game. I’ll beat you fair and square.”
“Can’t beat me.” Dalton was laughing like his old self. “I can knock the tail off a swallow with my eyes closed.”
“Show me, man.”
While the two men headed down the bar, James felt something in his stomach tighten. He didn’t like Todd, and not just because he was a lousy cowboy. Todd had worked for him years before, and he’d been there the day Jake had disappeared. James had ridden off to rope the steer, leaving Jake to sit on a big rock. Todd and a few others had been riding drag—picking up defectors who’d stop to graze on the sweet grass around Jake’s rock—and James had trusted them to watch his son.
“What are you doing, Louisa?” James asked now.
“Doing?” Louisa’s eyes widened.
James stared down at her. It wasn’t her fault her nephew hadn’t seen where Jake had gone. It was James’s fault. He hadn’t asked the men to help; they hadn’t known they were supposed to. Half a minute. That was all it had taken for Jake Tucker to disappear from the face of the earth. It wasn’t Todd Rydell’s fault, but James hated him anyway. He hated himself worse, but that was beside the point.
“Yeah, doing. What’re you thinking, bringing my father here?”
“Well, I’m thinking of showing him a good time,” Louisa said. “If that’s okay with you.”
“He’s sick, Louisa.”
“A little confused, that’s all.”
“He’s got Alzheimer’s disease,” James said. “The doctor told us both.”
“So what?” Louisa asked, her golden eyes flashing.
“He gets confused. He’s embarrassed when people come up to him and he can’t remember their names. It’s loud in here, and the doctor said he does better with quiet. I feel sorry for him, watching him—”
“I don’t feel sorry for Dalton Tucker,” Louisa snapped. “I feel sorry for this
disease
. I don’t think Alzheimer’s disease has ever come up against anyone like Dalton Tucker. And another thing, young man—”
“Whoa,” James said, stepping back.
Louisa stepped forward, tilting her head back so she could stare into his eyes. She grabbed him under the chin, shook it hard.
“You ought to take a lesson from your father. You hear me? He’s not giving up. He knows what’s happening to him—you think he doesn’t? You think it doesn’t break him up every time he calls me by your mother’s name? But he’s full of life, and he’s not quitting until he’s taken his last breath and I lay him in the ground. That’s something you should try.”
“What I should try—”
“Damn right. You’re a walking zombie. It’s a holy miracle you don’t fall off your horse, riding herd. Hit your head, bleed to death out in the canyon. You lost your son, we all lost him.” Louisa was tearing up, drying her eyes with both index fingers to keep her mascara from running. “But you act like you were the only one. You chased Daisy and that baby girl away.”
“Leave them out of this,” James said.
“Don’t you tell me who to leave out of anything. I’ve got love in my heart, James Tucker, but you wouldn’t know that if it bit you on the ass. You don’t give anyone the time of day—it’s you and your boy’s ghost. That’s about it. Even your father—you act so high-and-mighty concerned about him, but you’ve been pushing him away for thirteen years, just like everyone else.”
“You done?” James handed her a handkerchief.
Nodding, she blew her nose noisily. Together, they watched Dalton draw the dart back even with his ear, throw a perfect bull’s-eye. The young men standing around went wild, and Dalton bought a round for the whole bar. Todd glanced over at Louisa, then at James. James held his gaze hard, trying not to show his dislike.
“Look at him,” Louisa said.
“Your nephew?”
“Your father!”
“He’s still got it,” James said.
“Mean as a cougar with the eye of an eagle,” Louisa said.
“Dead aim,” James said. “I remember seeing
“Can’t beat me.” Dalton was laughing like his old self. “I can knock the tail off a swallow with my eyes closed.”
“Show me, man.”
While the two men headed down the bar, James felt something in his stomach tighten. He didn’t like Todd, and not just because he was a lousy cowboy. Todd had worked for him years before, and he’d been there the day Jake had disappeared. James had ridden off to rope the steer, leaving Jake to sit on a big rock. Todd and a few others had been riding drag—picking up defectors who’d stop to graze on the sweet grass around Jake’s rock—and James had trusted them to watch his son.
“What are you doing, Louisa?” James asked now.
“Doing?” Louisa’s eyes widened.
James stared down at her. It wasn’t her fault her nephew hadn’t seen where Jake had gone. It was James’s fault. He hadn’t asked the men to help; they hadn’t known they were supposed to. Half a minute. That was all it had taken for Jake Tucker to disappear from the face of the earth. It wasn’t Todd Rydell’s fault, but James hated him anyway. He hated himself worse, but that was beside the point.
“Yeah, doing. What’re you thinking, bringing my father here?”
“Well, I’m thinking of showing him a good time,” Louisa said. “If that’s okay with you.”
“He’s sick, Louisa.”
“A little confused, that’s all.”
“He’s got Alzheimer’s disease,” James said. “The doctor told us both.”
“So what?” Louisa asked, her golden eyes flashing.
“He gets confused. He’s embarrassed when people come up to him and he can’t remember their names. It’s loud in here, and the doctor said he does better with quiet. I feel sorry for him, watching him—”
“I don’t feel sorry for Dalton Tucker,” Louisa snapped. “I feel sorry for this
disease
. I don’t think Alzheimer’s disease has ever come up against anyone like Dalton Tucker. And another thing, young man—”
“Whoa,” James said, stepping back.
Louisa stepped forward, tilting her head back so she could stare into his eyes. She grabbed him under the chin, shook it hard.
“You ought to take a lesson from your father. You hear me? He’s not giving up. He knows what’s happening to him—you think he doesn’t? You think it doesn’t break him up every time he calls me by your mother’s name? But he’s full of life, and he’s not quitting until he’s taken his last breath and I lay him in the ground. That’s something you should try.”
“What I should try—”
“Damn right. You’re a walking zombie. It’s a holy miracle you don’t fall off your horse, riding herd. Hit your head, bleed to death out in the canyon. You lost your son, we all lost him.” Louisa was tearing up, drying her eyes with both index fingers to keep her mascara from running. “But you act like you were the only one. You chased Daisy and that baby girl away.”
“Leave them out of this,” James said.
“Don’t you tell me who to leave out of anything. I’ve got love in my heart, James Tucker, but you wouldn’t know that if it bit you on the ass. You don’t give anyone the time of day—it’s you and your boy’s ghost. That’s about it. Even your father—you act so high-and-mighty concerned about him, but you’ve been pushing him away for thirteen years, just like everyone else.”
“You done?” James handed her a handkerchief.
Nodding, she blew her nose noisily. Together, they watched Dalton draw the dart back even with his ear, throw a perfect bull’s-eye. The young men standing around went wild, and Dalton bought a round for the whole bar. Todd glanced over at Louisa, then at James. James held his gaze hard, trying not to show his dislike.
“Look at him,” Louisa said.
“Your nephew?”
“Your father!”
“He’s still got it,” James said.
“Mean as a cougar with the eye of an eagle,” Louisa said.
“Dead aim,” James said. “I remember seeing
Similar Books
