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Angie, Audie’s bride of four years, was a cheerful woman-child with less street smarts than most kindergarteners. What she saw in Audie was anyone’s guess. The baby was small and sad-eyed, but as far as Beth could tell, little Anton was healthy. Angie had picked out the decidedly non-Texan name. She liked having three As in the family.
Angie and Anton remained in the car, so that meant this visit was business and not pleasure. Beth’s stomach knotted. She had called her brother to check on him only this morning and gotten his answering machine.
When she made no effort to approach the parked car, Audie ambled in her direction. “Hey, sis.” When he smiled, the usual sly calculation in his gaze was missing. He appeared clear-eyed and sober. “Looks like the house is okay.”
She raised her eyebrows, incredulous. “An entire section is gone.”
He shrugged. “Still standing. Our apartment is toast. Thought we might stay with you for a while.”
“Audie....” She struggled for words. Bringing in a homeless stranger would be an easier task than dealing with her sibling’s personality.
“C’mon,” he said, slinging an arm around her shoulder. “We’re family. You wouldn’t let a baby sleep on the streets, would you?”
Feeling boxed in and frustrated, Beth evaded his grasp. “There are shelters set up in town.”
“Those are for people who don’t have relatives to help out. I got you, babe.” His snickered reference to an old song didn’t amuse Beth in the least.
“I’ll have to get repairs done. Construction debris is no place for a child.”
“We can stay out in the shed. It has electricity and a sink. And a utility shower.”
It was clear that Audie had made up his mind. Beth knew from experience he would continue to harangue her until she gave in. Perhaps she shouldn’t stay in Royal at all. Sometimes the temptation to move far away and make a new start was compelling. This setback in her fledgling farm endeavor might be a sign.
But in the same instant, she thought of Drew. And of her friends and neighbors in Royal who faced a long road ahead. This corner of Texas was all Beth had ever known. Though her memories of growing up weren’t entirely positive, Royal was home. Audie would always be her brother, no matter how hard she tried to tell herself they were nothing alike. They shared DNA and a difficult past.
Audie had made different choices in life than Beth had. Poor choices in many instances. She felt no real compunction about letting him bear the consequences of his actions. But she couldn’t turn her back on an innocent child and a waiflike woman with no common sense at all.
“Fine,” she said. “Have it your way. You can stay. But you’ll have to bring in some kind of camp stove and a mini fridge.”
“Why didn’t you take care of that?” he asked.
“I’m not staying here,” she said evenly. “Drew Farrell has invited me to Willowbrook Farms for as long as it takes me to get the repairs done.”
Audie frowned. Apparently he had assumed Beth would be responsible for everything. “Well, that’s convenient. Seems like you always have men hanging around to look after you.”
The implication in his voice and in his words made her furious, but she wouldn’t let him see that he could get to her. Keeping her expression bland, she lifted an eyebrow. “Audie...”
“Yeah?”
“For once in your life, try to think of someone other than yourself. If this turns out to be too uncomfortable for Angie and Anton, please be a man and find a solution.”
“Easy for you to say.”
She refused to let him make her feel guilty. “I’m leaving now.” She headed toward the green Pinto to greet her nephew and sister-in-law. But before she got there, a familiar dark truck turned off the highway and approached the house. Well, this day just keeps getting better and better. Grim-faced, she watched Drew Farrell park and get out of his vehicle.
He lifted a hand as he approached. “Has Allen already come and gone?”
She nodded. “I’m surprised you didn’t pass him. It hasn’t been that long.”
Drew stopped short, seeing Audie and the car. He held out a hand. “I’m Drew Farrell. Don’t believe I know you.”
Audie wiped his palm on his jeans before returning the gesture and shaking Drew’s hand. “I’m Audie Andrews, Beth’s brother.”
Beth knew Drew well enough by now to see that he was surprised. But he hid it well. “I suppose you’re checking up on your sister.”
Audie seemed nonplussed, possibly because the notion of worrying about anyone other than himself was foreign to him. “Um...yeah.”
“Did she tell you what happened?”
“You mean the tornado?”
Drew smothered a smile, exchanging a quick look with Beth. “Not just that. Obviously the farm took a direct hit. But we were trapped in the storm cellar overnight. The car pinned us inside.” The vehicle in question still sat in a forlorn heap. Beth wondered if it was worth anything as scrap metal.
Audie’s eyes shifted from Drew to Beth. “You two must be kinda close.”
“We’re neighbors.” Drew’s wry smile dared Beth to disagree. “I had come over to discuss a few things with Beth when the sirens went off.”
“And now she’s staying at your house.”
