“And that instantly makes him a bad person?” I asked and got a shrug. “Who is telling you Ollie is a bad person because he’s a sheriff?”

  “Nobody.” He stared out at the corn waving below us.

  Uh-huh. Nobody my ass. I had a pretty good idea of who was filling my son’s head with such crap.

  “Okay, well, nobody doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Ollie is a good man, kind and considerate, and with a fierce drive to keep the people of this county safe.” This little chat had just cemented it for me to accept Ollie’s offer to bunk with him when my mom and aunt were here. “I think you just need to get to know him better. So, that being said, Ollie graciously invited us to stay with him for the week your grandma and Aunt Joey are here.” Dahn’s attention flew to me, his eyes round. “I told him that I thought I would run it past you, but you’ve not spoken to me in a decent tone for days, and now that I hear the things falling out of you, I’m going to accept his invitation.”

  “Dad! He’s a cop!”

  “He is, and I’m a dentist turned rancher, and you’re a school student. I like Ollie, and I love you, and I would love to see you two get along. The only way for you to grow to like him as much as I do is to spend time with him.” He started to argue. I closed that down with a sharp look. “This discussion is over. We’ll head to Ollie’s house tomorrow after we clean our room at the house for Grandma and Aunt Joey. Ford can take you to the rec center for your final showmanship class and the round-up for the 4-H kids takes place. When I get back from the airport in Tulsa with the ladies, we’ll have dinner at the ranch, get them settled, and head to Ollie’s. No arguments. Unless you can cite me a reason to not like Ollie other than something racist or because of his job?” His lips pressed so tightly together they looked like a papercut. “I didn’t think so.”

  “I hate it here!” he snapped. “And I hate you and Dad and stupid Ollie!”

  He turned his horse and galloped off at breakneck speed. Or tried. Seemed old Pumpernickel was not one to gallop anywhere, so within a moment I was beside Dahn once more. The silence on the ride back to the ranch was deafening. I let him sit in his emotions. He was entitled to be pissy over being made to do something he didn’t want. Much like I was entitled to be angry at the garbage being fed to my too-trusting son by little brats.

  Linc and Bella were at the goat barn feeding the caprines some animal crackers when we rode up. Dahn nearly threw himself off his horse and made for the house, running into Baker and Hanley exiting.

  Baker threw a look at the still saddled horse and glanced down at my son. I couldn’t hear what was said, but Dahn spun on his heel, returned to the paddock, and led his horse into the barn. I sat atop Persimmon for a long moment before dismounting and taking my horse inside as well. Dahn was lugging his saddle to the rack, the weight of the western saddle making him strain, but I had to give him credit. He did not ask for help.

  I left him to his work, and I took care of my steed, the others coming into the barn to witness the stilted silence. After I curried and watered my horse, I took a moment, in the privacy of a stall, to text Ollie.

  Hey, is the offer to bunk with you next week still open for Dahn and myself? ~D

  Of course. ~O

  Then we graciously accept. ~D

  Excellent. I’ll stock up on candy and scary movies that you won’t approve of him watching. ~O

  That made me snicker.

  The dentist in me just died a little inside. ~D

  I’m kidding. No candy, and no scary movies. Well, maybe one candy bar and one scary movie. 😉 ~O

  I sent him a middle finger emoji and got another winky face in reply.

  Yes, this man was a keeper. I just needed to get my son to see in Ollie what I saw. I stepped out of the stall, smiling. My son saw me. He threw me a withering look, barged past Bella, his cheeks wet with frustration, and left us standing in the barn watching his skinny back stalk into the house. The screen door slammed. Granny yelled. And that was that from the house.

  “Nice ride?” Linc asked and got an elbow in the ribs from Bella. “I meant that sarcastically.”

