We continued to talk and laugh a little on the way back, she's smart and funny, I'm glad we have that in common. We get back to the barn and I help with the saddles and brush down Daisy as instructed by Gwen when a very loud and familiar voice has us both pause.
"Gwen are you in here? There you are, Daddy wants to know if you're going to pay the balance for this month or if you're adding it to your tab," I hear Alvin Burk, the asshole who took my bike, asks expectantly.
"I'm with a customer Alvin," Gwen's accent is back on," And I'll settle up with your Mr. Burke today when I'm done so leave me to my business."
"Well it's our business, you work for Daddy which means you work for me," Alvin states and my rage is kicking in," Now what about that offer I gave you a couple months ago, not gonna get a better one Gwenny."
"Alvin Burk ah get that you like me but ah don't like you like that. Ah work for the family ranch but Ah'm not your dolly and with the amount of lil phillies you have running around ah know ah don't want to play clueless wife while you fool around," Gwen states accent coming out in full and laying into Alvin hard.
"I'd quit for the right woman Gwenny, things are coming to a head soon and you better consider my offer by the end of the week or I'll have Dad settle up and we'll own Bandit and that truck of yours just to pay the back debt. Think about it," Alvin states with a sinister tone before stepping past and slapping Gwen on the ass.
Bandit fusses a little at the slap to Gwen's ass, I like that horse and I'm inclined to beat the shit into Alvin but Gwen's expression is a sad one as I think of a way to break her funk. I go over everything Mom said back during Christmas and a couple things hit me but one stands out and I decide to sing a little.
"B boom boom, B boom boom, B's keep on coming round the room. M me mer, M me mer, mother will help me if I ask her," I'm singing it to myself but just loud enough that Gwen should hear me.
"Ra ra rang, Ra ra rang, I will run faster than they can," Gwen picks up on the lyrics and smiles softly," Put them all together it's Boomerang."
I smile a little and Gwen is smiling back when she gets a puzzled look on her face. I don't know what is confusing her but wait for her to speak first.
"Where did you hear that song," She asks quizzically.
"I used to hear it a lot as a child, it's from an old show," I tell her, trying not to make eye contact.
"Yeah but where did you hear it from," she asks again, this time putting her brush down.
"Not really sure, always kind of heard it," a bit of a lie but I need to let it go slowly," I remembered it for most of my life but I barely saw the show before my parents divorced."
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry about your parents," Gwen says back peddling but I'm tired of waiting.
"Gwen how much for the lesson," I ask and she starts to go on the defensive thinking I'm mad.
"Oh it's eighty dollars for the lessons, you get two more that price later this week," She says, trying to talk business.
"Gwen I'm going to give you three hundred dollars but I need to ask you to be honest with you and this hurts me a lot so bear with me a bit," I start in and see Gwen lock up a bit.
"Oh sweetie you're nice and cute but I'm not an easy girl and I have a lot of problems that you don't want to get into. I owe a good deal of money and you're not much of a farm boy, I can tell," Gwen says, putting me off balance; she thinks I'm attracted to her.
"What?! No Gwen not trying to pick you up or sleep with you! God no," I almost yell and she looks at me hard.
"Wait you're not trying to get in my pants but you want to give me a lot of money and you want to talk with me about something that you think is important, Guy you need to give me something to help with this because I'm confused," Gwen says putting Bandit in a stall.
I take the picture of the four of us out of my pocket and hand it to Gwen who unfolds it and stares for a minute before her eyes widen and I see light shock before a shit ton of anger, yep we're related.
"What kind of sick bastard are you? You come around sweet talking me then show me a picture of my dead family just to mess with me, did Alvin do this? Did that shithead do this so I'd agree to marry him," Gwen growls folding the picture up and slapping it against my chest.
"No Gwen, that's us," I unfold the picture and point everyone out," Mom holding me, Dad holding you. I was maybe six months and you were just five, it's our only family photo. I never knew about you and last Christmas I finally found out you were the reason they got divorced."
And she's freaking out; I can see it in her eyes. I let her back away from me and watch as she bolts out of the barn. I follow at a distance walking slowly as she arrives at a little camper trailer hooked up to a decent truck, by descent I mean running and not mostly rusted on the panels and bumpers. I watch her enter and slam the door behind her leaving me outside. I know Connie is waiting for a call and I sent her a text stating things are a bit tense right now and I need some more time, she promises to come back for me when I call. I settle in waiting when Alvin and his father Mr. Burke come walking out from the main house. Alvin is about 5 '10' ' with his cowboy hat on and too much swagger for his smaller frame while his father is my height at 6' feet tall but he's more barrel chested and broad shouldered than I am. Alvin seeing me starts talking a mile a minute and I quickly come up with my response to all questions.
"You wanna explain to me what the hell you're doing on my land," Mr. Burke says, marching up to me and bypassing Gwen's trailer.
"Horse lessons and family business, you want me to leave or you want me to stay and drop the charges against your son so I can take care of both," I ask plainly and see Mr. Burk's eyes change from hard to compromising.
"Alvin, go back inside now," He says, not even looking at his son.
"Daddy throw this shit head off our property," Alvin swears as his 'Daddy' turns and glares at him," Alright Dad."