Texas Rebels: Elias

The thing about a small town was everyone knew everyone, and Wyatt knew the people better than most.

Wyatt stepped over to the second boy. “Billy Tom Wentz, this is going to be a shock to your parents and your grandfather.”

Billy Tom hung his head.

Before Wyatt could reach the third boy, he leaped over the hood of the car and bolted for the woods. Elias reached out with one arm and snagged him, wrestling him to the ground. The kid came up fighting with both arms. He was skinny and tall, but he didn’t have much strength. Elias grabbed him by the front of his hoodie and squeezed. The boy continued to beat at Elias with his fist.

“Keep it up and I’ll choke the life out of you. Got it?” His hand tightened even more and the boy gasped for breath and stopped struggling.

Wyatt ran up to them, breathing heavily. “You got him?”

“Yeah. You’re a little out of breath there, Wyatt.”

Wyatt slipped handcuffs on the boy, ignoring Elias, and led him back to the group without another word being said. In the darkness, it was hard to see expressions but Elias knew Wyatt was sending him one of his custom-made cold stares.

Elias trailed behind Wyatt and the kid, eager to see how this turned out. Stuart had handcuffs on the other two boys still standing against the car. Wyatt led the kid back to his spot.

Looking at the boy closely, Wyatt said, “I don’t believe I know you. Are you new in town?”

“None of your business,” the boy spat.

Wyatt tapped his badge with the flashlight. “You see that? That means I’m the sheriff of this county and when you rob places and run from the law, it becomes my business. What’s your name?”

“Get out of my face.”

Elias had had enough of the kid’s mouth. He needed an attitude adjustment. Before he could stop himself, he stepped in front of Wyatt and faced the kid. “You need to learn some manners and respect and if you don’t, I’m going to teach them to you. When the sheriff asks you a question you say, ‘yes, sir’ or ‘no, sir,’ and when he asks you a direct question you answer it. Got it?”

A palpable heat emanated from the boy. And anger.

“You already know that I’m stronger than you, so give it up, kid. It’s time to face the music.”

The boy’s stubborn expression reminded Elias of someone, but he couldn’t place it. Invisible daggers from Wyatt pierced his back, so he stepped aside.

“What’s your name?” Wyatt asked again.

The boy raised his head and stared at Elias. “My name is...Chase...McCray.”

“I know all the McCray boys and you’re not one of them,” Wyatt pointed out.

“I’m not from here nor do I want to be a part of the McCrays. My mom and I moved here two weeks ago.”

“Who’s your mother?”

“Maribel McCray.”

That got Elias’s attention. This was the kid she’d been looking for—a wild teenager out of control.

“Read them their rights and take them to the jail!” Wyatt shouted to Stuart.

“It was all my idea,” Chase said. “Don’t punish them. It’s all on me.”

Wyatt placed his hands on his hips. “A few minutes ago you were willing to run away, leaving your friends holding the bag. Now you’re trying to protect them?”

The kid glanced at Elias again and replied, “Yes...sir.”

“Okay, we’re going to the jail and we’ll discuss this with your parents.”

The boys had nothing to say.

“Call Bubba to tow this car,” Wyatt called after Stuart.

“I’m on it.”

Wyatt pulled off his hat and scratched his head, staring at Elias. “I’m trying to figure out what you’re doing here, but then I know you and sometimes I wonder if you’re ever going to grow up. I don’t manhandle kids, Elias, and that was totally out of line.”

The ruts on Wyatt’s forehead were deep enough to hold molasses. But Wyatt’s ire didn’t faze Elias. He leaned against the patrol car. “Well, my daddy always taught me when you start a job, you finish it. And if I hadn’t been here, that kid would be halfway to Temple by now.”

“I would have caught him, Elias.”

“Yeah, right.”

Wyatt opened the back of the SUV. “Help me put this beer in the back of my car. Their parents will want to see the evidence.”

“You’re good at giving orders.”

“Comes with the job.”

“Uh-huh.”

They stored the beer in Wyatt’s back seat. “Do you know Maribel McCray?”

“Yeah. I went to high school with her. She was always snotty when I tried to talk to her.”

