hoisted him off the bed and half carried the man to the bathroom door.

“Dear Lawd!” They heard Big Sarge yell as his stomach gurgled while his bowels released a puff of methane followed by a sound that Odessa had experienced herself when she ate Grandma Patsy’s chili.

Dora stared at the wall, mumbling, “I told that old fool not to eat that damned chili.  You know your father, he loves a challenge.”

That was not the only challenge they were going to face in the next few days.

Wednesday morning was full of hustle and bustle. The baby shower was going to be at 1 pm and Lucy was barking orders like a mad woman.  The meat had arrived for Thanksgiving and the kitchen was in chaos.  Saxton grabbed Kevin, Jr., by the back of the shirt, told him to grab a jacket, and to follow him.  Bobby Joe was leading the way. 

Dora and Big Sarge were sleeping in after the night of pain, which left Odessa to talk to Ryanne at the kitchen table.

“Ryanne, we have not talked about what happened that night,” Odessa opened the conversation.

“And we don’t need to … not today, not tomorrow, not ever,” she told her sister as she sipped at her tea.

Odessa had to break the news to her. “I understand that it must be painful for you….”

Ryanne’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh do you really?”

“If I am pissed off enough to put a bullet in a man, or it has come to the point I have to put a bullet in a man, then yes, I do understand.  Either it was your life at stake or he just didn’t deserve to live. But, you didn’t kill him, Ryanne, so there is something you are not saying,” Odessa said to her with some serious concern.

It was true.  The wound was still too raw and she was not about to tell her sister such horrific news.  Not today.  Today was all about the baby and Odessa’s shower.  She would not ruin it for her.

“Ryanne, it is important that you talk to me,” Odessa said it more firmly this time.

“No. It is not.  I don’t want to hear another word about that man.  I wish he would just die and be gone from my life forever!” she said through gritted teeth.

Odessa took her hand. “Ryanne …”

As sisters, they were always able to communicate with each other without saying too much.  Ryanne always had her head in a book whereas Odessa was always following her father about until Kevin was born and able to toddle around. There were very few secrets between the sisters.  Never had they fought over a boyfriend or clothing as they were very different people who did not have the same interest in clothes or men.

“Something bigger is at play here and if you know something, it may be best to tell us what happened.  What made you shoot him…?” Odessa asked.

“What do you mean something bigger may be at play?” Ryanne wanted to know.

Her lips were pursed as she exhaled, still gripping her sister’s hands. “It’s Dwight.”

Ryanne snatched her hands away. “What about him?”

Odessa shook her head no.

No meant a great deal of things in the world of finance.  A head shaking in that manner could mean the stock market has crashed and everything you had was gone.  It could mean that the investment you made did not pay off.  It could mean so many things.

“Are you telling me my husband is dead?” Ryanne asked.

Odessa reached for her hands again, hoping to give her sister strength, but Ryanne rose and took the plates to the sink.  A lady in a housekeeper’s outfit took the dishes from her shaking hands.  Odessa rose to follow, but Lucy came into the kitchen, still barking commands.

“Odessa, I need you to drive Mama to the bank, then over to the mercantile, please. Now! Chop chop!” Lucy said as she pulled Odessa up from the chair. “Here, take my car.”  She placed the keys to the red Cadillac in their hands.

“Hurry up and get back here soon,” Lucy commanded as Odessa followed Grandma Patsy out the back door.

Lucy looked at Ryanne. “And you.  Stop moping about and come over here and lend me a hand getting the drawing room set up for the shower today.  You will be in charge of helping your sister open gifts and the like.”

Ryanne didn’t argue, but set about doing the tasks she was assigned.  Just like the good girl she was.  Always doing as she should.  Always doing as she was told.  Go to college.  Find a nice man.  Get married.

I am a fucking widow. Yet in Odessa’s world I am nothing more than an accessory, a convenience.
There was a frustration building in Ryanne.  So much had happened in such a short time that it seemed as if her brain was starting to fizzle out.  Just get through this stupid shower and Thanksgiving.

That’s all I need. 

One day at a time, Ryanne
.

Courage and grace, Ryanne. 

Courage and grace
.

It was 9 am and the men were in the stables, saddling up for a mid-morning ride. Today would be Kevin, Jr.’s first riding lesson.  Dusty Blakemore brought out the chestnut colored mare for the young man to ride.  The horse was looking at Kevin and he was looking at the horse. Neither seemed too fond of the other.

