Dodge the Bullet (27 page)

###

“Hello?” Tommy answered his rarely used cell
phone. He’d been asleep on the couch. The news had ended and the
laugh track on an old Seinfeld episode all but drowned out the
voice on the other end of the line.

“Tommy, its Kimberly. I don’t have much
time.”

He sat up on the couch with a jolt.
“Kimberly? Is everything ok? I can barely hear you.” He pressed the
mute button on the remote.

“I think whatever is going down at the
Woodward place is happening tonight. Benji dragged me to some
fundraiser in Denver at the last minute. He’s determined to stay
much later than normal. I think he’s using this party as an
alibi.”

“Are you sure?”

“I can’t be sure, but my gut tells me I’m
right. Have you heard from Mrs. Woodward?”

Tommy felt the sting of panic begin to rise
in his throat. “It’s almost midnight. I’ll call Dodge. He’s staying
out at the caretaker’s place. If anything’s going on, he’ll
know.”

###

Dodge had been sleeping like a baby. Ever
since Sarah had guilted him into a public declaration of innocence,
he hadn’t had a single dream or nightmare involving Wendy Hawkins.
His mind was finally as free as his conscience. Of course, part of
the reason he slept so well had to do with the fact that Sarah had
wrapped herself around him in the truck that afternoon. She’d
seduced him, twice. And he couldn’t have been happier.

Dodge had set the alarm on his phone to go
off at one a.m. so he could get in his truck and make a sweep of
the ranch. They didn’t have any leads into what Burwick had planned
and every morning when he woke to find that nothing had happened,
he heaved a sigh of relief. But there was no way for them to know
when Burwick would strike, so he continued his nightly watch and
tried to head off the trouble that was bound to come their way.

When Dodge realized the phone rang from a
call and not from his alarm, he sat up and reached for his cell.
“Yeah?” He answered sleepily and didn’t bother to check the id.

“Dodge, its Tommy. I just got a call from
Kimberly. She thinks tonight’s the night.”

“How does she know?” Dodge dragged on his
jeans and shirt.

“He’s hauled her to some fundraiser in
Denver and she thinks he’s using the public appearance as a cover.
Give him a room full of alibis.”

“Shit.” Dodge threw on his hat and jacket
before heading out into the blustery night. Another round of storms
assaulted him as he ran to the truck. “It’s raining like hellfire
out here, Tommy. I don’t know if I’d see anything even if I knew
what I was looking for.”

“Do you want me to come over?”

Dodge tried to think as he maneuvered
carefully along the muddy roads. “No, no, I’m so jacked up and with
the weather I’d probably shoot you by mistake.” The truck swerved
sharply when the tire hit a deep rut. The phone dislodged from his
hand. Dodge picked it up quickly and shouted, “I’ll call you back
if I find anything. Let me know if you hear from Kimberly
again.”

He needed to call Sarah. He stole a quick
glance at the dashboard clock. She’d probably gone to bed, but he
had to warn her to keep a vigilant watch around the cabin.

“Hello?” She answered on the second ring,
sounding groggy. “Dodge, what’s wrong?”

“Tommy heard from his cousin. She thinks
tonight’s the night. I’m out in this mess looking for anything
suspicious. I need you to check on the boys, make sure you’re
locked up tight. Keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual.”

“What…what does she think is going to
happen?”

“She didn’t say, but I don’t want you to
worry. Just check on things there and sit tight. When I’ve made a
thorough sweep, I’ll be by the cabin. I’m keeping watch near your
place tonight. I’ll have Miguel watch the front entrance.”

“Dodge.” Sarah sounded panicked. “If you see
anything, anything at all, call the police. Please don’t try to
handle this yourself. I’m begging you.”

Dodge frowned at the fear he heard in her
voice. “I won’t do anything stupid. Just lock yourselves in and
stay put. Promise me, Sarah.”

“I promise. Please,” she begged. “Be
careful.”

###

Sarah’s fear felt like a living, breathing
thing. She’d lived for days with the fear of what Benji might do,
but her fear for Dodge and his safety felt fathoms worse. She ran
from window to window searching the rain clogged night for any sign
of his headlights, any sign he hadn’t run head-first into
danger.

Guilt lay as heavy on her mind as fear.
Dodge was out there, defending her land and her family, knowing the
danger had nothing to do with him. She wanted to run out into the
night and fight the battle with him instead of holing up in the
safety of the cabin like a princess waiting to be rescued. But
she’d learned her lesson the last time. She knew an impulsive move
on her part could put her in harms way or worse, jeopardize Dodge
and put him in more danger.

