Dorothy Garlock - [Route 66] (30 page)

“Brian went home and found her in his bed with a man he thought was his friend. He killed both of them. I met him coming out of the house with Becky’s body in his arms. He went to the barn and killed himself.” Brady drew in a deep breath. “I never knew anything could hurt so much. It was like a knife had cut out part of my heart.”

“I can imagine. It must have been unbearable.”

“He asked me what he had done wrong that would cause his Becky to hurt him so. What could I tell him? He had wasted his life loving a woman who wasn’t worth spit.”

“Was there no one else to take Anna Marie?”

“Becky’s folks had washed their hands of Becky and didn’t even come to the funeral. She had one old-maid aunt. But after I looked her over I wouldn’t leave a sick pup with her. So I wrote to Opal, Becky’s sister. She wrote back and said to bring her out.”

“She may be just the thing for Anna Marie.”

“And she may not. If I remember correctly, she was a year or two younger than Becky and had left home before she did. The aunt who gave me her address seemed to think that she was all right, although I heard Brian say something to the effect that her husband was a scalawag who couldn’t hold a job. I’ve grown so attached to the little mite that I don’t know if I’ll be able to give her up even if Opal is a saint.”

“When the time comes, you’ll do what’s best for Anna Marie.”

“I’m afraid that I’ll be selfish and want to keep her with me, even if I can’t give her the life someone else could give her.”

“Do you think someone else will love her more than you do? Take better care of her?” Margie could feel each time he looked at her and then away.

“No. She’s all I have left of my brother … my family. But I’ve learned on this trip that I don’t know much about how to take care of a little girl. She’s even embarrassed to tell me when she needs to go to the outhouse.”

“Couldn’t you hire someone to take care of her? Her father did.”

“I live ten miles from town. Two Indian families and one Mexican family live there on the ranch. My house is just a rough cabin. I was going to fix it up this year, but I’ve spent my money going back to Kansas and on this trip to California. After paying Brian’s bills, all that was left was this car.”

“Anna Marie might prefer living in a rough cabin where she is loved to living in a nice house where she is an outsider.”

“But she’s too young to make that decision.”

The logic of his statement left Margie with nothing to say. The silence between them stretched into frozen moments in time—two people sitting in the dark. She looked out the car window into a sky studded with a million stars. The moon, looking like a big yellow balloon, was hanging high above the burned-out house. The crying of a child from one of the other camps, then the barking of a dog, broke the stillness. Brady brought her hand to the seat between them and laced his fingers with hers.

“My ranch is about three hundred miles north of Albuquerque.” He finally spoke, leaving his statement hanging in the air.

Margie hesitated, then said, “You could turn off there. It would save you miles and … time. Alvin and Grace would take Anna Marie on to her aunt in California. They are going to Bakersfield.”

Slowly he turned his head and looked at her. “If I turn off at Albuquerque, Anna Marie will be with me.” He continued to look at her.

Margie with the big sad eyes, I wish that I dared to ask you to go with me. But in a way you are like Becky. She had her heart set on having a good time. You’ve got yours set on seeing Hollywood and would laugh if I asked you to live with me on an isolated horse ranch.

“You’ve got two or three days to make up your mind.” She wiggled her hand out of his and slid out of the car. “I’d better turn in if we’re going to leave at dawn.”

Brady met her in front of the car and took her arm. “Thank you for being with me and being such a patient listener.”

She wasn’t sure what to say, so she said nothing. At the end of the truck they stopped and looked steadily at each other. Even though it was dark, the force of his eyes held her as firmly as if he held her with his hands. It had been pleasant being with him. She had not felt in the least threatened.

He was a hard man, but he had soft spots too. He had loved his brother, and, whether he was aware of it or not, he loved his brother’s child.

“Would you like me to light the lantern?”

“No.” She laughed lightly. “My night vision has improved lately.”

“Well, good night.”

“Good night.”

Margie lay awake for a long time thinking about Brady Hoyt and what had made him the kind of man he was.

Margie was up and dressed when dawn began to light the eastern sky.

Anna Marie was still asleep when Brady came for her. Margie held her while he put her mattress back in his car. She wished with all her heart that she could keep this child with her forever. How wonderful it would be to have someone of your very own to love and to watch grow. She was unaware that Brady stood at the end of the truck until she lifted her head after placing a kiss on Anna Marie’s forehead.

