Chapter 16 – Anticipation
I told Beau everything that Benny had told me. "Why won't he accept my help?"
"Don't have an answer for that. But he sure is mad at you about somethin.'"
"And he didn't give you any idea what's wrong?"
I shook my head. "Nope. Not a one."
Connie's pronouncement of Beau being in an awful mood wasn't far off the mark. He threw a pillow across the room before turning to me. "What is wrong with these kids? I'm here to give him a helping hand, and he refuses it. The banks not gonna wait much longer before they foreclose."
"Not much we can do if you don't know what the problem is. Maybe Maudie can find out."
"No, leave your daughter out of it. She's done enough. I don't want to trade on their friendship any more than we already have."
"Alright. I'm headin' home. I promised to do somethin' for Doralice this afternoon. You know where I am if you figure anything out."
I went home, still pondering just what it was that had Benny so upset with his father. Three days passed and I heard nothing from Benny or Beau. Then on the fourth day, Benny showed up at the ranch and wanted to talk to me. I was in the barn watching Lucien put the Appaloosa Roan through her paces. She was almost ready for Maudie. A little feisty, but Maudie would appreciate that.
Benny walked up and took a position next to me while I leaned on the fence. "Well, you were right, Bart. The bank wasn't interested in anything except when could I pay them. They didn't want to negotiate. This morning someone from there came by and told me I had twenty-four hours to pay in full or be out. So, I came here to see if you could still use me."
"Benny, what have you got against your father? Why wouldn't you let him help you?"
"I . . . I really don't want to discuss it, Bart."
"Trust is a mutual thing you know. Look, Benny, you want me to trust you enough to let you work here but you don't trust me enough to tell me what the problem is between you and your pa. I'd love to have you back here but I can't have somebody that I don't trust. So as long as you don't trust me enough to tell me what the problem is I can't hire you back. Do you understand?"
He pulled back from the fence and glared at me but he said nothing. He turned and walked out of the barn without making a sound and in a few minutes, he was gone. Lucien came over to the fence and shook his head. "Must be somethin' really awful if he won't trust you enough to tell you."
"Do you think that was the wrong move?"
"Nope. You gotta force his hand or he's not gonna tell you. Why don't you send Maudie down to see him now? He might tell her what's botherin' him."
"Slim, run on up to the house and send Maudie down."
"Sure boss."
Five minutes later Maudie came down to see what I wanted. "Honey, can you do me a favor?"
"Sure Daddy. What's up?"
"Can you go down to Benny's and see if he'll tell you what the problem is between him and his pa?"
"Does he know I'm coming?"
"No." A thought crossed my mind. "You about ready to ride the Roan filly?"
She glanced over at the filly and quickly looked away. "Not yet, Daddy. I still miss my baby boy."
"Baron's saddled. Why don't you take him?"
She giggled. "You think I can handle him?"
"He's gentle as a pussycat now. You can handle him."
She kissed me on the cheek and headed for Baron, who was tied up outside. "Wish me luck."
"Good luck, darlin'."
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It was almost dusk when my oldest girl came back. "You two have a lot of talkin' to do?"
"We did," she told me as she hopped down off Baron. "I think it was productive. Benny's gonna come up tomorrow mornin' and talk to you. It's not that he doesn't trust you Dad. I think he's embarrassed that this bothers him so much."
"Did he tell you?"
"No, he wants to talk to you first."
"Alright, sweetie at least he's finally willing to talk. I'll just have to wait until morning."
Another night staring at the ceiling, wondering what great conflict existed between father and son. And the only thing I had to look forward to was spending the whole night with the warm soft woman lying here in my arms.
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