Page 4

Daylight dawned with Wade Sutton sitting in a cell at the county jail. This wasn’t his first time being arrested. He had a rap sheet that had begun before he was old enough to drive, and was pretty certain probation for this mess would be out of the question.

He knew horse stealing was a third-degree felony in the state of Texas, and highly frowned upon, especially if you’re stealing pricey registered horses, rather than some kid’s pony. Stealing a horse was worth two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He didn’t want to know how that stacked up when he was responsible for the theft of twelve high-priced horses and the illegal sale of four, plus auto theft and theft of personal property. What he didn’t see coming was that ballistics was about to identify the gun they’d confiscated from his truck as the weapon used in a robbery/murder in Amarillo. The same gun he won in a poker game last month. But he did wonder what they would do about charges for possession of the drugs he’d had.

The charges were mounting by the hour, and he was due to be arraigned this afternoon. He was expecting bail to be set, but with his rap sheet and the multiple felony charges pending against him, bail was likely to be high, and he didn’t have the money to pay a bondsman.

He couldn’t afford a lawyer, and knew he’d have to depend upon a court-appointed one, but he still needed to talk to Vonnie. He had been booked and sitting in his cell for hours before he finally got to make a call, and then the phone just rang and rang before going to voicemail.

Even as he was leaving a message, he guessed she was pissed, but he didn’t know she was already on a highway heading east, with their son asleep in the back seat of their extended cab truck, and her phone on Silent.

***

Yvonne Sutton had driven all night and up into the morning, stopping only for a potty break and to refuel. She bought snacks on the way out of the truck stop, and settled Randy in the back seat with food and a bottle of water.

Randy hadn’t seen his grandparents in two years. He’d almost forgotten what they looked like, but he remembered they laughed a lot. He opened his bag of chips and shoved one in his mouth as his mama buckled herself back in and started the car. He chewed and swallowed, and as he was reaching into the bag for another one, he glanced up in the rearview mirror.

He could see from the dashboard light that his mama was crying. It worried him. Daddy was in jail now, and he was supposed to be the man of the house, but he didn’t know how.

“Mama, don’t cry,” he said.

Vonnie swiped the tears off her face and glanced up in time to see the worried look on Randy’s face.

“Honey, I’m fine. I’m not sad. I’m just really, really mad at your daddy, and I’m crying to keep from screaming, understand?”

Randy’s voice shook a little. He was coming to terms with the reality of their life.

“Cause Daddy is a stealer?” he asked.

“Yes, and a gambler, and a liar, and because he was always hitting me. I’m gonna tell you right now, jail is right where he belongs, and we’re going to home to Bossier City, and Grammy and Pawpaw will help us start over. We’re gonna be just fine. Don’t be scared. I’ve got this. You just eat your snacks, and then try to get some more sleep.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Randy said, and leaned back as they drove away. He stuffed another chip in his mouth, chewed, then washed it down with a big drink of water, relieved that he didn’t have to fix anything.

By the time Vonnie reached I-20 east, she put the car on cruise. Randy was asleep again in the back seat with the blanket pulled up beneath his chin, and snack wrappers in the floorboard.

For her, taking that on-ramp and feeding into the intermittent traffic was like getting a shot of adrenaline. She’d been lost since the first time Wade gave her a black eye, but without the courage she needed to get away, and having a baby with him later was an even bigger anchor to the man she’d come to fear.

But no more. Wade Sutton’s greed and stupidity had turned out to be their getaway ticket. Her face still hurt where he’d hit her, but he’d never hurt her again. She was tired between her shoulders from driving, but her focus was on the horizon, knowing that she was going to see the sunrise before she saw home again, and she couldn’t wait. She didn’t want to arrive in the dark. She needed her first sight of home to be in the bright light of day.

And she did just that. Without stopping to sleep.