He stepped up on the box and reached for the child. It was too dark to see his eyes, but Margie felt them on her face. He gently lifted the little girl out of her arms, then stood for a long moment looking at her, the sleeping child between them.

“We’ll stop for gas in Amarillo,” he said.

“All right.”

“See you then.”

The headlights shone on the back of Alvin’s truck as Margie and Jody left the campground. As soon as the sky was light enough that Jody could see, he turned them off.

“Brady said the lights were a drain on the battery.”

“How is your father doin’?” Margie asked.

“All right. He’s worried about Sugar. He doesn’t want anything bad to happen to her.”

“Elmer’s wife ran off and left him too. I don’t know what made her go, but I do know that he must have been hard to live with.”

“Pa was too good to Sugar. He tried hard to give her everything she wanted. He thinks now that she was just using him to get to California.”

“But he’s married to her. She could step in and take everything he has if anything happened to him.”

“Pa knows that. He said that when we get to California, he’ll see if he can get something called an annulment because she ran off and left him.”

Sugar woke to find herself alone in the small cabin. Light was streaming in through the window. She crawled out of the rumpled bed and went to look out. The car was gone!

“The dirty, low-life son of a bitch!”

She quickly searched the room. He had taken everything except her suitcase. He’d not left her a dime! She fumed as she dressed. He’d not get away with it. She’d go to the police and tell them that he not only kidnapped her, he forced her to help him rob those people. She’d see his sorry ass in jail!

She was putting on her lipstick when she heard a car stop, then the slamming of a door. A key rattled in the lock, then the door was flung open.

“ ’Lo, sweet thing. Didn’t expect ya to be up.” Homer came to her, grabbed the hair at the back of her head and kissed her. “Why ya got them clothes on for?”

“Where the hell have you been?”

“Takin’ care of a few things. Did ya think I run off and left ya? I took all the money so ya’d be here when I got back all warm, naked and sweet-smellin’—”

“Where’s Chester?”

“Gone home.”

“You talked him into lettin’ us keep the car?”

“Yup. We’ll get us another car license to put on it in a day or two.”

“It’s just you and me now?”

“Uh-huh.”

Sugar laughed. “Glory be! I bet old Chester didn’t want to get on that bus. Did he put up a fight?” She snuggled against him, bit him on the chin and rubbed against him.

“Not much of a fight at all. We gotta be out of here in an hour, or we’ll have to pay again. Get outta them clothes, pretty little bitch. I’m horny as a rutting moose, hard as a rock and randy as a two-peckered mountain goat.”

“I got just what ya need, my lusty stud,” she said, squeezing him.

Homer put her away from him, shed his coat and unbuttoned his shirt. He took the gun that was tucked in his belt and laid it on the scarred table, then placed a pocket watch and a wad of bills beside it.

Sugar hurriedly removed her dress and slip and sprawled naked across the bed.

“Isn’t that Chester’s watch?”

“Yeah. He gave it to me.”

Sugar waited until he was naked and crawling on top of her before she asked, “Did you do something to Chester?”

“Whatta ya care? Ya didn’t like him.”

“I didn’t like him and I don’t care.”

“Then shut up and open up.”

Later he lay on her, breathing heavily, and whispered, “Get up, ya damn beautiful bitch. We’ve got to get out to the highway so we can follow that cowboy when he comes through.”

Chapter 23

T
HE SMALL GAS STATION OWNER
, on the western edge of Amarillo, couldn’t believe his luck when two trucks and two cars lined up and waited patiently at the pump.

After giving Jody money to pay for their gas, Margie got out of the truck and walked back and forth to limber her legs after the long ride. Brady was getting out of his car. Anna Marie was sitting in the front seat. As Margie neared, she saw that the child’s little face was wet with tears. Margie’s eyes caught Brady’s troubled gaze over the top of the car before she spoke to the child.

“What’s the matter, honey?”

“Nothin’.”

“Want a drink of water?”

“No. I want … I want—”

“Want what? What do you want, punkin?”

Before Anna Marie answered, Brady said, “She wants to ride with you. I told her that she should wait until she was invited.”

