Page 9 of Earning Tia’s Trust

NINE

Tia had one foot in the air when an arm circled her waist and swung her back onto the wooden floor at the top of the stairs.

“What the hell are you doing!” she exclaimed. “You scared me!”

“Where are you going at three in the morning?” Robert demanded.

“To the barn!” Tia exclaimed. “One of our mares is foaling!”

“How would you know that?”

“There is a string from the ground to my bedroom window with a little bell on it. If Hank needs me, he rings the bell!” Tia exclaimed. “Let me go! He needs my help!”

Robert released her, Tia ran down the stairs, and he heard the kitchen door slam shut. He thought he’d thrown away all of her men’s clothing, but apparently not. Returning to their bedroom, Robert dressed in work clothes and followed the light from one of the barn’s windows. Hank and Tia were sitting on hay bales, and he joined them. “How long has she been in labor?”

“Over a half hour,” Hank said. “This is her fourth foaling, and she rarely labors more than twenty minutes. I woke Tia because I might need some help with this one.”

As it turned out, Hank didn’t need help, but his theory was that he’d rather be wrong than lose a newborn. The mare dropped the foal, and it struggled to stand but went straight to the tit.

Walking back to the house, Robert frowned at what his wife was wearing. “I thought I got rid of all those men’s clothes.”

“If I’m helping with a birthing or half a dozen other problems, it doesn’t make sense to wear a split skirt or a dress and all that goes with it. I’d be ruining a lot of dresses.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Robert agreed. As they crossed the porch, Tia’s boot caught on an uneven plank, but he grabbed her before she could trip.

Entering the kitchen, Tia went to the stove and picked up the coffee pot. “It’s still warm. Do you want any?”

“No, I’ll wait for breakfast. It’s only a couple of hours. When was the last time any maintenance was done to this house.”

“Beyond Hayward yelling ‘It’s broken, fix it,’ never,” Tia said, looking around. “His only interest in the house was in his office, where he could drink without Mrs. Putney scowling at him. Most of the time, Hayward didn’t make it to his bedroom, and as he got weaker, he slept there on the couch. If he spent money, it was to purchase breeding stock and liquor. There are accounts in town for Mrs. Putney and Hank, so they didn’t have to bother him. Money was rarely spent on fixing the house or the outbuildings.”

“That’s going to change,” Robert said. “I’ve been looking around the house, and it doesn’t look like anything has changed in decades.”

“It hasn’t,” Tia said, looking around the kitchen. “I’m used to the way it looks. If I complained, I was ignored.”

Robert bit his tongue rather than say what he thought of Hayward Kingston and how he’d treated his children, especially his daughter. “Well, we have several options,” Robert said. “We can invest in this house and fix what needs to be fixed, or we can build a home of our own.”

“In town or here on the ranch?” Tia asked.

“Here on the ranch, but further away from the barns,” Robert said. “Stone Falls is small enough that there isn’t a need for a full-time lawyer. I could add to the building I’m using as my office. Add a small kitchen and a bedroom. I can designate what days I’d be available and have a place to stay overnight if necessary. I don’t want to spend too much time away from my family. I don’t want a part-time wife. I want a full-time wife and family. Where I go, you go. I’ve gotten used to having you around.”

Tia considered his words, and then she smiled. “Jim Hawthorn is the builder in town. We can have him come out and see what needs to be fixed here.”

Robert turned his head, looking around the kitchen. “Everything needs fixing. How attached are you to this house? I’ve been poking around, and it has termites. That’s what made the front porch floor cave in.”

Tia looked around, twisting her head this way and that. “I’ve seen what damage termites can do, but I’ve never seen them in the house. Hank burned down a shed a couple of years ago because he said it had termites. I’ve never seen them in the house.”

“They’re here. You just can’t see them yet,” Robert said. “I’ll go into town in the morning and find Hawthorn. Let’s go back to bed.”

“I can’t go back to sleep this late,” Tia exclaimed.

“I wasn’t planning on sleeping,” Robert said, sweeping her off her feet and smiling when she laughed.

