Chapter 2
"Hey Mace, you're gonna need to pick up some hay for the horses, they're running low." Mason McCormick gave his younger brother a sideways glance and just continued practicing his jump shot. "Did you hear me Mace?
"Yeah Tex, I heard you." Mason said while swishing another shot. Tex continued to lean against the fence as he watched his older brother continued to practice his foul shots. After watching three or four swishes in a row, Tex decided to probe again about the hay for the horses.
"So when do ya think you can pick some up?" Mason was frustrated by Tex's continuous badgering.
"I'll put it on my to do list Tex."
"We only have three bales left. Can you go tomorrow?" Tex hounded. Mason was quickly losing patience with his young brother.
"Yeah Tex. I'll squeeze it in between helping out with the schools' roof, working, bringing Beth shopping, working out, and cooking dinner. Where do you want me to fit it in there?" Tex pushed his straw cowboy hat down further over his eyes to shade out the bright Oklahoma sun along with Mason's death glares.
"How come you're bringing Beth shopping? I thought you said no to her the other night? If you're running into the city, I wanna come too." By this time Mason had stopped shooting and was just staring at Tex like he had completely lost his mind.
"Don't you ever listen to a word I say?"
"I listen." He mumbled. "You told her we couldn't afford anything so no reason to go and window shop. She'd have to make do with that she has." Mason walked over to the side of the house and turned on the side faucet and took a long cold drink from the hose. Once he was done he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and quickly shut off the water so not to waste what was left in the well. It had been a pretty dry summer, but the storm that ripped through last week did more damage than good for the people of Bixby Oklahoma.
As he wrapped up the hose and mounted it back onto the house he couldn't resist but scold Tex for not doing it early. "Jeez Tex, how many times do I have to tell you to wrap this up after filling up those damn trough?"
Texas always hated it when Mason rode his ass for things that just didn't seem logical to Tex. "Now why would I do that Mace? I've gotta water them at least three times a day in this heat. I'm not gonna waste my time wrapping it up when three hours later I've gotta do the same damn thing again." Mason knew that it didn't matter how many times he told his brother to do something, Texas was bound and determined to do the complete opposite.
"Just do it Tex." Mason said carrying in his most prize possession under his arm. He moved through the tiny kitchen and into their small living room like he was hunting for something in particular. While in the living room he could see the other four remaining rooms from just standing in the doorway. He looked into the two bedrooms on the left and found both empty. Their small bathroom was unoccupied and then finally looking to the right of the living room he found that room empty as well. By the time he had checked the small house over he heard Tex slamming the screen door behind him. "Hey, Tex, is Beth with you?" Mason soon heard a muffled response.
"Nope."
"When was the last time you saw her?" Mason turned around to find that Tex had stuck his head inside the freezer looking for some relief from the heat. He walked towards the freezer door and gave it a bang. "She better has not gone riding by her lonesome. " Mason marched back over to the door hollering through the screen, "Beth?"
"Relax, Mace. She's not riding, Rowdie's in the pasture with Negrito and Toyota. She's probably just out playing around." Mason turned with relief to hear that Beth wasn't riding Rowdie alone. He hated having to discipline her and Rowdie for the last time she rode off by herself without permission. It was hard for Mason to have to step into the parental role at the young age of seventeen. But while their Pop went off and work the Rodeo someone had to become the parent for the two. Mason could tell that both siblings hated him for it though. For when their Pop was around he let both of them get away with murder, and Mason couldn't stand it. They needed structure and discipline like he had. That's why he needed to practice longer and harder at his game. He needed to get out of Bixby, he needed to get freedom, and he needed a break away from his younger brother and sister. "Mace, she probably just ran over to the Collins' to say hi to Jaime or Mona."
"Did she tell you that was where she was going?"
Texas hesitated before answering. "No, but…"
"Yeah, that's what I thought. She knows better than to run off without letting us know. Get in the truck. We're going to visit the Collins." Mason grabbed the keys off the kitchen table and the two headed out the door. Both climbed on up into their Pop's old ford pickup truck. Mason had turned the truck around and was heading down their long, dusty drive when Tex noticed a little girl coming across the field.
