Texas Ranger Showdown

When Caitlyn finished talking with her grandmother, she shook her head. “I’ve changed my mind about staying with Granny. She wants me to and said if I didn’t, then she was going to come to my town house. With all that’s going on, I think we’d be safer next door to you. Did you say anything about me staying at her place?”

“No, I only mentioned it to you earlier.” The sight of her reinforced all the reasons he needed to find the killer. As a child, he’d been her protector, and he would be now. The guy had involved Caitlyn. Why? He didn’t like any of his answers. “I figured I could talk you into it.” He smiled at her.

Her eyebrows shot up. “You did? You’re awfully sure of your powers of persuasion.”

“Well, if that didn’t work, then I was going to let Granny know about that time you broke her favorite lamp.”

She shot him a glare. “Traitor! It was an accident. I knew how much she loved that lamp. Gramps gave it to her that year for her birthday. You know, I have a few incidents that I could blackmail you over.”

He chuckled. “Yep, and that’s the reason I haven’t said a word.”

“Smart man.”

As he turned into the main gate at the family ranch, he slowed the car. After he’d moved back to Longhorn this past weekend, he’d come out to see Sean, but the housekeeper had told him his brother was gone. Today when she’d called, she admitted that Sean had insisted she say that or he would fire her. Alice had been with the family twenty-five years. For Sean to resort to threatening her didn’t bode well for this meeting.

They hadn’t openly fought, but they had drifted apart with the state of Texas between them. Sean and he were only two years apart but, in many ways, they were strangers, even as they grew up, and especially after their mother died.

Ian parked in front of the large two-story, white brick house with four white columns and switched off the engine. But for a long moment, he just sat there, gripping the steering wheel and trying to decide how to deal with his older brother—if he even saw him.

“Worried?” Caitlyn asked.

“Yes. We once had a good relationship, but over the years it’s deteriorated.” He explained what happened when he came to see Sean the past Sunday. “We’ve talked on the phone a couple of times, but when I make the call, it always goes to voice mail.”

“Has it been that way since you left?”

He shook his head. “Mostly since Dad’s passing last year.”

“He could still be grieving.”

“I thought about that, but I think it’s something else. That’s why I’d like you here. If I suggested he see you, he wouldn’t. He’s like Dad was. He won’t admit when he’s not doing well—physically or emotionally.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Caitlyn scanned the pastures and buildings. “It looks like he’s keeping the ranch up.”

“Yes, because the foreman we’ve had for years does a great job. I didn’t have a chance to talk with him on Sunday, but I will soon. He’s probably gone for the day. I don’t see his truck by the barn.” He rarely avoided an issue that needed to be dealt with, and he couldn’t avoid Sean any longer. “Let’s go.”

Before Ian and Caitlyn reached the front door, it opened. Alice, petite with sal-and-pepper hair pulled into a bun, waited in the entrance. A frown carved deep lines into her face.

“Sean’s in his room. I heard a crash followed by sounds like stuff being smashed against the wall and floor. When he didn’t answer my knock, I tried my master key. He must have a new lock. I couldn’t get in. I’m afraid he’s hurt.”

As Ian headed for the staircase, he asked, “How long has he been in his room today?”

“I heard him come home midmorning. I was in the kitchen and didn’t know until I heard a crash from the foyer. He knocked over a table by the staircase.” Alice gestured toward an empty place along the wall. “A leg broke as well as the lamp and the bowl on it.”

Drunk, no doubt, since he’d been drinking yesterday. “Did you see him then?”

“No, but I heard his door slam shut when I came into the front hall.”

On the stairs, Ian pivoted toward the older woman. He didn’t want Sean to blame Alice for him being here. He didn’t know what to expect from his older brother anymore. “We’ll handle this.” As they ascended the steps, he grabbed Caitlyn’s hand. “I won’t take no for an answer. I want you to stay in the hall. If my brother attacks me, call the sheriff.” He passed her his cell phone. “Use my recent-calls list.”

Ian approached the door and knocked. “Sean, it’s Ian. Let me in.”

After a full minute, he repeated his request, waited twenty seconds, then put all his power behind a kick right under the lock. Nothing happened. He did it again. On the third attempt, the door flew open.

