The care facility was one of the newer ones that looked like a Victorian mansion rather than an institution. Allie could hardly wait to get inside. What if she was able to find Rick’s brother? What a kick it would be to reunite them and see Rick’s face.
She and Dolly stopped at the nurses’ station and got directions to Rosanna Hilgers’s room. They found her seated in a chair, her beefy arms propped on a side table and five cards in her hand. The green sweater she wore over her housedress had more pills than straight fibers.
“Mrs. Hilgers?” Allie said.
“I’ll call you,” she said in a shrill voice.
Allie glanced at Dolly and touched the woman’s shoulder. “My name is Allie Bailey, and I’d like to ask you about a former student.”
The woman’s bleary eyes blinked, then she pulled her gaze from the cards in her hand and focused on Allie. “I taught you?”
“No, ma’am, not me. But you taught a boy named Chad Bailey. I was wondering if you knew how I might get in touch with him.”
“Who wants to know?”
“I do. My name is Allie Bailey.”
“You’re his sister?”
“His sister-in-law. Do you know where he is?”
The woman shuffled her slippered feet. “Who wants to know?”
“Me, Allie Bailey.”
“Want to play poker? I promise not to take too much of your money.” “I don’t know how to play.”
“Sit down and I’ll show you.”
Allie gave Dolly a helpless look and pulled over a chair from under the window. “About Chad,” she said.
“Such a good boy,” the woman said. “Terrible he had to go to Africa.” Dolly rolled her eyes, but Allie leaned forward.“He went to Africa?” “With his parents. I was so upset. He came to see me on his giraffe when he got back though. So grown up and handsome.”
“When was he here last?” Allie knew this was likely all false, but she might find a glimmer of reality in the stories somewhere.
“Just last week. He came on his elephant this time. He could name every part of that beast. I taught him well.” Her eyes glazed over, then closed, and her mouth sagged. A snore ripped from her throat.
“She’s not making any sense,” Dolly whispered. “Let’s go.”
“I’m going to talk to the nurse.” Allie rose and followed her friend from the room.
“Poor lady. She’s delusional. All that talk about elephants and giraffes. I doubt you’ll learn anything from the nurses.”
“Just a quick question.” Allie stopped at the hubbub of activity by the entrance and waited until one of the women was free. “Excuse me. I was wondering if you knew if Rosanna Hilgers gets many visitors?”
The young woman’s tired smile brightened. “Oh, Mrs. Hilgers! Isn’t she a sweetheart? We just love her. Some of her former students drop by from time to time, though since her mind has failed more, not so many.”
Allie allowed herself a glimmer of hope. “I’m looking for a young man who would be in his early twenties now. Chad Bailey?”
The woman frowned. “Bailey. The name isn’t familiar. There’s another Chad that comes by though. He’s about that age.”
Allie exchanged a glance with Dolly. “Do you know how I might get hold of him?”
“No, I’m sorry. Visitors don’t leave their information or anything.”
Allie dug in her purse for a pen and paper. “Listen, could I leave a note for you to give him if he comes in again?”
“Sure. I’ll put it in her file.”
Allie scribbled out a note explaining who she was and what she wanted, then folded it and handed it over. “Thanks so much.”
“No problem. I hope you find him.” The woman tucked the note into a file folder.
It was the best Allie could do, but it felt like a pitiful attempt. Still, God was in control of this, and he could move mountains.
The women drove back to Dolly’s house, but the conversation was much more subdued on the trip home. They stopped at the corner grocery and bought some milk, then went to the O’Sullivan home.
As they pulled into the driveway, she saw Rick’s truck parked along the curb. “Don’t tell him where we were,” she told Dolly.
“I won’t. I warned Grady to keep it mum too.” Dolly held up the gallon of milk. “We’ll tell him we went after this.”
“I hope he hasn’t been here long,” Allie muttered. She got out and followed Dolly to the house. “Rick?” she called.
His voice came from her left. “In the living room.”
Allie went to find him. “Did you find out anything?” She eyed him, noticing the triumphant grin he wore.
