going to call you boys down for lunch.”
“Where’s your dad, Suzie?”
“In his study. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. You go call the boys for lunch, and tell the wranglers they can break and go eat.”
“Sure thing, Charlie.” Suzie gave him a look of concern as she left the house.
Charlie walked down a hallway, took off his hat, and stood by the door. “Vernon?”
“Come in, Charlie.” Vernon put the paperwork he was reading down on his desk and asked,
“So? We got another mutilated animal up at the west fence?”
Closing the door, Charlie sat down on the chair in front of the desk and put his hat on his lap.
“Butch killed it, makin’ it look like another ritual slaughter.”
Vernon’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth but said nothing.
“When I first got up that end, he was washin’ his hands in the reservoir. Didn’t matter. He had blood all over his coat sleeves.”
“Charlie, no. Why would the boy do that?”
“He’s tryin’ to undermine me, Vernon.” Charlie shook off his jacket, leaving it behind him on the chair. “My guess is if I hadn’t have caught him literally red-handed, he would have justified his leg-trap idea.”
“So you’re telling me Butch just killed a deer off season, and…”
“And cut its fuckin’ heart out.”
Vernon rubbed his face as he digested the information.
“Vernon!” Butch knocked loudly on the door. “Vernon, don’t listen to him!”
“Get in here, Butch.” Vernon stood, breathing fire.
Butch entered the room, panting loudly, as if he sprinted to the house to try and stop this conversation. “He’s a liar!”
“Sit down.” Vernon pointed to another chair near the wall.
“Charlie?” Butch nudged him roughly. “You ever suck a man’s cock?”
Charlie stiffened up but didn’t make eye contact. Shit. Goddamn-mother-fucking shit!
“Take a look at this, Vernon.” Butch handed Vernon his mobile phone. “I took them photos just now. Just now!”
Vernon had no choice but to look at the phone as it was shoved under his nose.
Charlie felt like a cornered cat. “What I do in my private life ain’t like what you did up there to that deer!”
“Private?” Butch pushed a button on the phone as if changing the screen and held it in front of Vernon to look. “I don’t think doing what you did with that naked man on ranch property was very private. What if our trail riding tour saw that? Huh? What if all them little kids we have riding up here, saw that!” Butch huffed, nodding his head like he had it all figured out.
“Get out.” Vernon waved Butch to the door.
“But, boss!”
“I said, get out. I’ll deal with you later.” Vernon sat back down in his chair.
As he left, Butch said, “An’ you call me the liar, the one with the problem.”
Charlie shifted uncomfortably, sweat beginning to coat his skin. He didn’t say a word. He was guilty.
“Charlie…”
“I’m sorry, Vernon. I was dead wrong.”
“I…I always thought you were a real man’s man.” “I’m not comfortable talking about this, boss.”
“The girls will be so disappointed. As am I.”
“Right. So now the fact that Butch killed an’ eviscerated a deer off season, tried to stab me with his knife when I confronted him—”
“Let me have a moment.” Vernon waved him off. “I need a minute.”
Charlie grabbed his hat and coat and left the office, closing the door. When he walked into the living room area, everyone stopped talking. Butch had his camera-phone in his hand.
“More show and tell, Butch?” Charlie put his coat on.
“Charlie,” Sherlane said, “Don’t leave. Come eat lunch.”
Charlie made eye contact with JP and Goat. They didn’t look angry, just nervous, as if he was a threat to their manhood. Without another word, Charlie left the ranch house.
He sat behind the wheel of his pickup truck and drove out of the long drive to the main street.
He was so upset with Butch’s actions, the fact that he had been
“Where’s your dad, Suzie?”
“In his study. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. You go call the boys for lunch, and tell the wranglers they can break and go eat.”
“Sure thing, Charlie.” Suzie gave him a look of concern as she left the house.
Charlie walked down a hallway, took off his hat, and stood by the door. “Vernon?”
“Come in, Charlie.” Vernon put the paperwork he was reading down on his desk and asked,
“So? We got another mutilated animal up at the west fence?”
Closing the door, Charlie sat down on the chair in front of the desk and put his hat on his lap.
“Butch killed it, makin’ it look like another ritual slaughter.”
Vernon’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth but said nothing.
“When I first got up that end, he was washin’ his hands in the reservoir. Didn’t matter. He had blood all over his coat sleeves.”
“Charlie, no. Why would the boy do that?”
“He’s tryin’ to undermine me, Vernon.” Charlie shook off his jacket, leaving it behind him on the chair. “My guess is if I hadn’t have caught him literally red-handed, he would have justified his leg-trap idea.”
“So you’re telling me Butch just killed a deer off season, and…”
“And cut its fuckin’ heart out.”
Vernon rubbed his face as he digested the information.
“Vernon!” Butch knocked loudly on the door. “Vernon, don’t listen to him!”
“Get in here, Butch.” Vernon stood, breathing fire.
Butch entered the room, panting loudly, as if he sprinted to the house to try and stop this conversation. “He’s a liar!”
“Sit down.” Vernon pointed to another chair near the wall.
“Charlie?” Butch nudged him roughly. “You ever suck a man’s cock?”
Charlie stiffened up but didn’t make eye contact. Shit. Goddamn-mother-fucking shit!
“Take a look at this, Vernon.” Butch handed Vernon his mobile phone. “I took them photos just now. Just now!”
Vernon had no choice but to look at the phone as it was shoved under his nose.
Charlie felt like a cornered cat. “What I do in my private life ain’t like what you did up there to that deer!”
“Private?” Butch pushed a button on the phone as if changing the screen and held it in front of Vernon to look. “I don’t think doing what you did with that naked man on ranch property was very private. What if our trail riding tour saw that? Huh? What if all them little kids we have riding up here, saw that!” Butch huffed, nodding his head like he had it all figured out.
“Get out.” Vernon waved Butch to the door.
“But, boss!”
“I said, get out. I’ll deal with you later.” Vernon sat back down in his chair.
As he left, Butch said, “An’ you call me the liar, the one with the problem.”
Charlie shifted uncomfortably, sweat beginning to coat his skin. He didn’t say a word. He was guilty.
“Charlie…”
“I’m sorry, Vernon. I was dead wrong.”
“I…I always thought you were a real man’s man.” “I’m not comfortable talking about this, boss.”
“The girls will be so disappointed. As am I.”
“Right. So now the fact that Butch killed an’ eviscerated a deer off season, tried to stab me with his knife when I confronted him—”
“Let me have a moment.” Vernon waved him off. “I need a minute.”
Charlie grabbed his hat and coat and left the office, closing the door. When he walked into the living room area, everyone stopped talking. Butch had his camera-phone in his hand.
“More show and tell, Butch?” Charlie put his coat on.
“Charlie,” Sherlane said, “Don’t leave. Come eat lunch.”
Charlie made eye contact with JP and Goat. They didn’t look angry, just nervous, as if he was a threat to their manhood. Without another word, Charlie left the ranch house.
He sat behind the wheel of his pickup truck and drove out of the long drive to the main street.
He was so upset with Butch’s actions, the fact that he had been
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