The hospital
released Dwayne the following morning. Dad and I brought him some
clothes and his favorite pair of old boots he loved to wear. I
got his clothes from his room before we left the previous night.
They were still in a pile on his bed where he hurriedly undressed.
By midmorning
Lamar was feeling a lot better. The food for breakfast seemed to
make him rally. Then, too, he had several visitors who came to
wish him well. Flowers were arriving from everywhere. Sidney
Wainright, Sticker Wiggins and Logan sent him flowers. The
sheriff and his wife sent him flowers. The Winchesters sent him
flowers. Lamar was so unassuming about so many things, he was in
awe and touched that anyone would care enough to take their time, spend
their money, or come visit him in the hospital. While he was
gracious and charming in a non-obsequious manner, he had little social
skills, and was mostly embarrassed by the attention he was
receiving. He just couldn’t seem to understand what he did as an
act of love for someone precious to him should generate such a response.
Dwayne tried to
tell him he was a hero and people were trying to express their
admiration and appreciation for his unselfish actions in saving one of
their own. Dwayne was a member of their greater community and
loved by many. They thought Lamar was a brave man to have done
what he did. He understood the words and the explanation, but he
still had difficulty grasping the concept. He was in awe of the
beautiful flowers, and cried every time someone brought more.
Dwayne wanted to stay with him, but Lamar insisted he go home with
us. He wanted him to start recovering from what they went through
together.
“Lamar,— I
wanna’ stay with you.”
“I know you do,
baby boy, but don’t chu’ worry none ‘bout ole Larmar. Lamar’s gonna’ be
jes’ fine. If you’s gonna’ be my protector and guide through this
world, I wants you to be strong and responsible. There’s gonna’
have to be one of us who says what’s-what-about-what in our
relationship. Since I be older and twice as big, guess who dat’s
gonna’ be?” he tried to laugh, but it hurt. “Especially,
until’s you gits to be a man and that’s another two years off.
You be our navigator, and I be the Captain, okay?” Lamar grinned
real big at Dwayne with his perfect teeth.
“I have no
problem with that, buddy!” Dwayne said.
“So, I want chu’
to go on home with your brother and his handsome dad. I can tell
they love you very much. You can’t forget the ones who’ve helped
you and whose love sustained you to git through all this, Son.
They need ju’ as much as I do. I can’t do much of anything
anyways but lay here and recover. Ole Lamar’s ain’t never been
treated this fine in his life, and it’s all because of you, baby
boy. I can’t be with you right now to make a little love to you,
but that’s all this big body can think about ever’ time I look at
chore’ pretty face. My old thing down there stays half hard all
the time you’re around me. I need’s that blood up here to heal my
wound, not down there doing nothing but get’n me hard when I can’t do
nothing about it.” He laughed and a pain shot through him.
“Now, you start mind’n ole Lamar today,— ya’ here, Son,— no ‘if,’
‘ands’ or ‘buts’ about it!” He smiled sweetly at Dwayne.
“All right,
Captain,— I’ll reluctantly obey your order. The sheriff ain’t
gonna’ call Camp Pendleton until tomorrow morning anyway. He got
the doc to say he had to keep you under sedation for a couple of days,
and they didn’t know much about you until you came to. My
brothers and I will have some time with you this evening to go over
what to tell them. My little brother, Sidney, knows all about
it. He and the sheriff are big buddies now. The sheriff
filled him in on everything. My little brother don’t forget
nothing.” Dwayne smiled, “Think we could raise my rank from
‘navigator’ to ‘first mate,’ Sir?” he grinned.
“Not ‘til you’s
eighteen, Son.” Was all Lamar said as he smiled. Dwayne
didn’t argue. He just nodded his agreement and smiled. He
accepted Lamar as his leader.
“I couldn’t have
a more handsome Captain.” Dwayne whispered to him as he kissed
him on the cheek.
“I love’s you,
boy,— I really do.” Lamar whispered back.
* * * * * * *
It was almost
noon. Dad and I didn’t feel like cooking when we got home so we
went to the pizza place in town and split a large pizza three ways.
“Dwayne,”
you know Sticker and Frank are bring’n your daddy to our place this
afternoon.”
“Yes Sir, I
can’t believe I’m really gonna’ get to spend some time with my
dad. Other than going to see him ride in three rodeos and sharing
a meal with him once, I ain’t never spent any time with him since I was
seven years old. That’s almost ten years. I won’t know how
to act, what to say, or do. I’ll probably make an ass of myself.”
“That’s what I
wanna’ talk to you about, Son. Don’t hold nothing back from yore’
dad you really feel, Dwayne. He’s yore’ daddy, and that man’s
been there and back. You can’t surprise him with nothing.
I’ve know’d yore’ daddy all my life, and I know him to be a good
hearted, generous, but sometimes overprotective man. You ain’t
gonna’ make no ass out a’ yore’self. Ain’t no way. In his
eyes you can do no wrong. That man worships you. No matter
what you say or do, he ain’t gonna’ think less of you. Just relax
and enjoy him. He’s a wonderful man to have as a friend, and
he’ll even be a better dad if you let him.”
“Will dad get
into trouble for coming to be with me, Mr. Longhorn? Mom would
have a hissy-fit is she knew. She’d try to have him thrown in
jail for sure. I wouldn’t want that.”
“It was the
sheriffs idea for Sticker and Frank to go get chore’ dad. What
happened last night cancels any say yore’ momma has over you right now,
Son. Until the social workers and a court can decide if she acted
in a responsible manner or not by leaving you with your step-dad, the
sheriff has given me temporary guardianship over you. So, for all
practical purposes, you’re my boy now and Case is yore’ brother.”