It was hard to miss the insinuation. Beth’s cheeks burned with humiliation. There were about a thousand places she would rather be right now than in the midst of this awkward confrontation.
Drew ignored the provocative statement and returned his attention to Beth. “What did Allen have to say?”
“He hopes to have his report to me by tomorrow morning. The foundation is sound. He says the other stuff won’t be as bad as it looks to repair.”
“That’s great.”
“It is.”
Surely Drew was confused about her lack of enthusiasm, but she was barely holding it together. Her nerves were shot. Dealing with Audie always had that effect on her. She grimaced as she faced her brother. “I have to go now. Make yourself at home.”
Drew gaped. “They’re staying here?”
Audie cocked his head toward the car. “I’m between jobs at the moment. Our place in town was trashed by the storm. But we were only rentin’ anyway, and it’s the end of the month. Beth is going to let us bunk down out in the shed. It’s in pretty good shape. We’ll be fine.”
Beth noticed he didn’t bother to mention that he’d been fired from his last two places of employment for showing up drunk.
Drew seemed baffled. This unfortunate intersection of the haves and the have-nots illustrated more than anything else the gulf between Beth’s world and the Farrell empire.
She interceded, hoping to end the regrettable interlude. “I have to go, Audie. Drew and I are volunteering in town this afternoon.”
Excusing herself, she went to say hello to Angie and Anton and then returned quickly to Drew’s side. “Shall I follow you?” she asked.
Drew’s gaze went from Beth to Audie and back again. “We can change our plan,” he said, his expression troubled.
“It’s not necessary. I want to go into town and do something useful.”
A long silence stretched to thirty seconds. Maybe more. For once, Audie kept his mouth shut. Finally, Drew’s shoulders lifted and fell. “Okay, then. We’ll stop by the ranch to grab a bite to eat and drop off the clunker. Then we’ll go.”
Perhaps it escaped Drew’s notice that his version of a clunker was several notches above Audie’s car.
Beth wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, wishing she had thought to bring water. “Goodbye, Audie.”
He nodded. “Thanks for letting us stay.”
Beth took Drew’s arm. “Let’s go.”
When they were out of earshot, he opened her door and muttered beneath his breath. “Are you sure we don’t need to do something for them? They’re your family.”
She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath, settling her hands on the steering wheel. “Audie always lands on his feet. He’s the perfect example of give him an inch and he’ll take a mile. Don’t worry about them. They’ll be fine. I swear.”
Turning the key in the ignition, she made her wishes clear. “It’s getting late.”
To her dismay, Drew stood at her window for several long seconds. He must think she was a heartless bitch. But for the life of her, she didn’t have the energy to explain why Audie was a barnacle on the ship that was her life.
The truth was, he was worse than a barnacle. Barnacles didn’t actually do any damage. But Audie wreaked havoc in his wake. Even sober, he was an opportunist and a liar.
Without another word, she raised her window, turned on the air conditioning and spun gravel as she shot down the drive and onto the road. Her eyes burned with tears. She swallowed hard, blinking them away. She refused to let Drew see how much her brother upset her.
Drew couldn’t possibly understand what it was like to crawl out of a dismal past and reach for something cleaner, something better. Was that a crime?
The thought of Audie staying at Green Acres outraged her, despite the fact that the house was ripped apart and vulnerable. She knew there was a good chance that before she managed to eventually evict him, he would steal anything worth pawning. It had happened before...far too often.
Angie would never know. She was so clueless, it never occurred to her to ask where Audie got the money he spent so recklessly. And Beth wouldn’t say a word. Because she had been Anton once upon a time. A helpless child at the mercy of a parent too selfish and irresponsible to make sure she was safe.
The only way to cope at the moment was to compartmentalize. This afternoon, she and Drew were going to offer assistance where they could. In the midst of tragedy they would extend a helping hand. If Drew wanted to talk about Audie, Beth would deflect the conversation.
Seven (#ubd761d02-7e5e-5a2a-a1a0-d8accbb20aca)
Drew followed Beth back to Willowbrook, wondering what in the hell was going on. Beth had never mentioned Audie, but now that Drew thought about it, she had alluded to her family not being close. Maybe her brother was the only family she had. Clearly, the two of them didn’t get along.
Was she embarrassed for Drew to meet Audie? Maybe she thought Drew was the kind of man to pass judgment on others. He knew full well that he was a very fortunate guy. He’d been born into a loving family, one with considerable financial assets. Though his parents had retired early and moved to Padre Island, all of the Farrells were a close-knit group, even the cousins and aunts and uncles.
As he parked and got out of his truck, Beth was already hurrying up the front steps. By the time he reached the kitchen, he found her talking to the housekeeper, who was quickly setting out lunch.
