Rance and Dwayne
were laying across the huge four poster bed. The bed was made of
a hand rubbed, dark stained walnut and while it was oldest bed in the
house, it boasted a fairly new mattress. The two men decided to
retire to their room early. Rance figured he was going to have to
do a lot of talking about things he probably knew nothing about.
Sticker told him he didn’t have to know a lot about things, he just
needed to listen to his boy, let him know he understood, assure him he
loves him and won’t judge him for what he’s been through; and, for his
boy’s sake, learn to control his damn temper.
“You’ll scare
the crap out a’ that boy, Rance, and he’s a damn good kid. He
needs a dad right now, not some Gotdamn firebrand hot head!” said
his old friend Frank. Rance didn’t know much about kids.
Sadie effectively cut him off from that. He could only go on what
he knew as a cowboy and the code he lived his life by. He figured
he better listen to his friend Frank.
The men got back
to the room, and Rance decided to hell with fears or worrying about any
protocol. He was the adult here and had a lot more experience in
life than his boy, he was going to take charge.
“Git chore’
clothes off, Son. I plan to git comfortable. When I’m by
myself or my second is room’n with me, we don’t never wear no
clothes. And, before you ask, ‘no,’ I ain’t bunk’n it in with my
second. It just saves the company money when two men room
together. Ever’ man what works for me has to share a room with a
buddy or whatever. Saves a lot of money when we’re on the
road. Curt Atkins has been with me almost from the time Mr.
Wiggins hired me. I hired Curt, and he learned from me. He
can run the company his-self if he has to. I ain’t worried about
my job, because I know my place is tight with Mr. Wiggins.
Anyway, when we’re there, together for evening, we’re both naked most
of the time.”
Rance was taking
his boots and clothes off while he was talking, and he was now standing
nude before his son. Dwayne stood there not believing what he was
looking at. His dad, a mature cowboy, whom he worshiped more than
any person in his life, save his giant, was really standing there
before him. Rance went to his boy, put his arms around him and
gently kissed him. Dwayne wasn’t shy anymore and kissed his dad
back. Of course, both of them got roaring hard. Rance broke
it off, took Dwayne by his hand and lead him to the big bed.
“C’mon, boy,
let’s git up here and relax. Grab that big comforter at the
bottom of the bed, throw it over us, let’s us git ourselves comfortable
and git to know one another. We may spend many nights like this
with no T.V., just you’n me, git’n to know one another. We got
almost ten years to catch up on, but I promise if things work out where
I’m allowed to see you regularly that won’t never happen again.”
Dwayne spread
out the comforter and pulled it up over them. Rance motioned for
Dwayne to lay in his arms and he did. His dad gently kissed him
on the forehead and spoke quietly to him.
“I love you,
Son.”
“Oh, God, Dad,
if you only knew how much I love you.”
“While I’m
hold’n you, why don’t chu’ tell me about what happened or as much as
you can. If you get tired or don’t wanna’ talk about it no more,
then don’t. We ain’t here to do no psychoanalyzing. We’re
try’n to git to know one another. To do that, I need to know what
chu’ been through. Now,— your old man has been known to have a
bit of a temper, but Frank done told me, it’s high time I started
learning to control it; so, I’m gonna’ do my best, Son. I better
do my best,— that cowboy done threatened me with my life. I know
Frank Mayhew and I’m afraid of that old cowboy!” Rance laughed.
“If’n you hear my teeth grinding you know your old man’s trying to hold
it back.” Rance laughed, but he was serious. He knew to
help his boy he couldn’t afford to lose his temper.
Dwayne started
in and told Rance everything from the start. How Dunbar raped him
the first time, how devastating it was for him, and after Dunbar was
through with him, he walked away laughing at Dwayne calling him a queer
and a sissy fag. A couple of times Dwayne heard his dad’s teeth
grinding together, but Rance managed to hold his temper.
Dwayne went all
the way through his story. He told his dad about him and Casey
sharing love that first night, how the wonder and goodness of Casey’s
love as opposed to his step-dad made him realize what a fool he’d been
for not telling someone sooner. If it weren’t for Casey, Mr.
Longhorn, Mr. Winchester and his little brother, he didn’t know what he
would’ve done. He was just on the edge of giving into the son of
a bitch and letting him do as he pleased.
Rance
listened and only asked a few questions when he didn’t understand
something. When Dwayne started describing in lurid details the
sex acts Dunbar forced on him, Rance had to call a halt to that portion
of Dwayne’s story. The most amazing part of what Dwayne was
telling Rance he couldn’t quite understand. He couldn’t
understand how Dwayne could come to not only like what Dunbar was doing
to him but also began to crave it. He knew he could talk to
Spencer about that, and he would explain it to him.
“Dad, Mr.
Longhorn told me today Mr. and Mrs. Winchester wanna’ become foster
parents for me. What do you think about that?”
“It certainly
would be all right with me. Have you considered any other
possibilities?”
“Yeah, I thought
about asking Mr. Longhorn to let me stay here with him and Casey, but
he ain’t said nothing. He ain’t offered, and I don’t think I
wanna’ ask ‘em. I git the feeling he wants me to stay with the
Winchesters. I love Mr. and Mrs. Winchester, and I know they’d be
good to me, but— ” Dwayne trailed off.
“You’d rather
stay here instead.”
“Yes, Sir, but
it might be better if I stay with the Winchesters. When I stay
over here, Casey always feels obligated to bunk it in with me, and I
take him away from his dad. Mr. Longhorn is gracious enough to
share his boy with his brothers, but he ain’t slept without Casey by
his side in over three years. I can understand he might be a bit
attached to his boy.”
“You mean Vince
and Casey are,— ?”
“Yeah, since
Casey’s mom passed away, but it’s oral and jacking each other off,—
nothing anal. Mr. Longhorn don’t want Casey fucking anybody or
anybody fuck’n him until he’s eighteen. I thought it was strange
when I first heard about it. I thought sex was sex. What
difference did it make, but after I got to thinking about it, it wasn’t
the blow jobs I was forced to give Dunbar what made such a big
psychological impact on me, it was him fuck’n me what became such a
powerful influence.
Look what it did
to me at this age. I found myself craving him fuck’n me. If
I was
a bit older, he might not a’ had that much influence on me. Ah,
hell,— who’a my kidding, he was doing the same damn thing to Lamar and
he’s twenty-three. All I know is, anal sex seems to fuck with
your mind more than oral sex or just jacking off with someone.
Mr. Longhorn’s right to not want Casey to do it until he’s
eighteen. Mr. Wainright feels the same way about Sidney.
Lamar’s right, too. He refuses to have any kind of sex with me
until I’m eighteen. After what we went through, I can’t blame him
none. I don’t want him to either. I don’t want him get’n
into trouble. If we love each other enough, we can wait.