***

When Vonnie finally got her first glimpse of Shreveport from I-20, the sun was in her eyes and Randy was awake and eating a sausage biscuit from the last place they’d stopped to refuel. She had already eaten, but she felt like the food was stuck in her throat. She’d been strong for so long that the relief of knowing they were going to be safe was an emotional release she’d never allowed herself to feel. When she took the needed exit off into the city, a moment of déjà vu brought tears.

Thank you, God, we made it!

She swiped them away before Randy could see, and started winding her way through Shreveport to the Texas Street Bridge spanning the Red River. Crossing it would take her into the suburb of Bossier City where she’d grown up, and where her parents still lived.

When she drove onto the bridge, Randy glanced up. “Are we almost there?” he asked.

“Yes, baby. We’re almost there.”

“Will Grammy and Pawpaw remember me?” he asked.

Vonnie sighed. “Of course. They send you birthday cards and money every year, don’t they? And Christmas presents?”

“Oh yeah,” Randy said, already mesmerized by the huge span of metal supports on the bridge they were on. There weren’t many bridges where he grew up, and he’d never seen one like this.

Vonnie knew there was going to be a huge adjustment for both of them, but it was already happening. She’d sent her parents a text when they stopped for breakfast earlier. All she’d said was sorry for the short notice and that she and Randy were coming home. The reply she’d gotten from her mother was what she’d needed to see.

Praise God. Daddy and I can’t wait. I’m getting your rooms ready now.

***

Crossing the bridge was as good as already being there. Bossier City was where she’d grown up. As she drove, she could tell some things were different, but the landmarks and the streets were the same, branded into her memories like the Sunset brand of Emmit Cooper’s ranch. Sonny Bluejacket’s ranch now. She thought of the money he’d given her to get here, and knew she’d say prayers for that man for the rest of her life, because he’d saved her.

When she stopped at an intersection for a red light, she glanced up in the rearview mirror. Randy looked anxious.

“It’s gonna be okay, son. Even if you don’t remember Grammy and Pawpaw, they remember you. And there are so many wonderful things to see and do here in this big city.”

“I’ll have to go to a new school. I won’t know anyone,” he said.

“They won’t know you either, so you will have a chance to make new friends, and you know all those games you play by yourself at home? Well, you’ll have kids to play with here. You’ll see. I’m sorry about Daddy, but I’m not sorry he can’t hurt me anymore, okay? He made the mistakes. Not us. It’s not our fault. Just remember that.”

Randy nodded. “Okay, Mama. I gotta pee.”

She laughed. “Me, too, but we’re almost there. Can you wait about five minutes?”

“Yep. I can wait.”

“That’s my boy,” Vonnie said, then the light turned green, and they drove through.

Five blocks later, they turned down a street lined with Craftsman-style houses set on manicured lawns awash with colorful shrubs and flowers, and massive trees shading the yards and walkways.

When Vonnie spied the yellow house with gray shutters and the vehicles parked beneath the two-car portico, her eyes welled. As she began slowing down, Randy sat up straighter.

“Are we there?”

“Yes, honey, we’re there,” and pulled up into the drive.

Within seconds, the front door opened, and both of her parents came rushing out. The moment Vonnie and Randy stepped out of the truck, they were caught up in hugs and laughter, until her daddy, Mike Arnold, saw her face, and his eyes narrowed.

“Did he do that?”

Vonnie nodded.

Mike wrapped his arms around her. “Where is he?”

“In jail. It’s a long story,” Vonnie said, and then reached for Randy’s hand. “Let’s get our things and go inside, okay?”

“Not before I get me a hug,” Ruth Arnold said, and hugged her girl. “You’re still my baby girl. Welcome home,” she whispered.

Mike put his hand on his grandson’s head. “Randy’s gonna be my helper, and show me which bags to take inside, aren’t you, son? Your grammy’s gonna take Mama on in the house,” Mike said.

Randy puffed out his chest and nodded.

The moment the door closed behind them, Vonnie burst into tears.

