Читать книгу On The Texas Border - Linda Warren, Linda Warren - Страница 7

“LOOK AT THAT, ABIGAIL,” Simon Brewster said as he stood at the huge windows overlooking the Rio Grande Valley. “It all belongs to me…as far as the eye can see.”

“Are you proud of that?” Abigail Duncan asked, scribbling notes on a pad while a tape recorder picked up his voice. She was writing Mr. Brewster’s memoirs. The eighty-year-old’s life had been turbulent and fascinating, and she didn’t want to miss a word.

“You’re damn right I am,” he told her in his gruff voice. “If you’ve ever known poverty like I have, you’ll make sure you never have to live like that again.” He paused, then added, “I was nine years old when my father died and my mother and me had to work the fields to make a living. It was during the Depression and there were a lot of days when all we had to eat was bread and honey. I vowed that one day my mother would never have to work again. She was the only person I ever really loved until…”

She waited for his next words, but none were forthcoming. She glanced up to see him staring out the window and realized he was lost in another time. She doodled on the pad, knowing he wouldn’t speak until he was ready. She’d been working on his life story for a month and she had come to know his moods.

Her pencil stilled as her mind drifted. She’d returned—after a bitter divorce—to Hope, Texas, her childhood home. She’d lived here until she’d left for college. After getting her degree, she’d moved to Dallas and joined a large newspaper as a reporter.

She had been home two days when Simon Brewster had asked her to write his memoirs. The request had come as a shock because there’d been bad feelings between her family and Mr. Brewster for the past year. Her father had worked for Brewster Farms for thirty-five years, then suddenly Mr. Brewster had fired him. Her father said he hadn’t been given a reason for the firing, but the rumor that had circulated around the small town was that Abe Duncan had been caught embezzling funds. That had angered Abby and she’d wanted to find out the truth. But then her father became ill, and Abby had spent her time at home helping her mother to care for him. Nine months later he died. She’d loved her father, and had been devastated by his death. Her mother blamed Mr. Brewster. So did Abby.

When Mr. Brewster offered her the job, she’d turned him down. She had no intention of writing his life story. But then she began to see it as an opportunity to uncover the truth. She knew Abe Duncan had not embezzled a dime, so why had Mr. Brewster fired him after so many years of loyal service? It was time to get some answers. Her mother was adamantly against the idea, but Abby was a reporter, and she had to clear her father’s name.

So far she hadn’t been able to bring up the subject. The more Mr. Brewster talked about his life, though, the less she hated him. She didn’t understand that, but it didn’t change her mission.

Feeling uncomfortable, she brushed a speck from her denim skirt, straightened her white knit top and studied the elderly man at the window. He was a formidable character. His gray hair was short and stuck out in all directions. She didn’t think he ever combed it. She remembered that from her childhood. When she’d see him in town, his hair was always disheveled, giving him a wild appearance, and all the kids gave him a wide berth. She wasn’t a child anymore, but Mr. Brewster was still intimidating. The thought brought her back to the memoirs. She checked her notes to refresh her memory.

“Until what?” she prompted.

“Until my son was born,” he muttered. Abby knew better than to ask about his wife because she’d already learned that Mr. Brewster had married her for her land. It wasn’t a love match. The son was a different matter, and Abby was reluctant to talk about him. He’d been killed in an auto accident when he was thirty-one years old. Marjorie, Mr. Brewster’s wife, had grieved herself to death, and for the past twenty years, Mr. Brewster had been a hard and embittered man.

“I made people pay for his death and I will make them pay until the day I die. Vengeance is mine and always will be,” he said in a tone that sent goose bumps up her arms.

She swallowed and asked, “But wasn’t it an accident?”

“Drunk teenagers, that’s what it was,” he roared. “They were jealous of my son and his money and they dared him to a race that night. My son was never one to back down from a dare, but liquor and high speed don’t mix. I will continue to seek retribution for their callous behavior.”

Back then Abby had been only a child, but she remembered the accident. Her parents had talked about how sad it was. The whole town had mourned. But she’d thought there were no survivors.

“Didn’t the crash kill everyone?” she asked into the silence.

