No denials. No indignation. No shock. Nothing but a glee in his dad’s eyes that was hard to explain. It was as if he’d been expecting this. Had been waiting for it. Waiting for the day he could have this moment. Of what? The ultimate revenge.
He marshaled his chaotic thoughts. “You kidnapped Jena Brooks and took her baby?”
Asa nodded once.
“Why?
“An eye...for an eye. A life...for a life. She...took...my boy. I took...her baby.”
“That’s insane, Pa. And illegal.”
His father stared at him with triumph in his dull eyes.
Carson stood and raked both hands through his hair. “Where’s the baby?”
Asa shook his head.
“You don’t know? Or are you refusing to say?”
Asa just stared at him.
“Damn it, Pa. Jena Brooks works for a lawyer, and he will speak to the sheriff about her claims. The sheriff in turn will have questions for you. As the constable, I’m supposed to work closely with the sheriff. Do you understand that?”
“So? Arrest...me.” Asa tried to hold out his shaky hands, but the left one barely left his lap.
Carson drew in deeply, trying to figure out how to handle the situation. “Pa, talk to me. Tell me what happened. After Jared’s death, you were under a lot of stress and everyone knows that. Just talk to me, please.”
Asa shook his head.
Carson watched the mulish expression on his father’s face. He’d seen it many times, and he was especially reminded of the day he’d beaten Jared. He’d been bent on teaching his son a lesson. And now he was determined to teach Jena a lesson. Nothing would stand in his way. Not even jail. Nothing.
But maybe there was something that would grab his attention. Something other than revenge. “Pa, that baby is Jared’s, so whatever...”
“No!” he shouted, his whole body vibrating with rage. “Bitch...lied. Had Ro-land follow...her and...”
“Roland lied to you just like he lied about everything else.”
“No!” This time the denial wasn’t so forceful.
“Whatever you did to that child you did to Jared.”
“You...believe...that bitch?”
Carson heaved a long sigh. “It’s not a question of belief. You freely admitted to taking the child. I’m just trying to figure things out. If you tell me the truth, I’m sure the D.A. will go easy on you. It was a difficult time. Please work with me. Think about your grandkids. What will you tell them when the sheriff arrests you for two kidnappings? Think about that.”
Asa looked toward the TV and pushed a button on the remote to turn it off. Carson hadn’t even been aware of the sound. He’d been so focused on his father.
Asa was silent, so Carson hoped that was a good thing. Maybe he’d gotten through to him.
“Talk to me, Pa,” he said again. “I’ll do everything I can to protect you. Just talk to me.”
Asa looked at him, his eyes cold and hard. A chill ran through Carson. “Never. She will...suffer...like me. Forever.”
Carson threw up his hands in despair. “If that’s the way you want it. Forever for you will probably be in a sanitarium, and Aunt Fran won’t be there to wait on you hand and foot.”
“Don’t...care.”
“Fine.” Carson walked out.
Aunt Fran was outside the door, and she followed him into the kitchen.
“You heard?”
“Yes. Asa’s not in his right mind.”
“I’ll agree with you on that.” He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. Twisting off the cap, he took a big gulp. “He kidnapped Jena Brooks, had Minnie induce labor and then took Jena’s child. That’s against the law. Once Jena’s attorney gets here, speaks to the sheriff and an investigator starts digging, it will be just a matter of time before Pa is arrested.”
“He’s a crippled old man out of his mind with grief. What can they do?”
“Once they verify Ms. Brooks’s baby was stolen by Pa, and there’s no doubt they will since Pa freely admits it, they’ll book him and probably put him under house arrest until the trial. If he’s convicted, they’ll put him in an institution for the rest of his life.”
“Oh, Carson.” Aunt Fran touched his arm in distress. “You can’t let that happen.”
“I don’t have any choice, Aunt Fran.” He set the bottle on the kitchen island. “I just have this bad feeling.”
“About what?”
“Pa’s been waiting for this.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s been waiting for Jena to come back. I could see it in his eyes. He keeps saying ‘a life for a life,’ and I’m so afraid he’s been waiting to tell Jena that her baby is dead—just like Jared is dead.”
“Oh, no, Carson.” Aunt Fran covered her mouth in horror. “My brother would not kill an innocent baby.”
Carson reached for the water and took a swig, wishing it was hundred-proof alcohol. He wanted to agree with her or say something to get rid of the hollow feeling in his gut. Instead, he spun toward the door. “I have some thinking to do. If Pa wants to talk, call me.”
At his car he heaved a sigh and glanced toward the barns and corrals—a peaceful ranch scene with live oaks, scrub oaks, yaupons and a hilly prairie that stretched to the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Cows munched on grass, and a windmill whirled in the distance, pumping water into a trough. Peaceful—though there was nothing peaceful about the Corbett family.
With long strides he made his way to the barn. The horse stalls were empty compared to the heyday of the Bar C, when they’d been filled with thoroughbreds. He walked through the large barn to the other end and pushed open the double doors that were an entrance to a corral and then the horse pasture.
He whistled. A black horse with three white stocking feet cantered to the fence. Carson undid the gate, and the horse pranced through and into the barn to a feed trough. Within minutes, Carson had a saddle on his quarter horse, Jet, and they galloped away into a bright sunny day. He had no idea where he was going. He had to clear his head, to get his thoughts straight.
He rode through his herd, but he barely noticed them. All his thoughts were on what he had to do in the next few hours. He dismounted at Willow Creek and sat in the grass.
Two years ago the creek had dried up from a severe drought. Due to heavy rains it was flowing again. Large willows hugged the creek, and the tips of their slender branches played with the water. He picked up a pebble and skimmed it across the surface. After three skips, it landed on the other side. He and Jared had done this so many times, each trying to outdo the other.
Back then, they were kids and happy in their own way. They had Aunt Fran, their friends and each other. Their father was someone who yelled at them and, when they displeased him, gave them a sharp lash from his belt.
Asa had a softer side, too, but he rarely showed it. He’d brought a puppy home one time for Jared and let him keep it in his room. Asa had fed it on occasion. Then there were times he’d take them to horse and cattle auctions, and he’d proudly tell people, “These are my boys.” He gave them money, trucks, anything they wanted. But he never gave them his love. At least, Carson never felt it. He was pretty sure Jared hadn’t, either.
There was something