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Well after midnight, Troy and Kate arrived at the Fort Worth hospital where their dad had been taken. Dixon Turley had banged on his door and told him there was shooting at the main house and to stay where he was. Pic had called him from the car on the way to the hospital and told him about Dad.
Soon, Sal appeared. “Get Kate and get us to Fort Worth,” Troy ordered Sal, out of patience. To Dixon Turley, he said, “Take Sarah and Wyatt over to the ranch house.”
Following that, Sal had driven the ninety-four miles to Fort Worth, like a mad man.
In the waiting room outside the surgery suite, they found Pic and Drake, grim-faced. Pic was wearing house shoes. Standing in the background were two Fort Worth cops and Marcus. Low-volume Christmas music came from somewhere.
Troy strode to where Drake sat. Kate followed. “How bad?”
“All we know is it’s life-threatening.” Drake leaned forward, his hands clasped between his knees, shaking his head. “There were half a dozen shots, but he was hit only once, we think. They were talking about a bullet in a lung.”
“Jesus,” Troy muttered, propping his hands on his hips. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“We did,” Pic snapped, looking up.
What the hell was wrong with Pic? “How long has he been in surgery?”
Drake glanced at his watch. “Over an hour. Surely, they’ll be done pretty soon.”
“I talked to Tom Gilmore,” Pic said, leaning forward again and holding Troy’s gaze. “The shooter was that kid, Billy Barrett. They picked his ass up hiding in the brush behind that long ridge close to the house. You know him. Admit it. Looks like your chickens have come home to roost, Little Brother.”
Uh-oh. Troy didn’t really know Billy Barret although he had seen him two or three times at Dorinda’s house. “I don’t know him. I’ve only met him. So what?”
Pic got to his feet, towering over Troy, jamming his fists against his hips. He was almost a head taller. “Goddammit, he damn near killed Dad. On top of that, he shot the shit out of the living room. He could’ve killed us all. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Troy?”
Drake looked up at Pic. “Pic. Calm down. ... And sit down.”
Troy’s thoughts raced. Jesus Christ, Dorinda Fisk. The only link Dad had to Billy Barrett was through Troy himself and Dorinda. All of the times Pic and Drake had warned him about his relationship with her slammed into Troy’s brain. He stared down at his brother. “Hell, no, I wouldn’t. How would I?”
Kate sprang to her feet and glared up at Pic. “Just stop it. What’s wrong with you? Our daddy’s fighting for his life.” She began to pace, her hands shoved into her back jeans pockets.
“Where’s your friend and her boy?” Drake asked Troy.
Troy continued to glare at Pic. He wanted to say, None of your damn business, but he said instead, “Dixon took them over to the ranch house with Shannon and Mandy. I thought it was better to have everybody all in one place.”
“The sonofabitch is looking at some serious prison time,” Pic said, his raised voice directed at Troy. “He just got out of jail in Fort Worth. But he’s too damn stupid to do this on his own. We can only hope he drops a dime on who’s behind it all.”
Just then, a doctor in green scrubs walked out from behind two large swinging doors. “Lockhart family?” Everybody stood and gathered around him. “He’s in recovery,” the doctor said.
“Will he be okay?” Drake asked.
“Close call. We’ll know more tomorrow. He lost a lot of blood. We removed a single piece of shrapnel from his lung. The bullet barely missed his heart. It struck a rib.”
“Oh, Daddy...” Kate’s eyes squeezed shut. Tears flooded her cheeks. Troy moved closer to her and looped an arm around her shoulders.
“They’ll be taking him to ICU,” the surgeon continued. “One of the nurses will alert you. Visits will be limited.” He turned and disappeared behind the swinging doors.
Troy let out a great breath. The whole group appeared to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Marcus’s phone broke the silence. He yanked it off his belt and pressed it to his ear, listened for a few minutes. “Just a minute.” He passed his phone to Drake.
Drake listened for a few seconds, his eyes growing wider as the conversation continued. Then, “Oh, my God! ... She’s in Camden? ... The baby...?” Drake listened a few minutes more, then, “Good God. Tell her I’m on my way. ... I’ll figure it out.” He disconnected.
The little group, still on their feet, turned their attention to Drake.
“Shannon went into labor,” he said. “The baby was born in the ambulance. They’re in the hospital in Camden. I’ve gotta get there.” He looked at his watch. “Jesus, it’s three o’clock. Where can I get a chopper?”
Everybody shook their heads.
“Leave it to me,” one of the Fort Worth cops said.
***
AT 5:00 A.M. SHANNON lay in her hospital bed staring into space. She had never been so tense. Too much was going on inside her brain. Then, her door eased open a crack. and her husband’s face showed through the space. She broke into tears and held out her arms.
In three strides Drake was beside her bed. He hitched a hip onto the side of the mattress and gently gathered her into his arms. “Baby, baby, baby,” he said softly. “Are you all right?”
She hung onto him for dear life, whimpered against his neck. “Oh, Drake. I can’t believe what’s happened. It’s been awful.” She pulled back and grabbed a tissue from her bedside table and wiped her nose. “I was afraid it was a bad idea for me to leave town. The way I was feeling, I didn’t believe he would wait until February.”