“Not everyone.” A sinister smile tugged his lips. “The boys left families, and I made sure those families never worked in Hope, Texas, again. They raised killers and they should be shunned as killers.”

Abby swallowed again. This was the side of Simon Brewster everyone had warned her about—the ruthless side.

She glanced at her watch and noticed the time. “Mr. Brewster, it’s almost five-thirty,” she said. “I’ve got to go. I promised Mom I’d be on time for supper.”

Simon Brewster turned from the window. “We’re just getting started,” he grumbled.

Abby glanced at him as she stuffed papers and the recorder into her carryall. They went through this every day. He never wanted her to leave. Abby recognized he was lonely. For a man who had so much, he had so little. Hope, Texas, was known as Brewster’s valley—miles and miles of fertile land in the Rio Grande Valley between Texas and Mexico. The land yielded vegetables and fruits that were sold all over the United States. Simon Brewster was a very rich man, yet he had no family, except distant relatives who were just waiting for him to die. Everyone said he’d got what he deserved…and maybe he had. When she’d agreed to write his story, the same people told her she was crazy, and she probably was.

As a child, she’d ridden her bicycle past his mansion with the wrought iron gates. The house was built of white stone and had a red tile roof. Although she’d lived most of her life in Hope, she’d never been inside the house until four weeks ago. It was exactly the way she had thought it would be—elegant and tasteful with a Mexican flavor.

Today they were in his bedroom because Mr. Brewster had been having chest pains, and the doctor had ordered him to take things easy. The room was awesome and the four-poster bed had a headboard, with intricate Mexican carvings, that almost reached the ceiling. A luxurious bathroom and adjoining sitting room gave a sense of space and elegance, but the floor-to-ceiling windows with their spectacular view took pride of place. From his bedroom, Mr. Brewster could see everything that went on at Brewster Farms.

Few people liked Simon Brewster, but most of the town depended on Brewster Farms for a living, so they put up with his bad attitude and bad moods. Just as her father had done. Abe Duncan had never hurt anyone. He didn’t deserve what had happened to him. No matter how involved Abby became in Mr. Brewster’s life, she never forgot that fact. She would find out the truth…maybe not today, but soon.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” Abby said, when she realized her mind was wandering.

A shaggy eyebrow shot up in annoyance. “Every time I’m in a mood to talk, you have to run off. Can’t your mother wait?”

Before she could form a suitable reply, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Mr. Brewster called crossly.

Jonas Parker stepped into the room. Jonas was the manager of Brewster Farms. He answered only to Mr. Brewster.

“Howdy, ma’am,” he said to Abby as he removed his hat, and her toes curled into her shoes. His voice was low and deep and seemed to come from the depths of his broad chest. Jonas Parker exuded raw sensuality.

His light brown hair was bleached blond by the sun. It was parted on the side, and a lock fell across his forehead when he wasn’t wearing his hat. His features were masculine and well-defined; his eyes, a clear brown. He was well over six feet, and his body was firm and strong as if he knew what hard work was all about. He wore a chambray shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows and faded jeans that emphasized his long legs.

Her stomach tingled with excitement…just as it had when she was sixteen and Brad Hazelton, two years older than her and popular in school, had asked her out. She was appalled at her reaction. She had sworn off men, love and marriage. Evidently her body hadn’t gotten the message.

Jonas walked to Mr. Brewster and handed him a clipboard. “Here are the orders for tomorrow,” he said. “Twenty eighteen-wheelers will arrive in the morning. We’ll have them packed and out of here by five.”

Jonas was precise. That’s probably the second thing she had noticed about him. He said by five and he meant it. Jonas Parker was a man of his word. For the life of her she couldn’t figure out why she found so many of his qualities attractive. Her hormones were out of whack, she told herself. Time to get out of here.

Mr. Brewster signed the papers. “What vegetables are we shipping?”

“Yellow squash, carrots, onions and the last crop of cantaloupes.”

“You see the job’s done on time.”

“Don’t I always?”

“Yeah, I guess. You don’t give me much to gripe about.”

Jonas took the clipboard from him. “I’m sure you’ll find something.”

