Chapter 76 Part 76
Asher
Four months later
When he realized who the man in the video footage was, it hadn’t made sense to him. It did now. Now that Eden had come clean, the truth was staring him in the eyes.
He was on Comet’s back, riding across the open field, heading toward the woods. It was an hour before they were set to meet each other at the cliff that led to the ravine.
His wounds had healed. Summer was in full force, the green leaves on the trees making the sky look bluer. The air was fresh with a hint of rain, bringing the promise of new life.
Calves had been born, and were still drinking from their mothers. He planned to build another pen further up on the ranch for sheep, and maybe expand their businesses more.
Comet’s hooves on the ground calmed him; the wind rushing through his hair felt like freedom. It was an exhilaration that was beyond the imaginations of men.
The sun was warm on his bare arms, and he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else but right here. Life had knocked him on his ass a few times, but every time he’d gotten up, it had been a step closer to his destiny.
It was Maggie, Melody, Joel, Oscar, his brothers, Eden, and his father. It was the ranch and the animals on it. It was mucking the stalls and exercising the horses. It was a combination of everything good in his life; even wrestling that bull made it to his list.
He was already waiting when Asher arrived at the cliffside. His cowboy hat obscured his eyes. Asher slowed Comet to a walk, and the man turned to look at Asher.
“It’s a pretty remote place for a meeting, Asher,” he said.
“What I have to say is best said in private.”
“I see.”
Asher dismounted his horse, leaving him to graze on the long grass. The man also got off his horse, and together they walked to a nearby tree. The shade was a relief from the hot sun. Asher took his hat off.
“You killed Malcolm Walters,” Asher said.
The man’s eyes widened as he looked at him. He lowered his gaze to his feet, and shook his head, his hands now on his hips. “Yeah, I did.”
“There’s video footage, very grainy, and I only realized it was you because I know you so well.”
“I tried to avoid that damn camera,” he said.
“Nobody knows it was you, and I’m not going to tell anyone.”
The man frowned. “Why not? I killed that man in cold blood. You spent the weekend in jail because of that.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m not angry about that, but I’ve had some time to connect the dots, and I think I know why you did it, but I want to be sure. This conversation will never be repeated, and I’ll never tell anyone what I know. If I’d wanted to, I’d had plenty of opportunities to do it.”
“I guess I owe you that much,” he said.
“You did it for Eden. She told you about Malcolm Walters and what could possibly happen. She also told you about Maggie’s past and my PTSD. She shared it all with you. You came to the conclusion that if the man went to the ranch, there was a possibility that Eden could be in danger, because you know her as well as I do. You knew she wouldn’t stay put or keep quiet. She would be in that man’s face so fast, none of us would be able to stop her. So, you took matters into your own hands and you killed him. You killed him to keep Eden safe, but also to keep Maggie safe, because Eden loves her like a sister, and you knew that given the chance, I would kill him.”
The man took a few deep breaths, and looked Asher in the eye. “I’ve loved her for a long time, Asher. I did what I thought was necessary.”
“Like I said, I’m not mad. The world is a better place without him in it, especially, now that Sean is dead, too. Maggie’s free, and her past doesn’t ever have to come out.”
“I’ll never say a word about it,” he said.
“I know. You say you love my sister, but I don’t see you acting like you love her.”
“It’s complicated. She’s a hothead, but I love her. I don’t know what else to tell you,” he said.
“You’re engaged to another woman. How the hell do you love my sister, kill for her, but still have another woman on your arm?”
“It’s business, not love. My grandfather has this notion of our families merging, so my inheritance is dependent on this marriage happening.”
Asher sighed, and shook his head. “You’ve got two choices, my friend. Either you pull your head out of your ass and claim Eden, or you stay away from her, and I mean stay completely out of her life, because things are changing, and she doesn’t need this right now.”
“Why? What’s going on?” he asked.
“She’s pregnant. Nobody knows it’s yours. She doesn’t even know that I know. This is it, you know now. You’re a smart man, money isn’t everything, you have a chance here. Make the right choice, McRoy.”
Asher walked away from him and mounted his horse. He didn’t look back, so he didn’t see him smiling at the news he’d just gotten. With his contentment now complete, Asher rode home.
He had everything he’d ever wanted. He hadn’t told the boys yet, but the adoption had gone through, and he was now legally their father, and Maggie was their mother. When they had dinner with the family that night, he was going to ask them if they wanted to change their surnames to Fitzgerald.
Maggie was sitting on the porch. Joel and Oscar were playing with Melody under the shade of the bur oak tree. “Dada!” Asher smiled, slowing Comet well before he reached them.
“Is your head clear now?” Maggie yelled from the porch.
“As clear as it’ll ever be!”
“Good, because my water just broke!”