“Mom, what are you doing?” It was Lyle,
still half asleep as he wandered out from the bathroom.

Sarah whipped around. “Nothing.” She tried
to be casual, moved from the window and began folding the afghan
he’d left on the floor when he’d finally drifted off to bed.

Lyle yawned, shook the sleep from his face.
“I heard the phone and then you, moving around like your butt’s on
fire. What gives?”

Sarah sighed, gripped the afghan in her
arms. “I’m looking out the windows for Dodge.” When Lyle’s head
cocked in confusion she dropped the blanket on the couch. “He’s
looking for someone who might try to cause trouble again. I’m
looking for his truck.”

“Like when the wires got cut?”

“Yes.” Sarah moved to the side window,
lifted the corner of the wood blind in search of him again. “Just
go back to sleep, honey.” She watched the window fog against her
breath, felt Lyle beside her. She turned to catch the worry in his
eyes as they scanned the dark, rain soaked night.

“What’s he going to do if he finds
someone?”

“I don’t know. Call the police, I guess.”
Sarah hoped she was right, but knew the police would be an
afterthought for Dodge.

Lyle grabbed her hand, squeezed hard. Her
throat tightened in response. He was still the peace keeper, still
able to gauge her moods and temper them with a look or a touch. A
gift from his father. “He’ll be ok, Mom. Dodge isn’t going to let
anything happen to us.”

“I’m worried about him.” She said it
quickly, too quickly to think what the statement might reveal. She
didn’t want to have to explain their relationship to Lyle. “He’s
alone and in this weather…”

“He’s been staying with Miguel because he
figured there’d be more trouble. He can handle it.”

They both jumped when Kevin cleared his
throat. “Why is everybody up making so much noise?”

Sarah straightened, looked at her boys.
“Dodge thinks there may be trouble tonight. He’s out looking and
I’m--”

“What kind of trouble? What’s he looking
for?” Kevin moved into the kitchen to stare out the window.

“He’s not sure, maybe nothing.” Sarah moved
between her sons, touched their arms. “Why don’t you two go back to
bed? I’m sure it’s nothing. There’s no sense in you two staying up
all night.”

“No,” they both said together.

“Mom.” Kevin’s voice caught reminding her of
the boy he’d been and the man he was becoming. “Whoever’s out there
could be coming after us. I should be out there protecting us.”

“What? No, absolutely not. Dodge is out
there and he specifically asked us to stay put. No one leaves this
house, do you understand me?”

A spasm of irritation crossed Kevin’s face
and his hands fisted at his sides. How many times since Todd’s
death had she asked him to do something responsible because he was
the man of the house? She should’ve known those words would come
back to haunt her.

They all turned to the window when Lyle
announced someone had pulled up.

“Stay here,” Sarah said and then ran down
the steps to the garage. She waited by the closed door for a signal
from him. She’d just begun to dial his cell number when she heard
his voice above the pounding on the door. She undid the deadbolt
and pulled his soaking wet body inside. She lunged into his arms.
“Thank God. Are you ok?”

Sarah felt Dodge ease her back when Lyle and
Kevin reached the bottom of the staircase. “You guys okay?”

They both nodded. Kevin stepped forward.
“What’d you find?”

“Nothing in this mess. I’ve got Miguel in
his truck by the front entrance. I just wanted to check on you
before I take position between here and the back road.”

“What can we do?” Kevin asked.

“Stay put and call me if you see or hear
anything unusual. You should try to do shifts so you’re not all up
at once.”

Sarah felt relieved Dodge didn’t shut Kevin
down or treat him like a kid.

“I’ll keep a lookout,” Kevin said. “Don’t
worry about things here.”

Sarah clung to Dodge’s cold hands. “Can I
make you some coffee or some food?”

“A soda with caffeine would be fastest. I
don’t want to be in here too long, but I needed to be sure you were
okay.” He lifted a hand to her face and ran his thumb under her
eye. Sarah saw Kevin nudge Lyle back up the stairs. “Don’t worry. I
won’t let anything happen to you or the boys. You have my
word.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist, under
his jacket and pressed her face to his damp shirt. She wanted to
burrow in and not let him go back outside. “You’ll call the police
if you see anything, right? Don’t try to play the hero, Dodge.”

