Top Secret Identity

by Sharon Dunn

  “I see goodness in him. His kindness toward the animals tells me that.” She stepped toward him. Her face was only a few inches from his. “It’s just going to take time for him to trust me.”

  Alex chortled. He could say the same thing about his relationship with her. But all his efforts had been blown out of the water by her pushing him away. “That doesn’t work. Believe me.”

  She placed her hands on her hips. “Can we not have this argument right now? We have a horse to find.” She stomped back toward her horse. She stuck her leg in the stirrup and swung on. He listened to the sound of the fading hoof steps before climbing into the cab of his truck.

  Clearly, there was too much tension between them and the only thing that kept it at bay was not working in close quarters. He pounded his fist on the steering wheel. She made him so crazy.

  She wasn’t willing to share anything about her past. Yet she hadn’t pulled away from the kiss. She had liked it as much as he had. So why had she shut down the possibility of a relationship? He let out a heavy breath. Even with everything she had done, he could not let go of the idea that she was a good person.

  That was one thing they had in common. She had a blind spot where Craig was concerned, and he wanted to believe in her despite all the evidence to the contrary.

  He drove slowly as the horses lumbered behind the truck. If maintaining their distance was the only thing that kept them from being at each other’s throats, the camping trip was going to be a nightmare.

  * * *

  Morgan slowed her horse and searched for Bluebell. The land was open and flat with minimal tree cover. But a black horse against a black background wouldn’t be easy to spot.

  After weeks without an incident, Deputy Trier had been called off duty. It had been three days since he’d left, and everything had remained calm. She still wasn’t so sure. It was hard to let go of her suspicions and now things with Alex were only getting worse.

  Her insides felt like they’d been stirred with a hot poker. She hadn’t meant to get into a fight with Alex. How ironic would it be if the conflict with Alex was what finally led to her relocation? She doubted the Witness Security Program would invest time and money just because she couldn’t get along with her boss.

  Even now as she searched for Bluebell, she wished Alex was out here with her.

  Every time she stood close to Alex, she remembered their kiss. She hated pushing him away. She hated the lies. Why couldn’t things be different?

  She didn’t like the way Craig had become the rope in the emotional tug of war she was having with Alex. She really wanted that kid to have a chance, and she’d seen some progress. As Craig shared more with her, she was beginning to see that his anger was a defense mechanism. He was afraid to let people close.

  Morgan halted her horse and shone the flashlight in a broad circle. Trees formed jagged dark shapes. The quiet was disconcerting. She didn’t like being out here alone. Now she regretted her fight with Alex even more. Would he come back out and help her as promised?

  She rode onward, tuned in to the sounds around her and shining the flashlight in front of her. The trail ended and she came out on a country road. She could see the lights of a neighboring farm but no sign of Bluebell anywhere.

  Her horse’s hooves clopped along the road. Dogs barked as she approached the farm. A porch light came on and a man stepped out.

  “What do you want?” Clearly, the man didn’t like being awakened in the night.

  “Sorry to bother you,” she shouted. “I’m looking for a runaway horse.”

  The man shouted back, “I haven’t seen anything like that. Kind of late, isn’t it?”

  The man’s no-nonsense style of conversation reminded her of her own father. She waved at the man and rode on. Though she’d taken the path where the horse had most likely run, Bluebell could be on the other side of the county by now. She rode for another twenty minutes. When she passed a field, movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. Moonlight washing over the landscape revealed Bluebell standing in a grove of trees.

  Morgan shook her head. “You are such a pain.” She dismounted Chipper’s Boy, pulled her rope from the saddle and approached the horse. As she drew near, the horse seemed undisturbed by her presence. She moved in a little closer. Bluebell lifted her head but didn’t bolt.

  Morgan slipped the rope easily over the horse’s head. She stroked her neck. “No fight or anything. You just got tired of running, didn’t you? You’re ready to go home. That makes two of us.”

  She led the horse down the road and back through the fields. She called in on the radio. “Alex, I found her and I’m bringing her in.”

  The line opened up. “That sounds good, Morgan. Why don’t you try to get a few hours of sleep?” His voice was soft, filled with either regret or fatigue. “Tomorrow is going to be busy with that trail ride.”

  “Roger that.” She clicked off her radio and steered the horses toward home. Out here in the open fields with the stars above her, she felt a profound sense of loneliness.

  She had recovered from the car accident. She was stronger now. The truth was, she didn’t want to leave The Stables. Even though interacting with Alex had gotten tricky, she didn’t want to lose the children or the horses. She’d fallen in love with this place.

  Bluebell whinnied behind her.

  She and Bluebell had something in common. They were both tired of running and wanted a place to call home.

  The lights of The Stables came into view. She half expected to see Alex standing by his truck waiting for her, but the place looked completely abandoned. He must’ve gone back to the guesthouse already.

  She should be relieved that he was choosing to keep his distance. In theory it made staying here that much easier. But as she looked out at the empty corrals and the single light on in the guesthouse, all she felt was loss.

