Stranded with My Stepbrother Chapter 92

-Jacey-

As the months passed between Caleb’s and my rescues and the trial, it was easy to fall into a new routine. A quiet, easy routine. As we healed under Horace’s watchful eyes, we started being able to help Billy out more. He taught Caleb and me how to milk cows and collect eggs. Then, when we were both healthy again, we began mucking out stables and using a pitchfork to drop hay down from the hayloft to feed the horses below.

“You’re the best farmhands I’ve ever had,” Billy said over breakfast one morning as Caleb and I cooked together, insisting Billy sit down and just let us wait on him. “Maybe Jake will settle you right here after the trial. It’s not like anybody’d look for you here.” He sounded hopeful.

“We’d have to go into town eventually, and there’s been a BOLO out for us already. Hell, we’ve been on TV,” Caleb reminded him, pushing the bacon strips around a cast iron skillet. They sizzled and hissed.

“I hate to break it to you, but that BOLO went out everywhere. So did the news. I don’t even know if it’d help for you to leave the country,” Billy pointed out.

I groaned. “That’s good to know.”

“See? You might as well stay here,” Billy said.

Caleb looked at me. “Well, it’s not a terrible idea…. Who would look for us here?”

“Nobody. I’ll talk to Jake about it. Heck, it’s a big house. My grandma had eight kids. If Masterson lets your family go, they could come here, too,” Billy suggested.

I shuddered at the idea of being under the same roof as my father. “I… uh… suppose…”

“If he hits you again, I’m dropping him off the top of one of the silos and calling it an accident,” Caleb grunted.

“How would he have gotten up there in his wheelchair?” I asked.

“The power of prayer?” Caleb grimaced. “Okay, so, maybe he rolls into a river or something.”

Billy laughed. “Before you go planning to murder your father-in-law, Caleb, maybe give him a chance to apologize? He should see how good you two are together.”

“He had a chance to see that. He was still an asshole,” Caleb muttered.

I finished frying the eggs for all of us, bumping hips gently with Caleb. “We can give him another chance. Billy won’t let him stay if he’s just as bad as he was before.”

“I’ll help you push him into the creek,” Billy offered. “Just not until you give him another chance.”

Caleb heaved a heavy sigh. “Fine.” He finished the bacon, and I began plating the food while Caleb made toast.

Officer Alexander walked in then with Horace in his wake, neither of them knocking. That didn’t really seem to be a thing at Billy’s house. What was a thing was saying ‘good morning’ when you came in. But both Officer Alexander and Horace looked grim.

“What?” I asked, my heart pounding. “Did someone die?”

“Okay, maybe it’s not-so-bad news,” Horace murmured to Officer Alexander.

“What’s the bad news?” Caleb asked, tossing some toast down on a plate. He glanced at me, and I fired up the burners again, preparing to make more food for the newcomers.

“Trial’s finally coming up. Two weeks. The Attorney General reached out to the state police,” Officer Alexander explained. “I sent a message back that you’d be there, but I’ve said it, and I’ll say it again: you don’t have to. You’ve already suffered more than two people have the right to, and the Attorney General, hell, not even my own boss knows where you are. I can just make you go away. It’ll probably work just as well as testifying to get your family away from Masterson, and you won’t be walking into his crosshairs.”

I looked at Caleb. Caleb looked at me. Then I shook my head. “We have to testify. Especially for all those people whose lives were lost getting us this far.”

“I told you they wouldn’t take the easy way,” Billy said, sounding proud.

“We’re all going with you,” Horace added, taking a seat at the table. “Is that bacon I smell?”

“Make another pound of it, Caleb. Horace is going to hog it all,” Billy chuckled.

“You’d better believe it,” the vet replied.

I got more plates and silverware out. While Caleb took care of the eggs and bacon, I poured orange juice and coffee for the newcomers then went to make more toast after setting butter and jam on the table.

“You’re very brave, you two,” Officer Alexander said, sitting down as well. “I just hate to drop this on you after everything.”

“We knew it was coming eventually,” Caleb replied. “I guess I’m just happy it’ll be over. I mean, then we go to INTERPOL and testify against the sheik…”

“No, you don’t.” Officer Alexander’s tone was firm.

Caleb looked up. “What?”

“You heard me. You’re doing all the duty you need to. You don’t have to keep walking from pillar to post so everyone can get their pound of flesh. They can take depositions if they want, but you’re not being trucked all over the world for this bullshit,” Officer Alexander said.

“We discussed it,” Horace mumbled around a mouthful of toast. “Jake was in Camp Testify for a while, a long while, but then he came around to reality. You’re both going to be a hundred by the time this ends. Eventually, someone else has to carry the ball.”

“But…” I began, confused.

Officer Alexander interrupted me. “It’s great you want to do what you can for the world. But it’s going to be impossible to keep you safe the whole time. I don’t know the people they’re going to hand you off to, and I can’t go with you. That sheik is just going to pay someone to kill you. I’m positive, after all these murder attempts. They can just take a deposition and use it in court. And this is the twenty-first century. If they need you to testify, they can do it remotely. No more of this bouncing you around the globe.”

“They can stay here,” Billy said hopefully.

