The Davonshire Series 2: Loving Words (23 page)

The morning ride was brisk and fast.  White Bear was still angry with Wilfred for being so arrogant, but said little as they rode.  There was no way to suspect that Roscoe was hiding on the back property, waiting for them.  The bullet that struck White Bear’s horse caused a chain reaction that threw White Bear to the ground and caused Wilfred’s horse to rear up, tossing him off and knocking the wind out of him.  It was more than enough time for Roscoe to snatch Elsie off the horse and throw her in the car.  Her weight loss made it easier for him to knock her out with the chloroform and put her in the back of the vehicle.  By the time Wilfred and White Bear scrambled to regain their wits, there was no way to catch him.  Wilfred’s horse had run off and Geronimo would need a great deal of care.

White Bear had been right. 
My arrogance has jeopardized Elsie’s life
.  Wilfred felt sick.  They had to get back to get a car to chase them.  White Bear told him, “Go… go… save her.  I will see to my horse.” Wilfred called the sheriff again and rode hard back to the ranch to grab the truck.

As he drove, he thought of all the places on the ranch a person could hide, but he quickly realized that Roscoe had been watching them for a few days and knew their schedule.  He had grabbed his Sig, the sawed off, and a rifle, just in case.  White Bear had alerted Wilfred’s parents, in case his friend needed some legal help, because knowing Wilfred as he did, he was going to kill the man that stole Elsie.  White Bear had come to understand how much he loved her, even though his choice of words to the bad man were ill placed.  He also understood Will’s intense emotions, because he too had grown to love Elsie.

Wilfred spotted a car at the caverns as he had expected.  He parked and started a quick run up to the cavern’s main entrance.  Roscoe had lit a small fire and Elsie was awake.  He was yelling at her, calling her awful names, but she remained stoic.

“I loved you, bitch! I loved you and you sent me to prison!”  Roscoe was frothing at the mouth.  “Then you leave me and move across the country with that pretty sonofabitch!”

He kicked her leg and she winced.  Her head was spinning from the chloroform and her vision was blurred.  She managed to get on her feet.

“You spreading your legs like a common whore for him while he’s rutting on top of you like some prized bull!”  He spat at her.

“Elsie, do you know what he had the fucking nerve to say to me?  Do you know how he humiliated me, Elsie?”

She was crying, trying to keep her wits so she could stay alive until White Bear and Wilfred found her.

“He told me that he makes you cum every night, sometimes two and three times!  Is this true, you whore?  Do you cum for him when he runs it up your ass like I used to?  I will show you how a real man makes you cum, you filthy slut!” he raised his hand to hit Elsie but stopped when he heard a weapon being cocked.

Wilfred stepped into the cave with his weapon drawn.  “What did I tell you the last time I saw you, Roscoe?”

“Will! No!”  Elsie jumped up and hit Will’s hand, making the weapon fire low and hit Roscoe in the stomach.

 “Help me get him out of the cave and back to the house,” she urged him.  Wilfred was disgusted with her. 
How could she still want to help this man who treated her so poorly?  This man who was trying to kill her? 

“Elsie, you are asking me to help him?”  He asked her with shock on his face.  “Do you know what could have happened to you if I hadn’t arrived on time?  And you want me to help you save him?”

She only said to him, “Taking a man’s life changes who you are, Will.  I can’t let that happen to you. Even if he is a worthless piece of crap.  You are a good man.”  She waited for him as she helped a wounded Roscoe into the backseat of the truck.  She took Wilfred’s phone and called the sheriff, yelling into the phone, asking where he was and what was taking him so damned long to get to the ranch. She was pleased when they arrived back at the ranch, the sheriff was there.

After the sheriff and everyone left, Wilfred had no words for her.  She tried to touch him, but he pushed her away.  He climbed into his truck and started driving, not sure where he was going, but he returned in the wee hours of the night.

Hurt.  Confused.  Vulnerable.  He didn’t want to see her yet. He felt betrayed by her actions.  That abuser deserved to die. She should have let him kill Roscoe.

He awoke the next morning expecting to find her at breakfast, but she wasn’t there.  After his morning ride, he headed to the office and after about two hours, he went to look for her.  Champ was also gone.

