Chapter 12
Tex
I knelt in the dirt, back aching and arms stinging from scratches.
These Belinda’s Blush shrub roses were pretty—but a bitch to put in when already in full bloom.
The client was paying for picture-perfect landscaping—a job that was really too big for the two of us.
But that was something that had never stopped Dad.
He was a “go big or go home” kind of guy. Nice in theory, but in reality…not fun.
“Is this all the further you’ve gotten?” Dad exclaimed as he came around the corner of the house. “Jesus, Tex, we’re going to be working until sundown tomorrow if you don’t pick up the pace.”
I pushed to my feet and headed for the trailer, where more plants awaited their turn in the sun. “I’m going as fast as I can. It’d be easier if you’d help me with these and then we tackled the back patio together.”
“Divide and conquer, Tex. We’ll get more done this way. But you’ve got to hustle!”
I clenched my jaw to keep from yelling. Dad’s idea of hustling had been to check up on me and waste time lecturing me about what had to be done.
Then he’d disappear around the house—into the shade, I might add—to work on the back patio, which was mostly prepping the ground for the concrete guys and creating a paver path through the yard.
I’d definitely been given the most labor-intensive part of the job. Not that I minded. If I could just do it without all the harassment.
“Maybe you should call in someone to help us,” I suggested as I reached for the next rose bush. I had gloves to protect my hands and long sleeves, but a few prickly thorns still got caught in the fabric and jabbed into my flesh.
“That would eat too much into the profit,” Dad said. “You leave the thinking to me. Just work fast, Jed, or we’ll have to expand the job into Monday. I don’t think Ned Weiss will appreciate that.”
Ned Weiss was a real estate broker in town—and Dad was convinced he could lead to a lot of future jobs. Of course, I wouldn’t be here to take those jobs with him, but I hadn’t broken the news yet.
As much as I wanted to be there for Hollywood, disappointing my dad was hard. Especially when he’d gotten his teeth into a new idea. He was a powerful steamroller and trying to push back could get me flattened.
I’d worry about that later, though. For now, I just grunted an affirmative at my dad and got back to planting bushes. By the time we packed up for the night, I was filthy, exhausted, and starving.
Dad didn’t push for a drink out at the bar tonight, obviously as tired as I was. He drove us over to Chastity’s rental house, where she lived with her three kids, Dylan, Robbie, and Lanie.
“What time do you want to start tomorrow?” I asked as he parked in the driveway.
“Better make it early,” he said grimly. “Five a.m. if we want to finish by dark.”
“I actually have to leave for Riverton by three or so.”
“What the fuck for?”
I grimaced, knowing he wouldn’t like what I was about to tell him. But there was no choice. I couldn’t rejoin Redemption Road and then bail on the first meeting.
“I’m going back, Dad.”
“Back,” he said, brow furrowed.
“To the work program over there,” I clarified. “I’m moving back. My parole officer is there. My friends.”
“You mean other ex-cons?” His lip curled. “Hardly the influence you need.”
“They are a good influence,” I argued. “They’re putting their lives back together, too.”
“And how will you keep working for me if you live over there? We have to start damn early on some of these landscaping jobs. You’re not going to want to commute at four in the damn morning.”
“I know.” I met his eyes with difficulty. “That’s why I have to quit.”
A deadly silence dropped between us. Dad worked his jaw, his face red—and not just from all the sun he’d gotten today.
“Let me get this straight,” he said in the quiet, calm tone that spelled real trouble. “You let me think I could count on you, worked the piddly-ass jobs all summer as we got established, and now you’re bailing right when I’m about to hit the jackpot?”
I let out a breath. “I told you it would be temporary.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he demanded. “We just talked about expanding this business together. We get in good with Weiss and the college and we’re golden, Tex. It’ll be just like before—”
“We were going bankrupt before!” I exclaimed.
My father looked as if I’d hit him. “No, that’s not true. We were good. We were great. If you hadn’t broken the fucking law—”
“Breaking the law was the only thing keeping the business afloat. Why do you think I did it?”
“Because you were stupid,” he said shortly, “and selfish. You were too impatient to let the business grow. You just had to line your pockets.”
“All the profits went back into the business, Dad. I wasn’t getting rich. I was—”
“No,” he snarled. “That’s not what happened. You’re just revising history to make yourself feel better.”
I shook my head. “Have it your way. It doesn’t matter, does it? I went to prison, and you lost the business.”
