Читать книгу Heartsong - Sara Walter Ellwood - Страница 9

Two nights after the will reading, Micki awoke from a restless sleep to the sound of her mother’s cries. Glancing at the three a.m. hour on her alarm clock, she sighed. She’d been asleep for a whopping twenty-seven minutes.

With a groan, she threw the covers off and dragged herself out of bed. On her way to her mother’s room, she peeked in on Jesse, who sprawled over the twin-sized bed and slept as soundly as only a kid could.

The thoughts that had kept her up for the past few nights pounded in her head. How was she going to afford a three-bedroom apartment, even if she did find one in Bluebonnet? She had to find another job besides managing the ranch, but how was that going to work?

Her mother cried out again. She closed Jesse’s door and trudged on to her mother’s room.

Micki sat down on the edge of the full-sized bed. Her mother had pulled herself into a fetal position with her hands curled in under her as she moaned in pain.

Taking a deep breath, Micki touched her mother’s shoulder and spoke softly. “Momma? I’m gonna give you some pain medicine. Do you think you can sit up?”

Her mother shuddered and let out another wail. “It hurts!”

“Shhh…” Micki rubbed Momma’s thin shoulder. “I’ll be right back.” She went out to the cottage’s only bathroom and returned to her mother with a glass of water and a painkiller.

Momma protested the jostling to get her up into a sitting position, but she cooperated and swallowed the pill with water.

“Hopefully it kicks in soon.” Micki sat the plastic cup on the table and tucked her mother under the quilt.

Momma’s face was drawn and pale as she reached out and took one of Micki’s hands. “I’m sorry, Micki.”

“Don’t be. You can’t help the pain you feel.” She sat on the edge of the bed again and held her mother’s cold hand. “It’s getting worse, isn’t it?”

Momma glanced at their joined hands. “I’ll be fine.”

Micki swallowed. Her mother was lying. Momma hated being dependent on anyone, including her. The doctor had explained what was happening. As her mother’s MS progressed, she’d feel pain along certain nerve roots, the most common being in the face. “We need to make an appointment with Dr. Meyers. He might be able to explain more about that surgery for the trigeminal pain.”

Momma slowly shook her head. “No. No surgery.”

“But it can help. You’re in--”

Her mother’s blue eyes grew stern as they narrowed. “And how are we going to pay for this fancy nerve surgery?”

“I have some savings, and maybe I could go back out on the rodeo circuit. Beau’s still in good shape, and with a little training, we could win enough points to get into the NFR--” She’d given up barrel racing two years ago when her mother had become wheelchair bound and began needing almost constant care. She couldn’t ask Frankie to take on all the responsibility, so she retired after winning the Nationals Final Rodeo for the third time and asked Sam for a job. To her surprise, he’d made her his manager, saying he’d wanted more time for his family.

“I can’t afford it. No, I won’t take your money. But if you really want to go back to racing, I won’t stop you. I know you miss it, and I’m so sorry you quit because of me.” Momma sniffed and slowly shook her head but didn’t meet Micki’s gaze.

Damn, why hadn’t she kept her mouth shut about the rodeo? She took a deep breath, but before she could tell Momma how wrong she was, her mother’s hoarse, slurred speech resumed.

“As soon as this place sells, we’ll have to move. My Social Security isn’t much, and we need a place big enough for Jesse.” Momma weakly squeezed Micki’s hand. “Mary told me she heard that Lemont is considering putting a bid on the ranch when it goes on the market Monday. You know if he does that we’ll have to leave sooner rather than later.”

Micki’s heart fell out of the bottom of her gut and landed at her feet. “That son of a bitch.” Sam and Frankie would turn over in their graves if they knew Lemont bought their ranch. No way could they stay much longer. Bluebonnet Creek was a small community, and apartments or houses for rent were nearly nonexistent--especially one that was handicap accessible and affordable. She also had her horse and tack to consider. “I wish I could put a bid in.”

Momma sighed and closed her eyes, as defeated as Micki. “You know around here a ranch this size would go for at least five million dollars.”

She had a few thousand bucks, but not enough to buy the ranch. To keep the sob from escaping, she bit her lip. Crying in front of her mother wasn’t going to help. Micki had to be strong for all of them. Like she’d had to be when Momma’s illness started to affect her by stealing her strength. She’d been diagnosed with MS only two years after she and Lemont married.

He divorced her because of it and took three-year-old Frankie and year-old Micki away from her. When he divorced her, Lemont trumped up a claim that Momma had cheated on him with a rodeo cowboy she’d grown up with. The accusation had been enough for the judge to deny her any alimony payments. She was homeless, sick, and penniless, until Gabe’s mother offered her the job of running the horse-training program on the Lazy M with her. They’d been friends from the days they’d been champion barrel racers.

