Remember the Alamo (Legacy Book 1) Page 3

  He’d never forgive his kin for it, but he somehow had to come to a peace with it. That had seemed like an impossible task before, but with Leo, he felt some hope for that.

  “A steak sounds good. So does some sleep.”

  They traveled back to the house together, and Mac set to making the food in the old kitchen. The appliances were out of date, a couple of the cabinets needed new hardware, but that didn’t stop the good memories he had there. While he sat at the table, watching closely every evening while he was supposed to be doing homework, his mother made the family meals. She was always humming as she cooked, throwing a smile over her shoulder to him, though she’d gently chide him for not having his head in his work.

  Always, a small sample of dessert would be given him, before supper, with a finger in front of her lips, a wordless pact between them that he’d never tell his brother or father their secret.

  “Smells good,” Leo said as he entered the room, moving next to him as he cut bell peppers for the salad.

  “Nothin’ special.”

  Leo was looking at him, smirking hard enough to narrow his eyes hard. “Do you ever talk yourself or your accomplishments up, or do you just bash yourself at every turn?”

  Dropping the spatula in the skillet, he spun on Leo. “You met me ‘bout ten minutes ago! How the Sam Hill you think you know me?”

  Invading his personal space, Leo moved closer to him, unblinking, growing taller, or it seemed like it. Mac felt his body heat, and it was considerable. “I know you, McCully Blaylock. I’ve seen you a thousand times in different men. You’re wondering where you belong in this world and have no idea who you really are.”

  For a few moments, his mind blanked, his body went weak. He gripped the counter to keep from falling, but there was no need, as Leo reached out to steady him, cupping a hand on his side, giving him icy chills through the heat of his body.

  “Tend to your steaks before they burn.”

  Like he’d been in a bubble, the sights and sounds of the kitchen came back to him with Leo’s words, and he moved to the stove, taking the pan off the flames. Leo left his side to head to the table, and shakily, Mac got the food plated and served without dropping anything.

  When he sat across from Leo, he avoided his eyes, feeling Leo watching him. “This looks delicious, Mac.”

  “Th-thanks.”

  Cutting into his steak, Mac felt like a coward, not meeting the man’s stare. He didn’t seem to notice, digging heartily into his food. Sipping the iced tea, he glanced up when he thought he wouldn’t be seen and was surprised that Leo was smiling over at him.

  “What?”

  Comically losing the smile and exaggerating a frown, Leo grumbled, “I can’t smile?”

  That made him laugh, no matter how hard he tried not to. “Did Shan know how weird you were when you were in college, or is this a new personality you’re tryin’ out on me?”

  “The latter, definitely. I was kind of stiff and worried about grades. I was deep in the closet too, so I had to suppress how fabulous I was.”

  The fork slipped from his fingers, thudding onto the tablecloth. “Is that what this is?”

  “What?”

  “A setup? Did she tell you I was some lonely, closeted rancher in need of saving from some educated city boy?”

  Without blinking or thinking for more than a second, Leo answered flatly, “Nah, she never told me a thing. I can see all that for myself.”

  Scooting his chair back, Mac was fuming, the urge to scream at this man overwhelming, but he held it back, worried he’d lose the help with the ranch. He left the table, storming into the living room, wishing to have a slug of whiskey from the ranch office, but resisting. With his tongue loosened, there was no telling what he’d say.

  Leo followed him, and waited until Mac was facing him. “Look, I’m sorry I overstepped. I have a tendency to say what’s on my mind.”

  After running his fingers through his hair, Mac took a deep breath, hoping to ease his anger. “I don’t know what you think you know, but it just ain’t true.”

  Leo walked to him but kept a respectful distance. “I’m going to go outside to my trailer. What time do things usually start around here? I’d like to observe, if that’s okay?”

  “Four-thirty.”

  Chuckling, Leo admitted, “I don’t think I’ve seen that time of the morning since I stopped going out to clubs. I’ll set my alarm.”

