He went down, and she ran to him. “I get to wear your hat first, then Lizzy gets it. Opa said we have to give it back to you, though.”
“I gave it to y’all. If you want it, you get to keep it.”
“Thank you.” She hugged him.
“Now you have to promise to share it.”
Lizzy was right next to her. “It’s my turn to wear it.”
“Girls, not now. I’ll hold it if you start fighting.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they said in stereo. Lizzy leaned in and whispered something to her sister, and the hat was handed over.
Mr. Bergmann frowned at the sheriff. “Why are there men searching my daughter’s car.” He glanced at Reid like it was somehow his fault.
“Something to do with the drugs that are kept at the wildlife refuge.”
Deep lines creased her father’s forehead. “Drugs?”
Jackie approached the sheriff. “Jake, this is ridiculous. You know Danica. She wouldn’t do anything illegal.”
Reid’s instinct was to run, but there wasn’t a reason. Everything he did when he returned was to stay out of trouble. But they had the power to take away his freedom, his life. His father’s shadow was long and dark.
James shook his head. “Not our call, but we’ll have it cleared up soon.”
The men turned, one holding up baggies full of drugs that had been locked in the medicine cabinet at the sanctuary yesterday. The other man pulled out a bank bag. It was the one from the concession stand. Cash was stuffed inside.
Reid couldn’t breathe. This had to be a nightmare.
“Mrs. Bergmann, do you recognize these?”
“Of course. It’s a drug we use on our big animals. We keep them locked up, so I don’t know why they are in the trunk of my car. That money isn’t mine. I don’t keep money in my trunk.”
“And these. Are you claiming you have no knowledge of these, either?” With a horse blanket pulled back, there seemed to be hundreds of small baggies of white powder.
His knees turned to mush.
Danica looked confused. “What is that?”
Without a doubt, Reid knew that they were in trouble. Someone was about to be arrested, and they were not looking at him. The tall officer took Danica by the arm. Handcuffs out, he started reciting the Miranda rights.
“No!” He couldn’t let them put those on her. He stepped between them, blocking her from the man’s touch. “It’s mine. She doesn’t even know what that is.”
“Reid?” She twisted around to look at him. “What’s going on?”
The sheriff was called over the radio on the man’s shoulder. He stepped away, and everyone turned to stare at Reid. “Who are you?” the one with the aviators asked.
James sighed. “He’s my parolee. Reid McAllister.”
“What was he in for?”
“Drug trafficking.”
“And you had full access to this car?”
“I had the keys. I was the last one to drive it.” There was no way he was going to let them put Danica in handcuffs.
James nodded, his expression grim. “He’s the vet tech at the sanctuary. He has full access to the drugs.”
The disappointment in his parole officer’s eyes was hard to take. Unable to make eye contact with anyone, Reid kept his focus on the distant hills. He was commanded to turn around and put his hands flat on the car. He locked his jaw to keep the bile down as they searched him.
“What are you doing?” Danica’s voice was unusually high. “Reid hasn’t done anything wrong. He has nothing to do with this.”
He cut a hard glare right at her. “Take the girls and leave.” He couldn’t even glance at the girls who were so happy to see him just a minute ago.
“What’s wrong? What’s happening?” The girls’ voices mingled. He squeezed his eyes shut. Blocking out the world, he closed down all emotions and thoughts. What had he just done?
“Jackie. Sammi. Take the girls.” Mr. Bergmann’s voice was firm but edged with anger.
Reid dared to glance over his shoulder. Sammi was holding Lizzy, and Jackie had Suzie as they rushed from the scene. Away from him.
They pulled his arms behind him, locking them down tighter than was probably necessary. Danica still stood next to him. He couldn’t look at her. “Go, Danica.”
“Reid, no. You didn’t do this. Tell them you didn’t do this.”
He growled. Why was she so stubborn? “Go!” He lowered his voice. “I don’t want you here.”
She touched James’s arm. “He didn’t do this. I don’t know who did this, but it wasn’t Reid.”
“This doesn’t look good, Danica. I suggest you leave with your father. The car will be compounded for evidence.”
“Reid?” Her voice broke.
He couldn’t afford to look at her.
This was it. It was over. He had hoped he could be a new man in Christ, but handcuffs were back, and this time he hadn’t even done anything wrong.
“Daddy, do something.” Danica wasn’t leaving.
He hated the desperation he heard in her voice. Arms locked in place behind him, Reid stared at the horizon over the top of the Jeep. The tall officer listed his rights, but he’d heard it all before.
Danica shot forward. “No! He didn’t do this. He’s just—”
“Danica.” Reid’s voice was sharper and angrier than he’d intended, but they would arrest her if they thought she was going to cause problems. “Stop it. Go with your father. The girls need you.”
Her father grabbed her arm and started pulling her away. She called out to him. “Don’t say anything. Do you hear me, Reid McAllister? Don’t speak another word. I’ll get a lawyer. We’ll figure this out.”
They pushed him forward, back to their car. “Leave,” he growled through locked jaws.
Her father finally got her out of the way. Good. Making this walk alone was better. It was.