He clenched the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. “Damn right. You ruined us, but you’ve got a chance to make it right.”
My chest ached. “I made a bad business partner before. I will again.”
“You owe me this,” he said. “You owe me another chance.”
I thought of Hollywood and Ruby, waiting for me to return. Of Matteo, who’d filled out three sets of paperwork to return me to the program. Of Knight, Ghost, and even that punk kid Joyride, who’d stepped up for one another.
I’d bailed on all of them once—and they’d still had my back. I couldn’t do it again. They deserved better. I owed them too, didn’t I?
Dad and I had always been a toxic combination. No good would come of going into business with him. This time, I wouldn’t break the law. But it would still go bad, somehow. It always did.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” I said. “I have to go back to Riverton.”
“Then get the fuck out of my truck.”
I opened the door and hopped out. My father’s expression was closed-off. Implacable. But I knew that face, anyway. I’d seen it too many times before.
“You can do this without me. You can hire anyone to do the labor. I’m not important.”
“I guess you aren’t,” he said, with an air of finality that hurt. “Rest up. I’ll see you at the work site at dawn. You’re damn well finishing this job, even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming.”
“I’ll be there. I promise.”
He huffed. “For all the good that does me, huh?”
“Dad…”
“Go spend some time with your sister before you disappear again. We’ve said all that needs to be said.”
I pushed the door shut, and Dad reversed out of the driveway without a second glance my way. I headed inside, stomach churning. It seemed no matter what I did, I let someone down. I’d fucked up with my father so many times…maybe it was selfish of me to do this. Maybe I should reconsider.
I let myself in. Chastity’s door was unlocked, which meant her ex, Luke, really had been leaving her alone. She’d kept everything locked down tight last June, cowering in fear every time a knock came at the door.
I was damn glad she was in a better place. Maybe I hadn’t totally fucked up with Chas. It was a small comfort, but I’d take any port in a storm right now.
Dylan ran up. “Hey, Uncle Tex! Mom’s making chili. It’s almost done.”
“Oh yeah? Well, I better get cleaned up then.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, you kind of stink.”
“What are you talking about?” I teased, even though my heart was still heavy. I grabbed him and pulled him in close, giving him a bear hug. “I smell like a rose garden!”
He squirmed, giggling, to get away. At ten, he was all skinny arms and legs, but wiggly as hell. “Noooo! You smell like dirt and sweat!”
“But I was planting roses! Are you sure I don’t smell like pretty blossoms?”
“I’m sure!” he screeched, tugging back forcefully. “You smell nasty!”
I laughed, releasing him. “Guess I better grab a quick shower, then. Tell your mama I’ll join you for dinner as soon as I can.”
Dylan’s face was red from laughing, eyes sparkling. “Okay, but you owe me a game of TitanFall later.”
“You always kick my butt at that game.”
He grinned. “I know!”
At least I wouldn’t be letting down Dylan tonight. I chuckled and shook my head. “Fine, it’s a deal.”
I grabbed my duffel from Dylan’s room, where I’d be sleeping, and went into the bathroom. The counter was cluttered with the hair products, combs, toothbrushes, and toothpaste of four people sharing one small space, so I set my bag on the floor.
After stripping down, I took the hottest shower I could stand, anything to blast away the grit of the day.
I soaped and rinsed on autopilot, my mind replaying my dad’s words on a loop.
You owe me, he’d said. But hadn’t I come back to help Chastity when he called for me?
Hadn’t I worked with him all summer? Where did my obligation end—or did it ever?
Maybe there was no amount of atonement that would make up for losing my football scholarship and going to prison.
He would have lost the business either way, but if I’d gotten to the NFL like he wanted, he’d have never needed to start the business.
It all started and ended with me making the stupid-ass decision to let a car pull me on a sled my senior year.
We’d all got drunk over winter break, decided it would be hella fun to have a truck pull us over the snow—since there weren’t a whole ton of hills around our parts—until we hit a bump and all went flying off.
Jeremy ended up with a concussion. Kate broke her arm.
And I’d ripped my ACL beyond repair. I’d had surgery, but even if I could have recovered enough to play again, I’d lost my scholarship and opportunity.
I graduated high school with no tuition money and no prospects.
Couldn’t really blame my dad for being disappointed in those results.
The hot water ran cold. I got out and dressed in a pair of black sweats and a threadbare gray T-shirt. I wondered how Hollywood was doing with Ruby this evening? I’d call and check in after dinner.