“All that’s important is that you and he are okay. I was so worried.”
She looked into his face. “How did you get here? Did you drive?”
His gentle fingers hooked a swath of hair behind her ear. “The Fort Worth police got me a chopper.” He leaned in and brushed a kiss over her lips. “Did Dr. Goodman come to see you?”
She nodded. “Did you see the baby?”
“Not yet.”
“He’s so tiny. The pediatrician says he’ll catch up, but I don’t know...” She shook her head. She intended to be strong and tough, but tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.
“Don’t worry. He’ll be okay,” her husband said fiercely. “I swear, Shannon, he’ll have the best care money can buy.”
She believed him, believed in him. She knew he could move mountains. “I know. Have you seen Will?”
“He’s still at the Double-Barrel. He’s fine. I called the ranch on the way here. Mandy and Troy’s girlfriend are taking care of him. At least Troy’s girlfriend has taken care of a little kid before.”
“Aww, my sweet little boy. He must be so scared.”
“And Johnnie Sue’s there.”
“Hah. That’s not necessarily a comfort.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I don’t know. There’s just something about her I don’t trust. I can’t explain it. Is your dad okay?”
“He was just out of surgery when I left. He was the one who was the target. His wound could’ve been fatal. It’s a miracle he survived. If he makes it out of ICU, I suspect he’s got a long road to recovery.”
“I was afraid he’d die.”
“He’s a tough old buzzard.”
“I can’t believe the hospital let you in here so early in the morning. Steve must be out there menacing everyone.”
Drake chuckled grimly. “That, he is. But aside from that, they know me here. The Double-Barrel has given them money for years.”
“I should’ve known. I heard them talking, Drake. They arrested somebody.”
“Billy Barrett. Just a dumb kid. They had him under arrest three years ago for Kate’s barn, but they had to let him go.”
“Now what?”
“Somebody hired the little fucker. Sooner or later, he’ll say who. Now, maybe life can get back to normal. We can stop looking over our shoulders day and night.”
She managed a smile. “It’s Christmas Day.” She touched his cheek with her palm. “Merry Christmas.”
“I haven’t even thought about it.”
“Our baby was born on Christmas Day. That must be a good omen.”
“It must be.”
“They have a chapel here. We should go and say a prayer. For the baby and for your dad.” Drake leaned in and brushed a kiss over her lips. “I’ve been praying ever since I got that phone call that you were in the hospital.”
“I want to change his name, Drake.”
“Why, sweetheart? I thought you liked the name we picked.”
“I want to name him after Steve Logan. I don’t know how I would have made it without him. He never left my side. Only one EMT was in the ambulance with me. The other one was driving.”
Drake hugged her close again. “Oh, Shannon. So many terrible things could’ve happened.”
“But they didn’t. And mostly because of Steve. I’m serious about the name. I asked him if he would mind.”
“Darlin’, at this point, the last thing I’m going to argue about is our son’s name. What do you have in mind?”
“Steve’s name is Stephen with a PH. So I thought we could call him Stephen Logan Lockhart. I think it sounds okay. We don’t have to call him Steve. We could call him Logan. Logan Lockhart. It has a rhythm, don’t you think?”
Drake smiled. “If that’s what you want, Stephen Logan it is.”
“I think we should do something else, too. I want us to buy the Treadway County fire department a new ambulance. That one they’ve got rides so rough and it’s so old. It doesn’t have most of the latest equipment. Your whole family lives in Treadway County. And the cowboys who work for the Double-Barrel. You never know when someone going to need an ambulance ride to Fort Worth.”
***
BY NOON, TO TROY’S relief, Bill Junior had been settled into the ICU. The doctor had given them a guarded prognosis. Pic had told everybody to go home. He would stay at the hospital.
Troy talked to their mother. She had already booked a flight that would put her at DFW early afternoon. Troy volunteered to pick her up.
He left the Fort Worth hospital for the airport with Sal a little after noon. The day was sunny and pleasant. A Christmas Day like many in North Central Texas. Mom’s bodyguard met him at the airport and drove her to the Fort Worth hospital.
Back at the Double-Barrel, Troy found Sarah and Wyatt wrangling Will. They were on the floor in the den playing with Will’s toys. Mandy was holed up in her suite. The Christmas decorations looked bedraggled and sad and with no panes in one of the large windows, the living room had a chill. Shorty had hung cardboard over the openings. Other than that, everything appeared to be normal with one exception. The atmosphere had changed. The tacit tension and worry were gone.
Sarah greeted him with open arms, as if they were long-lost lovers. “I hate to bring this up, but I’ve got to get back to Roundup tomorrow,” she said. “I need to get ready for Jericho’s funeral. Are we gonna be able to stay in Jericho’s house?”
“Darlin’, we own it. We can do anything we want to.”
She nodded. “I need to do something with Jericho’s personal stuff and get a couple of people from town to help clean the place.”
She was right. The house had to be cleared out. The new tenant and his family would be moving in after New Years.