Dad smiled at him.
“I couldn’t do
better, but I shore’ could do a lot worse for a dad, and have, Mr.
Longhorn. Ain’t real sure about my brother, though.” Dwayne
joked. I poked him in the ribs.
“You were yore’
momma’s responsibility, Dwayne. She wouldn’t share you with yore’
dad. Sadie knew for six months there was a gradual deterioration
in your relationship between you and her. I don’t know how many
times she talked to me about it and asked if Casey or I knew what was
wrong. The obvious was right there in front of her; yet, she
couldn’t see the forest for the trees.
Several people
suspected what was going on. Spencer and I were sure of it, but
you never said a word. That’s why the night you told Casey, he
wasn’t surprised, and he told you we already knew. When I called
Leland Bard to give us a hand in all this, he knew what the matter was
the minute I told him there was something going down over to your place.
Your momma knew
Brad Dunbar was an asshole when she married him. Everyone told
her not to marry him. I told her I thought she was making a big
mistake, but when your mother gits her head set for or against
something no one’s gonna’ change her mind. She just didn’t wanna’
admit there could possibly be anything wrong with Brad. She kept
giving him the benefit of the doubt and wouldn’t confront him when he
was git’n on your case all the time. Have you ever heard the phrase
‘divide and conquer,’ Son?”
“Yes Sir, in
school. If you separate an army it’s easier to conquer them.”
“That’s right,
and that’s essentially what Brad did to you and your mom. He
managed to divide you and Sadie to where you wouldn’t talk to each
other about him. He made her think it was all your fault for not
accepting him as your new dad, and he only had your best interest at
heart, he was only trying to shape you up and make you
responsible. He simply told you he’d beat her up or kill her if
you said anything. It worked for six months and might have gone
on longer until you either told someone or worse, disappeared.
Sadie knew something was going on,— she just didn’t wanna’ admit it to
herself. She didn’t wanna’ see it. She didn’t wanna’ have
to admit she made a big mistake marrying Brad Dunbar.
The man
would invent things to humiliate or browbeat you until you were
becoming almost completely subservient to him. I know you love
yore’ momma, Son, and I love Sadie, too, but she didn’t act responsibly
with you. So, by her actions or inactions for your safety, the balance
of things has changed considerably. Until all this can be
straightened out, I have more say in your safety and well being than
your mom. Lee left you in my care until the courts decide what
should be done for you.”
“What a’ ya’
think will happen, Mr. Longhorn?”
“You’ll probably
be placed in a foster home until you’re eighteen and can make a few
decisions for yourself.”
“You mean live
with someone I don’t know?”
“No, Son,— the
Winchesters have taken out a foster care license and want to
offer you a place to stay with them if you’d like to. No one’s
gonna’ force you. You don’t have to stay with them.”
“I really love
Mr. and Mrs. Winchester. I just never thought about living with
them, but I don’t think I’d mind as long as I get to see my brothers,
my dad, and Lamar.”
“Well, Son, that
may or may not happen depending on a lot of things. Spence asked
me what I thought, and I told him getting a license wasn’t gonna cost
him anything; it’s always good to be prepared. The sheriff told
him last night he was gonna’ have to accept Lamar in his home if he
expects you to live there. Spencer and Donna don’t have any
problem with Lamar. They’re two of the most liberal minded folks
we know.”
“Is my mom
gonna’ come home to see me?”
“She can’t right
now, Son. I called her, and talked with her for a while last
night. She wanted to. She wanted to come down to be with
you, but she don’t have no one to take care of her sister for
her. I told her everything, and I suggested she not come back
right now. There’s really nothing she can do. Everything’s been
taken out of her hands. You may as well know, if and when she
comes back, the sheriff will arrest her and put her in jail pending a
hearing to see if they wanna’ press charges against her. She just
may do jail time, Son.”
“My mom, no,—
why?” Dwayne acted surprised. I guess I was, too, when I
heard it from Sheriff Bard.
“For exactly the
reason I told you a minute ago. Dwayne, this is hard for me to
tell you, but she may be found criminally negligent for allowing this
to go so far without doing something about it. She could be
charged with child neglect, because she catered more to Brad’s needs
than she did yours. It was neglectful of her to allow him such
total control over you. You were her responsibility, and she made
the decision to give Brad that control; so, she’s responsible.
She could be
charged with child abuse because she allowed Brad to have his way with
you, and never stood up to him where you were concerned. She
could a’ told Brad not to tell you to do a damn thing anymore. It
wasn’t his responsibility. She could a’ told him, if you did
something wrong, for him to tell her, then she would decide whether you
were to be punished or not and he was not to have a hand in it.
She didn’t do that, Son. She continued to allow him to dominate
you, and to intimidate you into submission.
She could also
be charged with abandonment. It’s a wonderful and noble thing for
Sadie to be up there taking care of her sister while she’s dying, but
it wasn’t necessarily her job. She could a’ found someone to take
care of her, or placed her in a hospital or a hospice. She has
two other sisters who live closer than Sadie who could a’ taken her in,
cared for her or made arrangements for her care, and neither one has
the responsibility of a child to care for. I told Sadie to find
some alternate form of care, but she wouldn’t hear of it. I told
her not to go off and leave Dunbar in charge of you.
I offered to
take you in whenever she left. I told her she could jes’ leave
you with me and Case, and then, she could stay up there ‘til her sister
passes away. She wouldn’t do it. Well, that’s Sadie.
