Debra sat in the office at the desk doing some work when the radio went off. "Boss, you may want to see who is coming." Pete said over the radio.
Debra typed on the computer and brought up the cameras. She looked at the image then picked up the radio. "Stop him Pete. Edward, its Jose." She said then quickly got up. She grabbed her gun holster off the desk then hurried out of the house.
Edward and the men were already headed for the truck with rifles in hand. "I'm coming, too." Debra yelled as she headed towards the truck. She got in the passenger's side. The men climbed in the back.
"Debra, I don't think this is a good idea." Edward said.
"Just go, Edward." Debra said.
Edward started the truck and pulled out. He drove as rather fast down the driveway. "Promise me you'll stay out of harm's way."
"I don't have any intentions of getting hurt, Edward."
"Boss, we have him blocked in between the cattle gates. There are three men in the truck."
Edward pulled his radio off his belt. "Thanks Pete. Can you see any weapons?"
"No. Two are out of the truck now."
"We will be there soon."
"Should I call the sheriff?"
"Not yet. Let's just see how this plays out."
"10 - 4, boss."
"Is this your client, boss?" Joe asked.
"I don't know."
"They are towing a trailer." Debra said.
"Then he didn't give me his right name." He said. Edward slowed down as he approached the gate. He stopped and quickly got out. The men followed with their rifles aimed at the men. "Mr. Black?" Edward asked.
A man exited the truck. "Are you Edward Barlow?" He asked. "We spoke on the phone last night."
"Yes, I am." Edward said as he lowered his rifle slightly. "But that isn't your real name, is it?"
"I guess you know who I am."
"Yes, we do."
"We are not armed, Mr. Barlow." Jose said. "You can check if you want."
Debra got out of the truck and slowly approached Edward with her hand on her pistol grip. "Joe, check them."
" I assure you; we aren't armed." Jose said.
"It's for everyone's safety." Edward said.
Joe patted the three of them down. "They're clean, boss."
"Ok, put them down, men." Edward said. "What can I do for you?"
"As I told you on the phone, I would like you to look at my horse." Jose said.
"We know who you are."
"Debra, you look just like your mother."
"What do you want?" Debra asked as she tightened her grip on her pistol.
"I mean you no harm. Will you at least look at my horse?" Jose asked as he focused on Edward. "That is what I came here for."
"Do you mind if we check your vehicle and trailer?" Edward asked.
"Do what you feel that you need to." Jose said as he put his hands up. Edward motioned to the men. "I know what the authorities think of me. I am used to this kind of thing and every time they don't find anything."
"We know who your father was." Debra said.
"He was your father, too." Jose said. "And I am not him. Yes, I took over his business, but I am trying to change it for the better."
"That's not what we hear."
"I'm not going to discuss this out here. Why don't you come to my hotel suite for dinner and we can talk?"
" That's not going to happen." Edward said.
"I'm not going to push the issue. I came here to get help with my horse. I didn't know about you until my friend recommended you help my horse. When I looked into you, I saw a picture of the both of you and realized who you were, Debra. The picture really doesn't do you justice."
"It's clean, boss." Joe said when they got done looking at the vehicle and trailer.
"I'll show you where we can unload." Edward said. "It's not that far." Edward pulled his radio off his belt. "Lower the cattle gates, Pete. They are all clear."
"Yes, boss."
"Load up." Edward said then stepped toward Debra. He put his arm around her and steered her towards the truck. "Come on, darling."
"You're bringing him to the house?" Debra asked quietly.
"No, we are going to the arena." Edward said. "It is empty." He said then got to the truck. He helped her in and walked around to the other side. He got in and waited for his men then backed up.
"Boss, is this the best thing to do?" Josh asked.
"This is my job, to help horses. I can't turn him away because of who his father was and who we think he is."
"He could be here to get the lay of the land."
"That's why I am taking him to the arena. It's not close to the house."
"I still don't like it."
"You don't have to." Edward said as he turned onto the road leading to the arena. He reached over and took Debra's hand. "Are you ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Are you ok with this?"