“You’re damn right I will,” Mr. Brewster snarled. “You work for me, boy, and I expect loyalty and—”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Abby interrupted, not wanting to sit through one of their many arguments. The two men seemed to hate each other, and Abby didn’t understand why Jonas continued to work for a man who always tried to belittle him. Of course, Jonas gave as good as he got. And she doubted if anyone could truly belittle Jonas Parker. He was too much of a man.

“Run off.” Mr. Brewster waved a hand. “You always do that when I’m on a roll.”

Abby slipped out the door without another word. She hoisted her carryall over one shoulder and her purse over the other. She hurried down the winding staircase, eager to get home. A door slammed loudly, and she jerked around them. Her purse slid from her shoulder to the floor, its contents spilling onto the Mexican tile. She hurriedly picked up her wallet, keys and lipstick, and as she reached for a tampon that had rolled away, a masculine hand, lightly covered with brown hairs, retrieved it.

She straightened to stare at Jonas, and her knees wobbled. A musky, masculine scent filled her nostrils, and her cheeks turned red as he handed the tampon to her. She managed a weak “Thank you.” She crammed it in her purse, expecting him to walk on. He never had a conversation with her. He greeted her politely, but that was it.

“Haven’t you got anything better to do than listen to an old man’s ramblings?”

The attacking words startled her. She slung her purse over her shoulder in a quick movement. “Ramblings? It’s his life story. I’d hardly call that ramblings.” Her voice was cool, belying the heat building in her.

“But how much of it is true?”

Again, she was startled by the question, but didn’t allow her puzzlement to show on her face. “All of it,” she responded. “It’s his life so I assume—”

He cut her off. “Never assume anything about Brewster. He’s asked you to write his memoirs for a reason, and you can bet it has nothing to do with his desire to let the world read about his remarkable life.” With that, Jonas walked past her and out the front doors.

It took a moment for Abby to catch her breath, then she quickly followed. If he thought he could throw that at her and leave her standing like an idiot, he had another think coming.

She caught him on the front steps. “What did you mean by that?” she demanded.

He swung around to face her, the clipboard in his hand. “Are you naive, or what?”

“I am not naive,” she replied sharply. She’d been away to college, lived and worked in a big city, gotten married and been through a divorce. At thirty, she was anything but naive.

“You’re from Hope. Surely you’ve heard the stories about Simon Brewster.”

“Yes, I’ve heard the rumors,” she said stiffly.

She was standing on the top step and looking down at him, which gave her the advantage she needed, since she was five foot three and he towered over her. He took a step up and they were at eye level. His eyes delved into hers.

“Everything you’ve heard about Brewster is true. Nothing is exaggerated or blown out of proportion. It’s all true.”

She shrugged lightly. “I’m writing his memoirs, that’s all.”

His eyes narrowed. “After what he did to your father, why would you want to do that?”

“You knew my father?” she asked hoarsely.

He looked surprised. “You’re supposed to be a reporter and you couldn’t figure that out?” he quipped sarcastically, and she bit down on her tongue to keep from saying something she’d regret.

She knew her father had worked with Jonas. His question had thrown her off balance.

“We worked together for years,” he went on. “Abe was an honorable, decent man, and Brewster shattered him like a piece of glass. Brewster didn’t flinch while he was doing it, either, and he never gave your father a second thought.”

Abby’s stomach tightened in pain, but it didn’t keep her from noticing the insinuations in Jonas’s voice. Did he know something?

“Why did he fire my father?” she asked quietly.

Jonas shook his head. “Don’t know. Brewster uses people for his own means, and he’s doing the same with you.”

Jonas was wrong about that. Abby was using Mr. Brewster for her own purposes. “What would his reasons be?” she managed to say, trying not to show how his words affected her.

Jonas shook his head again. “Don’t know.”

Abby shifted her weight to her other foot. “Sounds to me like you’re making accusations without any proof. What are you afraid of?”

He didn’t respond, just stared at her with guarded eyes.

Her journalist’s instincts kicked in. “Are you afraid I might find out something about you?”

He took another step up and loomed over her with barely controlled anger. “I hope you find something on me…something that will get me out of this god-forsaken place and away from Simon Brewster—forever.”