She gonna’ do what Sadie wants to do and to hell with the rest of the
world; however, by taking on the responsibility of her sister, she
neglected her responsibility to you. In effect, she abandoned you
to a sick man who has no legal control over you. So, essentially,
Sadie’s stubbornness has come back to bite her in the butt.
You could a’
told Brad Dunbar to go fuck himself, and take a flying leap at the
moon, and there ain’t a damn thing he could a’ done about it.
Even when she wasn’t there, you didn’t have to do a damn thing he
said. There’s no way he could a’ made you. He could a’
tried, but if he laid a hand on you, or tried to punish you without her
consent, you could a’ had his ass thrown in jail pending an
investigation. All you had to do was show the sheriff your
bruises and file a complaint against him.
That shore’
would a’ put a major kink in his plans. It would a’ scared the
crap out a’ him, too. He shore’ as hell wouldn’t want any kind of
investigation about him getting back to the military. You
wouldn’t even have to have bruises, Son. You could a’ told Lee
Bard anything, and he would’ve believed you. He knows you ain’t
the kind a kid to make up shit.
Remember the
afternoon I took you guys and your little brother to do the chores and
he made such a scene. By, God, come hell or high water, he was
gonna’ make you stay there. He backed down real quick-like when I
reminded him he had no legal say where you went or what you did,
especially since Sadie left you in my care. I was hoping like
hell he’d hit me. I would a’ had his ass thrown in jail and pressed
charges against him for assault. You notice he didn’t lay a hand
on anybody. He was so used to getting his way by intimidation he
thought he’d jes’ bulldoze me. Not this old cowboy. Don’t
worry, Son, it’s all gonna’ work out.”
“I hope so, Mr.
Longhorn, but I don’t want my mom to go to jail.”
“Of course you
don’t, Dwayne. She may not and your statement about what you
think and how you feel about it will be taken into consideration.
Do you feel up to going by the ranch on our way home to do the chores
and pick up some a’ yore’ things, Son, or would you rather wait?”
“No, I’ll be all
right, Sir. I’m fine. After all, Mr. Longhorn, I was the
one what got the better fuck’n last night.” Dwayne laughed, so
did we.
“Can’t gainsay
that, Son.” Dad laughed. “Look to me like you weren’t in
too much pain but cha’ did have an awful grimace on you face.”
“Hell,— that
weren’t from pain, Mr. Longhorn,— it was from trying like crazy not to
shoot my load too quick! I hadn’t got my full eight second ride
on ‘nat big bull, and I damn sure knew there weren’t gonna’ be no
re-rides. The son of a bitch selfishly fucked me so many times,
never allowed me to come, I just felt like, in a round about way, I was
gonna’ make him fuck me until I wanted to stop.”
Dad let out a
whoop you could a’ heard in the next county. We both were
laughing.
“You know who
would love that story, Case?” dad asked me.
“Sheriff
Bard?” I asked. Dad just laughed and nodded.
“I’d kinda like
to drop by the ranch, Mr. Longhorn. There’s a number of folks I
need to start tell’n how much I love and appreciate them. I may
as well start with two men who’ve looked out for me most of my
life. I know Frank Mayhew is with Mr. Wiggins, but Curley’s there
for sure, and I can tell him. I can tell Frank when he brings my
dad to your place.”
We got to
Dwayne’s place and it looked different somehow. Dwayne even
commented on it.
“It don’t look
so gray and foreboding this afternoon, does it? Or is that jes’
my imagination playing tricks on me?”
“No, Son,— by
God, I think you’re right. It looks like the place went from
black and white to technicolor overnight, don’t it? ‘At’s spooky
ain’t it?” dad asked.
“I don’t think
we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto.” I said to Dwayne.
He gently
frogged my arm and grinned. First thing Dwayne did when we got
there was head for the bunkhouse. He didn’t get far when Curley
came out to greet us. Curley was your typical Western
cowboy. He wasn’t a bad looking man, but then again, he wasn’t a
handsome man either. He was a man of the Earth like my dad,
Dwayne’s dad and Curley’s mate Frank Mayhew; however, dress old Curley
up in his Sunday best go-to-meet’n cowboy duds, and he could turn a few
heads, male and female. He turned mine a few times. Dwayne slowly
walked toward the cowboy and Curley seemed to understand what
Dwayne needed. He opened his arms to him. Dwayne gave him a
big hug and a kiss.
“What’s that
for, Son?” Curley asked shyly.
He wasn’t use to
open displays of affection. You would never see Frank or Curley
touch each other in public. They wouldn’t even sit close to each
other; however, when they were home, behind closed doors it was a
different story.
“It’s just to
say thanks, Curley,— for everything you and Frank done for me over the
years, for all the little things I always took for granted; for always
being there for me, never pushing, but always offering me quiet support
when I most needed it. You never intruded on my life, but you’ve
always been there when I needed you. You and Frank come to ever’
damn game I play to cheer me and my brother on, and for a million other
reasons I can’t think of right now. You two have been much more
than just hired hands on a ranch. You’ve been an integral part of my
family. If it weren’t for you and Frank I wouldn’t a’ had no
daddy. You taught me to rope and ride and to be a man. You taught
me by example. I love you Curley. I love you and Frank very
much, and I jes’ wanted you to know.”
Curley couldn’t
talk he was so choked up. He just hung onto Dwayne and they cried
in each other’s arms for a few moments.
“We thank God
you’re out from under that monster, Son. We love you, too,
Dwayne. You’re one of the finest young men I’ve ever known.