"Sure. It's you job." Debra said. "I know I said I wanted to talk to him, but now I am not so sure."
"I know." Edward said. "Josh, when we get to the arena, open it up for me."
"Yes, boss."
"Let's just be careful with these guys. I haven't gotten a read on them yet." Edward said. He pulled up to the arena and parked. "Joe, show them where to park." He said. The men got out.
"I'm going to wait here." Debra said.
"Some things seem right in theory, but don't feel right when it happens."
"Just like wanting to find Edith and Jason?"
"Well, I need to take care of business. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"I'll be right here."
Edward leaned over and gave Debra a kiss. He got out of the truck and walked away.
Debra sat in the truck for quite a while then got out. She walked around to the side door and went inside. She found the bathroom and went in. She came out a few minutes later and listened to the men's voices from inside the arena. She walked over and stood by the wall and watched Edward as he worked the horse. She smiled as the watched him.
"Is he really as good as they say?" Jose asked as he came up behind Debra.
Debra immediately brought her hand down to her gun. "Yes. He's amazing when it comes to horses." She tightened her grip on her gun.
Jose stood along the wall several feet from Debra. He was quiet for a while. "Our father might have been into illegal business, but he was a good man." He finally said. "I would like to tell you more about your parents from what I remember."
Debra flexed her hand on her gun. She took a deep breath. "You don't have to."
"I know you don't trust me. I don't blame you. You've probably been told a lot of bad things about our father."
Debra turned towards Jose. "I know enough about him to know that I'm glad he's dead." Debra turned and walked out of the arena.
Edward found Debra sitting against a tree behind the arena. He walked slowly to her and sat down on the ground next to her. "I'm sorry I took so long. I wanted to get a feel for Storm before Jose left."
"So, he's gone?"
"Yes. Josh and Joe are following him out. They'll come back and get us." Edward said. "Are you ok?"
"I said something I shouldn’t, but I didn't know what else to say."
"I don't think I have ever known you for lack of words."
"I don't know if I want to know the answers to my questions." Debra said. "Besides, he's your client. I didn't want to say too much."
"He is your brother, Debra. I don't think he's here for any reason except for his horse. I didn't pick up any bad feelings about him."
"Neither did I. I don't know if I can handle knowing things that I don't want to know."
"I have his contact number if you change your mind." Edward said. "Let's get home and I will help you with lunch." He said as he got up. He put his hand down and Debra took it. He pulled her to her feet. "I think I need to hit the weights."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing darling." Edward laughed as he put his arm around her.
"You better watch it. I am armed and can be considered dangerous."
"I know, darling." He said as they walked around the arena.
Debra woke up on the couch around two in the afternoon. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Ace came into the room from his room. "Did I wake you?"
"No, I didn't hear you come in." Debra said.
"That's good." Ace said then sat down on the chair. "How are you doing?"
"I'm all right."
"I heard you had a visitor today."
"Edward got a new client." Debra said. "That's all there is to say." She got up and walked into the kitchen.
Ace walked in. "He's more than that, Debra. He's your brother."
Debra poured a glass of water and turned around to face Ace. "I don't know if I want to know about him."
"Why not? You should know more about him and your parents."
"I don't need to know about my father. He tried to kidnap me and almost succeeded when I was in college. Of course, I didn't know who he was at the time."
"My mother was a drug addict and my dad was an abusive alcoholic. That's how I got in the system. I don't know of any family, but if someone would come forward, I would want to know them."
"Even if they did illegal activities?"
"With everything I have read, it just says he's been suspected of illegal dealings. He's never been caught or even seen around it."
"I went through so much before and the stress almost made me loose the babies. I don't want any added stress."
"I can understand that, but he also deserves to know his sister. And you are a wonderful sister to have."
"Thanks, Ace."
"Well, I'm going to go to a work. I'll be back for dinner."
"All right." Debra said. Ace walked out of the kitchen.
Debra drove down to the arena around three. She parked and went inside. After a few minutes, Edward walked over. "I need to run to the store for something for dinner."
"All right."
"Do I need someone to go with me? I'm just going there and back."
