Chapter Four

“And I thought my wedding band was bad,” Monty said and received a smack from Harper.

The men were getting their handcuffs off and the bail bondman fitted each of them for GPS ankle monitors.

“Keep joking,” Harper teased back.

“Why couldn’t we pay the bail straight out?” Uncle Clevon asked his oldest, Walter.

“I wanted to eat next month,” he replied. “It’s been a few years since I did the whole law thing, but swift justice only occurs on TV shows.”

“How much of our land is tied up in this?”

“None if you show up on time at the courthouse,” Walter replied a bit rebuffed.

“At least, we got you out right away.” Harper smiled. “Now, I need to go make apologies because I’m sure I’ve fallen off Judge Landry’s Christmas card list.”

“Are these even going to work on the ranch?” Miles asked.

“About that,” the bondsman, who introduced himself as Eric, explained, “See Harp called me last night about the bond, so I went down on your ranch. There are some dead spots and I only get an alert when you go out of range. That could be Mexico or that little cabin your cousin lives in. You’re pretty much on house arrest. Luckily, you all have some nice houses. The three main ones are fine. That new one the white boy is putting up is iffy, so go there sparingly. I made up a map. Either way, it’ll beep a few times if it falls out of satellite range.”

“At least there ain’t no cattle to herd,” Uncle Clevon grumbled.

“And I didn’t want to help Sunny build his damn house anyway,” his father grumbled. “Just because I know he’s marrying my daughter, doesn’t mean I’m ready to rush the process.”

“It’s time we started setting up the solar field anyway,” Walt suggested. “Tina’s got all the details and I’ve started reaching out to companies.”

“Have you now?” Uncle Clevon countered. “Last time I remember, we had a democracy at the Long Ranch.”

“Some democracy,” Monty scoffed.

“You got a problem son?” Henry asked.

“You don’t care about Clay, Mel or my vote.”

“That’s because it’s not necessary,” Walter stormed. “The four of us are running the ranch just fine.”

“Except three of you are currently wearing ankle monitors,” Monty pointed out.

Miles shook his head. Monty wouldn’t even know what to do at a ranch meeting, but that didn’t mean he didn’t belong there. All of the Long’s were set to inherit, except for JT who sold his stake. “He has a point,” Miles said. “We haven’t incorporated or anything, but we are still a brand and I don’t see any energy company knocking down the door of three felons. We might need Monty’s handsome face to represent us in the future.”

“Um, hello,” Clayton interjected as he finally made himself known in the room. “I’m not some child scaring ogre.”

“Depends on the children,” Walt kidded his baby brother. “Fine, when we get home, everyone will be in on the ranch meeting.”

“Can we stop by the hospital?” Miles asked Eric.

“Not a problem. These are for my protection. I don’t care where you go as long as I can find you within a minute. Harper’s assurances aside, even with you covering ten percent, it’s over a half a million bond for you three. I’m not about to let that go.”

Miles’ mother was at the hospital caring for his MeMaw. Monty explained she couldn’t see him in an orange jumpsuit or handcuffs. If she would have seen him in both, she might have fainted dead away from the sight. Pathetic as it was for a thirty-one year old man, he needed his mother right now.

The harsh citrus smell of disinfectant assaulted Miles as they entered the hospital, reminding him their family had spent too much time in medical facilities over the last year. Gone were the happy times when they went to the maternity ward after Tina gave birth. Glancing at his younger brother, he hoped he would be able to be there after Harper brought his niece or nephew into the world. He was tired of seeing battered and bruised family members at the hands of those who’d done wrong in the first place. If Melody had been at fault or Clay…he could have understood that. Instead, they were victims of corporate greed and random hate. Now his grandmother, his MeMaw had a bullet shot through her for attending a wedding. Again, for greed. Harper was trying to do the right thing, but Miles was doubting the world now. No longer could he believe that right would win out in the end because if it did, it might cost his family too much.

“Loretta, if you don’t quit fussing over me I’m gonna take that cane they gave me and—”

“Hey MeMaw,” Monty called as they flooded her room with family. All of which were trying to stop laughing, having caught MeMaw in her aggravated state.