As he moved into the trashed room, Caitlyn sidestepped until she could look inside, but she didn’t go in.

It appeared as though no one was in the bedroom. Ian’s heart thumped against his chest, adrenaline pulsing through his body as he scanned the chaos of items smashed into shards on the carpet, all the objects on the tables and dresser swept onto it too. One nightstand had toppled over.

When Ian rounded the king-size bed, he found his brother on the floor, lying on tousled sheets, blood staining the white linen.

THREE

When Ian stiffened next to Sean’s rumpled bed, Caitlyn came to the entrance with the phone in her hand. “What’s wrong?”

“Call 9-1-1.” Ian knelt beside the far side of the bed.

As she punched in the numbers, she hurried into the room. “What happened?”

Ian reached down to check Sean’s pulse and breathing. “He’s unconscious and has a head wound.”

Caitlyn reported the emergency, then returned Ian’s phone. “It looks like someone tore this place apart. Do you think he interrupted a robber?”

Ian carefully rolled Sean onto his back, then glanced around. “Check the window to see if it’s unlocked.”

Caitlyn inspected the locks, then turned back to Ian. “Unless he let them into the room somehow, no one got in here by the window.”

He hovered over his brother, removing a sheet tangled around Sean’s feet. “Maybe he got up, tripped on something and, when he went down, he hit his head against the corner of the nightstand.” He examined the piece of furniture. “There’s blood on it.” When he shifted his attention to Sean again, he leaned down and sniffed the air. “He reeks of alcohol.”

“I’ve never seen him drinking liquor.”

“He hasn’t since he crashed his car into a tree when he was a teenager. He broke an arm and a leg. This is new, or he’s kept it a secret.”

Caitlyn covered the short distance to the trash can and picked up a bottle of whiskey. “Is this what he’s been doing up here in his room?”

“Probably, but last night he left the house and came home this morning. I’d say he was drunk then, since Alice said he knocked over the table in the foyer.”

Sean groaned and tried to curl onto his side.

Ian stopped him. “Sean?”

His brother moaned, resisting Ian’s attempt to keep him faceup. “What in the—” He struck out at Ian.

“Sean, it’s me. Ian.”

Sean blinked his eyes open. “Leave me alone.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

Sean’s gaze fixed on Caitlyn. “What’s she doing here?”

“I’m here to help,” she answered.

“I’m fine.”

Caitlyn moved closer, half expecting him to leap to his feet and demand she leave, but she would stay if Ian needed her. He’d been there for her earlier. She would be there for him now. “I’m not leaving until the paramedics check you out. You have a nasty bump on your left temple, and it’s still bleeding.”

Sean tried to lift himself up on his elbow, but instead, he closed his eyes and fell back, wincing. “Leave me alone. I don’t need any help.”

“Well, you’re going to get it whether you need it or not.” Ian rose. “I’ll get something to stem the blood flow.”

Caitlyn squatted down where Ian had been. “You may have a concussion. If so, you need to have it looked at. Are you dizzy?”

“No,” Sean said, his eyes still shut.

“Does your head hurt?” Blood oozed from a gash on his temple, and she leaned closer to examine the injury.

“No. I. Am. Fine.” Sean’s dark eyes popped open, his pupils enlarged. “Leave. Now.”

The anger she glimpsed in his eyes wasn’t directed at her but at Ian, who had returned and was standing behind her. With gauze in hand, he knelt again beside his brother.

“We aren’t leaving.” His jaw set in a firm line, Ian hovered over his brother and stared at him, a silent battle of wills playing out. “I’m going to wrap your head to stop the bleeding. You aren’t running me off like before. This is my home too, you know.”

Sean glared at Ian but let him tend to his cut.

The chimes of the doorbell echoed through the house.

“I’m not going to the hospital.” Sean narrowed his eyes on Ian. “You know how I feel about hospitals.”

“You lost consciousness. That’s serious.” Caitlyn rose to make room for the paramedics she heard coming down the hall.

“I passed out from drinking. Not the same thing.” Sean gripped the wooden bed frame and started to hoist himself up.

Ian grasped Sean’s arm to aid him.

“Get out. Paramedics can patch me up.” Pain mingled with Sean’s anger, causing the creases on his face to deepen.

