Chapter 5

Ace

I stepped outside of Jaelyn’s room while Doctor Linda did her exam. Before my butt even hit the seat just outside her door, I was calling my youngest brother, GrayWolf. Gray, as we called him, was adopted. His father used to be our ranch foreman before he got cancer and passed away when Gray was ten.

My parents had an understanding with Gray’s father, who was a full-blooded Sioux warrior. They adopted GrayWolf but made sure that he was fully aware of his Native American heritage and spent time with his people on the local reservation learning the culture and history of the Sioux Nation. To us, he was just GrayWolf Wilder, our brother. He was only nineteen, but he was the man I left in charge anytime I had to be away. He’d grown up on the ranch and knew how to run it as well as I did.

He answered on the second ring. “Hey Ace, Dad said you would call me.”

“Tell me how mad the girls are, Gray.”

“Skylar’s calmed down, but Amber is fit to be tied. I helped her get the horses all back in their stalls, but she has work that she needs to do and the activity and noise close to her training paddock is wrecking her schedule.”

“Okay, well, I’m going to call Sam Ryder next and have him move his helicopter to the empty field behind my place. You take a gator over and help him get back. Have he and his brothers unloaded their gear yet?”

“Yeah, he said to tell you when I talked to you he brought sixteen Mark 12 SPRs with four clips each and a case of rounds for each rifle. He didn’t bring any handguns because he knew everyone would have their own. They’ve already unloaded the helicopter, so I’ll have him move it. He said no need to call him. He’ll see you and your girl tomorrow. How did he know you were going to call me, anyway?”

I laughed. “The Ryders are a spooky bunch of people, Gray. Like medicine men spooky. They all know things they shouldn’t and show up just when they’re needed. Sam has never, and I mean never, missed any shot. Have him give you a demonstration.

“They all have some special gift, and they all know when they’re needed somewhere. Honestly, it’s supernatural, just like those medicine men you know on the res.”

I could hear my little brother absorbing that idea that white men could do something the Nations medicine men were known for. Okay, umm? What do you want me to tell the guys on the motorcycles?”

“How many guys are on bikes?”

“Umm, three. One has a tattoo of a panther on his right arm. The other two are covered in full sleeves. But Ace, they weren’t alone. There’s some lady with them and three guys with camera gear.”

“Damn! Wildcat told me he wasn’t being filmed right now. I don’t want Jaelyn on TV. The entire purpose was to keep her safe.”

“Yeah, well, I hate to tell you this then, but Dad signed some paper giving them the right to film on the ranch.”

I sighed, biting my tongue to keep in the stronger curse that wanted to slip out.

“This is his way of punishing me for not coming home. Well, nothing I can do about it now. How many guys with the idiot in the Halloween costume?”

“Just one, but they have a ton of cases with them and a sniper rifle.”

“Okay, well tell the guy dressed as Spiderman that the cameras and alarm system go in and around my house. Take him there when you go to pick up Sam from the field where he parks the helo. The guy in the costume’s name is Peter Parker.”

My little brother started laughing. “Seriously?”

“Yep, and to make it worse, the people he works for call him Spidey. Tell him if they have it, I’d like a camera and laser alarm at the front gate, too. They can set up in the downstairs guest room as the tech center for the computer guy and the monitoring gear.

“After they install the cameras and alarm system, tell them to rest up today. According to Doc, we should be home tomorrow unless they find a complication during testing today.”

“And our hands?”

“Gray, I trust you. You know what needs done for the ranch. Just do it. If I have an issue, we’ll talk tomorrow after I get home. However, we both know you could run that ranch as well as I can. You are in charge until I get back. However, let them know we are probably going to have trouble soon and they should all carry their side arms and a long gun until further notice.

“If they notice anything out of the ordinary, no matter how small, to report it to you or me. Introduce them to our guests and tell them anyone they don’t know is to be detained as a trespasser. I’ll get everyone a photo of whom to be on the lookout for when I get back. Have them keep their eyes open in town, too.”

“Alright, see ya tomorrow, then.”