* * *

Robert found Jim Hawthorn and spoke with him about inspecting the house. The builder agreed to come out to the ranch. After that discussion, he stopped at the post office. He picked up several letters from his family, including a letter from his old friend and Godfather, James Hogg. James was most likely to be the new governor of Texas in the upcoming election. The letter hadn’t asked if Robert would return to his former job, but it contained a lot of subtext and hints. It was clear that James wanted Robert back on his team, but it wouldn’t happen.

Robert would pen a letter explaining the changes in his life. The most significant change was taking Tia as his wife. She wasn’t like the women he’d kept company with for the last decade. The etiquette extended in the previous circle of politics had never caught his fancy.

The women’s perfect manners and pretentiousness of what was expected of them hadn’t interested him. Most of the women he’d escorted seemed fake. Their behavior and manners were directed by the Handbook of Etiquette for Ladies . From batting their eyes to well-practiced gestures, they were identically trained to snag a wealthy husband.

Tia was more to his liking, and he’d had an instant interest in her. She was a spirited tomboy and couldn’t give a damn what other people thought of her. There was some taming to be done, but he enjoyed his little battles with her. The woman he’d chosen was very much like his sisters. Raised on a working ranch, they could and would pitch in doing men’s work when necessary. All his sisters had married well, and Robert knew they would accept his wife. Whatever the circumstances, he’d chosen well.

While in town, Robert checked on old Horace Skinner. He gave the old man his pocket change to watch after his office.

Jim Hawthorn showed up at the ranch house several days later and spent several hours climbing under the porches, checking in closets, the cellar, and the attic. The builder/carpenter sought out Robert to give him the news.

“Do you want the good news or the bad news?” Jim asked.

“Start with the good,” Robert said.

“There ain’t any,” Jim said bluntly. “The foundation of this house has been weakened, and termites have taken over. It’s amazing that the house is still standing.”

“Can it be fixed?” Robert asked.

“Yeah, but you could build a new house, a better-built house, for what it would cost to repair this one. There’s no sign of the foundation ever being treated with sulfur smoke. This house was built with softwood lumber, not oak, although good oak is available. Termites won’t touch a good oak. I’d advise setting fire to this house and letting the termites burn with it!”

“What would be the cost of building a new house with several extra rooms?”

“A house bigger than this one, upwards of six to ten thousand. It would depend on the quality of the building materials and what you want built,” Jim Hawthorn said. “We’d have to put our heads together and decide what you want, and then I’ll draw up the plans.”

“How long would it take to build a new house?” Robert asked.

“With my crews working full time, two to four months, depending on what you want. If you’re not willing to pay for good lumber, don’t bother. If you build cheap, you’ll have the same termite problem again. Another thing is that any furniture you want to move to a new house would have to be inspected and sulfur smoked.”

Robert looked around at the office that had been Hayward Kingston’s private haven. Even with Mrs. Putney’s cleaning, there were carpet stains, and it smelled of cheap cigars.

When the builder left, Robert wandered around the house and discovered Tia writing in a tablet while she watched over the children, waiting for them to wake up from naps. Billy was a quiet boy, but Jenny sometimes awakened in tears.

Robert motioned for Tia to join him, and they sat at the top of the stairs.

“What did Mr. Hawthorn say?”

“The house is being eaten away as we speak by termites,” Robert explained. “It was built cheap and would cost nearly as much to fix as to build a new house, and I like that idea. We wouldn’t be settling in a house that holds bad memories for you. What do you think of the idea of building a new house?”

“I can probably afford it,” Tia said.

“No,” Robert said, shaking his head. “If we decide to build, it will be our home. As your husband, it’s my responsibility.”

“Ours, as both of us!” Tia countered. “I became a rich woman a couple of days ago!”

Robert laughed and smacked her bottom lightly. “So, you did, but I have a house in Austin that I haven’t sold yet, and when it does, it will bring more than enough to build a new house here. You’ll be involved in making the decisions. There are a few pieces of furniture at my place in Austin that I’ll probably have shipped here.”

“Were you planning on going back?” Tia asked.