With the McKennas’ help, Momma fought him and gained custody of Micki when she was four. When Frankie turned twelve, she ran away from their father and Loretta took her in. Again with the McKennas’ help, they fought Lemont and the courts allowed Frankie to decide whom she wanted to live with. Life had never been easy for them as Loretta’s health deteriorated, but they’d had each other and they’d had love. Something Micki wasn’t sure her father was capable of.

Squaring her shoulders, she stood, then kissed her mother’s forehead and gently squeezed her hand one more time. “We’ll think of something, Momma. We’ve been in rough spots before and we’ve made it through.”

Her mother’s attempted smile fell flat. “I keep telling myself that, too. Now, you go back to sleep. Jesse’s an early riser.”

Micki went back to her room as if she were walking through wet cement. She stopped to look again at the sweet boy in the room across the hall from hers and let the tears slip past the dam she’d constructed to keep them back.

Gabe had said he’d help her, but she’d never ask him for it. How could she? He’d left her when she’d needed him the most and never looked back. Just like her father had left her and Momma.

God, what will I do?

* * * *

Gabe lifted the bottle of water to his lips and stared out the French doors of the kitchen in his Nashville home. The late Wednesday morning sun sparkled on the pool in the center of his enclosed, professionally landscaped backyard. For a brief moment, he considered completing his morning workout by taking a dive into the heated, crystalline water. When was the last time he’d swam in the pool?

He’d returned to Nashville four days ago and had gone to a meeting with several bigwigs from his record company. They were confident he would sweep the Country Music Awards in early November. His album was sitting on top of the charts, with the first three singles blasting to the top of the country charts within weeks of their releases. Sales of his first and third records were climbing into the double-platinum range. Even profits from his disastrous, self-produced second album were on the rise. His concerts were all sold out, and his agent was booking bigger venues next year.

The executives wanted to put together a live version of his current album. Recording was to happen at his last two shows of the tour--Cheyenne, Wyoming, on Friday night and Dallas, Texas, in early October. Tomorrow morning he was flying out to Cheyenne.

He lifted the bottle to his lips to drink again and made his way toward the front of his home into the great room. Why wasn’t he more excited? Just a couple of weeks ago this was what he worked and sweated for. Now all he could think about was the cornflower-blue eyes of a woman who’d broken his heart and the little brother he loved with all of his heart.

He wanted to go west, but Wyoming wasn’t the place. Jesse was safe and happy with Michaela and her mother, but he was worried about him. Tom Fleming had secured temporary guardianship of Jesse for Michaela and him, but for how long wasn’t specified. Lemont hadn’t given up; that he was sure of. Leaving the little boy behind had been hard, but he couldn’t stay any longer.

When his cell phone rang, he set his empty bottle on a marble-topped table next to a black leather couch and picked up the iPhone. He glanced at the ID, frowned, and connected the call. “Michaela?”

“Gabe! They took him.” Micki’s voice was borderline hysterical.

“Who took whom? Jesse?”

“Yes! That witch in heels and pinstripes came here ten minutes ago and served me papers that said our guardianship of Jesse was revoked. Lemont petitioned the court and is going to adopt him.”

“Fuck!” He stood straighter and tightened his hold on his phone. He had to work at unlocking his jaw to bite out, “Has Tom contacted you?”

“Yes! He said DFPS sent you a letter.”

He glanced at the pile of mail he’d put on the large table in the center of the dining area. The sleek chrome and glass table with its eight black leather captain chairs had never been used, except to be a place for the mail he collected every morning he arrived home after his five-mile run.

He bounded up the step past a stone pillar supporting the loft above. When he reached the pile on the table, he started flipping through the junk and bills he’d brought in that morning. His assistant stopped by and collected the bills to pay every couple days and threw away the junk mail.

“Gabe, are you still there?”

“Yes. I’m checking to see if they sent me a letter.” His stomach ached when he finally found the letter from the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. “I have it.”

“What’s it say? Don’t you know? How long have you had it?”

He stiffened his spine and squared his shoulders at the accusation in her rapid-fire questions. Annoyed at himself more than he was at her, he glanced at the postmark. “It just came in this morning.” Thank God he hadn’t had it for longer. He ripped open the envelope and read the letter inside. “It’s from Judge Bentley Anderson and basically informs me and you of the rescinding of our guardianship of Jesse. That he will be put into the care of his maternal grandfather until a hearing on October eighth to determine temporary custody of Jesse. The official adoption proceedings are scheduled for early next year.”

“It’s the same letter I got served this morning.”

He heard the disappointment. Had she hoped he’d gotten a different letter?

“Gabe, what are we going to do?” Micki sniffed and let out a shuttering breath that tugged uncomfortably at his heart. “I don’t want to lose him.”

