Page 10 of Silent Deception
She started to punch in 911, then stared in disbelief at the faint message blinking on the screen.
Low battery.
Her hand at her throat, she slumped against the counter, her lungs raw from the exertion. Then she hunted through the clutter again until she found her truck keys.Please, Lord, help me find my little boy!
At a sharp knock at the door, she froze. She was a woman alone in an unfamiliar, isolated place...though that barely registered.
I don’t have time for this! I’ve got to find my son.
She took a deep, ragged breath, gripped her keys in one hand and hurried to the front window.
A big gray horse stood placidly in her yard, tied to the gate. Ahorse?
The front door opened with a crash, and Cody’s excited voice echoed through the house like a gift direct from God.
“Mom! Mom! I got a ride on a horse! And it was huge and beautiful and the cowboy said I could ride again if you say it’s okay. Mom!”
Overwhelmed with relief, she turned away from the window, still gripping the curtain for support.
Cody barreled into her just as she caught sight of a tall stranger inside her front door, silhouetted against the lamplight of the living room.
“Wherewereyou?” She closed her eyes and wrapped Cody in a tight hug until he wiggled free, then took a steadying breath and looked at the door. “Who—"
The man stepped into a pool of light, and she found herself staring into Ryan Gallagher’s eyes.
“How easily you forget,” he said coolly. “At least you’re consistent.”
Cody anxiously tugged at her sleeve. “Please, Mom. He says I can have another ride. Please? You said we’d get horses when we moved, and this one isbeautiful.Please, Mom!”
Kristin stared down at him, then shifted her attention back to Ryan. “I don’t understand. Why are you here?”
“You city folks might let your kids run, but you can’t do that here. Not with a child who doesn’t know the area or how to get back home.” His tone was excessively patient, as if he was trying to explain something to a person with limited mental capacity. “Your boy was over a half mile into the Four Aces.”
“I’ve been searching for himeverywhere.I just came inside to call for help.”
Ryan glanced at the TV, which was on and inexplicably now coming in clear as a bell. He raised a brow as he turned back to her, clearly imagining that she’d simply been sitting in here watching a rerun ofGolden Girls.“If I hadn’t been riding this evening, Cody might’ve kept going in the wrong direction, in a remote pasture that holds several hundred unpredictable mother cows and calves. He could’ve been trampled or developed hypothermia by later tonight.”
Kristin shuddered. “He is never to leave this property. He knows that.”
“We’ve also got hunting leases on that land. A careless hunter might see a sudden movement and shoot before thinking.” Ryan glanced down at the boy and paused. “Keep him home, and make sure you know where he is.”
His obvious assumption of negligence rankled for a split second, but he was right. She shouldn’t have let Cody out of her sight, and she could only feel gratitude and heartfelt relief that Ryan had come to his rescue.
“I can’t thank you enough for bringing Cody back,” she said quietly. “If there’s ever any way I can repay you—”
“Please, Mom,” Cody begged. “Can I ride again?”
Kristin gently took his beloved face in her hands. “The answer is no. Absolutely no. You ran off, and you never said a word. You left the yard, which is against the rules, and this nice man had to interrupt his evening to bring you back.”
She straightened and pointed to the stairs. “One hour, time-out.Now.”
His eyes filled with sudden tears, but he slowly trudged away, his head bowed, looking for all the world like someone headed for death row.
“I’m really sorry for all your trouble,” Kristin said, turning back to Ryan. “I promise—”
But he was already gone.
