A Helluva Man Read online

  BY

  SABLE HUNTER

  & RYAN O’LEARY

  HELL YEAH!

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  A Helluva Man

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright 2018 © Sable Hunter

  Cover: JRA Stevens for Down Write Nuts

  Formatting: Down Write Nuts

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  About the Author:

  Visit Sable:

  SABLE’S BOOKS

  Other Titles from Sable Hunter:

  CHAPTER ONE

  PROLOGUE

  When Jaxson was a child…

  “Whoa! Watch your step, Phil.” Jaxson jerked his brother backwards. “You almost stepped on a damn cottonmouth.”

  “Shit!” Philip exclaimed as they stared at a fat stub-tail snake who was coiled up and hissing at them, the white inside of its mouth a startling contrast to the dark brown body. “I didn’t see him.”

  They stood still in the high grass until the big reptile slid off into the murky waters. “You have to be careful down here, they’re everywhere.” As if to illustrate Jaxson’s point, another snake fell out of the branches of a low-hanging tree, making a splash as it hit the surface of Tiger Bayou.

  “I hate snakes,” Philip shuddered. “I don’t know how you can pick them up the way you do.”

  Jaxson chuckled. “I only pick up the non-poisonous ones. A water moccasin can kill a good-size horse, so it’s smart to keep your distance. This is their mating season and those devils will climb in a boat or chase you if they take a notion.”

  Philip looked all around him. “I get so focused on what I’m searching for, I forget to watch out for danger.”

  “Don’t worry.” Jaxson clapped his brother on the shoulder. “I’ll watch out for you while you’re playing Indiana Jones.”

  “Thanks, Jax.” Philip adjusted his backpack over his shoulder. “Let’s head toward that rise up ahead. I can’t help but think it’s a burial mound.” He surveyed the area. “This region isn’t naturally hilly.”

  “Sure thing.” He enjoyed these adventures they shared together. Jaxson looked up to his brother and wished he was more like Philip. “Wouldn’t it be great if you made a discovery and they named it after you?”

  Phillip shrugged and laughed. “Yea, it would. I’m not gonna hold my breath, though.” At fifteen, he was already sure of what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to be an archaeologist and travel to foreign lands to learn about people and places of long ago. “Let’s cut through here.”

  Jaxson followed his lead, keeping his eyes peeled for anything of interest. “Where’s Heath? I didn’t see him when we came down for breakfast.”

  “He went to St. Martinsville to stay with Aunt Marcelle for a couple of days. I think he’s helping her put in a new flower bed or something.”

  “Yuck,” Heath muttered. “I started to ask, but when Tennessee spilled that whole gallon of milk, I just got out of the way before Mama blew her top.”

  “Yea, I bet he got his butt walloped. I grabbed a muffin and ran before he blamed me for not helping him.” Philip broke off a long reed and waved it around like a sword. “Hey, do you want to go to the baseball game after school on Monday?”

  Jaxson’s heart fell. He’d give his eyeteeth to go. Hanging out with the older guys was always cool. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”

  “Why?”

  With a sigh, Jaxson confessed. “I’ve got detention.”

  As they approached the brush covered knoll, Philip scowled at his brother. “What for?”

  “I punched Leo for calling me a retard,” Jaxson said with shame, his cheeks growing apple red with embarrassment.

  “Fuckin’ bastard,” Philip cursed, putting an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “You’re not a retard. You’re smarter than he is. Leo Price still eats his boogers.”

  “Bugger breath,” Jaxson giggled a bit, heartened by his sibling’s defense.

  “All right, we’re here.” Philip tossed his backpack to one side. “Let’s look around closely. The big rain we got last week might’ve washed something up out of the dirt.”

  “I’ll go around this way,” Jaxson pointed to the left. “So, what are we looking for?” He thought he knew, but he wanted to ask. Philip was the expert.

  “Keep watch for shards of pottery, arrowheads, or bone.” With an experienced eye, Phillip began to move around, squatting periodically to brush dirt from a rock or a stone, making sure it might not be more than it first seemed.

  “Will do.” The clouds were high and a slight breeze moved the tall grass in a wavy motion. “We should’ve brought a shovel along.”

  From a few yards away, Philip answered, “No, let’s limit ourselves to seeking artifacts exposed on the surface of the soil. Priceless information can be destroyed when a person digs indiscriminately. If we find enough evidence, I’ll contact the university, so they can investigate further. Who knows? They might let me help.”

  Jaxson had no problem imagining Philip working alongside professors and college students. He was just that smart. “Well, they should!”

