Forsaken Trails

by Bonnie R. Paulson

  No one was in sight.

  He parked the truck and pulled out his wallet for a card. The way things were going, he’d have to do some groveling to get back to an even kilter. Sloan didn’t know how he was going to get Ruby out of the chaos of the cops because he wasn’t sure how long they’d been there.

  How could he develop a trusting relationship with her, when he was the one that set her up to be arrested?

  Chapter 3

  Ruby

  Her brothers had matured, filling out the shoulders and jaw lines they’d inherited from their dad. Their auburn-brown hair tied them all together like siblings but time had turned them to strangers.

  Even Kyle’s surprise hurt when he opened the door and cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Yes?”

  Jareth had recognized her, though. The brother that never acknowledged her as anything more than a nuisance had walked by in the hallway to see who had knocked on Bella Acres’s door. “Little Ruby Darby. It’s about time you came home.”

  Long strides carried him to his sister and he pushed past a stunned Kyle. Wrapping her in a bear hug, he spun in a circle. “It’s nice to see you. Ryland called sometime in January and said you were coming this way and that you were upset. That was a couple months ago.” He pulled back and studied Ruby’s face. “Is everything okay? What took so long?”

  “I called in January. I didn’t leave until this morning.” She rolled her eyes. “Otherwise, that would be the longest eight hour drive.”

  “Unless you were on an injured palomino. “ Jareth laughed, tucking his hand into his front pocket.

  Kyle stared between them in astonishment, finally stalling on Ruby and addressing her in shocked tones. “What are you doing here? When did you get here? Are you okay? Did Guy...” He poked his head past her to look out the door then pulled back in.

  “No, he...” Ruby swallowed her instinct to dry heave at the mention of that man’s name. “I had my suspicions back then and I was going to come home but then... well, our uncle died and I found out some information that... Well, I didn’t find out anything until recently that my circumstances weren’t exactly as I had been led to believe. Everything has been kept from me.” Ruby tried not to be more forthright than she needed to be. Some details just didn’t need to be repeated.

  Plus, if Jareth and Kyle were anything like the brothers she had left behind all those years ago, they would storm off and try to kill the man that had left her the way he had.

  Jareth pulled her in his arms and squeezed her tight. “I’m so glad you’re here. We’ve been worried about you. We called Aunt Cindy every week since Ryland warned us and she said you weren’t there.”

  Aunt Cindy was proving to be a lot more devious than Ruby had originally suspected. Not only had she lied about Ruby’s child’s death, but she’d told Ruby’s family that she wasn’t there, essentially cutting her off from the only people who truly loved her.

  A knock at the door created a furrow in Jareth’s brown. “Did you bring guests?” He stepped forward and opened the front door, revealing two policemen.

  “Hello, sir. We’re here to find a Ruby Darby.” The officer looked at Jareth and then past him. His eyes widened as his gaze lit on Ruby. “Are you Ruby Darby?”

  She hadn’t even done anything. Her heart sank and once again she was let down by the men in her life. Ruby ignored the cop and glared at Jareth. “You called the cops on me? How could you do that? I just needed your help.” She wouldn’t cry.

  Jareth held up his hands at chest level and glanced spasmodically between the cops and Ruby. “I didn’t call anybody. I told you I didn’t know you were coming. You were supposed to be here back in January. I have no idea what’s going on.”

  “No one else knew I was coming. Did Cindy tell you I was on my way? You were in on it.” Their betrayal scratched another wound on her heart like barbed wire tipped in acid. She had no one left to trust. Her brothers were the last ones that she thought she had.

  “I knew you were coming.” A man stepped into the doorway behind the cops, with a dark black Stetson in his hands. Tall and lanky, he pushed at his dark, short-trimmed hair as a swath hung down over his forehead. His piercing blue eyes reminded Ruby of her family. He stepped in beside one of the police officers. “I called them. I’m sorry I had to do that.”