Conchetta told him, “She called for a car service, and left when you went to the office.” The housekeeper gave Wilfred the evil eye.

He took the stairs by twos and entered her room, refusing to believe that she had left him.  The boxes were packed and she’d left a note that said she would send an address to Jaelon to ship them to her.  She also left a copy of the manuscript.  After all of that, she kept her word and had managed to write the autobiography of W.E. Devons, but instead of telling Wilfred’s story, she told her own, how the ranch had changed who she was and taught her to love.

Some love.  Love doesn’t walk out on people. Love doesn’t walk out on the family.  She had made them a family and without a word, she left them. 
No, she left me
.

Wilfred was sadder than he had ever been in his life. Each week that he didn’t hear from her, he retreated further into his head and into darkness.  By the end of the month, he lost his appetite and was almost forced by Gianni to eat something. Willie called every day and every night because she could feel him pulling away, she promised to be at his side by the end of the month, but it was uncertain if he would last that long.

By the end of week five, it became evident to all that he had not showered. In a while.  His beard was unkempt, his hair was matted and he looked like a homeless man.

As the six week mark approached, he stayed in bed on that Monday.  His heart was broken and just getting up every day had become a daunting task.  When he had not come down the stairs on Wednesday, Rod wasn’t sure what to do for him, so he called Wilfred’s parents.

They arrived on Thursday afternoon just as Gianni came home from school.  Elena climbed the stairs to find him in the middle of the big bed, holding a pillow close to his chest. It still held the faint smell of his sweet Elsie. She said nothing as she kicked off her shoes and climbed into the bed with him, gathering him in her arms and she held her son as he cried.  “I never even got to tell her that I love her.”

“
Maní
, I’m sure she knows you do,” Elena said as she held him close.

“No, women want to hear the words from the man they love, Mamí.  She needed to hear me say the words of what she brought to my life.  I never told her.  And she left me.  She packed up, Mamí–she packed up and just left me.  No word.  Not even
a fuck you, Will
. Nothing but a note.”

His body wracked with tears.  “You don’t do that to someone you love, Mamí.  You talk… you work through it… you don’t just leave.  She packed up and left me.”

David Sr. put in a call to Khalea.  “Find this woman. I want an address, a phone number. I want to know where she buys her bread!” He stood, feeling helpless as he watched his son struggle through a pain, there was no cure for but the love of another.

In less than an hour, Khalea called back informing her uncle that Elsie was back at her old job.  Gianni had been listening and he wanted the lady back because he missed her, too.  The house felt empty and his dad was sad, which affected everything and everybody at the ranch.  For the first time, since he walked into his dad’s bedroom, he was working through his own emotions. His father, always so strong for everyone one at the ranch had fallen and he could not get back to his feet. He would help him stand up again.

“So this is what it looks like in here.  Pops, this is depressing,” he said.  Everyone turned to look at him with the exception of Wilfred, who was still curled into a smelly ball on the bed.  “And what is that smell?” Gianni asked and everyone looked at Will.

If nobody else was going to do anything, he was going to fix this mess.  He opened the bedroom windows, grabbed the radio from the stand by the window base and keyed the mike.

“Raul, White Bear, Jaelon, Rita, we have a code blue in the hacienda.  I need you moving and
en route
in less than 2 minutes.”

All eyes were on him.  He grabbed Wilfred by the shoulders.  “This isn’t how you taught me a man should be, Papa.  My papa taught me to be strong and to tackle my problems head on.  It’s time to get up and get moving. We will tackle this together.”

Gianni looked at his grandpa.  “G-Pop, will you call Chuck and tell him wheels up by 10 am?”

Jaelon climbed the stairs calling out and entered the bedroom with a glass of ginger ale.  Raul came up next. Gianni started barking commands, “Raul we need two large bouquets of colorful, fragrant flowers packaged and ready to fly with us at 10 am.”

“Jaelon, I need a dog carrier, some dog treats and movers at whatever address you sent those boxes to, ready to pack up and load everything she owns no later than 4 pm to roll back this way.”

Gianni looked at Rita after searching the room for his father’s wallet.  He handed her Will’s credit card.  “Rita, head to the jewelers and get an engagement ring that would make you swoon if you saw it. Nothing too big though, the Lady has simple taste.” He looked at Rita’s hands, careful not to touch her. “Use your middle finger as a size gauge.”

