Page 17 of Operation: Chosen

Eric had thought the same thing. How had they silently pulled up in that big truck and managed to cut down a large opening in the fence without anyone noticing? Then again, they hadn’t been out riding the trails as much since they didn’t have guests who would ride them. The three boys had shown no interest in horses or horse riding.

“You don’t think this has anything to do with the boys, do you?” Eric had to ask. They’d had no trouble between the last guest leaving and the arrival of the boys. Now they’d had two incidents in as many days. The dogs were still barking more than usual after having rocks thrown at the kennel.

“I don’t think any of them want horses, but they do like to make trouble. How would they hire a trailer and riders though? I doubt any one of them has any idea trailers like that exist, much less the money to hire one.”

Eric nodded his head, but couldn’t shake the feeling that there was some—even flimsy—connection. “True, but things were pretty quiet around here until they arrived.”

“Ali arrived the same day, don’t forget.” Edwyn stopped his horse as soon as they reached the barn, then he swung down. “And I could be wrong, but doesn’t she have an ex-husband?”

Eric locked his jaw and answered with a nod. He hadn’t considered that Ali could be the reason. How would anyone connected to her even know where she was, much less that Wayside had horses? And why would they take out their anger with Wayside when there was no connection between Ali and the ranch?

“I don’t see that as being a connection. I’m assuming Connor would’ve told her that our location is a secret. She’s JAG, so keeping things private is the norm for her.”

Edwyn shrugged as he led his horse into the barn. “I’m not arguing with you. I’m just saying that they are both possibilities. We should talk to the boys and Ali and see if any of them have a connection to people who have horses.”

Eric remembered how Ali had scrunched her nose at the idea of riding. “I agree that we need to figure this out, but neither of them seem particularly likely. Maybe Connor or Brendon will have an idea we missed.” Eric led Skyfall back to her stall and drew her a bucket of water to limit her. He didn’t want her to get too much and make her sick from consuming it quickly after a hard run.

Edwyn quickly finished taking care of his own horse, but while he worked he and Connor talked in low tones. Eric couldn’t help but hear Ali’s name come up a few times. Having her as a suspect shouldn’t bother him. If she were guilty, even by association, of aiding horse thieves, he’d be happy to see her go. But he was sure she wasn’t, and so it bothered him.

Ali’s accusation from earlier played through his thoughts. He hadn’t forgiven her. He’d done his best to bend any way he needed to for the ranch and the people who stayed here, but he hadn’t even tried to forgive her and move on. What would his life look like if he let that anger and resentment go?

He headed for the door as Ali appeared bathed in light just outside. He’d never seen a woman their age look that good. And now that she’d given up wearing the stuffy city clothes, she looked relaxed instead of ready to pounce.

“I didn’t mean to bother you or be nosy, but I heard gunshots. I was worried.” She crossed her arms and looked away.

Her open honesty remined him of times gone by, times he shouldn’t allow himself to remember. She wasn’t looking back, so why was he allowing himself to? “We had some people show up who thought they could take some of our horses.”

Her mouth dropped open slightly, and his gaze was drawn directly to her full lower lip. He shook the thought away. She was not appealing. Not in the slightest. He wouldn’t let himself be drawn in again.

“Is horse thieving a big thing around here?” Her brow rose slightly.

“We’ve never had it happen in all the time that I’ve been here. I wasn’t one of the first, but I came along early on. Connor was at a livestock auction and saw me working with one of the abused horses that was going up for sale. He started talking to me and found out I’d been in the military. The two combined—the fact that I’m a veteran and that I train horses—made me an easy hire. I didn’t even have to fill out paperwork.”

She glanced around at the buildings surrounding the barn and sighed. “And you’re happy here? Really?”

He wanted to be angry that she would even question his happiness—it should have been evident—but he hadn’t acted happy since she’d arrived. “I am. This is where I plan to live out the rest of my days if Connor will keep me on until then.”

She flinched. “I don’t think I could stand to stay here longer than I have to.” She turned slightly, looking at the rows of cabins behind her. “Walk with me? We keep getting interrupted.”

He didn’t want to, but Connor and Edwyn didn’t need him to do their jobs, and he would get right to checking the horses for injury as soon as he was done. Connor and Edwyn would let him know if he needed to take extra security steps or take a shift on watch. Until then, he could walk with Ali. In a few weeks, she would disappear again and his life could go back to normal.

Assuming he could forget about Ali again.

* * *

With a slow pace,Ali walked alongside Eric. He smelled of hay and Irish Spring soap. In some ways, the man hadn’t changed. He used the same soap he had back then. He walked the same and talked the same. His large hand brushed against hers as they walked, and thatzapof pleasure she’d felt before zinged up her arm.

She didn’t want to fight with him, but every time she opened her mouth he became defensive with her. They weren’t dealing with their past because she refused to, but what if she dealt with the main issue, the one that stood in her way the most, at least from where she stood? Maybe later she could bring up the day she’d turned him down, but not yet.

“Did you ever meet my uncle?” The question sounded so innocent to her ears, and it would to anyone else who might be listening in on them, but it was anything but.

“I did. Briefly.” Eric tugged a bandana from his back pocket and wiped off his hands. “Why?”

She swallowed hard, knowing this was going to be the hardest convincing she’d ever have to do in her career. Parts of her story would never come to light, but her story was the reason she was who she was. Her story made her want success above everything else. Without success, she had nothing.

“My uncle and my aunt were my guardians for many years, but they never wanted the job. Part of me wished Mom would’ve just given me up for adoption or even put me in foster care. My uncle never did because he felt like he was asked to take me in by his sister, so he had to keep me. But that didn’t make my life any easier.”

Eric slowed his pace even more, then directed her over to a small stack of hay bales at the end of the barn. She lowered onto the prickly bales and took a moment to catch her breath. She’d promised to leave Uncle Cliff as far in the past as possible. When he’d died at the fairly young age of sixty-seven, she hadn’t mourned him. Even though her mother had come out of the woodwork to try to guilt her into helping with the funeral, she’d washed her hands of both of them.

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