“You sure are a big man, aren’t you?” I seethed. “You think that you can intimidate people into doing what you want but guess what? Hannover Ranch isn’t the dingy little plot of land it was six years ago. Of course, you wouldn’t know that because you’re never around. I’m not afraid of you.”
“Maybe you should be. I hear old John-boy got around. I’m sure if we dug hard enough, there are more than a couple little bastards out there with his DNA. How well do you think Hannover would do when you split that fortune half a dozen ways?”
“Jesus, you’ve lost your mind. John doesn’t have any kids, and even if he did, that property is mine through and through.”
“Back off, Henry. Or you are going to find out just how deep our roots around here run. The courts don’t always need proof. Sometimes just a person’s past can get them in a world of trouble.”
If I stayed any longer, I was going to beat him into a pulp. It was no mystery around the county that I came from a rough past. Never though, in my years in the area had I been threatened over it. Taking a deep breath and shaking my head, I climbed into my truck and slammed the door as Scott backed away from it.
“You can keep your bullshit threats, Scott. You’ve got nothing I want. I’ll stick to dealing with your father.”
“Stay away from my father.”
“You have yourself a good day now.” I grinned. “I think we are done here. Give the family my best. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around real soon.”
“Damn it, Smith.” Scott hissed.
With a final wink and a smile, I pulled out of the driveway down the dirt road back to my own property. I knew Scott wasn’t going to let it go, but neither was I.
3
Jennifer
“This place is huge,” I muttered. “How does one person live here alone?”
“He’s rich, and he likes it. I stopped asking questions about the people we clean for a long time ago. If you keep that up, you’ll end up with a lot more questions than answers.”
“Don’t you get curious about them, though? I mean, look at this place. He doesn’t have a single picture on the walls.”
“You know, you weren’t this interested in the last place we cleaned,” Gwen joked.
I blushed and shrugged. “You could get an idea of who they were from their house. That one made sense. A family unit. You said this guy was a bachelor.”
“Is that why you are interested?” Gwen winked.
I laughed. “Not even close. Before I met Mike, I was in school for psychology. You can learn a lot about someone by the way they live. It’s interesting to me.”
“I would find it more interesting if you were looking to date someone,” Gwen said.
“Is that all you think about? Why haven’t you made a move on this bachelor yet?”
“Because I have no desire to get tied down to yet another man, duh.”
“The same goes for me,” I said. “Or do you not remember why I work with you now? Remember Mike? A real friendly piece of shit that decided to take everything in my apartment and pawn it? Thanks, but no thanks, I’ll pass on relationships.”
I turned my attention back to the kitchen. It had taken me all of three minutes to understand that the man who owned the house didn’t spend much time there outside of sleeping and drinking coffee. A stack of mugs sat unwashed in the sink. Dawning a pair of yellow gloves, I started washing them as Gwen turned on the music. The work was easy, and the money was cash under the table. It was what I needed, given my current situation. Plus, I got to spend my days next to my best friend.
It was our last house of the afternoon. We’d already spent the early morning hours and bulk of the day cleaning one private residence after another. Gwen was able to double her workload with me there. My relationship had ended abruptly. When it had ended, we’d been at my former employers who had taken great joy in firing me on the spot for the public display.
One destructive domino after another had started to topple after that until broke and homeless, I’d driven my car on fumes to reach my hometown. The following day I was starting work with Gwen and slowly rebuilding my life. Now, after three months on the job, I was almost ready to get my own place. Of course, the rest of my life continued to circle in shambles. My credit was destroyed, and any hopes of going back to college were indefinitely put on hold.
“Listen,” Gwen said. “Things are going to get better. You’ve already hit rock bottom; things can only go up from here.”
“What if that wasn’t rock bottom, though? What if Mike comes back, and I have to deal with him again?”
Gwen set down the duster she’d been using and walked over to where I was standing. She pulled me over to where she was standing and wrapped her arms around me in a tender embrace. It felt good to be held by my friend. My mental state still felt worn down despite the considerable progress I’d made in such a short amount of time. Ending the abusive relationship with Mike had been the first step. After that came the harsh reality of facing the mistakes I’d made during that relationship.
“You can’t think like that. That prick has no idea where you are at, and even if he did, I wouldn’t let him near you.”
“I know. He’s just always there lurking in the back of my mind.”
“Like the deadbeat, narcissistic, prick that he is. Things are going to keep getting better, okay. You’ve already saved up a ton of money. Before you know it, you’ll be back on your feet and in school.”
I laughed. “I don’t know about that. There are limits to even the student loans' generosity. I’m almost thirty-thousand dollars in debt with no transcripts to show for it.”
“So, we’ll pay for it one class at a time if we have to,” Gwen said.
“Gwen –
“No. Stop it. You are one of the smartest women that I know. If anyone is going to find a way to get back on their feet, it’s you.”
“Thanks’. I wish I had that same blind faith as you.” I whispered.
“That’s okay, sweetheart. I have enough faith in you for both of us. One day you’ll see what a special person you are. It doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow, but one day.”
“How did you get so wise? And old?” I asked.
Gwen laughed and smacked me in the arm as she went back to dusting. Already I felt better. She had a way of always making the world seem just a little brighter. Turning my attention back to the dishes as I looked out the window, I watched a cloud of dust moving up a dirt road. It wasn’t on any map of the area and looked like it was just a driveway, but the length of it made me think otherwise. It seemed to move between different properties.
A black truck came into view ahead of the dust. The lifted frame and large tires sent billows of the heavy Texas dirt a hundred feet in every direction. As it skidded to a stop near the back of the house, my heart started to race. Gwen had been cleaning the man’s home for almost a year but rarely saw him. Whatever he did with his time and money, it wasn’t spent inside. The heavy sound of footsteps echoed outside until the back door leading off the kitchen opened.