by Dale Mayer
“But putting the money into that IVF stuff? Jeez, that’s expensive. And not guaranteed.”
“But, if you don’t get tested, the doctors can’t fix what the problem is.”
“So Debbie told me,” Gordon said in a note of gloom. “Something else I probably screwed up.”
At that, Carter laughed. They pulled up at the feed store, hopped out, and wandered around a scene fondly remembered from all the holidays and weekends Carter had spent here with his buddy. They loaded up the supplies they needed as fast as they could; then Gordon and Carter headed down the street to the vet.
While there, Carter talked to a couple women at the front desk about the missing dog. “Matzuka is his name,” he said. “He’s a huge shepherd and was part of the War Dogs division. He was supposed to have been adopted by a family here, but they said they never got him.”
The nurse frowned. “We don’t have records of a dog with that name. Who was the family?”
He pulled the notes from his pocket. “Longfellow.”
Silence came in an instant.
Was it the right name? The wrong name? He glanced up at them. “Problems?” The nurse and the receptionist remained quiet, so he continued talking. “I am here at the official request of Commander Cross of the US Navy. That dog gave a lot of years of service to this country. He deserves to retire and to enjoy a comfortable life for the remainder of his years.”
The nurse finally spoke. “It would be hard to imagine that family would have been given the dog. They’re pretty rough on them.”
“Rough in what way?”
“We’ve heard some complaints about their mistreatment of animals.”
“Okay, so are we thinking they may have gotten the dog and then hurt him?”
“We’re not saying anything,” the receptionist said. She glanced at her companion. “We don’t know anything.”
“Do you know where this family lives? Brenda is the contact person, I believe.”
“Yeah,” the nurse said. She picked up a piece of paper and drew him a map. “Here.”
“Any way to contact them other than in person?”
They just shook their heads. “We can’t give out personal information.”
“Of course.” He nodded. “I can get that from the government. Thank you very much.”
He turned and walked outside, while studying the map. One of the things he would have to do pretty damn fast was to get a set of wheels. His own wheels. Although Gordon usually had several ranch trucks, Carter wasn’t sure how much traveling he would have to do for this mission, and he’d feel better if he paid his own way. Gordon would smack him hard for saying that though. As Carter stood here, waiting for his buddy, Gordon popped out.
“Ready to go?” he asked Carter.
“Yeah, I need to rent a truck. Maybe head there next.”
“No need. We have several ranch trucks. You know that.”
“I’d feel better with my own wheels.” He also knew the chances of Gordon allowing that were slim to none. Gordon confirmed that in his next sentence.
“Like hell,” Gordon said cheerfully. “You’re just being stubborn. Forget it. Like I said, we have vehicles.”
They hopped into the truck and headed toward the ranch. “Any idea who the Longfellow family are?”
“Shysters,” Gordon said succinctly. “Not the kind of folks you want to hang around with.”
“This dog was supposedly adopted by them. Brenda is the contact person. I didn’t bring a paper copy of the file with me. I have a digital copy though.”
“In order to have passed whatever checks and balances the government would do to approve them, the Longfellows would have lied,” Gordon said. “One or two of them have almost legal fronts. And the rest of them? Just a mess.”
“Somebody had to have done a background check on them to have been awarded that dog.”
“If they were to get the dog, yet they say they haven’t, chances are they’ve already shot it and buried it deep.”
“I hope not. I’ll be mighty pissed if that’s the case.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because that K9 dog gave a lot of time and effort to this country. The last thing I want to think about is that somebody would take me out and shoot me because they deemed me useless.”
“We never got the chance,” Gordon said calmly. “You took yourself out of the world all on your own. I would have loved a chance to tell you that I didn’t give a damn if have you had one leg or no legs, but you didn’t give me that opportunity.”
Carter laughed. “Good point.” As they drove down the long driveway to the main house, Carter asked the question he’d been holding back on. “How’s Hailey these days?”
“She’s pretty mad, as usual,” Gordon said happily.
“If you wouldn’t pick on her so much,” Carter said, “she wouldn’t always be upset with you.”
“But it brings me joy. Besides, that’s what brothers are for.”
“That’s what brothers are for when you’re kids. Hardly what brothers are for at your age.”
“Thirty-two is not old for me, but she just turned thirty. I’m not letting her forget it.”
“Ouch,” Carter said. “Unless she’s married with two-point-three kids, she won’t take that reminder well.”
“She doesn’t,” Gordon said smugly. “And she’s not married.”
“Oh. I’m sorry for her then. I know it was her main goal. Kind of like Debbie.”
“I figure my sister is waiting for you to come back.”
“Why the hell would you think that?” Carter asked in astonishment. “All we ever did was fight.”
“What’s wrong with fighting? I think all these calm and boring relationships are overrated.”
“Yeah, but not everybody wants to sit around arguing about everything either.”
Gordon grinned, remembering something. “She doesn’t know you’re coming, by the way.”
“That’s probably not fair. She doesn’t like me.” Carter’s surprise visit would mess up her days, at least for a week or two.
