41. Hail Mary
Hail Mary
Wade
“Excuse me, I gotta take this.” I wave my phone at Ford, then step outside. “This is Sheriff Wade Rowland.” I’ve said it so many times it rolls out quickly.
“Sheriff Rowland, I’m Beverly Shears, social worker down here in Abilene.” Her accent would pinpoint her to Texas long before she mentioned it. “I received your message and pulled up the record you were requesting. Do you have an email address I can send it to?”
“Yea. There’s one small detail I’m more interested in, if you have the time? I need to know who the judge was that signed off on the transport, and the name of the driver.” I find myself pacing along the weathered wall of the barn.
“Of course.” She flips the pages loudly enough I can hear them through the speaker. “Looks like it was a Judge Simmons. The driver isn’t named, but he wouldn’t have been able to take the child without proper documentation. Is the girl, um, Cynthia, okay?”
I glance into the shadows where she’s bouncing excitedly next to Dad as Char leads a horse close enough for her to pet.
“Yea, she’s fine. I’m just tying up loose ends. Did you meet the driver?” I hold my breath hoping she can pinpoint something about him.
“Hmm, no, I’m sorry. The girl was in a group home here after being brought in by CPS after the death of her mother.
Looks like a custody appeal was made by—” More shuffling papers.
“—someone named Elena. That triggered the recall of records from Montana since that was the last known whereabouts of the deceased mother.”
Maria was too damn good at staying hidden if they didn’t even register her in Texas.
Fuck. I’m starting to see what happened.
“Thank you for your time, I’ll let you know if I have any questions after receiving the file.” I wait for her acknowledgement, then end the call.
Max Simmons.
Where the hell is he?
He has to be laying low if Ford is looking for him too.
I guess it’s time to start with the judge. But expecting a mother to turn in their son is like betting on a three legged horse in the Kentucky Derby.
A Hail Mary.
The voices from inside the barn grow louder, studded with the heavy sound of hooves.
Sun kisses over a black and white paint mare being led by Char with Dad and Cynthia close behind.
Dixon wanders loosely along, stopping near Ford and Elena.
I better go keep her company. Dix can be a force if someone isn’t used to him.
Her eyes widen with relief when I slide my palm around the small of her back. “Good news I hope?”
I nod, glancing at Ford. “Judge Simmons signed the transfer. Nothing solid on Max, but at least now I can start knocking on her door.”
Pete is gonna hate me.
Dixon grunts. “I can understand why Max would hate me. Char even. Why would he target Libby’s place?”
Elena looks from him to me. “Isn’t it obvious?” Her hands spread. “Look how many of you there are. The dairy was empty for portions of the day.”
“Ah, yea.” Ford tilts his hat back. “Now that we don’t have any moles, I can see how it’d be hard to sneak around here.”
“Makes me want to bring in extra eyes,” Dixon growls. “If that fucker comes anywhere close to—”
I hold up my arm. “I know.” I want to nip the conversation in the bud.
Dixon’s lips purse. “He probably heard how Libby ran Matt off with a pistol.”
That makes me snicker. “Yea, Matt ranted about that for a while that night I picked him up.”
“She’s a badass,” Elena whispers. “I’ve looked down the barrel of that gun. It’s no joke.”
Her cheeks pale when everyone freezes to stare at her.
I tug her close, then kiss her temple. “We’ve all done things we aren’t proud of for people we love. You’re no different.” I don’t know how she’d handle knowing I took care of Quincy to keep her and her mom safe.
It was a lifetime ago.
But feeling the heat of her body pressing against mine makes it worth it.
And it gave me Cynthia.
I don’t regret a second of it.
“So how are you gonna find him?” Ford’s hard stare tells me he’s more than mildly curious.
“I will, don’t worry about it. You have a baby coming soon. No need to go looking for trouble.” I don’t want him to fuck up the best thing that’s ever happened to him following an old path of revenge.
His jaw tics making the gray hairs creeping below his ears highlight the sun. “You don’t have the right to make that decision for me, Wade,” he growls.
“As your friend, I do.” I scowl and turn Elena towards the corral where Char is working the mare in circles.
Ford may be pissed at me, but I don’t care. I’m saving him the grief and danger of getting tied up in the past.
I should know. I’ve been trapped in my own web of history for a decade.
Cynthia’s beaming smile shifts my mood, even after hearing Ford ride off.
“We’re gonna need to keep an eye on him,” Dixon mutters from my right. He props one foot on the bottom rail of the fence and drapes his arms over the top. “He’s still prone to doing stupid shit. Especially with Halloween bearing down on us, with a baby on the way to top it off.”
“Speaking of—” I need to shift this conversation. “—how are the twins?”
Like a switch being flipped, Dixon’s frown transforms into a broad grin. “They’re amazing. I can’t believe they’re four months old already. Violet’s laughing.” He shakes his head, focusing on Char. “It’s a trip, man,” he says with a sigh.
Elena’s fingers tighten on the fabric of my shirt.
When I glance at her, the corner of her mouth trembles and a sheen of unshed tears cling to her lower lids.
“I think that’s so sweet.” Her words are low enough I’m not sure if they were intended for Dixon to hear them.
A few months ago, I had no way to relate to him about what it was like to be a parent.
But watching my own daughter giggling when the nose of her horse touches her chest just about makes me want to cry as well.
Jesus, I’m a completely different man now that I’m a father.
Knowing I have a name for the man who threatened her gives me a new mission.
Protect my family at any cost.