AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wow, that’s one for the history books, isn’t it?” Joey asked. He was leaning on the bar, listening raptly. “So where’s your father now?” Joey asked.
Robert’s jaw ticked a little bit.
“Shot by gangsters,” Selene said in a dramatic tone. “Aren’t we just the most scandalous bunch you’ve ever met?”
She was a lot like Joey, Jason thought. No carburetor.
“It’s not funny, Selene.” Her oldest sister sent her a look. “His other wife was killed as well, and for a time, we thought their two kids with them, though it turns out they got away. We only just reunited with them a few years ago.”
“He deserved what those gangsters did to him,” Selene said. “He was a piece of–”
“Selene!” Maya snapped.
Selene rolled her eyes at her eldest sister, but she closed her mouth.
“My mother’s a good woman, a church-going woman,” Maya said then. “She wouldn’t have broken her marriage vows, even though they were to a man who didn’t deserve her.”
“And speaking of church, she should’ve been back by now, and she’ll expect to see us at the house.” Melusine looked uneasily toward the door.
Kara shook her head. “No, she won’t be back yet. She was going to pick out a Christmas tree for the Corral after church.”
Jason and his brothers exchanged a quick look, and the girls sent them a questioning one. Might as well tell them, Jason thought. “That’s what dad said he was doing when he left here. Going to get a Christmas tree for the saloon.”
“Holy smokes,” Joey said again. “There reallyissomething going on here, isn’t there?” He picked up one of the flyers, nodding as he perused it. “Who can blame him though? If she’s as pretty in person–”
“I don’t think that’s it.” Jason snatched the flyer away and dropped it back into the box. “Dad’s got...a lot going on.”
“Yeah,” Mel said, getting to her feet. “Like selling off assets and closing businesses.”
“You sound like you suspect him of something,” Jason said, sliding off his barstool as well and facing her. His father hadn’t been the best, but he would be damned if he’d let some strange female accuse him of anything. The man was dying, for God’s sake.
Kara got up and planted herself right in between them, a palm to each chest. “Mel, lots of people decide to close businesses. It’s called retirement. It doesn’t mean anything dire.”
Jason said, “I’m curious how you know so much about my father’s business. You and your P.I. husband investigate him or something?”
“Yeah, just like you apparently investigated us, or you wouldn’t know we were P.I.s at all,” she shot back.
“Whoa, now,” Joey said. He clapped a firm hand on Jason’s shoulder, as if he was going to physically set him on his ass if he didn’t back down. “Look, ladies, we’re as in the dark here as you are,” Joey said. “It’s just not like our father, this behavior. His business is everything to him. It’s been his whole life. We had no idea he was liquidating everything. And then he heads out here and buys this place in the middle of nowhere. And not to flip it for profit, either, Jason says. It’s just...he’s never done that. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he intends to stay here, long term.” He looked at his brothers. “Maybe he’s serious about Vidalia Brand.”
The door opened, and a happy couple came in backwards, laughing and dragging what had to be an eighteen-foot tree behind them. The woman fell on her backside and smiled up at the man. And he beamed down at her as if she was the mother of all goddesses. And maybe she was at that, Jason thought.
And then their laughter died as they both realized they weren’t alone, and turned their gazes toward the summit meeting at the bar.
“Well now, what have we here?” Vidalia asked as Bobby Joe closed his hand around hers and helped her to her feet.
Jason’s father met his eyes, asking him without a word how much he had told these women, not to mention his brothers. Bobby Joe took three steps closer, and then he collapsed in a heap on the floor.
CHAPTERSIX
“Bobby!” Vidalia dropped to her knees beside him as the sum total of their offspring stampeded closer. Maya was the first to dial 911. Vidalia heard her on the phone with the dispatcher, but she didn’t think Bobby was very likely to let any ambulance take him out of here. She laid her head on his chest and felt his heart beating nice and strong and steady. His breathing seemed okay, too.
And then his hand touched her hair, and she opened her wet eyes, lifted her head and met his.
He gave her a wavering smile. “I’m not going to any hospital, Vidalia. I’m fine. Trust me.”
“You were unconscious.” She looked up at his sons. The two younger ones looked stunned and terrified, but the eldest had gone white and she thought a stiff breeze might knock him over. “Has anything like this happened before?”
“Never,” Joey said. But Jason didn’t say a word.
