Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
H arry’s father only had one guest room, and Lily was already in it, but offered to share. Maria thought Harry tensed up a little, waiting for her answer. She hoped it was because he wanted to keep her close. “I’d never sleep if I put you out like that,” she said. “Your dad’s recliner looks perfect for me.”
“That works,” Harry said, almost too quickly. “I’ll take the couch.”
The look that flashed between Harry’s sister and his dad was lightning quick, but Maria noticed it all the same. So did Harry.
“I’m going to move the car around back,” he said. “No point advertising you have guests here.” He was out the door before his face finished turning red.
Hyram chuckled to himself as soon as the door closed behind Harry. Then, shaking his head, he said, “Since I baked, I’ll leave you younger folks to handle cleanup. It’s past my bedtime. G’night.”
When he was up the stairs, Lily and Maria went into the kitchen. There wasn’t much cleanup to do. Hyram apparently rinsed and loaded mixing bowls and utensils as he went along. Maria washed the dessert plates, coffee mugs, and the carafe. Lily dried and put them away then wiped down the counters.
Eventually, Lily said, “So are you and my brother, uh…?” She lifted her eyebrows.
“Sort of,” Maria said. “But I’ll never leave Texas, and he’ll never move there, so…” She gave a sad shrug.
“Because of your family, huh? He’s been texting about them. And you.”
Maria said, “They can be a lot,” wondering what Harry had told his sister about them.
“They sound amazing,” Lily said. “Kind, tough, loyal. Like a family straight out of an old western TV show.”
“They are pretty great,” Maria said. “But it’s not just the fam. I’m taking over my mom’s veterinary clinic. She’s fixin’ to ease into retirement while I ease into runnin’ the whole shebang.”
“But you could be a vet anywhere.”
“I could. It would disappoint my whole town, but I could. I just… I don’t want to.” Maria lowered her head and tried to find words to convey her feelings. “It’s the land, the place. Generations of Brands have lived and died there. The blood of my ancestors is in its soil. That place… it means somethin’ me. It’s the foundation of who I am. Takin’ me away from Quinn, Texas would be like uprootin’ a cactus and trying to plant it… well, here.”
A soft footstep alerted her. Harry had returned. He stood in the open back door with one foot in the kitchen, and she got the feeling he’d heard her whole speech.
“I'd love to see where you live,” Lily said.
“I’d love to show it to you.”
“It must be amazing to feel that connected to a place.”
“It is.” Then she added, with a look Harry’s way, “It’ll feel that way to my kids, too, and to their kids, if I have anything to say about it.” She pulled the plug to let the dishwater out, wiping the sink as it drained.
Lily put the leftover tarts into a big airtight container then rinsed her hands, dried them on a towel, and said, “Guess I’ll head up. Night, big brother.” She hugged Harry’s neck and kissed his cheek, and Maria pretended not to notice that she whispered something into his ear before she left the room.
“Your sister generally go to bed by 9:30?” Maria asked.
“Actually, she’s a very early riser. But in this case, I think she was giving us our privacy. She asked me if we were involved,” he said.
“Oh?” Maria busied herself rinsing the sink. “She asked me, too.”
“What did you say?” He moved up behind her and clasped her waist in his hands.
“You first,” she told him. The sink was long since clean. She took the towel from just to her left and dried her hands.
“I said yes, and it was complicated. She said complicated how, and I said when I figured it out, I’d let her know.”
“And what did she whisper in your ear just now?” Maria asked then quickly added, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
“You want the exact quote?” he asked, and then he gave it to her without waiting for a reply. “‘You’re out of your fucking mind if you don’t find a way to make this work.’”
Maria’s eyes widened, and she turned around, so she was back-to-the-sink with him in front of her, close but not quite touching, except where his hands rested on her hips. “She said that?”
“She likes you.”
“I like her, too.”
“I can tell.”
“And your dad’s amazing. I loved all those stories about your mom. She was special.”
“She was.”
He was gazing down into her eyes. She said, “I don’t want to fool around in your dad’s house. It feels disrespectful.”
“No means no,” he said. “But I feel I must point out that we fooled around on a jet.”
“I don’t think it would’ve embarrassed the pilot if he’d known.”
“Oh, he knew.”
“But it would probably mortify your father.”
