by A. C. Wilson
“Will I ever be free?” Bailey felt her heart constrict at the plea. She threw her arm over Liberty’s neck and leaned her forehead against the mare’s cheek. Being the sweet savior that she was Liberty stood still and quiet. Too many times Bailey had spent searching for answers and coming short. The only constant was that Liberty was there and for those hours there was an imaginary escape. A vital ripcord slowed the speed of decent when a crash landing was imminent.
“Bailey?” The deep voice from somewhere behind her slipped through the sorrowful haze. She could have sworn the tears that slid down her cheeks froze in hopes of hearing that voice again. Every nerve ending was poised for a sound, a movement, or a breath. The movement came first. She snuck a glance out of the corner of her eye to see a red t-shirt and black baseball cap lean over to shut off the faucet. Bailey groaned. She’d forgotten about the water that was now running under the stall door into the walkway and soaking her boots.
“Are you all right?” Blake’s voice sounded again from a few feet. She felt a tug at the hose she still held and one by one she let her fingers unclench. She fought for a deeper breath as her head started to pound and spin again. Bailey turned her head back to Liberty and wondered if she ignored him if he would go away. The heavy hand on her shoulder was all the answer she needed. Blake didn’t try to turn her. He merely squeezed in support and that meant more than anything could have at that moment.
“I am fine.” Bailey couldn’t help the loud sniff that followed and she carefully wiped the wet trails on her cheeks. She winced when her fingers connected with the forgotten injury.
“It sounds like it.” She couldn’t miss the growl that accompanied the words. The depth sent shivers through her again. It was more than unnerving the effect he had on her and this only the third time they had met. Bailey felt defensive. She turned into him.
“It is none of your business, Blake.” She wrenched her head to the right. He didn’t look angry, but rather concerned for her. It wasn’t something she was used to seeing outside of her sister, Taryn. It disarmed a great deal of her venom.
“I know it isn’t.” He lowered his chin but kept eye contact. He looked sad and she only wanted to chase it away. Tilting her head to the side a bit further, Bailey was not sure what to do. The silence spoke so loudly and her heart was aching to respond.
“Geez, Bailey, what the hell happened to you?” She froze at the second male voice. Declan was standing on her other side with his eyes as wide as saucers. She had been so preoccupied with Blake that she hadn’t heard Declan come down the walk.
“Nothing! It’s nothing at all.” She plastered a tight smile on her face and winced at the movement of her cheek. She willed Declan to leave it alone. Clearly it was not received. Blake put his hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. The sadness in his blue eyes was quickly wary. There was more there, but she didn’t feel comfortable naming it.
“That’s not nothing, girl!” Blake rumbled out and Declan nodded.
Think! Come up with some story. Any story!
Bailey didn’t feel up to this at all. Her head swam with the pressure to construct a simple but believable story.
“It was an accident. I was picking up the hay and while I was bent over, Liberty bumped the stall door open. It hit me.” She met each gaze with dismissal. Accidents happened all the time and horses were large animals with a great deal of power. There was no reason they shouldn’t believe her.
“You better get some ice on it.” Declan was the first to waver as he indicated the left side of her face. She knew him well enough to see he wasn’t sold on the accident, but he wasn’t going to push. Bailey was both grateful and upset at the idea. She really wasn’t a good liar and she was even worse when using her horse as the scapegoat.
“I will. I wanted to make sure everyone was fed first. Matt hasn’t been around so I’m keeping an eye on everything.” Bailey buzzed through more explanations and she desperately tried not to look at Blake. His silence was louder than anything. Declan did look at his new friend though. Something had passed between them, but Bailey couldn’t decipher it. Declan mumbled something about checking on her later and he left the two of them standing there.
Bailey turned back to Liberty who was watching this all come to pass. Those expressive brown eyes told Bailey to watch herself. There was always a constant wariness to Liberty’s posture around strangers. It made her hurry to be out of the stables and into the fresh air. The smell of horse, leather, and hay was too heady and stifling. Wrapping the hose back into a coil, she set off out of the barn without looking back. She prayed he wouldn’t follow her.