  From the corner of his eye, Mac watched him leave the house, and he breathed out long and loudly. Mac fell back on the sofa, stirring dust he’d missed on his cleanup, feeling like an ass that he was so easily read.

  If a stranger could tell he was gay, who else knew? Had his father known? No, Mac was sure he didn’t. He’d have never stood for it.

  When his phone went off, he took it from his pocket to see it was his brother. Reluctantly, he answered. “Yeah, Wayne.”

  “That was…not friendly. What’s wrong? Did Leo tell you the place wouldn’t cover the mortgage and the debt?”

  “No, no, he didn’t. He said there’d be money left over, but…I don’t know.”

  “What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

  Sinking further into the cushions, he didn’t think he’d say anything about his concerns, but he surprised himself. So high pitched, it was unmistakably a whine, he said, “Well, he’s not very professional, Wayne, stickin’ his nose in where it doesn’t belong, and, makin’ assumptions ‘bout me. I didn’t ask for a dang therapist!”

  When Wayne got quiet, which was so unlike him, his foot started bouncing over his knee after he crossed his ankle there. Frustrated wasn’t the word for the way he felt. Inside, he was shaking. Inside! Like his liver and kidneys and the rest of his internal organs were vibrating.

  “Wayne!”

  “Huh? Sorry! I…Listen, Mac, just put up with him. He’s a good guy. When Shan first knew him, he helped her out a lot. She wouldn’t have sent him over to you if she didn’t trust him, really, really trust him.”

  The foot stopped, and he found his breath once more. “Even if it means puttin’ up with him actin’ like I’m some dumb hick?”

  “I’m sure he doesn’t think that.”

  “Why not? Daddy did. You do. Shit, I know it ‘bout myself.”

  More dead air on the other side of the call, and Mac wanted to scream again, but before he could, Wayne argued, “I don’t think you’re dumb, Mac, not by any means, but you lived under Daddy’s thumb all those years out of some outdated sense of loyalty. He left you with a huge debt that you’re going to have to figure out how to deal with. I think you’ve honored him enough. It’s time to see the truth and know that you are the one who matters now. You need to move on with your life.”

  Not understanding what that meant, he didn’t push, didn’t ask. He was exhausted from the day with Leo. “I’ll let him do what he needs to do and stay away from him unless he has questions.”

  There was obvious humor tinting his words as he said, “Good luck with that.”

  Before he could question that comment, Wayne ended the call, and Mac let his phone drop to the cushion. Good luck? What the hell did that mean?

  In the morning, he was sipping on his second cup of coffee when Leo knocked on the back door. Reluctantly, Mac opened it and was less than welcoming, holding the door open for him but not greeting him.

  “Morning, Mac.”

  “Yeah. Coffee’s in the pot, and whatever you want for breakfast, help yourself. I’m going to go get the four-wheeler started, then talk to Teddy.”

  “Wait a minute, and I’ll tag along.”

  Mac stopped before he rinsed out his mug. “I figure I’ll give you the keys to the office and you can start going through the books. Anything else will have to wait for later.”

  Rushing out, he let the screen slam in Leo’s face, the pang of guilt ignored as he headed for the pole barn.

  Teddy was waiting for him by the bunk house, strapping some wire onto the back of his four-wheeler. “
Hey, boss.”

  “Teddy, listen, this manager guy is gettin’ on my last nerve. Do me a favor, and if I send him your way, show him around to whatever he asks to see.”

  Teddy ducked his head, grunted, “Sure thing.”

  “What?”

  Not meeting his eyes, Teddy dismissed, “Nothin’, boss. Nothin’. I’ll show ‘im ‘round.”

  It hit him like a brick, so hard that Mac took a step backward. “Teddy, it ain’t…it’s not that he’s…”

  “Sure, boss, I know. It’s fine.”

  Mac was nauseated, knowing that Teddy thought it was Leo’s race that was the issue. “Teddy, never mind. I’ll take care of it.”

  Teddy grabbed his arm and said, “Mac, listen, no one could fault ya. We all knew how your daddy was about them. Some of it had ta rub off.”