Besides I’m gonna’ be seventeen next month. It’s only a year to
go.”
“Well, we don’t
know what Vince’s finances are. Maybe he can’t afford to ask you
to stay here. I could pay him to take care of you. I’d be
more'n happy to pay for your keep. I’ve had to pay Sadie child
support all these years anyway. I’d just as soon give it to Vince
instead. In fact, I’d rather give it to Vince. At least I
could be sure it was spent on you.”
“Look, Dad,
don’t say nothing to him. Let me think about staying with
Winchesters. That may not be a bad idea after all, and they said
my brothers could visit, you can visit, and Lamar can visit, too.”
“I’ll do what
you ask, Son. In the meantime, how do you feel now about sharing
love with another man?”
“I ain’t never
shared love with another man. The closest I’ve come is with my
brothers, and I love them very much, Dad. I think I shared love
with Lamar, but I don’t think of what we shared as sexual. It
was, and yet, it wasn’t. I don’t know how to tell you, but it was
different.”
“I can tell when
you’re around your brothers you love them, and that’s good. I can
even feel the love you have for Lamar. I’m convinced you love
each other. Do you think Dunbar spoiled you for women, Son?”
“Yes, Sir,
pretty much. That may change now that I’m out from under that
monster, but I jes’ don’t know. I just don’t think about girls
very much any more. I used to before he started raping me.
About the only men I’d have fantasies about was you and Casey.”
Rance didn’t say
anything right away. Dwayne didn’t either. It was a
pregnant silence.
“Do you still
have fantasies about me, Son?” Rance asked quietly.
“Yes, Sir, all
the time.”
“Humm,— well,— I
told ju’ I’d always be honest with you and tell you the truth. I
won’t lie to you, Dwayne, I’ve had thoughts about it myself, but I put
it out of my mind thinking I was the worst kind of pervert to think
about bed’n my own boy. I got to think’n when you grow’d up if we
got together then that would be different. If you were grown and
could make your own decision then I wouldn’t feel so bad about
it. I thought if two adults make that decision then it would be
all right.
I talked to
Vince about it, and he agreed; however, his situation with Frances
dying when Casey was only fourteen is a bit different, and I can
understand them drawing close to each other for support. Hell,
they ain’t hurt’n nobody. Casey’s a fine boy. I just never
thought I’d git to see you before you were an adult and could make your
own decision about seeing me. Then I thought if you wanted to,
and I wanted to,— what’s to stop us?
Since that time,
I talked with a lot of men who seem to think, because of the
circumstances, what Dunbar done to ya’ and all, that’s exactly what you
need right now to get you away from his influence. Even Spencer
Winchester, whose opinion I highly value told me the same thing the
other men did. When they told me my boy needed his daddy, I jes’
thought they was talk’n about being with you and talk’n things
out. Come to find out, that ain’t what they had in mind a’ tall,
Son.” Rance chuckled.
“Yes, Sir,— I
know, Casey and little bit told me what Sheriff Bard told the men after
they arrested the Colonel. H’it was his idea to send Mr. Wiggins
and Frank to get chu.’”
“How do you feel
about it, Son?”
“I don’t know,
Dad, I thought I’d know if it came down to it, but I can’t make a
choice. I don’t want it to make you not want to be with me.
I’ll do anything you say, Dad, one way or the other to keep you in my
life. I jes’ don’t wanna’ feel like I’m alone in the world no
more, and I’ve felt that way ever’ since mom married that son of a
bitch. It was sort a’ like she cut me out, she left me to fend
for myself while she saw to his and her own needs. I’m just so
confused about it all, but I’m so damn glad you’re here.
When I saw you
git out of Mr. Wiggins’ truck this afternoon my heart went to my
throat, because I knew if you cared enough to come to me, I wasn’t
gonna’ be alone in the world. I jes’ don’t wanna’ lose you, Dad,
no matter what you decide. I know I’m only sixteen and should
probably wait ‘til I’m eighteen to fuck or get fucked, but with me,
Dad, the damn cows are already out of the barn, and there ain’t no
gettin’ ‘em back in. You jes’ can’t undo six months of being
savagely fucked in the butt and being forced to suck somebody’s dick
almost daily.”
“Ever’ damn
day?” Rance asked his son in disbelief.
“Damn near,
Dad. He’d make excuses about checking out the way I did my
chores. He’d make up shit I done wrong, and I’d hurry down to the
old barn to correct it; at least, that’s what mom thought. There
weren’t nothing wrong with the way Casey or I did the damn chores, he
just wanted to git me down to the old barn to have me suck him off
ever’ evening.
I kept praying
mom would come down and find out like she done with you and Frank, but
she didn’t. She never once come to check on me. I began to
wonder if she didn’t suspect what was going on, but jes’ didn’t wanna’
find out about it; she jes’ didn’t wanna’ know. I thought she
turned her back on me. She let it happen, ‘cause it weren’t jes’
once in a while, Dad, it was ever’ Gotdamn night for well over six
months. You know mom,— don’t chu’ think she’d get curious about
something like that happening ever’ damn night and wanna’ know
why? It jes’ ain’t like mom not to investigate some’um like that.
He jes’ ranted
and raved to her I was irresponsible, and I wudden do’n what he told me
to jes’ to spite him. I told her I wudden do’n it wrong.
Casey told her we wudden do’n it wrong. She jes’ took his word
over mine ever’ time. I even got to think’n she really knew about
it all along, but she was just turning her head the other way so’s she
wouldn’t lose another husband. I thought maybe she was allowing
it to happen because she didn’t wanna’ have to admit she made a big
mistake divorcing you. It went on so long because I kept think’n
she’d come to her senses,— but she never did.
I’d have to
spend thirty minutes to an hour suck’n him off, and listen to him rant
and rave about what an irresponsible, stupid, and worthless little
cocksucker I was. I’d barely have enough time for my homework
before going to bed. Mom asked me recently why I never came in to
watch televison with them no more. Hell, I didn’t have time doing
all the chores and taking care of his damn sexual apatite. I
wondered if he ever did anything with mom past the first couple of
months they were married. The bed in mom’s room squeaks.
When they’s first married I heard ‘em squeak’n up a storm several
nights a week. I ain’t hear’d it squeak in over a year and a
half. ”
“Son, we could
go back and forth about this all night. You tell me you can’t
make a decision. It sounds like you want me to make the decisions
for us, is that right?”
“Ain’t that what
a dad’s suppose to do, Sir?”’
“I guess you’re
right, Son. I ain’t had to make no decision for nobody but myself
since your mom sent me pack’n. I dreamed of taking care of you,
having responsibility for you, and now when I might have the
opportunity, I never considered I might have to be making decisions for
us. If I’m gonna’ be yore’ daddy, and probably your only parent,
at least for a while, I guess I gotta’ start making some decisions for
us. Okay,— if’n my boy needs a good butt fuck’n from his old man
to straighten him out,— by God, ‘at’s what he’s gonna’ get. Do
what chu’ need to do to git ready, boy.”
