Chapter Four
Dalton Keegan was home. He was on US soil. Good old Texas dirt. It felt wonderful and terrible all at once.
The first time he walked through the Austin-Bergstrom Airport he believed he was leaving Texas behind for good. He was on his way to medical school, and had no intention of coming back, even though he had made promises to his parents to visit every holiday he could. He held his ground for four years, only breaking down and visiting the summer after graduation. The look on his mother’s face when he announced his plans to leave for Africa was a unique juxtaposition of pride and disappointment. He knew she wanted him to stay close, but at the time he couldn’t handle the open floodgates to his memories that living in Texas would mean.
One emergency visit back home was all he allowed himself in the nearly ten years he had been overseas. But after seeing that pops was recovered from his heart attack, and that his mother was making plans to retire in Arizona, Dalton’s heart was in pieces, and he was ready to escape again at any cost. He left with a lighter heart because with his parents in Arizona, he would have the ability to visit them there and never again have to face his past in the Lone Star state.
Apparently, life had other plans for him. Just a mere two weeks ago they had gotten word at the camp in Mogadishu, Somalia, the organization was pulling all personnel out of the country. The violence had been escalating and the government factors weren’t being as helpful in discouraging the attacks on volunteer doctors and nurses. Dalton had seen a handful of volunteers killed in the years he had been over there, but it held no comparison to the thousands who died every year from malnutrition and disease because they couldn’t get help in time.
He was angry to be pulled out, but he had no say in the matter. He wasn’t ready to sign onto another position in another country, and his parents lived in a retirement community in Arizona. There was no extra room for him to live there, so here he was back in small town Texas for the time being.
Being back in Stone River meant facing the demons he had been running from for the last two decades, and he wasn’t exactly sure yet how to accomplish that. Running into Walt or Minnie White would be his worst nightmare, and yet in a small town like Stone River, it was going to be impossible to avoid them.
“Professor!”
The sound of his older brother’s voice echoed through the doorway of the airport terminal, and Dalton couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. Even facing his worst fears wasn’t going to stop him from enjoying the time with his brother. He had missed the stupid nicknames, jokes, and even the backbreaking work that came with being home on the Triple T.
Dalton made a beeline for Tanner, whose broad cowboy build drew the eyes of the female population anywhere he went. Tanner never even noticed the dozens of sighs from women as he ambled through a public place because it was normal for him. His bearing was that of a proud Army general, and Dalton knew from experience that Tanner ran the ranch with the same efficiency.
Dropping his carry-on to the floor, he wrapped his brother in a masculine embrace of backslapping, chest pounding Alpha male greeting. “Skipper! Damn it’s good to see you!”
“You too, man,” Tanner responded with a chuckle. They had quirky nicknames for each other out of love, or at least it was love on Dalton’s part. Years ago, watching Gilligan’s Island had been the highlight of their after school ritual. Tanner was Skipper because he was supposed to be in charge, but his brothers made sure his ego never got too big. Dalton was always a Straight A Honor Roll student, so he was Professor, and that left Clint with the nickname Gilligan. Poor kid had started out as gangly and awkward as possible. It wasn’t until he hit fourteen when he finally filled out. After that, the girls went gaga for him. It was still weird to Dalton that Clint was in Hollywood working as an actor.
“Did you check bags?”
“Nah, I shipped my stuff back. It should be here in a couple of days. Just me and my pack.” The two brothers turned and headed across the airport. Dalton caught more than a few double takes as they moved through the crowd. People parted easily in front of the two big men, but it didn’t stop Dalton from feeling a little claustrophobic in the mass of bodies.
Their size was the first thing most people noticed when they were together. At six foot tall, they weren’t giants, but thanks to their parents great gene mash up, they were both broadly built and muscular. To help pay for medical school, Dalton had even posed for a few modeling companies at one point. His blonde hair and blue eyes stood out in sharp contrast to Tanner’s darker coloring and amber colored eyes, but they shared similar features in their oval faces, angular jaws, and long narrow noses. If Clint stood with them, the similarities in the three men were even more obvious. Clint had his mother and Tanner’s darker coloring, and toffee brown eyes. They were ringed with thick eyelashes that drove the ladies crazy. His dimpled chin was identical to Dalton’s, and they all three shared the same thick eyebrows and strong brow line. Yep, they were three brothers who looked alike, but couldn’t have been more different from each other.
They stepped out into the stifling Texas heat and Dalton threw his head back, inhaling deeply. “Ahh, it even smells different here.”
Tanner laughed, “You’re probably smelling the horse shit on my boots. I came directly from working all day long.”