"I don't think it is necessary to have anyone go with you. Jose is going to stop by soon anyway. I just called him."
"I won't be too long." Debra said then kissed Edward. She walked out.
Debra walked out of the grocery store with her groceries. She went out to the truck, got in and left the parking lot. She drove through town and turned towards the ranch. She drove down the road and saw another pick-up coming up fast behind her, then she a SUV coming towards her. The pickup started to go around her as the SUV approached. It tried to cut in front and her but clipped her front-end causing Debra to jerk the wheel and go off the road headfirst into a ditch. She hit her head on the steering wheel as the truck stopped knocking her unconscious.
Debra woke up at the hospital a couple hours later. She opened her eyes and looked around. Edward walked up to the bed. "Hey, darling."
"What happened?"
"You got run off the road by a couple of kids. How are you feeling?"
" My head is killing me." Debra brought her hand down to her belly. "Are the babies all right?"
"Yes. Everything is fine."
Debra looked out the window and saw Jose. "Why is he here?"
"He's the one who called in the accident. He stayed with you until I got here."
"Really?"
"Yes. He was on his way back from the ranch when he saw the accident. The other two vehicles stopped, but when he pulled up, they took off. He gave the sheriff descriptions and license plates and they caught the kids."
"And your truck?"
"I'm not worried about my truck, darling." Edward said. "You had me worried."
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to make a special dinner for you." Debra said.
"I'm going to find your doctor." Edward said. "You rest." Edward said then bent down and kissed her. He walked out of the room.
Jose knocked at the open door. "May I come in?"
Debra looked over. "Yes." She said. Jose walked in. "I guess I owe you a thanks."
"I'm just glad I drove up when I did."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you're all right."
"I'm sorry for what I said this morning. I was out of line."
"There is no need to apologize." Jose said. "Edward told me you were there when our father was killed."
"I was in my dorm at college. He had tried to kidnap me and other girls. He almost succeeded on one attempt. I didn't know he was my father at that time."
"Edward told me you just found out who your biological parents were a few months ago."
"Yes, the people who raised me never told me." Debra said. "It sounds like Edward told you a lot."
"He told me a little about why you said what you did. I guess he heard our conversation."
"Nothing goes unnoticed at the ranch."
"Debra, I want you to know that I'm not here to hurt you or take you away from here. My father might have done that, but I am not him."
"I know you aren't him, Jose."
"I would like to get to know you better."
Edward and the doctor walked in. Edward whispered to Jose who hurried out the door. The doctor checked Debra. "Everything looks good, Debra, but we would like you to stay overnight just to be on the safe side."
"Is that really necessary?" Debra asked and looked at Edward.
"You took a hard hit on the head. We want to continue to monitor you to be safe."
"You're staying, darling." Edward said.
"Do I have a choice?" Debra asked.
"I'll check back later." The doctor said then left.
"What did you tell Jose?"
"That he should go because Jason and Edith were out there."
"Oh, great." Debra said. Her pulse monitor beeped faster.
"Don't worry, I told the nurse not to let them back here."
"That doesn't always work."
"I'll defuse the situation before it explodes. You rest a while, darling." Edward said then kissed her. He left the room.
Debra took a deep breath then closed her eyes.
Debra woke up about an hour later and saw Edward sitting next to her. "Hey."
"Hi, darling. How are you feeling?"
"My head still hurts, but not too bad."
"That's good. Ace brought over a few things for you. A change of clothes, a book, a craft thing and other stuff."
"Ace went through my clothes?"
"Yeah. I didn't want to leave you."
"You don't need to stay here. I'm fine." Debra said. "A bump on the head is not going to stop me."
"I know, but it should."
"I guess you defused the situation?"
"Yes. At some point, you might want to talk to them."
"I know. How bad did I screw up the truck?"
"Not bad. A couple of dents but nothing major is broke. The men pulled it out of the ditch and towed it to the garage. It will be as good as new."
A nurse walked in. "How are you feeling?"
"Just a little headache."
"I want you to try to get out of bed. I want to make me you don't get dizzy. Are you ready?"