When Alice escorted the two EMTs into the bedroom, Caitlyn stepped back and moved toward her by the doorway.

The housekeeper shook her head. “I don’t understand what’s been going on for the past few months.”

Caitlyn drew Alice into the hallway. “What do you mean?”

“I was around when Sean had his car wreck. I never thought I would see him drink again or have this kind of anger. It’s like he’s changed places with another person.”

Caitlyn had seen signs that Sean was struggling with something but not to this extreme. She’d thought it had been grief over his father dying. Caitlyn had tried to talk to him about Andrew’s death. He’d refused, and after that, Sean had avoided her. He stopped going both to church and to the Longhorn Cattlemen’s Association meetings and functions, two groups he’d been very involved in.

Ian joined them in the hall. “Knowing Sean and his aversion to hospitals, I doubt the paramedics will get him to agree to go.”

“I think we should stay awhile and see how he does. I’ll call Granny and Emma to let them know what’s going on.”

Relief settled over Alice’s face. “I doubt you two have eaten dinner yet. I can fix you some food. It’ll give me something to do besides worrying.”

One of the EMTs came out into the corridor. “He insists he’s gonna stay here, and he wants us to leave. We can’t force him to go to the hospital. We dressed the cut on his temple. His head hurts, but he says his vision is clear and he isn’t dizzy. If he has symptoms like nausea, blurred vision, trouble with his balance or he’s bothered by light or noise, he needs to see a doctor. He should get a few stitches as soon as possible. The laceration’s likely to leave a scar.”

“Thanks,” Ian said as the other paramedic exited the room.

“I’ll walk you to the door.” Caitlyn started down the hall with the two EMTs, praying that Ian could talk some sense into his brother. There was a time they’d been close. She hated hearing they weren’t now.

After the paramedics departed, Caitlyn dug into her purse where she’d left it, on the round table in the middle of the foyer. She found her cell phone and noticed a call from Granny. She hurriedly returned it.

“I’m sorry, Granny, for not calling earlier, but we came to see Sean and he was injured. The paramedics just left.”

“What happened?”

Caitlyn told her how she and Ian found Sean. “Is Emma there?”

“Yes, we were hoping to talk y’all into eating dinner with us.”

“Let her know about Sean. We’ll stay here for a while. Alice is fixing us something to eat. I’ll give you an update later. Tell Emma that Sean will be all right.”

“Will he?”

“If Ian has anything to say about it, yes.” It was one of the reasons she cared so much for Ian. He didn’t give up on people.

“And that young man is mighty determined. He reminds me of you. Y’all always got along well, like a couple.”

Was Granny trying to get her and Ian together? She was one of the few people who knew what had happened that summer after high school graduation. “Talk to you later, Granny. Bye.”

What would have happened between her and Ian if she hadn’t told that other guy she’d been dating that she just wanted to be friends? She’d seen a future with Ian and hadn’t wanted any distraction as they took their relationship beyond friendship. But the consequences of that final date with Byron had left her shattered.

* * *

When Ian entered Sean’s room after the paramedics left, his brother was curled onto his right side away from the door. Quietly, he rounded the end of the bed to see if Sean was awake. His brother’s eyes were closed. Ian couldn’t tell if he was asleep or just faking it. Ian decided to give Sean space and time to sober up.

Ian walked from the room, leaving the door open. Since the lock was busted, Sean couldn’t barricade himself inside like before. His brother needed to face the problems that had led him to this point, but Sean would never listen to him. Ian hoped he would listen to Caitlyn. What he witnessed earlier was a plea for help, even if his brother wouldn’t admit it.

He was glad that Caitlyn had been here, ready to offer her support. When they were growing up, she’d always been there for him, and that hadn’t changed. He didn’t realize how much he’d missed her. Most of his professional life had been spent solving others’ problems, but he needed help with his brother. But with Sean he couldn’t be objective. He hoped Caitlyn could.

Ian went downstairs and found her with Alice in the kitchen. The table was set for three, and the housekeeper placed a large serving dish of stew on it. “I know you can work wonders, Alice, but there’s no way you had time to whip up this dinner.” He inhaled deeply. “That smells delicious.”

Alice grinned. “It’s Sean’s favorite. I made it earlier. I thought that would get him out of his room. It didn’t, but I’m glad it’s not going to waste.”