You have no idea how much Frank loves you. He never wanted to
push himself, but when you’d come and ask him for something, it was the
most important part of his day. I love you, too, Dwayne. I
know great things are gonna’ come your way. You’ve been through
more than any person your age should ever have to go through,
Son. You deserve some good things.”
Dwayne got a few
of his things. Dad and I went through everything in the house
looking for evidence. We didn’t find much. We were very
neat and didn’t disturb anything. However, I did find something
kind of interesting. I guess I read too many Hardy Boys detective
stories, because I’m always suspicious of a character like Dunbar who
might have a lot to hide and where he might hide it. I got under
his desk to look, but didn’t find anything.
His desk was
big, massive and made of fine wood. It looked like it might have
been a desk that was once in an Officers office and he may have
purloined it, or requisitioned it for his private use. From days
of reading my Hardy Boys mysteries, I remembered there was always a
secret drawer in every desk that hid the final clue to solving the
mystery. I didn’t expect to be that fortunate; nevertheless, in
the truest tradition of sleuthing I ran my hand under ever surface of
the top drawers and ‘bingo’ I found a small button. Of course I
pushed it and the neatest little secret drawer popped out.
There was six,
eight by eleven, manilla envelopes filled with material and were
stamped ‘Top Secret.’ On top of it all was one CD in a
case. It was unmarked. I took it all and put into a brown
paper bag, but I didn’t plan to look at it until Sidney, Dwayne and I
could look at it together. If it was something really technical,
Dwayne and I would be lost, but I knew our little brother wouldn’t
be. Dad hollered to us to come on and let’s go. He told us
we’d have more time later to look, we should be getting home. It
was getting on into the afternoon. Dwayne asked me what was in
the bag, and I told him it was something I felt our little brother
should take a look at with us.
Dwayne couldn’t
wait to see his dad. He couldn’t stay still. He was up
pacing every few minutes. I went up to my room and got two
baseball gloves and a ball and came back down.
“C’mon, bubba,
let’s go out front and toss a few. We can see ‘em coming.”
We were playing
catch when far up the road we could see Mr. Wiggins Hummer.
Dwayne was more excited and happy than I ever saw him before, but was
trying hard to curb his enthusiasm. I swear, if the boy had a
tail he would’ve been wagging it. Mr. Wiggins drove into our
compound and pulled to a stop. Frank and Sticker got out of the
front and Rance Harding got out of the rear door. I had only met
him a couple of times at rodeos where dad and I roped together.
He was a fine looking cowboy, and I could see where my brother got his
good looks. It certainly wasn’t from his mother. Sadie
wasn’t plain, but she was far from pretty.
One thing that
always struck me about Rance was how strange his eyes looked. The
closer he got and we shook hands, I could see they were the same color
as mine; however, they were a much lighter color of violet. My
eyes were a darker shade. His eyes were certainly exotic, and
only added to Rance’s attractiveness. He was a handsome man and a
better looking cowboy. Rance held his arms open for his
boy. Dwayne was in his arms quicker that a lightening flash.
“Son.”
“Dad.”
Dwayne was in
his daddy’s big, loving, cowboy arms, being caressed, having kisses
stolen from him, and holding him tightly to comfort him. ‘H’it don’t
get much better’n this.’ thought Dwayne.
I don’t think
there was a dry eye in the yard. They stood holding each other
for the longest while, hugging and kissing, and shedding a few
tears. No two men ever deserved to shed a few tear than Rance and
Dwayne that afternoon. They didn’t want to let each other go.
“It’s so good to
see you, boy. Boy hell,— look at chu,’ you’re damn near a
man! You’re gonna’ be as tall as me or taller, I’m sure.”
Rance told Dwayne.
“You don’t know
how good it is to see you, Dad. All these men here, been tell’n
me I need my daddy. They weren’t wrong,— I do need you,
Dad. Dad there’s something I need I need to take care of for a
few minutes. Please, follow me.”
Rance followed
Dwayne to Frank. Dwayne threw his arms around Frank, hugged and
kissed him.
“I told yore’
partner a while ago how much I love and appreciated him for being there
for me when I most needed him and you. Over the years I’ve just
kinda taken both of you for granted. You were always there giving
your quiet, unassuming strength to me when I most needed it. I
just wanted you both to know how much I love you and what you mean to
me. I told Curley if’n it hadn’t a’ been for you two, I wouldn’t
a’ had me no daddy or role models. Just cause my dad’s here don’t
mean I’m gonna’ stop loving you two. Thanks for everything,
Frank, I love you and Curley very much.”
Frank was
totally unprepared. It rocked the old, stoic cowboy on his boot
heels. He couldn’t say a damn thing. He was so choked up he
couldn’t speak. There wasn’t anything to say, really.
“We love you,
too, Son.” Frank choked out from the lump in his throat the size
of a hen egg.
Rance
stood there in admiration for his son’s thoughtfulness. He was
impressed. Then Dwayne moved to Sticker, hugged and kissed him,
told him how much he appreciated his love and encouragement over the
years and especially the last two weeks.
“Ah, hell,
Dwayne,— there’s lots of folks who love you in this community,
Son.” Sicker told him, “I watched you grow up, boy.
I’m proud of you, and I love you, too. That old horse thief
standing behind you don’t deserve a boy as good as you.”
Everyone laughed
and went into the house. Dwayne helped his dad get his two bags
from the rear of the Hummer. Dwayne already chose a room for
himself next to my junk room with a nice big, comfortable four-poster
bed; however, we made up another room for his dad just in case he
wanted a separate room. I knew Dwayne wanted his dad to stay with
him, but I could tell he was as nervous as a cat on coffee going
upstairs.