People gawked. Speculated. Whispered. The grounds seemed unnaturally quiet. How did he think he could belong with the respectable people of this community? Head down, he was tucked into the back seat. The door slammed.
He stared straight ahead. If he made eye contact with anyone here that he had come to think of as a friend, he’d lose it.
A black void crept into the edges of his vision. Drugs. He’d admitted to stealing and transporting drugs. Prison again. And this time, they wouldn’t let him out. He’d be locked away forever. It was over. God, I don’t understand. I just don’t understand.
The handcuffs cut into his wrists as he instinctively strained against them. For the first time in his messed-up adult life, he wanted to yell and sob. Head down, he stayed silent.
Chapter Fourteen
Danica and her dad caught up to Jackie as she got done settling the girls into the back seat of the Suburban. “Daddy, we have to get him out. He didn’t do it.”
Her father shut the car door and glared at her. “How do you know? He’s been in prison for transporting drugs before. He’s from the streets. This is what I was worried about when you brought him home six years ago.”
“He hadn’t done anything six years ago until he wanted to make enough money to impress you. But we aren’t talking about six years ago. Today they came to arrest me. They came for me! Someone claimed that I was stealing drugs and selling them from the trunk of my car. When he saw them, Reid came over to help me. If it were his stuff, he would have taken off. He didn’t know it was there any more than I did.”
He turned on her, his face hard and unforgiving. “So why did he claim it was his?”
She hadn’t seen him this angry in a long time. “To protect me. He didn’t do this. I just know it.”
Jackie came around from the other side and put her arm around Danica. “I’m not a fan of his, but even I can tell he did this for her. He didn’t want h
er to get arrested, so he said it was his. Words mean nothing, but his actions today showed me his character.” Pressing her forehead to Danica’s, Jackie’s eyes glistened with moisture. “Daddy, don’t you see? He sacrificed his freedom, to take her place.”
“Then who did it?” Now her father just looked confused.
“I don’t know. Someone that had access to the sanctuary and wants it to fail.” It had to be someone she knew, and that was just too hard to imagine. “They set me up to get arrested. Whoever is damaging the fences did this. They’re sabotaging any chance of us getting the certification and the grant.”
Her father looked over her shoulder. “He took your place?”
“Yes. Reid allowed them to put him in cuffs to protect me. I can’t let him go it alone. I need bail, and a lawyer I can trust.”
“We can help with bail.” Nikki walked up with Adrian.
He nodded. “Whatever you need, we’re here.”
“Thank you!” She hugged each of them, holding them tight.
“What about Stephanie?” Her father crossed his arms. “Can she help?”
“She’s on the board, and I can’t go there for help with personal issues. Plus, Reid doesn’t trust her.” She pressed her palm against her stomach. Who could she trust? Her world was upside down. “I’m not sure I do, either. I’m not allowing Reid to fight this alone. I’ll get him out.”
Her family deserved the whole truth. Secrets had to end. “There is something that I never told you.” She glanced at the girls tucked safely in the back seat. The rest of her family stared at her, waiting. “In college...during Spring Break, Reid and I eloped. We’re married.”
Her father turned and hit the hood of the car. “I told him no!”
“We shouldn’t have kept it a secret, but I wouldn’t change anything.” She glanced at the girls, now wide-eyed and looking more worried than before. “He’s made mistakes, but he didn’t do this. I can’t let him take the fall for something he didn’t do.”
Jackie nodded and put her hand on her father’s arm. “Right now, we need to stay focused on the main problem. We’ll start with bail.”
“I’ll cover bail.” Her father turned when he spoke, startling everyone into silence. He approached Danica and cupped her cheek. “What did I do to make my girls think they had to hide so much from me?”
She shook her head, eyes burning. “I didn’t want to hurt or disappoint you. When he left, I was too embarrassed to tell anyone.” She glanced at her sister. For the first time ever, she couldn’t tell what Jackie was thinking.
Her father grunted. “There’s a lot to talk about, but right now we need to get the girls home. I’ll call Sonia. I’m sure she’ll watch them so we can get him out.”
“We’re coming, too.” Nikki looked at Adrian.
He nodded. “I’ll take Mia home to George. We’ll get Sammi and her horse, and be right behind you.”
“Then let’s meet at the house and make a plan. Does anyone know how much bail will be?”
“I’ll call James.” Danica held her phone up to her ear as they all climbed into the Suburban. She had told her family the truth, and they were still there. In the back seat, the twins were unusually quiet. Leaving a message for James, she turned to them. “Are you okay?”
They nodded, talking around each other at the same time. “Momma, why did they take Mr. Reid away? Did he do something to get in trouble again? Is Opa mad at us for being nice to him?”
Her whole world shrank, crushing her beneath a sudden pressure. She glanced at her father, his jaw clenching. She could barely speak, her voice shaky. “No, sweetheart. Of course not.” She looked them both in the eye. “Reid isn’t in trouble. It’s just a mistake, and we are going to straighten it out.”
Her father put the monster in Drive and weaved through the parking lot, people staring. She wasn’t going to hide her husband any longer.