Dwayne excused
himself. He told his dad he would return in a few minutes.
If he learned nothing else from the Colonel he learned to clean himself
before he engaged in anal sex. The Colonel had a fetish about not
getting his dick dirty. Dwayne came to think it was not only
cleaner for his partner, it was probably a lot safer for himself.
Dwayne found the
clean out bag and hose in the box of stuff to take to the sheriff as
evidence. Dwayne thought it was silly to take the judge the enema
bag if the recordings of him and Lamar in the bathroom were gonna’ be
discarded as evidence. As far as the sheriff knew he had the only
DVD, and it would be kept in his safe. Dwayne asked Sidney to
save one for him, keep it in a safe place where it wouldn’t be found,
and give it to him on his eighteenth birthday. It didn’t take
Dwayne long, and he was satisfied he was clean enough.
He returned to
the room to find his dad reading a Western Horseman magazine. He
marveled at his dad’s hairy chest and the way the hair below his
pectoral muscles seem to grow only in a straight line all the way down
to his pubic hair. Dwayne found it one of the most attractive
things about his dad, and there were many. He got into bed next
to Rance and lay there for a few minutes until his dad put the magazine
down to give him his attention.
Rance made love
to his boy until Dwayne thought he was going to holler ‘calf
rope.’ He wanted to feel his cowboy dad, his hero, inside of him
with all his being. He dreamed of this moment, never having any
idea one night it just might happen. Rance took his son quicky
and surely. He marveled at how easily his boy acclimated to his
more than ample cowboy dick. He never took a man this swiftly or
easily before. It wasn’t like Dwayne was loose. He was
tight and certainly the best feeling Rance’s dick felt in a long
while. It seemed like his boy, for like of a better term,— was
broken in; Dwayne’s ass fit Rance’s big cowboy dick like a favorite
pair of old, well worn, comfortable boots.
The feeling
reminded Rance of a favorite little roan gelding he liked to choose
from the remuda when he was punching cattle. The little pony
always seemed to take to the saddle easier than most of the other
ponies; at least, it did for him. When Rance chose him from the
remuda, he could swear the little roan was glad to feel him on his back
again. Rance noticed the pony wouldn’t perform for the other
hands the way he would for him. The little rone wasn’t the first
choice out of the remuda for most of the other hands.
Rance wouldn’t
work him every day. He’d give him a rest for a couple of days and
only choose him when Rance was feeling down or a bit blue. Yes,
it’s true, even cowboys get the blues. The little pony always
seemed to cheer him up and make him snap out of his funk.
Sometimes Rance would toss his rope around another pony for the day,
only to feel the little roan gently nudge him in the back to let him
know he wanted Rance to pick him to work with him that day. The
hands weren’t suppose to bring the ponies treats, but Rance couldn’t
help spoil his favorite. He never had to rope him to take the
saddle. He seemed to know when Rance needed him, and he would come
right to him.
So it was with
his boy. Rance felt comfortable and at home in his saddle.
Maybe he was just wishing it so, but he felt more comfortable and
more welcome in his boy’s butt than he had with anyone since he
last fucked Dwayne’s momma almost ten years ago. Rance had very
little sex with anyone over those years. Once in a while, he’d
let some young man who had a hanker’n for a real cowboy suck his dick,
but Rance would tell him before he went with him and let him suck him
off, he wouldn’t respond in kind. Sex was offered to him many
times by different cowboys on the circuit or a barmaid now and then,
but he was so bitter from his divorce from Sadie he couldn’t even think
of sharing love with anyone, male or female.
Rance thought
sex, like his temper, was something that should be done with the
greatest emotional, and physical exuberance he could bring to it.
At first Rance was afraid of hurting his boy. He just assumed
he’d have to be extremely gentle with Dwayne, and while he was trying
to help his boy it was something he’d just have to get through;
however, the more he fucked Dwayne the more he could feel his boy began
to work his body to maintain a constant presence for his shaft.
Rance found
himself slowly responding more and more to his boy’s same exuberance in
feeding his hole up to his dad’s engorged penis. Rance could fuck
him anyway he pleased and Dwayne stayed right with him for every stroke
like a good cutting pony stays with a cow. It really seemed to
Rance his boy was begging him for more, to ride him harder. Rance
thought his boy was like riding a well trained pony.
Rance was
beginning to get into fucking his boy, but still he was hesitant about
opening up and taking from his son what he needed. If he shot his
load that was fine, if not he could fake it for the sake of his boy’s
needs. He would continue to ride him to a point and then fall
back. He’d build him up again, then fall back and repeat it again
and again. He was about to drive Dwayne up a fuzzy tree.
Dwayne didn’t
think his dad would fuck him nearly as good as he was doing. So
far he thought his dad was doing a damn good job. He expected
Rance to hold back for fear of hurting him, but here he was working him
up to the point Dwayne needed for him to ride him, but he would back
off every time. Dwayne thought, if he did it one more time, he
was going to have a conniption fit.
He decided he
had to let his dad know what he wanted, what he needed, and Dwayne knew
instinctively his dad wanted and needed the same damn thing. He
would let him know in a language his dad would understand. Dwayne spoke
softly but demandingly.
“You gonna’ ride
‘diss damn bronc, cowboy, or you gonna’ carry it on yore’ back!”
It hit Rance
right between the eyes like a sucker punch in a barroom brawl. He
got a big grin on his face, but didn’t need a second invitation from
his boy to cowboy up. Like any good pony Rance rode, he decided
to open him up, give him the reins, and let him run free to see what he
could do. If his boy was asking for him to open up, to let
himself go, to run free, if he needed Rance to ride him harder, he was
damn well going to see to it his boy got what he needed.
Rance started
fucking Dwayne like he’d done several times to build him up; only this
time Rance didn’t back off and let his fucking ride free and
hard. Rance remembered how it felt when his pony could see home
and the barn in the distance after a hard day in the saddle, and wanted
Rance to let him take the reins to get them there faster. Dwayne
was meeting every hard, stimulating thrust of his dad’s penis deep into
his hole, and he was urging his dad to crawl further into him.
Rance opened him
up and let him have the reins. When he did, Rance passed into a
new state of sexual bliss he rarely experienced with anyone. It
was as if he became a well oiled machine, plunging its shaft mounted on
a huge flywheel into and out his boy’s hole time after relentless
time. Then, he heard his boy yell to him quietly.
“‘Atta’ way to
ride ‘dat damn pony, cowboy, spur it hard in the flank and take us
home!”
Rance didn’t
need the metaphor explained to him. He was riding Dwayne harder
than he ever had any man or woman, and the boy was staying right up
with him stroke for stroke.
“Son, I can’t
hold back no more,— !”
