Page 10 of Redemption
I’d heard the story about the confrontation of Bea and O, but I still didn’t really understand it myself.
“She was in love with my brother,” Jarret Walker spoke up.
We all looked over at him.
Ma stared at him as her face went white.
Dad stared back at her. “Yes Bea, I knew about that.” He nodded.
“Wait up a minute,” Redemption said as he raised his hand. “She did all of this because she was in love with Bea’s husband?” He looked confused along with his brothers.
“Makes no sense right?” Rip spoke up again. “Just like her hurting all of us.”
“Simply because we existed,” Talon added. “Seems she saw herself in Ma’s place. Married to our father and her as our mother.”
“God…” Liv visibly shuddered. “That would have been a hell I don’t care to think about.”
“She’s been insane since we were kids, Jarret,” Ma spoke up.
He turned his head to look at her again. “What do you mean?”
“Do you remember what happened to my family?”
He cocked his head at her then his expression changed to one of astonishment as he figured out what she was saying. “She set that house on fire?” He looked stunned.
“She did it when she was 9 years old.” Ma’s eyes filled with tears again. “She killed our mother, father and Ona, our baby sister.”
Jarret looked like someone had slapped him as he had to reach for a chair and sit down. “But why?”
“Seems Mama and Pa knew she wasn’t right in the head. Hell, we all sorta knew that…” Ma’s voice trailed away as she too, moved to a chair and sat next to him. “They were going to take her to some clinic, I think. I remembered a lot of things now since she was brought here to the ranch. When we were kids, she used to skin animals…while they were still—alive. Pa caught her doing it once. He was so upset.”
Jarret looked gobsmacked. “I knew she wasn’t all there but…”
Nodding, Ma went on, “Like Billy, he was the neighbor’s kid.” She paused to look over at Talon and Rip. “His full name was William Halstead.”
They both shook their heads.
I gasped as that was where they had taken Sofia and later on, they found O there underground.
Ma, went on, “She hated him, although I never could figure out why. So one afternoon when he was at our house visiting, he fell out of a tree. I didn’t see it happen but he died from a broken neck.” She lowered her head as her body trembled. Looking back up at Jarret, she sighed as she said, “Olivia Claire had been up in that tree with him. I-I just never thought…” She reached for a napkin on the table and wiped her tears away from her cheeks. “But now, I know she had pushed him out of that tree. There were many events like that when we were young’uns. I could never be sure and I suppose I didn’t want to believe it.”
Jarret reached out and took her hand. “Bea, you can’t blame yourself.” He looked up at Rip. “And you shouldn’t either.”
Rip sighed. “I finally get what Dr. Robins was telling me.” He shook his head. “He told me ‘some people just have a missing chromosome and they can’t help who they are. That no one is to blame for someone else’s hate. Least of all their family.’ But it isn’t easy to face the fact that your own mother did such heinous crimes.” He looked away.
My heart hurt for him. Everyone in Ramton knew Rip orofhim. He would come out to wherever someone had broken down and tow their vehicle back to his shop at no charge. He helped all the locals by fixing their trucks or cars and charging hardly anything as he knew most couldn’t afford the going rate for repairs. He’d always been astand upkind of guy.
“You don’t deserve blame for what she done Rylan, none of us do,” Ma said softly then she looked back over at the man sitting next to her. “But her hatred knows no bounds, Jarret. To think I mourned her when she…” Bea sniffled and sat up straighter in her chair to look Jarret in the eyes. “You need to brace yourself for what I’m about to tell—” Her voice cracked. Then she stood up. “I-I just—can’t…” She got up from her chair to leave.
Jarret stood and grabbed her hand, then he tugged her to him and embraced her. “God, Bea. I know this had to be so hard on you. I shouldn’t have stayed away so long—”
Ma yanked herself from his embrace and glared at him. “Oh, you should be glad you did!” She looked around at his sons. “You might have never had these boys or Glory.”
Jarret slowly shook his head. “She knew me. I was one of the few who saw her for what she was. I could have—”
“NO! Heavens to mercy! No.” Ma looked angry. “She killed Bronson, Jarret. Burned him up the same way she did to our family.”
Jarret stood very still as he stared at her.