“He would probably high five me in the morning. He was looking at you like his new favorite person.”
She laughed softly, and he dipped in for a kiss. “Not to be pushy, but the car’s right out back, and it’s already nice and dark. And everyone in this community has been asleep for an hour already.”
She pressed her lips to his and dropped her dish towel as they wrapped up in each other and kissed all the way out the back door, toward their borrowed, probably rented, car. He’d parked it up near a trash bin, so it was in shadow and all but invisible. When they reached it, she fumbled for the door handle behind her back while he kissed his way down her neck to her right shoulder, pushing her blouse aside along the way.
Maria’s heart was racing. She’d never felt anything like the way her body responded to him. It had not come close to this with Billy Bob. She got hold of the door handle, shifted herself sideways, and opened it. They tumbled inside together, him landing on top, and grinding and kissing her with their feet still sticking out.
Lights painted the car’s interior as someone drove by. She was only vaguely aware of whoever it was stopping and staying still for just a beat too long.
But then Harry’s mouth was on her neck, and his hands were sliding under her blouse, and she suddenly cared very little about passing cars. However, before she even got her blouse off, it happened again. Same thing, only the car was moving in the opposite direction this time.
Harry stopped ravaging her and lifted his head. He met her eyes, and she saw a hint of alarm in his, then he straightened up off her, fixed his pants, reached for her hand.
She let him pull her out of the car and straightened her clothes while he closed the car door so silently it didn’t make a sound.
Holding her hand, he led her around the side of the house, for a better look. The car came back again. They ducked behind a shrub as it moved slowly, like a shark that smelled a seal. It stopped again at the street corner. Its headlights illuminated the street signs that read Maple Street and Poplar Place. A voice floated on the cool night air.
“This doesn’t match the map. Where the hell is Oak Street?”
“ This is Oak Street,” Harry whispered. “Maple and Poplar are on the other side of the complex.”
“Your dad’s a genius. I see where you get it,” Maria whispered. “It’s them, isn’t it? Whoever they are. They’re looking for you.”
“Or at least looking for my dad, just like they were looking for my sister.”
The car turned right. Harry and Maria, still holding hands, slipped around and into the house by the back door.
“I’ll get Dad,” Harry said. “You get Lily. We have to get them out of here and I don’t think we have much time.”
Maria slipped into Lily’s room, crept over to her bed, and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. “Lily,” she whispered. “It’s Maria. Wake up.”
“Maria?” She sat up and reached for the lamp.
“No lights!” Maria said, covering her hand before she could turn the switch. “The bad guys have found us. Your father’s trick with the street signs bought us a little time. Get dressed. Grab what you need. We have to leave before they find us.”
Lily was on her feet instantly, scooping clothes from a drawer into a big shoulder bag in one motion. She pulled on a pair of jeans and ran into the bathroom while pulling a shirt over her head.
“Try to stay away from the windows,” Maria said. “I’ll meet you downstairs. I have to grab my things. too.”
“Okay.”
Maria ran back downstairs to the living room, where her bag lay beside the recliner. She snatched it up, then grabbed Harry’s, near the sofa. Lily came down the stairs, her steps soft on the carpet. Harry and his father came right behind.
“Okay, back door, my car.”
“What about phones?” Lily asked as they moved into the kitchen. “I took mine offline.”
“You think they’re tracking our phones?” Harry asked.
“How else did they find you here?”
“Turn off cellular and wireless,” Hyram said. “It in settings under?—”
“I know how,” Harry said. “Let’s get to the car first, okay?”
Maria already had her phone in her hand, doing what his dad had suggested. Harry crept to the back door and opened it. Hyram went to the counter and grabbed the big container full of tarts, and when Lily sent him a look of blatant disbelief, he whispered, “What? They’re for the road.”
“I see their headlights three streets over, moving away from us,” Harry said. “Now’s the time.”
He opened the back door wider and nodded to Maria. She took Lily’s hand, and they headed out. Maria wanted to go fast and tiptoe at the same time and the result felt cartoonish. She expected piano sound effects as she crouch-ran to the car, passenger side. In seconds, Lily was in the back seat and Maria was in the front. She closed her door as soundlessly as she could. Lily did the same, but to Maria’s ears it was loud.
