Cowboy Take Me Away (40 page)

Carolyn slid her arms around her husband’s waist and buried her face in his neck. “My man. Always the voice of reason. Thank you.”

“Anytime, sugar.” He kissed her forehead. “It’s been important that me’n you are on the same page when it comes to disciplining our kids.”

She looked at him. “So what do we do if these girls said something that ticked Keely off, and because she’s a hormonal teenage girl she just decided to start throwing punches?”

“That girl has one trigger for her temper: when someone talks down her family. The level of crap that’s said to her is proportional to whether she hurls verbal insults back at them, or if she punches them in the mouth to get them to shut it.” He paused and his eyes slid away.

Her eyes narrowed. “What?”

“Or the other option is our sweet and sassy, but sly daughter decided she’d had enough of church camp and knew
exactly
what it’d take to get kicked out.”

She sighed. “That thought had crossed my mind too.”

“If that is the case…gonna be a long, shitty summer for her. And I do mean shitty, ’cause I’ll have her scraping up cowshit, and horseshit and I’ll even lend her to her Aunt Kimi to clean up chickenshit.”

“Agreed. I wonder how long it’ll be before they call back?”

The phone rang.

“Might not be them,” Carson pointed out.

Carolyn sidestepped her husband to grab the phone but she kept her hand on his chest. “McKays.”

“Mrs. McKay? This is Sister Grace again. We’ve set up the meeting for three hours from now. You’ll be able to make it?”

Just barely. It was a two hour and forty-five minute drive to the camp. “Of course. Thank you, Sister Grace, for handling this so quickly. I’ll see you soon.”

Carson picked up her hand and kissed her palm. “Want me to come along?”

Yes. This man was her rock and she was his. But he’d worked himself to exhaustion the past week to the point he hadn’t tried to get down and dirty with her—which was saying something. They needed that intimate connection even if it was just quick missionary position sex that was over too fast. She kissed him with more passion than their usual peck of affection. “Stay here and get some rest because no matter what happens I’ll need something to take my mind off this later.”

“That I can do.”

Holy Rosary Church Camp was nestled in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. The setting was gorgeous—it’d always exuded a spiritual vibe, which was why she’d chosen it.

When she’d told Carson she thought two weeks at church camp would be good for Keely, he’d argued, reminding her that she hadn’t had a choice but to attend Catholic school and he wanted his daughter to have a choice. But Carolyn had stood firm. The camp brought kids from all over the U.S. and their time was spent doing charitable works for the needy. As the baby of the family as well as the lone McKay girl, Keely could stand to learn some selflessness.

Carolyn parked in front of the chapel offices. She smoothed the wrinkles from her khaki pants, fluffed up her shoulder length hair—it seemed she kept cutting it shorter every year—and added a quick coat of peach lipstick before she exited her Toyota 4-Runner.

The nun manning the desk stood up and smiled, offering Carolyn her hand. “Welcome to Holy Rosary Church Camp. I’m Sister Beatrice. How may I help you?”

“I’m Carolyn McKay and I have a meeting scheduled with Sister Grace.”

The nun’s smile dried. “Of course. Follow me, please.” Her black robes swished as she led Carolyn to a small conference room.

Keely sat in the corner, arms crossed over her chest, a mulish expression on her face. The wariness in her eyes disappeared when she saw her mother. Then her tough-talking cowgirl daughter threw herself into Carolyn’s arms and squeezed her tight. “Mom. I’m so sorry.”

“You want to tell me what happened?”

She shook her head. “I’m not allowed to tell my side of the story until the meeting. I wouldn’t want to sway you into believing I’m tellin’ the truth.”

Sister Grace pointedly held the door open. “Ladies. We’re meeting in Father Bartholomew’s office.”

They followed the nun single file; Keely in the lead, Carolyn in the rear. She froze in the doorway when she saw the woman sitting in the front row, next to a girl with a black eye.

Edie Knapp. Or whatever her last name was now after her second—or was it her third?—divorce. Edie’s daughter—a carbon copy of her mother down to the tight-lipped sneer—gave Carolyn a critical once-over with the eye that wasn’t swollen shut.

