“Shoot.”
“What is it you do?”
She looked at him and wondered if old Ross was a strand in Kyle’s webbing. “Can I ask you a question before I answer yours?”
He followed her line of sight out to the guy on the corner.
“Have you ever heard the expression the walls have ears?”
Ross just stared at her silently, as if waiting for her to finish.
“In this day and age they have ears, eyes, and brains. And they always seem to be plotting my demise. The other thing is, they aren’t confined to the walls, so I’m curious why you want to know what I do.”
Ross couldn’t take his eyes off the man on the corner leaning against one of the town’s only parking meters. “I’ve been watching my daughter for the past four years, trying to find what spooked her. Granted, I didn’t spend a lot of time getting to know you, but I saw how you felt about her. I could hear it in your voice when we used to talk.” He finally turned from the window and scrutinized his daughter’s ex-lover. “Why’s she here and not with you?”
“She asked to go and I let her. I’m not a monster, Ross. I wasn’t about to try and force her to stay somewhere she felt she didn’t belong any longer. What I wouldn’t allow, though—and if this makes me sound like a monster, then I’m sorry—was letting her leave with Hayden. He’s my son, and his place is with me. If Emma wants to have a relationship with him I’m all for that, but it’ll be limited to visitation rights. I’ll pull out every bit of power and influence at my disposal to keep it that way. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“But that doesn’t really answer my question.”
Cain glanced at the man on the street again and thought of the best way to answer without upsetting Ross. “In my time and in my business dealings, some people have tried to test my resolve and my position every so often. Sometimes, they try to get to me through my family. At a party for my sister, one of my cousins tried to take certain liberties with Emma in our home. I caught him before it turned ugly, and after seeing she was upset but unhurt, I had a little talk with this guy. The blood on my hands after our talk scared her, and she left a week later. I figured she would come back here, and someday she’d return to see our son. As much as it hurt me, it was her decision, and I’ve tried my best to honor it.”
Ross leaned back in the booth and stared at Cain’s hands. Granted, her life did have slimy characters at the periphery, but Emma had left because Cain had done what anyone else not even in her position would have. Baby girl, what were you thinking? He reflected on Emma and how she’d spent her time at the farm since she came back in the middle of the night so fragile looking. She had been prime pickings, and her mother had finished the job of beating her down.
“Cain, there’s something you should know.” Ross stopped talking when she shook her head in a way only he would see.
“How about you explain why you aren’t making a trip to the feed store until the spring?”
During the rest of lunch Ross told her about low dairy prices and rising debt. He didn’t mind doing without, but the land he worked had been in his family for generations, and family tradition was a subject he was sure she understood.
“I can look at you, Ross, and see you’re a proud man, but does that mean you’re stupid?”
Her smile kept him from getting mad and made him laugh with her. “I’d like to think I’ve got a few brain cells left, thank you.”
“Then how would you like a silent partner?”
Chapter Eleven
Ross laughed again and studied her face to see if she was serious. “Who? You?”
“Let’s say me for now, but eventually Hayden. I know Emma’s probably your heir, but Hayden’s your grandson and the one chance you have to keep this place you love in your family. I give you my word you’ll never have a problem with the authorities, and nothing will go on there that isn’t going on now.”
Ross thought of the number of FBI running around his property playing a cat-and-mouse game. He figured Kyle hadn’t realized the woman sitting here with him was the cat. Very seldom did the mouse win when the cat was as conniving as Cain. “How about we say nothing will go on there but farming and milking cows if I take you up on your offer?”
Ross shook one of the big hands that came off the tabletop and extended toward him. “Deal, partner,” said Cain, apparently not needing a written contract. She excused herself from the table and headed toward the pay phone at the back of the restaurant. Ross sat alone and had another cup of coffee, wishing he knew who was keeping Cain on the other end so long.
“Let’s head over to the bank” was all she said when she was finished.
Ross didn’t ask any questions and just followed her down the street. He noticed the employees of the bank looked a little wary when they saw him, probably not wanting to turn him down again for a loan.
“Ross, why don’t you ask them to fire up the one computer in this place and tell them you’re here to make a withdrawal.”
He watched the manager step out of his office and behind the counter to the teller, apparently afraid there was going to be a problem. “Jodie, could you access my account, please?”
“How’re you doing today, Ross?” The manager held his hand out and smiled. “How much will you be needing?”
Ross looked back to Cain and put his hands up in question.
“However much it’ll take to bring your account up to date at the feed store and buy another load of feed to fill up the storeroom. And we’ll want that in cash,” said Cain, in answer to the silent question.
The number Ross told the teller obviously surprised the manager, who pushed the girl aside. “You know that isn’t going to happen, Ross. How about we wait until the spring and you sell some off some of the stock, and then we’ll see what we can do?”
Cain moved Ross out of the way to get to the manager. “I believe Mr. Verde asked you for some money, so start tapping away on that antique sitting back there and let’s get to it.”
The manager smirked as he brought up the Verde account. He looked like he’d love to knock the cocky expression off the bitchy woman’s face. “Like I said, Ross, why don’t we wait until spring?”
“Look at the screen, Fred,” ordered Cain.
“My name is Herb.”
“Look at the goddamn screen.”
It took a couple of envelopes to hand over Ross’s money, and ten minutes to make it out of the bank after the manager saw the new Verde account.
“Do I want to know how you got my account number?” Ross patted his coat pocket where his newfound wealth was stashed.
Cain leaned over and whispered in his ear. “Don’t tell anybody, but I’m just a good old-fashioned gangster.”
Ross laughed and felt a genuine affection for the tall rogue his daughter had shared so many years with. The sentiment had nothing to do with the fact that she was willing to help him, no strings attached, which differed vastly from the deal the government was offering. Still chuckling, he asked, “Does that mean I just cut a deal with the devil?”
“Ross, granted, you don’t know that much about me, but I’ll never harm you. Things didn’t work out for Emma and me, but she’s the mother of my son, so that makes you part of my family. I gave you the money freely on behalf of Hayden and myself, and I don’t expect anything from you. Maybe you can send us some of the famous cheese Hayden was telling me about. In addition to the money, you have to accept that there’s still a bit of the devil inside me. It’s what makes life fun, though.”
He patted her on the back, and they continued their walk in a companionable silence. Carol would probably leave him for taking the money, but at least he would be able to sleep at night knowing he wasn’t ruining someone’s life as a way to solve his problems.