Chapter Thirty-Two
A strange ringing had settled into Garrett’s ears after his friends led him in his still-stunned state to the Hayes’ home and sat him down at the dining table inside.
A cup of tea was pressed into his hands as he remained in shock.
A moment later it was taken away and replaced with a glass of whiskey.
He brought neither to his lips as he stared off into the wall opposite of him.
I lost it. I lost it. I lost.
“He doesn’t need whiskey right now,” Amanda scolded Dean, taking the glass out of his hand.
“Well, if he doesn’t, I do,” Dean snapped back, swiping the glass from Amanda’s hand and swallowing it down in one swig.
Dean sat the glass back down on the table hard, the thud finally snapping Garrett out of his shock. He looked up and found disappointment and anger written across Dean’s face.
“I knew you were having trouble,” Dean said, shaking his head, “But you never told me it was this bad. Why not?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Logan said before Garrett could even think of an answer, “Maybe because you’ve been acting like a fool ever since Hannah came to Texas?
Because you were too busy trying to make him regret his marriage to her that you couldn’t see that she wasn’t the problem, but this whole thing was? ”
“Stop!” Hannah implored, stepping between the two as Dean clenched his fists and gave Logan a warning look.
“This isn’t about me or what anyone thinks of me anymore,” she said sharply.
“We’ve got three weeks until we have to leave the ranch and we have to figure out how we’re going to do that.
Now where can we go? Is there any land for sale at a reasonable price around here?
Or even just rent? What can we get for the cattle?
Could we trade it for a plot of land to someone in Twin Rivers? ”
Despite the heavy sadness threatening to crush him, Garrett’s heart throbbed with love as he heard the determination in Hannah’s voice.
For the first time since the ruling, he moved on his own volition and reached for her hand.
Hannah turned to him at once, her eyes shining with devotion as she stepped closer to him and squeezed his hand.
Don’t let go, he silently pleaded.
As if she’d heard his plea, Hannah lovingly ruffled his dark hair with her other hand and laid a kiss atop his head before she whispered, “I’m with you. Always.”
Dean groaned, then grumbled something about needing a moment on the porch. Garrett watched as his friend strode out of the house, and it was only then that he noticed Grace standing by the door, nervously chewing on the tip of her thumb as she looked at the floor in deep concentration.
“You came,” he said weakly.
Grace’s eyes darted to him, and she gave him a small, apologetic smile.
“Sorry I didn’t make it into the courtroom,” she offered. “It took me a moment to stop being a brat.”
Amanda, Garrett, and Logan laughed softly as Amanda went over and put her arm around Grace and gave her a little squeeze.
“At least you tried,” Amanda said, “That’s what matters.”
Grace nibbled nervously on her lower lip for a moment before she looked up at Amanda and said, “I think I know something else that matters too. I um, I saw something last night.”
“Where?” Logan asked as the room grew tense, his brow furrowing. “At your place?”
Grace shook her head.
“No, I um, I needed to get away from my papa’s Dinner party last night. Frank noticed my discomfort and offered to take me on a ride to town to have a walk and listen to the music coming from the saloon.”
“Frank?! Again?” Logan barked, startling everyone but Grace, who only glowered at him. “How many times do I have to tell you he’s not good for you?”
“Oh, hush, you big bully,” Grace snapped back. “I already have one overprotective brother, I don’t need another. Besides, Frank has been nothing but kind to me.”
Garrett raised an eyebrow, wondering when Grace and Logan had started swiping at one another. For a moment the two just glared at one another, Logan working his jaw in annoyance and Grace jutting her chin up, as if daring him to say something else. When he didn’t, Grace turned to Garrett.
“Alright fine, maybe I shouldn’t have went on a walk with him,” she sighed, “But I needed a moment away, and Frank was offering it.”
No one replied, even though Garrett noted Logan’s narrowed-eyed, pinch-browed expression was saying plenty, and Grace went on.
“Frank and I were out for a walk—” she paused, turning quickly back to Logan with a glower- “Where Frank was a perfect gentleman—” she said loudly and affirmingly before turning back to Garrett. Logan sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes as his jaw worked back and forth, but said nothing.
“When we heard voices outside the courthouse,” Grace went on.
“Under the porch roof we saw Judge McCall and that lawyer from today. There was another man with them I didn’t recognize, but I think it might have been this Mr. Blackwood fellow, but I’m not sure.
Frank said he had to talk with them real quick.
He left me on the lawn and ran up to them.
Handed something in their direction that the judge took, and they broke up and went their separate ways.
At the time I didn’t think it was suspicious, but now, after what just happened in the court room.