“Will you calm
down, brother.” I whispered to him “You weren’t this
nervous last night.” he just gave me a weak smile.
“Dad we made up
a room for you if you want, or you can bunk it in with me.”
Rance looked
funny for a moment.
“Where would you
like me to stay, Son?”
“Are you
kidding? I wanna’ bunk it in with my old man.”
“Vince, you got
any problem with me bunk’n in with my boy?”
“Not if you
don’t have any problem with my boy bunk’n it in with me.”
“Then, I be bunk
it in with my boy. Damn, it sounds good to say that. Thank you,
gentlemen.”
We all laughed
at Rance. Frank and Sticker had to take off and said their
goodbyes to Rance and Dwayne. We walked back downstairs to leave
the two of them alone. They were in another world just beginning
to know each other. They had the future before them, and it
looked good. Dwayne closed the door to talk to his dad in
private. Rance was a bit apprehensive. Being a cowboy he
didn’t have much experience being a dad. He was going to have to
take it one step at a time.
“How are you,
boy?” Rance asked Dwayne in a concerned voice.
“Recovering,
Dad, but I’m excited you’re here. It’s like a dream come
true. Dad, I’m,—”
“Yes, Son?”
“Oh, hell!
I’m afraid to say anything,— ask you anything, or tell you anything
because I’m so afraid I’m gonna’ fuck it up, make a fool of myself and
you won’t like me.”
“Well,— would
ju’ believe me if I told you I feel the same damn way. I’m as
nervous as a whore in church. There’s something I been dream’n
about though, but I don’t know whether to tell you or not.”
“Mr. Longhorn
gave me this not-so-short little speech over lunch today about how much
he thinks of you, what a good man he thinks your are, on and on.
He really loves you dad.”
“Vince and I go
back a long way. He was best man at chore’ momma’s and my
wedding. We done know’d each other all our lives. There’s
some things you don’t know about I never told your ma. They’re
things that Vince and I share in common. I’ll tell you about it
soon, but not right now.”
“Mr. Longhorn
told me I could tell you anything and no matter what it was you’d still
love me.”
“He ain’t lying,
Son. Vince knows me as well or better than any man alive. Next
would be Frank Mayhew. God, I still love that man. Almost
broke my old heart today to see him.”
“Why, Dad?”
“I know he has
another life now, and I respect him for that. I think the world
of Curley and wouldn’t intrude on their relationship for the
world. I jes’ wanted to hold him and tell him I still love him
after all these years. I didn’t because I was afraid like
you. Afraid he’d reject me and afraid he’d take it the wrong way.”
“Sounds about
like how I feel right now. I’m afraid to tell you how I feel.”
“Dwayne, we’re
gonna’ have to get to know each other, Son. Let’s make a couple
of ground rules. You be honest with me, and I’ll always be honest
with you. You trust me, and I’ll trust you. Can you tell me
what chore’ afraid of, Son?”
“I feel the same
way about you as you did about Frank today. For years my only
dream has been to lay down with you, hold you in my arms, and for you
hold me. I’m not talk’n sex here, dad; although, I wouldn’t rule
it out if’n it was offered.”
“You mean you
wanna’ hold me, touch me and kiss me?”
“Yeah, dad,—
that’s pretty much it.”
“So,— what’s
wrong with that? I was afraid to ask you to gimme’ a real kiss
awhile ago.”
“Oh, daddy,— I
love you so much. I’m so damn glad you’re here.” Dwayne started
crying. Rance took him into his arms and held him close. He
comforted him and soothed him until Dwayne got himself together.
Then Rance moved his lips close to his son’s and brushed them across
Dwayne’s as an invitation. He didn’t have to send a second.
They began a kiss that united them in a bond of father and son that
lasted the rest of their lives.
It was as if
Rance reached across ten years of separation to a frightened little
seven year old boy and pulled him through a dark tunnel to a young man
on the threshold of maturity. Dwayne told his dad in that kiss
how much he needed his presence, his strength and his maturity to lean
on. Rance thought he was the worst kind of pervert for having
dreams of one day holding his boy in his arms.
Rance grew up
and accepted the fact he liked to play both sides of the fence, but
Sadie was his only real love interest on the straight side. Rance
would never love another woman. The number Sadie did on him
worked as effectively as she hoped it might. It essentially
castrated him. She wasn’t happy with just snipping his balls off,
she wanted to wear them around her neck for all the world to see.
He and his boy lay across the bed with Dwayne resting in Rance’s arms.
“Tell me a
little about my potential new son-in-law, Son.” Rance requested.
“Dad, you may
not be prepared for him.”
“Because he’s
black?”
“Not just black,
dad,— blue-black, like obsidian or tar. He’s so black he has a
blueish sheen to his body that makes him almost glow. I watch
him, and he sometimes changes color from a black-black to a deep, dark
navy blue color. I know you won’t be prepared for his size.
He’s a giant, Dad. The biggest damn man I’ve ever seen in my life
and many other folks say the same thing. He also has a big
heart. He’s simple and child like, but he ain’t stupid by no
means. He just trust people too much. He’s naive and
gullible to a fault, but I love him. He saved my life, Dad.”
“Sticker and
Frank filled me in on a lot of what’s been going on. I’d like to
meet this man.”
“You will if you
go to the hospital with me this evening. I wanna’ be with him for
a while.”
“That’s
understandable. Are you more comfortable now, Son?”
“Yeah, a
lot. Would you hold me close tonight, Dad.”
“I won’t let you
go all night, partner,— how’s ‘zat sound?”
“Wonderful.
