Chapter Twenty-Two
Water came in, fast rushing down,
The canyon’s craggy sides,
The True Love ran to higher ground,
But there’s no place to hide.
Lyrics from the folk song “Crossroads Coyote”
“Explain to me why I had Johnny on the phone at midnight, screaming his head off about you marrying my sister.”
Bill made a considering face. “Probably ‘cause you haven’t blocked his number yet. Now me? I did that within two days of knowin’ John.”
He might block Hank’s number too, come to think of it. The sheriff clearly viewed Bill as a troublemaker. That dark gaze had somehow penetrated Bill’s skull, peering into his brain and not liking what he saw. No doubt he planned to monitor Bill’s every activity from now on.
That just wasn’t gonna work for Bill.
He stepped outta line quite a bit, so existing under Hank’s watchful eye would necessitate listening to the man’s complaints every hour of the day. Nothin’ else would ever get done. Bill didn’t much care to talk to anyone except Clem, so having Hank calling him up with endless accusations sounded downright exhausting.
Bill was a newlywed! Much too busy to be dealing with every little thing weighing on Hank’s mind. In fact, he’d only picked up when Clem’s brother called him because he figured Hank would provide a distraction from his own thoughts.
Sleeping with Clem last night had been world-altering.
Maybe it was only “eighty-nine percent perfect” to her, but for him it had been like having his heart ripped out of his chest and placed right in her dainty hands. And coyotes weren’t supposed to have fucking hearts!
With her, he felt strong and protected. Energized and replete. Lost and found. He wanted to be inside her all day, every day, until the universe stopped spinning. He wasn’t sure he could ever go back to not having his wife in his bed.
That scared the shit out of him.
“Did you marry Clem?” Hank demanded.
“Yep.”
“Fuck.”
“For the sake of our new fraternal relationship, I’m gonna pretend you just told me ‘congratulations’.” Bill decided.
He was on his way to yet another job interview, this time at Buffalo Roam Ranch. He’d prefer to be playing guitar all day, but working on Buffalo Roam wouldn’t be a hardship. It was the prettiest piece of land he ever did see.
The ranch was a huge, private estate, owned by some old cattle baron. It was situated away from Red River Valley’s bustling center, near the open range. Trees grew everywhere, which must have cost a fortune to maintain in the desert climate, but Bill knew Clem would sure like them. She wanted a house with trees.
Just for a second, Bill pictured owning this property. The peacefulness of the ranch seeped into his bones, feeling righter than anything had before, except his claim on Clementine.
“Un-fucking-believable.” Hank wasn’t in the mood to bond. “She actually married you? I swear to God, if I find out that you’re scamming my baby sister, just so you can get yourself a muse…”
“I’m not.” Bill interrupted, impatiently shaking off his fantasies of having a beautiful home for his beautiful wife. “I want Clem, because she’s Clem .”
“You’d better be telling me the truth. Because if you intend to cause her one second of unhappiness, you’ll be ending your days in a windowless cell underneath my damn house, chained to a wall, and crying for the pain to stop.”
Bill’s eyebrows rose at that graphic threat. “Well, I’m a fortunate man then, aren’t I? I don’t have to worry about your home-dungeon, since my only intention is to be happily married to Clementine for all of ever-after.”
Hank ignored that assurance. It sounded like he was rustling through papers. “I spent hours investigating you. I can’t find any kind of criminal record or outstanding warrants. You’re usually employed. Not now , but usually. You pay your bills. No restraining orders from ex-girlfriends. No history of drinking or drugs. You seem clean enough.” He paused. “But I still don’t trust you.”
“Real shame you weren’t at the wedding, Sheriff. That could’ve been your best man’s speech.”
“Give me a single, solitary reason I should let my sister stay married to some broke, scheming, unemployed musician?”
“I have a lot of flaws.” Bill admitted, because he was an honest man by nature and because he respected Hank’s love for Clem. “But my commitment to Clementine ain’t one of them. You have my word that I will protect her to the very best of my ability. I will make sure she has her medicine, and enough food, and a place to sleep. Even if I have to do without, I will make sure she has it.”
Hank was silent, thinking that over.