Once she rounded the corner and heard heavy boot steps behind her, Bailey knew her prayers had gone unanswered. She slowed her pace knowing he wouldn’t stop until he caught up with her.
“Are you going to stop or am I going to be following you all around the grounds today?” Blake’s voice met her ears and she huffed. Rounding on her heel, she waited for him to get within a couple of feet.
“I don’t remember inviting you to follow me around.” She filled her chest with air as she hoped to look under control. Again she really wasn’t a very good liar.
“You invited me when you told that pathetic story in there.” He shook his head warning her not to tell any more. “Let’s try this again, shall we?” He held his ground.
“I don’t owe you an explanation of any sorts. I will take care of me.” She threw back at him this time angry that he presumed to tell her what to do.
“Whoever gave you that is the one owed a matching one!” Blake growled as his hand reached out to touch, but stopped mid-air. Clearly a decision he had made unconsciously.
“I can take care of myself. I don’t need you fighting any battles for me.” She reiterated her position and fought the urge to step back. The anger that passed over those expressive blue eyes chilled her.
“Like hell you don’t! If you can’t recognize your own right to safety, then I will just have to ensure it.” Blake spat out at her and Bailey’s mouth fell open. She wondered if it was a threat or a promise. Her heart squeezed again when he tightened his jaw and turned away. She kept her eyes trained on his back. His muscles rippling underneath the fabric. The strength and pure power that radiated off of him was enough to make her knees tremble. She took in a ragged breath and just as she was trying to think of something to say, Blake walked away. She couldn’t understand why at that moment she felt bereft. She was used to being alone. Why was now any different?
“Oh, Blake.” Bailey spoke the words without even thinking about them. Shaking her head, she turned back towards the office.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Blake felt like he needed his head examined again! He stomped around the edge of the barn away from the horses and prying eyes. He took deep breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth. He clenched and unclenched his fists against his legs. He kicked at the grass that grew taller next to the building and shook his head. It was pointless to ask why he was so up in arms about Bailey and the obviously man-made bruise on her cheek. Blake was a soldier and he had taken an oath to serve and protect those that needed him. This girl obviously needed someone to protect her. He grit his teeth as his taunting inner voice spouted off about servicing her.
Oh come on! So it has been some time without a woman. I am hardly going to take advantage of this situation.
Clearly someone had already been doing that if Bailey was trying to blame it all on a horse and a stall door. It was laughable really, if he could find it at all funny. His anger was near its boiling point.
“Are you going to let it go like that?” Declan’s voice came from behind him. Blake frowned and threw an irritated sideways glance at the man. The question sounded more like a taunt and it only stoked the anger inside him. Blake rolled his shoulders and faced Declan.
“What do you know about her, Declan? Besides what you told me yesterday.” Blake stared pointedly at the other man and watched as the ex-soldier’s
features turned thoughtful.
“Just what I said before about most everyone keeping the family at arm’s length. There have been rumors about her stepfather’s frequent unemployment and drinking benders.” Declan lifted his palms with a shrug of his own. “Nothing anyone really knows for sure and they sure as hell don’t take the time to get to know Bailey and her sister.” Declan frowned and it seemed that injustice didn’t sit well with him either. It made Blake feel like he had an ally after all.
“Has she ever had something like this before? Have you noticed any other bruises, cuts, or suspicious injury?” Blake began compiling a list of faults in his head. He stared at the tall grass again and pressed his lips together.
How can a town as small as this have no idea what is going on with Bailey’s family?
This type of thing sounded like it was right up the gossip mill’s alley. Of course the worse it seemed the juicier the tidbits were to pass along. How sad it was that no one had ever acted on them!