He stood from his seat on the couch and stepped to where she stood.
“It’s over.” Rick folded Allie in his arms.
She could hear his pulse thumping against her ear, sense the elation that filled him. “What do you mean?” she asked against his shirt.
His hands gripped her shoulders and pulled her out so he was staring into her face. “It was Luis Hernandez. They found the money trail and a picture of you at the rodeo. He put money in your account and tipped off the authorities, then pulled out the money and moved it around to some other accounts of his own offshore.”
She felt giddy, and her knees threatened to buckle under her. She clung to Rick’s strength. The nightmare was over. “How did he know I’d come here?”
Rick shrugged. “I suppose he tapped Yo’s phone or something. The border patrol will figure it out. Let’s celebrate. I’ll take you to supper.” She wanted to smile, but it didn’t seem real. “Are you sure? I never met him.”
“He had a picture of you, and the money trail was clear.”
For someone to hate her so passionately when she’d never even met him saddened her. “He must have loved his brother very much.”
“You’re feeling sorry for the guy? Get over it,” Rick said. “He deserves what he’s got coming to him. He murdered your family.”
Allie shuddered. “It’s hard to understand.”
“I think the two of you need some time alone,” Dolly said. “The girls would love to be together tonight. Why not let Betsy stay with us? There’s no need to worry about her now.”
It felt strange to let go of her anxiety, to let loose of her daughter. She felt light, airy, as the reality sank in that the danger was behind her. The future stretched ahead like a beautiful blue sky.
“Allie?” Rick said. “It’s safe. You can leave Betsy with no worries.”
“She’s not used to being without me.” Going off without Betsy would be like losing her arm.
Dolly laughed. “Listen to the girls chattering. She won’t miss you.”
Sure enough, Allie could hear the high, sweet sounds of the girls talking. Talking. Betsy was talking again, and life might actually return to normal, whatever that meant. “If you’re sure.” She couldn’t look at Rick.
“I’m positive.” Dolly made a shooing motion with her hands. “Get out of here, you two. Go celebrate.”
Rick took her arm, and his warm fingers jump-started her pulse. “We’ll get her first thing in the morning.”
“No rush,” Dolly said, smiling.
Rick led her from the living room and out the door. “What sounds good for supper? Let’s walk. It’s not far.”
“Do we have a choice?” She turned to smile at him. The air suddenly smelled fresher, clean with the scent of citrus from the groves along the path. The sunset cast a subdued light over the tiny village, bathing it with a heavenly glow.
Free. She was free to love Rick and build a new life with him. And that’s what this emotion she’d been unwilling to name was. Love. How did he feel? She glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. He’d said if he acted love, maybe he’d feel it. Sure enough, the transformation had occurred in his heart as well. How was she to know about her own heart though?
The emotion swelled within her, lodging in her throat, choking off anything she might say. Not yet. She couldn’t tell him yet. Maybe after supper.
He kept possession of her hand as they strolled along the sidewalk to the little café two blocks down. Allie glanced in the windows of the homes they passed, noticing the families living and loving. She wouldn’t have to envy the other families any longer. She had a place of her own.
Carrying this much joy felt overwhelming.
Rick held open the door of the café for her, and she stepped onto the battered wooden floor. Red-and-white checked tablecloths covered the square tables, and the air was thick with the smell of chicken enchiladas, tonight’s special according to the chalkboard. A few locals looked up and spoke to Rick, tipping their hats to her as well.
Rick led her to a corner table that looked out on the patio where pots of flowers bloomed. He sat across from her and smiled with so much contentment that she had to smile back.
His smile changed as he looked over her shoulder at someone. “Judge,” he said.
Judge Thompson was smiling, and Allie let herself hope. The older woman stopped at the table. “You two look awfully happy.”
“The border patrol just arrested the man who’s been giving Allie so much trouble,” Rick said. “And if that’s not enough, Betsy is talking again, so we’re celebrating.”
