Page 69 of Operation: Return

“You called?” Lacy looked at the number. “Did they make an appointment for you?”

Erica shook her head. “It was a very strange conversation. I had evidence that he’d done work for you before, but he refused to admit anything and wouldn’t schedule anything. I don’t know why he wouldn’t even schedule an appointment. If there’s anything you can do, I think it would really begin to help Trace.”

Lacy smiled and breathed a huge sigh. “He’s not supposed to help anyone who calls and says they’re with us. Only me. We know working with people outside of Wayside puts our clients in danger, but they sometimes need doctors, dentists, even lawyers. I have a password system with each of these clients. If I don’t say the right thing, they are to act like they don’t even know Wayside exists. It’s for their safety and the safety of the people here.”

She stuck the note in her pocket. “I’ll call as soon as I get these papers sorted in my office and I’ll certainly get an appointment set. Thank you for trying. I think you would’ve made a great addition to our team. Are you sure you want to leave?”

She hadn’t expected an offer to stay but a job would have to come from Connor, not Lacy or anyone else. For once in her life, she wasn’t sure she wanted to keep a job that still wanted her.

“I think it’s probably a good idea that I move on. But I’ll help you get these things moved to your office first.” She hated to think about the fact that Pete would be sad about missing chocolate and definitely about leaving Wayside.

ChapterTwenty-Six

Pete pouted across the room as Erica packed the few things she’d brought with them to Wayside. One measly suitcase. At least she could lug it along with her and wouldn’t have to buy an extra bus ticket for the luggage. There was the silver lining she needed.

“Twice. I only got to ride twice.” Pete pouted as he flopped onto his back on the chair in her bedroom. “It’s not fair. They arrested the man who took me. I should be able to stay. I want to stay.”

Word had traveled quickly to Lacy’s office that Frank had been arrested and she’d thought Cole might try to find them to take Pete for one last ride, but she hadn’t seen him anywhere. A deeply controlling part of her firmly believed he didn’t want to talk to her, so he was off doing anything else but speaking to her.

“Life isn’t fair.” Because if it was, Taylor would’ve looked for her when he came home. She would’ve told him about Pete and her struggles and they would’ve tried to heal as a family instead of apart. Instead, everywhere she’d turned had cemented her belief that she wasn’t worth the effort and she and Pete wouldn’t ever amount to anything. No matter how hard she tried, her son would still have a hard life, she couldn’t break the cycle.

“Life is never fair. Nothing ever works out. I’m always last.” He rolled over on the stuffed chair with his back to her.

She swallowed, trying to be strong. Someone knocked on the door and she left Pete for a minute to answer it. Connor stood at the door and she stepped back, suddenly feeling trapped in her cabin. She hated feeling this way with every man she didn’t know, but her defenses immediately went up.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. May I come in?” He tugged off his hat.

She opened the door since he technically owned the cabin, not that he would probably push his way in. His size made him fearsome.

He sat on a chair and set his hat on the table to his right. “I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself right away. My arrival was a little more excitement than I’d planned for. I didn’t realize you were working for me, and Edwyn hadn’t told me. Those aren’t excuses, just a precursor to my apology.”

She sat on the other side of the room, giving him more space. “There’s no need to apologize. I wasn’t here long.”

“Lacy told me when I got out of the meeting that you were leaving. I didn’t see any information in my office about where to send a check and Edwyn thought you might appreciate payment in cash anyway.”

She wasn’t sure how Edwyn might know that, but he was right. “Yes, buying bus fare will be easier with cash.”

Connor sat looking at her for a moment that felt long enough to make her uncomfortable. “You’re welcome to stay if you choose to. Lacy has needed help for some time though goodness knows she’s too stubborn to ask for it. Since my dad already trained you to do some things, she can’t even use that as an excuse. Please think about it. You’ll also need a ride. Do you want me to ask Cole to take you somewhere?”

Oh, she’d thought about staying and working here. Living here. Long and hard. The discomfort she could expect daily working around Cole if they weren’t going to talk wasn’t worth it.

She wouldn’t take a ride from Cole, so ignored the offer. “I don’t suppose there’s any way to get a recommendation after working here, since the job is so private?”

He grinned. “I’ll have Lacy write up something you can share. I’m sorry you’re not staying though. Were you and Cole able to work out what happened in your past?”

She hadn’t expected Connor to ask, though Cole had said Connor was the one to challenge all of them to face what had happened in their pasts. If anything, she had Connor to thank for upending her life and reminding her of the love she’d lost.

“We talked, yes. He told me what he needed to tell me. I told him what I needed to tell him. Now I’m leaving.”

Connor hung his head and let one shoulder slump. The other didn’t move and his stance looked incredibly uncomfortable. “Do you regret coming here?”

Her mouth dropped open and words wouldn’t come. Did she regret it? She regretted that Pete had been taken. She regretted that Cole was hurt by her inability to trust anyone. She regretted that she’d let him right back into her heart, even knowing she shouldn’t.

But as a whole, no, she didn’t. She was glad the secret about Pete was out. He wasn’t fatherless anymore. She wasn’t just some woman who’d made bad choices with a deadbeat. She’d made bad choices that the Lord had redeemed for good. Pete had been the best thing to ever happen to her besides her faith. Maybe he could be the best thing for Cole, too.

“No, I don’t. I’m glad we got to clear the air.”

Connor counted out money from his wallet and left it sitting on the side table, then stood and held out his hand. “I’ve seen the change in Cole today. He’s not the same hothead, smart-mouthed man acting like a kid that I saw the day I left. And I don’t kid myself thinking it was my absence or Edwyn’s great leadership skills that did it.” He stared into her eyes for a moment. “I think we both know what brought about the change.”

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