WHEN MATT MET CJ
The storm that had blown through the night before had left its mark on the Houston ranch. After helping his daddy make temporary repairs on the three windows that had been blown out, Matt saddled up a horse and rode out to make sure that no fences were down that would allow his father's cattle to get out. He didn't mind riding fences unlike the other 10-year old kids that he knew. Any chance to be out on his horse was a perfect time for young Matt. He smiled as he adjusted the white straw cowboy hat on his headful of dark curls. He had covered a good distance along the fence that was the dividing line between the Houston ranch and the neighboring ranch that belonged to Errol Parsons. Parsons was not a favorite of Matt's. Even his dad, Bill, who was well-liked by most who knew him, could not get along with the man. That's why Matt always checked this section of fence first after a storm. He remembered Parsons threatening to shoot Bill's prize bull when he had strayed onto the property after one such storm.
Matt was almost to the end of the fence that adjoined the two properties when he spied a young girl trying to move a very large branch that had fallen on the fence. She had her back turned to him and apparently hadn't heard his horse as it approached. She jumped like she'd been shot when he called out good morning to her.
She jumped to her feet and turned toward him. The fear in her eyes was soon replaced by anger. "It isn't polite to sneak up on somebody like that!"
"Sorry, I figured you had heard us. You really oughta get off of that property. The old guy that owns it is a mean-hearted son of a gun and doesn't like kids at all." Matt got down off of his horse.
With her hands on her hips, the girl replied "That man happens to be my uncle."
"Oh, well…" Stepped in it that time, didn't you, Mattlock? he thought to himself. "This would be a whole lot easier to move if we used a rope and pulley." He reached into his saddlebag and removed the pulley and rope that stayed there for that very purpose.
"I don't need any help, thank you very much. " The girl quickly turned around and went back to pushing against the branch with all her might. It didn't budge.
Matt walked over to the tree and began attaching the pulley so that he could use his horse to pull the branch up off of the fence. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't realize he was your uncle. Let me try to make it up to you, okay?"
The girl looked at him for a moment. "Okay. Sorry I jumped at you like that. But you did scare me." She took the end of the rope that the boy handed her and tied it around the branch. Matt walked back to his horse, tied the rope around the saddle horn, then slowly led his horse away from the tree, raising the branch. The girl pushed it off of the fence.
"See? Much easier." Matt smiled at her as he walked back over and began removing the pulley as she untied the rope from the branch.
"My name's Houston, Matt Houston. But all my friends just call me Houston." He held out his hand. The girl started to laugh.
"Are you sure it isn't "Bond, James Bond?" She smiled at him and shook his hand. "I'm CJ Parsons."
"Nice to meet you. Haven't seen you around before. Are you here for the summer?" He coiled the rope and put it back into his saddlebag along with the pulley.
"No, I live here now." She didn't sound happy about it.
"Maybe we could go fishing together, then. I was planning on going as soon as I check all of the fences. Do you want to go?" Matt was pulling the wires on the fence back into position.
"No, I don't think so. My uncle has a lot of work for me to do." The expression on her face looked like a combination of fear and anger again.
"What about when you get done?" He pulled off his work gloves and put them in the back pocket of his jeans.
"It's a lot of work. I don't know when I'll be finished." She looked completely unhappy.
"Okay, how about I come over and give you a hand when I get finished here, then we can go down to the river. Come on, I'll show you all the good fishing spots." He smiled at her.
"I don't have a fishing rod." She looked down at the ground.
"Not a problem. I've got a couple of spares. You aren't afraid of night crawlers are you?" He sure hoped she wasn't.
"Nope, not at all." She held out her hand. Matt shook it and smiled at her.
"See you in a little while." He mounted his horse and went back to riding the fence. He turned the corner at the end of the Parsons' property and looked back over his shoulder. She was looking back at him as well. With a little wave, he spurred his horse on and continued on his way.
