Midnight Roots (Silver Creek Ranch)

Chapter Twenty

Heston

I can't believe it. I've done it. Cece looked surprised as hell when I told her what was happening.

I've invited Dillon to the ranch, and now I need to see it through no matter what happens with my demons. I leave the Catch + Candle, and I go to the supermarket to get some supplies for dinner. I buy burgers, hamburger buns, relish, sauces, and some onions. I also grab a twelve-pack of beers.

I pay for everything and pack it into the back of my truck. As I am doing that I see the lipstick lying in the back. I pick it up. The shade would look lovely on Dillon. I pocket it.

Before I climb into my truck I have a thought and go back to the supermarket to the bedding section. I find some nice looking sheets and take them. I pay for them and toss them in the back of the truck.

I get into my truck and drive back to the ranch, humming to myself quietly. She'll want a tour of the ranchhouse. I'll need to remove some of the items from the guest room to make it more presentable. I get home and pack away all the groceries before I grab my toolkit and head upstairs.

I unshackle Tessa, lift her off the stone, and drop her onto the floor next to me. She doesn't move. Her breathing is raspy. She's no threat to me.

I undo the bolts holding the shackles in place and pack them up. I glance at Tessa and decide to leave her there while I take down the shackles and stone to the equipment shed. By the time I get back, she hasn't moved an inch. I think she's expired, or at least close to it.

I grab her and throw her over my shoulder. I take her to the equipment shed and lock her in there to die.

At least I'm giving her some privacy. I think that's rather kind of me.

She's had her time in the limelight with my demons.

She's served her purpose.

Once the guest bedroom is sorted out, I saddle up a horse and take a ride to the other side of the ranch, where the cattle are grazing. I ride near them, checking on them. They all seem healthy and in one piece. I start to count them, making sure they're all present. I notice a new calf nearby and smile to myself—the miracle of life. I'll have to weigh and tag her tomorrow because I didn't bring the tools with me today.

She looks healthy, though. She is definitely a girl. I decide as I ride closer. She moves closer to her mother. Maybe I could show Dillon the calf. Maybe it's something she'd be interested in. I wonder how interested she is in ranch life. I'm sure it's something she can learn. I mean, I learned about it, after being in the navy.

After the war.

My mind drifts back to the war briefly. To those final days when we knew a prostitute was withholding information from us. She knew where the enemy was hiding, and she wouldn't say anything. Our translator wasn't great either, which didn't help. Waterboarding, penetration, pulling her fingernails out. We tried different things to get her to talk, but she mostly just screamed in pain. She begged for a swift end to her life.

We didn't give her one.

We were not merciful .

I have no regrets. We did what we had to do. That's the line we were told. What we had to do. Whatever we had to do was what was needed. It was what we lived by.

We needed information, and we had to get it in any way we could. Pleasuring ourselves was just a bonus to the entire situation. They were just cheap whores, they knew no better.

It's the same as Tessa. She was cheap, unlike Dillon. She just threw herself at whoever was the catch of the week. She picked the wrong one my week.

My mind comes back to focus on the cattle, and I notice one of the dogs pacing. "What is it, boy?"

He settles, and I nod. "Good boy."

I turn Charlie around, and I trot back to the stables, doing my usual. I go to feed the pigs and clean out their water troughs. Then I feed the chickens. I collect some eggs while I'm there. Fresh chicken eggs are the best.

I can use them to make Dillon some breakfast in the morning.

As I'm leaving the coop, I notice that one of my little ladies has managed to escape. Shit, I'll have to deal with this now before more of them get out. I take the eggs inside before I grab my toolkit again and going to inspect the coop. I find a place where the chicken wire has come out, and I need to hammer it back into place. I check the time. Shit, I need to put the sheets on and get ready.

I quickly get out the nails I need and put the chicken wire back into place. I hammer the nails into place quickly, but on the second nail, I miss and hit my thumb.

"Fuck!" I cry out.

I drop the hammer and suck on my thumb. That fucking hurt. I inspect my thumb for damage, but it doesn't look bad. I pick up the hammer again and carefully hammer in the nails before I catch the runaway chicken and put her back in the coop.

I then get the sheets out of the back of my truck and take them upstairs. I strip my bed, pack away those sheets, and take out the nice sheets I've bought. It's then that I realize it has a fitted sheet instead of a flat sheet. Goddamit. It'll have to do.

I want this to be perfect, but it'll have to do.

I make the bed before I go into the garden and pick some wildflowers, setting them down on the bed for Dillon to find when we call it a night. I can't wait to fall asleep with her in my arms.