Page 49 of Jorhee

Dad nodded.

“The stores charge higher prices than in-store for a lot of the stuff, and you have to pay the delivery charge and tip the driver on top of that. I don’t mind the tipping, but someone oughtta do something about them stores price-gouging customers who happen to be paying a service to go shop for ’em. But I don’t think that’s what you called about, is it?”

“No. I’m sorry the press and paparazzi and all are bothering y’all. They’re here too, but hopefully it’ll all die down soon.”

I cleared my throat, feeling nervous.

“I’m calling because I heard what y’all said about you, Dad, being told something Susie supposedly said, and that’s why you said what you did at dinner the day I left.”

His face darkened, and Susie’s lips pressed together in a hard line.

“That sister of yours flat-out lied to me,” Dad said. “She told me Susie had asked her to speak to me because she felt awkward, seein’ as it had to do with her brother.”

“So, none of it was true?”

“No!” Susie exclaimed. “That ranch belongs to your father, and it’s his business what happens with it. I never said a wordabout folks talking about you and not wanting to do business with you, or anything like that! Now, as far as my personal opinion about gays, well, the preachers I’ve heard always said it was a sin but that, like with all sin, we should love the sinner while hating the acts of sin they committed. Only they’re wrong, and the Mylos test proved it with you, and I looked into it since then and found it proved it wrong a whole bunch of times for others too! So I did some interneting stuff with Google and found that not all preachers agree about it being a sin. That it’s cherry-picking verses and mistranslated words. That, in fact, Jesus even blessed a Roman soldier who brought his lover to him to be healed. Maybe that’s right, and maybe it’s another misinterpretation, but I do know one thing—God don’t make mistakes. And he gave the Mylos the ability to find the destined soul mates of his created peoples, so that love cannot be a sin. End of story!”

She crossed her arms, and Dad put his around her shoulders, nodding his agreement.

“So, it’s been Lauren and Ted plotting to take the ranch over?”

“Looks that way, son. This mornin’ I got a call from my lawyer. He got a copy of an order trespassing me from my own damn ranch. It seems she told everyone I gave them the ranch and me and Susie are living in the RV full-time now, travelin’ around. I’ve got to take her to court to prove it ain’t true.”

I sat there, stunned.

“She did what now? Trespassed you?”

“Excuse me,” Bob piped up. “But the ambassador’s office reports they’ve also received one barring Jesse and any agents thereof from stepping foot on the property. It claims harassment.”

“But I haven’t spoken a word to her!”

“All we’ve done is ask for Jesse’s horses to be picked up,” Johree added. “We even offered to buy them from you, as Jesse said they are in your name and not the ranch’s.”

Dad nodded.

“Yes, our personal horses have always been in the name of the ranch owner. I should have put Jesse’s on Meadow’s papers and handed over Socks to him once he turned eighteen. But since the ranch doesn’t own the horses as assets, she can’t refuse my order to have someone come fetch ’em.”

“You should call Letby and have him send someone with a horse trailer who can take them wherever Jesse wants,” Susie told Dad.

He nodded.

“I’ll do that and have him draw up papers showing I’ve gifted them to you. I am awful sorry for how horrible I was to you, son. I let panic over maybe losing Susie cloud my judgment. It was shameful, and I’ll understand if you can’t forgive me just yet.”

I swallowed down the lump that came to my throat.

“I forgive you, Dad. And thanks, Susie, for setting him straight.”

“You bet your sweet Fanny Adams I did. And if I get my hands on Lauren, she’s gonna get it both barrels from me! Lyin’ about me like that to hurt you! Now, that’s where the sin is!”

“We’re two hours behind back home, as we arrived in San Diego yesterday,” Dad said. “So, if we say good-bye now, I can catch Letby at his office and get him to take care of business.”

He grinned conspiratorially.

“You know how he is. He’ll get right on it and have his nephew go with him to deliver her notice about the transfer of ownership and to expect the horses to be picked up in a day or so.”

His nephew was our county sheriff, so that carried weight.

“Thanks, Dad. Love you, and nice seeing you again, Miss Susie.”