Page 16 of Operation: Return

Cole sighed. “I made sure we weren’t followed, but it won’t matter much. They were here a few months ago. While our security system has changed, our location hasn’t.” His tone made her cringe.

The leader nodded. “I’m sorry. I’m Edwyn Brookings, the foreman here at Wayside.” He held out his hand toward the man next to him. “This is Sam Elsner, he is our expert dog handler and trainer.”

At that, Pete jumped out of the car with Bubbles, leash clutched in his fist and ran toward them. “Here! He’s a really good boy.”

“Pete!” She tried to catch him but he dodged from her grasp. She’d been trying to teach him for months that he shouldn’t approach strangers. Given the circumstances, she wanted to drive that home even more, even though these men wouldn’t harm her son.

Sam took the leash from him. “Thank you. I’ll go take him for a bath. He’s also going to have a visit with Dr. Willis. You’ve taken good care of him.”

Pete beamed up at the praise. He never did that with her? Didn’t she praise him enough or was he craving the attention from men? He came back to her and stood at her side.

Edwyn nodded toward the cabins as Sam headed off toward one of the buildings with Bubbles. “That’s the kennel, it’s not a good place to play. Most of the dogs we have are working dogs. They are here to keep our people safe, both from animal and human threats. When a dog is working, they are focused. Watch for the vests. If a dog is in a vest or harness, just don’t go near it. When the dogs are not on duty, they wear regular collars and are all friendly. The vest is their cue that they’re on duty.”

Pete nodded as if Edwyn had been talking directly to him. “Yes, sir.”

Edwyn smiled. “Have you had breakfast? If you have, I’ll show you right to your cabin. If not, we should let Victoria know so she can make sure you’re fed.”

The door of one of the cabins opened and a shorter, dark-haired woman burst forth, running toward them. She raced right to Trace and slammed into him, wrapping him in a hug. Trace held her close, and his face bunched with tears that he didn’t shed.

Cole touched her shoulder. “Let’s go over to the corral and look at the horses for a minute. They haven’t seen each other in months.”

Something about the fact that Cole noticed their separation and the pain it caused them made her chest ache. Was he that sensitive to people and their feelings? Taylor had been young and impulsive. That wouldn’t have been something he would’ve noticed.

After Cole led her far enough away that no one could hear, Edwyn filled her in on what had happened. “Scarlet came to live here about ninety days ago. She was a victim of the same handler as Trace. In fact, they were roommates for quite some time.”

“Were they married?” She didn’t have a clue what any of this meant.

“No, that kind of thing isn’t really allowed in human trafficking. Scarlet was kept mostly for Viceroy, but Trace . . .” Edwyn glanced off further out into the pasture, beyond the small corral. “We don’t know to what extent he was abused, but it’s safe to say he belongs here.”

Human trafficking was only just becoming something people talked about and she didn’t really understand what it was. Now she didn’t want to. While Trace looked like any other man, there was something about him she couldn’t name that was evidence of his wounds. Something deep. “I hope he gets the healing he needs here.”

And she hoped that same healing could come for her. Could she relax here on this ranch and just let them protect her? Could she let someone else handle the suppers and arranging for at least some of the minutes of Pete’s day? There was no question about working, she would have to find something to do to make money, but knowing they would eat the next few weeks, no matter what, let the worry slip away.

In the distance, a man opened the corral gate and took one of the saddled horses out. He gave a short wave and led the horse out toward a fence. Everything seemed to be interconnected so neither horses, nor anything else could roam free. “Who is that?”

Cole leaned in closer to her and her heart hitched. For just a brief moment, he smelled like Taylor. She remembered his touch, his care, how he’d protected and loved her. She tried to ignore the tears stinging her eyes and focus on his words, but it wasn’t easy.

“That’s Junior. He helps Scarlet and I’ll be helping Trace. So, if you’re here you’ll probably get to know him pretty well. We’ve never really done a co-patient situation before, but it makes sense to help them work together since they’ll probably move on together.”

She couldn’t understand why they would want that reminder of their past, but if they loved each other, perhaps that could wash away all the bad memories? Maybe they could even wash away her own.

ChapterSeven

In the five years Cole had worked at Wayside, he’d helped about a dozen people learn to cope with life on the outside. During that time, he’d dealt with stress. Especially in working with men. He didn’t like to be questioned and his attitude could be acidic. But in all that time, he’d never felt so protective as he felt now.

Standing there at the fence with Pete nearby and Erica by his side brought out a lot of feelings he hadn’t wanted to admit were real. He’d argued with Connor, Brendon, and even Edwyn about being a guinea pig on this mission to right his one regret and get a second chance. Now he understood. He’d thought about Erica all this time, but she hadn’t aged, hadn’t matured, hadn’t been real.

Here and now she was real. He had to look his regret in the face and admit he’d been wrong. He never admitted he was wrong. Part of him still wanted to blame everything and everyone else, but his choice had caused his regret and his need for a second chance.

Edwyn pushed away from the fence. “I think I’ve given Trace enough time with Scarlet. I really need to bring him in and do his entrance interview.” He handed a set of keys to Cole. “Victoria was kind enough to step in for Lacy and set up cabin 8C. She thought the privacy would be good and there’ll be enough space in there. We’ll need someone to start filling in for Lacy even when she comes back because Teddy’s desk is full of work that’s been piling up.”

Lacy was Connor’s ex-wife and, while the particulars of their divorce were never discussed, she was an integral part of the ranch. Even Teddy, Connor’s father, would never let Connor send her away. Not that he ever would.

Erica had been looking for a job . . . She’d wanted to work in town, but if she was here, he’d have an easier time looking after her. “Erica has said she wants to work somewhere while she’s here. Is that a job we’re willing to train someone to do?” Plus, the pay would be better than anything she could get in town, even with Gabby.

Erica’s eyes widened and she took a step back. “Work out here? Wouldn’t I need to know something about all of this?” She held her hands out. “I literally know nothing.”

And if she started here, there was the chance she wouldn’t want to leave. There was a good chance she’d never believe he was who he said he was. He’d presented her with all the evidence he had. The longer she stayed here, the more likely she would be to see the side of him touched by the bitterness of what he’d been through. He could act like his old self for a while, but not forever. Would she even like who he’d become?