  TWELVE

  Morgan cast an anxious glance toward The Stables’ parking lot. Though it had filled up quickly with people coming to load their horses for the overnight trail ride, she saw no sign of Craig. He’d been indifferent when she’d invited him to go. Maybe he wouldn’t show.

  As she loaded the final therapy horse into the trailer, she had to be honest about the disappointment she felt with Craig not showing up.

  Alex came around the side of the trailer. “I think we’ll be ready to move out of here in about ten minutes.”

  Morgan nodded with a final glance toward the parking lot.

  Alex stood beside her. “You had to know he wouldn’t take you up on the offer.”

  “I keep seeing these little glimmers in Craig that tell me a turnaround is possible.”

  His expression hardened. “You can’t win everyone over, Morgan. Sometimes you have to give up on people.”

  His words stung. Is that what he thought about her? That he had tried to win her over and failed? Even the most minor disagreement between them cut deep, and Craig was a growing point of contention.

  Alex leaned a little closer to her, his eyes blazing. “Kindness does not win people over.”

  She picked up the challenging tone of his voice. The intensity of his gaze demanded an explanation she could not give. “I can still hope.”

  Looking for an excuse to get away, Morgan made her way back to the guesthouse to see if Mrs. Stovall needed help loading the chuck wagon.

  The sound of screeching brakes drew her attention to the parking lot. Craig’s father sat behind the wheel of the truck, and Craig jumped out with his father on his heels.

  “Hey, boy!” The older man grabbed his son by the shoulder and swung him around.

  Morgan raced toward the parking lot. The clumsiness of the man’s actions had set off alarm bells for her—Robert had been drinking.

  “Get your hands off me,” Craig shouted.
<
br />   Morgan struggled to keep her voice casual. “Hey, Mr. Jones. So glad you brought Craig.”

  Robert Jones swayed and offered her a glassy-eyed stare.

  She didn’t want him getting back in that truck. Not in his condition. “I think Mrs. Stovall has a pot of coffee on in the guesthouse. Why don’t you stay awhile?”

  Robert pointed a shaky finger at her. “You stay out of this. You’re the reason I’m not working.”

  “Dad.” Craig’s face turned red with embarrassment.

  “You shut up, boy.” He leaned toward Craig, swaying slightly. “You disrespect me.”

  Craig shook his head and took a step back.

  Robert lunged at him and shook his son’s shoulders roughly. “Show some respect.”

  “Please, Mr. Jones. I think it would be best if you stepped away.” Morgan placed her hand on Robert’s forearm, squeezed it and tried to lift it off Craig’s shoulder.

  Robert whirled around, all his rage suddenly focused on Morgan. “You.” His hands clenched into fists.

  Craig took several steps back and then ran.

  Morgan’s heart pounded when Robert raised his arm as though to hit her.

  Alex was suddenly between them, grabbing Robert’s hands. “I think you’d better back off right now.”

  Robert took a swing at Alex, but Alex backed out of the way. He gripped Robert’s shoulders. “Step away now.”

  The force of Alex’s voice seemed to quell the man’s anger. Alex cupped his shoulders and turned him toward the guesthouse. “Why don’t you sit for a minute? We’ll get someone to give you a ride home.” He led the man away without so much as a backward glance toward Morgan.

  Morgan’s heart raced from nearly having been Robert’s punching bag. Alex must have been watching the interaction, ready to jump in. Even after all she’d done to him, his decency always rose to the surface. It only made her like him more.

  She looked around. Most people were busy with packing. Craig was nowhere in sight. The kid had clearly been embarrassed by his father’s behavior. He was only a teenager, but no male liked a woman stepping in to defend him against another man. Would he change his mind about going?

  She busied herself with the final bit of loading, all the while seeing no sign of Craig or Alex. She got into the cab of the truck she’d been assigned to drive to the trailhead.

  Richie and his mom came up to her. “Alex said there is space in your cab for us to ride.”

  “Yeah, sure. Hop in.”

  Morgan got behind the wheel. When she peered into the side-view mirror, she saw Craig getting into the truck that would serve as the chuck wagon.

  She breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was coming, but she had no idea what sort of emotional condition he was in. She feared that the incident would make him even more standoffish to her because of the shame he felt about his dad. Teenagers embarrassed easily, and this altercation had been over the top.

  She watched Alex climb into his truck and pull out onto the road. Their relationship had started to feel like a rubber band that had been twisted to the breaking point. Would being in close quarters for two days be the thing that finally made them snap?

  * * *

  Alex pulled into the flat area that served as the trailhead. Morgan’s truck along with several others followed behind.

  He’d gotten Craig’s father a ride home. How long would it be, though, until there was another incident? He couldn’t blame the son for the father’s actions, but at the same time he didn’t want an environment where his guests were unsafe.

  Morgan jumped out of her cab and opened the trailer gate to back a horse out. When he had thought Robert was going to hit Morgan, his instinct to protect her had kicked into high gear.

  The thought of anyone harming her in any way incensed him. He shook his head. Even though there had been tension between them, he could not cut her out of his emotional landscape.

