“Mornin’ baby girl. You better slow down before you fall and hurt yourself.” I pulled her up in my arms and started helpin’ her swipe her hair out of her face. That kid was just like her momma…she looked like an angel when she rolled outta bed in the mornin’. So beautiful.
“We gonna go fishin’ today?” she asked as she gave me that little smile that made my heart melt.
“No, I got better plans for today, but it’s a surprise so I don’t wanna tell your momma. Can you keep a secret?”
“Pinkie pwomise, Uncky Cade.” She held her little pinkie up for me. I locked my pinkie with hers.
“Pinky promise.”
We heard Suzy Q comin’ around the corner from the kitchen. Her hair was a mess and she was wearin’ an old t-shirt, sweatpants, and a pair of my tube socks. She was wipin’ sleep outta her eyes when she finally spoke, “I made coffee- in there.” She pointed to the kitchen, gave Izzy B a little kiss on the cheek and then me, as she headed to the couch. She plopped down on the couch and I took Izzy B into the kitchen to grab some coffee for me and get her something for breakfast.
“Uncky Cade, can I have a champion bweakfast today?” Of course I knew what she was askin’ me for…the kid wanted a pop-tart.
“Yes, ma’am.” I grabbed a pop-tart outta the cabinet for her. “Want some milk to go with it?” She nodded and I poured some milk in her sippy cup.
I sat her up on the counter and she caught me by the ear and pulled my face down to where we were eye to eye.
“What can I do for ya, little lady?” I asked with a grin. She looked so serious. She was really thinkin’ on somethin’.
“You wub me, Uncky Cade?” she asked. She had her eyebrows all scrunched up and her little lips were puckered up.
“Of course I do, Izzy B. I love you so darn much.” I wasn’t sure where she was goin’ with this. I was gettin’ a little nervous.
“You wub my momma too?” Leaning out of her grasp, I peered around the corner to see if Suzy Q was still sittin’ on the couch.
When I saw she was, I leaned back in toward Izzy B and whispered, “I love your momma very much, baby girl. That’s part of the big surprise for today. But we have to keep it quiet, okay?” She nodded, then kissed my cheek and put her little arms out so I could lift her off the counter. I put her down and she ran over to Suzy Q and curled up on her lap.
I patted my chest pocket in my jean jacket and felt the box that was just waitin’ to be pulled out. Today was the day that Suzy Q, Izzy B, and I would start makin’ plans to become a family. I couldn’t wait for them to be Walker’s. Branch had lost any rights he had at bein’ a father to Izzy B.
Suzanna~
Sitting on the couch, snuggling with Isabella while Cade got himself a cup of coffee in the kitchen was heavenly. Life was finally getting back to normal. Cade and I were finally together. Branch was out of our lives. We hadn’t heard hide nor hair out of him since he killed Clay. Chief Johnson insisted they were looking for him, but he just wasn’t turning up anywhere.
We had Isabella home safe. The ranch was getting back to the way it had been before. Everything was looking up. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been happier.
“I wub you, Momma.” Isabella smiled and kissed my cheek.
“I love you too, sweetie.”
There was a knock at the door and Cade came walking out from the kitchen. When he opened the door, Deputy Thompson barged in.
“Cade Walker you’re under arrest.” He pushed Cade back against the wall causing his coffee to spill all down the wall. Isabella started crying and I jumped up off the couch.
“Isabella go upstairs,” I said as I pushed her up the stairs. “What’s going on here, Rick?” I asked Deputy Thompson. I’d known him for years. He’d always been around the Johnson house at holidays and family get-togethers.
“Suzanna, just stand back. We gotta do this,” he replied.
“What the hell did I do?” Cade asked. I could tell he was trying to stay calm and not turn around and slam Rick into the wall.
Rick didn’t answer. He put the handcuffs on Cade and finally told us what he was arresting him for. “You’re under arrest for murder.” Cade flipped around with the cuffs in place.
“Murder? Who the hell’d I kill?” Cade was pissed.
“Branch Johnson was found dead in your barn this mornin’.” I should’ve been shocked or upset or something. I didn’t feel any guilt, remorse, or sadness for the man that had been my husband for so many years. All I felt was fear for Cade. That was it.
“What the hell are you talkin’ about? That bastard’s dead?” Cade asked with a little smile on his face. “I didn’t kill him, but I ain’t gonna lie and tell you I ain’t glad he’s dead, couldn’t have happened to a better person.”