  She pushed past her brothers until she was toe-to-toe with the new drink of water. He was a distrustful man, but that didn’t stop her from seeing the breadth of his shoulders or the slim taper of his waist. She lifted her chin and narrowed her gaze. “Who are you? And why do you know I was coming?”

  Ruby shoved her hands on her hips. She didn’t know the guy and he had called the cops. Not the best way to get on her good side.

  He was close to getting shot. Ruby didn’t know where Nate hid his guns, but she knew there were guns in the house. It wouldn’t take her long to find them. Cops or not. Okay, now she was just getting ridiculous.

  “Ma’am, we need to take you in for observation. Don’t give us any problems and it won’t escalate to an arrest.” The front cop stepped forward as if to put himself between the new man and Ruby, he interjected his hand between them and looked at Jareth as he spoke. Why he avoided Ruby was a mystery.

  “Sloan Parker. I own Parker’s Plans.” The man leaned around the cop’s arm and extended his hand.

  Ruby stepped back, shaking her head. Thrusting her hands out in front of her as if she could ward all five grown men off her, she shook her head wildly, her hair whipping her in the face. “No. I don’t do hospitals. I can’t go back to one of those places. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

  She closed her eyes and an image of that night flashed across her memory. Holding her son, she’d relished his small body in her arms.

  Before that horrific loss, she’d gone into the clinic with Kyle and they’d swabbed her and inspected her like there would be any more evidence left after weeks of showers and days of trying to forget what slowly surfaced.

  She had been investigated like a criminal and she had been the victim. She couldn’t go back into that place.

  “Why does she have to go into the hospital? She seems okay.” Sloan seemed to recognize the fact that a meltdown was imminent with her shaking hands and trembling breaths. He maneuvered himself around so he stood in front of her facing the cops.

  “We’re not going to arrest her, but we could with the report of possible harm to others. Policy requires us to take a self-harm report seriously and have her observed for twenty-four hours. I know it’s inconvenient, but if there was a suspicion then it needs to be addressed.” The cop was kindly but she couldn’t see it very clearly as he firmly demanded that she do the one thing she didn’t know if she’d survive.

  She spun to her right, searching Jareth and Kyle’s faces. They watched her as if she might actually be suicidal like the cops suggested. Desperation stretched across her chest like a band.

  Turning from them, her shoulders slumped. She couldn’t be arrested. Fighting would only do that and cost her more money and impede her search even more. She scanned Sloan’s face, seeking the answers she needed so desperately.

  He nodded as he watched her.

  The only man willing to help her was the one who called the cops.

  Remembering that no man was trustworthy wasn’t hard in that moment as she was surrounded by men out to take her freedom.

  Her brothers didn’t have her back. The man who’d called the cops on her would most likely just get in her way.

  Why couldn’t she have Camden? When was she going to get what was stolen from her?

  Chapter 4

  Sloan

  The woman’s red hair fell past her shoulders in soft waves. Her sparkling green eyes challenged Sloan to do his worst even as the soft tilt of her lips begged him to be merciful. He’d never seen such a striking contrast of vulnerability and strength in a woman – or anyone for that matter.

  He glanced between the two police officers and the brot
hers. “Maybe you wouldn’t mind if I went along. I could be your advocate and legal counsel and your brothers can be assured nothing will go wrong. I’ll arrange for my assistant to have our vehicles picked up.” He glanced between Ruby and the police officers. “It’s only for overnight observation, correct?”

  “Yes. They won’t even hook an IV up to her. She doesn’t have to change into hospital clothes or anything.” The cops relaxed, leading the way from the house. They didn’t use handcuffs which left the tension at a lower level that was manageable for the group.

  Ruby cast desperate glances at her brothers, but continued following the cops out with her arms tucked tight against her chest.

  Sloan climbed into the back seat of the police car next to the woman. She had gone from being a twenty-eight-year-old to looking like she was sixteen again.

  He hadn’t known her when she was younger, but he could see in her gaze that she was never really young. She’d been faced with adult issues well before she should have.