“No, but I didn’t know if Stone Falls would become my permanent home either. I knew I had to leave Austin, or I’d be at the beck and call of my political friends.”

Tia looked down at the entryway. “I’ve never lived anywhere else. When my mother was alive, she rarely left her bedroom. I was told she was weak and not to bother her. When she died, I was told it was from having a weak heart. Francine’s mother confirmed it when I got older.

“A few weeks after my mother died, a woman moved in with a baby, and I was told Sammy was my brother. Luciana stayed around until Sammy was walking. Then, one day, she went to town and never returned. I don’t know if Sammy is my blood or not, and it doesn’t matter. He is my brother in all the ways that count.

“If you want to build a new house, I’m all for it. We’ll burn this one, with all its bad memories, and the termites will become history. I want my books, the contents of my mother’s chifferobe, and her china dishes. Maybe a few other things.”

Robert nodded and hugged Tia to him. “I’ll speak with Hawthorn again tomorrow.”

“Should the bunkhouse and the barns be checked for termites too?”

“That’s an excellent question,” Robert said. “I’ll take that up with Hawthorn tomorrow. Tonight, I need to write letters to notify my successor that I’m ready to sell the house and write letters to my family. I haven’t told them I’m married yet, and the mail goes out the day after tomorrow on the stagecoach.”

“Will you see Mr. Bishop tomorrow?” Tia asked.

“I can. Do you need pocket money already?”

“No,” Tia denied. “I’d like you to invite him to Saturday supper. And, I’d also like you to invite Francine.”

“Are you playing matchmaker?”

Tia shrugged. “I’m inviting two people we like to share supper with us. I was impressed with Mr. Bishop. He seems like a well-read man, and that’s exactly what Francine needs. She could teach at a college level but she stays in Stone Falls because her mother won’t leave. Most of the men around here are intimidated by her intelligence. I’m sure they know each other, Stone Falls is a small town, but I don’t know if she has an account with the bank.”

“I doubt Rainer would be daunted,” Robert said. “I’ll ask him. We met in college, and he recommended that I move here, although he didn’t tell me what was happening until I arrived.”

“I don’t know if Francine has met him yet. She’s paid a pittance, but she still helps her mother. She’s expected to work long hours, and the school board thinks they have a right to tell her what she can and can’t do simply because she’s the teacher! Sometimes, I’d like to wring Mrs. Higgins’ neck! She’s a bitch!”

Robert frowned and then gave Tia a sharp smack on her bottom. “Language!” he growled. “We have young children in the house, and I don’t want them picking up your bad habits! If I have to punish them for swearing, you’ll get a sore bottom, too!”

“You can’t do that to Sammy. He’s like me; he grew up around wranglers, and they all swear.”

“Then they’ll learn not to swear around ladies and children,” Robert said firmly. “I’ve already given those orders. They can work elsewhere if they can’t abide by the rules.”

Robert left for Stone Falls at daybreak the following morning. He went to the post office with his mail and then worked in his office for a while. Horace came with the building, and Robert gave him the key to the sleeping quarters over the office, as he wouldn’t use the space very often.

His meeting with Rainer went well, and the invitation to supper was accepted. The same invitation to Francine was also accepted. Robert went to find Jim Hawthorn to ask him questions about the rest of the ranch buildings, and Hawthorn agreed to send one of his men to the ranch for further inspections. They also discussed what kind of structure Robert wanted. Hawthorn promised sketches as soon as he could get to it.

Robert took his time returning to the ranch. He hadn’t expected a marriage of convenience to work out as well as it had in the last couple of weeks. He was enjoying his wife, although she was a handful sometimes. Raised to be more ranchhand than lady, she was settling comfortably in the role of wife and parent to her younger brother and the orphans they’d embraced.

He enjoyed the soft and willing woman who shared his bed and was receptive to his needs without complaints. Her willingness to try whatever he asked surprised him, and he couldn’t complain. Tia was undoubtedly not the stiff and unwilling kind of wife he’d heard men complain about.

