“Boy, didn’t I tell you to stay away from women,” his father said. “They ain’t nothing but trouble. Didn’t you learn anything from the last go-around?”
Carson Hamilton was in his mid-sixties and still worked the ranch with the enthusiasm of a much younger man. His dark blond hair was silvered at the temples and the lines on his face were from years of working in the sun. He was tall like his son, but his eyes were a piercing blue instead of gray. The gray had come from Beckett’s mother.
“You also told me I needed to get out and live beyond the ranch. That’s where I’d get life experience.”
“That was when you were in college,” Carson said, rolling his eyes. “Besides, when have you ever listened to me?”
“I always listen. I just don’t always implement. Don’t worry, Pop. This woman is worth the trouble.”
“I take it from that conversation you’re not showing up on our doorstep tonight to mooch dinner.”
“You’d be right. Marnie Whitlock,” he said by way of explanation.
His father slapped a cow on the rump and stared at him. “Talk about trouble. It’ll follow her around her whole life. She’s got the curse.”
“She’s got a gift,” Beckett corrected. “And she’s helped a lot of people with it. Don’t judge her by her father.”
Carson spat on the ground at the mention of Harley Whitlock. “Don’t see how anything good could come from that man. A liar, a thief, and a murderer. He’s the only person in my lifetime I’ve ever been glad was dead. You reap what you sow.”
“And his daughter paid the price,” Beckett said. “Many times at the hand of her father. She’s a survivor. And she’s made a good life for herself. She’s back home now and it doesn’t look like she plans on going anywhere.”
“You were always stuck on her,” Carson said. “It worried your mama sick when you started mooning over that girl. She was scared you were going to get her pregnant and then Harley would be tied to all of us.”
Beckett stopped cold. “You never said a word.”
“Because we didn’t have to. We didn’t raise a fool. You’ve always been private about your relationships and respectful. We would’ve heard otherwise. You spent a couple years pining after that girl until you found your gumption to make a move. You’re a slow one. Like to think things through before you take action.” His father winked. “You got that from me. Your mama has a quick temper.”
“That’s what I love about her,” Beckett said, grinning.
“And then once we saw what Harley did to you that night…” Carson shook his head. “Your face was so swollen, your jaw busted up. Your mama wanted to hunt him down with her shotgun. But after we called the sheriff and learned they were already after him, all we could do was wait.”
“I don’t remember much after that first punch,” Beckett admitted. “I could hear Marnie screaming, but I couldn’t stop him.”
“That’s nothing to be ashamed of. You were still more boy than man, and not many men could stand up to Harley the way you did and live to tell about it.”
Beckett made a noncommittal sound. He’d blamed himself for years for not being able to do more. It had taken a long time to realize there was nothing more he could’ve done. You couldn’t stop crazy.
“The timing wasn’t right for us then,” Beckett said. “We were too young. And if Harley hadn’t stopped us that night, he would’ve eventually been a problem. The best thing that happened was when he drove over that cliff. It set us all free.”
“Just be careful. Harley might be gone, but the girl still has trouble. That gift of hers can be as much a curse as a blessing. Not all the cases she helped on were successful. There were people who didn’t get saved.”
“She can’t save everyone,” Beckett said, an edge creeping into his voice. “It’s not her job to. I don’t know exactly how it works—she’s never explained it to me—but I don’t think it’s something she can always control. There were a lot more people she saved than she didn’t. People still have choices that can change the direction of anyone’s future.”
“You seem to know a lot about it.”
“You weren’t the only one who kept up with her over the years. I tried to read everything I could about her. Interviews she gave and police statements. I never stopped loving her. Not even after she was taken away. But I also knew she deserved to get to live a normal life. That life wasn’t here. At least not then. And my place will always be here.”
“But now she’s back,” his father said.
“Now she’s back,” Beckett agreed.
They finished getting the cattle settled and rode in silence to check on the horses in the smaller barn on the west side of the property. The hands had already made sure they were in their stalls and settled for the evening. Hamilton Ranch had a good team and things ran smoothly, but part of that was because Beckett—and his father to a certain extent—were always right in the middle of things. No one would care about their business like they did.
“I’ll see to things here,” Carson said. “You go on up to the house and get ready for your company. You smell like the back end of a cow.”
“It’s hard to refuse an offer like that.”
“You take the four-wheeler back. I want to stretch my legs.”