“Thank God, you’re all here. This woman is trying to make me lose my ever lovin’ mind. Worrying and fussing around me, all because not one of you lazy so and so’s thought to call her.” MeMaw shifted up in her bed that was at an angle, so her back was up as well as her feet raised. “I swear to all that is holy, once my leg is better, I’m gonna whollop each and every one of you in order.”

“Our bad, MeMaw,” Miles said and leaned in to kiss her on her cheek. “I think we were all focused on getting out, and we thought the other had called.”

“Well now, you all gonna be back on the ranch and we can move past this nonsense.”

“We’re just out on bail,” Uncle Clevon explained. “Our lawyers just got the charges.”

“The only charge you should be gettin’ is protecting the peace without a license. When did this damn world forget that police can’t be everywhere at all times.” MeMaw pointed the remote toward the TV. “You know what they’ve been sayin’ on there. They’ve been sayin’ if it weren’t for you shoving down a few people, there would have been more casualties. Miles chucked a woman, but she was grateful because she froze stiff. When she finally could gather herself, the wall behind where she had been standing had three bullet holes in it. One that would have gone straight through her head.” MeMaw started fussing like she was going to get out of bed and walk straight down to Hamilton Boyle and give him a few of her choicest words.

Miles’ mom settled her down and tucked her back into bed.

“It ain’t right. That woman was over a block away from the damn courthouse. They just kept shooting.”

“That’s good to know MeMaw,” Harper said and patted her hand. “Do you remember which station? I can track her down and try to get her to testify for Miles.”

“Why just Miles?” MeMaw asked with a face that showed her years of knowledge. “There are two others here under indictment, right?”

“They are, but Miles’ gun has been matched as the only one when it came to the driver. Plus, you said he pushed this woman down. Not Henry or Clevon.”

“I didn’t know that,” Miles replied silently as his gut tightened. He’d actually taken a man’s life. The window in the room had a thick windowsill and he sat in the cut out as his knees gave way and weakened his resolve. Not because he wanted his father and uncle to serve time, but he hoped, he hadn’t actually taken another man’s life.

His mother came over and rubbed circles on his back.

Taking hard sips of air, he quelled a split second choice that he’d never wanted to make in his life.

The room had murmuring talk, but he couldn’t make out a single word. He wanted to, as it probably had to do with the other man in the car or his defense. Defense? He’d killed a man. Ended his life. Did he have kids, a wife? Was his mother deciding what he should wear in his coffin? The room spun and Miles dropped his head until his chin rested on his chest. His fingers curled on the lip of the windowsill until he could gather himself enough to settle into his reality.

“…that’s why Hamilton thinks he can still indict Monty.”

Harper’s words caught Miles who’d been lost in his own spiral of self deprecation. “Wait—what?” Miles asked. “Monty came running up after.”

“But his finger prints are on the bullets and your gun,” Harper said as if she’d had to repeat it. She might have, he didn’t hear that part.

“All of our guns are like that,” Clevon said. “They’re the ranch’s, not ours individually.”

“And Jason will make that point. The one turned in under your name also has Monty’s fingerprints as well as Henry’s and two others they aren’t able to identify. Now, I just need to teach Monty to stop playing with guns.” Harper shook her head.

“Not going to happen,” Monty said and pulled her into his arms. “Not as long as I have someone to protect.”

“Then become a cop.”

“Nope. Not a chance. You married a rancher. Not a very successful one at this point in my career, but I’m a rancher.”

“Speaking of which,” Walt interjected. “We need to head back. Tina is there with the kids alone. Savannah had a shift at the Hard Root.”

“Please, that hippie you married would rip apart anyone that threatened her children with her bare hands, then plant ‘em in her garden as mulch.” MeMaw laughed. “But I need sleep, so I can get these doctor’s panties out of their bunch. It’s barely a scratch.”

“A bullet lodged in your thigh isn’t nothing,” Loretta chastised. “I swear woman, I think the only reason the good lord hasn’t taken you yet, is because he doesn’t want to deal with your caterwauling.”

“Harper,” MeMaw called to the latest to join the Long clan. “You gonna get my boys off?”

“I’ll be working with their lawyer in lockstep, I promise.” Her hand absently went over her baby bump. Her height and lean body must be the reason it wasn’t sticking out rounded and firm, but still everyone in the room knew the child she carried was part of the future of the Long Ranch. No one wanted this generation to destroy it for the next.