Page 3 of Operation: Integrity

“I think I can handle myself. I’ll bring Kelly around to see the kennels later. I’ll show her around the barn for now.”

Sam wasn’t sure if Edwyn knew Kelly was his one regret or not, though he seemed to by indicating he knew they’d known each other. Maybe that didn’t matter, since she was a patient first. He gave Edwyn a nod then followed it with one for Kelly. She said nothing, but he could feel her watch him as he finally made his way out of the barn.

Fear was a constant companion,though Kelly certainly wouldn’t call it her friend. She stood in the barn next to the guy who’d pretty much told Sam to take a hike. She hadn’t expected to seehimhere. She hadn’t expected to ever see him again.

“Care to talk about how you know him? It will stay between you and me. I don’t keep notes.” Edwyn headed for another part of the barn that seemed to be off to the left.

She shoved her hands in her pockets, wishing her friends at the halfway house had thought of gloves or even a light coat as opposed to a vest. Her whole body felt chilled in the frigid Wyoming wind and snow flurries. “I don’t think it matters. Ancient history.” Though her heart said it was anything but. The moment she’d seen him, all those feelings of abandonment had crept up. If not for him and his disappearance from her life, she neverwould’ve ended up where she’d been. Well, not as far in as she’d gone, anyway. He was supposed to have saved her. Instead, he’d stopped calling, stopped caring.

“Ancient history still has bearing on your life today. You looked like you wanted to run from Wayside at a sprint the moment you saw him. That won’t help you heal.” Edwyn led her to a room that smelled like leather and oil where saddles and straps hung neatly on the walls and around the room.

Running had been her first choice, but her driver had already left and there was no other way to escape. It wasn’t like she knew the area. Weird, too, that both Connor and Edwyn seemed to know she had a past with Sam but hadn’t said anything to warn her that he was there.

“Look, it’s not this big secret. Sam and I dated a long time ago. He ditched me one day. No call. No note. Not even a word about why. Then again, Sam has never been confrontational. So, I shouldn’t have been shocked when he didn’t confront whatever issue there was.” She ran her finger along one of the imprints on a pretty saddle, surprised it was actually bumpy to her touch.

“That’s true. Sam’s the quiet type, but he also doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to leave you high and dry unless there was something else going on.” Edwyn didn’t sound like he was blatantly accusing her, but he could be, and her hackles immediately went up. What was he accusing her of doing?

“Are you saying he was justified?” There was no way Sam could’ve found out the mess her life had become. She’d been trying to help a friend, but that friend stole all her money. Then, the friend turned around and tried to ‘help’ her get her money back by introducing Kelly to her pimp.

Kelly had been left with no choice. Her bank account was drained, her house had been heading toward foreclosure. Family wasn’t an option, and she had no other friends. It had seemed at the time the only way out of the pit of despair was to take the pimp’s offer. He would put money aside from all her work, then put that money in her account when her term with him ended.

Except, he’d never said when that was. Now, she could only hope he’d kept up his end of the agreement after she’d left. After years with him, he should’ve given her something. At some point, she’d have to find a phone and a way to contact her bank, but that battle was not today.

Sam was supposed to have saved her from that. She’d done the work, hating it. Hating the person she’d allowed herself to become so she could survive, but it was supposed to have been very temporary. Sam had hinted he’d been ring shopping. Once he’d proposed, she was going to come clean about what her life had become. She’d been too ashamed to tell him before there was any assurance he wouldn’t walk away.

Maybe her history didn’t matter, though. Why would Sam have wanted to marry her? Looking back, she’d been hiding so many things from him. Things that would’ve made him want to walk away just like he did. God had probably saved him from her. God should probably save everyone from her.

“I would never say someone is justified in treating another person poorly. I’m only saying it’s outside of his character. Something else must have happened. I hope you get the chance to talk once you’re further along and starting to heal.” Edwyn moved one set of what looked like reins from one peg to another.

She doubted Sam would want to talk, though he hadcome to her defense, strange as it had been. He looked the same as he had before, like time had stopped for him. He had rich brown hair and soft, gentle hazel eyes, with a smattering of stubble on his jaw that at one time had made her want to rub her hands down his face.

Now, she wanted to stay as far away from physical contact with anyone as possible. Even a hug was too much most of the time. “I think that ship has sailed. We are two completely different people now.”

If he had been willing and hadn’t disappeared, maybe she wouldn’t have become so entangled in what she had. She might not have needed the eventual rescue that had happened. Then again, wondering wouldn’t change the fact that she’d originally agreed.

Sam was a good man, a Christian man, who wouldn’t want a woman who’d been with hundreds of men over the past few years. Her pimp had expected a lot, telling her that her housing had to come out of her pay, so if she wanted to actually make any money, she’d better work harder.

After a time, she was able to do her job with little emotion at all. Her mind was disconnected from what she had to do to survive. Some men were cruel, others just needy. Her pimp wasn’t usually violent, just brutally manipulative. After meeting some other women, she counted herself lucky for that much.

“Well, if you’re given the opportunity and you have the desire, you should. Living with past regrets is painful,” Edwyn’s voice held a hint of what could only be commiseration.

“Thanks.” She turned away, not sure what else she was supposed to do out there. Edwyn made himself busy doing something with a saddle and didn’t seem to beshowing her around any further. “Did you want to show me anything else? I’m freezing.”

Normally, she never would’ve complained. Stating discomfort with any of her ‘guys’ would’ve been a sure way to find herself a lot more uncomfortable. However, Connor had told her in the under two minutes she’d spent with him that she could state how she felt without any repercussions here. They wanted to know how she was doing and what she needed.

Edwyn looked her up and down, his eyes widening in shock. “You don’t have a coat . . . Lacy will have to fix that right away. You can’t ride or do anything out here without a good coat.” Edwyn headed toward the front of the barn.

Kelly followed him in case he wanted her to, though he made no motion for her, nor did he tell her what to do. She trailed him to a cabin in the front row of four rows of cabins. Edwyn drew out a key and shoved it into the lock, then pushed the door open.

“Here you are. Lacy should’ve brought your bag over while you were in the barn and made sure everything was ready for you in here.”

“I’m still in here!” A voice came from the back of the small cabin. She emerged from a door and headed for them, holding out her hand. Wrapped in the other arm was a bundle of what looked like sheets. “Hello. I’m Lacy, and I’m here to help you in any way I can.”

“She’ll need a coat. Any way we can put a rush on that?” Edwyn’s mouth crooked up as his brow furrowed.

“No coat? Goodness.” Lacy grabbed the one on the back of a nearby kitchen chair and laid it on the sofa. “That one will be too large for you, but use it until I can get one ordered. I have a few, so it’s no bother. Wyoming is way too chilly not to have one. I can’t imagine why theysent you without.” She frowned. “I didn’t touch your clothes, but your bag is in your room. I put fresh sheets on the bed. There are extra blankets in the chest at the end of your bed. Turn the heat to wherever you feel comfortable. If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask me. Welcome to Wayside.” She grinned, then gathered the sheets together and waved as she left.

Kelly picked up the coat and shrugged it over her shoulders. The little cabin wasn’t cold, but she still couldn’t warm herself. Everything from the travel to the conversation felt like a drain on her system.

---