  She veered off from the path to the cop car and went to the El Camino. The police paused, tensing up. Ruby waved her hands in their general direction and called out, “I’m not going to run. I need my stuff.” She rolled her eyes and ducked into the back of the mock-truck bed.

  She dragged her rollaway luggage and a backpack on her shoulder and handed them to the first cop she came to. She smiled with sugar-sweet sarcasm. “Thanks.” And climbed into the back.

  Sloan grinned. She’d taken back her control and he wouldn’t do anything to get in the way.

  The cop put her bags into the trunk and they climbed into their respective seats.

  As the police officers started the car and backed up, Sloan leaned over, tapping Ruby softly on the elbow. “Don’t think getting arrested together means we’re getting hitched.” He sat back up and buckled his seatbelt. He held up his hands in mock warning. “I’m not emotionally available.” He winked, trying to soften any expectations she might think he had helping her. He was a newer advocate for rape victims and his approach was often clumsy which he tried to make up for with jokes.

  Ruby scoffed. Rolling her eyes, she chuckled dryly. “No way, I will never get married or fall in love. So, don’t worry about it, cowboy.” Her pride bristled and Sloan realized she wore much more than sarcasm as a shield.

  He leaned back, relaxed. Trying to help her ease into the situation would be harder than just teasing jokes here and there. “Why not? Not all men can be bad.” He knew she was bitter. According to her aunt, Ruby had been through a lot. Was it enough to ruin her opinion of all men? “Are all men so awful that you have to write us all off?”

  “There’s only one boy I need.” She wrapped her arms tighter around her waist and leaned forward, resting her forehead on the seat. She sighed. “I’ll never find him. I can’t do this on my own. It’s hopeless... He’s lost to me.” She sobbed quietly into her hands, her shoulders rocking up and down.

  The attempt to hide her emotions affected Sloan more than he thought possible.

  Softly, he reached out and touched her arm. “Maybe I can help. I know some of your situation. Your aunt called me and thought you might need help.”

  She whipped her head up, eyes blazing through the wet tears sparkling on her lashes. “You’re working with my aunt? That’s not exactly the most glowing recommendation for you. She doesn’t care about me.”

  Sloan reared back at her vehemence. She could attack him with the passion in her gaze. He spoke calmly. “I’m not sure what you think your aunt is up to, but she just said you had a history and that maybe I could help. She said she was sorry for anything that she had done and she would be paying penance for the rest of her life. I don’t really care what she’s done. The only thing I know is that she called me and gave me the information to find you. If you’re willing to take my help, I’m determined to make sure we do whatever we need to for your future to be successful.”

  He twisted in his seat and met her gaze, carefully waiting until she stilled and focused on his eyes. “Please, at least listen to what I can do for you.”

  She squinted, distrust heavy in the shadows of her green irises. “No one can help me.”

  “I think you’d be surprised. I own the nonprofit organization Parker’s Plan. Helping women in your situation is what we do. We advocate for victims of rape and their families, especially those who are the results of rape. Like unwanted children who were cast off by family members.” He hid the sharp pang of rejection that always hit him whenever he thought about what he’d been through himself.

  For all the people he was helping, he still hadn’t been able to help himself.

  Ruby lifted her narrow chin. She bit her lip and arched an eyebrow. “You know I was raped? Did you tell my family?” Bright pink spots highlighted the tops of her cheeks and her chest rose in a shallow, rapid pattern.

  Sloan kept his voice low. He’d obviously hit on more than just a touchy subject with the incident. “No. I didn’t tell anyone. I won’t tell anyone. I’m just here to help you.”

  She glanced embarrassedly toward the police officers who were caught up in their own conversation. Ruby lowered her voice and whispered hurriedly. “It was a long time ago. I’m over it. I should be over it. Things just keep coming up to remind me. Remind me of everything that was taken away.” Bitterness haunted her eyes and unexplainable pain Sloan hoped he never understood.