“Git it!
Git it! Git it good, cowboy,— take yore’ prize!” Dwayne
urged his dad on.
When Rance felt
Dwayne’s penis began to erupt between them and felt his boy’s hole
clamp down on his dick it was like he’d passed through a gate into
another world. The feeling was so incredible he felt himself
shooting wave after wave of his cowboy come deep into his boy’s
butt. He began to slow down but still felt his boy putting it up
for him, begging him for more. Rance couldn’t give him any more,
he was spent. He collapsed into a sexually induced petit mort to
kiss his boy deeply and whisper words of love to him. Dwayne held Rance
in his arms, tears began to run down his face, but he wasn’t crying.
“Am I hurt’n
you, Son?” Rance asked concerned.
“Oh, God no,
Dad,— it’s jes’— that was so damn wonderful. It was
incredible. I knew you had it in you, Dad. I was so happy
when you finally decided to let go. That’s what I needed, cowboy,
and you done delivered the goods. Thank you, Dad. Thank you
for giving your boy what he needed. I love you, Dad.”
“Oh, God,
Dwayne, you can’t know how much I love you, Son. Thank you for
that good ride. Ain’t never rode me no cayuse what could a’ beat
that ride, boy.” Rance chuckled, “I promise you, Dwayne, I
ain’t never had no feeling like that with anyone before. I can
only hope it wasn’t a once in a lifetime thing, because I need me some
more a’ that, boy.”
“Y’ain’t alone,
cowboy. I could use a big ole help’n of that fine cowboy dick of
yours from time to time when my dad feels a little frisky. It’s
damn near the feeling Lamar and I shared the other night. He told
me we exchanged a little bit of each other’s souls, but I didn’t know
whether I believed him or not, until now. That’s what jes’
happened to us, Dad. We gave each other a small bit of our souls.”
“That man sounds
like he’s got his head screwed on right, Son. I like him more
ever’ time you tell me something about him. I agree with the rest
of the men who’ve told me about him, he’s been a victim of
circumstance, and that jes’ ain’t right. Thank God, we got
ourselves a sheriff what’s got his-self some horse sense.”
“I think that
good fuck’n jes’ helped me make up my mind where I wanna’ stay,
Dad.”
“Really,— where?”
“With the
Winchesters, I really love them, Dad,— they’re good and caring
folks. If I had to choose a dad other than you or Mr. Longhorn,
it would be Mr. Winchester. I think I’d be honored and proud to
stay with them, Sir. If I stayed here, I’d be sort of a third
wheel with Casey and Mr. Longhorn, and I don’t want that for them or
me. I liked it like it was when I could come over and stay with
my brother for a night or two, but then go home to my own room and
things.”
“You know, Son,
that sounds like a pretty damn good idea to me. I think it’s a
mature decision and one we both can live with. I love them, too,
and I know Spence will have no problem with me bunk’n it in with my
boy. Above all men, Spence knows what chu’ been through and what
chu’ need. You sure what we jes’ done is what you need, Son?”
“Yes, Dad,—
yes! If you can git home ever’ now and then to give your boy some
more of that raging cowboy dick of yours, I’d be mighty pleased, Sir.”
“I don’t think
it’s gonna’ be a problem, Son.”
Dwayne went to
the head, wiped his butt and got a clean, warm, damp wash cloth to
clean his dad. He gently cleaned his dad, carefully moving his
foreskin back to clean underneath. He could smell his dad’s
signature cowboy smell. It was intoxicating to him, it made him
want more, but he restrained himself. They lay there together,
holding each other and stealing a kiss from time to time. It was
like they’d done this for years together, and it was comfortable for
them; it was meet and right so to do.
“Were you gonna’
tell me something you wanted me to know, Dad?” asked Dwayne.
“Yeah, I was,
and I will.”
“Mr. Wainright
told me several things about chu’ and Frank, how you met on the rodeo
circuit, and how Frank paid for a lawyer to get you out of prison.” Rance chuckled,
pulled his boy closer and held him tighter.
“Bet there was
one thing he didn’t tell you.”
“What’s that,
Dad?”
“Frank couldn’t
afford no lawyer on one cowboy’s pay. He shared my story with a
young inexperienced cowboy he’d taken under his wing to teach him to be
a cowboy and learn the cowboy way. He told him he couldn’t afford
a lawyer on jes’ his pay, and the kid asked him if’n he could on two
cowboy’s pay. Frank did some quick figuring, and he told the boy
he thought he might. The kid didn’t know me more than what Frank
told him about me; yet, he offered Frank almost all his pay, except a
small amount for personal needs every month for almost three years to
help Frank get me out of prison,— and they did. Guess who that
young cowboy was, Son?”
“Mr. Wainright,
my little brother’s dad?”
“The very same,
Son, and I wouldn’t a’ gotten out if’n he hadn’t told his granddaddy
about me. The old man checked with my lawyer, found out ever’
thing Frank done told the boy was true, made one phone call, and I
walked
out of prison that afternoon a free man.”
“Son of a
bitch! That’s amazing!”
“Ain’t it?
After I got out I had an inheritance held in trust for me from my great
aunt. I paid him and Frank with interest ever’ penny they spent
on me for the lawyer. Ole Frank kept accurate records.” he
laughed. “With the rest of the money, I bought me the ranch yore’
mother got in our divorce settlement, plus she bled me dry every month
for your child support. I never minded sending her money to take
care of you when I had it; however, at the time, all I could do was go
back on the rodeo circuit, but Son, a cowboy don’t win all the time.
It was tough
until a little over two years ago. I met a big, fine look’n
cowboy at a rodeo who jes’ happened to own the stock company what
supplied the critters for the rodeo. He recently bought it, but
couldn’t understand why it weren’t make’n him no money. I didn’t
know it at the time, he didn’t tell me until later, but he heard about
me from Frank, Curley, Vince and Mr. Wainright. He watched me
ride, and by shear luck, I won that day. He seemed
impressed. He asked me if’n I wasn’t git’n a little too long in
the tooth to be
riding the rough stock? I told him I shore’ as hell was. I
felt it in ever’ damn bone in my body, but I couldn’t get no other job
than being a cowboy. I had a prison record, and cowboy’n was all
I knew.
It didn’t seem
to matter none to him. He offered me a job as number two man in
his rodeo stock company. I had no education or no idea how to run
a company. He put me in as second to the ramrod of the outfit,
and he told me to learn quick. Hell, there wudden that much to
the damn job. Any cowboy worth his salt could a’ learned it in a
week and do what he was doing. He just sat on his fat ass and let
me run the company while he stole the money.
After about
three months of watching the son of a bitch siphon off most of the
profits from the company into his own pocket, I was ready to
quit. I went to Mr. Wiggins and told him, I loved the job, but I
didn’t like what was going on. I never told him the man was
stealing from him, but Mr. Wiggins weren’t no fool. I thanked him
for giving me a chance, but I done told him it would be better if’n I
left before I killed the son of a bitch.