Wyatt closed the back of the SUV. “How did you expect her to be? The Rebel/McCray feud was strong back then.”

“True. She left town without even graduating. I guess she’s finally come home.”

“Do you know where she’s living?”

“Now, Wyatt, the less I know about the McCrays, the better off I am.”

Wyatt opened the driver’s door of his car. “It’s been peaceful lately with the McCrays marrying into the Rebel family. But I have a feeling this kid is going to stir it all up again.”

Elias tapped Wyatt’s badge with his finger. “You’re the sheriff. You can handle it.” With a smile, Elias walked through the woods to Rowdy’s. He went inside and locked the back door. Bob came charging in, wiping his hands on his apron.

“Did Wyatt catch ’em?”

“Yes, he did. They’re on their way to jail.”

“Is it anybody I know?”

Elias told him about the boys.

Bob shook his hand. “What were they thinking?”

“The new kid in town is a bad influence.”

“Maribel’s boy?”

“Yeah. Do you still have her phone number?”

Bob hurried into the bar area and came back with the napkin. Elias slipped it into his pocket, and headed for the jail.

This time Maribel wasn’t going to ignore him.

Chapter Two

Maribel rushed through the sheriff’s door, a total wreck. She hadn’t even bothered to comb her hair, which in hindsight she should have. It had a natural curl and seemed to be everywhere. Taking a deep breath, she tucked it behind her ears.

She’d been looking for Chase all night and had been unable to find him. She’d let him take her car and he’d promised to be home by ten o’clock. When he wasn’t, Phoenix had let her borrow Rosie’s truck. She’d searched all over town to no avail, and then the sheriff had called.

This was so unlike her son. He was a good kid, but she knew he was still angry about the move from Dallas. At seventeen, he thought the world revolved around him. That was her fault. She’d spoiled him. Her world was crumbling around her and she wasn’t sure what to do next. First thing, she had to find a job because they couldn’t continue to live with Rosie and Phoenix. Chase’s disruptive behavior was causing problems and Maribel didn’t want the stress to affect her sister, so she had to find a place for her and Chase. But she had bigger problems now.

She stepped into a small reception area that had a desk and filing cabinets, but no one was there. The hall opened into a big room. Two desks were empty and a deputy sat at another, writing in a folder. To the left, in a separate room, was the sheriff’s office. The nameplate on the open door said Wyatt Carson—Sheriff. He was a nice-looking man, probably in his early forties. She didn’t remember him, but she remembered the Carson family.

With every ounce of courage she had left in her, she walked up to his desk, ignoring Elias, who was sitting in a chair. What was he doing here?

“Where’s my son?” she blurted out.

The sheriff got to his feet and nodded toward a hall and she could see the bars of a jail cell. “He’s in there.”

Her breath caught in her throat, but she quickly straightened her back to regain her composure. Doing so, she realized she hadn’t introduced herself. She held out her hand. “I’m Maribel McCray.”

He shook her hand. “Wyatt Carson.”

“What has he done?” She decided to go with patience and politeness instead of anger.

“He was arrested with two other boys for stealing beer from Rowdy’s and two other places.”

She shook her head. “No, you must have the wrong boy. My kid is—”

“—a good kid,” he finished for her. “I’ve had two other parents tell me the same thing tonight, but I assure you, your son was involved. Actually, he confessed to being the ringleader.”

Her stomach tied into a knot so tight she had trouble speaking. Chase was never in trouble. She licked her dry lips. “May I see him?”

The sheriff picked up a set of keys from his desk. “Sure, but leave your purse here.”

She placed her purse on the desk, fully aware that Elias was watching her every move. It surprised her that he wasn’t saying anything. Elias always had an opinion. She followed the sheriff, continuing to ignore Elias, which was her normal reaction when she saw him. Her shoulders burned from his sharp gaze.

The sheriff unlocked the steel doors and they banged with a chilling sound. Goose bumps popped up on her arms. There were two cots in the room and that was it. Chase lay on one of them. When he saw her, he jumped to his feet, his eyes bracketed with fear. Her heart squeezed at the sight. Where had she gone wrong?