“Sure there have been bruises before, Blake. She works hard here, but nothing like the one she has today. I would have called her on it if there was.” Declan shook his head slowly as his eyes narrowed. “Did you see the look on her face before she tried to cover it up with a story?” The guys looked at each other and Blake nodded with a ferocity in his blue eyes.
“I did. She was terrified and ashamed.” It was the second thing he couldn’t get out of his head. The bruise and the look on her face were the marks of abuse. His hands clenched again into fists.
“I never want to see that look again.” Declan’s words made Blake look at him. Dark eyes met him and then looked away before they shared too much.
“The thing to do now is to find out what happened. She pretty much told me to butt out just a minute ago. How can you protect someone who doesn’t want to be protected?” Blake was really speaking more to himself than to Declan, but sometimes a second opinion helped.
“Bypass authority,” Declan smiled at Blake, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Once again there was part of their military background shining through and no good soldier bypassed authority. They couldn’t think about disobeying a direct order from a superior no matter how distasteful or wrong.
“She may never speak to me again.” The words spilled out before Blake was aware of the breach. His fears were starting to manifest themselves into real life. Declan leaned against the frame of the barn and nodded.
“She will be safe. Besides that, you said you aren’t staying.” Blake’s friend looked at him with a new challenge.
“I don’t know if there is anything to stay for just yet.” Blake rolled his shoulders and tucked his hands into his front pockets. He was glad that the heat was already climbing, because he was starting to sweat. He didn’t want Declan to see how nervous he was about saying too much out loud.
“I think there could be if you look in the right place.” Declan moved away from the wall and pulled his leather gloves back out of his back pocket. “Let me know if you need my help.” With that Blake was alone and wondering how to approach Bailey. He figured if she was at work then she would be safe enough. Striking out across the driveway towards his truck, Blake pulled out his phone. He flipped through his address book and hoped he was doing the right thing. He pressed send, lifted the receiver to his ear, and listened to it ring.
Blake followed the instructions. The land was beautiful and the day proved to be entertaining if not downright hot. He thought it was strange that such a welcoming place carried the power to unnerve him. He was a soldier, a trained warrior, but nothing had prepared him for wanting to find a family here and the fear of rejection. He fought the urge to turn around when he came to the long driveway flagged by reflector pins.
Randall Ranch was carved into a flat wooden sign strung between two larger posts. This was the place he was headed and he hoped that he was doing the right thing. A couple minutes more saw him into the ranch’s yard and he parked just past the stairs leading to the house. The home itself looked like a quaint, rustic affair that was needing some renovations.
“Well hello there!” Blake smiled as he heard Rayne Randall’s sweet voice greet him from the porch. He lifted a hand to wave to her.
“Good morning.” Blake felt like his tongue had swollen inexplicably in his mouth. She grinned and waved him on up the stairs towards the front door.
“Come on inside. Garrett just got here.” She opened the screen door and he held it for her as she stepped into the small kitchen. He followed her around the corner and into what was a combination of the living room and dining nook. The house was very small in his opinion, but he couldn’t spare more thoughts to that. Garrett rose from the table and extended his hand in greeting. Blake took it and then took the seat across from him.
“Coffee?” Rayne came back with a mug and a carafe of black coffee. It smelled good and Blake thought he could use the caffeine boost. She filled the mug and handed it to him.
“So you said that you needed to pick my brain and it sounded rather serious.” Garrett started as he picked up his own cup to take a cautious sip. Blake took one look at those watchful brown eyes and decided to be frank.
Short, sweet, and to the point.
“I think your brother’s employee, Bailey Campbell is being abused and I need to know by who.” He wondered if that was too forward as Rayne’s expressive golden eyes flared wide. Garrett’s brow furrowed and his own eyes darkened at the name.
“Bailey is a troubled girl and I have heard her sister is as well. They do not come from a good, stable home.” Garrett’s description irritated Blake in a hurry. It bothered him that the things Declan had shared with him was really how people thought of Bailey and her family.