  “It’s fine.” I removed my hat and rubbed my hair. “It was okay on the way out, then he asked about Ollie, and things went downhill from there.” I glanced at the empathetic faces before settling my sight on Baker. “He’s been hanging out with this group of boys at the rec center. At first, I was happy he’d made friends so quickly, but now I’m concerned about the sort of things they’re telling him. You know how peer pressure is…”

  They all nodded. Not one single adult on this planet didn’t recall how much sway your friends held over you when you were a child. We’d all been there.

  “Who are the boys you think he’s getting this shit from?” Baker asked, his arm dangling around Hanley’s shoulders. The horses shuffled in their stalls, the buzz of a few flies filling the air as the sun sank slowly in the sky.

  “They seem to be Leary boys,” I said.

  “Ah, that explains a lot.” Baker gave me a sympathetic look. “There are three adult Leary boys. Rip was in my class, his two younger brothers behind us. They’re all assholes. Troublemakers. Bigots. They tend to hover around the Owens clan. Bigoted shit attracting flies and all that. Ollie can fill you in as he’s had to deal with them for years. Rowdy, drunken fools. Ask me how I know just what kind of drunken shitters they are?”

  “You used to drink with them?” Linc asked and got a nod from Baker.

  “A bit, yeah, then I started to dry out and saw what kind of jerks they really are. Plus, they were always giving Ollie a hard time. Hell, any of the Cherokee were fair game, which started to come into clarity when I was sober. Not something that I’m proud of being tied to those twats.”

  “Hey, you got sober and saw them for what they are. I’m proud of you for that hard work.” Hanley pecked Baker’s scruffy cheek. My older brother looked a little embarrassed.

  “Agreed. You’re on the right side of things now, Baker.” Linc gave him a thump on the biceps with the side of his fist.

  “Thanks. Anyways, if Dahn is playing with them boys, he’s surely hearing some hateful shit,” Baker concluded.

  “Mona Lou is married to one of them,” Bella gently reminded us. “They hung my dress on a scarecrow.” Right, yes, that was one of them. “Perhaps it would be best to try to get Dahn to play with other children. Once school starts, he’ll be exposed to a wider variety of possible playmates.”

  “Yeah, I’m going to have to get strict about his time spent with those boys.” I plunked my hat back on my head. “For the next week, you all know my mom and aunt are coming for a visit, to watch him show at the fair and catch up with us.” They all nodded and smiled. “Since space is at a minimum here, Dahn and I are going to crash with Ollie at his place in town.”

  Every eyebrow in the barn, even the horses, although they didn’t technically have eyebrows but eye whiskers, flew upward. Maybe I was exaggerating about the horses, but maybe not, as the shock was palpable.

  “Cool,” Linc finally said. The rest nodded along.

  “Ollie and I are dating,” I said aloud.

  “Yeah, we know,” they said in perfect unison.

  “I think it’s a wonderful idea for the three of you to spend time together.” Bella gave my arm a light squeeze. “And I cannot wait to spend time with your mother and aunt. They must be exceptional women to have raised such a fine man.”

  Now it was my turn to be embarrassed and just a little flattered. If only my son felt the same way about me…

  ***

  Nothing quite beats killing time at an airport.

  Tulsa International was a busy destination, and the airport itself was comfortable. Lots of places to eat, charging units by the seats, and friendly staff. I’d arrived an hour early just in case of an earlier than scheduled arrival but quickly learned that the flight from Sacramento was delayed due to a mechanical issue.

  My mother and aunt were being moved to a new plane that would depart two hours later. Great. Super. Hefting a sigh, I left the airport to check out a western wear store I’d passed on the way. I’d noted that Dahn was lacking a good pair of boots to wear into the show ring while we’d been packing this morning. Packing consisted of him throwing clothes into a duffel and me taking them out to fold them and putting them back. All of this was done in crushing silence. Why I was buying the boy new boots when he’d been a stinker to me, I didn’t know. He’d not asked for the boots. I suppose I felt he should have the best he could when he was showing his prized doeling. So I shopped for a bit and bought him a mid-priced black set in his size.

