Jackson: The McBrides of Texas Read online

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  For Terri Hendrix, singer songwriter extraordinaire. Thank you for your kindness, sharing, and support.

  For Becky Beal, a fan of Eternity Springs and the mother of Texas musician Brady Beal. Thank you and Brady both for helping me bring Jackson to life.

  And as always, for my readers. You continue to spend time in Eternity Springs, and in doing so, allow me to do this work I love. Thank you! How about we adopt a theme song? I suggest the great Texas singer songwriter (and Aggie) Robert Earl Keene’s “The Road Goes On Forever and the Party Never Ends.”

  Prologue

  ETERNITY SPRINGS, COLORADO

  The envelope arrived in the morning mail and sat unopened on Boone McBride’s desk like a rattlesnake coiled to strike. He’d thought—he’d prayed—that he’d left the trouble behind when he moved to Eternity Springs. The arrival of the certified letter three hours ago suggested otherwise.

  Despite the fact that it was only two in the afternoon and Boone rarely drank anything stronger than beer, he rose and crossed to the antique sideboard where he kept drinks to offer visitors. He reached past the soda and bottled water to the liquor decanters. Pouring a shot of bourbon into a crystal glass, he muttered, “Liquid courage,” and tossed it back.

  Fire burned down his throat. He splashed two more fingers of liquor into his glass and as he lifted it to sip, his gaze strayed back to his desk. Maybe instead of drinking he should make a quick visit to the nearest church and say a few prayers. If the excrement was hitting the fan in Texas again, he’d likely need some divine intervention.

  A buzz from the intercom sounded a reprieve. The receptionist downstairs asked if he was available for a visitor who did not have an appointment. Could he see Celeste Blessing?

  “Absolutely.” His lips twisted with a grateful smile. Looks like the divine intervention had come to him.

  Boone was inordinately glad of this interruption, not only because it gave him an excuse to delay the opening of the letter, but also because something about Celeste Blessing simply lightened his heart. A woman somewhere upward of seventy, she exuded a magnetic radiance and displayed an energy that defied her age. The laugh lines at the corners of her crystal blue eyes and the constant smile on her face gave her a perpetual happy look that begged a similar response from whomever she encountered. Celeste owned and operated Angel’s Rest Healing Center and Spa, the local resort that attracted visitors from all over the country to Eternity Springs. She always had kind and often wise words to share.

  Heaven knows, he could use those today.

  Boone had just enough time to hide his glass of whiskey behind a photograph of his parents and two sisters before a knock sounded on his office door’s frosted glass. Feeling a combination of relief and welcome, he answered it. “Celeste, please come in. This is a nice surprise.”

  “I’m sorry to drop by unannounced this way,” she said, her manner unusually distracted. “Do you have a few minutes to spare, Boone? I’m in need of advice.”

  Celeste Blessing needs advice? At that, the world seemed to tilt on its axis.

  Boone gave his visitor a closer look. Celeste didn’t look like her usual serene self. A worry frown deepened the creases on her brow, and the customary twinkle in her sky blue eyes had most certainly dimmed. Concerned, he spoke with conviction. “I absolutely have time for you.”

  In addition to the sideboard and his desk, Boone had furnished his office with a seating area that included a small sofa, a coffee table, and two chairs. He motioned toward the chairs and asked, “May I get you something to drink?”

  “Sparkling water, if you have it, please,” Celeste replied, sinking onto the sofa as if she carried the weight of the world around with her.

  “I do.” He left his bourbon hidden away as he filled two glasses with ice from the ice bucket and added sparkling water from his sideboard. He handed his visitor one of the glasses. Celeste tossed back her water like he’d done his whiskey moments before.

  Concerned, Boone brought the bottle of water with him and set it on the coffee table as he took a seat to the older woman’s right. “What can I do for you, Celeste?”

  She folded her hands prayerfully in her lap. “It’s my cousin. She’s in a bit of a mess. Actually, she is a bit of a mess. She usually has good intentions, but her decision making sometimes leaves much to be desired. Recently she has landed in some trouble and needs legal representation. I’m hoping you are able to refer us to someone.”

  So, Celeste has a cousin? From what Boone could recall, she rarely mentioned family, and no family member had ever visited Eternity Springs. “I’ll certainly try. I’ll need more information. Is it a civil or criminal issue? And in what state?”

  “Virginia. Nothing criminal. Well, perhaps a little bit criminal. Angelica is passionate about her interests and causes, and that can be a very positive thing. Unfortunately, this time her passions led her to involvement with a group who stepped over the proverbial line and caused some … well … I guess one could call it vandalism. Angelica admitted responsibility for her part in the debacle. She made reparations, but now she’s being threatened with a personal injury lawsuit that she claims is frivolous. And, there’s something about her being forced from her home. I advised her to seek representation from the beginning, but she didn’t listen to me.” Celeste rubbed her temple with her fingers and added, “She never listens to me!”

  Not too bright of Angelica. Boone had been around Eternity Springs long enough to know that when Celeste talked, people should listen.