The judge’s smile widened. “Glad to hear it. Come see me tomorrow, and I’ll give you the ruling. I think you’ll be pleased.” She winked and walked away.
“Ah, the joys of small-town living,” Rick murmured. “No tightly held secrets.” He laughed, then stretched his hand across the table to take Allie’s. “Enchiladas just doesn’t sound like a celebratory meal. I think we should have steak.”
“Me too.” Though right now she felt she couldn’t eat a thing. They placed their order, and the waitress left them alone.
“What are we going to do about Jon’s parents?” Allie asked. “They are going to still want to see Betsy, even if the adoption goes through.”
“How do you feel about it?”
“They’re her grandparents. I’d like her to know and love them, but I hate for her to be forced to visit when she doesn’t want to.”
“Sometimes blood can’t make family,” he said. The sun dipped below the horizon as he spoke, and the shadows deepened on his face. His voice darkened as well. “Adoption can. Love is what counts.”
“You never talk about your family,” she said. Maybe he would open up now. She wanted to know more about this man who’d slipped into her heart when she wasn’t looking.
The triumphant smile he’d worn since she first saw him tonight took a dip. He pulled his hand away and took a gulp of his water. “Not much to say. I haven’t seen my parents in years. Last I heard,my dad was in prison for assault and battery over a dispute at work, and my mom was waiting tables in San Antonio and living with man number six.”
“Dolly told me about your brother, Chad.”
His brows drew together. “You could have asked me instead of gossiping behind my back.”
Her cheeks heated. “You’re right. I’m sorry. So tell me now.” She held his gaze.
He took her hand again, rubbing his thumb over it. “I haven’t seen him since he was five. I looked for him for a long time, ever since I threw over my career with the military and came back to Bluebird. Every door was shut though, and I finally had to accept it. Maybe he’ll come looking for me someday.”
Her trip today was on the tip of her tongue, but she so badly wanted to surprise him. She choked back the information, imagining his expression when Chad finally stood before him. No matter what it took, she would find his brother.
“Why so serious?” he asked.
She put as much of her love into her gaze as she dared. “What happened to your back? The scars, they’re dreadful.”
A slight smile tipped his lips. “My mother didn’t take kindly to me burning the chili when I was ten. She took a whip to my back.”
Tears burned Allie’s eyes. “Oh, Rick.” She squeezed his fingers. “I can’t imagine a mother doing that.”
“Most people can’t,” he said dryly. “It was one reason I swore I’d never marry. I didn’t trust women. But watching you with Betsy has shown me how a real mother loves her child.”
With his thumb rubbing her palm, she found it hard to think. “My parents were good to me,” she said.
“Then why are you frowning?”
“My mom lied to me about Elijah,” she said. “She said he kicked her out when he found out she was pregnant, and that she lost the baby. Instead, she gave my sister up for adoption, and Elijah brought Maria to the ranch. All these years I could have known her. I don’t know why my mom broke ties with Elijah. It was only after she died that I realized he was even still alive.”
“Maybe she didn’t want your father to know about the baby.”
“Maybe. But why did she refuse to have anything to do with Elijah? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Now that things have settled down, maybe we can try to find out.”
The waitress brought their food, and the conversation lulled as they ate their tender steaks. It was the best meal Allie could remember. Maybe because she wasn’t looking over her shoulder for danger every minute. Or maybe because of the loving glances Rick sent her way.
Replete with hot food, Allie leaned back in her chair. “The kids will be gone in a few days. When does our next batch come?”
“In a couple of weeks. The rest of the bunkhouse will be finished, and we’ll have a group for the month of April. Summer is busy, even though it’s hot. The kids like swimming in the river and riding the horses early morning before the sun heats everything up.”
Allie’s sigh was a happy one. Life was going to be good. “I’ll be right back.” She took her purse and walked to the bathroom.
The room smelled fresh from a pine detergent. Thankful it was empty, Allie found a chair and opened her purse. She pulled out a small photo of her and Jon together on their wedding day. They both looked so young and happy.