“Mama, it’s such a mess. Our old landlord passed away, and Wade just confiscated his truck and started driving it all over, then moved all of the old man’s horses into the pasture behind our trailer. I didn’t know what was going on. He told me he was just looking out for the stuff because Mr. Cooper had passed. Then he sold four of the horses illegally, and all of this without knowing that an heir to the property was arriving. Long story short, the heir brought the sheriff with him, and all of the ugly stuff came out in the wash. Wade was arrested for horse stealing, auto theft, illegal possession of a weapon, and possession of illegal drugs. He’s going to prison for a long time. Randy is devastated and trying not to show it. And I wouldn’t be here if the heir, a man named Sonny Bluejacket, hadn’t taken pity on the two of us, and gave me five hundred dollars of his own money to get us home.”

Ruth was horrified on her daughter’s behalf. “I suppose Wade is responsible for that bruise on your face, too?”

Vonnie swiped at the tears on her face and shrugged. “Oh, that’s nothing new.”

Ruth was horrified. “Why did you stay? Why didn’t you call us before? We would have come after the both of you.”

“Because he would have come after us, and hurt you and Daddy.” Vonnie sighed. “Wade’s arrest was the chance I’d been waiting for, and the money I was given made it possible for us to leave. I need to get that old trailer pulled off of the property, though. It’s junk, but it’s ours, and I’ll have to get someone down in the area to haul it to a scrap yard for me. But that’s something to deal with another day.”

“Your daddy will help you figure all that out,” Ruth said. “I have your old room ready, and the adjoining bedroom is Randy’s. You two will share the Jack and Jill bathroom, okay?”

“Yes, and thank you, Mama. I’m ashamed to come home like this, but we didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

“No, baby, it’s never a disgrace to come home. This is where you come to heal. Now, here come the boys. Wipe your eyes.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Vonnie said, and then got up and followed her son and her father down the hall.

***

Just before noon the next morning, Wade was standing before a judge as the charges against him were being read. He expected the horse, property, and auto theft charges, but he nearly passed out when he heard the gun charges. No way was he going down for murder. He’d won that gun in a poker game, and there were people he knew who could attest to that, but his claim of innocence there would mean nothing, so he stayed silent. After that, the judge set a bail so high Wade knew he’d never be able to bond out. He requested a court-appointed lawyer and went back to jail as dejected as he’d ever been, and waited for the lawyer to show.

The lawyer arrived a few hours later, and he was taken to an interrogation room, but when he walked in and saw a woman, he balked.

“I don’t want no female lawyer,” he muttered.

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Jane Mallory said. “Sit down, Mr. Sutton. We have a lot to discuss and not a lot of time to do it in. Today is my son’s eighth birthday, and I have to pick up his cake before I go home.”

It was the comment about her son that shifted Wade’s attitude enough to do what she said. The guard handcuffed Wade to the table.

“Mrs. Mallory, I’ll be right outside the door when you’re ready to leave,” the guard said.

Jane nodded, then focused on her new client. “I’m Jane Mallory. I’ve read the charges against you, and they aren’t a joke. They’ve already run ballistics on the gun. They have verbal testimony from the arresting officer, stating your son telling them you’d already sold four of the twelve horses you stole. They were registered animals, worth a minimum of $20,000 apiece, which puts the money value in the felony category.”

Wade nearly passed out when he heard their sale value. He’d sold all four for two thousand bucks. Delroy Kincaid must have laughed his ass off all the way home. Then he realized the lawyer was still talking.

“The missing horse regalia belonging to Mr. Bluejacket was found in your possession. The pills they found in your truck were fentanyl. That’s a felony charge. And the gun they found in your truck was used in a robbery/murder at a liquor store in Amarillo. That’s another felony charge. So don’t lie to me or I can’t help you at all.”

Wade was sweating. “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! I didn’t murder anybody! I did the horses and Emmit Cooper’s property. I can’t deny the pills were mine, but I wasn’t selling, just using, and I won that gun in a poker game less than a month ago. There are three men I played poker with who can verify that.”