With that, he turned and took the steps two at a time. He got into his white truck with the Brewster Farms logo on the door. The door slammed with a deafening sound, and he sped down the driveway to the gates.

Abby held on to the iron railing that curved to the bottom of the steps. Her insides were a hard knot of nerves. She’d been wishing that Jonas would talk to her, but not this way. He was rude and accusing. He made her feel as if she’d betrayed her father. That was the last thing she’d intended. She was going to get justice for her father—one way or the other. And she didn’t need Jonas Parker’s interference.

AS ABBY DROVE to her mother’s house, her mind was a jumble. She’d believed that writing Mr. Brewster’s memoirs would be easy. He’d talk and she’d write, then they’d discuss her father. But so many other emotions—and people—were interfering. People like Jonas. In her job as a reporter, she’d come up against men like him. The strong, silent types, who never wanted to talk or share emotionally. She was always uncomfortable around them. She had to admit, though, she wasn’t a really great judge of men. Just look who she’d chosen to marry.

She’d met Kyle at the paper. He was fun, loving and caring…and he’d swept her off her feet. Within three months they were married. They were happy for a while, but then she noticed he was drinking to excess. She didn’t worry too much because they were both dealing with a lot of stress at work. She began to get bigger assignments and awards for her writing. Kyle became jealous and bitter, and Abby began to turn down stories because her achievements angered him so much.

He wanted a child, and she told him that they had to work on their marriage first. She wouldn’t bring a baby into a home that was fraught with tension. That only increased his anger. His drinking got worse, and he started staying out late. Then he was fired from the paper. That brought matters to a head. Kyle blamed her for everything that was wrong in his life. He became so enraged one night that he hit her. She packed her things and left. The next day she filed for divorce.

Kyle began calling and showing up on her doorstep, wanting to reconcile, but he had destroyed any feelings she’d ever had for him. She had no intention of ever going back. He harassed her for weeks until she had to get a restraining order. Finally, the divorce was granted, and she headed home to heal.

She forced the depressing thoughts from her mind as she parked behind her mother’s car and hurried into the house.

Gail Duncan sat at the kitchen table, flipping through a magazine. “You’re late,” she said, not looking at her daughter.

Abby got the message. Her mother was upset. She dropped her purse and carryall by the refrigerator and kissed her mother’s cheek. “I’m sorry. Things ran long today.”

Her mother was in her late fifties and still an attractive woman, with her short, neat graying hair and trim figure. She didn’t answer or look up as Abby spoke, just turned a page with a jerky movement.

Abby sat next to her and took her hand in hers. “Mom, you know why I took this job, so be patient with me.”

Her mother glanced at her, her green eyes—so like Abby’s—swimming with tears. “I don’t like you anywhere near that man.”

“I know, Mom, but I have to find out what happened with Daddy, and I’m getting close. I think Mr. Brewster will tell me.”

Her mother squeezed her hand. “Don’t you trust Simon Brewster for a minute.”

Jonas had said almost the same thing. But she wouldn’t think about him and his insulting words.

“I won’t,” Abby assured her. “But there has to be a reason he fired Daddy.”

“Your father never would say. He said to forget about it, that he was tired of working for Brewster, anyway. Then he found out about the cancer and—” Her voice cracked.

“It’s all right,” Abby said softly. “It’s time to get on with our lives. But before I can do that, I need to have some answers.”

Her mother got up. “You were always like that—needing to know the who, when, where, what and how about everything.” She took lasagna out of the oven and brought it to the table. Setting it on a hot pad, she added, “I guess that’s what makes you a good reporter. But,” she continued wistfully, “sometimes you have to let go.”

Abby stood and kissed her. “I’ll try, but right now I’m so hungry, especially for your lasagna. I’ll wash up and be right back.”

She ran to the bathroom, hoping she was doing the right thing about Simon Brewster. She knew her mother was worried that Mr. Brewster was going to hurt her the way he’d hurt her father. Funny, but Jonas seemed to feel the same way. Stop thinking about him, she admonished herself.