In that moment, Carolyn knew this situation—years in the making—was about to implode.

“Now that we’re all here, I’ll make introductions and ask that we can keep this civil,” Old Father Bartholomew stated.

Good luck with that.

“Edie Shultz and her daughter Margo. Carolyn—”

“McKay, yeah, we’ve met. Can we get on with it?” Edie demanded.

The priest cleared his throat. “The allegations are that Keely has been harassing Margo since the first day of camp. The counselors have broken up shouting matches and near altercations several times. However, Margo says Keely attacked her this morning after chapel. When Amanda Peterson tried to step in, Miss McKay turned on her too.”

That’s when Carolyn craned her head and saw Tammy Peterson sitting in the second row. Tammy and Edie’s daughters were thick as thieves? No surprise since those witches were in the same coven.

Tammy glared at her.

Carolyn had the oddest compulsion to wink and offer a finger wave because this whole thing was a farce.

“Keely has a different version of events,” Father Bartholomew continued. “Keely claims Margo and Amanda have been saying inappropriate things to her and her cousins since the camp began. And she was only defending her family.”

“Father Bartholomew,” Edie began in a simpering tone, “the McKays and the Wests have reputations for being loudmouths and brawlers. Part of me feels sorry for Keely. Obviously being raised in a household of boys she wasn’t taught the normal social graces and boundaries. Or how to act like a lady.”

“Really, Edie? You going there?” Carolyn said. “Make sure you’ve grown thick enough skin to take it if you’re gonna dish it out.”

Edie seemed taken aback.

Good.

Carolyn patted Keely’s shoulder. “Why don’t you tell me what happened, sweetheart?”

Edie opened her mouth to object but the priest shushed her.

“This is the first year my cousin Chassie West has been at camp. Chassie’s mom was Native American and since the first day Margo and Amanda have been makin’ fun of her, callin’ her squaw, Injun and chief. They’ve been tellin’ everyone she’s here as a charity case and too poor to even live on the rez. Today after chapel I heard Margo and Amanda brag they were gonna slice off a chunk of Chassie’s hair to see how
she
liked bein’ scalped like her ancestors did to the pioneers.”

Margo leapt up. “That’s a lie!”

Amanda leapt up too. “They’re liars, and skanks, and they make fun of us for having solid morals!”

A snort echoed from the back of the room. “Oh please. You and Margo have been sneaking into the boys’ dorms since last year and have the morals of an alley cat in heat.”

Carolyn turned and looked at her niece Ramona, sitting next to Chassie.

“No one asked you,” Margo snapped.

“Yeah, and you’ve got no way to prove it, either,” Amanda shot back.

Ramona lifted a brow. “The guys you’ve been giving hand jobs to won’t rat you out, but the guys who you sneer at and call losers who aren’t getting the benefit of your slippery fists? They’re more than ready to tell all. In fact, they’ve jotted down the dates and times you snuck in, and exactly what you received for your pole-polishing expertise—”

“Miss West! That is enough!” Sister Grace said.

“What? It’s the truth.”

“Keely was standing up for me,” Chassie said softly. “She shouldn’t be punished for doin’ the right thing and callin’ Margo and Amanda out on their very un-Christian-like behavior. I’ve turned the other cheek, as instructed in the Bible, when they’ve called me names. But when me’n Keely and Ramona all heard those girls talkin’ about cutting me? I got scared.”

“You have no way to prove we said anything like that,” Margo said. “Keely will make up any kind of lie to justify using her fists because she likes hitting people. I heard her say that and so did a lot of others.”

A beat of silence passed.

Edie spoke. “The fact of the matter is Keely caused physical harm to our daughters. She took matters into her own hands rather than discussing her concerns with the camp counselors. We want her removed from camp because of the threat she poses not only to our daughters, but to other campers.”

“I did try to talk to my assigned camp counselor,” Keely protested. “But it’s the same one Margo has and she’s on her knees before him all the time, but she sure as shootin’ ain’t prayin’.”