  After wasting an hour milling around that store—who knew there were that many varieties of cowboy boots—I slipped into a local grocery store to grab some boxed cereal and some fruit snacks. Then I found a steakhouse and had lunch. Mom and Aunt Joey, twin redheads squeezed into the small screen at the bottom of my phone, were chomping at the bit to get moving so they could see their boys. And the goats. Goats were big draws, it seemed. We chatted as I ate my rather good steak and salad, then finally, praise all the gods, their new flight was being announced.

  “See you later this afternoon,” Mom and Aunt Joey said and then signed off to get in line to board.

  After I ordered some coffee and a slice of pie, I texted the Bastian family chat to let them know about the delay. Ford had taken Dahn to the rec center as instructed and was now at the feed mill picking up grain for the animals. Granny was worried about not having enough rhubarb thawed for her cake, so she was also making an apple crisp to go with the large pot of chili and cornbread for dinner. Smiling at the chitter-chatter amongst the Bastians, a call came in. Seeing it was from Ollie, I snuck out of the family text to take the call just as the waitress brought me my coffee and cherry pie.

  “Hey,” I said with a warm pulse of deep affection unfurling in my chest.

  “Hey,” he replied, his voice lacking that sensual little purr that it usually had when we talked. A chilly finger ran down my spine. He sounded off. Maybe he was just having a bad day. “So, I know you’re at the airport, but we have a situation here in town.”

  “Oh-kay,” I drawled out, the pie not looking quite as good as it had a moment ago. “Was someone in an accident? Is everyone okay?”

  “No one is hurt. Sorry, I should have said that right off the bat.” My exhale was huge. “I’ve got your son and his friends here in my office, Dodge. They were caught by my deputy defacing the statue of Isiah Bastian.”

  I pushed the plate of pie away. Suddenly I no longer wanted it. “What? I don’t…he’s at the rec center for the last day of showmanship skills, and then he’s helping with the 4-H roundup tables and chairs.”

  “Well, that’s where he was supposed to be, but he skipped out with the other boys and opted to spray paint a giant pink penis on the statue of your descendant.”

  I just could not believe what I was hearing. “Are you sure it was him?”

  “My deputy drove past and caught them in the act, Dodge.”

  Shit. Shit. Shit. What the hell?! My head started to throb. “Good Lord.” I sighed and shoved the coffee across the table to join the pie. “What are you going to do with them? You’re not going to arrest them.”

  “No, Dodge, no, I’m not arresting ten-year-olds. Juveniles are not going to face any charges for graffiti. The parents will be held responsible for paying restitution to the township for cleaning and restoring the statue to its previous state.”

  “God damn it all. Can I talk to him?”

  “Of course. Dahn, your father wishes to speak to you,” I heard Ollie say, and then the phone was passed to my boy. I could hear his shaky breathing before he even got the phone close to his ear. God. Damn. It. To. Hell. What on earth had prompted him to take part in something like this? He knows better.

  “Dad, I’m…s…s…sorry.”

  My heart nearly shattered into a thousand bits right there at the steakhouse. “Dahn, what on earth were you thinking?”

  He sputtered some, then sniffled, and then coughed. The poor child. “I don’t know, I just…they said if…if…if I did it, then it would…it would show them I was…cool even if I was a chunk.”

  I tensed so tightly hearing that, even if the slur was misheard, thank God, that I was close to cracking a filling.

  “Okay, you need to calm down,” I said softly, lowering my tone not to upset him even more.

  “Am I going to jail with the bad men?”

  “No, no, you are not going to jail.”

  “Okay.” He snorted and hacked. “Sheriff Ollie said not, but then…then they made us sit by the door to the jail…and Kevin Jr. said that Indians are liars and take back what they say.”

  It was probably a good thing I wasn’t in that sheriff’s office or I would have been coming unglued on some boys who were, sadly, parroting what they heard at home.

  “You’re not going to be put in jail. I’ll come get you. Sit tight, okay?”

  “Okay. Can you hurry, Dad? I’m sorry I did it.”

  “I know you are, son. Can you put the sheriff back on the phone?”