“Then give me their names and contact info,” she said, and wrote down what Wade told her. “What’s your defense for taking the horses?” she asked.

Wade shrugged. “I rented from him. He died. Wasn’t nobody around to take care of them. I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn’t take them off his property. They were still on land he owned.”

“But you didn’t need bridles and saddles, yet you stripped the tack room. You didn’t need the horse trailer, because you cut the fence and let them through, and yet you took the horse trailer to your property, too. Why?” she asked.

He couldn’t look her in the eye and lie, so he focused on a spot just over the top of her head. “So someone wouldn’t steal it.”

“But someone did steal it. You stole it,” Jane said.

He glared at her, but didn’t respond.

“What made you think you had the right to sell property that didn’t belong to you?” Jane asked.

Wade sighed. “I needed the money.”

Jane checked her notes. “You’re married, right?”

He nodded.

“Where’s your wife? Would she have any testimony that would help you?”

“She isn’t answering her phone. I don’t know where she is. But she wouldn’t testify for me,” he said.

Jane looked up from her notes. “Why not?”

He shrugged. “We fight a lot. Sometimes I lose my temper.”

“Do you get physical with her? Do you hit her?” Jane asked.

“I said, I lose my temper,” Wade muttered.

“So, you abuse your wife. What about your son. You have a son, right?”

“I never laid a hand on my son,” Wade shouted.

Jane arched an eyebrow. “Don’t yell at me, Mr. Sutton. Unlike your wife, I will not tolerate that shit.”

Wade’s rage shifted to a mutter. “I don’t hit my son.”

“So, your wife is out of the question when it comes to testifying for you, and they can’t make her testify against you, so we’ll hope she chooses to stay out of this. I think this is enough for me to start with, and the first thing we need to do is get that gun charge dealt with. I’ll be in touch.”

She packed up her stuff and left him sitting. The officer let her out and Wade was taken back to his cell.

***

Sonny had been dreaming that Walks-Off was scratching at the window screen beside his bed when he woke abruptly.

The first thing he heard was the wind, then realized it was already sunup. The scratching he’d heard now sounded more like something loose at the back of the house, but he wasn’t one to ignore signs, and went through the utility room and out the back door to investigate.

Almost immediately, he found the source of the noise—a twist of baling wire hanging on a nail beneath the porch was swinging back and forth in the wind. Relieved that it wasn’t Walks-Off, he pulled it off the nail, and tossed it in the corner of the porch before going back inside.

His first thought was of the horses, but it was just after six. A little early to deal with getting them home. The house felt chilly, so he turned up the thermostat on his way to the kitchen to make coffee, and went to get dressed. He thought about braiding his hair, then decided it would take too long and fastened it back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, instead.

Two cups of coffee later, he headed to the truck with a garbage bag, and began cleaning out the mess Wade had left behind, then began going through the console and the glove box.

Emmit’s proof of vehicle registration and insurance were in the console. He was going to have to find out how to transfer the title into his name since it was inherited, rather than purchased.

Once he had the trash removed, he dug through Emmit’s cleaning supplies and went back to the truck and wiped it down with disinfectant. It smelled a little lemony by the time he was finished, but he’d removed the scent of Wade Sutton’s presence. He went back into the house long enough to clean up, found an out-of-date box of Little Debbie cakes, and ate two as he finished his coffee before heading out.

He had two main items on his agenda today: get the horses and the stolen property back to Sunset, and get food in the house, which meant a trip to Crossroads.

Within moments of reaching the main road, he realized how close the Sutton trailer was to his home. At night, he’d had little concept of distance, but this morning he realized he could see it from the end of the driveway. Living on the prairie meant there was nothing between here and there but land and a horizon that went on forever, so spotting anything that rose above the horizon was easy.

In the bright light of day, the trailer looked even more rundown. The deputy was still parked at the residence when Sonny pulled up. He noticed the front door to the trailer was ajar. Likely from Vonnie Sutton’s hasty exit. He pulled it shut and walked over to the deputy.