I hung up on my little brother and called Wildcat next. That he brought his camera crew pissed me off. We couldn’t do our job if they were following him everywhere.

I punched in his number. He answered. “I know Ace. I know exactly what you’re gonna say and I got a plan.”

“Damn it, Wildcat, this is a mess. Maybe I didn’t stress how dangerous this asshole is. His father is Congressman Robinson and he plans to run for President. Do you think for one instant he isn’t willing to fight dirty?”

“Ace, I get it. I screwed up. But they are here now, and they aren’t leaving so I have a two-prong plan to keep them busy.”

I wasn’t ready to let him off the hook just yet because Wildcat’s plans were just that - wild. “This had better be good. You’re endangering Boomer’s sister and the woman I love.”

“Woah, cowboy!! Love?? Are you serious? Aren’t you the guy who kept saying love was for the normal citizens, not guys like us?”

I growled. “I know what I said, but I took one look at her broken on the ground in my sister’s stable and knew she was it for me. Hell, Devlin, she didn’t even look human, and I knew she belonged to me. So don’t you dare, and I mean DON’T you put her in more danger than she already is.”

“Brother, it’s a good thing Boomer isn’t around. He’d put one in your hind parts for falling for his little sister. Does that mean your sisters are fair game?”

“Tell me the plan now or so help me God...”

Wildcat laughed. “Okay, so part one. Until now on the show I’ve always gone to the people that wanted a custom build and the boys and I rent a space and build. So what if this season is all about me deciding to put down roots? You know vagabond, former Green Beret, settles down, opens a store front and museum, finds a house and starts looking for a girl. All while building an epic bike for a big name rodeo star. That’s part two. Your brother Vince flies in a few times and we build a Rocking W bike for him. Something one of you could ride in local parades or can put in shows or ride to Sturgis and advertise your ranch. That gives us reason for them to be on the ranch and film your weird cows and the bison. We can keep them away from your girl that way.”

“Are you seriously going to put down roots?”

“Honestly yeah. I’m getting old man. I turn thirty-two this year. I’m tired of the nomad life. You know I lived in barracks until I got out of the Army. Since then, I’ve been living in a travel trailer for the show. Not so sure about the girl part, unless your sister is interested. But hey, there’s gotta be a few hometown honeys willing to go on a date on camera with me for their ten minutes of fame, right?”

I thought about it. “First, stay away from my sisters. You couldn’t handle Skylar and if you even think about moving on Amber, I’m pretty sure GrayWolf will scalp you, then bury you up to your neck out on the high plains somewhere and cover you in honey for the ants to eat.

“Otherwise, the plan sounds workable. I could probably call Vince and see if he’d be willing to fly in a few times and be on your show. Heck, his sponsors would eat it up. Him in all his patches and official rodeo duds getting you to build him a bike or two.”

“Oh, I like it. Two bikes, one for the ranch, one for the soon-to-be four-time all-around cowboy champion. If I pitch it that way to my director, she’ll eat it up. She’s already in heat with all the cowboys around here.”

“Want to really spin her up? Let’s get my little brother Taylor to be the ranch’s spokesman.”

“Why would that spin her?”

“You’ve never met my seven feet two-inch little brother, the new assistant pastor in town?”

Wildcat started laughing. “Oh, that’s perfect. Let’s not tell her he’s the pastor for a while.”

“He’s at the ranch now. Should be with Skylar. He doesn’t look like a minister, he’s in Wranglers and plaid.”

“Perfect. Let him know he’s on interference duty. He can give her the ranch tour. We can get your old man to tell her some of those stories about your grandparents and his and early days on the ranch.”

‘Okay, I’ll text Taylor and Vince to see what we can do to keep your shadows too busy to be involved with what we’re doing. But seriously, bud, Jaelyn can’t be on camera and we can’t mention me or her by name. The dirtbag knows both of us by name.”

“So you get a new handle for now instead of Ace, how about Commander and we’ll call her Baby Sister.”

“I can’t call her Baby Sister. Already got one of those on the ranch.”