“Can’t say I’ve missed mucking stalls, but I can’t wait to get back in a saddle.” Dalton tossed his backpack in the back end of Tanner’s old pickup truck and climbed up onto the cracked vinyl seat.
Country music blared out of the speakers when Tanner turned the key, and Dalton couldn’t resist tapping his tennis shoe to the chorus about “Boys Round Here.” He hadn’t been able to listen to much American music unless it was already programed onto his iPod. He couldn’t wait to spend a day searching all of the newest hits to supplement his small selection.
“So how was Africa?”
“Hot, dirty, and fantastic. I’m going to miss it.”
“Any word on whether or not the program will be able to reopen?”
Dalton shook his head, and sighed. “No, and until they can work something out with the government, I don’t see it happening. Could be after twenty years, MSF will just have to stay out of Somalia.”
“It’s a damn shame when people are attacking volunteers who are only there to help save lives and feed them,” Tanner said, and Dalton nodded his agreement.
“It’s a warzone. Anything goes in a warzone. There’s been so much conflict that most of the time no one is even sure who is on whose side. We were there to help everyone. Didn’t matter which side they were on, or what they had done in the past or might do in the future. The only thing that mattered was they needed help.”
Tanner snorted, “So you helped fix up the guys who were more than likely going to turn around and shoot you the first chance they had?”
Dalton shook his head, “No it’s not like that. I mean, sure, there is a chance of it, but for the most part, we are passing out food to people who are starving and treating them for diseases they’ve contracted because they don’t have the right stuff available. Anyways, I don’t want to talk about work. Tell me about Stone River? What’s changed at the Triple T?”
“Not much, man. I’m still working with the sun and falling into bed half dead at night. I just started working with Brooks Pastures to coordinate our breeding programs.”
“What?” Dalton stared at Tanner in shock. For decades the Triple T and Brooks Pastures had been in competition with each other. The idea the two families might work together had honestly never occurred to him.
“Yeah, Parker and Rogan have one hell of a stallion over there, and if I can get a few foals with some of our mares, well, I think it will serve us all well.” Tanner glanced at Dalton’s stunned face and grimaced. “Times have changed Professor. We can’t all avoid what’s happening around us by packing up and moving. I have to adjust our system or risk going under.”
Dalton hissed out a breath of air he hadn’t realized he was holding, “Shit, I’m sorry. You just surprised me. Are things that bad in Stone River?”
“Not bad so much as the bills are tight. We have had three straight years of drought. The Carrion River is way down, and the cost of water has gone up, so bringing more in isn’t an option. I have to find a way to keep us afloat without the crops.”
It was quiet between the two brothers for a few moments as Dalton pondered Tanner’s response. He was right of course. Changes had to be made in order to protect the ranch, and after almost fifteen years out of the ranching business, Dalton was the last person with a right to judge his older brother for his business decisions.
“Good for you.”
Tanner barked out a surprised laugh.
“I mean it, Skipper. That ranch is your heart and soul, and I admire you for doing whatever it takes to save it. If the Brooks boys are the way to do that, then I’m all for it.”
“Glad to hear it, because you’re going to have to help me explain it to pops when he comes to visit at Christmas. I haven’t told him yet.”
“Oh shit! Nope, you’re on your own with that, man. Besides, I’m not sure yet where I’ll be at Christmas time. I have a couple of months to figure it out.”
Tanner frowned, “If it means anything to you, it would make mama really happy if you would stick around for it. There are jobs in Austin, or old Doc Plass might be looking to retire? You have a home at the ranch, so you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to.”
Dalton turned his head to look out the window of the truck at the passing scenery. Now that they were on the highway there was only fields, cows, and the occasional scrub brush to look at, but he wasn’t going to let Tanner see the tears in his eyes. He wanted to be able to say yes. If only he had that option.
“We’ll see. I’m not sure Stone River can ever be my home again, Tanner. It wouldn’t be fair to Minnie and Walt.”
“Are you kidding? You’re still holding on to that? Walt and Minnie have grieved and moved on, Dalton. If they’ve managed to let it go, why can’t you?”
“Because they didn’t kill anyone, Tanner. I did. I will never be able to forgive myself, and they shouldn’t have to see their son’s murderer every day for the rest of their lives.”
“Dalton—”
“No! I don’t want to have this conversation right now. I just got my feet back on US soil and I want to use this time to rest. Do me a favor and let me know when we hit Stone River. I’m going to take a little cat nap.” Dalton promptly shut his eyes and ignored Tanner’s cursed mutterings under his breath. His brother was wrong. There was no way Walt and Minnie would ever move on and forgive him for Ben’s death. As well they shouldn’t. Forcing the whole thing from his mind, Dalton let his body relax and quickly slipped into sleep with the rocking of the truck.