  As he worked to get horses unloaded and riders secured, he noticed some guests he didn’t recognize. Some people had brought friends or family, and he’d honored any request for an extra horse that came in.

  He watched Craig help several of the students from the class get on their horses. Morgan had made progress with him where his interactions with others were concerned. He had to give her credit for that.

  When everyone was settled on their horses, Morgan took the lead on the trail and the others fell in behind her. After riding up and down the line to make sure all the riders were comfortable, Alex moved toward the rear. Mrs. Stovall drove the truck and trailer that held the food and other supplies.

  As they rounded a bend, Alex glanced over his shoulder. Another truck and trailer had pulled into the parking area. Not one of theirs. All the guests were accounted for. Probably someone out for a day ride.

  After a few hours, they stopped by a river to let the horses drink and rest. Multiple complaints of sore bottoms arose as people dismounted. He saw Morgan coming toward him through the throng of horses and people. Hopefully, she only had some sort of logistical thing that needed to be handled.

  He swung around to the other side of his horse and checked the tightness of the straps. “What is it?”

  “I wanted to thank you for...earlier today. For stepping in like you did.”

  “You’re a valuable asset to this place. I wouldn’t want to see you injured again.” He regretted his words even before he saw the hurt in her eyes. She was way more than an asset.

  “I’m grateful. That’s all.” She lowered her head and walked away.

  Alex clenched his teeth. He didn’t need to be that cold to her. The line between attraction and anger was a thin one. Love spurned led to hostility.

  They rode on through the day, stopping for lunch and rest until they came to the spot Morgan had picked out for them to camp. Mrs. Stovall and her staff produced a hearty meal of beans, steak and rolls, some of which they’d cooked over the open fire. As the light faded, several of the riders retrieved guitars from the chuck wagon truck to play.

  Alex walked the perimeter of the camp. Music and laughter came from around the campfire.

  His regret over his harsh words to Morgan ate at his gut. He’d have to do something about that. Something he should have done a long time ago. He could be honest with her about why her withholding information bothered him so much.

  He stared out on the horizon, praying that he would find the courage he needed.

  Off in the distance, he noticed a light bouncing along. So they weren’t out here alone. It was not totally unexpected; they were on public land. Still, he wondered what a lone rider was doing traveling through the darkness.

  * * *

  As it grew dark, Morgan poured out the final bit of feed for the horses. They didn’t need much because there was plenty of grass for them to graze on. She held her flashlight in her teeth. The tiki torches that had been set up around the camp were too far away to provide much illumination. Most of the campers had retreated to their tents, though the strumming of a guitar and soft laughter told her that some of the night owls were still up visiting.

  She’d grabbed Craig to help her out. He kept his distance, not saying anything to her and choosing to feed from the opposite direction she had started in. Her hopes of the trail ride turning their relationship around seemed dashed. She could only guess at how he was feeling. Shame over the incident with his father must have driven a wedge between them. Morgan wove in and out of the horses, checking for saddle sores or any other injury that needed to be dealt with.

  Craig slowly worked his way back to her. Now only a couple of horses were between them. She took that as a sign that he was ready to talk.

  She rested her arm on the horse’s back. “Nice night out here, huh?”

  “It’s all right I guess,” he blurted, sounding a little d
efensive.

  She allowed for a short silence to fall between them while she checked one of the horse’s hooves.

  “I’m sorry about what happened this morning,” she kept her response soft, not sure how he would react.

  He put the feed bucket on the ground and stepped closer to her. “It’s nothing. Just my old man being my old man.” His voice was filled with bravado, but she knew there was pain underneath.

  “I just didn’t want to see you get hurt.”

  Craig took a while to answer and when he did there was more vulnerability in his voice than she’d ever heard before. “I’m sorry about that first night. We were only trying to scare you. I knocked you over by accident. And I’m sorry about the way I acted. I didn’t like you at first, but...” The boy’s voice faltered. “You protected me from my dad today.” His chin quivered. “You’ve been nice to me.”

  Morgan skirted around the horse and touched Craig’s shoulder to offer support. “Thank you, Craig.”

  “I’m sorry for what I did, Miss Smith. I’m sorry I was mean to you.” Her throat went tight as she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug.

  Craig pulled away from Morgan and swiped at his eyes. He lifted his chin and set his jaw. His defensive shields were back up again, but it didn’t matter. She’d seen the vulnerable child underneath the protective layers that helped him cope. She had a feeling this would be an end to the hostility. She continued to hold him in a sideways hug as they made their way back to camp.

  Craig joined the others around the campfire.

  Leaving the light provided by the camp, she walked over to a horse grazing on a patch of grass. She grabbed his reins and led him back to camp. When she looked up, Alex was headed in her direction, a sense of purpose in his step.

  THIRTEEN

  Alex walked toward the perimeter of the camp where Morgan was. They could not go on like this; everything seemed to cause conflict. He wasn’t sure how to resolve the tension between them. He only knew he had to try.