“Clem is all that matters to me.” Bill went on. “I’m not her True Love, but that makes me all the more determined to keep her happy. I don’t want her to leave. I know she can do better than me and I know there is no better than her. That’s the God’s honest truth.”
Hank sighed, like he believed that promise and wished he didn’t.
“I got no quarrel with you, Sheriff. You just give me a chance and I’ll show you I can be a Good mate to your sister. I swear it.”
“I should’ve locked you up, when I had the chance.” Hank muttered in resignation.
That sounded like “welcome to the family” to Bill.
“Look on the bright side,” he urged, his mood rising, “I’m a better choice for a brother-in-law than John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmidt.”
“I could say the same about any man above ground.” Hank’s voice became less aggressive. “How the hell did you convince Clementine to marry you so fast, anyway?”
“It was all her idea, as a matter of fact. I was swept clean off my feet.”
Hank gave a skeptical scoff. “I suppose this terrible choice of hers is the reason she’s not answering my calls this morning. Is she hiding from me?”
“Nah, I accidentally broke her phone. I already picked her up a new one.”
He’d bought the nicest one in the general store. Maybe a gift would make her forget his small fight with the nightstand. Hopefully this job interview at the ranch went well, though. His financial stability was shakier by the day.
“You ‘accidentally’ broke Clem’s phone?” Hank repeated. “Funny, you don’t strike me as a man who has a lot of accidents. You seem very… intentional.”
“Well, I hung up on Johnny a mite harder than necessary.”
Hank snorted in reluctant amusement.
“In my defense, how receptive would you be if your bride’s former beau called her on your wedding night and wanted to chat?”
“Alright. You have a point there. Although, as much as you hate Johnny, I believe he hates you more.”
“Not possible.”
“He ranted at me for forty minutes last night about what a dirty liar you are and how you’re out to ruin his life. I got an earful about his recent misfortune. As much as I dislike the man, I do see a certain pattern developing.”
“Johnny being a fuckwit?”
“That too. But it occurs to me that since he fired Clementine, Johnny’s luck has taken a turn for the worse. He’s lost his muse, his gig at The Kitchen, his manager, his bass-banjo player, his reputation, half his fan base…”
“John brought all of that about himself, when he acted like a fuckwit.” Bill diagnosed philosophically.
“Did Johnny advertise his house as a vacation rental for ‘folks who want to live with a big-time music star’? Because he’s suddenly got tourists calling him up at all hours, wanting to book a night in Clem’s old bed. One of them has already moved in.”
“Well, he needs to find himself a roommate somehow .”
“Did Johnny call his own record label, strongly hinting that their lives would be in mortal peril if Clem didn’t get her fair share of the residuals from the Yellow Roses’ last album?”
“I sure hope he did. Sounds like the right thing to do.”
“Did Johnny forward Susannah Alabama the name of a sexual harassment lawyer who is literally a shark?”
“I support women, Sheriff. No apology for that.” Bill might not appreciate Susannah’s failure to stick up for Clem, but he was a fair man. He knew who the real villain was. She’d lost her job and now she should sue Johnny’s ass off. It was a win/win situation. “As for the rest, I’ve got no idea why John would blame me for the consequences of his own actions. Maybe he’s taken to drinkin’.”
“Maybe Johnny’s having a narcissistic collapse.” Hank didn’t seem regretful over Johnny’s diminishing state. “He thought everything the band did was him alone, and Clem had no real part in their success. Now, he’s learning different. He’s gonna blame you for all his delusions crumbling. He’s probably planning to confront you about it.”
“I’m lookin’ forward to that conversation. I’m holding a bit of a grudge, myself. My mate cried, when he forced her out of her own band.” Bill’s jaw flexed at the memory. “John’s luck can get a lot more calamitous.”
Hank made a “hmmmm” sound. “Just so you know, if Johnny mysteriously disappears, you’ll be the first person I question.”
“Why would I be the prime suspect? Any number of folks have noticed that he’s a very killable fella.”
“But you’re the most dangerous of them. I took one look at you and I knew you were a crafty son of a bitch, who doesn’t play well with others. I’m downright shocked that Johnny has lived this long.”
