Page 30 of Rolling Thunder

“What are you doing here?” Leanne demanded at last. He didn’t answer the question.

“Leave this poor girl alone, Leanne,”Bill said in a voice so low, it was nearly a growl.

Trent responded by straightening up and taking a meaningful step forward. Kayla cringed, waiting for him to explode, waiting for him to launch himself over the gate to grab her. Somehow oblivious to the rising tension between Trent and Bill, Leanne continued to shout.

“You have no right to any opinion here!” Leanne shrieked. “You of all people!”

“Me of all people? I’m here bustin’ my ass to help this girl get the place running again. She didn’t ask me to, neither. She was out here all by herself trying to make an honest livin’. What hole did you crawl out of to come down here and beg your daughter for money? It ain’t her job to take care of you. You’re making the same choices I seen you make since you was fifteen years old, Leanne. It ain’t no big surprise you’re gettin’ the same results. You want to get off the shit? I’ll take you to a meeting right now. Otherwise, we all got nothin’ more to say.” Kayla hadn’t taken her eyes off Trent. He seemed baffled that Leanne and Canyon Bill’s drama had somehow eclipsed him and he wasn’t the center of attention. Kayla was only half listening to them, the rest of her poised in case Trent blew.

“Well, you know where the money’s at, Kayla,” Trent interjected with a smirk.

She could feel Bill’s gaze travel from Trent to her, felt his wondering.

“Fuck you,” she blurted. Trent started for her. Cold sweat immediately broke out on her skin as her body prepared for the beating that would surely come now. She squinted at Trent, waiting for the inevitable strike. Instead, Bill stepped forward and leveled a no-nonsense stare at Trent.

“Time for y’all to go,” Bill said, straightening up to his full height. Kayla was surprised that there was unmistakable menace there; as if he’d thrown off the cloak of age, as if he forgot he was an old man. An even bigger shock was that Trent retreated. Bill had once been a formidable man. Once upon a time, he’d been a bear, who could strike fear into hearts of the baddest of men. Evidently, Trent could sense that in him, and instinctively retreated to the safety of his car. Kayla couldn’t think of a time she’d ever seen him back down.

Leanne lingered, glaring at Canyon Bill. Kayla looked from one to the other, wondering at the animosity.

“You got somethin’ to say, Leanne?” Bill asked her with a cool, level voice.

“You know I do,” she shot back, looking from Bill to Kayla as if considering her options.

“Well, get on with it or get outta here.”

Leanne’s mouth twisted into a sneer, and then she slunk into the passenger seat. Trent peeled out, slinging gravel that dinged the metal gate.

Bill softened, turned around, and took a long look at her. He looked like he had a lot to say. He looked like he felt sorry for her, and maybe also himself. She wanted to say thank you, but once again, she couldn’t make herself do it.

“What was that you of all people about?” Kayla asked timidly. She didn’t want to know. Bill was here. He was acting like family. And God help her, she didn’t want him to go. She knew that look of her mother’s. She knew it meant madness and destruction. Everything she wanted to leave behind.

“I reckon you’d have to ask her. I never could understand what makes your momma tick.”

They stared at each other. His expression was pained and guarded. She wanted to demand information, but even more, she didn’t.

In the end, neither said anything, and Bill walked off down the driveway back to the barn. After a few moments, she heard the hammer strike up again.

Kayla knew all too well the cold grip of doubt in her gut, that moment of terrible reckoning when she realized she’d trusted the wrong person. Canyon Bill was a lot of things, but he’d never been cruel. Growing up, she’d known him to be sometimes unreliable, sometimes drunk, but always kind to her grandmother and her. Grandma Kay had loved him with all her heart, despite his shortcomings. She remembered her saying, “Sometimes you just have to love the person you know is in there.” Kayla had sometimes believed that. Other times, she thought loving anyone was too big of a risk to take. Now, she hoped she hadn’t made a mistake in trusting Canyon Bill.

EVAN

A text popped up on Evan’s phone from Kayla. I’m sorry. That was all. Considering their face-to-face communication had been abysmal, if there was any clarity to be had, it wouldn’t happen by text.

He rolled up to the gate, keeping his motor quiet, and sat there idling. He could see her in the distance working a horse in the round pen. She was concentrating and didn’t look his way or acknowledge she heard the bike. But the old drifter emerged from the woods to the left of the driveway and stopped, staring at him. Evan jerked his head at the old man to get his attention.

He stopped and squared his shoulders, bringing himself to his full height. Evan could see in his stance the echo of the man he had been in his prime, and there was more than a little glint of danger there. The drifter began walking up the driveway with a slow purpose. Evan could see immediately that he was being sized up and mildly threatened. He would have been angry if he hadn’t been relieved that someone else on this farm had Kayla’s back when he wasn’t around. He cut the engine, stood his ground, and met the gaze of the oncoming man calmly. In prison, Evan had perfected interactions with dangerous men. It was like the ritual behavior of wild animals. Neither could show weakness or indecision. Both had to showcase the aggression they could unleash, but in such a way that immediate conflict could be avoided, because neither really wanted to fight unless there was no other choice.

Bill came to a stop a few feet from the gate, eyeing Evan openly.

“You the new boyfriend?” he asked without preamble.

“I don’t guess she’s called me that. But I guess I am,” Evan replied casually. Then he reached an outstretched hand through the gap at the top of the gate. “Evan Holton,” he said. Bill eyed the hand, eyed Evan himself, then stepped forward and gripped his hand in a firm shake.

“Canyon Bill,” he replied. They sized each other up silently for a moment. Then Bill gave a short nod. Evan had passed the unseen test, and Bill unlocked the gate for him.

With an experienced flick of her wrist, Kayla tossed a long rope toward the horse in the round pen. Evan watched as it just grazed the horse’s rear, and the animal took off at a smart canter around her. The horse tossed its head and kicked its heels up in her direction.

“Oh yeah?” she muttered, and tossed the rope again, pushing the horse still faster.

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