  “Why should you be over it? Did they give you a timeline for grief? Did you see any counselors for this?” He swallowed, was he brave enough to go all in with her? Could he help her?

  “I didn’t see any counselors for anything. I just kept my head down and did what I was told. I grieved... the best I could.” She turned away from him, staring out the window with her fingers over her mouth.

  Sloan let her be. He recognized her vulnerability for what it was. He also sensed the presence of a part of her which resonated with something within his own heart. There was a piece of her the little boy inside him wanted to run to.

  Ruby acted like a mother with a child she wanted to protect.

  She was looking for someone to love.

  Just like Sloan was looking for redemption.

  Chapter 5

  Ruby

  Ruby needed to know more about a man than his name before he wasn’t a stranger to her. The newest stranger in her life knew she’d been raped. That terrified her.

  Soon after she’d moved in with her aunt and uncle, her uncle had told her a story of a bird whose nest was in danger from a predator. This bird fell to the ground and limped along with her wing bent to the side like she was injured.

  The snake looked between the nest and its occupants and the injured bird; as if undecided which item on the menu would be the best choice.

  But the predator didn’t debate long. Veering off its path toward the unprotected nest, the snake went after the bird with its injured appearance. The snake chose this path because wounded prey was so much easier to subdue than fighting off healthy prey.

  Her uncle pointed out that Ruby was injured and any man who knew about it would try to take advantage of her vulnerability because it would bring out their predatory instincts. They became ruthless and vicious, picking on the person who was already victimized before.

  Predators picked on who they perceived to be the weaker links.

  Ruby never told anyone what had happened to her. No one needed to know about her past. There he was, a man she didn’t know, with knowledge about her past. Was he a predator?

  Doubt niggled at her hardened philosophies of men. A small part of her, deep down, hiding underneath the pain of the rape and betrayal of the men in her life, that part of her recognized Sloan was good-looking. One of the best she’d seen. The gentleness to his eyes and the soft way he spoke calmed her and she hoped he wasn’t the best kind of predator – the kind you didn’t know was bad before they struck.

  She didn’t have to trust him or be in love to see how attractive he was.

&nb
sp; Ruby swallowed. “How can you help?” She gave in to the curiosity pricking her interest. Even a slim chance she might be able to find her son was more of a chance than she had without him.

  Sloan didn’t lean towards her or get more eager or become offsetting in any way. He spoke calmly and glanced toward her every once few words. “Your circumstances are rare. I have the resources to help you. You should let me help you.” He looked at her, the blue of his eyes clear and inviting. He lowered his voice. “Let me help you.”

  “But what can you do to help me? You say you know my circumstances... but how can you? What steps will you take?” She needed to hear a verbalized plan. Just saying you can help and actually being able to help were two different things.

  “I’ll be able to find adoption information and we’ll find out where your son is at. Nothing is impossible.” He narrowed his eyes and studied her. “Do you really want to know where your son is at or are you looking to find the father? Some women just want a paycheck. Which, I’m not judging – after what you’ve been through, you deserve recompense of some kind. If you’re looking for the father, then we need to go a different route than looking for adoption papers for a son he didn’t have to sign for.”

  “Call him what he was. He doesn’t qualify as a father. I never want to see him again. Trust me, he wouldn’t be hard to find.” She offered a straight-lipped smile, or maybe it could more qualify as a grimace. Ruby traced her finger along the window seal. “I want my son. He’s mine.” She blinked and glanced at Sloan. “What if he’s not safe? Or healthy or happy? What if he doesn’t know I love him and need him? I want him. I’m his mom.” She nodded her head tightly and clenched her hands in her lap.

  Sloan’s quiet appeal came softly. “Even though he stems from your rape?”

  Ruby winced at the blatant use of the word. Her aunt and uncle had always avoided the topic, let alone the word, and refused to acknowledge that she’d been raped. She had a hard time saying it herself.