“She can deal with it,” Gordon said. “I told her that I’d get you back here someday anyway,” he said. “If you weren’t so damn stubborn, I would’ve had you back here last year.”
Carter laughed. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Nope, I haven’t. Don’t you forget that. How can I possibly?”
They reached the main house and pulled up to the front. Carter remained glued to his seat while staring at the house. “I have a lot of really good memories here,” he said. “I’m so sorry about your dad.”
“Me too,” Gordon answered. “The fact that he died around the same time you had your accident just made it that much harder. You couldn’t come to the funeral, and I couldn’t come to your side.”
“Being at my side wouldn’t have helped anybody,” Carter said. “I don’t blame you, and I wouldn’t have wanted you there anyway. I was a mess. I was in pieces, literally and figuratively.”
Gordon winced at that. “Come on in. Let’s brew some strong coffee. And I’ve got to tell you how it’s damn fine to know you’re here.” The guys exited the truck.
“You want to unload the truck now?” Carter asked him, leaning on the hood of the truck.
Just then the front door slammed open and out stalked Hailey. Tall with flaming red hair braided down the center of her back, she was dressed in jeans paired with work boots and a plaid shirt. She was the epitome of a cowgirl, but Carter knew she was also an incredibly talented financial analyst who worked in town. She simply lived at the ranch with her brother. Always had. She had planned to build a second house for herself but hadn’t gotten that far yet, apparently. At least he assumed so when he saw her here. She glared at Gordon first; then her gaze switched to Carter.
He waited for the moment of recognition to slam into her. Her face went white. However, instead of her saying something he could give a snappy comeback to, her gaze went up on
His heart dropped like a stone. He looked at his buddy. “I told you that I shouldn’t have come back here.”
“Not only should you have come back,” Gordon said, anger threading through his voice, “but you’re also very welcome here. Regardless of what she has to say. Or not say.”
If Gordon had just given her a little bit of warning, Hailey Wallerton would have handled it better. To see Carter like that, after knowing he almost died and had been so broken? She was left speechless. Besides, she had not known if he would ever return. Yet here he was, like her brother had just pulled the greatest magic trick in history—he conjured Carter out of thin air. When she saw him, Hailey didn’t know whether to spin away or to throw her arms around Carter and never let go.
She chose the former when she saw no welcome on his face. However, now that she had time to think about it, she realized Carter’s face earlier almost showed fear, not hostility. Hailey had seen his injured hand but wasn’t sure about which of his legs was really a prosthetic. She recognized his lack of security too, in the sense that he had almost a defensive edge to him, assuming Hailey didn’t like what she saw. That was where the tough look had come from. Not from Carter rejecting her. Again.
Hailey wished she could tell Carter how wrong he was. She couldn’t blame Carter though. She knew what his wife had done. If Hailey had had a chance to beat that bitch to the ground, she would have done it gladly. This took her back to what she’d just done. It was even worse. She’d rejected him out of hand, and it wasn’t for the reason he would think. She groaned and slammed her head against the cupboard. It made a soft thud.
“Do that again,” her brother said in a harsh tone. “Or let me do it. What the hell was that stunt outside?”
She hit her head for the second time. Then she walked as straight as she could to the stove and made coffee. No way would she give in to her brother’s taunting. He spent way too much time taking pleasure in that. Not only that but, ever since Debbie had left, he’d been impossible too. She and Gordon were stupid messes. Finally she had coffee ready. She took in a breath, then turned to look at Carter. “At least you’re alive,” she said.
“Are you serious? It looked like you would be happier if I was six feet under.”
She shook her head. “You surprised me. I’m sorry for the reaction. I hadn’t thought you would survive the accident, let alone be healthy enough to come here.” She turned and glared at her brother. “And a little warning would have been nice.”
Gordon shrugged and said, “You can keep apologizing until you’re blue in the face, but what’s done is done.”
“Next time, maybe, don’t try to shock me. You could try being nice and not letting the Debbie issue turn you into a scorpion.” Hailey turned and walked out after that.
She headed for the big yard in back, where she could usually be found on her time off. A huge swing used to be here, where she could curl up with a book. She closed her hands into fists. She felt crappy. She had been feeling pretty crappy for a long time since her father’s death, reinforced when Debbie left, and now, with Carter’s appearance, it seemed like her world had gone to shit.
It just wasn’t fair. She hadn’t expected Carter to come, and, now that he was here, he was more endearing than ever. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and hold him close. However, the walls that gripped and guarded him loomed even bigger and stronger. They flashed a bright sign that screamed, Stay away. But, then again, it had always been there with him, the walls and the clamped-up attitude. His marriage had only made it worse.
Now, however, he was free and single—but he was also more broken than ever. How the hell was she supposed to deal with that? She had always cared about him, but he had never even seen her. She’d always been Gordon’s kid sister. This was his first chance to see her in several years, yet look what she had done.