  Wrenching from the touch, Mac spat, “I ain’t nothin’ like my daddy. Nothin’!”

  Before he could see one more look of disbelief, he got back to the house and caught Leo just as he was leaving the house with an egg sandwich clutched in one hand, barely balancing the mug of coffee in the other while trying to shut the door.

  It would be comical if Mac wasn’t so ticked off, so he hurried to help, pulling the door shut and locking eyes with Leo. “Sorry I run off. I’ll take ya to the office.”

  Leo rode on the back of the four-wheeler, not hanging onto him because he was trying to eat and finish off his coffee. It occurred to Mac several times that all he had to do was hit one big bump…

  Once he stopped, Leo climbed off, but didn’t head to the door. He waited for Mac to stand before he stared at him, sheepish, but grinning, nonetheless. “Can we talk?”

  “I thought that’s what we were gonna do. Talk about why yer here, to manage the sale of the property. That’s all we got to talk about.”

  He got to the door and unlocked it, heading in to turn on the heater. It was always ten degrees colder inside the office than it was outside. Once in front of the outdated computer, Mac punched in the password and opened the files Leo would need to go over.

  “Mac…I’m really sorry about last night. I know that I have an issue keeping my opinions to myself.”

  “Yeah, yeah, no problem. Here’s the information, the file cabinets are in that next room.”

  He rose from the desk and started to leave, but Leo moved in front of him, stopping his progress. “Mac, please. I didn’t mean to offend you. I could be here for weeks, and I didn’t want to start out contentious.”

  “Too late, don’tcha think?”

  The disarming smile that spread on Leo’s perfect lips had the desired effect. “Come on. You know you want to be friends. Weeks of being around me, having me look into every crack and crevice of this place, you don’t want the whole thing stiff and formal, do ya?”

  Mac leaned back on the wall by the door, his arms crossing over his chest to protect himself. “Lay off the analysis of my life?”

  Hand moving up to cradle his chin, so his thumb could stroke there, eyes gazing upward, he pretended to be deep in thought. “Hmm. That’s a tough request.”

  Biting back a laugh, Mac proposed, “At least during workin’ hours? Then, I can just avoid you the rest of the time.”

  He was pointed at as Leo agreed, “Good idea, though I pop up when you least expect me, so be warned.”

  “Deal.”

  Chapter Four

  The next two weeks were much better. Mac didn’t avoid Leo, it would have been impossible if he tried. Each night, they ate dinner together, going over the details of the ranch, and each morning they had coffee together before Mac gave him a ride to the office.

  He caught Leo watching him a lot, and the reason he did was that he wanted to do the same, to Leo. Not only was he terribly handsome, but he was interesting. Every gesture Leo made was graceful and yet it wasn’t done lightly. When his hands move, or his face made an expression he didn’t usually have, it was to emphasize things.

  There was something else that increased as the days passed. Leo touched him. A lot. Leo’s hands were always reaching for his, cupping his cheek, and when they walked into or out of a room or structure together, his hand was on Mac’s lower back, guiding him, but never pushing. He didn’t know why he liked that so much, but he did.

  Leo came in late the week the beginning of the third week, and he wasn’t his usually smiling self. Mac braced himself, wondering which part he’d hear about. “Sit down, Mac.”

  The pizza was in the oven, a last-minute go-to since he hadn’t gotten to pick up anything else before the long day was done. Mac sat at the kitchen table, hands on the surface, clasped together. “What’s goin’ on?”

  Leo took the seat across from him, and from his pocket, he took his phone out, swiping the screen. “I…I uh, know why your father was in debt.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yes. He had a severe gambling problem.”

  Blinking over at him, Mac thought he’d heard wrong. “That can’t be. There ain’t a casino around here. My Daddy didn’t go out on the weekends, there couldn’t have been any poker games.”

  Leo nodded throughout his reasoning, then dropped the boom. “Online gambling. I checked the browser history, found the sites and the password was kept on it, so I could look through his history there too. He won quite a bit at first, but after…nothing but losses. He was using the ranch money, after losing his own, so even if you had been allowed to look at the main books for the place, you wouldn’t have known. They’re fiction.”