Moving back into the living room, he dropped into the supple leather of his couch and let out a deep breath. “I don’t know, but I’ll think of something. I’ve got to fly out in the morning for Cheyenne, but I’ll try to swing by Bluebonnet Creek before I’m due in Dallas. I’ll call Tom and set up an appointment for us. I also know a lawyer who might help, too. The more legal muscle we have, the better.”

“Good. Rumor is Lemont put a bid in on the ranch.” The fear and worry ripped at his heart. He hated that she was caught up in the middle of all this.

Closing his eyes, he leaned his head against the back of the couch. The thought of Lemont getting his hands on the Lazy M bothered him as much as the man gaining custody of Jesse. He gripped his phone until his hand hurt. “Damn. I won’t let you go homeless, Micki.”

“And I told you I don’t want or need your help. We’re working together for Jesse and that’s all. I’ll take care of him and Momma.”

Sighing, he agreed only because he was too tired to argue with her. “Okay.”

Before he had a chance to say more, she said a quick “Goodbye” and hung up.

He dialed Tom Fleming’s number. After finding out nothing more than what Micki had told him, he called his good friend and the best family law lawyer in Tennessee. Lucky for Gabe, he also had an office in Dallas. Maybe Reese could help them get Jesse back.

* * * *

Two hours later, Gabe entered the office of his friend and shook the man’s hand. Reese Goodwin smiled and led Gabe to the tan suede couches facing each other next to a refreshment bar. Everything about Goodwin oozed success, from the large executive office to his charcoal Armani suit and red and gray silk power tie. Gabe sat on the couch facing the bright midday skyline of Nashville while Reese went to the bar.

“Coffee? Or would you like something stronger?” Reese lifted a carafe into the air.

“Coffee’s fine. Black. Thanks.”

Reese poured two mugs full, then added cream and sugar to his own. He handed Gabe a mug and sat on the couch facing him. They’d met six years ago when he’d hired Reese as his divorce lawyer. He’d managed to save Gabe from owing Andrea more than a year and a half of his life, which he’d paid in spades while married to the witch.

The lawyer studied him for a moment over his cup as he sipped. “Okay, tell me what’s on your mind.”

Gabe looked into his mug contemplating where to start. He pulled the letter from the judge in Texas out of the back pocket of his Levis and handed it to his friend.

Reese read it, then refolded it and handed it back. “That’s tough. I’ve heard of Lemont Finn. But I don’t know him.”

Gabe glanced at the letter in his hand. “He’s a hard man. My father wasn’t a saint. Far from it, but Lemont is the devil. His family made a fortune in cattle and oil, and he’s expanded it at the expense of anyone who stands in his way. His first wife was killed in a car accident, which has always been suspected of being a suicide. He divorced his second wife after she discovered she had MS. Then he disowned his daughters when they decided to stay with Loretta rather than him after they were old enough to decide. I may not have liked Frankie, but I know she wouldn’t have wanted Lemont to have Jesse. And I damn well know my father didn’t. Not after Lemont stole most of my family’s fortune when he swindled Dad out of his partnership in Finn Energy. Michaela Finn is good with Jesse, and it’s logical she should raise him. She and Frankie were close, and if she’d made a will, that’s who she would’ve wanted him to live with.”

Reese sat forward. “What about Miss Finn? Is there anything you haven’t told me about her?”

Gabe ran his free hand through his hair. “She and I were engaged seven years ago. A couple of days before our wedding, I played a honky-tonk gig in Brownwood. I had no idea Andrea Rose was in the audience.” He signed and leaned his head back on the couch, suddenly exhausted. “Michaela broke my heart when she handed my ring back and telling me if I left we were done. All I wanted was to go to Nashville and see if Andrea was as good as her word. If she made me as famous as she promised, Michaela and I could start a new life away from all the shit we had to live with on the ranch.” With a shake of his head, he rid himself of the painful memories. He sipped more of his coffee. “Michaela didn’t believe in my dreams. I refused to be stuck punching cattle in Bluebonnet Creek, Texas, for the rest of my life.”

“She sounds a little unreasonable.” Reese leaned over his legs. “You really believe she’ll be a better parent for Jesse than you?”

“I love that boy, but of the two of us, she’s the stable one. She was unreasonable when she left me, but that was a long time ago. She loves Jesse and can give him what he needs.” He stood and moved to look out over the city he called home. “My life is no place for a kid.”

Reese stood and headed for the coffee pot. After offering more of the strong brew to Gabe, who shook his head, Reese refilled his cup. “She lives on the ranch, correct? Isn’t it to be sold?”

Gabe sighed and set his empty mug on the windowsill. “Yeah, on both accounts. Lemont supposedly wants to put a bid on the place.”

“Emm... interesting...”