“I’m Sonny Bluejacket,” he said and flashed his ID. “Thanks for standing guard. I came to get my horses.”

“You’re welcome,” the deputy said. “Just part of the job,” and then drove away.

Sonny was already in search mode as he circled the trailer, slipped through the rickety gate and out into the pasture to look for the horses. He didn’t know how far back the property ran, but the fence between the trailer and the ranch proper was only a few yards away. As he drew closer, he could see the hastily repaired stretch of wire that Wade had cut to run the horses through, so the first thing he did was cut the wire again. But this time, he pulled it all the way back into the fence line on both sides so the horses wouldn’t get tangled in it, then started walking toward a rise. The grass was still good, so they hadn’t gone hungry, but he was sick about the four that had already been sold.

It was instinct that told him to stop and whistle, rather than hunt them down and try to herd them on foot. Horses were curious, and he knew Emmit would have worked with them constantly, so they shouldn’t be spooked by another man. If they weren’t far away, they might come to him.

He took a deep breath, and the sound that came out from between his teeth pierced the air and rode the wind all the way out of hearing. He whistled one more time, sent out the thought… bring them to me …then stood, watching the rise.

When the faint thunder of hoofbeats began to sound, it sent a shiver all the way up his spine. The ancestors had heard him. The horses were coming. He settled the Stetson a little tighter on his head, unaware he was holding his breath.

The first one topped the rise on the run—a roan with a black mane and tail, followed by a dun, a buckskin, a big gray, and two chestnuts with white blazes, and then one more bringing up the rear.

But the one in the back soon passed them all. That’s when Sonny’s heart skipped a beat. It was the biggest, most magnificent Appaloosa he’d ever seen, and for a split second, Sonny felt the horse’s heartbeat.

This one, he’d never sell.

Even though they kept running, he didn’t budge, and just when he thought this might be a bad idea, they came to a sliding halt around him instead. He held out his hand, then began moving among them, softly talking to each one as he went, stroking a nose, laying a hand on the side of a neck, scratching an ear, and all the while waiting for the Appaloosa to approach.

As he reached up to pick a burr out of the dun’s mane, he felt a nudge at his waist, and then a velvety-soft nose on the back of his neck. He turned. The Appaloosa was before him—black head and neck, black legs, long black mane and tail, and the back half of the body, a white blanket with spots. He slid a hand up the side of the horse’s jaw and softly blew in his nose.

The horse snorted and tossed its head.

“I see you,” Sonny said. “Let’s go home.”

When he started walking back toward the break in the fence, he whistled again. They were trotting toward him when they saw the opening and took off running. The sight of the running herd made his heart soar.

They know the way home.

He pulled a pair of wire pliers out of his jacket pocket and quickly repaired the broken fence. It wasn’t ideal, but it was good enough for the time being. As soon as he got back to his truck, he hooked up the horse trailer, pulled it up to a crumbling shed behind the mobile home, and began loading up the stolen tack and feed. When he finally got the last of it loaded up, he hauled it home.

The horses had all gathered around a hay ring out behind the barn, eating from the round bale inside of it when Sonny began unloading everything back into the tack room.

The windmill in the pasture was spinning, and he could see water coming out of a pipe into the tank. The horses were home. They had hay and water, and he hadn’t seen a mark on any of them, but he grieved the four that were gone, and hoped Sheriff Reddick was able to track down the buyer and get them back.

Once the trailer was empty, he drove around behind the barn, unhooked the trailer, then went back to the house to search for the registration papers, but had no success, and now he was concerned. He needed this information.

The big gray was the only stallion. The rest were geldings or mares, so it stood to reason the mares would have been bred. He just had no idea when, or what the timeline was to watch for foaling.

Frustrated, he shifted focus and began making a list of things he needed for the house. By the time he headed into Crossroads, it was nearing noon, and he was hungry. Grocery shopping would have to wait. He was going to the Yellow Rose to eat, and if he was honest, he was hoping to see Magnolia Brennen again.