Bellann Summer

Hello,
Mr. B is taking me on vacation out of the country. We are very busy preparing for this trip and will be leaving next week. Some precious fellow authors will promote Clayton and Bricky (Operation True One) release on July 25th for me.
Some readers have asked about Rescue for Hire - Texas and Timothy's (Granite County) stories. They are in the works and I hope to wrap them up when I return home.
Here is the first chapter of RFH-Texas. (unedited)

“You may step down.”

Jesse Belter pulled a deep breath into his lungs and tried to calm his jangling nerves. He kept his gaze glued to the rock in his life and stood. He had met the challenge of answering the string of lightning-quick questions that his Uncle Merrill’s lawyer had thrown at him. Inside, pride bloomed to the surface. He had done it. The tormentors of his past would not have power over him anymore.

The intense love burning in Cash’s brown eyes helped Jesse maneuver through the opening of the witness stand’s dark wooden panels. He descended the two steps and walked past the tables where the lawyers and his uncle sat. The small hairs on the back of Jesse’s neck rose when his uncle snorted. Jesse kept walking and refused to acknowledge the attempt at intimidation. His mind knew there would be no blow to the head or the crack of a leather strap across his back that would send him to the floor. But memories still tightened his muscles.

Jesse couldn’t wait to get back to Cash. He hurried through the little wooden gate that separated the judge and lawyers from the rows of benches set up for visitors observing the court proceedings.

As he approached the first row, Merrill’s wife, Aunt Cindy, shifted and reached down toward her purse sitting on the floor. Her foot and leg slid out into the aisle. Jesse wasn’t buying the supposed innocent action.  He had spent his life being tripped by the residents of Springtown. His days of face planting into the ground were finished.

Jesse gave his aunt a smile and side-stepped the jean-clad leg in his way. Just to egg the woman on a little more, he paused, met her gaze, and adjusted his green print tie. The beaten down target of abuse Springtown had referred to as, Thing One, was no more. That shivering mass of fear had evolved into a person named Jesse, who looked more than fine in dress pants, a quality shirt, and leather shoes. Jesse’s smile widened when the woman gasped.

Seconds later, Jesse slid onto the bench next to Cash. He made sure their sides touched. Jesse wouldn’t make any other overt signs of affection. He didn’t want to cause trouble in Owensboro, Kentucky. Testifying in federal court and describing the physical abuses he’d endured at the hands of his uncle and the way the former police chief governed the town, county, and his deputies were what counted. Those who viewed him as a mouse to kick around forgot that mice see and hear all.

Cash extended his arm along the bench behind Jesse’s back. Alrighty then, Cash must not share Jesse’s misgivings of two men being affectionate in public. He supposed when a person was as big and deadly as Cash, they didn’t have to worry about people smashing in their heads.

“You were magnificent,” Cash whispered in his ear. “I think the court is ready to recess for the day.”

Jesse relaxed and let Cash’s heat warm the chill stretched tight nerves gave him. He wished they could have stayed in Granite County longer while Cash had trained to be the leader of a new Rescue for Hire team in Texas. For the first time in his life, people accepted and treated him with respect.

Jesse was still wrapping his mind around the idea that a group of men, with huge life-saving skills, could be hired to help people in trouble from natural and manmade disasters. A small voice in Jesse’s ear questioned Cash’s interest in him. The leader of a mega-talented team of heroes should be with a gorgeous and smart person. Not a scarred and nothing special Jesse.

“Come, little Schatz.” Cash pulled Jesse to his feet as the judge stood and left the room. “Let’s go see where the guys want to find something to eat.”

Jesse glanced toward the front of the courtroom. Cameras and other equipment had recorded his appearance on the stand. His isolation and abuse at his grandmother’s and the town of Springtown’s hands made understanding court proceedings difficult. So far there had already been multiple preliminary court sessions on different charges against his uncle, his uncle’s cousin who was the Mayor of Springtown, and his grandmother. Thank goodness the federal authorities had recorded Jesse’s statement regarding the horrible abuse he had endured while growing up in Springtown. That tape would be entered as evidence in most of the proceedings, and he wouldn’t be forced to testify in person.

The pivotal moment that changed everything in Jesse’s world came when Cash had saved his life after a horrible beating. Once he healed enough to tell his story, the proverbial shit hit the fan.  Rescue for Hire, along with state and federal authorities swooped into Springtown to ferret out the corruption. At one point, Jesse thought the whole town would be arrested for hate crimes. The worst moment came when they found the bodies of Jesse’s grandfather, mother, and twin buried in his grandmother’s backyard. In an instant, Jesse lost hope of ever having a relative who could love him.