He pulled back as she heard footsteps behind
her. “Come back to me,” she whispered after Lyle brought him a coke
and went back upstairs.

He squeezed her hand, their fingers drifting
away as he moved to open the door. “Lock this door and call me if
you see anything.”

###

Lyle waited as long as he could, the nervous
energy from the danger and the tingling along his spine from
something he couldn’t name tightened his insides into a fist. If
he’d been forced to name his feelings, he’d have to call them
confused. What the hell was going on between his mom and Dodge? And
was he the only one who thought it was weird they were holding each
other like…like his parents used to? It was all but killing him,
the waiting to get Kevin alone and ask him questions.

“Hey, can I talk to you a minute?” Lyle
found Kevin poised near the side window in his room.

“What is it?” Kevin didn’t look away from
the stormy night. His head turned when Lyle clicked the door
closed. “Where’s mom?”

Lyle sat on the bed nearest the window
facing the river. “She’s in the kitchen making coffee.” He absently
linked his finger through a wayward string that’d come loose from
the patchwork comforter. “Did you see the way mom was with Dodge?
The way she was hugging him?” When Kevin didn’t turn, only raised a
shoulder and continued to scan what little he could see through the
rain Lyle pressed on. “Don’t you think that was weird, her being so
touchy with him?”

Kevin sighed, sounded annoyed. “They’ve got
a thing going. Don’t tell me you hadn’t noticed.”

Lyle felt his jaw drop and quickly pulled
his lips together when Kevin turned. Lyle saw his superior smirk.
“When…what do you mean a thing?”

“Sleeping together, I’d imagine.” Kevin
hitched his shoulder again, nudged his brother to the window he’d
abandoned and took Lyle’s place at the other. “I’m not sure.” Lyle
stared at Kevin. “You’re not going to see anything if you don’t
look out the window.”

“Mom is having sex with Dodge and you didn’t
tell me?”

“Since you closed the door, I’m going to
have to assume you don’t want mom to know what we’re talking about.
If that’s the case, you’d better keep your voice down. Or you can
always just ask her yourself.”

Lyle turned from the window and stared at
his brother. How could he be so nonchalant about their mom having
sex with another man? “How do you know? I never saw this
coming.”

Kevin turned to face Lyle. “If you’ll keep
your eyes out the window I’ll tell you.” Lyle hated when his
brother ordered him around, but he wanted information more than he
wanted to fight. When he obeyed, Kevin told him about what he’d
seen in the barn and what his mom had said afterward.

“And you’re okay with this, with her dating
him?”

“I don’t see as we have much choice,” Kevin
said as he readjusted his position on the bed. “Mom’s young, Lyle.
I’m sure she doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life alone.
Besides, I like him. I didn’t want to, especially after I found out
about him and mom, but… He doesn’t treat us like kids. He works
hard and he isn’t exactly nosing around here all the time like
you’d expect.” He turned to look at Lyle. “And she looks happy
again. Have you noticed, in the last few days, how happy she
seems?”

Lyle felt sick. He didn’t want his mom
dating anyone. He’d never even considered the idea. Now that it had
happened, he wanted to bury his head in the dirt and pretend it was
all just a bad dream. But he did want his mom to be happy. How
could he not? “I don’t know,” is all he could say. “I’m going to
lie down.”

He left Kevin’s room and went into his own,
threw himself on his bed and stared at the ceiling. When his eyes
drifted over to the picture on his nightstand he picked it up. The
four of them--his parents, him and Kevin--on a ski trip the winter
before his dad died. They all looked so happy to be together. His
dad stood behind them and held them in a protective hug, a
smattering of snow caked into his goggles from an earlier fall.
Lyle loved the picture because it reminded him of what his dad had
been, the protector of the family, the one who held them all
together.

Now there was another man sitting alone in a
truck on their property in the driving rain, putting himself
between Lyle’s family and a threat. He didn’t know how to feel
about it. Grateful, yes, but Dodge was also protecting his cows and
his equipment. He thought of the way Dodge held his mother, the
relief in his eyes when he’d seen they were all safe. He didn’t act
like he only cared about himself and his stuff. He cared about
them, all of them. And Kevin was right, his mom had seemed happy.
She was writing again, cheerfully clicking away on her computer
every day, humming along to her chores. She was hopeful. As much as
he hated the cold hard truth, his dad wasn’t ever coming back.