Maybe she should forget about the memoirs and let go of the past, like her mother had said. No, she couldn’t. She had to know. She washed her hands, then stared at herself in the mirror. Her natural blond hair was in disarray around her shoulders and her green eyes lacked their usual sparkle. She looked awful. Had Jonas noticed? Probably, she thought, answering her own question. He wasn’t blind. But then, why should she care? A man was the last thing she needed in her life. Besides Jonas wasn’t interested in her in any way, shape or form. And that was a good thing.

Wasn’t it?

JONAS LEFT HIS OFFICE and walked through the big metal building that housed the offices of Brewster Farms. Juan, one of the warehouse employees, tried to stop him.

“Mr. Jonas, I—”

“Handle it, Juan, I’ll be back later,” Jonas threw over his shoulder as he made his way to his truck, which was parked out back.

In less than five minutes he pulled up in front of Mick’s Tavern in town. He got out of the truck and went inside. The place was a dive—peanut shells littered the worn floor, a jukebox hummed in a corner and a Mexican couple necked at a table that could have used a good cleaning. Jonas came here often to unwind. God, he needed to unwind today. That Duncan woman was beginning to get to him.

“Coke and peanuts,” he said to Mick, who stood behind the bar. Jonas and Mick were old friends. Mick had been there for him when no one else had—not even his own parents. In fact, Jonas thought, Mick was probably the only person who’d cared about him when he was a kid.

Mick had married a Mexican woman, and they’d settled in this small border town so his wife could be close to her family. Mick was a die-hard Texan with rough edges and a spit-in-your-eye attitude. He was equally at home with the locals and the Mexicans. Everyone knew that Mick was a good man to turn to in times of trouble. He had helped many other people as well as Jonas.

Not all of Mick’s endeavors were on the up-and-up, though. Even as a kid Jonas had figured that out. A brothel was illegal in Texas, yet Mick operated one in plain sight of the sheriff and the town. Jonas knew that Mick had some sort of arrangement with the sheriff. For a certain amount of money, the sheriff turned a blind eye. A lot of illegal activity—drugs, prostitution, smuggling—went on in this town, yet nothing was ever done about it. Brewster was the only one who could put a stop to it—and he chose not to.

Illegal immigration was also a big problem. No matter how tight the security, Mexicans always managed to find a way to get across the Rio Grande undetected. It was routine for illegals to show up at Brewster farms wanting work. Brewster had always hired them, and Jonas continued that practice. If they proved to be good workers, he tried to help them get a Green Card so they could continue to work without fear of being caught. It was a lengthy process, but worth waiting for. Many extended families—parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and cousins—came to work for Brewster. Once here, they usually stayed—only going home for visits.

Some went farther into Texas or other states. It made Jonas sick when he heard of illegals dying from heat, exhaustion and thirst while hiding from the border patrol. Then there were the “coyotes”—as the Mexicans called them—who smuggled illegals across the border for a price and transported them deeper into Texas. They jammed as many people as they could into a concealed truck. If the Mexicans didn’t die from suffocation, and if the driver managed to slip through the checkpoints without suspicion, they had a ticket to freedom. It was a roll of the dice and the Mexicans took it.

Jonas remembered the first time he had helped to burn the sugarcane for harvesting. Three bodies were found huddled together. No identification, nothing on them, and everyone knew they were illegals. Unfortunately, it was something that happened too often. When Jonas took over Brewster Farms, he warned the Mexicans when the cane was going to be burned. He wanted the word spread on both sides of the border. He then had Juan use a foghorn and circle the fields, informing everyone in Spanish that the burning was about to begin. So far he hadn’t had to witness such an awful scene again.

During peak season, temporary Mexican laborers came by the busload with a special pass to work. They couldn’t go farther than twenty-five miles from the border and they had to return to Mexico at night. It was a good arrangement and it helped everyone. In the winter months, seasonal workers came from up north to avoid the bad winters. The trailer park was a hive of activity during that time. Some workers came regularly and a reunion took place every year. All in all, everyone got along. Everywhere there was Mexican music mixed with country.

Mick slid an iced cola can and a bowl of roasted peanuts across the bar. Jonas took them and sat at one of the tables, propping his feet up on a chair. He took a swig of the cola and began to break the peanut shells.

Mick came over to the table. A white apron covered his large form. He chewed on a cigar. He never lit the thing, but he always had one in his mouth. “Why do you come in here, Jonas? You never buy any liquor or make use of my girls.”