“Miss McKay! That is completely inappropriate!” Sister Grace said.

“But it’s entirely true,” Ramona chimed in.

Edie leapt to her feet. “I cannot believe that you’re not kicking these girls out right now for vulgar language! Not to mention the lies they’re telling about lewd behavior that can’t possibly be linked to my daughter.”

“Why not? You know all about lewd behavior,” Carolyn said. “And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“I do not have to listen to this.”

“I have to wonder how much of the nastiness directed at my daughter, from your daughter, has to do with our history, which I’m sure you wouldn’t like me to detail in front of Sister Grace and Father Bartholomew. Then again, since you’ve been divorced twice and married three times, you are not exactly the best person to talk about moral behavior.”

“Ladies. This has gotten completely out of hand. While the allegations of inappropriate physical contact are disturbing, they don’t change the facts.” He looked at Keely. “Remember where you are, child, when I ask you this question. Did you use physical violence against Margo and Amanda?”

“Yes, Father, I did.”

“Then I’m afraid you have broken the rules. Even when defending a family member, violence isn’t the answer.”

“I disagree. Sometimes the only way you can get your point across
is
with a hard right cross. Followed by a left hook.” Carolyn locked her gaze on Edie’s. “Christ bled for us for our sins. I’m not opposed to making someone else bleed for lies and sins against my family. I’ve done it before, Edie, and you know I’ll happily do it again. Am I making myself clear?”

Keely gaped at her, her jaw nearly hanging to the floor.

Edie crossed her arms over her chest. “I see you’re still the dowdy housewife defending the violent and deplorable actions of the McKays and the Wests.”

“I see you’re still jealous about that.”

Before Edie retorted, Carolyn walked to where Father Bartholomew sat. “I understand your reasons for Keely’s expulsion. I disagree with them, but we will abide by camp rules. She’ll be coming home with me. As will my nieces Ramona and Chassie West. Thank you for your time today. Don’t bother sending camp registration next year because they won’t be back.”

All three girls followed her out of the room. Keely started to say something but Carolyn raised her hand. “Say your goodbyes to your other friends—quickly—get your stuff and meet me at the car.”

They must’ve already been packed up because they piled in not ten minutes later.

Keely wasn’t the first to speak, which was surprising. Ramona leaned over the seat. “Straight up, Aunt C, you are my hero.”

Carolyn smiled.

“But how am I gonna explain to my parents that I got kicked out of church camp?”

“Good question. Because you know how my dad is, Aunt C. He won’t be happy,” Chassie added.

“Yeah, Daddy will lose his mind on me,” Keely said.

“You don’t have to tell them anything. There were only five days left. You girls can hang out at the ranch, watch movies, go horseback riding, bake cookies and do makeovers. Whatever you want. We’ll call it the Wild West Ranch Camp for Wayward Women.”

They started laughing, and giggling, and high-fiving each other. Finally Keely said, “But we’re not really wayward, because we weren’t in the wrong.”

“I know, sweetie, but that has a nicer ring to it than Catholic Church Camp Castoffs.”

Carolyn should be used to the ripping sensation by now, getting torn away from the fabric of her memory, but it jarred her, confused her and frightened her just the same as the image shimmered and she fell into the black hole of nothingness.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Hospital, Day 6—mid-morning

Carson saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye and looked up at his sister-in-law, Kimi, aka the blonde tornado.

He’d wondered when she’d show up. He’d actually made a side bet with Charlie as to which day. Looks like he owed Charlie fifty bucks—Carson figured Kimi wouldn’t last two days without storming in.

They stared at each other, sizing one another up.

“Kimi. You’re lookin’ good.”

“Wish I could say the same, but Carson McKay, you look like dog shit.”

“So you’re here to insult me?”

“Yes. No. Maybe.” She sighed. “I’m just so frustrated with the situation that I need to yell at someone.”

“Poor Cal’s had enough of it and that’s why you’re here?”

“Got it on the first try. And before you ask, I haven’t seen my grandkids since this ICU germ shit went down, so I ain’t Typhoid Mary.”

“Bet you’re missin’ those kids.”

