Page 7 of Operation: Return

“That was cruel. Now I’ll look like the bad guy if I say no. He doesn’t understand that we can’t just get in a car with someone we don’t know and ride off to live on a ranch together for a month.” Erica’s glare was legendary. She had this mom thing down. He had to give her credit for that.

“I’m sorry. I thought he had gone back to his room and that I’d kept my voice low enough.” Duly noted, the kid was practically a spy.

She sighed and massaged her temples. The subtle act reminded him of the past, how she used to adore head rubs and when he’d run his fingers through her hair. He’d never admit this to anyone but her, but he’d enjoyed it too. Her hair was softer than anything he’d felt before.

“Why did you pick today to show up? Why couldn’t you have come when my life was perfect and saying no would be easy? I hate that this is hard. It shouldn’t be hard. I don’t know you. I don’t know anything about you. Why am I even considering this?”

Pete gave up all illusion of bed and raced into the kitchen. He threw his arms around Erica’s waist. “Really, Mom? Can we go? It’ll be so much fun. You’ll see. I’ll be the best boy ever. You’ll never regret letting me go. We’ll have the best time. You can even ride with me. It won’t be like the camp where I would’ve had to go alone.”

Cole gathered the dog so he could give mother and son a moment to think without him standing there. He stood by the door for a moment, then turned to look at her.

“I know you listened to my mom a lot, since you didn’t have one. She’d be proud of you for taking your time.” He’d said what he could to convince her. There wasn’t anything else to offer. She didn’t believe him, that was obvious. She had to assume he was some kind of government spy, but why?

What had she been through that she would question what was plainly obvious? Had she been fooled before or was she just so sure of her government that she couldn’t see him for who he was? He hadn’t changed that much in seven years. Or maybe he had and he’d lost track of who he once was.

“I don’t know how you knew that . . .” Erica sounded exasperated.

Cole couldn’t help her there as he headed for the door and Bubbles whined. “Don’t worry, boy. I’ll let you down outside before we get back in the car.” Though he wasn’t sure how he was going to keep the dog from bolting. This was a new area with new sights and scents. Even though he’d done his best to get Bubbles to trust him, a few hours wasn’t enough time.

Erica sighed, stalling him. “I think I have something. Here . . .” She headed for a door in the kitchen that he’d assumed went out to the garage. “I can’t open the garage door, but I’ve looked at what’s in here. Either the owner or one of the past renters had a dog and there’s a leash. There’s no collar, but it’s thin enough that you can loop it in the clip.”

She handed it to him and his fingers brushed hers as he took it from her. He remembered those fingers and this woman vividly in that moment. He’d known her like a husband knows a wife and part of him regretted that. But he hadn’t known God then and their physical relationship had come very naturally when they’d been together so long.

The flicker of desire flooded him in that moment and he had to get his mind and heart under control. Just like he wasn’t the same man after seven years, Erica wasn’t the same woman. She was a mother, a warrior who’d taken care of her little family. He couldn’t just return to the past and have everything be the same. No matter that seemed to be Connor’s plan.

“Thanks. He won’t like the tension, but at least I won’t lose him.” He fed the loop through the clamp but left the circle that would go around Bubbles’s head large so it didn’t scare him going over his head. He wasn’t sure if the dog had ever had a collar, much less a lead.

As he slowly tightened it around Bubbles’s neck, the dog cowered at his feet. He hated the evidence of abuse because he saw it way too often in the dogs they took in, the horses they rescued, and the people who came to stay with them. “I’ll be right outside, let me know either way. I have to stop in Boulder to pick someone up, so I can’t stay too much longer.”

He also hated that he had to rush them, but picking up Trace was important. He was probably already wondering what had happened and assumed Cole had forgotten him. Cole led Bubbles to the back of the house and along a row of shrubs where the dog could finish his business. As he did, Cole sent Trace a text to let him know he would be there in about an hour and he apologized for the late night.

Trace immediately replied that he was a night owl and the time didn’t bother him. He’d leave a light on in front of his motel room and would be expecting them. Cole checked the address again, confused at Trace’s reply. The address had looked like an apartment.

A quick google search brought up images of the address and it was an old motel. He wondered how Trace could afford to live in a place like that and why he’d want to? They were small, close to the road, had very little privacy, and if they were like a motel, had no kitchen. Then again, he couldn’t see the inside from the images online. Perhaps the place was better than it looked. Either way, Trace wouldn’t be there much longer.

Erica opened the sliding glass door and poked her head outside. “Give us about fifteen minutes to pack.” She glanced behind her and shooed Pete toward his room. When she turned back to him, she lowered her voice. “This does not mean that I believe you. I don’t. Taylor died. I don’t know who you are, but it’s wrong what you’re doing and I’ll figure out why. I refuse to call you by his name.”

His heart throbbed and for the first time in a long time he felt the deep tension of surprise. She was coming? He hadn’t thought she would. “I’ve been going by Cole Bradley for the last five years. It will probably be easier on both of us if you use that name.”

“That’s better. I’d follow you separately, but I don’t have a car.”

He wasn’t sure if she blushed or not, but she ducked her head and that was just as bad. “If you don’t usually need one, why bother with the expense. I brought a car instead of my truck because I hoped you’d come with me. I have room and I don’t mind.”

She gave a quick nod, then slid the door closed ending the conversation. Her feisty spirit intrigued him. That was new, probably from being a mother to a son with no one there to stand by her side. What would it be like to be that man?

He pushed the thought away as quickly as it came. Just because she was coming with him, didn’t mean she would ever forgive him. While his death might not have been his fault, he’d chosen to keep the truth from her. That was a lot to forgive.

She’d obviously moved on, and had perhaps even been married by the time he came home, he couldn’t even honestly tell her that he’d tried to find out. Because he hadn’t. When he’d learned of his parents’ deaths, he’d decided enough was enough. Wayside had been there in his moment of need and he’d never looked back.

Until now.

And he sure did enjoy the view.

* * *

Erica repeated allthe reasons this might actually be a good idea in her head as they rode along the freeway. She’d worried about her six-year-old being gone for an entire week without her and this would give her the chance to be with him. Almost like a vacation. She could also discover if she had secret private investigator talents and figure out who Cole really was.

Pete had fallen asleep shortly after they’d left the driveway and the dog lay next to him on the seat with his head in Pete’s lap. The dog had immediately bonded with Pete and now she wasn’t sure how she was going to break it to her son that they couldn’t take him when they left in a month.