“Okay well, she’s Boomer’s li’l sis. How about Firecracker?”

“Yeah, that will work. So once again you crazy bastard, you slip out of trouble.”

“Hey Commander, story of my life. This Wildcat’s still got lives left.”

“Okay, let me get the ball rolling. See you tomorrow. Don’t tick off the Ryders. Remember they got hoodoo voodoo crap going on.”

“Roger that. Let me pitch the idea to my director about the change of direction for this new season. Trust me, she’ll love it.”

“I’ll get Vince on board.”

“Think he’ll go for it?”

“A chance to be the hero and get a custom motorcycle out of it? Yeah, he’ll eat it up. How much is this going to cost me?”

“All right, I’ll wait for his call. I’ll need to see what the build is, but you’re family so it will be for cost.”

I hung up and sent Taylor a text about showing the TV woman around the ranch and talking up us wanting a ranch bike. My phone rang a minute later while I was sending a text to Vincent to call me when he had a moment. “What’s up, Taylor?”

“You serious about building this custom bike for the ranch?”

“Yeah, but it’s mostly a distraction to the TV crew so Cat and I can do what needs done. Why?”

“Think Wildcat would build one of those Trike Bikes? Would make a great present for Dad’s birthday. I saw one pulling a teardrop camper the other day. Would be a safe but fun way for mom and dad to take some time away from the ranch every now and again.”

“Not a bad idea. Talk to Wildcat and see what he says. I don’t think they’ve built one of those on the show before. Might be perfect.”

“Yeah, I’m not just another pretty face.”

“No one thinks you’re pretty. They’re just scared to tell you how ugly you really are. Seriously, though, run with it.”

Linda came out of Jaelyn’s room and nodded to me. “I’m only going to say this to you once, Ace. That girl has been through hell. If you aren’t serious about her, leave her alone. If you are, then I’ll tell you the same thing I told her. No intimate relations until I say she’s healthy enough for them. Got it?”

“Kissing okay with you?”

“Yes, but keep them short and light. Remember, she has a broken nose and skull fractures. I’ll update her as she heals. But Ace, the emotional stuff that may take a while.”

I nodded. I hadn’t been seeing Linda as my doctor. I drove into Billings to the VA. “Yeah, I understand. It ain’t like I don’t know about PTSD.”

Linda looked at me hard. “Yeah, I reckon you would, wouldn’t you? That’s why you’re using the VA instead of seeing me as your doctor?”

“You wouldn’t want me telling you about what I have inside me, Doc. Let’s just say that little boy you helped raise, he doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Oh Ace, honey, I’d say that’s not true. I think there’s some darkness mixed in, but that loving little boy, he’s still here, too. Just the protector he always was is now in charge.”

I shrugged. It wasn’t something I was comfortable talking to my mom’s best friend about. She patted my arm and gave me a quick hug. “Now go take care of your girl. Just remember I’m watching.”

With that, she headed into another room to check on another patient. And me, I felt the itch of being away from my girl for too long. So I stepped in the door to fix the problem.

*****

Jaelyn

I had my eyes closed, but I knew the moment Ace walked through the door. He’d been right earlier. There really was some kind of connection between us. No one else caused the very air to change and vibrate like he does. He enters the room and I’m aware of him. He started to settle back into the chair that he’d occupied for the last eight days.

“Ace, will you do something for me before you sit down?”

He was at my side instantly, my hand once more in his. “Anything, sweetheart. What do you need from me?”

I couldn’t believe I was going to ask this of him. While he may have watched over me for a week, this was only the second day that I’d known him. “Doctor Linda said that I have to be careful, but there was one thing she said I could do. “Would you kiss me? I mean really kiss me, not that half kiss that you’ve given me twice.”

He leaned over me and gently, like I was fragile and so special, put his hands on both sides of my head. “Sweetheart, I would love to give you a proper kiss, but Linda told me I have to be careful with you. Remember, you have a broken nose and skull fractures. So, while I’m going to kiss you, it won’t be a proper kiss. Not the kind I want to give you, but this will have to do us both until your face is healed.”