"Look Mace! I told you she was around." Texas shouted with glee.
"No, you told me she was probably at the Collins'." Mason slowed the truck and watched as his blonde hair, brown eyed eight year old sister bounced through an over grown field of alfalfa. Mace was still angry with Beth but he couldn't stop the half smile creeping up onto his lips at the sight of her in the field. Even though Mason was doing the best he could in the absence of their Pop, Beth was still turning out to be a pretty good kid. Sure, she tested him to the limits at time, but no more than Tex did in fact. Mason was thankful that Jaime Collins was the last of the Collings children because if there was a younger one, both Beth and Tex would be banned from associating with the Collins. Watching Beth run her fingers along the top of the alfalfa with the sunbeams of tiny bugs and dust around her made him think about his mother. For when Mason was a child about the age of Beth he remembered watching his Mother do the same thing while laughing and smiling. How fast things change. Look where his life was now he thought. As he continued to watch his laughing sister he knew he needed to snap himself out of his lonely memories and get back to reality. As he pulled himself to present day he heard Tex hollering to their sister. "Beth! You best get your ass over here. Mace is about to have a cow!"
"Hey, watch your mouth Tex!" Mason grabbed at his brother's faded olive t-shirt as a warning to watch his language. "That's just what we need is for her to start using that kind of language."
Tex loosened himself from Mason's grip and shot him a dirty look. "It's not like anyone else watches their language around her. So why the hell do I need too? Jesus, what's the difference in how I'm talking now and when you and Bob are together? Or even when Pop is home? He's constantly talking like he's still on the circuit with the boys!" Tex fumbled with the handle on their old truck for it was constantly getting stuck. After a few tries the door finally flung open. He jumped out and waved for his sister to come. Beth hurried her pace and started jogging towards the truck, while her shaggy blond hair waved in the breeze.
"Hey, are we going somewhere?" Beth was always excited at the chance to get off their property. She felt like it had been a very long summer with her two older brothers on their small farm. They had only heard from their Pop twice and it was starting to worry both her and Mace. Beth wished she could be more like her brother Tex, he never worries about anything. His spirit is so carefree and wild that she always wondered why her and Mason were so different from that of Tex.
"Just get in." Mason barked at the two." Beth exchanged a questioning look up to Tex who just pushed her towards the cab.
"You heard the man, get in." Tex mimicked. Beth pulled herself up in the cab of the truck and reluctantly moved over the bench seat towards her brother Mason. She knew right away that her big brother wasn't happy about something, and before she could even guess what it might be; Mace was starting in on her.
"You need to start telling people when you decide to take off." Mason scolded his little sister. Beth dipped her head down while taking in the scolding as if it was normal. "I thought you were in the house, I had no idea you were out in the fields. What were you doing out there anyways? Didn't you hear me and Tex talking about the rattler he noticed out by the fallen oak near the powelines yesterday?" He continued on with his rant. But once the truck started moving towards the road, Beth began to zone Mason out. He was giving the same ole same ole speech about not being old enough to just wander off and how's he supposed to keep her safe from those things if he doesn't know where she is? Once they were driving down the old paved road, Beth enjoyed the warm breeze and fresh air that was coming through the window. She hoped that the fresh breeze would soon take the wind out of her brother's sail. She just wanted to enjoy the fact that she was getting to go someplace other than being coupe up on their small parcel of land that her Pop managed to still own. "White Lightning" by George Jones was now playing on the radio and Beth was trying to focus on the music when she felt a bony elbow hit her left side. She looked up to see who or what caused the pain and when she caught a glimpse of Mason staring at her she knew that she had missed something. "I asked you a question."