I walked over to Cade and said, “Don’t say things like that. They might actually believe you.”
“They should believe me. He needed to die, but I ain’t the one that killed him.”
“What happened to him, Rick? How did it happen?” I asked.
“He was shot in the back, Suzanna. Coward’s way out if ya ask me.” Rick glared at Cade.
“Well, now that’s proof I didn’t do it right there. I sure as hell ain’t a coward,” Cade said with a chuckle.
“What evidence do you have to arrest Cade?”
“Well, Suzanna, we found him in Cade’s barn and Cade hasn’t exactly been quiet about his ill feelins toward Branch. We have to do this. If he didn’t kill him, then he shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”
“Don’t worry about anything, Suzy Q. I’ll be back in no time. I love ya, hon,” Cade said as Rick took him out to the patrol car. He shoved him in the backseat and Cade just smiled at me.
I knew what I needed to do. I picked up the phone and dialed. “Cord, we need you, Cade’s in trouble.”
~Chapter 24~
Cade~
I’d been a visitor at the Carter County Jail a few times in my life. Got into a couple of bar fights and had to sleep it off here, but I always knew when I woke up I’d have a hell of a headache and be sent home. This time was different. I was sittin’ in this small dark cell that smelled like the perfect mix of piss and vomit, tryin’ to figure out what the hell happened.
One minute I was in the house gettin’ ready to ask Suzy Q to become my wife, and the next minute Deputy Thompson was leadin’ my ass out of the house and shovin’ me in the back of a patrol car. What the hell?
Charged with murder. I’d been charged with killin’ that bastard Branch. Goddamn it, I wish I’d killed him, but someone else had taken that pleasure from me. After what he had done to my girl ever since the fuckin’ day he married her, he deserved to have his fuckin’ intestines strung out for my cattle to graze over. He wasn’t worth the shit on the bottom of my boots, but nonetheless I didn’t kill him.
Yeah, he was found in my barn. I’m not the only fuckin’ person who can get into my barn. Anyone can get in there. It’s not like I lock it up. Shit…we live in the fuckin’ boonies. I don’t even lock the door to my house, let alone my barn.
He was shot in the back. The cowards way out. I sure as hell wouldn’t have shot him in the back. If I’d been the one to take care of him, he would’ve known it was me doin’ the shootin’. He’d a been lookin’ into my eyes and woulda seen how happy it was makin’ me to take his fuckin’ life away. The only thing that would save me from the hell I found myself in last night was when they figured out it wasn’t one of my guns that killed him.
The cell had a toilet, a sink, and a small cot. That was it. The sun was barely peeking through the tiny bar lined window that almost met the ceilin’ in my cell. I was lyin’ on the cot and my legs were hangin’ off two damn feet. I had my arm restin’ over my forehead. I was just thinkin’…tryin’ to figure out how I got here and how the hell I was gonna get out. I knew Cord would be workin’ on that this mornin’. I guess that’s one advantage to havin’ a big shot lawyer for a cousin.
“Cade?” I heard someone whisper behind me. I stood up and standin’ there lookin’ through the bars at me was Lisbeth. She surprised the hell outta me. Branch was her brother and she was here to see me? I figured she would want to kick my ass, not visit me in jail.
I walked over to stand before her. “I know you didn’t kill him, Cade. You’re not that guy, but I have to let you know something.” The look on her face told me I wasn’t gonna like this news. “I talked to Cord this morning. They found a gun hidden in the barn. It was wrapped up in a handkerchief and placed under Suzanna’s desk. They assume it’s the gun that killed Branch. They won’t know for sure until they get some tests back from Springfield. I just wanted to let you know, they tested it for fingerprints and the only ones they found were yours. It’s not looking good.”
I was grippin’ the bars so tight that my knuckles were white. “I didn’t fuckin’ kill him. I wish to hell I had, but someone beat me to it.” I immediately felt bad for sayin’ that. Lisbeth had come here to help me and I had just said somethin’ horrible about her brother. “I’m sorry, hon. I shouldn’t be speakin’ ill of the dead, especially to his sister.”
“Cade, I knew Branch was crazy. I think I’d known it my entire life. We all thought when he married Suzanna, he became a different person. Now we know it was all an act. I’ll never forgive myself for not realizing what he was doing to her. You have to know I would’ve done everything I could to stop it. Brother or not. I wouldn’t have let him hurt her, if I’d known. I spent so many times with her at family events and never had any inclination that anything was wrong. They both put on a hell of a show.”