“No problem. I promised you I’d get you back over there.”
“You don’t have to take me. Jericho’s old pickup will make it over there.”
“I thought you weren’t supposed to be driving on the highway.”
She shrugged. “You do what you have to. ... I don’t like to be dependent.”
“Sarah, I’ll drive you. Right now, though, I’ve been awake twenty-four hours. Just let me flake out for a while, then I’ll be rearing to go.”
“Mandy told me a little bit about what this is all about.” She gestured toward the living room. “Is it over now?”
“I assume so. We haven’t really discussed it with Drake yet.”
“Did you hear they picked up Johnnie Sue?”
“Who did?”
“The sheriff. They took her to jail. She has something to do with what just happened. She’s somebody’s relative.”
Speechless, Troy could only blink.
“That’s all I know,” Sarah said.
***
THE NEXT DAY, SAL DROVE Troy, Sarah and Wyatt to Roundup. After the funeral on Friday, Sarah and Tiffany spent a tearful weekend going through the house and choosing items Sarah wanted to keep. Troy helped her as much as he could and tried to comfort her in her grief. Otherwise, he stayed out of her way.
On the way back to the Double-Barrel, Sarah said, “I’ve been thinking. I don’t have any idea where I want to end up. Maybe I should try staying in one of the guest houses until school’s out and I can make some decisions. Everybody here has been real nice to me.”
“Good,” Troy said, smiling. “See? I told you. My family is a little crazy, but mostly, they’re nice people.”
“I feel alone right now and sort of detached from everything. Maybe it would help to feel like I have a family around me. And as you said, Wyatt needs to be here to learn about the horses.”
“That’s true,” Troy replied.
“Mandy said if I’d stay here through the summer, she’d teach me to swim.”
Troy gave her a look. You don’t know how to swim?”
“I’ve never had a place to learn.”
“Well, you couldn’t find a better teacher than Mandy. Next week, we’ll get you settled in to one of the guest houses.”
“I’ll pay rent—”
“Not necessary.”
Back at the ranch house, solemn-faced, Pic met him at the back door. “Come on in the den. We need to talk.”
Shit. The last time Troy had seen his brother, he had been in the hospital waiting room so pissed off. Troy was in no mood to carry on an argument.
Troy turned to Sarah. “Go on into the kitchen and make yourself at home. I’ll be back in just a minute.”
In the den, Pic gestured toward the sofa. “Have a seat.” Troy cautiously sat down on the end of the long sofa. “Is Dad coming home soon?”
“He’ll probably be in the hospital another week or so. Then they’re gonna move him to a rehab hospital for a while. Mom’s gonna stay with him. I’m not sure, but when he comes home, I think she might be coming with him.”
“No shit? I can’t believe it.”
“They arrested Jordan Palmer and Johnnie Sue.”
“Sarah told me, but she didn’t know details.”
“Shocked the hell out of all of us. No big surprise that they nabbed Palmer, but everybody nearly fainted when Blake and Tom Gilmore showed up here yesterday and hauled Johnnie Sue out of here. She’s in jail in Drinkwell. Arraignment is tomorrow.”
“What did she do?”
“She’s Jordan Palmer’s aunt, his mother’s sister. It’s my guess she’ll be named an accomplice. They’ve charged him with attempted murder. I hope the asshole never gets out of jail.”
Troy’s jaw clenched. “My God. I thought Johnnie Sue was guilty only of being a nosy old woman. Was she spying?”
“More or less. She acted as a conduit from anything that went on here directly to Palmer.”
“My God,” Troy repeated. “Do they think that’s why she came to work here, to spy?”
“I don’t know everything they think. Drake knows more than I do. He’s coming down on Tuesday for the family meeting we never got around to having. He’ll lay it all out, I’m sure.”
“Wow.” Troy rose. “Guess I’ll look forward to Tuesday.”
“Not so fast, Little Brother. I’m giving you a heads up because I don’t see how you’re gonna avoid getting dragged into this. Kate, too. They’re gonna expect both of you to be witnesses. And you’ll be under oath. This has been going on for years. You know Drake. He’s not gonna let it rest. Before it’s over, I’m sure they’ll have that conversation with Dorinda Fisk, the Senator be damned. Hell, they might even question the Senator.”
“So what if they do? I don’t see how—”
“Troy, forgodsake. You’re not a stupid man. Stop acting like one.”
Troy heaved a sigh, his hand still on the doorknob. “Okay. So you’ve told me.”
“I’m telling you something else, too. A piece of brotherly advice. If you’re halfway serious about that girl, you’ll tell her about your past social activities.”
“It’s none of your business, Pic. It’s none of her business either.”
“You say that, but that’s not the way relationships work, Troy. Women don’t just let things lie. You were good-time-Charlie for a long time. You’ve got history. If she hears it from somebody else or hears it during Palmer’s trial, she’ll never trust you. She might even hightail it out of here like a launched rocket.”
“What makes you such an expert on women? You don’t have a stellar history either.”
“Maybe not, but I’ve got a lot of experience.”