“I’m inviting her,” Margie said quickly, opened the car door and lifted the child out. When Anna Marie wrapped her arms around her neck and her legs around her waist, Margie discovered that the child’s nightgown was wet. She hid her wet face against Margie’s neck and sobbed out something Margie didn’t understand.

“Now, now, punkin. Don’t cry.” Margie turned her back to Brady, hugged and murmured to the sobbing child. “What is it, darlin’? What do you want?”

“I want … my dad … dy …”

The tearful words tore at Margie’s heart, and big tears sprang to her eyes. After a heart-stopping moment she went to the truck, which was now at the gas pump. Brady met her there, a concerned look on his face.

“Her dress is in there,” Margie said, unable to hold back the tears that leaked from the corners of her eyes.

“What’s the matter? Is she sick?”

“She’s wet and … she wants her … daddy.” Margie spoke with trembling lips.

“Oh … God,” he breathed huskily.

Through her blurred vision Margie saw the stricken look on his face and knew that she would remember it forever. It was the look of a man in almost unbearable pain. He turned and untied the back flap on the truck.

“Do you want to get in?” he asked Anna Marie. “I’ll tell Jody to go easy when he leaves the gas pump.”

When she nodded, Brady pulled the box down for her to step on and lifted her from Margie’s arms so she could climb into the truck. He held the little girl close, his head bent, his cheek against hers. His green eyes were shiny when he lifted his head. After setting his niece up into the truck, he quickly walked away.

By the time Anna Marie was dressed, she was in a better mood. It was exciting to her to be in the back of the truck while it was moved to make room for Brady and Foley at the gas pump. When they stopped, Margie got out and reached for the little girl, but Brady was already there.

“Feel better, Punkie?” He lifted the child in his arms, held her for a minute, then carefully set her on her feet. “Stay right here or you may step on a cocklebur. I’ll carry you after I make sure the canvas is tied down.”

“Margie’s goin’ to brush my hair.”

“We’ll get you some shoes the first chance we get.”

He finished tying the flap, picked up Anna Marie again and set her on his arm. He looked at Margie. His gaze swept the area, then settled back on her face.

“Ride with us for a couple hours. Rusty will ride with Jody.” His tone of voice revealed a touch of anxiety.

Margie tilted her head to look up at him. His face was different, uncertain. His green eyes were shadowed with sadness.

“Well … all right. I’ll brush Anna Marie’s hair. Has she had anything to eat?”

“Some dry toasties. The man here says there’s a store ahead and just beyond that an ice dock.”

“She should have milk.”

“I’ll get it at the store.”

“You can put it in the icebox after I get ice.”

By the time they reached Brady’s car, Anna Marie’s eyes were anxiously going from one to the other. “Margie?”

“She’s going to ride with us, Punkie.” Brady spoke with a happier note in his voice. He stood her on the seat. “Move over and make room for her.”

“Goody, goody!”

Jody and Rusty had been to the outhouse behind the station. Jody left Rusty at the passenger side of the truck and went around to the driver’s side. Mona ran up to say something to Rusty, laughed, hit him on the arm and ran to her father’s car. Rusty called out to her that she’d better behave or he’d tell Jody something she had said.

The caravan moved down the highway a half mile and stopped between the mercantile store and the ice dock.

“I’ll carry Anna Marie to the porch, then go get your ice. I take it your box will hold twenty-five pounds.”

“The last melted out last night. The tongs are in the tool-box there on the side of the truck. Jody has the keys.”

Grace was in the store exclaiming over the variety of goods when Margie and Anna Marie entered.

“I haven’t seen this much stuff since we left home. There’s everything in the world over there.” She had come from the dry goods side of the store.

“Do they have shoes?”

“Didn’t see any. Oh, mister, do you have any dried apples? I’ve got a hankerin’ to make fried apple pie.” Grace went to the grocery side of the store, leaving Margie and Anna Marie to explore the dry goods side.

They paused at a table of dress goods and fingered the pretty prints. There were hats, gloves, stockings, ribbons and buttons. At the far end, as they were turning to come back up the aisle, Margie spotted a table of Indian moccasins. They were different from the ones she had seen in Missouri.