"Yes." Debra said as she slowly moved to the side the bed. " Edward helped her get off the bed. She held onto Edward. When the nurse was satisfied, Debra got back into bed and the nurse left, promising to bring in something to eat.
"Did Jose go home?"
"Yes. I told him that you would call him when you felt up to it. I already put his number in your phone."
"Thanks." Debra said. "So, you two talked quite a bit it seemed."
"Yes. When I went down to the arena. I watched your conversation. I thought I would explain. That's the main reason I called him back."
"I guess I'm glad you did. What about Jason and Edith?"
"They went back to the hotel."
"They need to know that Jose a good guy."
"I'm not going to get into that. My main concern is you."
"I know." Debra said. "Why don't you go home? You look tired."
"I'm fine."
"Yes, you are, but that's not the point." Debra smiled. "I'm going to be checked on all night by the nurses. You can come back first thing in the morning."
"I don't want to leave you."
"I know, but you won't get much sleep here and it won't do either one of any good if both of us are tired."
"Since we've been married, we have never been apart for a whole night."
"I know, but you need to get some real sleep. If I have to stay here, you need to go home. Don't make me call Ace."
"Well, technically, one of us has to. He's the one who brought me."
Debra chuckled. "Yeah, I guess." Debra reached over and picked up her phone. She dialed a number. "Hey, brother. Yes, I'm fine. Can you come pick up Edward? He needs to go home and get on sleep. No, I have to stay here until tomorrow. Thank you." Debra said then hung up. "He's on his way."
"I could have them bring in a cot."
"No. You're going home."
"Yes darling." He said as he put his hand on her belly. "Can you give me a hint on what names you picked out?"
"No, but I think you'll like them."
"That doesn't tell me anything."
"You'll find out this weekend."
"You're going to keep me in the dark about this aren't you? Shouldn't we have decided together?"
"Well, if you don't like them, then we can decide something together."
"He's not going to be a junior is he?"
"No. That wouldn't be right." Debra said. "I do have them written down at home, but I'm not going to tell you where."
"Any hints?"
"No, but if you destroy the house, you are cleaning it." She said. "Are you telling me that you can't wait two days. I thought you were a patient man."
"I'm patient when I need to be."
The nurse brought in a tray. "I'm sorry it took so long." She said as she set it on the table and pushed it to the bed. "Visiting hours are almost up."
"I know. I'm just waiting for my ride." Edward said.
"All right." The nurse said then left.
"Let's see what you got here." Edward said as he took off the lid. "Now that looks good." He chuckled.
"When you come back in the morning, bring me some real food and some coffee."
"When they release you, we'll stop by the diner for breakfast."
"All right." Debra said. "I'm so hungry. I'll eat just about anything." She said then set up more on the bed. She pulled the table closer and started eating. "Maybe I should get a job here cooking."
"Is it that bad?"
"You could probably cook better than this." Debra said then finished her dinner. She pushed the tray back. "I'll survive until tomorrow."
Edward walked over and sat on the bed next to Debra. He took her hand. "When Jose called me, I was so worried. My heart started racing. I thought I lost you."
"You can't get rid of me that easily. Accidents happen."
"I guess I should have sent someone with you."
"Then you would probably have two people to worry about. I should have made something I had everything there, but I wanted to make something different. I just had a craving."
"I know you can't stop your cravings. It goes with your pregnancy. The good thing is that you'll be fine."
"Yes. We are just fine."
Ace walked on. "Hey sis." He said as he come over to the bed. He hugged her. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good. They just want to keep an eye on me."
"So, you want me to take Edward home?"
"Yes, and don't let him come back until the morning. He needs to get some sleep."
"I'll handcuff him to the bed if I have to."
"That won't be necessary." Edward said. "I'll be good."
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yes, I guess." Edward leaned forward and kissed Debra. "I love you, darling."
"I love you. I'll see you in the morning."
"I'll be here as soon as visiting hours allow me to."
"And hopefully they'll let me leave."
Edward stood up. "I'll text you when we get home."
"All right."
Edward kissed Debra again then reluctantly left the room. Debra laid her head back and closed her eyes.