I love you, Dad.”
“I love you,
too, Son.”
* * * * * * *
“C’mon, you two,
we’ve fixed an early dinner ‘cause Casey and Dwayne are meeting their
brother at the hospital.” Vince hollered up the stairs.
We had dinner
and Dwayne was calming down a bit. I didn’t know how the kid was
holding up so well. I think I would’ve been a basket case.
He went through a rough two days filled with extreme highs and
lows. It was like he was on a roller coaster of emotions.
Thank God, things were starting to go his way for a change.
I was all the
more impressed with his dad over dinner. I found Rance to be an
intelligent, thoughtful, and compassionate man; however, underneath all
the cowboy persona I sensed he was like a powder keg ready to go off at
any moment. He was like a metal coil spring that was wound a
little too tightly. He was a fascinating man and had lots of good,
interesting and funny stories to tell. Nobody tells a story like
a cowboy. We finished
dinner. Rance and Dwayne went off to clean up and change clothes
to go to the hospital. Dad and I cleaned up and dressed before we
fixed dinner. Dwayne was nervous as he was getting undress to
take a shower. He couldn’t help glance at his cowboy dad as he
was undressing. He never saw his dad naked that he could
remember, and as much of a prude as his mother was, he doubted
seriously she would’ve ever allowed it. Rance was slowly
undressing. Emotionally, he wasn’t in much better shape than his
boy.
“Ah, what the
hell, cowboy!” Rance said to himself, ‘you ain’t never been
shy in your life, why start now? Your boy’s more worried than
you,— help him out here.’ he thought to himself.
“Git chore’
clothes off boy, your dad wants to see his son’s body. I know you
wanna’ see mine, so let’s us git over this shy shit with each
other. Dwayne was standing there facing his dad when Rance
stepped out of his Wranglers and threw them on a chair. He turned
to face his son in all his glory.
“Hoe-lee shit,
and damnation, Son! You’re a fine, good looking young man.
Com’mer boy!” Rance ordered Dwayne. Dwayne was in his arms
in a flash. They hugged, and kissed while holding each other
tightly with their dicks fighting for space between them.
Naturally, they both got hard and laughed at each other. His dad
was every bit as handsome and wonderful as Dwayne hoped he would be and
more. Rance was impressed with his boy, especially the size of
his dick. He was bigger than Rance. Rance reached down and
took it in his hand.
“Damn, boy, you
got that from yore’ momma’s daddy. He was hung like a plough
horse.”
“How would ju’
know, Dad?”
“Her daddy was a
cowboy, too, Son. Cowboys know that sort of thing about each
other. We knew the minute we shook hands and looked into each
others’ eyes we’d slip off to the barn as soon as we could git
away.” Rance laughed. “I still go by to see her old man
once in a while. He’s always got something new in his barn to
show me. His wife just can’t understand why we’re still
friends.” Dwayne laughed at his dad’s ease talking about
something so personal. He reminded Dwayne of Lamar talking to the
sheriff.
“That shower big
enough fer two, Son?”
“Yes, Sir, it’s
a special built shower because of Mr. Longhorn’s legs.”
“Damn, I forgot
about that. He’s really adjusted to them store bought legs a’ his
so well I didn’t even remember. He was a hero in Nam, Son.
Vince was awarded two purple hearts and a bronze star. I’m a bit
older than Vince, and I was over there a little earlier. I only
spent a year over there, got shot up and sent home. I went back
to being a cowboy, got drunk one night, got accused of a crime I didn’t
commit, and sent to prison. Vince and I lost touch for a while.”
The men headed
for the shower laughing and talking. Vince and Casey could hear
them as they walked down the hall to the bathroom. Vince looked
at his boy and opened his arms. It’s just what Casey needed at
the moment.
“You read my
mind, old man. You’re getting better’n better at that.”
“No, I
didn’t. Truth is, I jes’ needed to hold my son right then.
I feel so glad inside fer them two, I jes’ wanted to share it with my
boy.”
“Glad ja’
did. I feel the same damn way. Kiss me, old man.”
My dad gave me a
kiss that rocked me on my boot heels. If my toenails were a bit
longer it would’ve curled them. He kiss told me in no uncertain
terms how glad he was we had each other.
“You’re in big
trouble, tonight, cowboy!” I told him. “A’kissing me like
that,— shame on you!” I laughed.
“You’re the kind
a’ trouble I welcome, honcho. I wish’t every dad had a boy to
give him as much ‘trouble’ as you gimme.’ The world would be a
much better place.” he smiled.
Dad could say
the damnedest things sometime, then he could turn right around and
break my heart with his love.
“Big
trouble!” I threatened him again. He laughed.
* * * * * * *
When my brother
and his dad came down the stairs, clean, shaved, hair slicked, and
smelling fine, they took our breath away. They were two of the
best looking cowboys I’d seen in a while. I wondered about poor
Lamar to see these two walk into his hospital room. I could only
pray they had a bedpan under him. Dad and I grabbed our hats, we
all piled into the Bronco and headed into town. It was just
around half past six and the sun was sinking low in the western sky.
We got there and
went directly to Lamar’s room. They moved him to a private
room. Sticker and big Sidney got their heads together and decided
he needed a little more privacy than a double man room might
provide. Lamar’s face brightened when he saw us come into the
room. We all removed our hats before entering. He was
sitting up in bed and just finished his dinner. Sticker, big
Sidney and our little brother were already there and were talking with
him. He held his arms open for Dwayne who almost burst into tears
to see his buddy looking so much better. He gently hugged and
kissed Lamar.
