Page 11 of Operation: Chosen

“No, I just lost my appetite before I could get started.” Maybe being here was a bad idea. She should admit this was too much, go back home and do the name change through the mail when Cole returned from his honeymoon. Eric wasn’t interested in talking, much less rekindling an old flame or attempting a second chance. Connor had gotten her hopes up for nothing.

“Want me to put it in a bag for you for to eat later? You’ll get hungry. The air around here does that.” He chuckled, waiting for her reply.

“Sure, why not. I might need something.”

His gaze traveled down to the bracelets on her wrist, then back to her eyes. “Lacy can take you to Cheyenne if you need some clothes that are more comfortable to live out here. There are a few shops in Piper’s Ridge that have a small selection, but nothing you’d probably be interested in. You’ll be uncomfortable if you wear that all the time.” He kept his gaze trained on her eyes.

Ali snorted. “I don’t think she’s interested in taking me anywhere. I can drive if I need anything. Thank you.” She grabbed the bag of fruit from the counter and headed for the door.

She made it to the front porch before her heel caught in the wooden slats and broke clean off, leaving her hobbling down the steps. A German shepherd trotted toward her with its tongue lolling to one side. Ali had feared the shepherds and Malinois at the base. They were dangerous dogs so this one brought her up short. “You just stay back.”

Sam came out the door behind her and whistled softly. The dog stopped and sat at attention. Ali wasn’t sure if she should move or just stand there—especially with a broken shoe since she couldn’t run without taking it off. Back home, she never felt out of place. Nothing was beyond her control. Why was everything out here so difficult?

“Need some help? I don’t wear women’s shoes, but I imagine that’s even more uncomfortable than when it happens with boots.” Sam came to her side and offered his arm.

She could take his offer or hobble back to her cabin on her own and probably humiliate herself along the way. At least she was in the middle of nowhere, and no one would see her. Last time she’d let someone help her, it hadn’t turned out well, but what could be the harm in a cowboy assisting her back to her room? “Sure, thank you.”

Sam glanced down at the rocky path, then at her feet. “Might be best if we do this the old-fashioned way.” He scooped her up and headed toward the cabins.

Ali stiffened, sure she was going to die of embarrassment. She wasn’t certain if she should hang on to his neck or what she could do to help him so he could put her down quickly. Sam stopped abruptly, and Ali turned her head as all her breath swooshed from her lungs.

“Sam, what are you doing?” Eric stood by her front door with his hands on his hips.

ChapterFive

Seeing Ali in the arms of another man shouldn’t bother Eric. He’d found out she’d been married for years, and only learned she was divorced right before she came to Wayside, sowhydid seeing her draped over Sam’s arms make his blood boil?

He’d planned to apologize for leaving her so abruptly at the breakfast table. End of story. He hadn’t made it all the way out to the barn before his conscience pricked him. Then, he’d witness Sam carrying her across the lawn like some knight and his insides had turned to magma.

He stomped into the barn past the other horses all the way to Skyfall, his trusty gray mare. She twitched and stomped, feeding off his energy.

“Whoa, girl. I’ll calm down if you will.” He ran a hand down her smooth neck. “I don’t need any other girl but you.” She turned as far as she could toward him and nuzzled his hand.

If only human girls were as easy to sweet-talk. He mentally shook the thought from his head. Who needed girls? He slipped Skyfall’s halter over her head and secured it, then clipped the reins in place. Without prompting, she backed from her stall and moved toward the area where he usually saddled horses.

“Not today, girl. We’re going to the circle.” Because he needed the mental focus of watching her gait, looking for weakness or injury, and spending time with his horse. Horses didn’t reject him, at least, not for long. He’d seen some troubled horses in his time at Wayside and before that when he’d worked for a livestock auction. Now, he had the blessing of watching the years of abuse fade as he coaxed them back to health.

Skyfall bobbed her head as she stayed a few paces ahead of him. That was her way. If he told her where they were going, she wanted to get there faster. As soon as her dappled head hit the sun, her mane almost sparkled in the light. She was healthy and shiny, so much better than how she’d been when she’d arrived. If Skyfall of the past could stand next to Skyfall now, they wouldn’t look like the same horse.

He got in position at the center of the circle and slowly released the long rope as she trotted in a circle around him. She chose the pace, and soon she was running in wide circles. Other trainers might never do this for a horse who was already trained, but for him it was time spent bonding with his horse.

A movement out of the corner of his eye distracted him momentarily, not that it affected Skyfall. Terrell peeked from the wide door of the barn, his dark head almost blending in with the shadows. Eric wondered briefly if Terrell intended to be stealthy, like when he’d helped with the convenience store theft, or if he was merely trying to hide that he was watching.

“You can come on out. Are your friends with you?” Eric asked, keeping his tone level to prevent spooking Skyfall.

Terrell shuffled from the security of the shadows into the sun and stuffed his hands into his large pockets. He stared at the ground until he made it to the corral fence, then finally looked up. “I don’t have friends.”

“Enemies, then?” Eric focused on the horse until Skyfall was near enough to the boy that he could glance at Terrell unnoticed.

“They aren’t my enemies either, old man.”

Eric chuckled and felt a flimsy bond form between them. Terrell must have come in search of companionship. Eric tried not to let it go to his head that he’d found it with the one person who’d talked to him. He’d grown sensitive to those bonds as he worked with horses and knew the moment another person decided Eric was worth a time investment. “Then, what would you call them?” he asked, hoping to keep the conversation going.

“Right now? My competition. There’s only one spot open. I didn’t want it, but now I’ve got no choice but to try. I know too much. A year from now, only one of us will be alive.” He glanced away. “I can’t let it be anyone but me.”

One open spot on the gang. Terrell hadn’t said it, but that’s what he meant. From what Connor had said, the gang knew who the prime recruit was but the boys didn’t. Terrell had to feel like he was fighting blind.

Eric couldn’t favor one boy over the others, but Terrell’s need to talk almost sounded like a cry for help. Some men just went about asking for what they needed that way, stating the problem out loud. The trouble was, some men were looking for assistance, others just wanted to hear the problem out loud to talk it out. Eric wasn’t sure which Terrell wanted since he didn’t know the boy well yet.

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