  A moment passed before Ollie’s deep voice floated into my ear. “He says you’re coming to get him?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Dodge, why don’t you sit tight and let me take him to the ranch?”

  I wanted to instantly fight that idea. My son needed me right now. But, as I reflected on it for a moment, it did make sense. I was hours away. Ollie was right there. And perhaps the sheriff taking him home would put the fear of God into him, although I didn’t want him to be scared of Ollie. Just the opposite. Ugh. My head was a mess. I closed my eyes to gather myself.

  “Let’s just let Ford come back and get him as was planned. I’ll get my mother and aunt and then head home. Once we’re all back at the ranch, we’ll talk this all out,” I said.

  “Okay, that’s fine. He can wait it out here with us. Dodge, he’s a good kid deep down, he’s just trying to fit in. Trust me, as a red kid going to school with a bunch of white kids, I feel where he is coming from. Don’t be too hard on him. I think being hauled in to the station may have taught him a valuable lesson.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. I will have to punish him, Ollie. I mean…”

  “Oh yeah, some punishment is definitely in order, but the kid looked like he saw his life flashing before his eyes when Easton marched them all in here.”

  That poor lad. “I bet you’re very intimidating. Thank you for calling me. I need to text Ford and let him know what is going on so he can stop dawdling at the feed mill with that dog and get Dahn picked up. The conversation over dinner tonight should be interesting.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you go. I still have to call the Learys. See you tonight.”

  “Yes, you will. Thank you again. For being firm but kind to him.”

  “Of course. See you around nine.”

  He hung up. I did the same. Then I scrubbed my eyes with the tips of my fingers until they grew watery. Parenting was the single hardest job in the history of hardest jobs, and I would fight anyone who said otherwise.

  12

  Chapter Twelve

  I’d never been happier to see my mother than I was that day.

  Not only had there been a large lapse in our communications, wholly on me being a moronic twit who clung to the words of a jerk, but simply because she had been there and done that in terms of parenting.

  I hugged her and my aunt Joey close, tears flowing down all three of our faces, as other travelers hustled around us. They both were statuesque women, not as tall as my six feet but close, with striking red hair. Clad in flowy blouses, capris, and sandals with silver beads, they looked like matching city slickers from head to toe.

  “You two are the best things I have seen all day,” I said, kissing both of their rouged cheeks. People hurrying by gave us odd looks. Maybe they’d never seen such glorious gingers all crying on each other in one airport before. “Let me get your bags.”

  My mother gave my aunt a look. I knew that glance well. There were times as a kid, and even now to this day, that I suspected twins could communicate telepathically. Yes, a man of science like myself should scoff at such beliefs. But there were times that I found it hard to discount. Like now. I gathered their suitcases and began leading them outside, the wheels of their luggage rolling along to join the din of hundreds of other wheeled cases.

  “You’re throwing off some very worrisome vibes,” Mom said to my left.

  “She’s right. Your aura is decidedly layered with red and orange,” Aunt Joey commented to my right. She claimed to see auras. Again, as a man of science, I tittered at such things most of the time, but she was right on the money this afternoon. “Lots of anger and passion filtering from your chakras.”

  “My chakras are good, Aunt Joey,” I tossed out with a weary smile that neither of them bought. I might not read auras, but I read their faces pretty darn well. “It’s just been a day. We’ll talk about it on the way home.”

  They exchanged glances—and probably telepathic words—but said nothing more about it. I got them and their bags loaded into my SUV, and we set off for home. Mom, who insisted on sitting up front, pulled her glasses from her purse and slid them onto her nose. The better to see me with.

  “Joey is right. You’re beset with several disturbing radiances.” Aunt Joey made a sound of agreement in the back seat. I rolled my eyes and merged into traffic, leaving the airport in the rearview mirror. “While my skills aren’t as sharp as Joey’s in seeing auras, I am fully capable of ascertaining the influx of unhappy energies that are attracted to the vibes that you’re sending out.”