“Damn, boy, you
be so pretty in all your cowboy clothes. Makes ole Lamar wanna’
become a cowboy, so’s he can ride herd on you.” he grinned real
big. Dwayne immediately melted and ran down into his boots.
“There were a
lot of fine, black cowboys in the old west. There still is
today.” Dwayne told him.
Dwayne was
right, Rance wasn’t prepared for Lamar’s size. He thought Lamar
had to be the biggest man he’d ever seen anywhere. Dwayne
introduced his dad to Lamar and they shook hands, except Rance wouldn’t
let go of Lamar’s big hand and held it while he spoke to him.
“Son, I wanna’
thank you for what chu’ done for my boy. You have a home with us
anytime you want it or anytime you need one. Our hearts and our
doors will always be open for you.” Rance told the giant man.
“Thank you, Mr.
Harding, but I jes’ did what seemed right at the time. I weren’t
think’n ‘bout being no hero, Sir.”
“Well,— that’s
what make a hero, Son. A man who knows what’s right and stands up
for it even in the face of danger.”
“Thank you,
Sir.”
Dad shook his
hand and I gave Lamar a hug and a kiss. Dwayne was right, his
skin was electric. We chit-chatted for a few minutes, then the
men told him they were going for coffee to let us be alone with him for
a while, they knew we had some things to go over with him. They’d
be back to say goodbye. They waved and left. The men got
halfway down the hall and Rance looked at the other men and just
grinned real big.
“Biggest damn
man I ever did see in my fuck’n life!” he laughed and the other
three broke up with him. “My boy’s a lucky young man.” he
said quietly as he shook his head still in disbelief. “And you
guys got a look at his,— ”
“E’aup,—
we all saw it, brother!” My dad laughed.
“And,— ”
Rance had the three men in stitches laughing at him.
“It’s as big as
the rest of him.” ventured Sticker, “No,— hell,— I take
that back, it’s bigger in proportion to the rest of him.” he
laughed. “First time I saw it, I damn near passed out. I
told Logan and Casey I knew how the Centaur legends got started.
Logan thought my idea had merit.” They laughed again.
* * * * * * *
We drilled Lamar
what to tell the Marines and told him to stick to his story no matter
what they asked, implied or said they knew about. Sidney told him
what they might ask. Sidney went over and over it with Sheriff
Bard. Sidney asked questions that stumped the sheriff, but he
would make a note and find an answer for him. If he didn’t know
something he admitted it. He wasn’t the kind of man to blow smoke
up your butt. Leland Bard wasn’t that way. He’d simply pick
up the phone, dial a number and have an answer for Sidney in a matter
of minutes. He had contacts everywhere.
Sidney told
Lamar he already cut out the parts of the video where Lamar let Dwayne
suck his dick and where Lamar kissed him. He told him it just
looked like he switched cameras and that’s basically what he did;
however, there was several minutes missing between certain shots.
Sidney knew before we started, it would be easier to manipulate the
recording with multiple cameras without anyone being the wiser, and
being digital, you can’t tell a copy from the original.
“You never
touched Dwayne, Lamar,— understand? That’s important! And, you
know not to mention a bathroom tape. You don’t know nothing about
no bathroom tape!” Sidney repeated for the umpteenth time.
Lamar smiled and
told him he understood. Sidney was a good teacher even if he did
have a penchant for details. We all felt comfortable Lamar had it
down pat and wouldn’t mess up. He still wanted to be in the Corps
and we wanted him to be. Finally, Sidney and I looked at each
other and decided it was time to give Dwayne and Lamar a little time
alone. We excused ourselves and went to find our dads.
Sidney told Lamar he probably would be leaving right away with his dad
and Mr. Wiggins. Lamar hugged us and had a kiss for us as
well. Walking down the hall Sidney turned to me.
“Jes’ cut’n our
brother’s heart out ain’t nearly enough, Case.” Sidney said
seriously, and we held each other laughing. We were laughing when
we joined the other men, but we wouldn’t tell them what we were
laughing about.
* * * * * * *
“I was right,
you know?” Lamar smiled at Dwayne.
“‘Bout what,
Sir?”
“Yore’ daddy is
a knockout, boy. Damn fine look’n man.”
“I have to agree
with you, Sir. I done told ju’ about me not seeing him in nearly
ten year and why. It seems like good things are happening for me,
and you can’t know what a thrill it is to have my dad in my life.”
“Yes, I can,
boy. I see the love what passes between you two. That man
worships you. Listen to me, boy, don’t chu’ go get’n no crazy
notion of saving yourself for ole Lamar if’n yore’ daddy offers you a
little love’n. If I hear you didn’t give it to him, I’m turning
you over my knee and spank’n your little butt good until it’s nice and
pink.”
“Can I put my
dick between your legs?”
Lamar laughed
with Dwayne.
“I’m serious,
baby boy! The love you have for me and I have for you is some’um
special. It always will be. No one can ever touch it or
take it away from us, but the love you have for yore’ daddy is
separate, and it won’t threaten our love a whit. Old Lamar’s done
made up his mind, he ain’t having sex of any kind with you until your
eighteenth birthday.” he grinned wickedly, “Then watch out,
boy!” He laughed.
“I understand,
Sir. Does that rule out making a little love to each other?”
“Oh, hell no,
Son! I’ll give you all the love’n you can handle, boy, but I jes’
ain’t gonna’ be like the Colonel. Taking you before you’re
eighteen would make me almost as bad as him.”
“You could never
be as bad as him. He has no love in him, even for himself.”