“White Bear.”  He entered the room when Gianni called his name.  “Please get this funk off my papa and give him a shave and a haircut. Cut it all off and make it high and tight. Rod, if you would be so kind, please find him something to wear.”

Wilfred, red-eyed and grief-stricken, looked at his son in amazement.  Gianni seemed to be looking around the room.  “Where is your closet, Pops?” he asked, and Wilfred pointed at the wall.

Gianni clapped his hands.  “Let’s get a move on, old people!  We have a lot to get done before 10 am.  We are headed to Atlanta to get our girl!”

Elsie sat at the desk, sick to her stomach.  She checked the clock every few minutes.  It seemed as if the damned thing refused to move.  Delphina had loved the manuscript and asked for photos of Devons, which Elsie told her were coming soon.

She plied and pried at Elsie for information on Devons.  The woman wanted information on the relationship between Devons and Wilfred Devonshire.  She asked many personal questions about the owner of Davonshire House Publishing, but Elsie spent more time talking about the horses and White Bear. 

Delphina was a wolf, and she could be unbearable with her constant hounding.  She visited Elsie almost daily with questions about the manuscript, questions, questions, and more questions.  She had no answer for many of them, which frustrated Delphina. 

Delphina’s frustrations rubbed off on Wainwright, who watched Elsie daily like a hawk which only made her more miserable.

She missed Gianni.

She missed the ranch.

She missed Wilfred.

She missed her home with her family.

She went to make a copy and on her way back to her desk where she spotted a pair of legs carrying a massive bouquet of flowers. 
Some girl was lucky.
  The legs carrying the flowers stopped at her desk and she heard the music start.  She knew the song well as it was one of her favorites,
Love Will Keep Us Alive
by the Eagles.

She heard two voices, one singing lead and the other on backup.
A singing telegram. How wonderfully romantic
.  Elsie rushed over to her desk to see who the lucky cuss was. Wilfred stepped around the flowers and her heart leaped.
He was here
. 

Wilfred wore a dark gray tailored suit with a light blue shirt that was opened at the collar. The scraggly beard was gone.  The ponytail was gone and replaced by a perfectly trimmed goatee. He had gotten a haircut and the hair was high and tight.  She could see all of his face and even his ears.

He was beautiful. 

He was here. 

He was hers. 

He had come for her!  The crowd had started to gather around the show.

He continued his serenade as he took her into his arms, holding her close and singing in her ear singing the words that she was all he needed. He danced with her until the song came to an end as he asked her to stay with him. Wainwright came running from his office, spotted Wilfred and then sprinted back to his office to call Delphina.

Wilfred gently pushed her into the chair, and Elsie was still curious about the second set of legs. The second set of legs was still singing the harmony. She was pointing at the flowers but was trying to focus on Wilfred.

He finished his rendition of the song down on one knee.  Her eyebrows shot up
. Is he about to propose
? Wilfred swallowed hard before saying, “I miss you, Elsie Mae Booker, and I need you to come home so we can be a family again.”

Someone in the group yelled again, “I’ll go with you if she won’t!”

She was still looking behind her as the backup singer hit a high note that garnered applause from the audience that had gathered around her desk and was getting bigger. The set of legs closed out the song and stopped the music player. Elsie needed to know, because the voice was too high to be Rod’s, “Who is the other set of legs and backup singer?”

Gianni lowered the flowers.  “Hey, Lady!  I’m his backup and wingman!”

She jumped up and took the flowers from his hands, showering his face with little kisses. She squeezed him so hard the boy yelled out, “Cut it out, Lady!  You’re embarrassing a Player!”

A voice from the crowd asked, “Is she sleeping with the kid too?”

Wilfred was still down on one knee with his palms up.
What about me
?  She laughed and turned back to Wilfred.  “I missed you so much.  I wanted to call… I wanted to tell you how much I love you…”  She got down on her knees next to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

He held her close.  “It doesn’t matter, all that matters is how long it will take you to get your things so you can come home to your family, Mrs. Devonshire.”