“I know what you’re sayin’, hon. I feel the same damn way.” I reached through the bars and put my hand in hers. We just stood there for a moment, wallowin’ in our own pity. Both of us wishin’ things had been different, but it wasn’t and we needed to get the fuck over it. “I need to get outta here. I finally got a family of my own and the first thing I do is get arrested. Damn, I’m quite the catch.” I was tryin’ to grin at her, but it just wasn’t happenin’.
“Cord is working on getting you released. He is supposed to let me know as soon as he gets done talking to the judge. They are trying to at least get you out on bail. You aren’t exactly a flight risk because of the ranch. So, hopefully he will know something soon. I’ll come back as soon as I know something. Cord thought it would be better for me to visit you. Well, not better, just easier. Since my dad is the Chief of Police nobody really asks questions when I come in. Oh, I almost forgot, I brought you some breakfast.” She handed me a paper cup full of black coffee and a package of pop-tarts. “Cord told me these were your favorite.” He knew me so damn well.
“I really appreciate it, hon. Thanks…thanks for everything.” Lisbeth left and I sat down on the lovely, comfortable cot and started to open my pop-tart. Who was I kiddin’? No matter how hungry I was, I couldn’t eat. Slowly, I drank the coffee and waited. Not really sure what I was waitin’ for, but just waitin’.
Carter County Jail was tiny. I was occupyin’ one of the four cells. These cells weren’t used for murderers, or rapists, they were used for people who needed to sleep off a rough night on the town. I’d done that a few times myself, but this was different. I knew I hadn’t killed Branch, but everyone in this town would think I had. I wasn’t known for bein’ a nice, quiet, mild-tempered fella. People knew me as a hard workin’, hard partyin’, flyin’ off the handle kinda guy. Could I really blame them for thinkin’ the worst of me? I mean the people who really knew me, knew better. But when you live in a small town like Dexter, the rumor mill doesn’t always run so clean, especially when you’ve slept with every woman in the damn county. My reputation wasn’t stellar to say the least.
The way Suzy Q and I had been livin’ the past few months wouldn’t help either. We’d been livin’ like a happy family. I’d heard all the whispers and caught all the dirty looks we got when we went into town. Honestly, I hadn’t cared what they thought, but now I realized how bad it was gonna look for me.
The bastard killed Clay and kidnapped Izzy B, by all rights I should’ve killed him. This was not gonna end well for me…I could just fuckin’ feel it in my bones.
~~*~*~~
“Wake up, Cade.”
I stood up and walked over to the bars to see Deputy Thompson holdin’ the door open. “Time for you to go home.”
“Why? Not that I’m upset about gettin’ outta here, but why are ya lettin’ me go?”
“That damn lawyer cousin of yours got Judge Miller to let you out on bail. Chief Johnson doesn’t know yet, so if I was you I’d be on my way.” Deputy Thompson threw my hat and wallet at me.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” I walked through the cell door and headed out to the front of the jail. Cord was waitin’ out there for me.
“Hey, cuz. Let’s get you home,” he said.
“Thanks for everything, Cord. I’m not sure how you did it, but thanks for gettin’ me out.” I couldn’t believe he got me released on bail. After all, I was accused of killin’ the Chief’s son.
“I told you to do what you needed to do and I would keep you outta jail.”
“I didn’t kill him, Cord.”
He looked at me and I could tell he was really thinkin’ about what I’d said. He let out a deep breath. “Thank God! I was really hoping you didn’t do it. I mean, I didn’t think you could really do it, but after everything he’d done I…I just wasn’t sure,” Cord stammered.
“It’s okay. If the tables were turned, I probably would’ve thought you’d done it too. Just know if I’d done it, he wouldn’t have been shot in the back. The bastard would’ve known I was doin’ it.” I was serious. If I had killed him, I would’ve wanted him to know it was me.
We drove the rest of the way to the ranch in silence. I was so tired. I couldn’t wait to get in the house and see Suzy Q and Izzy B. I needed to see my girls. Then I needed a shower…a long, hot shower to get all of that nasty jail grime off of me. First things first, I needed to hold Suzy Q in my arms and tell her how damn much I love her.
When we pulled up to the house I slid outta the truck and ran up to the front porch. Walkin’ in the front door I got a strange feelin’. Somethin’ about it reminded me of the night when Izzy B was taken. It was so quiet in the house.