  “Virginia. Hmm. Not my usual stomping grounds.” He picked up the green bottle of sparkling water and refilled Celeste’s glass as he mentally reviewed his contacts in the state. “I don’t have a name for you on the tip of my tongue, but I’m happy to make a few calls. I should be able to have a recommendation or two for you by the close of business today. Will that be all right?”

  “That will be fabulous. Thank you.” Celeste smiled with relief, but when she continued, exasperation riddled her tone. “Some people truly are trouble magnets. Have you noticed that? And almost every family seems to have one.”

  Boone sneaked a longing glance toward the sideboard where his drink remained hidden. Oh, yeah. I’ve noticed. In my family, the trouble magnet is me.

  Celeste continued, “That sounds uncharitable, and I don’t mean to be unkind. Angelica truly is a good person whose heart is in the right place. You’d like her. Everybody does. But the woman is stubborn. More granite in her head than in all the mountains of all of Colorado. And when Proverbs says ‘Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,’ the Good Book might as well be talking about my cousin. As long as she has a project keeping her busy, she does all right. It’s when she’s bored that she gets into mischief and manages to land herself in these situations. In the heat of the moment, she won’t listen to good advice. Too many times she’s her own worst enemy.”
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br />   Boone rolled his tongue around his mouth. Sounded more and more like he and Angelica had a lot in common.

  “About this referral. Is your cousin ready to seek legal counsel?”

  “Oh, yes. She’s at the end of her rope, otherwise she’d never have stooped to ask me for help. She said that she knows she must have an attorney, and that she probably shouldn’t call someone out of the yellow pages.” Celeste paused a moment and pursed her lips. “Do they still even print a yellow pages?”

  “I honestly don’t know.”

  “Well, that’s neither here nor there.” Celeste gave a dismissive wave. “The bottom line is that any assistance you’re able to give us will be very much appreciated.”

  She took one more sip of her water, then set the glass on a coaster on the coffee table and stood. “Now, I’ve taken enough of your time, and Gabe is expecting me upstairs at his office. We have plans to review. We’re remodeling the outdoor living spaces for the cabins at Angel’s Rest. He’s doing the design for us, of course.”

  Gabe was Gabe Callahan, a landscape architect and a distant cousin of Boone’s. Gabe had been the first member of the Callahan family to settle in Eternity Springs. Now his brothers and father had summer places on a large section of property out on Hummingbird Lake, and his nephew was a full-time resident here in town.

  Boone walked her toward the door. “I’ll be in touch as soon as I have a name to refer.”

  “Thank you, dear.” Celeste lifted her head and looked him directly in the eyes, her gaze suddenly and unusually intense. “And remember, Boone, the trick to breaking the chains of the past is to reject it as your master and embrace it as your teacher.”

  Boone froze. What does she know?

  She gave his hand a squeeze. “Have a lovely afternoon, Boone. Goodbye.”

  She left him standing with his mouth slightly agape as she exited his office. After a moment of stunned silence, he gave his head a shake. Here was a perfect example of Celeste being Celeste.

  Carefully and quietly, he shut his office door. He strode toward his desk and picked up the rattlesnake with the return address of his former law firm in Fort Worth. Reject the past as your master and embrace it as your teacher.

  He filled his lungs with air, then exhaled a heavy breath and used a letter opener to slit the envelope open. He unfolded the single sheet of paper inside and began to read. By the third sentence, the dread churning in his gut had evaporated. This wasn’t what he’d thought it was. Not at all.

  After reading the letter through twice, he dropped the page onto his desk. “Huh,” he said aloud into the empty office. “Looks like I’m headed back to Texas.”

  Part One

  Chapter One

  NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

  Bang. The judge’s gavel fell and officially crushed Jackson McBride’s heart. He closed his eyes. Bleak despair washed over him. Up until this very moment, he hadn’t believed she’d take it this far.

  He’d thought she’d come to her senses. He’d thought she would recognize that this proposal was not only nonsense, but truly insane. He’d believed that somewhere deep inside of her, she still had a spark of humanity. That she wouldn’t do this to him. To them. He’d been wrong. Damn her. Damn her and the yes-men she surrounded herself with. Damn them all to hell and back.

  The enormity of what had just happened washed over him. Oh, God, how will I survive this?

  On the heels of his anguish came the rage. It erupted hot as lava, and it fired his blood and blurred his vision with a red haze of fury. He’d never hit a woman in his life. Never come close, despite plenty of provocation from her direction. In that moment had she been within reach, he might have lived up her accusations.

  It scared the crap out of him. That’s what she’s brought me to.

  Abruptly, he shoved back his chair so hard that it teetered, almost falling over. He strode toward the courtroom exit. “Jackson? Jackson, wait!” his attorney called, hurrying after him.

  Jackson waved her off and didn’t stop. There was nothing left to be said. Nothing left to be done. No place left to go.

  No little girl waiting at home to hug and cuddle and kiss good night.