As Beth pushed herself up a bit from sinking into the seat she tried to remember what Mason had asked. It wasn't until she heard the annoying laughter coming from Tex that made her flinch. "Lay off Mace. She wasn't doing any harm. She was just playing. It seems to me that's what you told her to do in the first place isn't it?" Beth couldn't resist the smile that was creeping on her lips. Tex was always coming to Beth's defense when Mace was coming down on her too hard. She really did love her big brother Tex. For he can sometimes pretend to be stone cold and tough on the outside, but deep down he was super sweet, kind and caring. How's it possible to be tough and stone cold and love horses the way that he does she wondered? Beth knew who the true Tex was. She also knew who the true Mace was but for some reason he was harder to get than Tex. For Mason McCormick wasn't just a typical seventeen year old, he was superman of Bixby, Oklahoma. Everyone loved Mason, and he could do no wrong in the eyes of everyone living in their small town. He was in the top ten of his class, he was handsome in his own kind of way, he would give the shirt off his back to anyone that needed it, and most of all he was the school's top athlete. Mason devoted himself to the game of basketball. When he was ten years old a college scout noticed him playing in a pick-up game with a bunch of teenagers and he told Mason that he had potential of being someone someday. Mason has never forgotten that. He has eaten, drank and slept basketball from that moment on. Basketball was Mason life, no doubts about it. He lived and breathed it every moment of his day. Beth knew deep down that Mason loved her, and cared for her, but she also knew that it wouldn't be long before Mason left them behind in the dust for his main passion. For the college scouts have already been knocking down their door and their mailbox and their phone with their inquiries for Mason to come and play for them next year. Tex just let it roll off his shoulders, he kind of liked being in Mason's shadow. Because with all the attention that was on Mace it only meant that Texas got to get away with so much more than he already did. But Beth looked at things very differently than Tex. Even though Mason annoyed her, and bossed her around and told her what she could and couldn't do didn't mean that she didn't love him. She loved him lots. Ever since she can remember he has been the only person that has consistently looked after her and taken care of her. Yeah sure, Pop comes and goes, but it's usually only for a few months here, a few months there, but not Mace. He's been there her whole life, almost every day of it to be exact. He has never left like her Mother did and like her Pop still does. Mason's the one that taught her how to read, and to write her name. He's the one that has taught her manners. He's the one that makes sure she has food in her belly, and makes sire she gets enough sleep at night. He's the one that makes sure she takes a bath, and has clean clothes to wear and put on. He's the one that taught her how to dribble a basketball, and how to shot it. Damn, she has a better jump shot than Tex does at fifteen. Without a doubt it has always been Mason. He's the one that tells her that she can be anything she wants to be when she gets older. Secretly she wants to be just like her big brother, but she wouldn't ever let him know that. Sure she loves Pop, but that just might be because he's her father. For when he's around he lets her run around wild and do whatever she pleases. He forgets the important things like a regular bedtime, or when she last ate. Yeah she likes it when he's home, but she also likes the foundation that Mason offers for her. A part of her likes having rules and routines. When she does she knows what's to come. But when Pop comes home there aren't any rules or routines. She never knows what to expect with him. She never knows when it might be time to eat, or what nights are tub nights, or when or where she is going to sleep. Their Pop likes to fly by the seat of his pants and that's fine but deep down Beth comes to grow old of that lifestyle. After a while she comes to crave Mason's ways of doing things. But now was one of those times that she wished it was Pop here and not Mason.
"I'm gonna ask you one more time Beth, why didn't you tell us where you were going?"
"Like Tex said you told me to go play. You didn't say I had to stay in the house. You just motioned to get out of your hair." Beth's voice was so low and soft that Tex could barely hear what she said, but Mace heard every word. As he drove down the road he found that he was calming down and his head was a bit clearer than it was back in the yard when he initially thought she was missing. He ran his hand through his thick black hair and let out a sigh.
"Yeah, I guess I did tell you to just go play didn't I?" At this point he knew that he needed to let it go. "Just remember to tell someone next time." Beth shook her head in agreement and made a mental note to make sure she told either Tex or Mason where she was going to be next time.
"So where we going Mace?" Beth asked hoping that changing the subject would change the disposition of her older brother some.
Mason took his eyes off of the road for just a second and flashed his all American smile and spoke to both McCormick's. "You'll see!"