  Mac’s head spun, then spun more and he pushed his chair back, letting the noise of it screech in the room. He stood and turned to the sink, gripping the lip of it as he let the information sink in. “I can’t believe it.”

  “Mac, there’s more.”

  Turning, not wanting to hear it, he steeled himself for what Leo had to tell him. “More?”

  “He also had a file in the computer that was labeled cow breeds. I guess to hide it from you. In this were a few lists of things, including his email password. In the email were some receipts. Yeah, seems to help pay for a couple of the online casinos, the ones that were on the up and up and didn’t take credit, he sold off a bunch of the equipment. There’s a bill of sale for the bulldozer, tractor, five of the seven four-wheelers, a bunch of other things. The buyer is another rancher, and he set the pickup for everything on the thirtieth of this month.”

  Trying to come up with an argument, Mac thought back to the reading of the will, how the lawyer’s voice, so monotone and lacking emotion, droned out how all the assets and debts of Daniel McCully Blaylock were left to his eldest son, McCully Cyrus Blaylock.

  He listed the ranch, the cattle, the pickup truck, horses…but when Mac thought of it, he’d never said if those were assets or debts. “It can’t be.”

  “To be fair to the lawyer, he probably didn’t know about most of this. Sounds like he didn’t renew the will since your father and brother had been estranged. The debts I’ve been coming across were since then. A lot in the last couple years.”

  “Fuck. There’s no way I can pay off the debts without that stuff. Is there?”

  “No, Mac. At this point, the only way to do that would be to keep the farm and show a profit every year for the next ten. Or, sell off some, and turn it into something else, but then you’d need investors. There are ways around this, so you’re not swimming in heavy debt for the rest of your life, Mac, but…none of them are going to thrill you, I’m sure.”

  Drained, feeling nothing, he finally knew what it meant to be numb. “I can’t. I just…can’t deal with this now.”

  Leo moved close, reaching for him, then pulling his hand away, he asked, “You have a place to get a drink in this town?”

  “Fifteen miles down the road. Who’s gonna drive?”

  Leo smiled sadly. “I would, but I hate to see a guy drink alone. I have some brandy out in the camper. We could go out there, I have Fritos and dried apples.”

  Blinking at him, Mac couldn’t
help but laugh, though it was short and dry. “Fritos and dried apples. That’s gross, man.”

  “I don’t eat them at the same time.”

  They went to the camper, which wasn’t huge, but it was very nice. Mac could tell Leo spent a lot of time in it, pictures taped to the walls of Leo and friends or family, throw pillows on the sofa-like seat at the end, kitchen set up with spices in the rack, a ceramic vase with cooking utensils and a clear bottle with oil next to the little stove. On one of the three burners was a well-worn tea kettle.

  The narrow hall on the other end held two doors, which Mac assumed was the bedroom and bathroom, and there was a table with his computer and folders spread over the surface.

  “It’s small, but home for a lot of the time. Sit at the table, here,” he instructed, gathering the folders and setting them in front of the utensil vase, then closing the laptop and placing it on the folders.

  From above the stove, he opened the short cabinet and pulled out one of the bottles that were there. Mac saw there was also vodka and schnapps.

  After Leo poured them both a hefty half glass of brandy, he sat across from him, lifting his glass. “Here’s to parents, huh?”

  Sighing, Mac clinked his glass to Leo’s, but didn’t repeat the toast. He slugged down the first drink, holding his glass out for the fill up, no please or thank you involved. The idea of niceties and politeness didn’t fit his current mood.

  “If there was one thing I could do, you know, go back in time, I’d watch him more careful.”

  He got laughter from Leo that he didn’t understand, but it was soon explained. “That’s what you’d do with your time traveling super power?”

  When he reexamined what he’d said, he too saw the humor in it. “Yeah, I guess that’s pretty stupid.”

  “Not stupid, just overly focused on your father. Now that he’s gone, you should focus on yourself more. Figure out what you want and make strives to get there.”