Pulling the reins of his horse, Robert stopped at the top of a hill. He had a good view of the Kingston ranch. Three large barns, a bunk house, and the necessary buildings needed for an operation this size, in addition to corrals. The ranch was known for breeding good horses, but the property looked run down and neglected. Even at a distance, he saw missing shingles and sunlight beaming through missing sideboards that were weathered gray from a lack of paint. The ranch was suffering from neglect and lack of maintenance. The Grayson part of him was disgusted.

He wanted to blame the lack of maintenance on Raymond and his worthless gang of thugs, but he couldn’t. This kind of damage dated long before Hayward’s death.

Hank Walker had filled Robert in on the ranch’s history and had been honest about how Hayward’s health had steadily deteriorated, as had the ranch. The father-in-law Robert would never meet had a long history of illness and liquor. Regardless of his pain and bad health, Robert didn’t excuse the man’s cruelty toward his daughter.

Robert’s family would assume the property would be added to the Grayson family assets, but they would be wrong. The Grayson clan wouldn’t be happy about his marrying without them meeting his bride in advance. He expected an uproar, mostly from his sisters and mother. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d gone rogue, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. He’d always been a man who made his own decisions. Unfortunately, as the youngest of his siblings, his older brothers and sisters still thought he needed their guidance.

Looking at the weather-beaten buildings, Robert knew it would cost him dearly, but he would rebuild the ranch to its former glory because Tia deserved it. Most people didn’t think he had accrued a fortune in his former job, but he’d done well. Keeping wealthy cheaters and rogues out of prison paid well. Even Rainer would be surprised when the deposits from the bank in Austin cleared.

He had a vision of what the ranch could be, and he wanted Tia to be able to see it, too. Entering the house, Robert heard a lot of laughter and giggling and smiled as his wife was galloping around the parlor with Jenny on her back. Billy was riding his broomstick horse. She was dressed in her daily uniform of a split skirt and blouse.

Tia dropped the three-year-old into a chair and set her on her feet before turning to him. “Did you get all your errands done?”

“Not completely. We can expect Rainer and Francine for dinner on Saturday evening. Can I borrow you for a few minutes?”

“Sure,” Tia said with a curious look in her eyes. “Let me tell Mrs. Putney first.”

When she returned from the kitchen, Robert took her hand as they walked across the front porch and boosted her into the saddle. He mounted behind her and retraced his way down the ranch road, stopping on the same hill. He pointed to the ranch buildings. “What do you see?”

Tia looked at the ranch buildings and looked puzzled. “The ranch?”

“Think beyond what you’re used to seeing,” Robert said.

Tia looked confused and shrugged. “I see the ranch.”

“I see a neglected property,” Robert said. “The barns are in bad shape, and the house is worse. We already know it’s being eaten by termites right under us. Hawthorn will send someone to check all the outbuildings sometime this week.”

Tia’s expression changed to one of embarrassment. “Hayward stopped caring years ago. If Hank or I suggested making repairs, he would yell and blame us for not seeing that the repairs were being made. Hayward rarely ventured out of his office, and his eyesight worsened every year. The problem was he wouldn’t authorize the bank to give us the money to make the repairs, not even for paint. You can ask Hank. It wasn’t our fault that the ranch has deteriorated!”

“I’m not blaming you or Hank,” Robert said gently. “I want you to see what I see.”

“I don’t understand,” Tia exclaimed.

“I see a beautiful house, two or three floors high, although I don’t know what it will look like. Queen Anne and Folk Victorian are the only two architectural styles I recognize. I want our home to be something we can be proud to live in and raise our children. I see solid barns and buildings that aren’t missing shingles and aren’t in need of repair. I see dark red barns and painted fences. I see a property that we can be proud to call our own. And the name needs to be changed because you are in charge now. Your father isn’t alive to torture you any longer. You and Sammy need to come up with a suitable name.

“The ranch is known for its breeding. It needs to live up to its reputation.”

Tia twisted around in the saddle to face her husband. “I hear your words, and they sound wonderful, but can I afford that, even with my mother’s inheritance? I won’t touch Sammy’s portion of the inheritance from the ranch!”