Mr. Wiggins knew
all along what was going on, but he couldn’t catch the thief’n bastard
at it. Here he was, robbing Mr. Wiggins blind, and Mr. Wiggins
thought enough of me to gimme’ a chance. I didn’t wanna’ quit
‘cause I really loved my job. It made me feel rotten. He
asked me one question: Did I think I knew enough about the ramrod’s job
to take over?
I told him, hell
yes, I did! He fired the man that day, and I’ve been the ramrod
of his company for a little over two years now. He pays me very
well, Son, and I love my job. After he hired me, paying Sadie
child support for you weren’t no problem. I’ve made a lot of
money for Mr. Wiggins, but he rewards me handsomely. He ain’t the
kind a’ man what forgits an employee who saved his ass and makes him
money. I can well afford to see you’re looked after and
comfortable. At least I’ll know my money’s going for your care
and not some’um else.”
“All this is
jes’ amazing, Dad. I asked Mr. Longhorn if there was anything
else I didn’t know about chu,’ and he told me there was a couple, but
they was good things.”
“He’s right,—
they all be good things. Remember when you was jes’ a little
tyke, me pointing out Casey to you in the park one day and telling you
to be good him, make him your friend, and he’ll be yore’ brother.”
“Yes, Sir, I
remember it,— I done told Casey about it. Sure enough, he made me
his brother. I feel like Casey, and little bit, are my
brothers. Any two men who would go to bat for me like them two
done, I gotta’ make ‘em my brothers.”
“Damn
straight! You be think’n like a cowboy, Son.” Rance smiled
proudly at Dwayne. “However, there’s a little more to this
story. Longhorn ain’t Vince’s original name. He changed his
name to ‘Longhorn.” He’s never told Casey or many people he
changed his name.”
“Casey let me
read a letter his brother wrote him while Mr. Longhorn was in
Vietnam. There weren’t no name on it, jes’ the town it came
from. It was a sad but wonderful letter about Vince’s dad and how
he treated him and his brother Seth Quee, I think was his name. I
don’t know if Casey knows Longhorn ain’t his dad’s original name.
I always jes’ thought it was their name. Gary Peacock said
something to Casey trying to be mean, asking him if Longhorn really was
Casey’s last name. Casey never said nothing about it. He
jes’ let it pass. Maybe he don’t know.”
“Casey don’t
know, but he will tonight. Vince told me it was time to
tell both of you, and he was gonna’ tell Casey before they went
to bed.”
“Gees, Dad,
look! I got goose bumps on my arms. What’s this all about?”
“Before Vince
went to Nam, he came out here to California to spend his leave from
boot camp with his wife, Frances. While he was here he had his
name officially change to Longhorn. I gave his brother that name
when we used to mess around together on my parent’s ranch. His
daddy would let ‘em stay over sometimes. We’d sleep in the barn
and play hide the little green snake all night. We had us some
great times together. Vince and I are very close. We grow’d
up together. I don’t’ git to see near as much of him, as I’d like
to.
Anyway, his
little brother had the biggest damn dick on ‘em you ever did see, and I
started calling him ‘little longhorn.’ Well,— Vince and Seth,
they thought that was real funny and kinda neat. Vince picked it
up and started call’n his little brother ‘little longhorn’ when his dad
weren’t around. Vince loved his little brother and spoiled him
rotten. If Vince had something and Seth Quee wanted it, Vince
would never argue with him, he’d jes’ give it to him. In turn,
Seth Quee adored his big cowboy brother. Vince was his hero and
his God. I never saw two brothers like them in my life; probably
never will again. So when Vince went to change his name, he named
his-self after his little brother’s nickname I give ‘em. For the
longest while, it’ud bring tears to my eyes ever’ time I thought about
it.”
“That’s what
everyone in school calls Casey, Dad, because he’s got the biggest damn
dick in town. They call him the ‘longhorn.’ Of course
that’s his last name, but they mean it to refer to his dick. He’s
bigger’n our coaches. All the kids think it’s great fun to cut
out pictures of Texas longhorns and glue them onto Casey’s locker at
school. They, also, glue pictures of football players on the
University of Texas team. They was Texas Longhorns, too. He
never got upset about it. Casey’s s’damn laid back he jes’
thought it was fun. He saw it as kind of a complement in a
way. Whoever stuck one on his locker, he’d find out, and make ‘em
sign it. You can’t see the metal on the front of his
locker. He loves it and took several pictures of it. He
didn’t have to, it’s always in the year book ever’ year.” Dwayne
laughed.
“Sounds like he
got his granddaddy’s dick. His granddad was like Vince’s brother,
he was enormous. I could barely get the head of Seth’s cock in my
mouth.”
“Casey’s the
same damn way, Dad. Thought I was gonna’ dislocate my damn jaw
the first time we were together. Funny thing is, our little
brother’s half the size I am, and he has no problem taking Casey at
all. Little bit’s a real piggy. I grunt at him like a pig
sometimes, and he jes’ dies laughing.” They shared a laugh.
“Does this have anything to do with you and Casey’s eyes being the same
rare color?”
“Damn, you’re
sharp, kid! When I got out of prison, we lived with Vince and
Frances for a while until I bought the ranch. Yore’ momma and I
were married the first year I was in prison. Sadie thought it
might work in my favor, if’n I came up for parole to show I planned to
settle down and raise a family. Vince and Frances came to the
prison with Sadie and stood up for us. Vince was my best man and
Frances was Sadie’s maid of honor. They allowed us to sleep
together the night of our wedding in a trailer they used for wives to
visit their husbands so they could get a piece now and then. You
were conceived in a prison, Son.”
“Damn, that’s
something not a lot of kids can claim. That makes me special.”
“Glad ju’ feel
that way, Son.” Rance laughed. “Yore’ momma and Frances
gave birth within about six weeks of each other; however, I didn’t get
out of prison for another two years. You was already walking by
that time. We moved onto the ranch about six months after I got
out.
Vince was
already back from Nam learning to use his new legs courtesy of the
VA. He ask me not to tell anyone about our past ‘cause he didn’t
want it getting out Longhorn weren’t his real name. When Vince
came back from Nam he didn’t want anything to do with his dad, and he
didn’t want him finding him if he looked for him. He never would
talk to me about his dad, but I knew the old man well. I remember
he was pretty rough on them boys and showed them no love
whatsoever. He was cold, demanding, and strict beyond reason with
his boys. The only love Seth got was from his big brother, and
the only love Vince got was from me, my mom and dad.