Suddenly starved, Drew sat down and dug into a thick corned beef sandwich. The afternoon would be more about physical labor than the morning had been. Breakfast was a long time ago. Beth seemed equally hungry, but she barely glanced at him as she ate.
She finished before he did and gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Blotting her mouth with a napkin, she stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I want to freshen up for a moment before I leave. I’ll see you back here tonight.”
He caught her wrist. “It doesn’t make sense for both of us to drive. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
Not a muscle in her body moved. She stared away from him. Beneath his thumb, her pulse was rapid. “Fine. If you’re sure.”
Releasing her reluctantly, he nodded. “I’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.”
She disappeared, leaving him to ponder the odds that she would actually wait for him. Maybe she was upset about dealing with her brother. Families could be complicated. Most likely, Audie’s unemployment made things worse.
When Drew stepped out onto the front porch two minutes ahead of his deadline, Beth was perched on the top step. Despite the heat, she was wearing faded jeans that would protect her legs. A yellow cotton sunhat perched on top of her head. Her long, blond curls were tucked up in a jaunty ponytail. She smelled of sunscreen.
He touched her shoulder briefly. “Let’s go. Where would you like me to drop you?”
Beth shot him a sideways glance as they climbed into the overly-warm cab of the truck. “I’d like to check on Megan at the animal shelter.”
Drew cranked up the A/C, wondering if Mother Nature realized that it was October. The temperature was supposed to be winding down. “Are the two of you friends?”
“Recent friends.” Beth’s gaze was pensive as she stared through the windshield. “When I first moved to the farm, it felt lonely at night. Megan helped me adopt a sweet puppy. His name was Gus. Half cocker spaniel, the other half pure mischief. I built a fenced-in enclosure, but he got out one day. One of my customers ran over him.”
Without thinking about it, Drew reached across the small space that separated them and touched her hand. “That sucks. I’m really sorry.”
She didn’t look at him, and she moved her hand. “I felt so guilty.”
“You shouldn’t. That’s what puppies do. They get loose. And run out into the road. Sometimes it doesn’t end well. Did you ever think about getting a second dog?”
“For about two seconds. Love can’t be transferred automatically, you know. I loved Gus. But maybe I don’t need a pet. I’m having a hard enough time taking care of myself.”
She said it matter-of-factly, and now Drew was the one who felt guilty. Here was a woman who had battled long odds to pursue a dream. But he’d overlooked her hard work and dismissed her modest success in his single-minded determination to safeguard his horses and his business.
From Beth’s perspective, he must have seemed like an arrogant jerk. He chewed on that unpalatable bone until they pulled up in front of Royal Safe Haven. The animal shelter was located near the hospital in an industrial area of town.
Beth scanned the premises. “It looks like they’ve been spared.”
“It’s hard to believe, because the hospital lost an entire wing. But it was the oldest section, so maybe it wasn’t up to modern codes.”
The grounds of the shelter were covered in tree limbs and foliage and debris carried in from parts unknown. But the single story brick structure appeared solid.
Megan McGuiness, the owner, greeted them with a harried expression. “Thank God. I hope at least one of you is here to lend a hand. People have been dropping off strays all morning.” The green-eyed, curvy woman was pale beneath her sprinkling of freckles. Her straight, bright red hair framed her face in tangles.
Beth hugged her, despite the assortment of stains on the other woman’s clothing. “Drew is committed to a work detail in town. But I can stay for a while.”
“Bless you.” Megan arched her back and winced. “The animals went nuts. Clearly there was no way to get them all in a storm shelter. I’m grateful we escaped the worst of it.”
Beth turned to Drew. “I still want to see the damage in the rest of Royal. And help if I can. But I’d like to stay here with Megan for a couple of hours. Would you mind coming back to get me?”
“Of course not.” He focused his attention on Megan. “Is there anything you need in terms of supplies? Anything I could round up in town?”
“Some tarps would be great, but I have a feeling those are going to be scarce as hen’s teeth. Still, I’ll take what you can get. And a roll of twine.”
He grinned. “Beth can text me if you think of anything else.”
Megan’s smile turned sly. “What I really need is adoptive homes. How would you feel about taking a couple of cats, Drew?”
He grimaced. “I’m allergic to cats.”
“They’re barn cats. You have a barn. It’s a match made in heaven.”
Beth held up her hands when Drew blanched. “Don’t look at me,” she said. “My house is barely standing. It’s no place for an animal right now.”
Drew gave in with good grace. He and Megan had gone out once about a hundred years ago, so he cared about her...though more as a sister. “Fine. Two cats. No more. I’ll send one of my guys to pick them up this afternoon if I can find anyone who’s not working cleanup.”