“No way. I’ll take some home with me for later this week.” Ian caught Caitlyn’s attention. “Have you had Alice’s stew before?”

“No, but the smell was what drew me to the kitchen.” Caitlyn took a seat at the table across from where Ian stood. “I talked with Granny. She’ll let Emma know that Sean’s okay. How was he when you left?”

“Asleep—I think.” Ian pulled out the chair for Alice and scooted it in after she sat.

The housekeeper’s cheeks reddened. “It’s been a while since a man did that for me.”

“That’s the least I can do. I love Nana, but she doesn’t cook nearly as well as you.”

Alice picked up the bowl, scooped the stew onto her plate, then passed it to Caitlyn. “Ian, are you going to stay at your grandma’s, come here or find your own place?”

He dished out his serving, then set the container in the middle of the table. “I’ve thought about living in the foreman’s house here at the ranch since Bud doesn’t, but first I want to make sure Nana is okay by herself because I don’t think she’ll want to move from her place, especially with Sally next door.”

“Granny and Emma are usually together most of the time at one of their places. They help each other. I’ve heard from both of them that they don’t want to move.”

He would do whatever was best for his grandmother, but he was used to living alone. Over the years, he’d become set in his ways—coming and going whenever he needed to because of his job. Crime happened at all hours of the day, and Nana tended to worry a lot. “Have they ever talked about living together in one place?”

“About once a month. So far neither one is willing to give up her house to move in with the other.” Caitlyn took a bite of the stew. “Mmm! Wonderful, Alice.”

She blushed. “Thanks. It’s always nice to hear that.”

“Sean and I have been a big fan of your cooking since we were teenagers,” Ian said.

Alice stared at her plate for a long moment, then looked at Ian. “Lately he hasn’t been a big fan of anything. Caitlyn, I hope you and Ian can help him.”

“When was the last time he went to the doctor?” Caitlyn clasped her glass and sipped the cold water.

“A couple of years, before Andrew passed away. Sean was breaking in a horse, and the animal won that round. I didn’t think he’d go with the paramedics tonight, especially when Andrew left in an ambulance and never came home.”

“Is that when you began seeing a lot of changes?”

Alice cocked her head. “Yes, he found Andrew in the office collapsed on the floor.” Her forehead crinkled as she paused in thought. “I was going to say he didn’t leave the ranch much after that, but lately he has been. I’d started wondering if he was seeing someone, but this week everything went back to how it was right after Andrew died.”

Had his move back to Longhorn caused Sean to hole himself up at the ranch? “What changed for Sean?”

Alice shrugged a shoulder.

“What kind of behaviors do you see the most, Alice?” Caitlyn asked.

“Depression, losing interest in the ranch and, at times, escalating anger like tonight.”

“I’ll try again to talk with Sean when he isn’t hungover. If I have to, I can come to the ranch to treat him.”

“I hope he’ll open up to you, Caitlyn.” Ian’s gaze connected with hers. She was such a caring person. That was one of the things that drew him to her even as teenagers. He missed being around her. “Sean probably won’t be in any mood to talk tonight. I’ll take you to your grandmother’s. With all that’s happened today, she’ll want to see you.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”

“Yes. I’m going to come back to the ranch and plop myself down in the stuffed chair in Sean’s room. If he wakes up, I’ll know. I’m a light sleeper.”

When Ian finished his stew, he and Caitlyn cleared the table and rinsed the dishes so Alice could go to bed. Then Ian went upstairs to check on Sean. His brother hadn’t moved from his previous position.

As Ian escorted Caitlyn to his SUV, she took his hand as though she could read his mind and the turmoil boiling in it. He felt her support without a word from her. He hadn’t realized how important that was to him—until now. He opened the passenger door for her, then walked around to the driver’s side. He should have come home months ago, but the Texas Ranger position hadn’t opened up until recently.

As he drove away from the ranch, he sliced a glance toward Caitlyn. “Thanks for coming. I’m at a loss on how to help Sean. Any suggestions?”

“He needs to see his doctor and have a physical to rule out any kind of medical problem causing the personality change. And he needs to be in therapy. He’s trying to deal with depression on his own. It’s not uncommon for a depressed person to turn to drugs and alcohol to try and alleviate it. Of course, it only makes the situation worse. If he doesn’t want to talk with me, I can recommend a therapist in Dallas.”