While Vince was
home on leave from boot camp, he found out I was in prison and came to
visit me in Lompoc. When the prison guards told me to report to
the visitor center, I had a visitor by the name of Longhorn, I damn
near shit my pants. I jes’ knew it couldn’t be Seth, so I knew it
had to be Vince. Boy was I glad to see him. He gave me his
phone number and address. Vince was a big help and support while
I was in prison. He wrote me letters from Nam and I wrote
him. He sent me a letter telling me his little brother was
killed, and it like ta’ ripped my damn heart out. I was in a funk
for months.
Vince and
Frances was good to look after you and yore’ momma for me while I was
in prison. Sadie’s family kicked’er out when they found out she’d
married a man in prison, and got herself pregnant by him. Vince
and his wife took her in and gave you and her a home ‘til I got out a’
prison. That’s why Vince Longhorn is number one in yore’ momma’s
book. She and Vince have been close friends for years, and I
mean, only, close friends. Vince would send money to me in his
letters and Frances would send Christmas goodies. They were really good
to me and yore’ momma, Son. I owe Vince Longhorn a lot.
He swore me to
secrecy and asked me not to tell you until your eighteenth birthday;
however, because of all what’s happened, he wanted me to tell you about
this and he’s gonna’ tell Casey tonight. Vince thought it might
make you feel less alone in the world to know. Son,— Vince’s
daddy and my momma were brother and sister. Casey’s yore’ second
cousin.”
“No!
You’re shit’n me, Dad! Ain’t no way!”
“Easy, big
fellow.” Rance laughed at his boy’s surprise. “No, I ain’t,
Son. I’m serious. Cowboy’s don’t never lie, you know
that.” he laughed again. “You must never tell anyone for Vince’s
sake, but do you remember the name of the town on the letter Casey let
you read?”
“Yeah, it was
from Langtry, Texas, down near the border somewhere. Casey told
me it
was named after a famous actress named Lillie Langtry.”
“That’s right,—
that was Vince’s last name.”
“Langtry?
Like in Lillie Langtry?”
“The very same,
Son. She was your great-aunt. She was the one what left the
money in trust for me. My mother’s maiden name was Langtry and
she married Oslo Harding, your granddad. Did jur’ mom ever tell
you, you was named after yore’ granddaddy? His middle name was
Dwayne; Oslo Dwayne Harding. My dad was a fine man and a better
cowboy. You would’ve loved him, Son.”
“Damn, Casey and
I are kin? How neat can 'nat be? It’s fuck’n
wonderful. Humm,— no wonder we been so close all these
years. This is too much. Little bit’s gonna’ eat his heart
out.” Dwayne laughed. “How come you didn’t gimme’ no violet
eyes, Dad?” Dwayne ask laughing.
“I didn’t have
much to say about that, Son. Yore’ pretty blue eyes come from you
maternal granddad. Vince’s brother had ‘um jes’ like Casey’s and
sometimes the way Casey looks at me, I told Vince I could swear his
little brother, Seth Quee, was inside Casey’s body look’n out at
me.
Vince laughed and told me he felt the same damn way sometimes. He
told me Casey is almost a physical duplicate of Seth Quee including the
way he thinks, the way he acts, and the way he loves him. He told
me sometimes, he wonders when Seth Quee was killed in Nam if’n his
spirit didn’t somehow get into Frances to make Casey.”
“Dad, I know you
love yore’ job, and I would never ask you to give it up to come back
here. I realize, there’s jes’ too many bad memories for you, but
lemme’ tell you there’s a bunch of men in this town who admire, respect
and love you. They think my momma done wrong by you to throw you
out. I’m jes’ a’ hoping you’ll come to visit me regularly, and
maybe during the summer I can make it to several of the rodeos where
you’re gonna’ be working. I don’t need what we done all the time,
but I ain’t gonna’ lie to ya,’ I know I’m gonna’ need it from time to
time. I sure as hell would rather be git’n from my cowboy dad
than some stranger.”
“I’d rather you
git it from me, Son, at least ‘til you’re a little older. After
what we jes’ done, I understand that now, boy. We’ll work things
out, you’ll see. We’re gonna’ be family again, you’n me.
There’s a passel of folks out there who love us. They’re gonna’
see to it we find time to be with one another. Who knows, I may
even get to see my boy play some ball games and graduate from high
school.”
“Thanks again,
Dad, for tonight. I really needed that, and to get it from the
man I love most in the world was unbelievably great. I love you,
Dad.”
“I love you too,
Son.”
They kissed
another passionate kiss and went to sleep in each other arms. Their
hearts were content and at peace. They’d made a path through the
forest and were well on their way to a new and wonderful relationship
that only grew stronger and more solid throughout the years.
Rance was good to his word, he never let his boy go during the
night. He never let his boy go again.
* * * * * * *
Sticker gave
Rance a week off with pay to be with his boy. Rance promised to
take another week off he had coming at the beginning of the summer
sometime, and he did. Sticker saw to it. It was a wonderful
time for him and Dwayne. They made up for a lot of lost time, in
and out of the bedroom. They both kept a level head about their
sex not becoming a clinging, needy, or dependant thing, but they
definitely bonded. Their times in bed were too hot and much too
powerful not to. His dad’s love managed to slowly wean Dwayne
away from his craving for the kind of sex his step-dad forced on
him. I guess I never saw Dwayne happier than in those two weeks
his dad visited.
Dwayne talked to
the social worker, a child protective services worker and he asked to
be placed in foster care. Dwayne requested to live with the
Winchesters. He and his dad sat down with Donna and Spencer and
had a long talk about what they might expect of Dwayne and what he
could expect from them. It sounded ideal for him, and it truly
was. Rance, my dad and me helped him move into the Winchesters
that first week his dad visited. Donna and
Spencer were delighted to have Dwayne live with them, but they didn’t
smother him. They set rules he had to abide by, and he
agreed. There wasn’t a lot of rules, just simple things like
calling if he was going to stay with dad and I. Dwayne never just
called to tell them. He treated them with the respect they
deserved, and they treated him in kind. He didn’t just tell
Spencer he was going to stay with us, he would respectfully asked
Spencer’s permission to stay.
It made Mr.
Winchester feel needed and important for Dwayne to show him that
respect. If something happened, and he was going to be late
getting home he would always call to let them know. They
respected his privacy, and they would never enter his room unless
invited. Dwayne did more for them than just follow the
rules. He became a great joy to Spencer and Donna, and they only
grew to love Dwayne all the more.
* * * * * * * We were
pleasantly surprised when they didn’t take Lamar back to Pendleton
right away. Actually, we found out later the doctor wouldn’t sign
a release until Lamar was able to travel. The government picked
up the tab for his hospital stay. Officially, he was ordered by
the Colonel to his place, he was considered on duty while in boot camp,
and not on leave when the Colonel shot him. Dad thought they were
trying to bend over backward to cover their butts to avoid a sordid
scandal. The sheriff told dad and Spencer he thought it was also
to keep Lamar from filing a massive lawsuit against the Marines.