The bright orange jumpsuit his uncle wore caught Jesse’s eye. He studied the metal links connecting the man’s hand and ankle cuffs. Jesse wondered if anyone saw the blackness of his uncle’s soul behind the exterior of an average sized man in his late fifties, wearing round wire-rimmed glasses.  His uncle turned, and the man’s sneer emphasized the hatred being radiated at Jesse.

Jesse lifted his chin and stared. He would not be intimidated. The older man blinked, and his mouth dropped open. The stunned expression deepened when his uncle’s gaze darted to a spot over Jesse’s shoulder.  The guard ended the exchange by urging Merrill toward the door behind the judge’s bench.

Satisfaction pushed away the last of the tension. Every day Jesse’s mind, body, and soul became stronger. He had his ultimate hero, Cash, to thank for that. Jesse turned to follow Cash out of the courtroom but stopped short to avoid running into his lover. Startled, Jesse glanced around, trying to figure out why Cash had quit walking.

“Well, I’ll be,” Cash murmured.

Jesse tracked Cash’s gaze to an older man leaning against the wall in the corner. Dressed in jeans and a blue button-downed, long sleeved shirt, the man’s stance might look easy going, but the aura surrounding him screamed power.

Cash caught Jesse’s hand and led him toward the stranger. As they passed the bench where Cade and a few men from Rescue for Hire sat, Jesse heard them muttering something about a hero. Small lines creased Cade’s forehead as if the man were trying to place the last pieces of a puzzle together.

Jesse had given his trust to Cash months ago. Meeting someone new no longer sent skitters of icy fear crawling up his spine. While Cash went out on rescues and flew with Cade down to Texas to find and ready the perfect ranch for the new team, Jesse worked on healing the inner and outer scars of abuse he’d received from the residents of Springtown.

With the help of Dr. Snyder Williamson, Jesse had realized he was a person who mattered. Life was not just about surviving the next beating but experiencing fun, joy, and hope. Sometimes Jesse found hearing and truly believing were two different things. He would miss the counselor now that they were heading to Texas once their responsibilities at the hearings were finished.

The man in the corner straightened. Jesse managed to catch a glimpse of light green eyes and a full head of thick silver hair before Cashed moved in to shake the man’s hand.

“Brigadier General Les Marks.” Cash clasped the man’s hand while gripping his forearm with the other. “It’s been way too long, my friend.”

Jesse had never heard that kind of warmth and something else in Cash’s voice. He looked up to see moisture glistening in Cash’s brown eyes.

“Intel told me how you ended up in that bitch of a town.” The man pulled Cash into a hug. “Now I expect you to tell me why?”

Jesse touched his diamond earring before crossing his arms over his chest. Who was this man and what was he to Cash?

The two men separated. Cash opened his arm and pulled Jesse into the intimate circle of, something. Jesse wished he could figure out what this energy surrounding them was all about.

“Jesse, I’d like you to meet someone very special.” While keeping his arm around Jesse, Cash laid his hand on the other man’s shoulder. “This is Les Marks. He was a close friend of my father, and after my parent’s death he was always there for me when I needed advice or to talk.”

Cash’s parents were dead? He hadn’t known that. Jesse now realized they’d never talked about Cash’s mom and dad. His lover had mentioned a brother, Mike, a few times but they hadn’t discussed any other relatives.

Jesse went to shake the other man’s hand but froze at the deep flush coloring his cheeks and the nerve throbbing at the corner of his mouth. Les Marks’s sharp green eyes bore into Jesse. He tried to step back, but Cash’s strong arm stopped his escape.

The silence lengthened, and anxiety had Jesse shifting in place.

Cash’s arm tightened and pulled Jesse into the haven of his body.

“General, what’s going on?” Cash asked.

The older man nodded toward the door. “Let’s get out of here and find somewhere to talk.”

“There’s a small park right around the corner,” Cade said. “The rest of us are going over to the steakhouse on State Street. You can meet us there when you’re ready.”

Jesse glanced at Cade. He hadn’t noticed the owner of Rescue for Hire had joined them. Jesse loved Cash with every cell of his being but found he idolized Cade. Who wouldn’t? The guy seemed to know everything, ran a company of heroes, and was massive with muscles on top of muscles. Best of all, he was nice, at least to Jesse.

The general’s gaze met Cade’s. Holy Hanna! A whole secret conversation took place in that one moment. Jesse realized Cade knew what was happening. How did he do that?

Cash urged Jesse forward. They made their way out of the courthouse and down the wide concrete steps. Jesse kept sneaking peeks at the man walking next to him while taking comfort in Cash’s presence on his other side. He found it odd that he was in the middle. Shouldn’t the two friends walk together?

“I’ve missed you, general,” Cash said. “But why are you here?”

