Page 295 of The Texas Sterling Collection
Cornelius uncrossed his arms and raised his voice. “Are you refusing my request?”
“No.” Grover shook his head. “Your request is not mine to honor or deny. The horse is your property. You may take him. But contrary to your thinking, Felix is not property, nor is he your personal slave. He is a strong, determined man, old enough to make his own decisions. At age eighteen, he is a legal adult.” Grover moved toward the parlor door. “I will bring him in, and he can tell you himself what he wishes to do.”
“Sterling, do not start something you cannot finish.” Cornelius followed Grover to the door.
In the hallway, Grover turned and huffed out a hearty laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous, Bonner. You are a storekeeper, and yours is not the only store in Blackfield. You have no power in this county.” He poked his finger in the air toward Cornelius, emphasizing his point. “Don’tyoustart something you cannot finish.”
Anger simmered within Cornelius. His customer base decreased after the new store opened across the town square. Sterling carried much influence among local farmers and ranchers. One word from him and Cornelius would lose many more customers. Sterling called his bluff, and he was powerless to do anything about it, so he decided to leave well enough alone for now. He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Very well. Have the boy come talk to me.”
“Bonner, can you not even call your eldest son by his name?” Grover tilted his head to the left. “And as I mentioned before, he is not a boy. He is a man. And this gifted and talented young man is nothing more to you than a slave and a mouth to feed. I pity you for your loss.”
Cornelius was not accustomed to being challenged. He always had the upper hand. Within him, the embers of revenge took life. But for now, he would concede the battle. “Can I see Felix?” Cornelius asked through gritted teeth.
Grover nodded. “I will bring the two young men in.” He left the parlor and went to fetch Felix and Joey.
* * *
He walked into the kitchen, where Mabel worked on supper. “I have Bonner between a rock and a hard place,” he hugged Mabel and chuckled. “Felix will stay with us.”
“I’m so glad. He needs a loving family. Cornelius doesn’t realize what a treasure Felix is.”
“I agree. He wants to see Felix, so I'll bring them from the barn. I want Joey, too. I can hardly wait to see what Bonner does.”
Grover left the house and walked to the barn. Handling Cornelius Bonner had been easier than he expected. The guy was all gruff exterior with no soul.
“Joey…Felix? Where are you?” he called out as he walked into the barn. The two cowboys poked their heads out of one of the stalls they had been cleaning. “Here, Pa,” they both said in unison. It was uncanny how much they thought alike.
“Felix, your father is here. I told him you wanted to speak to him about staying at the ranch. He’s waiting in the parlor.”
They laid down their tools, and Joey grabbed Felix by the arm. “We’re coming, Pa. Felix can face anything as long as I’m with him.”
“Good man,” Grover said as the two young men approached him. He put a hand on each of their shoulders as they walked toward the house. He knew this would be tough for Felix, but he would stand by him no matter what.
They entered the house through the kitchen, and Mabel grabbed Felix into a hug before he left the kitchen. “We’re here for you, son. You’ll never be alone as long as Sterlings have breath.”
“Thanks, Ma,” Felix squeezed her, then turned to the hallway.
Joey and Grover entered the parlor, followed by Felix.
“You wanted to see me, Father?” Felix said.
“Yes, Felix,” Cornelius called his son by name, the force of the effort evident on his face. “I understand you wish to remain here at Sterling Ranch.”
“Yes, Father. You ordered me to leave the store and the house. The Sterlings welcomed me to their ranch and into their home. And here is where I’ll stay.”
“Felix, your mother asked me to check on you. She worries about you.”
“Tell Mother I’m happy at Sterling Ranch. Tell her I love her and will return to visit her when I have time.”
“I will tell her, Felix.”
“Thank you, Father.”
With that, Cornelius started to leave the parlor. He turned and looked at Grover. “My horse?”
“I’ll ask Joey to bring him around,” Grover said.
Joey nodded and hurried from the room.
