Chapter 10: Death Comes to the Ranch

The colour drained from Angie's face and suddenly her legs were no longer capable of holding her up. Before Scott could take a step Maria had her by the arm taking her to the bathroom. Scott looked at Jason, "Where's Jack?"

"He told me to tell you not to worry," Jason knew when he said it that it sounded stupid. "Scott, he's checking on something, he thinks ... well he has an idea what happened to him."

Scott stood glaring at Jason waiting on him to finish. "Well?" Scott shouted, "Are you going to tell me what's going on or am I going to have to do something that neither of us wants?"

Jason didn't want to say what he thought, and that was that Jack Rimes had called someone in the Talavera family. It was just as possible even probable that someone here in town had called and reported Tatum's presence.

"Jason, damn it!" Jason's hem hawing was fast using the last of Scott's calm, "You start telling me what's going on or we are about to have a big problem."

Jason was trying to figure out how and what to say to Scott when Jack pulled up. Jack took one look at Scott and knew he was wound up tighter than an eight day clock. "What the hell is going on Jack?" Scott's voice removed any remaining doubt that he was pissed.

Jack was opening his mouth to start explaining Tatum's connection with the drug family across the river when his cell phone rang. Jack reached to take the phone off his belt. Scott hated cell phones; he didn't like hearing them when he was eating and he damn sure didn't like one going off while he was trying to get some answers.

Red, who had followed Scott out, looked on with some concern. Right now he figured Scott's blood pressure had to just about off be the scale, so it was with no small amount of concern that he put his hand on Scott's shoulder.

"Not now Doc!" the venom in his voice caused a cold chill down Red's neck. It also had the desired effect of causing Jack to interrupt his phone conversation. "Scott, just calm down. Angie is in no danger." Jack looked at Scott questioningly, "Come on Bud, have I ever lied to you?"

When Jack had told him to calm down Scott's fist had clinched and what little control he had left was used up when he didn't punch Jack in the nose. Jack had been his room mate his first year in college. Their friendship had been solid ever since and only the fact that he hadn't ever lied to him assured Scott that Angie was not in danger and allowed him to start to calm down.

Scott and Red had both been right there listening to Jack's side of the phone call but it had been mostly "yes", "no" and "I don't know" until Jack said, "Well Dr. Demming is here I'll ask him."

Jack held the phone to his chest and asked, "When they found the two deputies in Ft. Stockton there was a jack of clubs playing card laying on one of the deputy's chest. You have any idea what that means?"

Red started nodding his head, "Yea, I think I do, but if you want to know for sure get hold of Eduardo Duarte he's a federale that covers from Ojinaga north."

Jack groaned, "Do you have any idea how much red tape is involved getting information from those people?"

"Call and ask for Eduardo tell him I said for you to call him." Red pulled out his billfold and dug through it looking for something eventually pulling out a well worn business card, "Here, this is his direct number. If he's not there leave a message using my name. He'll get back to you quick enough."

Jack informed the party on the other end of the phone that he had to make a call and ended that conversation. Jack was about to start explaining to Scott what was going on when Scott stopped him, "Call this Eduardo fellow then tell me everything."

Jack made the call and in just a few minutes knew exactly what the playing card meant. Before the conversation was over Jack also knew he had made a new and very valuable contact. The doctor would let him know how trust worthy it would be. Jack ended the call with the federale and began explaining Tatum's role in beating a teenager to the point of brain damage and who that teenager was. The federale had told him that the jack of clubs left at the scene was the calling card of the boy's father. What ever else Tatum was he would never be a threat to Angie ever again. His life wasn't worth one thin dime right now and that was assuming he was still alive.

Scott simply nodded his understanding, turned and walked into the Café to find the love of his life. Jack and Red watched him go, Jack finally breaking the uneasy silence, "I've never seen him like that. I knew he loved that girl but I had no idea it was that strong. God help any one who gets between him and that girl."

Red laughed, "From what little that I've been around her, she seems to be the same way about him. How long have they been dating anyway?"