  With measured steps, he moved around the perimeter of the small hill. Suddenly, something with a slightly different texture than the surrounding stones caught his eye. At first, Jaxson couldn’t see the whole thing, but there was something about the object that made him think it was formed by human hands. Squatting down, he scraped away the dark, damp soil to reveal an arrowhead. Jaxson drew his breath in sharply as he pulled it from the earth, relishing the cool weight of the ancient relic in his hand. With a huge grin on his face, he sprinted to where Philip stood to show him the treasure he’d found.

  “Look! An arrowhead!” Jaxson was super-excited, waving the small piece of rock over his head.

  “Wow, you did?” Philip came rushing over, anx
ious to see what his brother had found. “Oh, yea, that’s a bird point. Neat!”

  “Here, put it in your backpack for safe-keeping.” Jaxson placed it in Philip’s hand and beamed as they studied it closer.

  “Just think, this arrowhead has been hidden for hundreds of years. I always try to imagine who made it, picture him carving the point as he sat around a campfire, getting ready for the next big hunt.”

  “What tribe do you think made it?”

  “The Atakapa, most probably. They lived in this region.” Philip squatted down to unzip his backpack and place the find in a secure pocket. “They were cannibals, you know.”

  “Seriously?” Jaxson’s eyes grew wide. “They ate people?”

  Philip stood up and wiped his hand on the seat of his jeans. “Mostly members of other tribes, the ones they bested in war. They thought if they ate white people, their skin would get all blotchy.”

  “Ha!” Jaxson laughed. “Lucky for us!”

  A rumble of thunder sounded, and a flash of lightning ripped the sky. “A storm’s coming, we best hurry home.”

  Side by side, they ran through the woods toward their home, Belle Chasse. When they came to the fence, they climbed over, too much in a hurry to go through the gate. “Dad! Hey Dad!” Philip called.

  “Where you been?” their brother, Tennessee, asked with a pout on his face.

  “Arrow-heading!” Jaxson announced with pride. “I found one too!”

  Ten’s face crumpled in tears. “Why didn’t you let me go with you?”

  “Because you’re a whiny-baby, that’s why, squirt.” Jaxon ruffled his little brother’s hair. “I’ll take you fishing soon, how’s that?”

  “Okay, Jax,” Ten agreed with a sniffle.

  “Where’s Daddy?” Jax asked, still excited from the find.

  “In the kitchen with Mama. Daddy told me to tell you to be sure and feed his horse before you come in.”

  “Dang-it!” He’d wanted to be with Philip when he showed their parents the arrowhead. He’d found it, after all. “Oh, well.” Jaxson also knew his tail would be in a crack if he didn’t do exactly as his Dad said to do.

  Hurrying, he ran to the barn and filled a bucket with feed for his Dad’s favorite horse. The animal had developed a stone bruise and was recovering in the stall. As soon as he could, Jaxson returned to the house and entered through the mudroom door, remembering to take off his boots before he walked on his mom’s clean floor.

  As he padded down the hall past the laundry room, he could hear his parents talking.

  “I’m so proud of our children,” Caroline said. “I can’t believe they’re growing up so fast.”

  “True, it seems like yesterday that Philip was in diapers. Now, he’s bringing home discoveries, and explaining to us the history behind them. That boy will go far.”

  “You’re right, Christian, he will. And what about your oldest? I couldn’t believe when my sister called to tell me how Heath saved that young girl at the library. Why, he’s a hero! I’m so proud of him I don’t know what to do.”

  “Yea, I taught him well.” Christian chuckled. “I bet he fought off her attacker with a good ole one-two punch.”

  Jaxson could hear the pride in his father’s voice as he stopped to see what they might say about him.

  “And Tennessee, he’s something else.” His mother laughed. “He already knows all the state capitals and can say his multiplication tables up to the eight’s.”

  “Yes, I hope he’s an engineer someday. He built a pretty good treehouse with Jaxson’s help.”

  Just outside the door to the kitchen, Jaxson stood quiet as a mouse.

  “And then there’s Jaxson.” His mother spoke softly…with disappointment in her voice. “I’m worried about him. He has such a hard time in school.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that boy, Caroline. He might not be as smart as the others, but he’s a strong as an ox. The boy can always make a living working with his hands.”

  Jaxson’s heart sank to his hear parents talking about him this way. He bowed his head and stared at the dusty toes of his boots. They were ashamed of him.

  “The school counselor called and asked me if they could have him tested.”

  “Tested?” Christian asked with concern. “Tested for what?”

  “For some type of learning disability.”

  Her husband let out a long breath. “Isn’t this a little late? If they think there’s something wrong with him, why didn’t they have him tested years ago?”

  “We live in a rural area. The school’s budget is small. We didn’t have anyone on staff who was trained in such things. Now, the new counselor thinks…”

  “I don’t want my son labeled as having a mental disability,” Christian exclaimed, interrupting his wife’s explanation.

