Page 5 of Operation: Integrity

Brendon’s mouth flattened. “Interesting. I wonder if she was one of those who are roped into the trade because of need, then trapped and can’t leave.”

“Are you saying you think she was being traffickedwhilewe were dating?” His stomach roiled. How could he have gotten so close to her, yet never noticed any signs? Yet, even thinking back, knowing what he knew now, he didn’t recall anything he was trained to look for.

“I won’t know anything until I talk to her and she may not feel comfortable enough with me for a long time toanswer a question like that. I’m just telling you what I see right here in the intake information. I find it odd that you say you saw her kissing another man when she was in love with you?—,”

“She couldn’t have been in love with me,” the words felt like sandpaper in his throat.

Brendon held up his hand. “She was with this other man, kissing. We know that at some point between the last time you saw her and now, she was being trafficked. Correct?”

“Yes.” He couldn’t deny that fact.

“Then it’s possible that, in order to save her house, she was doing what she felt she had to do. It’s incredibly sad, but it happens.”

Why wouldn’t she have come to him? He’d loved her. He’d have given her the world if she’d have asked. “I thought she told me everything. I really thought I knew her. This is actually making the situation worse for me. Before, I thought she was cheating on me with one stranger. Now, you’re telling me she may have cheated with countless strangers, and she did it without talking to me at all, to tell me she needed help. She didn’t trust me.”

Brendon didn’t change his stance or the expression on his face. He was good at making statements without adding his own two cents and letting the person on the other side of the desk infer what they would. “Were you in any condition to help her? Would she have known she could ask you?”

Why couldn’t she have asked him? Wouldn’t talking to him have been better or easier than choosing what she might have, if that’s indeed what he’d witnessed? He tried to think back to their time together. Had he knowingly given her the impression that he would think less of herfor needing him? Helikedbeing needed. This whole situation flew in the face of the core of who he really was.

“I don’t see why she couldn’t, but I’m not her. I’ve never been in that situation before. There has to be more to it than just talking because if talking could’ve fixed it, I’m sure she would’ve.”

Brendon finally smiled. “Exactly. When people are involved, things are rarely as subtle as just having a conversation. There’s always more to a situation than meets the eye. Guilt. Shame. Assumptions. Regret. Turmoil . . . They all play into our willingness to talk with others.”

“So, what should I do? I still can’t talk to her. She’s been through too much.” He still couldn’t fathom why Connor hadn’t let him leave when Kelly came. Having him here could hurt her chances to heal. Her healing was more important than his job or any second chance. “Maybe I should just leave. Connor would probably hire me back once Kelly has been through counseling and therapy. It would be better for her if I’m not here.”

Brendon closed Kelly’s file and leaned forward. “This won’t be like anything we’ve dealt with before. If at any point you feel like your presence really is a detriment to her healing, I’ll talk to Connor on your behalf. You’re right, her healing is important, and I know Connor would hire you back. That said, let’s not jump the gun. I’m not saying you should ask her out or anything, but there’s nothing that says you two can’t talk about what happened once she’s more comfortable. Give me a chance to meet with her, get her side of the story, get her used to talking again. Then you can try to get her to talk, and you’ll need to start a dialog, too. You saw her, but you never said she saw you. That tells me she has no idea why you were ahuge part of her life, then you weren’t. There’s going to be trauma there, too. I’ll need to work that through with her before you two work out your past. She deserves the chance to think all of this through beforehand. If you don’t, then rehashing all of what happened will just be salt on her wounds.”

He didn’t want that. He wanted answers, but even with as angry as he’d been after seeing her kissing another man, he didn’t want to see her hurt. If he could go back in time, he’d knock on that door and get answers instead of walking away. But it was too late for that. He’d have to settle for waiting until the time was right.

“Then I guess I’ll just stick to my kennel and avoid the barn and house for a while.” He stood. “Thanks for your time.”

“Sam, you don’t have to wait until you’re so angry you have a white-knuckle grip on my chair. My door is open when you need to come see me.”

Sam adjusted his hat back onto his head. “I know. I also know I don’t usually have a need. See you later.” He nodded his appreciation and headed back outside.

The following day,Kelly shrugged on Lacy’s coat. The scent was strange, not unpleasant, but foreign. Nothing belonged to her anymore. Odd that the fewer things she had, the more out of control she felt. When she’d had a normal life, she’d felt like she had a great life. Right up until her friend turned on her. Though, in hindsight, she now knew why her friend had stolen her money. Nathan had been her pimp and had taken everything.She’d needed the money, but the theft had left her with no choices.

She trudged to the barn, her footsteps sounding loud on the frozen grass. The few flakes of snow from the day before were gone, but cold still seeped through her coat. She’d arrived the day before and she’d yet to see anyone else who lived at Wayside. Would they keep the other guests from her? Was she too broken to see anyone else?

“Stop. Stop taunting yourself. You’re the one who chose to stay in your room yesterday.” She’d always found it easier to speak truth out loud instead of combating the negativity in her mind with more mental words. Giving them a voice gave them more power, at least to her.

Edwyn stepped out of the barn carrying a pitchfork. She only knew it was called a pitchfork because her grandmother at one time had a painting on her wall of an old man and woman standing in front of what she’d always thought was a church. She’d never even been in a barn until the day before.

“Good morning,” he said, far too loudly with a slightly fake smile.

Kelly tried to keep her shoulders straight. If she didn’t shrink away, her heart wouldn’t race and she would be fine, right? “Morning.” She had yet to see any good in it other than that she wasn’t a captive anymore. At least, not until they found her again. Nathan always found those who ran away. Always. Sometimes, like Anna, the friend who’d shared Christ with her, they ended up permanently missing.

“Ready to meet your horse? You’re going to have a great time once we get you in the saddle. I have yet to meet a single client who didn’t respond well to the horses.”

She snorted. “And how many clients have you worked with?” She didn’t mean to sound so discouraging, but no matter how hard she tried, her life was stuck on empty.

He looked momentarily unable to speak, then furrowed his brow. “I’ve worked with about one client a year since we started. So, about ten in total. My job is usually as the foreman, not as a wrangler.” He headed for the barn.

She was again left wondering if she should follow him or wait outside. Since she was a guest, she assumed she was supposed to follow. “Why are you chosen once a year? Wouldn’t it be better if you just did the job you were hired for?” Especially since he didn’t seem to have the demeanor to work with people like her.

He frowned. “This is the job I was hired to do. I do everything that’s expected of me. Let me introduce you to Bella. She’s a beautiful bay with a black mane and tail. Due to her age, she doesn’t run very often, and she has a very gentle gait.”

“Gentle. Right.” She would have to repeat that over and over. “What do I do with her?”

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