They were about to pull out of the fairgrounds when Cody Baxter, the foreman of the Hausman ranch, stopped them. She rolled down her window. “Do you need something, Cody?”
“One of my wranglers was just escorted out in handcuffs. You know what’s going on?”
“He didn’t do anything wrong. We’re going now to bail him out and get this fixed.”
He adjusted his hat. “Let me know what we can do to help. Wouldn’t be the first good cowboy working for me that had a mix-up with the law.”
“Thank you. I’m sure he’ll be back to work as soon as we get him out.” They nodded at each other, and he walked away.
Now she needed to tell the girls, but maybe that was something they’d do together. She just needed to get him out first.
* * *
Reid wasn’t sure he heard correctly when they told him he’d made bail. “You have the wrong guy. I’m Reid McAllister.”
They looked at him as if he was a little off, but ignored him and went through the process. He was being released. It didn’t make any sense. Who would do that for him?
There hadn’t been anyone to call. Maybe the guys he worked with at the ranch? Cowboys could be a close group, but he hadn’t been there long enough to gain bail money loyalty.
Did he even have a job anymore? Employers definitely frown on drug dealers who steal money from a fund-raiser. That was just about the lowest.
There was Danica. She hadn’t turned away from him at the time of the arrest, but she didn’t have that kind of money or collateral to make bail. If she even would.
He swallowed back emotion, remembering how she’d argued with the police. No one had ever fought for him before.
Last time he’d been arrested, he just stayed in jail. When he got out, Ray was going to pick him up, but his wife had gone into early labor. So he couldn’t blame the guy for that one. Being alone was nothing new.
That night he had walked past huge signs on the road, warning drivers they were close to a prison and shouldn’t pick up hitchhikers. He hadn’t really minded walking the miles to the bus stop that took him to Kerrville, though. For the first time in six years, there hadn’t been a fence or someone telling him where to go.
Tonight, however, there were no buses. Maybe he could call Pastor Levi, but it was too late. He glanced at his watch. Or too early.
Man, if he didn’t have a job, he didn’t have a place to live. He needed to let James know he was out at least. Opening the heavy door at the end of the hall, he looked up from the dull, worn tiles and froze.
Danica walked toward him, then paused. The ugly green chairs were filled with people he recognized. They all stood, surrounding her like a small army of family and friends.
They were smart enough to not allow her to come alone.
He glanced behind him. Maybe it was safer back there with the bars between him and her support team. Like an idiot, he didn’t move. Not knowing what to do, he rammed his fists into the pockets of his Levi’s jacket. Why was she here?
He must have stood there too long, because she started moving toward him again. Taking a step back, he glanced over her shoulder at the grim faces behind her. They couldn’t be happy she was here. “What are you doing, Danica? Where are the girls?”
“They’re at the house with Sonia. We’re here to take you home, and make sure you never come back. Why would you let them arrest you?” Her eyes cut all the way to his core, down to the soft spots he hid from the world.
How did he explain to her that she was purity and innocence to him? She needed to be protected at all costs. “I couldn’t let them put you in handcuffs. I’d do anything to keep you safe.” The ugliness of his world couldn’t touch her. It was bad enough he was in her life.
Mr. Bergmann walked up to him and held out his hand. Confused, Reid took it. The grip was firm. “Thank you, son.”
Staring down at their hands, Reid couldn’t quite get his thoughts lined up. Son. This couldn’t be real.
Jackie stood on the other side of Danica. Clearing her throat, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “Someone wants the sanctuary to implode, and they set her up. You took the fall for her. For now, you’re family. We need to get this figured out. So, what do we do now?”
Danica put her hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes as if checking to see if he had a concussion. “I’m sure you need to eat.” She looked at her crew. “We can go to that twenty-four-hour pancake place. There, we can make a game plan.” Coming back to him, she paused. “Is that okay?”
The word family had stopped all brain function between his ears. He scanned the group. Nikki, Adrian, and Sammi, even Jackie and Mr. Bergmann were all here for him. Joaquin gave him a nod.
Not once in his life could he recall people being there for him. If he tried to utter a word, he might actually cry. He blinked and focused on Danica. Somehow, he managed a nod.
As the Bergmann herd turned and headed through the door, James greeted them. Reid’s instinct was to run. He was out. Fresh air hit him as his boots stepped onto the sidewalk. Every fiber of his being rebelled at the thought of going back inside.
Breathe in, five...four...three...two...one. Breathe out.
James smiled. “Oh, good. You have a ride.” He chuckled as he patted Adrian’s shoulder. “More than one from the looks of it.” He walked up to Reid and held out his hand. “Danica is convinced you had nothing to do with this and were just keeping her out of jail.” He held his hand a little tighter when they shook and locked him in with eye contact. Then he nodded and backed up. “If you need anything, call me. Anytime.”
Danica hugged him. “We will. Thank you, James.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “You should have told me I was asking a married woman out. I would have given up a lot sooner.” With a tap to his cowboy hat, he left.
Married? They knew? They piled into the giant green Suburban. Danica opened the front passenger door for him. “Go ahead and ride up here with Daddy. I know how you feel about small spaces.”
“They know we’re married?”
The Texan's Twins Page 15