Uncle Dusty was nothing like his brother, Bobby Ray.  He was more like the anorexic comedic version.  He too stood at six-foot-two, had the same dark features, black hair with deep brown eyes, but he weighed almost 60 pounds less.  Bobby Ray was more pragmatic in his approach to life, whereas Dusty could see humor in any situation.  He watched Kevin closely as he moved to the horse, hesitantly reaching for the mane, touching the hair, allowing it to run through his fingers.

Dusty clucked his tongue and the horse turned, startling Kevin. “Damn it, son, you aren’t asking it out on a date.  I mean you’re going to give her a ride and a good work out, but it’s not as if she is going to call you later!”

Kevin was almost blushing. “I know.  She is just so big.  Do you have anything smaller I could ride?”

“Sure thing,” Dusty told him.  He walked away only to return with a Shetland pony. “Either you ride that mare or this little gal here, but whichever way, you are going to need a set of balls to put in the saddle.  Do you need to go and get yours from your suitcase?”

“Sir…” Kevin started to say to him.

Dusty held up his hand. “Don’t sir me … most of the time I am elbow deep in horseshit, cow shit, or my brother’s shit.  Life is short.  Get your ass up on that horse, give it everything you have and if you hate it, then so be it.  But at least you tried, you did it, and you have a story to tell to the fellas back in the dorms.”

Kevin could not argue with that logic as he mounted up and Dusty led the horse around the stables to where Saxton and Bobby Ray were waiting to start the morning ride.  The men were quiet as they rode over the land toward the back stretch of the ranch.  A few calves had wandered down too far and Saxton began to round them up and move them back towards the main herd.  The smell was too much for Kevin who started to gag.  Once he started to heave, the horse could sense something was wrong, became skittish, and reared up.  Bobby Ray, quick as a flash was behind Kevin, catching him and throwing him across his lap on the saddle.  The horse, who seem to have had his fill of the untrained rider, had run off back to the stables.

“Son, I hope you have better hands with women,” Bobby Ray said as they turned back towards the main house, cutting the ride short.  Kevin was still slung across his lap, face down on Bobby Ray’s big sorrel-colored horse.

Bobby Ray looked over at Saxton.  “…And you.  You never said to your mama or me why you just popped up all of a sudden. What is going on?”

Saxton smiled when he answer his father, “I missed you.”

“Ain’t buying it.  What is going on with you, son?” Bobby Ray asked again.

His dad was a no-nonsense kind of man.  Beating around the bush only pissed him off, so Saxton came at him straightforward. “I was a shitty kid and an even worse teenager.  Through all of it, you never faltered or changed how much you loved me or backing me up even when you know I did wrong.  Now, I am about to be a father.” He got quiet as the house came into view, the weight of the size of it no longer scaring him.

“Dad, I can only hope to be as good of a father to my children as you have been to us,” he said.

It was a rare moment when Bobby Ray showed emotion, but today he was choked up. “I only wanted my children to be happy.  I am never sure if you are … Belva … Connard …” He choked up more when he said Connard’s name.

“He can be happy, Dad, if you hadn’t forced him to marry.” Saxton said this out loud.  It was one of the things he had wanted to say to his father for years.

“If he didn’t, he would be excommunicated from the church and go to Hell for his life choices,” Bobby Ray said.

Kevin, still face down on the horse, lifted his head. “Sir, if we all went to Hell for our life choices and poor decision making, there would be no one in Heaven.”

“That may be true young man, but the Church is not as forgiving,” Bobby Ray said to them both.

“Sir, the Church can’t get you into Heaven, it is what is in your heart that will.  Besides,” Kevin said as he slid off the saddle. “You stop sending them checks every month, the Church will see things your way.”

Bobby Ray stopped and looked down at him.  Kevin was smiling.

“Does Connard go to church on a regular basis and is he active in the church’s ministry?” Kevin asked.

Both Saxton and Bobby Ray were shaking their heads no.

“Well it seems like you are keeping up appearances for someone who doesn’t really care what those people think, especially since he has nothing to do with them,” Kevin dusted off his shirt. “I’ll walk back to the house, Sir. If Dusty asks what happened, tell him I went to find my other set of balls. This pair is hurting.”

Saxton sat watching Kevin walking away.  Bobby Ray watched him waddling back to the house. He spoke to his son, “He seems like an interesting young man.”

“You have no idea, Dad,” Saxton said. His brother-in-law had really grown up in the past few months.  He had seen Kevin exhibit courage when it was needed and grace as he helped others.  The young man was a rare breed.  Saxton was proud to be related to him, even if it was by marriage.