Chapter 55: This is only the beginning
'The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.'
-Maya Angelou, All God's Children Needs Traveling Shoes.
Joel headed back to the ranch with Tommy and some of his men in tow. Becca and Ellie were sitting on the porch waiting for them to arrive. Becca still had the rifle Joel gave her and Ellie had her pistol. They both weren't convinced they didn't have to use them.
Tommy and his men headed to the barn while Joel went to check on his girls.
Becca stood up from the bench while Ellie got up from the steps.
Joel stared warily at Ellie. He thought about seeing Lizzie leave Sharon's house. There could be a logical explanation for it, but if she had a medical emergency she could just go to the hospital.
It was also the middle of the night. Why would a teenage girl be at her house in the middle of the night for? He didn't feel right about the whole situation. He would need to talk it over with Becca. There wasn't any use troubling Ellie over it until he knew everything. He would keep an eye on it though.
Ellie stared up at him, seeing the uneasy look on his face,'What's wrong?'
He sighed and shook his head. She knew him too well,'A lottta things in case ya haven't noticed.' He patted her back,'Ya need to get to bed. You have school in the morning.'
Ellie's eyes widened and she shook her head,'Fuck that. This is more important.'
'So is school.' Becca gave her a small smile and stroked her cheek,'Please just listen and go to sleep.' She narrowed her eyes,'What did I tell you about the language? No comic books for a week.'
Ellie rolled her eyes and sighed,'This is bullshit.'
'Ellie.' Joel gave her a stern look,'What did your mama tell ya?' He pointed his finger at her,'Don't talk to her like that either. What did we say shout respect?'
Ellie pursed her lips as she shook her head and walked inside the house, slamming the door behind her.
Becca sighed and shook her head as tears filled her eyes,'We just can't win. Can we?' She frowned,'She's right though. This concerns her too.'
'It does.' He placed his hand on her shoulder,'But she also needs to show us respect.' He shrugged,'She wants to be a Miller than I'm gonna treat her like one.'
Becca nodded as she looked over at Tommy and his men at the barn,'What's the plan?'
'Clean up the mess.' He sighed,'Then I'm gonna see if I can find any tracks around the property. I figure with the snow I'll be able to find some tracks.' He cupped her cheek as he looked over her face,'You okay?'
'The truth?' She snorted,'Not really. I feel like…' She shook her head,'I lost my children. I know it's stupid. They were horses.'
'In a way ya did.' He sighed,'I ain't gonna tell ya how to feel. I know ya loved them.'
She started crying again and he carefully turned his rifle onto his back. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, comforting his wife as she leaned against him.
He sighed as he held her. There wasn't anything he could say to make it better. He was tired of people hurting them. They didn't deserve it.
She placed her hands on his chest as she took a few deep breaths to control her breathing,'For a while there they were all I had. They were my friends. The only ones I could talk to.'
'You have me.' He smirked as he gently shook her,'I ain't as pretty as them, but at least I talk back.'
'You do.' She grinned,'Sometimes too much.'
'Ha ha.' He kissed the top of her head and sighed,'I was heading to Tommy's and saw Lizzie coming outta Sharon's house.'
'Sharon's house?' Her eyes widened and she shook her head confusingly,'Why would a seventeen year old girl be heading out of her house at two in the morning?'
He nodded as his jaw locked in anger,'That's what I wanna know.' He shook his head,'I didn't wanna tell Ellie yet. I know they're close. I didn't wanna cause a rift until I'm sure.'
She nodded as she watched the men taking a bag. Her heart sank to her stomach. She wondered if that was Dusty's head.
Dusty's head. She couldn't fucking believe this. This was something out of a horror movie. Then again, so has this whole twenty years.
He unwrapped his arms from her as she hugged herself,'You think Lizzie has something to do with this?'
'I don't know.' He situated his hat on his head,'I don't trust anyone in this town. Lizzie could've framed ya.'
Her eyes widened in realization and she nodded,'She's always in the house.' She met his eyes with fury,'I'll keep an eye on her.'
He nodded as he stroked her cheek and kissed her lips,'I'm gonna help the guys. Maria's coming with the baby in a bit to keep ya company? You gonna be okay?'
'I'll be okay.' She leaned up and kissed his lips,'I'll make sone coffee for you guys and bring it down.'
He rubbed her stomach gently as he kissed both of her cheeks,'I love you.'
She smiled softly as she patted his cheek,'I love you too.'
He stared at her for a moment before walking off the porch and headed to the barn.
She watched him walk off and sighed to herself. Lizzie. What the hell was going on? If Lizzie was involved Ellie would never get over the betrayal. It would absolutely wreck her. She didn't want her to handle that kind of devastation. She prayed she wasn't involved.
For everyone's sake.
Joel walked into the barn as the men were cleaning up. He walked over to Tommy, who was mopping the blood off the ground.