When the sheriff walked away, she sat on the bunk and Chase sat beside her. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

Words rolled around in her head like loose marbles and she couldn’t pull them together to complete a sentence. She’d never been this scared in her whole life, not even when she’d been seventeen and pregnant. An angel had been watching over her and had delivered her into the hands of Mrs. Lavinia Wainwright, otherwise known as Miss Vennie—but she was Nana to her and Chase.

When her dad had discovered she was pregnant, he’d kicked her out of the house. Her mother had wrung her hands and cried, but never lifted a finger to help her. Instead, she’d shoved money into her hand and had told her to go to Mrs. Peabody’s, an elderly lady in town who rented rooms. But Maribel knew she couldn’t stay in Horseshoe, listening to the gossip and the rumors.

Mrs. Peabody had sent her to Dallas to stay with her sister, Miss Vennie. That was the luckiest day of Maribel’s life, except for the day Chase was born. Miss Vennie had a big house in Dallas and she had accepted Maribel with open arms. Maribel had learned about love and trust and family and she’d found a home like she’d never had before.

Miss Vennie had treated Chase as if he were her own son. While Maribel had worked, Miss Vennie had taken care of Chase and Maribel hadn’t needed to worry about him. For years they’d had a good life. Then Miss Vennie had died and Maribel’s whole world had come apart once again. They had to move out of the house because it was mortgaged to the hilt. She’d rented an apartment and everything had been going smoothly until she’d lost her job. She’d been scrambling, looking for work when Rosie had called and she knew then it was time to go home. Now she was wondering if that had been the right decision.

“Mom, aren’t you going to say anything? I know you’re disappointed in me...”

Words suddenly filled her throat. “Yes, I’m very disappointed in you. Where’s my kid? I don’t know this kid who steals beer. My kid sat by Nana’s bedside and read her Bible verses to comfort her in her last days. My kid served food during the holidays at the homeless shelter. That’s my kid.” She looked around the dismal cinder block cell. “I don’t know this kid behind bars.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I want to go home to Dallas. I don’t like it here.”

“Is that what this is all about? You think you can manipulate me into moving back to Dallas?”

Chase hung his head.

“We can’t go back. There’s nothing left for us there. I couldn’t find a job, which means I have to find work here, and you’re not making it easy for us. I’ll have to use some of the money I saved to get you out of here.”

Chase’s eyes grew round. “You mean the sheriff is thinking of keeping me in here?”

“Yes. Stealing is against the law. I thought my straight-A student son would know that.”

“Mom, I didn’t hurt anybody.”

She was aghast at his attitude. “Is that how you look at it? Well, you did hurt someone. You hurt Bob, the owner of Rowdy’s. That’s how he makes his living, selling beer, and when you stole from him, it cut into his profits.”

“I just want to go home to Dallas and my old school in August. I’m a good football player and no one is going to notice me here in this small town. I won’t get recruited and I won’t get to play in the NFL. That’s been my goal my whole life and now it’s all ruined. How could you bring us here?”

She took a deep breath, trying to think of words that would get through to him. “Young guys with a record don’t get recruited, either.”

“What?”

“I told you stealing is a crime and it will go on your record if I can’t get it removed.”

“Mom, you have to do something.”

“You know, Chase, you’re seventeen years old and it’s time you started acting like it instead of a spoiled little boy.”

“If you get me out of here, I promise to do better. I just...”

“I know. You don’t like it here. But in life you don’t get everything you like. Right now, my main concern is putting food in our mouths and a roof over our heads. That’s what’s important, Chase. We have to move out of Phoenix’s house because of your disruptive behavior. And I wanted to be there for my sister.”

“They don’t like me.”

“Have you given them a chance? Instead of being moody, you could offer to help every now and then. And you could play with Jake.”

Chase frowned. “He’s a baby.”

“So? It’s called helping out and being glad someone took us in.” She got to her feet. “I have to sort this mess out.” She looked at him with his hunched shoulders and that frown etched on his face. It seemed to be permanent. “You know who else would be disappointed to see you in this cell?”

He buried his face in his hands. “Nana,” he mumbled.

“Yes, think about that.” Maribel walked to the steel bars and a deputy opened it for her. With more enthusiasm than she was feeling she went straight to the sheriff’s office. Elias was still sitting in the chair and she ignored him as best as she could.