With his hero status he might have be awarded large sums of money by a
civilian judge and jury.
They
interviewed Lamar and he told them exactly what he’d been carefully
coached to tell them. He didn’t volunteer any further
information, and he was never asked any more. Once again the
sheriff was sure it was because they knew Lamar could potentially take
them to the cleaners. They told Lamar to report back to Pendleton
the day after the hospital released him.
The hospital had
him up and walking the same evening after the operation, and he was
recovered enough to travel after fourteen days; however, Sticker talked
to the doctor and convinced him to put the release to show fifteen days
so Lamar could spend Friday afternoon, evening, and all day Saturday,
with us so we could take him back to Pendleton Sunday afternoon.
Dwayne had two
evenings to spend with his love. He asked Spencer, if this one
time, he might stay with Lamar at our place because we were going to
drive him to Pendleton on Sunday. Spencer didn’t have any problem
with it. Lamar and Dwayne were not as frustrated as I thought
they might be. They couldn’t do a lot because Lamar was still
recovering, but that was all right, they were together.
They made hot,
passionate love, but with no sex. Well,— they made as much love
as they could with Lamar still recovering. He was taking pain
medication which make him sleepy most of the time. They did a lot
of feeling, fondling, stroking, petting, dirty talk and dry humping,
but absolutely no sex. Somehow, though, it didn’t really get to
them. A couple of times they both ejaculated while making love,
but technically, they didn’t have sex; however, they did get in a good
bit of loving. It only strengthened their bond and resolve to be
together one day. They were a joy to see together and Lamar stole
everyone’s heart. Lamar was to let
Dwayne know when his graduation from boot camp was. We planned to
go up for it, if it was on a weekend, and it was. He didn’t go
back into a company right away. They held him in their infirmary
for a couple of weeks for observation until they were satisfied he was
fully recovered. Then, they put him in a company which was
graduating that week. Many folks from our community who knew him went
to see him graduate and wish him well. He stayed one night with
Dwayne at our place and we took him to the airport to fly home.
He had two weeks leave after boot camp. He was going home to see
what little family he had for a week and would spend the last week with
Dwayne. As it turned out, he had enough of his family after three
days and called us to see if we could meet him at the airport in San
Diego.
He felt so
comfortable on our ranch he personally asked Spencer and Donna if
Dwayne could spend that week and a half with him there. Spencer
was easy. He knew Vince would take just as good care of
Dwayne. They didn’t have any problem with it. They knew
they were not engaging in sex. They trusted Dwayne and Lamar without
question. After what they went through, Lamar was scared to death
to even think about it. Our place was so far from any neighbors
or the prying eyes of the community he felt more comfortable. The
Winchester’s place was a little more suburban and closer to town.
Lord, that
didn’t stop the community from dropping by to say ‘hello’ and
wish him well. Sheriff Bard stopped by and had lunch with us one
day over the weekend. Between him and my dad we laughed our ass’s
off.
Like everyone
who got to know him, Lamar came to love my dad. We were off to
school during the day and Lamar was home alone with dad. Dad had
him on horseback riding fences with him the second day he stayed with
us. He loved it and told us it wasn’t like work, it was more like
he was playing cowboy on a virtual dude ranch. He kept my dad
laughing most of the time. Lamar was his usual uninhibited self
and had my dad rolling on the floor at his blatant honesty. He
told dad the same thing about the Colonel he did the Sheriff Bard and
had him laughing his ass off.
The Marines came
to check out the Colonel and tried to have him transferred to a
military facility for a military trial. Leland Bard had been
sheriff too damn long to let them get away with trying to buffalo him
and sent them packing. He nipped that idea in the bud ‘pert-damn
quick’ as he was wont to say. They fussed, fumed and threatened,
but he just threw them out of his office. When Leland Bard was
right he didn’t suffer fools easily. The Marines were hoping to
avoid a lot of publicity and scandal. As it turned out, the
sheriff agreed to a closed trial due to the sensitivity of the case,
but the military would not be present. Sheriff Bard appealed to
their decency to let them have a closed trial to protect the innocent.
Sidney did,
indeed, find a web site that belonged to the Colonel, and it was
unbelievable. There were nude photos of Dwayne and offers to sell
him to the highest bidder. Date of delivery for a well broken and
well trained sex slave was moved up to approximately a year from the
date posted. All was copied and entered as evidence. The
government intervened on the Internet and caused enough pressure the
site was shut down immediately.
The disk and
manila envelopes I found in the secret drawer of his desk were equally
amazing. The disk contained detailed information about the six
Marine recruits who vanished from Pendleton, and who they were sold
to. The envelopes contained eight by eleven glossy prints of each
recruit, nude, tied up in a barn someplace, but it wasn’t
Dwayne’s ranch. It suggested the Colonel had a confederate, or as
it turned out confederates, and hound dog Sidney didn’t rest
until he found the two men who were working with him.
Guess who they
were? You’re right, the other two officers who fucked Lamar after
the Colonel got through with him. While they didn’t actually
participate in the selling of the men, they allowed the Colonel to use
their properties in exchange for sizable sums of money. That
information was entered as evidence and Sheriff Bard made sure that
information got back to the top brass at Pendleton. The two
officers were arrested immediately by the military. They were
drummed out of the Corps with dishonorable discharges, but they were a
little better at covering their tracks than the Colonel. A
military tribunal could only convict them from the Colonel’s
evidence. They got charged with accessory and conspiracy to
traffic in white slavery. They were sentenced fifteen to thirty
years at hard labor in Levenworth.
Somehow,
Sergeant O’Malley never got caught up in the maelstrom of the Colonel’s
crimes. He was scared shitless by the whole thing, but he kept
his mouth shut and claimed to know nothing about it. They watched
his every move for a year afterward. He did approach Lamar, after
he returned, with his hat in his hand. He didn’t ask any
questions, he just quietly apologized to Lamar. Lamar told him he
forgave him, and that was that.
As it turned
out, the prosecution really didn’t need Lamar’s testimony; because, the
jury saw Lamar get shot on the video; however, they wanted to
hear from him. We all thought they just wanted to meet the hero
who saved the boy’s life. He repeated exactly what he’d been
coached as the Colonel glared at him with hatred, but Dunbar didn’t try
to contradict Lamar’s testimony. Lamar laughed later and told
Sheriff Bard it was all he could do to keep from jumping down from the
witness box, dropping his pants, turning his ass to the Colonel and
begging him for one last fuck,— one for the road. The
sheriff is still laughing today over that and breaks up every time he
runs into Lamar and Dwayne.
The Colonel got
life without chance of parole. We wondered how long he would live
in prison. Child molesters don’t do too well behind bars.
They seem to be more accident prone that inmates who are sent up for
other crimes; however, the Colonel lived for thirty-one years.