Joel grabbed a mop as dipped it into the bucket, immediately getting to work to help.
Tommy looked over at his brother and frowned,'How is she?'
'What do you think?' He started mopping up the blood, shaking his head,'This is fuckin insane.' He pointed to the words on the wall, staring at Tommy desperately,'I want these fuckers dead.'
'So do I.' Tommy sighed and shook his head,'Ralph said he saw some tracks on the west side. Horse tracks. He trailed then all the way to Battleground.' He grinned as Joel's eyes widened,'You know what's in Battleground right?'
'The military base.' Tommy nodded as Joel stopped mopping and turned to him,'That's where Tess took Becca and Maria. You think they would be stupid enough to keep their base there?'
'Someone is.' He shrugged,'Its worth taking a look at again.'
He nodded as he walked closer to him, whispering,'I saw Lizzie coming outta Sharon's house when I was coming to ya.'
Tommy's eyes widened,'Lizzie as in Ellie's girlfriend?' He waited for Joel to nod and shook his head,'I don't know why.'
'What's her story? Where she come from?'
Tommy thought about it for a moment,'She came here alone a few years ago. She said she lost her parents five years prior to that.'
'How?'
'I don't know?' He shook his head and sighed,'A young girl comes starving and alone looking for a home. You don't really ask questions.'
He nodded silently as he carefully considered it. He didn't trust the girl's story. It seemed too perfect. He would have to dig deeper. He trusted Becca's help. She knew her better than anybody and spent time with her.
If anyone could've framed Becca it would be Lizzie. She had every opportunity. She spent time in the house. She stayed the night and was trusted alone there.
He wouldn't jump the gun. He didn't want Ellie to get worked up over nothing. God help her if she did. Nothing would save her. He would put a bullet in her brain without giving it a second thought. He didn't give a damn if she was only seventeen years old. She was old enough to know better.
Tommy saw the wheels turning in his head and laughed,'Who we killing?'
'No one. Yet.' He shook his head and slammed the mop down on the ground,'How did they fuckin get through? I thought you were patrolling.'
'We are!' Tommy glared at him,'I have men on every single corner. Every goddamned perimeter. No one got in.' He took a deep breath,'Someone let them in.'
Joel nodded as he placed his hands on his hips,'I'm keeping my eye on that fuckin girl.'
Tommy snorted as he went back to cleaning the floor,'I wouldn't expect anything less.'
Joel glared at him as he grabbed Dusty's torso. He slid it out of the barn and laid it against it. He picked up a shovel as he began digging a hole.
He was sick and tired of burying dead things. He was tired of death. He should be getting ready for the birth of his child. He wanted this to end before the baby was born. He just wanted them to live in peace.
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It was almost eight in the morning when Joel rode into town. He was exhausted, having been up the entire night before. Tommy and his men just left the ranch. They spent almost the entire night keeping surveillance and checking the perimeters.
Ralph had been right about the tracks from Battleground. Him and Tommy along with a few other men planned to head out there the next day. If only to see who or what they would find. He was itching for a fight.
He had rage festering inside of him that needed to be released.
His body was aching from grave digging, but he needed to do something important before he headed back home. He made his wife a promise. One he intended to keep.
He climbed off his horse and tied it up. He hoped he didn't lose this horse. They only had three horses left.
Betsy's shop was always opened early at seven AM on the dot. He walked into the store, the chime dinging as he made his entrance.
Betsy's bright smile faltered as she looked over his tired and haggard appearance. His jeans and boots were covered in mud. He probably looked how he felt. Hell.
'What happened?' She explained to him in Spanish as she walked over to him, holding his face in her hands,'Is Becca okay?'
'Becca's fine.' He replied in Spanish as he gave her a small smile,'I'm fine. I just need a favor.' He took a deep breath,'Becca's pregnant.' He nodded and smiled proudly, continuing to speak in her native language,'She needs clothes that fit her.' He frowned,'I want her to feel…' He waved his hand in the air,'Pretty.'
Tears filled her eyes as she bounced excitedly,'I'm gonna be a grandma!' She clapped her hands and hugged him tightly,'No wonder you came in here looking scared as shit.'
He laughed and shook his head,'I'm gonna be a dad…at fifty six. I'm old enough to be a grandpa.'
She rolled her eyes and slapped his chest,'Your beautiful wife is pregnant and that's what you're worried about.' She placed her hands on her hips,'Why would you marry her then if you were so worried about your age? You knew she was younger.'
He sat down on the stool and stretched his legs out,'Cause I'm selfish and I wanted her all for myself.'
'Then what are you bitching about?' She rolled her eyes,'I've never seen a man so unhappy about being happy.'
He laughed as she started gathering her measuring tape and needle pins, putting them in her bag. She grabbed her notepad and pencils along with some fabric.
He smiled to himself. He really did trust this woman. She was like the mother he never had. Maybe he could have Betsy at the house more. She would be a good and calming influence on her.