“Garrett, that is not fair at all. Bailey is a sweet girl and she works her butt off for Matt. You act as if she is some charity case your brother took pity on.” Rayne glared at Garrett and Blake was relieved to know someone had a reasonable opinion.
“All I know is what I’ve heard around town. Matt hasn’t mentioned her to me.” Garrett was defensive and Blake couldn’t help but enjoy watching him squirm. Blake also liked that Rayne wasn’t a woman easily trod on by narrow opinions.
“Do you know how I can get in touch with your brother, Matt? I think he needs to know what is going on as Bailey works for him.” Blake asked, taking a drink of the strong coffee.
“She lives there too. If someone is after her, then it has to do with the center as well.” Rayne added as she looked from one guy to the other. She watched and waited.
“How do you know she’s being abused? Did she tell you that?” Still skeptical, Garrett asked the questions Blake was wondering how to answer. Blake leaned back in his chair and met Garrett’s gaze.
“This morning I went to get a better feel of the center and Declan agreed to show me around. Bailey was watering her horse when Declan and I both noticed this dark bruise on her cheek. It spreads from the corner of her left eye all the way down her cheek bone. It wasn’t there yesterday.” He tried to keep it to the facts rather than adding his own thoughts to it.
“Did you ask her if someone had hit her?” Garrett’s voice was less aggravating as if he too wondered if someone was responsible other than in an accidental capacity.
“Of course, we asked her what happened. She tried to tell us that she was bending down when her horse bumped the stall door and it hit her in the face.” Blake growled through that bit of crap. It was even obvious to Declan that it didn’t fit.
“It is a possibility. I have seen some strange accidents happen on a ranch and on a construction jobsite.” Garrett gave a disbelieving shake of his head. Blake wanted to reach across the table and smack him upside the head. He hated being questioned. Anyone who served under him knew that his instincts were spot on. Besides on the battle field there wasn’t room for questions.
“You weren’t there. Declan and I were there to see the look of fear in her eyes. She didn’t get that bruise from a damn stall door.” Bl
ake couldn’t deny the anger brewing for Bailey and for the insecurity. He wasn’t in his element. No one knew him here and he was well aware of the traitorous doubt that was creeping in on him.
“I believe you, Blake. If the things being said about Bailey’s family are true, then someone needs to do something. No one should have to live like that.” Rayne’s answer was visible in the tightness of her lips and the flashing spark in her eyes. Blake had a funny feeling that he was uniquely glad to have her on his side and not fighting against him. He offered a slow nod.
“Look, I am not going to argue with you both about this. If she says it was an accident, then it likely was an accident. If it wasn’t and she’s not willing to say so, there isn’t anything you can do about it. I’m sorry, but it is black and white.” Garrett didn’t look heartless, but he wasn’t as troubled about this as Blake thought the man should be.
“There is something we can do. We can bypass authority.” Blake said as he got to his feet and pushed the chair out of his way. Rayne stepped away too. Garrett’s eyes flashed in warning.
“Bypass authority? What does that mean?” Garrett waited rather impatiently for an answer. Blake wondered if he could even give him one.
“It means I’m not willing to let this go. Regardless of what Bailey says I know someone hit her. They damn sure will think twice about doing it again.” Blake lifted his chin as Garrett stood up. “Perhaps your brother will listen to my concerns.” He stepped around Garrett and left the house. Rayne was right behind him. He could hear her booted steps.
“It is an admirable thing you are doing, Blake.” Her voice caused him to pause on the stairs and look back. “Contrary to belief, Garrett isn’t heartless. He’s only asking the same questions the police would ask. You can’t protect her if she doesn’t want you to.” Rayne tipped her head to the side and he could feel her sincerity. It was too bad he couldn’t accept that answer.
“I can find out who did it. She may not wish to tell me, but people say a lot of things when they don’t think anyone is watching.” Blake knew he was right. Everyone had virtually looked the other way when it came to Bailey. They jumped to conclusions and pushed her aside. It wasn’t fair. It was downright frustrating and he couldn’t let it be.
