Page 13 of Dallas

“I don’t think she does, as a matter of fact. I’m going to put one of those timer things on my phone so that no one can call me until nine or so. And definitely not after nine at night. She wanted me to have lunch with her of all things. I told her that I’d decide after I’d gotten up and eaten my first meal of the day. I could hear Dad in the background telling her she should have waited for a decent hour.”

“Your dad seems to be frustrated with her a great deal lately. Or is that something that has been going on for a while?” She told him that she’d noticed that as well. “Did I tell you that your dad is going to come out to the zoo with me today? I don’t know what his plans are, but he’s aware that I have a meeting at ten. What do you think he wants?”

“A job.” He stared at Amy when she said that. “He’s been telling me that he’s bored with being a wealthy man. That he wanted to be more like you guys are. Working wealthy. I don’t know why he ever quit his job in the first place. I think Mom might have had a bit to do with that. But if you can’t help him out, let me know. I’ll look around for him something around here.”

“No, I think we could use him. We’re always short-staffed in the summer months. Maybe he’d like to be a tour guide. We don’t have a use for them often, but it might be good for him. Or even running one of the registers at the shops. Those positions are difficult to fill, what with kids not wanting to be inside with it’s nice out.” She told him how her dad loved being outdoors, too, but he might like mingling with people again. “I don’t think I know, but what did your father do before deciding to live a life of leisure? I’m imagining him being a foreman or something.”

“He taught shop at the local high school. Dad loved working with the younger kids in putting some skills that he could teach them into something they could make work. He would gather up old cars and stuff like that so that they could repair them. I think he won a couple of awards, too, when the school would have contests between other schools.” Dallas loved that idea and told Amy that he might be able to use him for that. “Don’t make up a job for him, please? It would break his heart if he ever found out.”

“Never. I’d not do that to him.” As he drove himself to work, he thought of the things that he could do with Roger. He was a smart man, and having him working in the repair department would be a good place for him. There was always something breaking down that needed to be repaired. And not having to wait for someone to get around to it would keep a few rides working instead of closing it down for several days. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea.

At noon, he was headed to the cafeteria when he spotted Roger. He seemed to be having a good conversation with one of the vendors, repairing his cart when he came up on him. Roger laughed and said that the cart had stopped keeping things cold, and he was just playing around. He did, however, get it back in working order in no time at all.

Inviting the older man to lunch with him, they were both seated with a large salad when Dallas told him what he needed. To say that Roger was shocked at the job offer would have been grossly understated.

“I’d love that. It’s not going to be something that you’re making up for me, is it, son?” Dallas told him that Amy had asked him the same thing, and he told him what he told her, that he’d never do that. “Good. Yes, I’d love that. Oh yes. I have been feeling a little bored with my lot here of late. I think it has to do with being around your family. You all work even though you don’t have to. I think that’s commendable.”

“That’s because my parents told us that even though we have money now, it won’t last forever. Also, Mom told us that we were going to be lazy bums, not on her watch.” They both laughed, and Dallas looked at his future father-in-law. “If you don’t mind me asking, Roger, what will your wife say? I don’t mean to pry, but Amy noticed as well that you two seemed to be bickering a little bit. Is there anything that I can help you with? Maybe be a shoulder to lean on or something?”

“I don’t love her.” That wasn’t at all what Dallas expected him to say. “I’ve not loved her for a long time but have…I guess you could say that I just stayed with her because there was nothing else for me to do. I know how that sounds. Even to my own ears, even with me thinking it for some time now, it’s painful to say. But she’s just too much. I didn’t think I was made more aware of it until I met your parents.”

“My parents are far from the perfect couple, Roger. I hope you’re not basing your marriage on theirs.” He said that he hadn’t but was thinking about how much they loved one another. “They are in love. And I think they love each other more daily.”

“Much like you and my Amy are. What you two have was nothing like anything I’ve ever seen before. Not even Jamie, even though he does love Carol, he doesn’t love her like I see you loving Amy. It’s like a wonderful blanket being wrapped around me when I see the two of you together. I want that, too, someday. To have someone look at me the way that Amy does you. I know that I’m an old man and shouldn’t be waiting for my first love, but it’s something that I want to explore. With other people.” Dallas didn’t know what to say, so he kept his mouth shut. “You’re a good man, Dallas. A great man, as a matter of fact, for letting me talk to you. I guess, well, I think I needed this a good deal more than I thought. I have tried to talk to Bethy, but she just waves me off like it’s not important enough for a discussion.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Roger nodded and looked away. Dallas could see that his eyes were full of unshed tears and hurt for the man. “What are you going to do if she won’t want you working?”

“I’ll stand up to her. I’ve never done that before, but I am. I’ve been giving it a great deal of thought over the last several days, and that’s my plan. To get a job, which I’m grateful for you coming to me about it and telling her that I can’t live with her any longer. I need to, I guess you could say, spread my wings a bit before I begin pushing up daisies.” Roger laughed a little. “I won’t involve you nor Amy in my problems. You won’t have to worry about that. But I will need a place to rest my head if you’d not mind. Just a day or two.”