She could feel the tears in the back of her eyes. She wiped them away impatiently. She was too old for that now. She was too old for everything in many ways. She couldn’t even begin to explain to her brother that she was thinking about getting pregnant either by IVF or by a stranger in a one-night stand with absolutely no strings. She wanted somebody to cuddle in the morning, but maybe, if she woke up with a child, that would make her feel more fulfilled. She knew it was a particularly selfish reason for having a child, but she didn’t care to investigate it further right now. Besides, she had always wanted kids. She and Debbie shared that and more in common.
The problem was, all Hailey had ever wanted was to have a family—with Carter. Yet, time and again, he turned from her, didn’t see her, and eventually got married, even while she had been standing right there. Waiting.
Having offered herself once, she wouldn’t make that mistake again. She’d been young and stupid, but his rejection had been hard regardless.
It hurt like shit to see him again though. It was obvious he was still hurting inside and out. Was it his injuries or was it that bitch he called his wife? Hailey let out a sound of frustration and kicked at the ground. She knew it would be a long time before Carter would have anything pleasant to say to her. And it was her own damn fault. Again.
Life sucked.
Chapter 2
Hailey got up the next morning, made coffee, and ate a quick bite. Realizing she was already late after her crappy night, she headed out to her vehicle. It was a business day, and that was just life. If she could, she would come home early today. However, did she really want to do that? With Carter here? Last night she had finished dinner and disappeared, leaving the men to themselves. She had disgraced herself right off the bat when Carter first arrived. She felt uncomfortable, especially around him, so she aimed for an easy getaway this morning. She took an apple as her lunch, then stepped out on the front porch.
And came face-to-face with Carter.
He looked at her in surprise. “Leaving so early?” Carter asked.
“It’s Monday.”
“I forget that,” he said. “I get the days mixed up.”
She relented and answered, “Easy to do if you’re not working nine-to-five anymore.”
“Life in the military was never nine-to-five,” he said with a smile. “But since the accident … Well, it’s easy to let the days roll into themselves.”
“What were you doing in New Mexico?”
“Helping out Titanium Corp—the company that sent me here looking for the dog.”
She remembered hearing about it and wondered why a company would send him this far away for something like that. “It sounds like they must care a lot about the dog,” she said. That couldn’t be a bad thing.
“They do,” he said. “And, while I was there, I was helping renovate homes for veterans, doing everything from carpentry work to electrical work. You know? The usual handyman stuff.”
“In other words, all the same stuff you used to do around here.”
“Maybe. I was thinking about setting up a construction company, but I’m not sure it’s what I want to do. At least not as my new career.”
“Right. Then there’s the cash issue. Always handy to have and the worst thing to be without.”
He smiled at that. “Are you still okay at your company?”
“Yes,” she said as she walked down the steps. “Have a good day.”
That was enough conversation for the time being. Carter stared at her as she walked past, and she stared back. Then, she focused on reaching her truck, turning on the engine, leaving without looking back. As she drove, she thought about yesterday, and how today went better. Considering …
Yesterday she had been shocked to see him and thus wasn’t herself. Well, if she were being honest, something about work concerned her too. So she was already out of sorts before his arrival. She believed somebody was embezzling from the company, and she had no clue how to find the culprit. She was in the finance business and handled multiple accounts, along with her two partners. And at least one of those accounts was in question. So, she didn’t believe one of her partners was doing something fishy, but that one account was just fishy, and she’d failed to notice it sooner.
Which was even more concerning. She’d been a full partner for over a year now, after serving as a junior partner the three years prior.
Then the other day she had come across some paperwork left in the copier. It had been a double set of books, from the looks of it—as if somebody had already seen the original ledger and was making another one. She fiercely hoped she was wrong, and one of the other partners was already investigating the problem. She loved her job and didn’t want anything to go wrong. She had had enough go bad in her life that she didn’t need things at work to be screwed up too. Besides, she’d sunk everything she had into this company, her time, her specific finance knowledge, her money. That nest egg had been for her own home on the ranch. But she saw greater potential to invest her money this way.
She couldn’t afford to have anything go wrong.
She focused on the road, while mentally calculating her commute time. Twenty minutes still to get to her workplace. She could have moved into town, but she loved the ranch. It was her home, and it offered her a large open space, not like the town itself, where she felt hemmed in. In addition to that, since her father had died, her attachment to the place had grown stronger. Both her mom and dad were buried in a plot on the ranch, along with her grandparents and other ancestors. Hence, the deep-rooted connection she had that felt buried deep into her genetics as well.
When she finally pulled up and parked outside the office building, she was the first to arrive. She was ten minutes early. That was good. She walked inside, disarmed the security system, and started coffee. After it dripped, she picked up her first cup and headed upstairs.
As she walked toward the second-floor partner offices, she stopped when she saw a light under one of the doors. She found it odd since she was the one who had just disarmed the security and had set up today’s coffee. Who’d come in so early on a Monday that they’d reset the security? She held an ear to the door in question. She heard nothing. Not even the sound of breathing or rustling papers. She knocked. Nothing still. Maybe someone had left the light on over the weekend. She turned the knob, surprised to find it unlocked, a serious breach in protocol, and pushed open the door. Then her heart froze. She slammed her cup of coffee on the closest edge of the desk and raced to Fred Longfellow’s side. It was obviously too late.
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