As he checked the fences Matt thought about the girl. What was it about her? Matt couldn't figure out why he had volunteered to help her. It just happened. She seemed lonely and scared enough that he was willing to have to deal with Errol Parsons just to help her out.
About an hour and a half later, Matt was walking up the road toward the Parsons' ranch. He had a couple of fishing rods and a coffee can full of night crawlers. He turned into the end of the drive leading up to the barn and spotted the girl moving a mucking cart around the corner.
"Hi!" CJ saw him as he rounded the corner.
"So what all do we need to do before we declare war on the fish today?" Matt gave her a big smile.
"We've got to finish mucking out the stalls, feed, and water. Think you can handle a muck rake?" She returned his smile.
"No problem. I do it every day." He took the rake from her and went inside the barn and started to work.
The two talked as they worked and by the time they were done, Matt had learned that CJ's father had died when she was very young and her mother just a few weeks ago. She came to live with her uncle Errol Parsons because as she put it "there isn't anybody else."
When they were finished, CJ went up to the kitchen door to tell her uncle that she was done with her chores and asked if it was okay to go fishing with Matt. He came to the door, looking as surly as ever. "You sure you did all those chores? It didn't take you very long."
"Yes, sir. Matt helped with some of it." She had that scared look again.
"Okay, but you better be back by dark." He gave Matt a disgusted look and turned his back on the two of them. Matt noticed that he immediately cracked open another beer.
"Let's go!" Matt was already headed toward the back of the property. He didn't want to spend any more time than he had to around Mr. Parsons. CJ was right on his heels. He noticed that the further away she got from her uncle, the more her mood improved. Can't blame her for that he thought to himself.
The two new friends made it down to the river after a few minutes' walk. "Now, I usually start here," Matt said as he indicated a spot under a large oak tree. "The bluegills like to hide out around those sunken tree limbs right there, see? The trick is not to get hung up in 'em." CJ took one of the fishing rods from Matt, baited up, and cast out right next to the brush pile. Matt did the same.
"So what about you? You know all about me, now it's your turn." CJ was keeping a good watch on her float.
"Well, my mom died when I was real little. It's just Dad and me now. He owns an oil company. That's about it, I guess." Matt reeled in the first bluegill of the day and put it on a stringer.
"Are you going to keep them?" CJ looked at what he was doing. "They really aren't big enough for eating."
"Yep, they're big enough for the catfish to eat. After we get a few of these we're going to go for some catfish that will be big enough for us to eat." He smiled at her. "How about you come over for some fried catfish? Our housekeeper is a great cook and expects me to bring some home tonight."
"I don't know. Uncle Errol might get mad." There was that scared look again.
"Why are you so afraid of him, CJ?" She's too pretty to be looking scared so much Matt caught himself thinking.
"Well, it's like you said this morning: he's a mean-hearted son of a gun." She looked up and saw the concerned look in Matt's eyes. "He's not really happy that I'm here. He didn't have much to do with my dad, his brother, and even less with my mother. When he heard that they had a baby named CJ he thought I was a boy." She smiled a little bit. "Big surprise for him when he came to pick me up at the bus station."
"What difference does it make if you're a girl or a boy?" Matt was confused.
"He wanted a strong boy to put to work on the ranch. Not a girl." She looked back at the float just as it went under. She set the hook and reeled in the bluegill.
"Not bad! That's the biggest one so far." Matt put it on the stringer. "As long as you're home by dark, he's not going to know where you've been, is he? And it's not like you won't be safe, 'cause you'll be with me, right?" He gave her a big grin that made butterflies appear in her stomach. She smiled back. "Truth be told, he could probably care less where I was."
After about an hour Matt declared that they had enough bait for the catfish and they moved to a spot further up the river, closer to Matt's house. He showed her how to rig up the bluegill for bait and where the catfish usually liked to hide. A couple of hours later they were headed to Matt's house. The small bluegills that had been on the stringer were now replaced with several catfish in the two to three pound range – just right for eating. As they approached the back of the house, CJ was surprised to see that it wasn't just a house – it was more like a mansion.
