Texas Bluff

“Of course, that’s the point of the sale.”

“Don’t get smart, boy.”

“I’ve been doing this for years and at fifty I think I can handle just about everything on this ranch.”

“Now you listen here—” Henry shifted to face Hank. “Lucy, bring me a cup of coffee.”

His mother didn’t move or say anything.

Henry turned to her. “Lucy, did you hear me?”

Lucy threw a dish towel onto the counter. “Get your own coffee, Henry.”

Complete silence followed those words. The only sound was the ticking of the antique grandfather clock in the corner.

Henry recovered first. “What did you say?”

“I said get your own damn coffee. If you can bellow orders without any consideration for me, then you can wait on yourself. Being ill doesn’t give you the right to act like a complete ass.”

Lucy ran from the room, tears streaming down her face. Luke forced himself to stay in his seat. His father had to go after her, not Luke or Hank.

Henry frowned. “What did she say?”

Before anyone could reply, Clover answered, “She said you’re an ass. Rightfully so, too.”

Henry pointed a finger at her. “Watch your mouth. You can be gone in a heartbeat.”

“Just say the word, Mr. Henry. The nuns would welcome me back—” Clover paused “—in a heartbeat.”

Henry stood abruptly; his chair toppled backward to the hardwood floor making a loud banging noise. Luke jumped to his feet, but his dad didn’t need any help. He shuffled off to the den.

Hank and Luke stared at each other in bewilderment. Hank tipped his head toward the den. “Go talk to him.”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a job for the oldest?”

“You’re the favorite, so get in there.”

Luke thought of his father’s set expression and decided to give him some time. He’d check on his mother first. He had a feeling she needed him more.

As he walked toward the hall, Hank snapped, “Luke.” But Luke didn’t pay him any attention.

He stopped short in the doorway to his parents’ bedroom. His mother was throwing clothes into a suitcase.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“I’m leaving.” She grabbed more clothes out of a drawer and dumped them into the case. “He can’t treat me like this.”

His parents argued, but he’d never seen his mother so upset. He caught her by her forearms. “Mom, look at me.”

Tear-filled blue eyes looked at him and he felt a catch in his throat. “Pa’s been a little hard to deal with since he’s had the stroke, but you’ve been married for over fifty years. You can’t just walk out and leave him.”

Lucy gripped him around the waist, sobbing into his chest. “I can’t take any more. I just can’t.”

He smoothed her hair, thinking he’d rather take a bullet on the battlefield than listen to his mother cry. “What do you want me to do?”

She hiccuped and pulled away. Wiping at her eyes, she said, “Call Becky.”

Becky. He swallowed. “Why?”

“I can talk to Becky.”

“You can talk to me.”

“Becky’s a woman and she understands. Please, Luke.”

His mother curled up on the bed in a fetal position. His chest tightened at the sight. Why couldn’t she talk to him? Clearly she needed help he couldn’t give her. That wasn’t easy to accept.

As he charged upstairs to his room to make the call, he kept thinking the bullet would hurt a lot less. Becky answered on the second ring.

“Becky, this is Luke. My mother would like to see you.”

There was a noticeable pause, then she asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Yes,” was all he could say.

“I’ll be right there.”

Luke didn’t allow himself to think about Becky. They were now strangers, probably what they’d been all along. He’d just been too pigheaded to admit it.

When he reached the den, his dad was sitting in his chair, staring into space. Hank came over to Luke.

“What happened?”

“Mom’s leaving.”

Hank’s eyes narrowed. “You mean going to town?”

“No. I mean she’s packing to leave for good.”

Hank turned a shade of gray Luke had never seen before. “But don’t panic. I talked to her and she’s lying down. She wants to talk to Becky.”

Hank nodded. “That’s good. She talks to Becky a lot.”

Luke glanced at their father. “I talked to Mom, now you talk to Pa.”

“I got my hands full with this sale.” Hank headed for the kitchen. “So make yourself useful.”

Luke wanted to shoot him the finger, but that was a younger Luke. The mature Luke walked over to Henry.