Dwayne and Lamar sent him money at Christmas and his birthday every
year with a cheery little card thanking him once more for bringing them
together and for their continued happiness. Dwayne went several
times to visit him. He hadn’t changed a bit. He was still
rude,
arrogant and abusive, but he could still give Dwayne and Lamar an
erection. He continued to take good care of his body all his
life.
Dwayne and Lamar
were satisfied they’d done the right thing; just like the Colonel told
Dwayne he was going to make sure the boy would be where he should
be. Dwayne and Lamar felt pleased with themselves they helped
make sure the Colonel was where he should be. One of the last
times Dwayne went to visit him, Lamar went with him. The Colonel
just couldn’t believe they were a couple living together after all this
time. That one time, Lamar thinks he was so moved by Dwayne and
Lamar’s bonding, he asked their forgiveness, and they forgave him.
Sadie was found
guilty of all charges against her, and she was sentenced to one month
community service and three years probation. They considered
the month she spent in jail awaiting trial was enough jail
time. Dwayne went by to see her every day after school, and took
her magazines and books to read. She tried to talk with him about
what happened, but he refused. She insisted and tried to demand
he talk with her about it a couple of times, but Dwayne just got up and
walked out.
She accused him
of trying to punish her. He told her it wasn’t true, she was
wrong, and he wouldn’t accept that from her. He told her she was
wrong about a lot of things, and while he forgave her he didn’t see how
any good would come from discussing it. He explained he was once
again trying to protect her from the anger he felt for her. He
felt talking about it would only end in her denying everything or him
getting hurt again, and he felt he’d been hurt enough.
She asked if he
would return to the ranch with her, and he emphatically told her ‘no,’
absolutely not! It was completely hers now, he wasn’t going to
have anything to do with it, and she could do with as she
pleased. He planned to finish high school living with the
Winchesters. He felt safe, secure, happy and loved there.
Sadie found out
from Leland Bard, Rance was seeing Dwayne on a regular basis. She
seethed in anger upon hearing the information and ordered Leland to
arrest him immediately. The sheriff laughed at her, told her she
had no more say or control over Dwayne and very probably wouldn’t have
before he became of legal age. To her further dismay, the court
gave official custody to his dad, but Rance wasn’t spiteful and agreed
to visitation rights for Sadie.
At the end of
her month of community service she said goodbye to Frank and
Curley. Sadie told them Vince Longhorn would be running the ranch
for a while, and she would tell him to get in touch with them.
Her sister left Sadie her home, and she was going to live in
Chino. She called Vince and asked him if she could stop by for
coffee. He told her he’d be there all morning. Vince met
Sadie as she got out of her van. He could see it was loaded with
stuff, but he didn’t say anything.
“Come in, Sadie,
I jes’ made a fresh pot of coffee.”
“That’s fine,
Vince, I’ll have a cup with you.”
“Sit down,
Sadie,— it’s good to see you again. I been meaning to get over,
but I just ain’t had the time lately. I apologize.”
“No need,
Vince. No one in this community has time for me anymore. My
sister left me her place, so I’m going to Chino to live. There’s
nothing for me here anymore, and I don’t wanna’ run the ranch
alone. I know Dwayne ain’t never coming back to the ranch.
Can’t say’s I blame him none. He comes to see me and stays a
while. He tells me he loves me and cares about me, but the minute
I ask him to come home or start to say anything about what happened he
gets up and walks out. He’s jes’ like his daddy. Says he
don’t wanna’ talk about it,— that’s that, and he won’t.”
Sadie reached
into her bag, pulled out some papers and threw them on the table.
“Here’s the deed
to the ranch. I never had it changed over into my name. I
jes’ never got around to it. It’s still under both our
names. It’s one of those things you’re gonna’ get around to
tomorrow but tomorrow never comes. I knew Rance would never
check. I just know him too well. In that white envelope
there’s a notarized quitclaim deed with a notarized letter
relinquishing all claim I have to the ranch. It’s now Rance and
Dwayne’s ranch. I don’t want anymore to do with it. Maybe
this will make up for some of the pain I’ve cause. I ain’t
looking for instant forgiveness, but maybe this is a step in the right
direction.”
“Have you told
Dwayne about this?” Dad asked her.
“No, I didn’t
want to. I don’t know why. I just couldn’t. Maybe
it’s because the ranch meant so much to Rance and Dwayne, but without
his dad, Dwayne always saw it as an unhappy place he had to grow up
in. Certainly the last six months he lived there was
horrible. Everyone’s right, I suspected something was going on,
but Dwayne wouldn’t talk to me. I turned my head the other way
rather than stand up to that monster’s constant bickering and never
ending ranting and raving.
I think I got
off easy with a month working at the hospital. I actually enjoyed
it. I think it was mostly because Dwayne told them he didn’t want
me in jail no matter what they think I done to him. I know he’s
seeing Rance a lot now, and I think maybe that’s good. Maybe he
needs his dad. I failed him miserably. I want you to tell
him goodbye for me, Vince, and that I’ll always love him.”
Sadie broke down
and started crying. Dad didn’t know what to do but just sat
there. She got herself together and continued.
“I told Frank
and Curley you’d be in charge of the ranch for a while. I didn’t
tell them I planned to give the ranch to Rance and Dwayne. I just
thanked them for being good hands, and more than that, friends and role
models for Dwayne. There’s also a letter there to Dwayne from me
and one for Rance. I know you’ll make sure they get ‘em.”
“I will, Sadie,
you know I will. I’m not happy you’re leaving without telling
Dwayne goodbye, you’re going to live in Chino, but I’ll do as you
ask. If my two cents worth mean anything to you, Sadie, I think
you’re doing the right thing.”
“I hope so,
Vince. I’m praying so. Thank you for all you’ve done for me
and for being a good friend who always shot straight with me. I
knew I could always count on you to be a good neighbor and to tell me
the truth. It couldn’t have been easy for you to call me and tell
me what happened, but I love you for it. I also love you for
putting it in perspective for me. I know it’s a little late, but
I’ve been forced to change my way a’ think’n about some things.
Thanks for everything, Vince.”
“Well,— thank
you, Sadie. You’ve been a good neighbor, too, and I’ll miss
you. You know I love you, Sadie.”
Dad started to
cry and they cried in each other’s arms for a minute until Sadie
recovered. Dad kissed her on the cheek, and she kissed him
back. He walked her to her big cargo van and opened the door for
her. He waved to her as she headed out the gravel road to the
blacktop of Ball road. Dad later told me he didn’t know how to
react to her or what she was planning to do. It was so out of
character for the hard, brassy Sadie he knew and loved. She was
like a defeated woman who didn’t have much left to live for. The
only trouble was,— it was all of her own making.
End Chapter 19 ~
Texas Longhorns Copyright 2005 ~
Waddie Greywolf All rights
reserved ~ Mail to:
waddiebear@yahoo.com