“Growing up, I knew early on that I was different from the rest of my family.” The general looked down at Jesse with a soft smile. “I could fight my way out of a situation, but I didn’t enjoy beating on anyone. I also thought boys were better looking than girls. In the end, I spent a lot of time avoiding my mother’s cane and my brother’s fists. My goal in life became to get out of Shittown.”

“Shittown?” Jesse tilted his head and studied the tall man.

The General seemed too stern and powerful to resort to swearing. Could a place have the name Shittown?

They had reached a corner where two streets intersected. Someone had installed a large bench off to the side as a place to rest or relax. They had surrounded the intricate sculptured piece of wrought iron with a multitude of different colored flowering bushes amid rust colored gravel. The general took Jesse’s hand and sat on the bench, pulling Jesse down next to him.

Jesse’s body tightened to the point he couldn’t move. Until Cash, no one had touched him unless they were going to hurt him in some way. Jesse had come a long way under Cash’s love, but a stranger holding his hand sent bells clanging in warning to be alert for danger. Maybe his apprehension didn’t make sense, but neither did a whole town hating him for being half black and illegitimate. 

“I called that hole of hell, Shittown,” the general said. “You know the place by the name, Springtown.”

Jesse jumped to his feet but didn’t get far with the general still gripping his hand. The man tugged him back onto the bench. Thank goodness, Cash sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around Jesse’s waist. He grabbed onto Cash’s arm and took comfort in his rock’s presence.

“I didn’t realize you were from Springtown, general.” Cash’s tone remained calm, too calm.

The lines fanning out from the corner of the general’s eyes deepened. Jesse’s knees trembled at the sudden tension between the two bigger men. He didn’t handle stressful situations well.

“I created a new life for myself after I joined the Marines,” the general stated. “I grew up in a household where my mother admired what she considered strength and beat down what she viewed as weakness.” The man gave Jesse’s hand a soft squeeze. “My father was a gentle, loving man and she tore into him every chance that she could. Mother only married my father because she was pregnant with my older brother, Merrill, and my father’s brother refused to marry her. He was engaged to the daughter of the richest man in town and couldn’t care less if Mother was carrying his kid.”

“I have an Uncle Merrill.” Jesse couldn’t think of anyone else in town named Merrill.

“Yes, you do.” The man’s jaw hardened. “He takes after his real father in ambition and cruelty.”

Jesse stared at the man sitting beside him. He saw nothing familiar in his features to connect him to the family Jesse grew up with. Maybe the lack of hatred staining his expression was throwing Jesse off.

“I think you need to explain.” Cash tightened his arm and cradled Jesse in the safe haven of his body.

“On the days Mother’s rage exploded at any perceived infraction, my father would take my sister and me on long walks.” The general tipped his face toward the sun and seemed to be thinking of a different time. “Until I grew too large, I rode on his shoulders. My quiet father cautioned us to stay out of Mother’s way. He urged us both to work hard in school and leave Springtown as soon as possible. I think he knew our souls were gentler and she would crush them given half a chance.” He opened his eyes and nailed Jesse in place with his intense expression. “Joining the Marines became my goal. I left Springtown with the intention of burying myself so deep in the military that no one could find me. I volunteered for missions deep in the pigsties of countries where no Americans lived if they were discovered. I changed my name to Les Marks so an enemy couldn’t track down my father or sister and hurt them.”

“You became a hero for rescuing hundreds of girls who were kidnapped and about to be sold into slavery,” Cash said. “You went on to destroy an Isis encampment where journalist’s beheadings were sensationalized to show the power of the leaders.”

“Who are you?” Jesse pressed on his chest to keep his heart from bursting out.

“I was born, Mark Lenard Belter,” the man stated. “I am your uncle.”

Jesse shook off the older man’s hand and broke away from Cash. He leaped off the bench and took off. Fear, anger, and zillions of other emotions bombarded him. He needed to run away before he puked up his churning guts.

The hard soles of his dress shoes slapped the pavement as he ran down the street. Up ahead the sidewalk turned to the right around a huge brick building. Once he rounded that corner, he would disappear for a little while so he could come to terms with the latest revelations in his fucked-up life. Things had been so good since meeting Cash. Now a new relative had shown up. Family members and Jesse were never a good combination. Most of the time he ended up lying in his own blood.

“Jesse, stop,” Cash shouted.

Jesse sprinted around the corner and plowed into an unmovable object. Stars burst in front of his vision as he bounced off and landed with a teeth-jarring crash onto the sidewalk. Jesse looked up through tears of shock to find two men standing before him. Recognition sent him scrambling backward on his hands and feet. The men were two EMT’s from Springtown.