He got up from the stool and placed his hands on the woman's shoulders,'Thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it. It's gonna make Becca happy after…what I did.' He shook his head, whispering admittedly,'I still feel so ashamed for what I done. Sometimes I can't even look at her. She tells me she forgives me, but she was pregnant and didn't tell me cause she was afraid I would hurt the baby.' He blinked away tears and frowned,'What kinda man does that to their wife, Betsy?'
She sighed and cupped his cheek,'You beat yourself up too much, Pedro.'
He closed his eyes as she called him by his middle name. Just like his mama used to. He took comfort in speak his native language with her. She brought him back to his roots. She reminded him of the man he was and used to be. The man he could still be if he allowed himself.
She smiled tearfully as she stroked his cheek,'Becca married you for the man you are. She's well aware of your age. She knew what she wanted too. Marriages aren't perfect. We make a lot of mistakes, but the memories are what most important. Stop focusing on your damn age and focus on the present. You're having a baby!'
He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. She brought things into perspective for him. Even though they were dealing with a lot of stressful and dangerous stuff; they still had a lot to look forward to.
Their baby would be here before they know it. Regardless if the perpetrator wasn't found-baby was happening. He would be happy. He was happy. He just wanted things to be perfect. He wanted too much.
'Let's go before I get customers.' Betsy grinned,'I love dressing pregnant women. It's so much fun.'
He grinned at her enthusiasm, knowing it would cheer Becca up. She needed something fun. She's been dealt with too much damned shit. From him and everybody else.
Joel followed her out of the shop as she turned the closed sign to appear in the front of the door. She locked the door behind her Joel led her to his horse.
He helped her climb onto it as he hopped on in front of her. He saw Lizzie and Ellie walking to school. They were holding hands as they chatted animatedly.
Lizzie looked back at him over her shoulder. She narrowed her eyes as she had a small smirk on her face. He squinted his eyes as she turned back to Ellie with a bright smile on her face.
He shook his head. Two faced little bitch. He was going to figure out her deal.
He pulled the reins of the horse onto the trail towards the ranch. He leaned back, whispering so onto Betsy could hear,'Please don't tell anyone in town about Becca. We don't want anyone to know cause…'
'Say no more.' She looked around and shook her head,'Nosy ass snobs think they're better than us but always want to know our business. I'm not telling them shit.'
He laughed as he sped down the trail, eager to get home. The old woman was just like him. He knew he could trust her. It was in dire situations we learn who we can trust and who we need to watch out for. The foxes weren't as slick as they thought.
Joel parked the horse in front of the house. He unlocked the door and walked inside the house with Betsy, calling out,'Baby! You here?'
'Upstairs!' She called out,'I'll be right there!'
They waited a few moments as Becca ran downstairs. She was only wearing a robe and her hair was still wet. Becca's eyes widened as they laid on Betsy.
Joel's eyes traveled up the length of her bare legs. The robe went up to her mid thigh. He smirked to himself. She thought he was alone.
He thought about the last time they were together. He hoped she didn't let her small setback deter her from intimacy. Something told him she was stronger than that.
'Betsy.' She cleared her throat as her cheeks reddened. She glared at Joel as he laughed at her flustered appearance,'I'm sorry. I didn't know you were coming.'
'Mujer hermosa.' Betsy whispered lovingly as she held out her arms,'I'm so happy for you.'
Becca's eyes widened as Betsy held her. She understood what she said. Beautiful girl. Joel had been teaching her Spanish. While she wasn't very good with languages, she was catching on and understood some phrases. Although, Ellie seemed to pick it up better than her.
She held Betsy's tightly and closed her eyes,'Gracias.' She rubbed her back,'I'm four and a half months.'
Betsy grinned as she patted her small bump gently,'We'll make sure you have pretty dresses to wear in the summer. I brought my sketch book and some fabric for ideas. We can take some measurements.'
Becca smiled brightly as she nodded,'I would love that. Thank you.'
Joel watched as Betsy prattled over on and Becca listened intently. The two women seemed to get along really well. Betsy was crass and had a dirty sense of humor. She brought Becca out of her shell. He knew this is exactly what his wife needed to take his mind off things. She deserved it.
He sighed as he closed his eyes briefly. He needed a shower and a nap. He wasn't good to anyone without some sleep.
He walked out of the kitchen, leaving the two women alone.
Becca followed him out of the kitchen as she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist,'Thank you. I love you so much.'
His eyes widened in surprise. His eyes crinkled as he smiled softly, kissing the top of her head,'Ain't nothin, baby girl. Ya deserve it.'
'It's everything.' She leaned up and kissed his lips,'You're a good man.' She smirked,'Pedro.'
He snorted as she let go of him and walked back into the kitchen. He wondered if it was a good idea to bring Betsy into the equation. She was a different kind of trouble.