Jack looked at his watch and smiled, "This is Tuesday. They've been together since Friday afternoon ... four days. He saw her for the first time a week ago Friday." Jack was shaking his head, "You know he dated Dana his first wife for four years? He never was like this with her." Jack smiled at the doctor, "I hope that means it won't end up like that one did."

Red nodded his head,"Yea, I hope so too. He was a mess after that bitch got through with him. One thing's for sure Jack." Jack looked at the doctor, "Angie is nothing like Dana was ... Thank God."

Jack chuckled quietly, "Yea, you can say that again." With that Jack and Red started walking back into the Café to join their friends talking as they went. "Red what brings you and Maria out this way? Usually the only time I run in to you is in Presidio."

"Doc Eller twisted the arm of one of the drug companies and got me a bunch of samples for the clinic." Red explained, "Then when Doc told me that Scott was getting married we decided to stick around for the big event. I called Eduardo and told him we'd be back in a week or so and here we are. I don't have a clue where we are going to stay. Guess I better go get Maria and Tina and see about a motel room."

Red had just finished getting those last words out of his mouth when Angie spoke up, "Oh no you don't, Ralph! Maria, Tina and you will be staying with us at the ranch. I can't let my flower girl stay in any old motel." Angie was holding little Tina in her arms, the girls face was absolutely glowing. "We decided that before you went outside. You really ought to pay better attention there Ralph." Angie winked at him as he cringed at her use of his first name.

Everyone in the Café had broken out laughing when Angie had used Red's first name. After his initial cringe at hearing his first name used he looked to Maria to see what she thought. Maria simply raised her eye brow and smiled, "Tina is very taken with her new Aunt Angie. So unless you want to upset her you're stuck."

Maria's smile was disarming; Red turned to Angie and said, "We'd love to be your guests."

When Stan and Silvia showed up at the Café even more fun broke out. Scott got with Stan since both he and Angie had vehicles in town. Stan made a couple of quick calls and two of his Ag students showed up. Scott handed them the keys to his pickup and Angie's Jeep and told them to meet back at the Café.

When the boys got back Scott asked them if they had eaten. When they told him they hadn't he set them down and told Sam to get them what they wanted and ordered a cheeseburger for himself. That was followed by the rest of the gang putting in their orders. Angie gave Sam a hand delivering the orders and finally a dent was put in the noise level as everyone settled in to eat.

After everyone had finished eating Scott wanted to get back to the ranch. Getting everyone pointed in the right direction was a lot like herding cats. Finally he looked over at Angie, pushed his hat up so that it sat on the back part of his head and said, "The horses and I will be waiting."

Angie and Sam couldn't help but laugh as he walked out the door shaking his head. Angie went over to Red who was engaged in a very animated conversation that involved a plethora of hand gestures. Just as she walked up, Red's left hand came directly at her in a sweeping motion. She caught the hand and arm before it hit her, "You sure are dangerous when you talk Ralph," Angie was reduced to a fit of giggles as the good doctor's face blushed crimson. "You're face is red, Red." She said between giggles.

After several attempts to speak had failed Red looked to Maria for help, "Would you like to go now before you make a bigger fool of yourself?" Maria said with a laugh.

Red simply nodded his head, which had the effect of reducing the entire group to laughter. As everyone was getting ready to go little Tina turned to her mother, "Mama may I go with Aunt Angie?"

Maria smiled and nodded her head. Tina ran to Angie and grabbed her hand. The two of them walked out to join Scott in the truck.

Shortly after that it looked like a small parade as the group drove out to the ranch. Scott gave the two boys who had driven his and Angie's vehicles out a few dollars and they left to find Stan so they would have a ride back to town. Scott put the two new horses in a pen by themselves to make sure there was no fighting for position in the pecking order. He then unloaded the few items that Angie had put in the small refrigerator in the trailer and took them into the summer kitchen. By the time he got in the house Angie had everyone settled in a room for the night.