Matt walked in through the back door calling out "Mamacita Rosa! Gotcha ya some cats to cook up!"
After stuffing themselves with catfish, hush puppies, cole slaw, and chocolate cake for dessert, the pair started back toward the Parsons' ranch. There was still half an hour before dark. As they got to the door of the house, Matt slowed down.
"CJ, what are you doing tomorrow?" He liked spending time with her, and hated to think of her having to spend time with her uncle.
"Same thing as today, I guess." She didn't look too thrilled. "I have to do the same chores every day. Except I won't have to check fences tomorrow." She smiled at him. "Thanks for helping me today, by the way. I don't think I would have been able to move that branch. And I really had a good time fishing – and eating. Your housekeeper really is a great cook."
Matt looked down at the ground. "How about we go fishing again tomorrow?" He really wanted to spend more time with her. She had the most amazing brown eyes.
"As long as I get my chores done, I guess so. As long as Uncle Errol says yes." She looked up into those big brown eyes of his. Man, he's got long eyelashes! she thought to herself.
"Okay, so I'll come help you when I get my chores done." He started to turn and walk away, but something made him turn back around and give her a kiss on the cheek. She immediately blushed, as did he.
"See ya tomorrow." Matt tried to keep his cool as he walked down the drive toward the road. He looked back once over his shoulder and caught CJ watching him with a big smile on her face. She smiled and waved then went into the house.
All the way home Matt was smiling. Wow! My first kiss!
Matt and CJ were inseparable that summer. One was seldom seen without the other. Matt took some ribbing from some of his other friends. "Houston's got a girlfriend, Houston's got a girlfriend!" was the chant that met him every time he saw one of them. Somewhat embarrassed, he would tell them that yes, she was a girl, and yes, she was his friend, but she wasn't his girlfriend. He didn't bother to tell them about the pecks on the cheek that he gave her each evening when he walked her home.
CJ's life away from the Parsons' ranch was much happier than when she was around her uncle. He constantly berated her and reminded her just how disappointed he was that she was not a strong boy. One day he even went so far as to say, "But I guess it worked out anyway. Seein' as how that Houston boy tags after you like a lovesick puppy and I get work done for free just so he can be with you." CJ was mortified and told Matt not to come help her with chores anymore. When he asked why, she told him and he immediately got fighting mad. She managed to keep him from having a word with her uncle about it, but couldn't get him to quit helping. Every day he showed up to help, rain or shine.
By the time Matt and CJ were fifteen years old, their routine was down pat. Matt got up every day at 4 o'clock, did his chores, then walked over to CJ's and helped her. Then they caught the bus for school together. Matt moved in a different circle of friends than CJ: he was a star athlete, lettering in both football and baseball, while she was a star student and president of the Honor Society. But they always made time for each other and were there to help the other should they need it.
One Saturday morning, as Matt was arriving at CJ's place to help with chores, he heard loud voices coming from the barn. He recognized CJ's frightened voice as well as the slurred speech of her uncle and two other men. He ran into the barn just in time to see one of the men grab at CJ's shirt and rip it. Her uncle just stood there and laughed. "Oh, come on, you don't mind when that Houston boy paws all over you! Why not let Jack have a little fun?" The other man tried to grab her arms and pin them behind her, but she was able to kick him in the stomach. As he fell to the ground, the other man made another lunge at her. Matt made a flying tackle and knocked Jack to the dirt floor, then proceeded to punch the living daylights out of him, breaking his nose and causing blood to gush. The other man got to his feet and reached around for a shovel and swung at Matt who managed to duck and then jump to his feet. The man swung the shovel again, this time connecting with Matt's knee and knocking him to the floor. CJ jumped on the man's back with her hands around his throat, giving Matt enough time to get to his feet again and grab the shovel away. He swung at the midsection of the man that CJ was trying to hold back, sending him crashing to the ground.