“You may be
right about that, but I aims to keep your love for a good while, and I
ain’t about to fuck up the best damn thing what ever happened to
me. Ole Lamar is gonna’ be away most of the time the next couple
of years playing Marine anyway, but you know’s I’m gonna’ be on yore’
doorstep ever’ damn chance I git. Remember, what I told ju’ about
being Captain?”
“Yes Sir, you
are, Sir. I thought it over and I really kinda like it that way.”
“Good, ‘cause
yore’ Captain’s gonna’ give you one other order; lean on that fine
looking cowboy dad of yours and give him and your brothers all your
love while Lamar’s away. Y’ain’t gonna’ be take’n any love away
from me to give your love to them. Our love is fixed.
I love you, baby boy.”
“I don’t wanna’
sound like a broken record, but chu’ gotta’ know I love you, too, Sir.”
“Ole Lamar’s
gonna’ wait, but with yore’ daddy, it’s a different matter. He’s
yore’ daddy, and the only one you’ll ever have. Remember,— you’ll
have old Lamar around to love a lot longer than you’ll have him.
Get in the love’n you can with your old man now, boy, while you
can. Get it while the get’n’s good, Son! You never know
what tomorrow’s gonna’ bring.”
“I will.
It’s not like I’m a virgin, and he’d be taking me for the first time, I
guess. I think I know my dad and he would make me wait until I
was eighteen, like you. Maybe not since the barn door is already
opened. Casey’s dad, Mr. Longhorn, is making Casey wait until
he’s eighteen and Casey is a hound dog about do’n what he agreed to
with his dad. I admire him.”
“I don’t even
have to ask about the three of you, right?”
“Naw, Sir,
you’re right, they be my bonded brothers.”
“That’s good, I
can feel the love that passes between you. The little one
worships you two.”
“No more’n we
love him, Sir. We couldn’t a’ pulled off what we done without
him. Along with you and a number of other good men ya’ll saved my
life, Sir. I’m so grateful to all of you, especially you, my
handsome black giant.” “I jes’ wish’t
it wouldn’t a’ happened, but if it didn’t, I wouldn’t a’ found my
handsome young cowboy.”
They hugged and
kissed. Lamar was getting stronger, Dwayne could tell. It was a
kiss that tole Dwayne just how much the big man loved him.
We came back
into the room to say our goodbyes and to gather Dwayne. We left
him alone for a minute to say his personal goodbye to his giant.
Then he came out, looked happy as a fresh fuck hen, and was ready to go
home with his dad. On the way home, Rance put his arm around his
boy and pulled him over to him to hold him. Dwayne was so moved
by his simple gesture he started crying.
“Suuu, boy,—
it’s gonna’ be all right. Yore’ daddy’s here now, and he ain’t
never gonna’ let chu’ go again; that is,— until you’re old enough to
get your prize with that big man. I hope it works out for the two
of you, Son. He seems like a good man. Won’t mind a bit
having that man in our family.” He soothed his boy. * * * * * * *
That night my
dad and I lay in bed holding each other and talking after I burned his
barn down, as he called my blow-job. I’m not going to try to
guess why, but he was extra tasty that evening. He just hit the
spot. We were talking about everything in general.
“I’ve said
several prayers this evening for Dwayne. I’m pray’n his daddy
takes him tonight. He needs some love’n that ain’t crazy or
manipulative.”
“I agree with
you there, Son. That kid’s been through a lot. He’s been
brainwashed to crave that kind of sex, and the only man what can pull
him away from that kind a’ think’n is his daddy. If there’s one
man on this planet who I know could do the job and do it well, it’s
Rance Harding. I think your prayers are gonna’ be answered,
though. I had a chance to talk with Rance while we were waiting
for you and your brothers at the hospital. I’m glad Sidney and
Sticker were there. I didn’t have any problem talking to him in
front of them, because they know everything anyway, and as it turned
out, they were a great support for me.
Spencer and me
were talk’n about this whole thing, and he told me if Rance had any
inclination that way he better make love to his boy, or Dwayne’s gonna’
have greater problems later on in life. Leland got me off to the
side and told me the same damn thing. I didn’t know whether to
talk to Rance or not because of your and my agreement for you to wait
until your eighteen. Sid basically told Logan the same and he’s
agreed; however, Spence, Leland, Sticker and Sidney told me the
situation with Dwayne is different. His barn door’s already open
and ya’ can’t git the cows back in. It took me a while, but I
finally came around to agreeing with them. “We told
Rance what most all the men were think’n, but we weren’t try’n to tell
him what to do with his boy. We told him it was only a
suggestion, we understood he had to do things his way. The only
reason we were telling him was because of our love for Dwayne, and if
he decided to, he wouldn’t suffer any incrimination from us. He
seemed to accept what we had to say and listened to us. I know
he’s gonna’ tell Dwayne the rest of what he don’t know about him
tonight, but after he grabbed Dwayne in the Bronco on the way home from
the hospital,— I knew he probably will take him tonight. He loves
that boy, and well he should. Dwayne’s a damn good boy and a good
brother to you. Ain’t a person in the community don’t love that
boy, including Gary Peacock.” We shared a laugh.
Big Sidney
spilled the beans and told dad all about my run in with Gary and
ultimately making a friend of him. It wasn’t a secret, I just
hadn’t gotten around to telling him.
That night, as
Rance held his boy in his arms sharing a little love with him he told
him the rest of the things he had to keep secret from him all these
years.
End Chapter 18 ~
Texas Longhorns Copyright 2005 ~
Waddie Greywolf All rights
reserved ~ Mail to:
waddiebear@yahoo.com