“What do I have to do to get my son out of jail?”

The sheriff leaned back in his chair. “Miss McCray, I’m not inclined to do that.”

She curled one hand into a fist. “Why not? I didn’t see the other boys in there so you must have let them go. Why is my boy different?”

“When we caught them, your boy ran. The others didn’t.”

What! She tried not to let the shock show on her face but she feared she’d failed. She was at a loss at what to do, but she couldn’t leave her son in jail. There had to be a way.

She bit her lip. “Don’t you usually set bail?”

The sheriff leaned forward. “Usually. Ralph, the bail bondsman, is next door but he’s asleep at home at this hour and I don’t feel obligated to call him. I think a night in jail might help your son realize how serious his actions were.”

“Please.” Begging was not in her nature, but at this point she had no other choice.

“Okay.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a ledger. “I can set bail. I do that a lot, small town and all, and that keeps Ralph from trudging up here in the middle of the night.”

“Thank you.”

“A thousand dollars should guarantee that he doesn’t run and that he’ll be at the hearing on Monday. And it should cover everything they’ve stolen.”

A ball of fear wedged inside her chest. “I can’t afford that. Can’t you just release him into my custody? I’ll make sure he stays in line and I won’t let him have the car anymore.”

“Normally I would do that, but you see, I don’t know you or your son. I could release him into your care and in no time you could be out of state and the other two boys would take the fall for the crime.”

“I wouldn’t do that. My sister is here and I wouldn’t leave her, either.”

“I’m sorry, Miss McCray, but that’s the deal. Your boy has an attitude and a sarcastic mouth. He needs to learn a lesson and he needs to learn it now. That’s just my advice to you.”

He wasn’t going to relent. There was no way she could leave her son in jail. Yes, he deserved it. But she was a mother and a mother always fought for her kid, no matter what. Which meant she would have to do something now she’d sworn she would never do.

There was a saying about paying the piper. She had never quite understood what that meant, but suddenly she did. She would now have to pay for everything that had happened in the last seventeen years and she would have to pay with her pride.

She sucked air into her tight chest and turned to Elias. “Can I see you outside for a minute?” Without waiting for an answer, she walked confidently toward the receptionist’s desk. Behind her she could hear:

“Was she talking to me?” Elias asked.

“I think she was,” the sheriff replied.

She paused long enough to make sure Elias was following her. She went through the door and the warm June breeze kissed the heat of her cheeks. A faint hum of traffic from the interstate broke the early morning silence. Fading moonlight and the ancient streetlights provided illumination. She walked toward one of the old live oak trees that shaded the courthouse, and sat on the bench beneath it.

Words rolled around in her head again and she desperately searched for the right ones to start the conversation. It wouldn’t be easy, but nothing in life for her had been.

Elias sat beside her and she wanted to move away. He was too close for her comfort zone. In high school, they were always looking at each other, but they both knew that’s all they could do. With their feuding families, there was no way they could ever go out on a date or even socialize. That’s just the way it was. But she had always thought he was the most handsome guy in school. Tall and lanky with an attitude that bespoke confidence, he had a daredevil approach to life that had been exciting for a young girl.

Nothing was said for a few seconds. “You wanted to talk, so talk,” he said. “But before you start, I just want you to know I’m not loaning you any money.”

“Elias, I need help, and I’ll pay you back.”

“Do you have a job?”

She forced herself not to fidget. “No, not yet, but I will soon.”

“I’m not in the habit of loaning people money, especially if they don’t have a job. And for the record, Wyatt was right. Your kid needs to learn a lesson.”

“You don’t even know my kid.”

“I think I do. I’m the one who tackled him when he ran off.”

“You did what?”

“He ran, Maribel, from the law, and they will stick him good for that.”

She turned on the seat to face him, not caring how close she was. “You can’t let that happen. His whole future is ahead of him. He made a mistake because he’s upset about the move from Dallas. You see, he’s a good football player and he wants to play in the NFL. He thinks all his dreams have been ruined because he won’t be playing for a big school. Instead, he’ll be playing here in Horseshoe. He’s mad and that’s my fault. I shouldn’t have uprooted him.”