  The tap on the toes of Jackson’s boots clacked against the tile floor of the courthouse as his long-legged strides ate up the hallway. He shunned the elevator for the stairs and descended three flights at a rapid pace, then headed for the building’s exit. In a foolish bit of positive thinking, he’d driven his SUV to the courthouse this morning. Now the sight of the safety booster seat in the back seat made him want to kick a rock into next week.

  He didn’t want to go home to a quiet, empty house. He shouldn’t go to a bar. Alcohol on top of his current mood could be a dangerous combination. Somebody probably would get hurt.

  He got into the car and started the engine. For a long moment he sat unmoving, staring blindly through the windshield, his hands squeezing the steering wheel so hard that it should have cracked. When his phone rang, he ignored it.

  A couple of minutes later, it rang a second time. Again, he ignored it. When it happened a third time, he finally glanced at the display to see who was calling. His cousin. Okay, maybe he would answer it.

  “Hello, Boone.”

  “How did the hearing go?”

  Jackson couldn’t speak past the lump in his throat, so he said nothing.

  Following a moment’s silence, Boone got the message. He muttered a curse, and then said, “I’m sorry, man. So damn sorry.”

  “Well, it is what it is.”

  “You can take another run at it.”

  “Yeah.” In three years. Three years. Might as well be three decades. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. “So, how are things in Eternity Springs?”

  “Good. They’re good. My friend Celeste Blessing visited my office a few minutes ago and spoke of her granite-headed cousin. Naturally, I thought of you.”

  “Naturally,” Jackson dryly replied. But he felt a little less alone.

  “Do you have plans this weekend? I could use your help with something.”

  Pretty convenient timing. Knowing Boone, he had a spy in the courtroom. But Jackson wasn’t in the position to ignore the bone he’d been thrown. “I’m free. Whatcha got?”

  “I’d like you to meet me at home.”

  Jackson straightened in surprise. “You’re going back to the ranch?”

  “No. Not there. I’m never going back there. However, I am talking about Texas. The Hill Country in particular. A little town west of Austin called Redemption.”

  “Redemption, Texas?” Jackson repeated. For some weird reason, his heart gave a little skip. “Why there?”

  “It’s a long story. Too long for a phone call. I’ll give you the entire skinny when I see you. When can you get there?”

  After today’s debacle, Jackson had absolutely no reason to remain in Nashville. “When do you want me there?”

  “I’ll be in later today. I’m in Austin now. I’ve been helping a friend with a project. I have a flight back to Colorado Sunday evening. The earlier you can get here the better, but I’ll make anything work.”

  Jackson figured the distance and the drive time. “I’ll meet you tomorrow afternoon. Where?”

  “Great. I’ll text you the info when we hang up. Bring camping gear.”

  When a sound behind him had Jackson glancing up into the rearview mirror and the booster seat caught his notice, he made an instant decision. “Can’t. I’ll be on my bike.”

  “You’re gonna ride your motorcycle all the way from Nashville?”

  “Yes, I think I am.”

  “Okay. I’ll bring stuff for both of us.” Boone hesitated a moment and added, “Hang in there, Jackson. It’ll get better.”

  No, I don’t think it will. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Jackson ended the call and finally put his SUV in gear and backed out of the parking place. With the distraction of the call behind him, fury returned, and by the time he reached h
ome, he felt like a volcano about to explode.

  He threw a handful of things into his tail bag, filled his wallet with cash from his stash, and ten minutes after his arrival, he fired up his bike and took his broken heart and headed out of Nashville. He left behind his home, his work, and his one reason for living, his six-year-old daughter, Haley.

  As the motorcycle picked up speed, he recalled their last goodbye when he’d dropped her off at her mother’s at the end of their regular weekend. The nanny met them at the curb, as usual. Haley had given Jackson a hug, then taken the nanny’s hand and walked up the hill toward the mansion’s front double doors.

  Jackson always waited to leave until she was inside. She always watched until the door completely closed. This time, she’d held the bright pink stuffed rabbit she slept with at his house in her arms. Bunny-Bunny. Ordinarily, she left him at Jackson’s, but last Sunday, she wouldn’t leave him behind.

  He thought he’d probably see that flash of neon pink every time he closed his eyes for the next six months. For the next six months while Haley and Bunny-Bunny traveled the world. Six long interminable months before he’d be allowed to see his sweet baby girl again.

  AUSTIN, TEXAS

  Caroline Carruthers covered her mouth with her hand as she watched her husband of twelve years lean over and tenderly kiss the cheek of another woman. Caroline knew all about the woman. Her name was Gina. She was twelve years older than Robert’s forty-eight. She was a widow with two children and five grandchildren. Holding hands and smiling, Robert and Gina walked away from Caroline on their way to the community room.

  Caroline blinked back tears. Her beloved husband was in love with another woman. Intellectually, she was okay with that. Emotionally, some days, she couldn’t deal. It was too much to see him flirting like a teenager with someone else. Today was one of those days.

  Today was her wedding anniversary.