Kimi plopped into the chair next to him. “But that sacrifice ain’t gonna get me in to see her, is it?”

“Nope.”

“You are so damn stubborn.”

“You expected less?”

“No. So I did some online research about this.”

“Got your WebMD in the last couple days, did you?” he teased.

She nudged him with her shoulder. “Smartass. I just needed to know more information about her condition for myself. Of course they stressed that every case is different and to listen to your doctor.”

“No. Really?”

“Knock it off. And if you get up and do an I-told-you-so dance, I’ll trip you.”

“Then I’ll likely break my other hip.”

Kimi leaned her head against his shoulder. “We used to crack sex jokes. Now we’re cracking old people jokes. What happened to us?”

Carson put his arm around her. “Hate to break it to you, but we are old. The mind can fool us, but darlin’, the body don’t lie.”

“I’ll stick with the mental image I have of myself when I was twenty-five, thanks.”

Silence settled between them, not uncomfortable, just…there.

“This sucks. I need a damn cigarette.”

He smiled. “Got a pack in the truck if you’re serious.”

“You too, huh?”

“Yeah. It helped.”

“You never were addicted to them like I was.”

“True. Last time I bought a pack was after Keely’s emergency C-section with the twins. Caro never said a word. In fact she rustled up a pack of matches for me.”

“She’s the best.”

“No argument from me.”

Kimi’s voice was so soft he barely heard it. “I’m scared for her.”

“So am I.” Carson closed his eyes. “I’m scared for myself because I can’t imagine…”

“Me neither. Besides Cal, she’s everything to me. She’s been there through it all. Watching over me at Catholic school, playing referee in our screwed up family situation, telling me that falling in love with Cal so fast wasn’t a bad thing. Helping me through pregnancy even when she was pregnant herself. Showin’ me how to be a good mother and bein’ a second mother to my boys, lovin’ them as if they were her own…” She sniffled. “Caro’s been a daily part of my life for so long that even when I know she’s here, I picked up the phone this mornin’ to call her. As the line was ringing, I’m lookin’ at my geraniums, thinking they never grow as good as hers and what is taking her so long to answer the damn phone…and then I remembered she wasn’t there.” She sniffled again and her voice turned hoarse. “Goddammit. I hate that she’s not there. I just wanna talk to her.”

“I do talk to her,” Carson admitted. “From the moment I sit down in her room until the five minutes are up. In these last few days I’ve relived a lifetime of memories with her and it still ain’t enough. I want more time. I tell her that too.”

“Has she responded at all?”

“Like squeezed my hand or something?”

“Yeah.”

“Nope. The faceguard forces me to talk real loud, and I’m sure the nurses think I’m just an old fool. But I’m talkin’ to her as much for her as for me.”

“In some of the articles I read online while I was getting my WebMD,” Kimi said dryly, “it said patients who were in a coma remembered things that happened in the room that they shouldn’t have been aware of. So you talkin’ to her
is
the best thing you can do.”

“I hope so. It’s the only damn thing I can do.”

Kimi lifted her head and looked at him. The fear in her eyes matched his own. “I’m sorry for bein’ so difficult. Thank you for lookin’ out for Carolyn above all else.”

“Spent most of my life doin’ it, I sure ain’t gonna stop now.”

“Cal’s been extra attentive to me the past few days. It’s helped. So I hope you’re not pissy that he’s been there for me and not for you.”

“Nah. Only thing I’m pissy about is you didn’t bring me food. What the hell woman? I’m starvin’ here.”

“Carolyn would kick my ass if I didn’t feed you.” Kimi reached into her oversized purse and pulled out a paper bag. “There’s a PB and J sandwich and a baggie of carrots. Satisfied?”

“No cookies?”

She lightly punched his arm.

“Thanks, Kimi.”

“You’re welcome. Now that you and me ain’t on the outs, can I come back another time and sit with you?”

“You gonna get all offended and shit if I tell you I hope I don’t see you up here again? Because that’ll mean Carolyn’s awake and we’re outta here.”

“Fine. I hope I don’t have to sit up here with your whiny ass either.”