Officer Alexander gave that some thought. “Well, here’s as good a place as any. At least I’ll be able to keep an eye on you.”

“Great!” Billy was excited, and so was I. I looked over at Caleb, who grinned.

“I guess it’s decided, then. You’re going to have two really good farmhands for life,” Caleb smiled.

“That’s wonderful, and I’ll pay you more than room and board once we get this all worked out, for sure,” Billy added. “Can’t have you all poor and needy. Work is worth a paycheck.”

“Witness Protection will take care of that. We just have to give them an account to send money to,” Office Alexander said. “They sure as hell owe you two.”

Caleb nodded. “That works.”

“But they’ll be working for me. Surely I should pay you guys something,” Billy argued.

“No,” Caleb and I said together.

“You’re doing us such a great favor letting us stay here,” I continued. “If anything, we should be giving you hazard pay for keeping us.”

“Hmph.” Billy didn’t seem happy about the money situation, but he didn’t argue any further.

Caleb cleared his throat. “Just to let you know, Jacey and I intend to get married and have kids. We’d really like to go to college, but I can see where that might not be possible. I… wanted to be a doctor.”

“You can come help me at the vet’s office,” Horace suggested. “I’ll teach you everything I know. I know it’s not human medicine but… well, I guess you never know, right? I never expected to be treating two humans, but here I am.”

Caleb gave that some thought. “That actually sounds kind of neat. I like animals, and I’d be able to help out more around here if they get sick.”

“Don’t you go putting me out of a job, though!” Horace teased.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Caleb laughed.

“I kind of like farm life,” I said, looking around at everyone. “It’s nice here. There’s plenty to do, and everyone helps out.”

“I’d still understand you being disappointed about not being able to go to school,” Billy responded sympathetically.

My smile wavered. “But I don’t even know what I’d like to be.”

“It’s still a shame not having the full college experience,” Horace said. “Frankly, it’s not fair.”

“It’s not,” Caleb agreed. He rubbed my back. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t still have a full, happy life.”

‘I love you,’ I mouthed to him.

He smiled and kissed my temple. “Love you, too,” he whispered in my ear.

“Aww, you two are cuter than a bug’s ear,” Billy sighed. “Doesn’t look like I’m getting married anytime soon. Probably end up leaving the farm to you and your kids.”

“Billy!” I gasped. “Oh my God, that would be more than generous! Don’t you have extended family?”

“All of them would just want to sell it to developers,” Billy snorted.

“Oi, is the bacon burning?!” Horace asked.

Caleb turned quickly back to the stove and started slapping bacon and eggs on plates. He then piled bacon high on a separate plate.

“That one’s mine, right?” Horace asked, indicating the bacon plate.

“It’s a miracle you haven’t had a heart attack by now. You know that, right?” Officer Alexander said.

Horace stared in disappointment as I set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him then set the plate of bacon in the middle of the table. “I’m fit as a fiddle,” he insisted.

“Uh-huh. You kiss your wife with that lying mouth?” Billy chuckled.

“Hmph.” Horace started on his bacon first.

Once we were finished making all the toast, Caleb pulled out a chair for me, and we sat down at the table as well.

“Eat up. Lots of chores today,” Billy told us, biting into a piece of toast.

“He says it like it’s a threat,” Officer Alexander grinned. He began cutting his fried eggs up.

Horace reached for the bacon, but I pushed it back. “Not until you’ve finished your eggs,” I scolded him.

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, Mother.” He grumbled while he ate his eggs.

Caleb chewed on a piece of bacon right next to him, and Horace gave him a baleful look. “Good stuff,” Caleb said.

“So, you two are okay with not testifying against the sheik?” Officer Alexander asked.

“Like you said, it’s the twenty-first century. If they want our testimony that bad, they can ask us to Zoom in or whatever,” I said. “I like it here. I want to stay.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Billy smiled. “Speaking of which, it’s your turn to muck out the stables.”

“What is it with you people and getting me all covered with manure?” I joked.

Horace snorted. “First time, you did it to yourself.”

“Hmm. Yeah, I keep forgetting that part.” I looked around at all of them. This felt like a real family.

A sudden stab of terror shot through me. Did that mean this was going to be taken away from us as well? Was it only a matter of time?

Oh God, are these people going to get hurt because of us?!

“Stop thinking so hard. You’re going to give yourself an aneurysm,” Horace grunted, finishing his eggs and giving Billy an expectant glare.

Billy pushed the plate of bacon down toward Horace. “I know you’re scared,” he said to me kindly. “But Jake’s got this. We’re all going to be okay.”

It was as though they could read my mind.

Caleb dropped his chin onto my shoulder. “This time, we’ll all get it right, baby. This time, it really will be okay.”

“You don’t know that for sure,” I whispered.

“I know it for sure,” Officer Alexander said. “Now eat up before the taskmaster here makes you go mow the back forty as well.”

“I have a tractor!” Billy objected.

“Your dad didn’t,” Officer Alexander muttered. “Let me tell you, twenty-five bucks was not nearly enough for that bullshit. I think I have a permanent back injury.”

They kept bantering, and my nerves settled. After all, it couldn’t always go wrong.

Could it?