Harry walked more slowly beside his dad. It felt like it took them forever, but it was only seconds, and they were in.
“Hand me your luggage,” Lily said as her father settled into the back seat beside her. Maria took Hyram’s bag and Tupperware from Harry and handed them over, along with her own, and Lily shoved them into the space behind the back seat, out of the way.
Harry put the car into reverse, and the headlights and backup lights came on, set to auto. He cussed softly and shut them off, then reversed and shifted gears.
Maria looked toward where that other car had been and spotted headlights closer than before, and heading toward them instead of away. She pointed, not saying a word.
“Take a right,” Hyram said. Harry did so, and his dad, keeping watch of the other car’s headlights as they all were, directed him. “Now right again. Then left.” He kept directing, taking them further from the prowling headlights and around them, toward the exit.
Finally, they came to the gate.
It was raised, so Harry didn’t stop. But as they rolled slowly past the gatehouse, Maria saw a pair of legs sticking out from its open door, shiny black shoes, navy trousers with an impressively sharp crease. Then they were pulling, unseen onto the public road. As soon as they’d rolled out of sight, Harry flipped the headlights on and sped up.
“I’ll text 911 and Willow from your phone before we turn it off, Harry,” Maria said. She took it from his shirt pocket, did just what she’d said. There was an immediate reply. “Willow wants to know where we’re goin’.”
“To the jet,” Harry said. “Ask her to wake the pilot and have him meet us there. Then… back to the ranch. I think you were right. It’s the only safe place right now.” He met her eyes. “And I know you’re trying very hard not to be delighted about that.”
“I’m only tryin’ very hard not to show it,” she said. “But I’ll be even more delighted when we get there in one piece.” And then she texted Will, “We’re coming home.” She looked at the others in the car. At Lily, at Hyram, at Harry. Something made her eyes well up.
Harry glanced her way just then, saw her tears, and reached across to hold her hand. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I’m overtired. Or overwhelmed. Or scared or something.” But those were not the emotions she was feeling. This was important, this night, this ride, this moment.
It was one a.m., West Texas time.
They’d flown four hours, but gained back two of them thanks to the time zone shift. During the flight, Hyram had discovered the small plane’s galley and served them all coffee and perfectly warmed, leftover mixed-berry tarts.
The small jet set them down a few miles outside Quinn, where Willow and Bubba had brought Bubba’s truck and Maria’s van. Maria assumed six would be too many to fit comfortably in the pickup, despite its rear seat. Her van didn’t have back seats at all.
Harry fetched the bags from the little cargo hold in the back, one apiece, and they debarked.
Maria was exhausted and nervous. She looked all around, but saw only rolling land. It was hot and still, and the cicadas were singing like mad.
Harry said, “Dad, Lily, this is Ethan Brand. The singer.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “ Country Kind of Love Ethan Brand?” she asked, and Bubba lit right up. “Wow. Harrison, you didn’t tell me!”
“Well, I’ve been a little distracted,” he said. “And this is Willow Brand, Quinn County Sheriff’s Deputy. They’re Maria’s cousins.” And then to Bubba and Will, “This is my dad, Hyram Hyde, and my sister, Lily.”
“So good to meet you both,” Willow said.
Bubba just stood there for a second, smiling. Will elbowed him, and he said, “Uh, yeah. Welcome to Texas. I’m your ride. This way.”
Hyram and Lily followed Bubba. Harry walked Maria to her van, stood near the driver’s door.
Willow came over, too, leaned on the van, and said, “Um, Harry, you care if I ride with my cuz? We need a word.”
Surely, Maria thought, she could stand to be apart from Harry for twenty minutes. Besides, his folks would feel better riding with him.
“Sure,” Harry said. Then to Maria, “See you at the ranch, then.”
“Yeah, see you there.” She wanted to lean up and kiss him, and she could see he wanted it, too. But instead, she leaned her head sideways to kiss the back of his hand where it rested on her shoulder. She was too tired to worry about who might see or what they might make of it, and she’d decided to go for broke with Harry, anyway. No point trying to hide it.
A few yards away, Bubba was already opening the truck’s rear door for his passengers.
Lily got into the back, and then Bubba helped Hyram up into the front, passenger side. Willow muttered something and went back to the truck to talk to Bubba—but really to give her and Harry a moment.