Her fingers ran across the short haircut and down the sides of his clean shaven face, “I can see your ears.  I can see your whole face.  I can see you…”  She kissed him on the lips as tears welled in her eyes, “A girl can really go for all of this…” She told him as she made a circular motion with her open hand in front of his face. She was grinning as she ran her finger over the hairs of the goatee, “Mrs. Devonshire, huh?”

Gianni fumbled in his pocket to remove the ring.  Wilfred, still down on one knee, opened the box. She grinned at him through a snotty nose and tear soaked face with Gianni exhaling a gust of air at the sappy scene. 

“Thank God!” She exclaimed as she popped to her feet, slipped on the ring. She also grabbed her purse, her photo of Champ from her desk, the bouquet of flowers, and anything that she could fit in her lunch bag and purse.  All the while talking to them both, “Now, we have a lot to get done, and we have to get started if we are going to convert one of the upstairs rooms to a nursery.  Our family is about to get bigger.”

Wilfred got to his feet, standing next to Gianni with their jaws agape, along with Delphina Hughes, who had just walked in on the end result. Delphina asked the question, “Is she pregnant?  If so by who?”

 Elsie looked at Wilfred.  She looked at Gianni.  Delphina was about to open her mouth until Wilfred looked at her with a frown and shook his head no, meaning she needed to hush and swallow whatever thought was brewing in her head.

There were still words to be said and Wilfred needed to make it official.  “Elsie, will you continue to make me the happiest man on the planet and come home, be my wife, be my life, let me drink ginger ale, and make me great pork chops once a week?”

“Are you telling me you only love me for my pork chops?”

“No, I love you for only you.  I love you for loving me for me.  I love you for teaching me the meaning of what loving words can do for a life.”

She looked at Gianni, who was staring at her stomach. Then, staring at his dad.  Understanding what they had been doing and what they had created. “Gianni, stop staring.  Yes, you are going to be a big brother!”

Gianni shook his head no, he was not having any part of it, and “I will have to do it from college.  And no, I am not changing any diapers!”  Everyone in the crowd started to snicker at the kid’s turned up nose.

Before Delphina could open her mouth, the door swung open again and in walked Wilfred’s parents. Elena had David on speaker and David Sr. had Willie on the other line.  Everyone was talking at once.

His dad asked, “Well, son, what did she say?”

Wilfred turned to his parents.  “She said yes!  I think.…”  They hugged Elsie close.

There were mumbles from the crowd. A lady in the back whispered, “Is Elsie marrying that fine ass man?”

Wilfred couldn’t let the momentum drop, he turned to his mother, “Mom, I need you to start planning a wedding.”  She kissed her son, grateful he had found someone as beautiful as Elsie.

He smiled sheepishly.  “The wedding will probably need to be next month.”  Some of the men in the crowd hooted in congratulations to Wilfred who looked at his dad with a gigantic grin and did a mock beating of his chest, gorilla style.

Accusatory glances were focused on Elsie and his parents gazed at her, and Elsie tried to look innocent. “I am glad he showed up, because I thought I was going to have the raise these children by myself.” David Sr understood exactly what she was saying and took a seat in the nearest chair just shaking his head, waiting for her to say how many
children
she was carrying.

Elena was ecstatic, but Elsie wasn’t done.  “You may want to add a bigger nursery to your home as well, Ms. Elena.  With the addition of our kids, you are going to have five grandbabies in all.”

Elena’s calm composure was broken as her mouth formed an O and she started making monkey noises before getting out the question, “Are you saying you are carrying triplets?”

Elsie bobbed her head up and down as her hands went to touch her belly. With one hand she held up three fingers saying, “Yes and I know, but I found out the hard way your son doesn’t really
sleep
much.”  She emphasized the sleep portion while squinting her eyes at Wilfred.

 Wilfred was playing to the crowd, bowing, waving, feeling really proud of himself and he stopped suddenly, “Triplets… did she say triplets…” Wilfred turned, or at least he tried, but his legs gave way under him and hit the floor in a dead faint.

“I will give him mouth to mouth,” a big woman said as she ran forward only to be stopped by Rod.

Rod who walked through the door, took a visual assessment of everything and said loudly,   “What is with this damned man fainting?  Somebody get him up so we can go home.  Atlanta is way too damn hot, even in November.”