“Whatever you need. However, I would like for you to talk to Amy about this. Before you do your wife. I don’t want her blindsided about what you’re feeling.” He said that he was planning to talk to her today when he got home. “Amy is going to come here later, in about an hour from now, to turn over the photos that she took. You could talk to her when she gets here.”

Dallas looked up in time to see that Amy was here now. After telling Roger where he saw her, he got up to go to his daughter. Dallas finished his meal and got back to work. Whatever happened now was going to be a family thing. Not involving him unless asked. He could almost feel sorry for Bethy about what was going to be done today, but she was the most unbudging person he’d ever met. And was happy too that Roger was going to hopefully come out on top.

It was nearly six when he finished up for the day. He was so happy that Cocu was doing well with her baby. It also made him happy that Amy’s photos had been approved and were going to be made into a calendar for the coming year. It was wonderful for him to see her name, Amy Dixon, on each of the photos, knowing that she was his mate and she was perfect. He was headed to his car when his cell phone rang. It shocked him to see that it was his dad.

“I want you to remain calm.” Dallas leaned against his car and asked what had happened. “I’m not sure of all the details right at this moment, but Roger has been shot, and Bethy has been arrested. Amy is hurt, too, but she’s more pissed than in pain. Just tell me that you’re all right so far, and I’ll continue.”

“Dad, you’re not helping much. Just let me know what is going on.” He said that he was, but he was the one freaking out and needed to be calm for Amy. “All right. I can understand that. Why did Bethy shoot Roger? I’m assuming that’s what happened.”

“Yes. She pulled out a gun right there in the restaurant that we were in, having a nice cup of tea and a couple of slices of pie. You know how much we love pie and shot him twice in the chest. If not for Amy…she has a bit more magic than I first thought, son. She shielded him at first, but when Bethy shot him the second time, Amy slapped the bullet away. Just reached out and slapped at it like it was an annoying fly or something. I’ve never seen a thing—” Dallas cleared his throat. “Yes, yes. I’m in shock, I think. All right. Bethy shot Roger twice more, and only one hit him. He’s in the hospital but going to be fine. Amy was hurt, too, but nothing life-threatening for her. I think it has to do—I’m sending Waylon for you. Amy’s orders that you’re not to drive. Don’t do it, son. I think she’ll hurt you if you try and not do what she told me to tell you. Then she’ll hurt me for not making it clear that you weren’t to drive. Understand?”

“Yes. I won’t drive.” He looked around the parking lot and saw Waylon coming toward him in his truck. “I see him now, Dad. I’ll go with him.”

“Good, good. Thank you for that. All right. Now, I did tell you that Amy is all right, didn’t I? She scared me if you want to know the truth. She didn’t hesitate one bit in shielding her father. Just like you would have done for one of us. I’m sure of it.” Dallas told his dad that he would have shielded them as well. “I thought you’d say that. I’m a bit off right now. My goodness, she just pulled out a gun and was planning to kill him because he had himself a job that he wanted to do. Just like his having a job was just too much for her. The mind of humans sometimes just scares me.” He waited when his dad paused. “Your mother is signaling at me to hang up that I’m babbling. I want you to know that I love that girl of yours, Dallas. I love her to pieces, but after today, well, I’m going to be a good deal more careful around her. She’s scary.”

When Dad hung up, he looked at his brother as they were leaving the parking lot. Waylon had to pull over before they were on the highway. He was laughing so hard at their dad. Neither of them had heard his father admitting to being afraid of anyone, and it was Dallas’s mate that had brought him to his knees.

They were pulling into the parking lot of the hospital when the ambulance pulled under the canopy of the emergency department. Getting out of the truck and making his way to the entrance, he could hear Amy yelling at people to take care of her dad. As soon as he saw her, he pulled her to him and kissed her. He was never so glad to see someone as he was her at that moment.

~*~

There were people everywhere, and Bethy wanted them to leave her alone for a few minutes so that she could prepare herself. She knew what she’d done was going to be trouble, but if her husband of forty-one years had any sense about himself, he’d keep his mouth shut and do what she told him to do. Of all days for him to get his dander up, this wasn’t a good one. The officer in the room with her hadn’t said a word since she’d entered the room with her, and Bethy was all right with that. As soon as Dallas, a stupid name for a man, entered the room, she sat up straighter in the hospital bed and waited for him to talk to her.

“I’ve been sent in here to find out if you’re going to be cooperative.” She asked him what he meant. “The police that you keep telling to go away need to talk to you, and for some reason, they think that I can get you to do what they want. You didn’t ask, but Amy is in surgery to have the bullets removed, and Roger is now in recovery.”

“They’re both lucky that I didn’t put them in an early grave. I should have done that to Amy a good long time ago. Where is my son? Where is Jamie? I do hope that someone called him right away. I have plans for the two of us.” Dallas told her that Amy had spoken to her brother before she’d gone into the operating room. “No doubt you’ve made it so that she gets the best of care and will presumably outlive me. Unless I get to her again. Why she saved her worthless father is beyond me. But we’ll discuss that later. I want my son here.”

“So you said.” The female officer left the room when another officer came in. “Are you going to cooperate, Bethy? Or are you going to continue to act like you’re in charge? It’s my understanding that you told the police when they arrived that you weren’t going to speak to anyone until your attorney arrived. Yet you didn’t give them anyone to call for you.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com