Looking over his shoulder, Gabe frowned. “You know I hate when you do that.”

“Most people do.” Reese retook his seat on the couch. “Think about it. If Finn buys the ranch, the funds would go to Jesse, correct?”

“Yes. In a trust fund.” Gabe rubbed the back of his neck as he paced in front of the windows. He’d no doubt find a way to steal Jesse’s trust fund, especially if the boy ever broke away from him as his daughters had. “Damn. Lemont won’t just get the ranch and Jesse, but his money, too. He’ll get my family’s ranch for nothing.”

“That’s what I’m thinking. I’m assuming the money can’t be touched until Jesse’s adopted?”

“That’s how I understand it.” Gabe fisted his hands by his sides as another thought came to him. “Goddamn it. Finn has wanted to put the screws to my dad for over thirty years for various reasons. Lemont’s been biding his time until he can destroy everything my family’s worked for. And what better revenge than to turn my father’s young son against his family.”

Reese watched him for a few passes. “But aren’t you afraid Miss Finn would take Jesse’s money? I mean, from what you’ve told me, it sounds like she doesn’t have much.”

With a scowl, Gabe stopped and faced the lawyer. “No. I’ll provide for Jesse. But I doubt she’ll take my money. She hates my guts and believes I somehow cheated on her.”

Reese stood next to him at the window with a skeptical expression. “All the more reason for her to take Jesse’s.”

Gabe sighed and looked back out over music city. “She would never touch the money. She’s too proud to. But life would be hard, even with any survivor benefits he would receive.” He tapped the plate glass with his knuckles and turned to Reese. “Thing is, Michaela will be homeless after the sale of the ranch. She will also be out of a job since she manages it. Her mother’s MS is bad, and Michaela takes care of her, too.”

“A court will never grant her custody of a child. Why don’t you sue for him yourself?” Reese sipped his coffee and pinned Gabe with a probing gaze.

“I already told you why.” He stared out the window at the city without really seeing it and shifted his feet. His chuckle was short-lived and without mirth. “I’m a rock star in cowboy boots and a Stetson. I can’t take on a ten-year-old.”

The lawyer shrugged. “Then your options are pretty clear. Lemont Finn will adopt him. You send an occasional birthday gift and life goes on.” He set his cup on a low table. “No need for you to feel guilty.”

“He’s my brother, Reese.” A hard lump formed in his chest. Was he out of options? “I love him.”

“I know, buddy.” Reese patted Gabe’s shoulder. “I’m leaving for my Dallas office in the morning. I might be able to get the court to extend the joint guardianship, but with the situation with Miss Finn and Lemont, it will be a long shot.”

Gabe didn’t like the twist in his heart. “Michaela’s good with him.”

“You would be, too.” Reese lifted his hand to forestall any protest. “Look, there are a lot of single parents out there in the business, Gabe. They take their kids with them on the road with a good nanny. Schedule their tours around their kids’ schedules, and they’re fine because of it. My father is a lawyer. Mother was a singer. They split when I was three and each of them married a half dozen times after that. I spent summers with my mom and whatever husband she was with while she toured. The winters were spent with my dad and my latest, and increasingly younger, stepmother.” He smiled and spread his hands. “I think I turned out just fine.”

Gabe turned his back on the view of the city and laughed. “That’s debatable. You’ve been divorced twice. Besides, you’re a freakin’ divorce lawyer.”

“I already had tons of experience with divorce by the time I graduated law school. I figured it was the perfect career path.”

Chuckling, Gabe shook his head. “Hey, I’ll be in Dallas on the fourth of October. You bringing your kids to the concert?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” Reese spent October through May in Dallas with his kids from his second marriage. The summer months he spent in Nashville with his daughter from his first wife. He checked his watch. “I hate to cut this short, but I’m due in court in less than an hour. I have to make sure the bank accounts of a certain cheating husband are cleaned out by the mother of his three kids.” Gabe smiled. “I’m so glad you’re my friend.”

Reese laughed. “Representing you was fun, but if Andrea had hired me...” He shrugged and cuffed Gabe on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, buddy, you’d definitely be singing the blues.”

“Ouch.” Gabe winced at the thought. She’d sabotaged his career by dropping him from Rose and Thorn Records and castrating him in the tabloids. “I don’t want to imagine what damage she would have done if she’d had a better lawyer.”

After a moment, Reese asked, “So, what do you want me to do about Jesse?”

Gabe picked up his hat from the couch and turned it in his hands a few times before putting it on his head. When he looked up at Reese again, he knew what he had to do. “I can’t let Lemont Finn poison Jesse. If you really think Michaela and I don’t stand a chance at adopting him together, then I want to do it on my own.” He pulled his keys from his pocket and looked at them. “And, Reese, there’s something else I need you to do.”

“Why am I not surprised?”