32. Cord
32
CORD
“ W hat happened that night?” Buck asked.
“You and Porter ran off to get help. A few minutes after you left, I heard a gunshot and tore into the house to see what had happened. When I got inside, I saw Roscoe on the floor. Mom had a gun in her hand.”
“So it was her who shot him.”
“Yeah. At least I think so. They weren’t alone in that room, Buck.”
His mouth gaped. “Who else was there other than you?”
“A man I didn’t recognize. I think he was trying to stop Roscoe’s bleeding. He told Mom to get me out of there.”
“Do you think he shot him?”
I shook my head. “Mom was holding the gun. Plus, once we were out of the room, she told me I couldn’t tell anyone what happened. She made me promise.”
“What else? ”
“I remember telling her he’d hurt her again. She promised he wouldn’t and that everything would be taken care of. Something like that, anyway.”
Buck pulled off the main highway and took a gravel road that led to the river flowing between Gunnison and Crested Butte.
“Right after that, she told him she was sick,” he said after parking and cutting the engine. “I think she already knew the cancer was too far gone for her to beat it.”
“The last thing she said to me that night was she hoped that someday, when I learned about the decisions she’d made, I’d understand why and I forgive her.”
Buck stroked his beard. “Here’s what I don’t get. The ranch belonged to the Wheaton family. How did it end up in our mother’s trust?”
“My first question is, how did she end up with Roscoe to begin with?”
“You can call him Dad. It won’t bother me.”
I shook my head. “I started referring to him as Roscoe a while ago.”
My brother studied me. “Why?”
I shrugged. “I hated what he did to us.”
Buck picked up a rock and threw it into the river. “Why do you think she never told me?”
“She knew she was dying and was afraid of what he’d do to you if you knew. As long as you didn’t, he had to keep up the pretense.”
He nodded. “Makes sense.”
“My guess is whoever is pulling all our strings now, pulled his while he was still alive.” I hung my head.
“You know, if Mom hadn’t left East Aurora, if her brother had succeeded in forcing her to have an abortion, none of us would be here.”
“You’re right.”
“There might not even be a Roaring Fork Ranch.”
Buck’s eyes met mine. “Do you think she ended up with him because of it?”
I shrugged. “No idea. It’s all a huge fucking mystery, man. But at the end of the day, here’s what I know matters—us. You, me, Porter, Holt, Flynn, TJ, Buckaroo, and the twins.”
“And Juni,” my brother added.
“Most especially Juni.”
“Is she going to be a permanent fixture around here?” he asked.
“In my life? Yes. Around here? I can’t answer that. ”
“I get it.”
“Which leads me to the roughstocking business. With both Porter and me gone, I don’t see how we can keep it going.”
“The same way we have for the last few weeks,” said Buck. “Holt has been pitching in when he can, plus we’ve got about a thousand goddamn cowboys on the payroll. A few of them seem at least somewhat knowledgeable about bulls and broncs.”
“Yeah?”
“One guy in particular—Kingston West. Do you remember him?”
“Of course I do.”
“He’s taught me a helluva lot, I can assure you of that.”
Rather than throw it like Buck had, I picked up a flat stone and skipped it across the water. Maybe all was not lost as far as Porter’s and my venture. “The important thing is we stay profitable.”
Buck nodded. “We’re doing better than you think.”
“Glad to hear it. I guess that means you won’t need me sticking my nose in.”
He put his hand on my shoulder. “I’ll support whatever decisions you and Juni make, but I will say this; if the Roaring Fork isn’t your home, I’ll miss the fuck out of you, Cord.”
“Even though I’m an asshole?”
He chuckled. “Especially because you are.”
“Speaking of Juni…”
“And TJ…”
“We should get back.”