Jack jumped up with his nose still gushing blood and his blackening eyes, and pulled a knife on Matt, who was still holding the shovel. With a well-placed kick, Matt knocked the knife out of Jack's hand, then swung the shovel and connected with the drunken man's head knocking him out. The other man was still lying on the floor holding his midsection and moaning.
Matt turned on Errol Parsons. CJ saw the look in his eyes – one she had never seen before. He backed Errol into the wall and held the sharp point of the shovel to his throat. "What in the hell do you think you're doing? She's your niece. You're supposed to protect her not give your friends permission to rape her!" Fire flashed in his eyes. "I've got a good mind to slice you open with this shovel and tell the sheriff that you and your drunk friends here got into a fight. I'm sure nobody would doubt it the way y'all carry on in town."
"Come on, now, boy! We were just joking! Nobody was going to hurt her." Errol was clearly fearing for his life.
"C'mon CJ, I think your uncle needs to clean up this mess. And you can forget about her doing any chores around here today. As a matter of fact, don't count on her coming home anytime soon. Do your own damn work for a change." Matt's face had gone completely white and his voice had taken on a very quiet yet menacing tone that was more frightening than if he had been screaming at the top of his lungs.
He reached down grabbing the knife that was laying there then turned on Errol who shrank back against the barn wall. Matt drove the blade of the handle into the barn wall right next to Errol's face and snapped the handle off. He threw the handle to the floor. "If you or your friends ever try to hurt her in any way again, I'll kill you. Understand?"
Parsons was so scared he couldn't speak, but managed to nod his head.
Matt took CJ into the house to get some of her clothes and then the pair headed back to his house. Parsons still hadn't come out of the barn by the time they left.
CJ didn't start crying until they reached the end of the Houstons' driveway. Matt stopped walking and took her into his arms. She cried for a few minutes then composed herself and the two continued on up to the house. When they walked through the door they were met by Bill Houston who was coming down the stairs.
"Are you two okay? What happened?" He was alarmed by the look on both Matt and CJ's faces and the torn shirt that CJ was trying to hold together.
"Go on up to my room and change, CJ. We'll be down here when you're ready." He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She nodded and headed for the stairs with both of the Houston men watching her go.
"Son, I think you need to tell me what's going on." Bill sat down in one of the wing-backed chairs in the living room. "I'm assuming that you weren't the one that tore her shirt."
"No, sir. When I got to the barn to help CJ with chores I heard Parsons and two of his buddies arguing with CJ. They were drunk. One of them grabbed for her and tore her shirt." Matt walked over to the fireplace and leaned against it for a minute then turned. He then told his dad about the fight and the conversation with Parsons afterward. "And before you say it, I already know: I shouldn't have threatened him. But…" It was then that Bill noticed that the young man had tears in his eyes. "What was I supposed to do, Daddy? They tried to hurt her. She's…" He turned back to the fireplace.
Bill walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know how much she means to you, Matt. She's like a daughter to me. And I also know that Errol Parsons is a sorry excuse for a human being. But you can't just go around threatening people."
"Yes, sir, I know that. It's just that he's her uncle. He's supposed to protect her." Matt just shook his head.
"I'll go have a talk with the sheriff. Let him know what happened and that he might want to pay a visit to Parsons. Maybe that will scare some sense into him." He patted Matt on the back. "I'm proud of you son, you do know that? Not just for what you did this morning, but for what you've been doing for CJ for the last five years. That's the mark of a real man."
"What should we do? I'm afraid for her to go back over there. He might try to take it out on her." Matt turned to face his dad.
"Let's see what the sheriff has to say about it. If Parsons knows that other folks are aware of what happened, that might be enough to make him behave." He saw the worried look that was still on Matt's face. "Of course, if she was to spend the weekend here, that would be perfectly okay with me – as long as the sheriff doesn't think that will cause a problem."
"Okay. Thanks, Daddy." He was still worried, but just knowing that his dad was on CJ's side made it a little easier to handle.
There were no more problems out of Parsons or his friends and Matt and CJ went back to their usual routine of helping each other - all through their high school years and beyond.