After everything so quickly turned around, I think…
I think they might be working together.”
Garrett paled as the room went quiet. A crooked judge? Forged deeds? What in the world was happening? And what was so important about the Diamond W Ranch that made it all worth such subterfuge? And what did Frank have to do with it?
“If this is true,” Logan said, his tone wary as he looked at Garrett, “They, this Mr. Blackwood, has to be offering Judge McCall a ridiculous amount of money. I’ve known him ever since I was elected Sheriff. He’s always been a fair judge. It would take a lot to make such a man go crooked.”
“I don’t care what made him crooked,” Amanda spoke up, “What I want to know is how do we prove it? I mean, I don’t know much about how court cases are supposed to go, but isn’t all evidence supposed to be shared or something like that?”
Garrett looked to Logan for an answer.
“I… most of the time, yes, I believe so,” Logan answered as Dean came back inside.
“You believe what?” Dean asked.
As Logan filled Dean in on the conversation, a plan began to form in Garrett’s mind.
“Logan,” he interrupted, “Did you go to Austin to check the state’s land records?”
Logan grimly shook his head. “There was no time.”
“Do you think the railroad’s lawyer did?” Garrett asked.
Logan’s brows rose as he took on a contemplative look.
“I doubt it,” he said after a while, “But I suppose it’s possible. It could be what he showed the judge.”
Garrett rose from the table, his hand still firmly entwined with Hannah’s.
“I need to be sure,” he said, taking a look around at his friends. “Do y’all remember Howard Rutherford?” He asked them.
“Yeah,” Logan answered, giving him a curious look. “Old Man Rutherford’s son. Didn’t he go East for law school, though?”
“He did,” Garrett agreed, forming a plan.
“But he moved to Austin after he graduated. He works at the State Record Building there, and I’m going to send him a telegram to let him know I’m coming.
I need to check official land records myself and determine whether my deed or the state’s claim is legitimate.
I just need to know for sure. If my deed matches the state’s records, I can ask for a new trial.
But if I find proof that Mr. Dawson promised his land to the railroad, I can let this go and figure out how to move on. ”
“We will figure out how to move on,” Hannah gently corrected him, squeezing his hand, “We’re in this together, remember? You’re not going alone.”
Love and gratitude poured through Garrett’s heart, even as he shook his head.
“I’m so grateful you want to stand by me, but I need you here. In case I found out I’m wrong, we all need to be ready to leave by the fifteenth. This trip is going to take at least a week, and there’s so much—”
“Let us worry about that.”
To Garrett’s surprise, it was Dean that had spoken. He looked toward his friend, who for the last few weeks had been teetering between resentment and loyalty. Dean’s expression was one of remorse as he stepped up to Grace’s side and gave her a gentle push.
“We’re going to help you,” Dean stated.
“We all are,” Grace added. “We can keep the children at our place while you two are gone, and Dean, I can work on getting inventory of your cattle.”
“I can help with the children too,” Amanda offered, “And I’m sure Mama would love a chance to spend time with the little ones. She misses babies. I can also work on packing your belongings. I’m guessing even if you find something good, you’ll still have to vacate on the fifteenth.”
“She’s right,” Logan agreed. “There will be a process to follow for the new case. It’s best to get your things off of the property for now.”
“You can store it all in one of our outbuildings,” Dean offered.
“I’ll help with the move, and Dean with the cattle and field crop inventory,” Logan added. “I’ll also talk to the other ranchers, see if they’d be willing to sell you a small plot of their land so if worse comes to worst, you can at least stay close until you’re on your feet again.”
“And until then you can all stay with me,” Dean quickly followed with a look of determination. “Plenty of room.”
Garrett was quiet as he took a long look at the faces of each of his friends, then finally at his wife.
It hit him, quite suddenly, that he was no longer that orphan he used to be; struggling on his own to solve the problem of life.
He had friends. He had family. No matter what issues they’d had, even in the recent past, they were all willing to put them aside to be there for him.
“Thank you,” he rasped, overcome with emotion as they all crowded toward him. “I—I don’t know what else to say.”
“That’s all you need to say, you big oaf,” Amanda teased, pressing in on everyone to start a group hug. “We’re family. This is what we’re here for.”
As they all converged on Garrett, he noticed Hannah attempting to step back. He tugged her hand, trying to get her into the group hug, but it was Grace and Dean that put gentle hands on her shoulders and guided her back into the group.
“That means you too,” Dean said, his tone soft as he gave Hannah a nod.
“You’re family,” Grace added, gently pressing her into Garrett’s side. “Sorry it took us so long to accept that. But we do now.