“Any help is appreciated. I hope tomorrow morning Sean and I can have a civil conversation about what happened today.”

“Today has been intense. I hope I make sense on the radio in the morning.”

“Which days do you do your show?”

“Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. They want me to go to five days a week, especially as more stations are being added. I’m getting calls now from all over the States, but I volunteer at Matthew’s Ministries on Tuesday and don’t want to give that up.”

Ian braked at a four-way stop sign. “You could always volunteer on the weekend.”

“True. But I don’t know if I want to take more on. I have patients I need to serve first. They’re my priority. I’m stretching myself as it is, doing four days.”

He pressed the accelerator and crossed the intersection. “Speaking of your patients, is there anyone who could be the caller?”

Caitlyn didn’t answer for a long moment. “I have a few clients that have a lot of issues, but no one has mentioned Jane recently.”

“How about in the past?”

“It’s possible, but I’ll have to search my case notes. I won’t break patient-doctor confidentiality. It’s important that my patients feel what they say to me will stay with me. I’m going to see the Shephards to let them know what you want. I can’t imagine them not agreeing to me talking to you. As I said before, I don’t see anything Jane said to me that would lead to someone murdering her.”

“Thanks. You never know what sets a person off.” Ian parked in Sally’s driveway behind Caitlyn’s Thunderbird. “I hope you’re staying here tonight.”

“I am. Granny wants me to. Emma is staying too.”

“That’s good. Otherwise, I doubt she’d sleep much since I’m going to be at the ranch. And I know I’ll sleep much better knowing she’s with y’all.”

This time as he strolled up to Sally’s house, he took Caitlyn’s hand. He’d liked the earlier physical connection. He remembered as a kid going on a hike in the woods with Caitlyn and, because she feared stepping on a snake, he’d held her hand. That feeling of being her protector made his chest swell, even though he didn’t know at the age of eleven what he would have done if they had encountered a snake.

“What are you smiling about?” she asked when she reached the porch illuminated with a bright light.

“Just thinking about the time we went hiking in Longhorn Woods, and you were afraid you’d see a snake.”

“I’m still scared of snakes—all kinds.”

Before she had a chance to ring the bell, the door opened. “It’s about time you got here. Emma and I are having a hard time staying up.” Sally moved away from the entrance and planted herself next to Nana.

His grandmother’s arms were crossed over her chest and a formidable look on her face plainly showed her concern. “With a murderer running around town, I was getting worried.”

“Nana, we’re fine. We were in the house at the ranch or in my car driving here. Besides, I’m trained to deal with dangerous situations.”

“Is Sean still all right?” His grandma’s intense expression eased.

“He’s sleeping. If something changes for the worse, I’ll let you know. I’ll be staying there tonight.”

Sally yawned. “Well, now that Caitlyn is here, we can go to bed.”

“Yes, y’all go to sleep. I’ll lock up the house.” Caitlyn hugged her grandma and his.

As they shuffled toward the hallway to the bedrooms, Ian waited until they reached their destination before saying, “I’ll walk through the house and make sure everything is locked down tight. There were times at Nana’s that I’d find a door or window unlocked.”

“It’s a shame we even have to lock up at all. Years ago, people didn’t in Longhorn.”

“I know. But it’s the reality now in our society.”

Caitlyn strolled beside him while he went through the house. “You must have seen all the reasons why that’s our reality. Being a therapist is hard, but I can’t imagine what ugliness and evil you’ve encountered in your job.”

As he moved from a door to a window, he thought about his fifteen years in law enforcement. “There have been times I’ve considered walking away, but then something like a case I worked on in December would make me realize I make a difference in people’s lives, like you do with counseling.”

“What happened in December?”

“I was part of a team that saved the lives of a woman and a baby. Also, I helped break up a drug cartel and take some seriously bad men down. That case was a success. I wish all of them were.”

Caitlyn turned toward him, halting his step. “I hope Jane’s murderer can be brought to justice. After my show tomorrow, I’m paying the Shephard family a visit. I worked on Jack’s campaign the last two times. And if there is anything I can do to help with the case, I will.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want you involved. I don’t want the killer to contact you again.”