He stood close to her. “Be careful out there.”
“I’ll have Willow with me. You be careful, too.”
“I’ll have your gigantic cousin with me.” He slid his arms around her and pulled her closer then bent his head to kiss her. Apparently, he too, had decided not to hide what was happening between them.
“See you in a llittle while,” she said.
“Yeah.” Then he kissed her again. He went to Bubba’s truck, passing Willow on the way, and got into the back seat beside his sister.
Maria went around to the passenger side of her own vehicle and got in, too tired to do more than ride along. Willow drove and followed Bubba’s pickup across the meadow and onto the road. Then she punched Maria in the shoulder and said, “You did it, didn’t you?”
“Ow! Did what ?”
“ It .” Willow wiggled her eyebrows as she steered the van back toward town.
“How… did you know?” Maria asked.
“You did !” She punched her again, but Maria caught her hand this time.
“ How ?” Maria asked again.
“The way you look at each other. The way he kissed you. That wasn’t a maybe we’ll do it someday kiss, that was a we done it and we’re fixin’ to do it again kiss. Plus, his eyes when he looks at you. Holy cow, Maria Michele.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not goin’ anywhere.”
“What do you mean, it’s not goin’ anywhere? You had sex.”
“That was on me. He was tryin’ to avoid it.”
Willow looked her way, hat tipped back, eyebrows arched high. “Why?”
“He told me from the get-go that he could never live in Texas, and I told him I couldn’t live anywhere else. He didn’t think it would be fair to take things any further.” She shrugged one shoulder. “So, I jumped him on the jet.”
Willow’s laugh gusted full force, and the van veered a little. “ Dayum , girl. I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“It’s funny, isn’t it? I was never all that eager for Billy Bob. It was more like I was doin’ him a favor.”
Willow’s smile died. She swore a long streak under her breath then said, “You were gonna marry a man you slept with as a favor?”
“I thought it was me. I thought I just wasn’t… you know, into it. Turns out, I just wasn’t into him.”
“But you’re into Harry.”
“I’m so into Harry.”
They were driving away from town, out beyond the street lights.
“And it’s not, like, a rebound thing? After your weddin’ blew up?” Willow asked.
“I blew my weddin’ up, and it surprised me, but I was relieved after. I’d been dreadin’ it, and denyin’ I was dreadin’ it, even to myself. It was like I balled up my dread and shoved it into the back of my gut someplace. And when I left that church, it just exploded out of me.”
“And all over Harry.”
“Kind of. I ran him down on the Oxbow Trail.” She laughed softly. “Poor Harry. What he must’ve been thinkin’.”
They took the right onto the long, straight stretch of North Brand Lane. Willow said, “The fella that shot Harry was a local. Worked for Beckett Oil goin’ on twenty years. Only things on his record were a few drunk and disorderlies and a speedin’ ticket just last week. Nothin’ to indicate why he’d want to shoot somebody he didn’t know.”
“Hired gun,” Maria said. “Somebody paid him to go after Harry, and maybe the jerks who stole his car, and stalked his family were paid, too. But why? They stole the prototypes and made the patent disappear. They ruined the demonstration with the investors. What else could they want?”
“They stole the invention and are trying to kill the inventors,” Willow said. “What does that tell you?”
Maria lifted her brows. “They’re not tryin' to take credit for it, just like I said in the beginnin’. But they’re not tryin’ to profit from it, either. They’re trying to stop it. Anything else of interest while we were away?” she asked to drown out the awful feeling in her stomach.
“There was a fire at the EV dealership on Main St.,” Willow said. “Fire Chief Alex says someone set it.”
“Jeeze,” Maria said. “Never a dull moment around here, is there?”
“Not lately.”
Ahead of them, Bubba’s taillights vanished around a curve, just as a deer sprang out in front of them. The impact sent the animal airborne and the van skidding sideways. Willow yelled “hang on,” and brought them to a stop in a cloud of red dust on the side of the road. “Holy mother, you okay, Maria?”
“I’m good, you?”
“Better’n him,” she said nodding.
Maria followed her gaze to the deer, lying on its side and trying to raise its head. “Well, he picked the right person to hit him.” She reached into the back for her large medical case and got out of the van.