He laughed.

Neither spoke for a while. Then he said, “It’s been so quiet.”

“That’s because your kids ain’t been yappin’ in your ear. And they made that choice to stay away. For what it’s worth, they’re regretting their decision.”

Carson narrowed his eyes at her. “Been givin’ our kids what for, have you?”

“Between me’n Vi we’ve got ya covered.”

“I don’t know what to say to that.”

“You don’t have to say anything. Because it’s fun yelling at someone else’s kids. But I do have to ask if one of your stubborn kids swallows their pride and shows up here…?”

“Would I turn them away?” He shook his head. “But the parameters haven’t changed for seein’ their mother.”

“I’ll pass that along.” She stood. “Now get up here and give me a hug.”

Carson held onto her for several long moments. “Thanks.”

“You tell my sister I love her. You tell her not an hour goes by that she’s not in my thoughts. You tell her I got no one else to gossip with or share secrets with and I need her to get better soon. You tell her I’m passing on information to the West family so we don’t get accused of only caring about the McKays. You tell her—”

“Kimi, darlin’, I only get five minutes with her.”

Kimi laughed, stepped back and wiped her eyes. “Okay. I’m goin’. Take care of yourself.”

“I will.” He started to say something and then stopped.

“What?”

“You’ve been in my life longer than any woman besides Caro. We’ve been through some great times together. Through some real shit storms too.”

“This counts as one of them shit storm times. And I’ll admit that it wasn’t just me keepin’ Cal away from here. Caro’s been as much a part of his life as I’ve been of yours. The four of us are tied together on so many levels…” She blinked away more tears. “This is eating him alive, Carson. Knowin’ he can’t do nothin’ to help you through it. Or me through it.”

“What’s he been doin’?”

“He’s been over at Kade’s, wrenching on that damn hot rod pickup Kade’s been tinkering with for twenty years. Eliza, Shannie and Peyton have been helpin’ him, getting greasy and loving every minute of it, although I don’t think Skylar’s too happy about it.” She smirked. “I figured Eliza is buttering up Gramps to buy her first car sooner than Kade wants her drivin.”

“Can’t blame Kade. When Keely turned eighteen and bought that Corvette with the money her Grandpa West had left her? I thought about takin’ her car out and totaling it just so she couldn’t drive it.”

“You tellin’ me Liesl isn’t already scheming for a car?” Kimi demanded.

“Nope. She’s got Anton to drive her where she needs to go. She’s a bit gun shy on account of her peg leg. Hayden’s not helpin’ Cal?”

“He’s splitting his time between early morning chores with Kane and workin’ for Ginger at the law office in the afternoons. Maddie and Paul are at camp during the day for a week or so. Rumor has it that Hayden, Ky and Anton are out tearin’ it up at night. Hard to believe I was Hayden’s age when I met Cal.”

“Doesn’t seem possible. If Keely would’ve showed up at age eighteen and announced she was getting married like Caro did to Eli at that same age? I’da…”
Lost my mind and threatened to cut her off like my dad did to me.

“It’s a different world now. Carolyn was young, but you both knew what you felt was real. Fifty years later you’re still goin’ strong.”

“Cal said something like that to me the day I decided to propose.” He studied her. “So if in a couple of years Eliza shows up wearing some guy’s ring, you’d be okay with it?”

“Hell no. And if she got knocked up? I’d shoot the guy if Kade didn’t get to him first.”

Carson laughed.

“I know that makes me a hypocrite and I’m good with that.” Kimi stopped before she turned the corner. “Is your truck unlocked?”

“Yep.”

“I might bum a smoke or two.”

“Go ahead. It’ll be our secret.”

For some reason that released a fresh flood of her tears before she disappeared.

He didn’t have time to eat his sandwich before his hourly visitation. He washed up, suited up and scooted the rolling stool beside her bed.

“Hey sugar. I’m sittin’ here beside you. I know you can hear me. I
need
you to hear me. Come back to me. I need you to know that I’m right here, I ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

He paused and feathered his thumb over her knuckles.