“I don’t drink and I don’t need to pay for sex,” Jonas said, popping a peanut in his mouth. He glanced at Mick. “You got a problem with that?”

Mick held up his hands. “No problem. Just bad for business. In the old days I couldn’t keep you outta here.”

Jonas removed his worn hat and plopped it on the table. “The old days, Mick? I’ve forgotten what the hell they were like.”

“No, you haven’t,” Mick said, pulled up a chair and rolled the cigar to the other side of his mouth. “You made a mistake. You were young. Now it’s time to say adios to all that.”

Jonas ran his thumb over the sweat on the cold can. “Yeah, if only it were that easy.”

“Brewster can’t control you forever,” Mick told him. “Not unless you let him.”

Jonas looked at his friend.

“You’ve paid your dues,” Mick added forcefully.

Jonas went back to rubbing his thumb over the can. He didn’t want to talk about Brewster or the past. It was over, but his dues would never be paid, not until…

Mick caught that stubborn look and changed the subject. “I got two illegals over at my place. They’re scared but they need work.”

“How old are they?”

Mick sighed. “Why do you always have to ask that?”

“Because I’m not working kids.”

Mick chewed on the cigar. “They’re both sixteen.”

“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?” Mick knew that sixteen was the youngest age that Jonas would allow.

“I haven’t lied to you since you were eight years old. I told you the truth even when it hurt.”

He had. Mick had always been straight with him, so there was no reason to doubt him. Jonas had a strict rule about children. He refused to work them. Brewster gave him enough leeway to enforce it.

“Send them over,” he said. “I think there’s a couple of beds in a trailer. Make sure they’re aware of the rules—no liquor or drugs on the premises. As long as they behave, they’ll have a safe place to work. Tell them to ask for Juan and fill out papers, and they can start work tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Jonas,” Mick said. “How about another Coke?”

“Sure, why not.”

On his way to the bar, Mick asked, “What’s Brewster got you in a snit about today?”

“It’s not Brewster.”

Mick set another can in front of him. “Then, it has to be a woman.”

Jonas took a swallow. “Women, Mick? How in the hell do you figure them out?”

“I don’t. I just enjoy them.”

Jonas laughed. “That’s very good advice.”

“Then, why the hell don’t you take it?”

Jonas didn’t answer. Mick wouldn’t understand, anyway. Jonas tipped his head back and drank thirstily.

Mick watched him for a moment. “Why don’t you get on your Harley and head for parts unknown. What the hell can Brewster do?”

Jonas pushed hair away from his forehead. “In my dreams, Mick…only in my dreams.”

Neither spoke for a moment, then Mick said, “Is this about the pretty Duncan woman who’s been hanging around the Brewster mansion? She’s a nice piece of—”

Jonas stopped him. “Don’t talk trash.”

“Then, it is about Abigail Duncan.”

“Brewster’s using her, and I can’t figure out why.”

“It’s not your business, is it?”

Jonas gulped down more cola. “No, but…”

“But what? You’re concerned for her?”

“No, dammit. She needs to get her ass back to Dallas where she belongs.”

Mick chuckled. “Or maybe she belongs in your bed.”

Jonas’s eyes narrowed on Mick. “Is that all you ever think about?”

Mick chuckled again. “It’s good business and it’s why you’re so wound up. You can’t get the Duncan woman out of your head.”

Jonas twisted the can. “Your dime-store psychology stinks.”

“But I’m right, ain’t I?” Mick said gleefully. “Take the woman to bed and get her out of your system. That will solve the problem, and you’ll definitely be in a better mood.”

Jonas stood, laid some bills on the table, picked up his hat and walked out. Mick was wrong, he told himself. He didn’t want to take Abigail Duncan to bed.

Liar! resounded a voice in his head. Okay, she was attractive with her blond hair, green eyes and knockout body, he admitted, but she was a career woman with a divorce behind her. He didn’t need someone like that. His life was messed up enough the way it was.

On the way back to the office, Jonas decided Mick was out of his mind. He also decided he would stay out of Ms. Duncan’s life. He’d warned her. Now she could do whatever the hell she wanted.