Later as they lay in bed Angie asked, "Did Jack tell you about the papers he found in the envelope we got out of the safe at the ranch?"

Scott gave Angie a kiss, "No sweetie he didn't, were they important?"

"Apparently Sue was trying to lease out the ranch to an oil company behind Dad's back. Some man called Dad and was asking about it. That's when Dad got tipped off." Angie began to sob, "Why Scott? Why did she have to kill him? He gave her anything and everything she ever wanted. Why? I just don't understand."

"It's greed, pure and simple," Scott sighed, "I told you that I had been married before. Dana and I had dated from the time her dad was transferred here with the railroad. We got out of high school and went to college. My Mom and Dad really didn't like her but I didn't see what they saw. We got married and she changed, always wanting things: jewellery, new cars, everything had to be the very best. She started making plans for the time when the ranch would be ours. When I came home one day and found the maps and letters where she was going to break up the ranch and sell it off for hunting leases I almost lost it. I told her I would never break up the ranch. She said as soon as it was in my name it was half hers and there wouldn't be a damn thing I could do. I filed for divorce the next day. She thought I had a lot of money squirreled away. She got so mad and threw such a fit that the judge ended up fining her more than what she got from her half of what I had. I guess the thing that hurt the most was that she never really loved me. I was just a means to an end for her. All I was was an asset she could liquidate."

Angie looked into Scott's eyes, her hand reached up to touch his face, "That's why you were trying to ignore me that night at the restaurant."

Scott smiled at Angie, "Yea. That and I couldn't believe someone as young and beautiful as you would really want anything to do with me. There was something in your eyes though. All week long every time I thought about that Friday night I knew that I had let something slip away. That's why I was on my way back to Lubbock. I had to find you; I had to find out if you were the one."

Angie looked at Scott, the look was one of pure love, "I knew Scott, I knew the second I saw you that you were the one for me. I wasn't going to give up, I couldn't.

Over the next few days things were more or less normal around the ranch. Red took off and made a trip across the river giving medical attention to any that needed it. Maria and Tina stayed at the ranch with Angie, and she was amazed to learn about Maria.

Maria looked nothing like the stereotypical Mexican woman. Instead of Indian features that dominate the Mexican population Maria had reddish blonde hair and blue eyes. She had passed these features on to Tina. Angie was surprised to learn that Tina was not Red's daughter. Maria had been married to a young man who had left to work in the oil fields of West Texas, where he had been killed in an accident. When Angie listened to the story of Maria's life she was amazed at how she was able to always be upbeat and look for the bright side of every dark cloud that came her way. Tina was just like her mom, she was also a sponge for information. At four she could already read and like her mother she was multilingual. Maria and Tina spent much of their days at the ranch exploring the Miles family library and reading from its many volumes.

Life on the ranch, though, knows no rest and the thunderstorms that rolled through on Wednesday meant that Scott and Angie would be very busy repairing the many water gaps on the ranch. Thursday morning Scott had the mules hitched to the wagon and the wagon full of t-posts and wire, both net and barbed. The first gap they came to was the one on the spring fed creek of the house pasture. Water gaps are made where a fence crosses a creek or, as is most often as the case is in West Texas, a draw or gully that is bone dry ninety nine percent of the time. The gaps are made so that in a best case the water is allowed to run through the fence but if trees, brush or, as sometimes happens, sheep and goats get washed into and tangled up with the fence to the point that it forms a dam, only the gap gets washed out rather than pulling down the surrounding fences. As is often the case in west Texas the day after heavy rains like the ones Wednesday, this day would be sunny, very sunny. Actually it was damn hot. Down in those creek beds and gullies where the wind couldn't be felt with ninety plus temperature and the left over humidity from previous day's rain it was in a word, miserable. By noon Scott and Angie had checked and repaired six water gaps, the last one had had a small Hackberry tree take out the entire gap and had to be completely rebuilt. Dripping with sweat Scott looked at Angie and said, "Have I told you that I love you today?"