“Your pesky little sister just visited. Kimi is missin’ you like a limb. She didn’t carry on as much as I expected, but I suspect she recognized how close I am to the edge and she didn’t want to be the one to tip me over. Guess Cal’s havin’ a rough go of it too. The man is always on an even keel. But do you remember the time she and Cal had that epic fight right after Kade found out he was a daddy…?”

By the time Carolyn surfaced after hearing Kimi’s name, she no longer heard Carson’s voice.

Had Kimi been in here?

No.

She definitely would’ve made her presence known. Because her crazy little sister knew how to make an entrance…

Carolyn had spread out the ranch books on the dining room table, lost in numbers and contracts, knowing she had to get it all straight before she could start plugging the information into the computer.

The front door slammed and she didn’t bother to look up, figuring it was Carson.

Footsteps—angry ones by the sounds of it—echoed and stopped.

Aha! There was that lease. She squinted even though she had her cheater eyeglasses on. Wait a minute. This document was supposed to have three pages, not just one. As she shuffled through another stack, she heard the liquor cabinet open.

“Sweetheart, you must be having an awful day if you’re hitting the Jameson before noon.”

“I feel a celebration is in order, but mostly I just need a fuckin’ shot to calm my nerves.”

Carolyn’s head came up so fast her glasses slid off her nose and bounced against her chest, caught by the chain. “Kimi? Ah, why are you breaking into my liquor cabinet when I know there’s booze at your place?”

Kimi scowled and knocked back a shot.

“Are you and Cal fighting?”

“You know Cal and I don’t fight.”

“Which would explain why you’re so upset and why you’re sucking down my whiskey.”

She exhaled a long, slow breath. “Dammit, I need a cigarette.”

“You quit smoking thirty-some years ago. Tell me what’s going on.”

“I’m a grandma.”

Now she pinpointed the source of her sister’s agitation: her son. “Did Kane just spring this ‘you’re gonna be a grandma’ thing on you?”

Kimi shook her head. “That’s where it’s screwed up. It’s not Kane. It’s Kade. And it’s not ‘I’m gonna be a grandma’; it’s I
am
a grandma. To a baby girl. I saw her today, Caro. A beautiful, perfect three-month-old girl with dark hair and the second I saw those blue eyes I knew she was a McKay.”

“Where’d you see her?”

“In Sundance, but I guess they live outside of Moorcroft.”

Confused, Carolyn said, “They? Who is the mama?”

“Skylar Ellison. She owns Sky Blue, that all-natural beauty product place. Her sister is that tattoo artist India from India’s Ink. Anyway, Skylar is the one who broke Kade’s heart last year and why he volunteered to leave. He had no idea she was pregnant. Since this is Kade, I believe him because no way would he walk away from a woman carryin’ his child even if she stomped on his damn heart. No way. So I just stormed into the house and blew the whole thing about him bein’ a daddy. Now he’s on his way into town to deal with her and meet his baby girl.”

“Kimi, that’s a good thing. Kade will happily own up to his responsibilities. You know that.” She squeezed her sister’s hand. “A baby girl! How fun will that be?”

Kimi smiled. “Damn straight it’ll be fun. We need to go shopping. Wait.” She patted her face. “Do I look like a grandma? Lord, do I look as old as you?”

“Nice, Kimi, real nice. Trying to be supportive and you crack age jokes.” She smirked. “Since Kade’s baby mama makes wrinkle cream maybe she’ll give you a good deal on it by the bucket.”

“Oh, hush. You know you look good, way better than me. Which ain’t fair. You should have ten times more frown lines and gray hair since you had three times as many kids as me.”

“I feel it most days.” She leaned back in her chair. “Does Cal know?”

She shook her head. “I came straight here. I figured after Kade talked to Skylar and saw his daughter, he’d call and let me know the details.”

“Think Cal will be shocked?”

“Yeah. ’Cause like you said, I’d see Kane in this situation long before Kade.”

Carolyn helped herself to a shot glass and filled hers and Kimi’s with whiskey. Then she held her glass up for a toast. “Congrats.”

They both knocked back their shots.