  Jaxson sank to the floor, leaning his head back against the wall. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He knew he had a problem, but hearing his parents discuss it made him feel sick to his stomach.

  “What if they can help him? What if it’s a disorder they can treat? Wouldn’t you want that?”

  “Yes,” Christian said, wearily.

  “I want to give him every advantage, honey.”

  “Jaxson will be okay. He loves the ranch and the animals. We need one of our boys who will devote his time to care for the land.”

  “I know, but I still want him tested…”

  Jaxson didn’t wait to hear more.

  He’d heard enough.

  When Tamara was a child…

  “I’m going for a run, Mom!” Tamara called as she knelt to tie her shoes.

  “Hold up a moment.” Sheila Grayson came from the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel.

  Tamara stood and drew her hair into a high ponytail, clasping the long strands into place. “What’s up?”

  Her mother reached out and brushed Tam’s hair from her forehead. “Your bangs need trimming, pretty girl.”

  “Mom.” Tamara glanced at her watch. “Dad has me scheduled to practice for the 5K today. I need to get back, so I can do my homework before Cynthia comes over to work on our science project.”

  “You take on too much sometimes, Tam.”

  “I enjoy it, Mom. I’m good at sports.”

  “Your dad pushes you too hard. He’s reliving his glory days through you.”

  Tamara hung her head. “I know. He’d be playing in the majors if he hadn’t been in that car crash and wrecked his knee.”

  “Exactly. You’re young, you need to have a little fun every once in a while.”

  Holding up the Bluetooth neckband, she flipped on the music. “I’ll have fun on my run. Promise.”

  Sheila gave her daughter a slight grimace. “I was hoping you could skip your run today. I have a favor to ask you.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, not really. I was just wondering if you’d spend an hour or so with Donna. She’s having a hard time adjusting to her dad’s death.”

  “I’m sure she is. Poor Donna.” Tamara wanted to help; she wanted to make her mother happy. The only problem was the grueling training regime she was expected to keep. “What will dad say?”

  “Let me handle your dad.” Her mother smiled. “I’ve just noticed how lonesome Donna seems. She made a comment in class the other day about how lonely she feels.”

  Tamara shrugged. “Aren’t there other kids…like Donna in your class who could be her friend?”

  “Tamara.” Sheila Grayson stated her daughter’s name with censure in her voice. “You used to count Donna as a friend. You two played together when you were younger.”

  “I know.” Tamara felt guilty. “That was before all the other kids…”

  “Yes, I know she’s the object of ridicule. Most of my students in the Special Education class have a hard time fitting in with others. But Donna lives right across the street from us, for God’s sake. She watches you come and go all the time. It wouldn’t hurt for you to spend a little time
with her. What if the shoe was on the other foot?”

  “Fine.” Holding up both hands in surrender, Tamara tried to imagine being like Donna. She couldn’t. She’d rather die than be like that. “I’ll do it!” No one could lay on a thicker guilt trip than her mother. “I’ll go over there and spend some time with Donna.”

  Her mother grinned and grabbed Tam for a quick hug. “Perfect.” She pulled back a corner of the curtain on the front window and gazed outside. “She’s standing out in the yard and looking this way.”

  “You told her to expect me this afternoon, didn’t you?” Tamara gave her mother an indulgent frown.

  “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.” Sheila beamed at her daughter. “Go on, now. Have a good time. You won’t ever regret being kind to someone less fortunate than you.”

  Tamara gave her mother one more disparaging look, then headed out the door to do her good deed for the day.

  …About an hour later, Tamara wrapped her arms around her middle. Her sides were aching from laughter. “Donna, you are so funny!”

  “I know.” Donna grinned. “Want to hear another joke?”

  “Sure!” She plopped down on the ground next to the sweet girl who seemed so appreciative of the attention Tamara was giving her.

  “Okay.” Donna clapped her hands together. “Will you remember me in an hour?”

  “Yes, of course.” Tamara wondered if Donna was feeling insecure.

  “Will you remember me in a day?”

  “Yes, my memory is pretty good,” Tamara assured her.

  “Will you remember me in a month?”

  “Yes, Donna,” Tamara said patiently. “I’ll remember you in a month. We’re neighbors.”

  “Will you remember me in a year?” she asked with a wide smile.

  “What are you up to, girl?”

  “I think you’ll forget me.” Donna leaned forward and touched Tamara on the end of her nose.

  “No, I won’t.”

  “Knock, knock!”

  “Who’s there?” Tamara asked.

  With a huge burst of laughter, Donna proclaimed, “See! You've forgotten me already!”

  “Oh, you!” Tam reached out and playfully tickled Donna. “I can promise you that I’ll never forget you, Donna.”