“Clem still has a bit of fondness for him.” Bill allowed. “Although thankfully that seems to be dwindling, as Johnny’s true character is uncovered. It’s tragic how fame can change a man.”
“Like I said the other night: Johnny’s exactly the same. Only difference is now you’re pulling his strings like a puppet and making him dance. Showin’ Clem who he really is, just for shits and giggles.”
“That’s just not so.” Bill denied and meant it. “If I did anything underhanded to John, --even in a quiet, indirect kinda way-- I’d have a mighty Good reason for doing it. Like maybe he had something I wanted. …A lot.”
Hank snorted. “I hope to Christ that no coyote ever targets my happily ever after, because you’re effective bastards, I’ll give you that. You show up and work your wily wiles. Soon, Johnny’s set himself on the road to ruin and you’ve got an adoring new bride. It’s like a morality tale told in reverse.”
“Sheriff, we’re just gonna have to spend more time together, because I feel like you have a totally wrong impression of me. I’m not a bad guy, a’tall.”
“Except you are . You were born Bad and Johnny was born Good. And you’re both jackasses.” Hank paused. “For some inexplicable reason, I like you more than him, though.”
Bill smiled, genuinely pleased. “Thank you, Hank.”
“Yeah, well, at least you’re an interesting jackass.” Hank grumbled. “And I respect your obsessive dedication to stealing my sister. At least I know she’s got plenty of attention. And Clem seems to be basically stalking you, in return. Every other word she says is your name. And Johnny’s always been a useless shit.” He sighed. “So, if I’ve gotta pick one of you jackasses for a brother-in-law, I’ll settle for you. …I guess.”
Bill ignored that resigned tone and focused on the convivial sentiment. “That’s more like it! Why, we’re bonding already. Just wait until we really get to know each other at my bachelor party.”
“You’re having a bachelor party? When?”
“Well, that’s up to you, ain’t it? You’ll be the one throwin’ it for me, considering we’re family. I’m expecting a real memorable shindig.”
“Oh, for God’s sake…”
“Best skip on any strippers, when you plan it.” Bill cautioned. “Clem says ‘no’ to them.” They’d only be pale imitations of his shapely va-va-voom vixen anyhow. “Maybe just rent out a nice, tasteful place and invite some nice, tasteful friends.”
“Do you have any friends, tasteful or otherwise?”
“I figure you can hire me some. Probably should hire some for you, too. I’m guessing neither of us are swimming in pals.” Bill shrugged. There was a small sting in his back, where Clem’s nails had dug in. He relished that. “It’s why you and me get along so great, Sheriff. People with our winning personalities gotta stick together.”
“Stick together? Hell, I haven’t even decided whether to kill you or not, yet.” Hank hung up, obviously through with the entire conversation.
Bill changed his mind about blocking Hank’s number. The guy wasn’t near as annoying as most people, once you got talking to him. The two of them got along like a house on fire. And there was no mistaking the fact that bullshitting with the sheriff for a few minutes took his mind off what happened last night.
He’d said he’d needed Clem.
Bill wasn’t her True Love, so needing her was a losing gamble. No matter how he fixed the game, there was always a chance that she’d leave him, one day. That she’d choose a guy who was a better fit for someone so pretty and happy and special.
Needing her would be too risky. Bill had always done fine on his own, because he didn’t need anyone. How could he survive, if he needed Clem and then she wasn’t there anymore? It would break him.
…But she’d know if he held back. Clem was too intuitive. Too bright. She’d sense that he wasn’t giving her everything and she’d pull away from him in response. And that would break him, too. He wanted everything from Clementine. All of her emotions and attention and loyalty.
Halfway measures between them were useless. Infuriating. They would leave him all alone, locked out of her heart and hopelessly staring in. He couldn’t tolerate that. Maybe couldn’t tolerate it even more than he couldn’t tolerate being vulnerable.
What was he holding back for , anyhow?
So what if needing her killed him in the end? Without his wife, what did it even matter if he survived? Why would he even want to?
Bill stared out over the peaceful ranch, waiting for his interview to begin and watching mustangs run in the distance. Thinking hard about his future.
What if marriage to Clementine was all or nothin’?