“We can afford it,” Robert said. “As your husband, I can afford it.”

Tia opened her mouth to protest, but Robert kissed her, smiled, and gave her a pat on her fanny. “We can argue about the details later.”

Jim Hawthorn arrived at the ranch early Saturday morning. He brought three men, and they scattered in different directions. The men inspected every structure, crawled into lofts, moved water troughs, and checked basements and cellars. Mrs. Putney offered the workers lunch, and they eagerly accepted.

After eating, Hawthorn’s men handed their clipboards to their boss and headed for town.

Jim and Robert went into the office, closing the door behind them.

Tia was frustrated that she was being left out of the conference behind the closed doors of the office.

“It’s men’s work,” Mrs. Putney snapped when she got annoyed by Tia’s complaints.

“It’s my ranch!” Tia complained.

“Honey, it ain’t been your ranch since you said I do,” the housekeeper exclaimed. “You might be wearing those fancy split skirts, but they don’t make you equal to a man!”

Tia stormed out of the kitchen, stomping straight to the office. Robert wasn’t there, and she saw him shaking hands and waving off Jim Hawthorn through the window.

She went over to the desk and saw two drawings covering the surface.

“Those are the drawings of our new house,” Robert said, joining her. “My favorite is the Folk Victorian, and Jim said we should use the pink granite that Marble Falls is known for to build the foundation. We’ll never have a termite problem again.”

“What if I don’t like these drawings?” Tia demanded.

Robert frowned. “Then we will ask Jim to come up with something else.”

“Something you want!” Tia exclaimed. “I don’t have any claim anymore to anything on the ranch. I’m just the stupid girl that got screwed again!” She turned to stomp out of the room but was yanked back against Robert on her third step.

“Whoa,” Robert exclaimed. “What brought this on? You knew exactly what you were doing when we got married. You were two hours from losing everything!”

“I did lose everything!” Tia exclaimed, trying to pull loose from his hold on her. “Texas law protects men, but it doesn’t do shit for women!”

Robert took a deep breath. “You knew the law when you married me. You had two choices. Marry me, or lose the ranch. Marry me, and trust me not to take advantage.”

Tia tried to jerk away, but Robert’s grip on her arm tightened, and he held her in place. He sat her down in the leather desk chair. “Look at those drawings!” he demanded.

Tia took a deep breath and looked at the drawings and footage markers. Both houses were large and beautiful. She leaned over to read the small print. “There will be water closets in the house?” she asked.

“One on each floor, and a bathtub and sink room next to it. If we finish the attic, there will be three,” Robert said. “I’m also thinking of adding quarters and a water closet inside the house for Mrs. Putney.”

Tia closed her eyes and blew out a sigh. “I’m sorry. Something Mrs. Putney said set me off.”

“So, you took your anger out on me,” Robert said, releasing her hands.

She nodded and stood up, but he blocked her exit. “Do you think that’s fair?”

“No, but neither are the laws in Texas,” she complained. “Women aren’t stupid!”

“No, but you’re volatile and impulsive,” Robert said sternly. “Your temper and behavior is unbecoming.”

“I said I was sorry!”

“That’s not good enough if you keep repeating the same bad behavior!”

Tia saw the glint of anger in his eyes, and she tried to back away, but she was cornered. “Nooo...” Tia protested, but her denial wasn’t going to stop the inevitable.

Robert turned her around, sat in the chair, and tossed her over his lap. His punishing hand made contact with her bottom, and that was just the beginning. He continued to spank her. His wife was stubborn, but he’d had enough of her tantrums. She would remember this spanking! He continued delivering painful spanks to her bottom.

When the spanking finally stopped, Tia was crying. Robert stood up and turned her around to face him. “I’ve had enough of you blaming me for what I can’t change. I’m a lawyer, not a politician, and I have to live under the same rules of law that you do. I’m also your husband. I’m not a reincarnation of your father, and I have treated you fairly and respectfully since the day we met! I’ve had enough of you blaming me for the misfortune you had with your parents. If you continue to misbehave, I will retaliate. If that means you get a spanking several times a day, I will be here to deliver it!”