“So the stealing thing was his stupid attempt to get you to move back to Dallas?”

“Yes.”

He rested his forearms on his knees and clasped his hands. “I don’t understand why you’re telling me this or asking me for money. You have family here and I should be the last person you’d ask since you wouldn’t even speak to me earlier at Rowdy’s, just like in high school.”

“Things had to be that way in high school.”

He rubbed his hands together. “I know.”

“I can’t ask my family. None of them have tried to make contact since I’ve been home and I can’t ask Phoenix and Rosie. They have their own problems right now and I don’t want to cause them any extra worry.”

“But why me?”

She kept talking because she didn’t want to answer that question and with luck she wouldn’t have to. “I have an interview with Gladys at the diner and I feel sure she’s going to hire me.”

“For minimum wage?”

“Yes, but it’s a start.”

“What did you do in Dallas?”

“At first, waitress. Then after I got my high school diploma, I attended a junior college and took restaurant management courses. That enabled me to get a better job and I worked my way up the ladder to being a manager of an upscale restaurant. I can start over again and I can pay you so much each week.”

“I could be married, Maribel. Have you ever thought of that? My wife wouldn’t like me throwing my money away, and investing in your kid is like throwing money away.”

“You’re not married,” she stated with confidence.

“How do you know that?”

“Because no one would marry you.”

“Really? Is that the way you talk to a man you’re asking for money from?”

“You’re wild and crazy, Elias, and everyone knows it. There’s not a woman in this town who could tame you.”

“You got that right.”

“Remember that time you brought beer to school and Bubba and another boy got drunk and you tried to jump off the roof as a superhero? Someone told the principal and he came out and told you to get off the roof. You jumped and fell right on him.”

“My shirt wasn’t a very good cape.”

“See, young guys do crazy things and that’s what Chase is doing now. I just need your help to get him out of this so he won’t have a record. Please, Elias.” Begging was getting easier, especially when it concerned her son.

He rested against the back of the bench and stretched out his long legs. “Give me a good reason I should loan you money.”

“I’ll pay you back. Why do I have to give you a reason? Just call it—”

He wagged a finger in her face. “Don’t call it a friend thing because we were never friends.”

“Why do you have to be so...?”

“Crazy?”

“Yes. Why can’t you just help me? Do something good for a change.”

“Give me a reason, Maribel. A very good reason to part with my money.”

They were going around in circles and she was growing weary. He wanted a reason and she could give him a good one, but it would take a slice of her pride just like she’d known in the sheriff’s office. She would have to say the words out loud for the first time in her life. She would have to say them to Elias. There was no other way.

Her stomach cramped tight. “You want a reason? I’ll give you one.”

“Let’s hear it.”

The words stuck in her throat. She swallowed, trying to force them out. But they were trapped in the mind of that seventeen-year-old girl who had run instead of facing the gossip and the rumors and a man she barely knew. Life had come full circle and she had to say the words she should’ve said years ago.

“You’re...his father.”

Chapter Three

Elias laughed so hard it startled the pigeons roosting on the top of the courthouse. “Wow, Maribel, you had to reach deep for that one.”

“It’s true.”

He shook his head. “No way am I that kid’s father. You’re not going to pull that on me.”

“Are you losing your memory, Elias?”

“No, my memory is fine, thank you.”

“Then you’ll remember that evening in February when I had a flat tire and you stopped to help me. It was drizzling rain and it started to sleet and you suggested we get in your truck until it let up. Remember that?”

Every day of my life since.

He shifted uncomfortably on the bench. “One time, Maribel, and we used a condom. So you can stop right now.”

“Condoms don’t work all the time.”

Elias remembered when his brother Phoenix had received the news that he was the father of a two-year-old boy. Phoenix had been surprised because he’d said they’d used a condom, but Jake was very much alive and Phoenix’s. No, no, no, she wasn’t going to pull this on him. No way was that kid his. He would know, wouldn’t he? The doubts circled like buzzards and they began to peck at his brain. He didn’t like that. He was happy with his life and he didn’t need all this drama. She was a McCray and she was yanking his chain. That had to be the explanation. She just wanted him to pay the fine.