Rick wasn’t Jon. Maybe it was best they were so different. Rick had his own place in her heart. “Good-bye, Jon,” she whispered. “I hope you’re looking down from heaven and are happy Rick and I are together. I think you are.” Tears pricked her eyes as she put the picture away.
Rick held Allie’s hand in the truck. The stars and the moon lit the vegetation on both sides of the road with a golden glow. With his window rolled down, the fragrance of creosote and sage filled his lungs.
He parked in front of the house. “Looks like the kids are watching TV.” The blue glow of the television flickered through the window.
Rick’s spirit deflated a bit. He’d hoped for the evening alone with Allie. Peeking at his watch, he saw it was only seven. It would be an hour before he could send the kids off to bed.
The security light illuminated the corral around the barn. They could be alone in the barn. He got out and went around to open her door.
Allie looked up at him with such trust it scared him. What if he failed her? She was bound to find out he had feet of clay soon.
“Let’s make sure the kids took care of the horses,” he said. Allie slid out, and he took her hand again. Jem ran to greet them, doing his little air dance of joy.
Allie stopped to pet the dog. “Hey, Jem, you keeping everyone safe for us?”
Rick led her toward the barn. “He’d only lick someone to death.” “Poor Jem, did you hear that? Rick has no faith in you.”
“Oh, I have plenty of faith.” Rick squeezed her fingers. “Faith that he’s the friendliest dog on the planet.”
The cougar screamed from a rocky hillside, and he saw Allie shiver. “It’s probably two miles away,” he told her.
“I know. I worry one of these days it will come after one of the horses. Or even worse, Betsy.”
“Jem protects us pretty well from animal intruders. It’s the human ones that were the problem.” He rubbed the dog’s head as he trotted beside them.
“That he does,” she said, smiling.
They reached the barn, and he slid open the door. The scent of horse and hay greeted them like old friends. A mouse scurried away from their feet, then a dark shape swooped down.
Allie screamed and ducked behind him as the bat barely missed her hair, then cruised on out the door. “I hate bats,” she said.
“They’re interesting,” he said. “There’s a big colony in an old mine shaft about five miles from here. They’re western pipistrelle bats, and they only eat insects, not pretty girls.”
She shuddered. “Interesting to you maybe. Nasty things.”
“They eat tons of mosquitoes,” he said. “And scorpions and centipedes.” “They’re still not my friends.” She went past him to the stall that held Moonbeam. “Hey boy, you doing okay?” She rubbed the white blaze on his face.
Rick did a quick walk through, and all was quiet. He eyed the stack of hay in the corner. With a blanket over it, they could settle there and . . . talk. Suppressing a grin, he grabbed an old quilt they kept in the barn for sick horses. When he sniffed it, it smelled slightly horsy but not bad. He spread it over the hay and fell back onto it. He propped his head up with his arms folded under it.
Allie turned toward him and smiled when she saw his comfortable pose. “I take it you are in no hurry to go check on the kids?”
“Emilio is with them.” He patted the spot beside him. Her smile widened, and she approached his little nest. “The kitchen is probably a mess.”
“I’ll help you with it later.” Reaching up, he grabbed her hand and tugged her down onto the quilt with him. He put his arm around her, and she snuggled against him. Her hair, smelling like a yucca blossom, tickled his nose, but he didn’t mind.
He settled his chin against the top of her head. The words he wanted to say hovered behind his teeth.
I love you.
He’d never told anyone that except his little brother. His parents weren’t ones for soft words, and he’d learned that early. But Chad was different. And so was Allie. He’d never imagined he could be so happy, so content. But how did she feel? If she left him, he couldn’t handle it.
She still didn’t know the role he’d played in Jon’s death. And he couldn’t tell her. Not right now, with the hay so soft and sweet-smelling, and her trust in him so heady.
“Are you happy, Allie?”
“Very happy.” Her voice had a little hitch in it. She pulled away and looked into his face. Her hand came up to cup his cheek. “I love you, Rick,” she whispered.
Joy exploded in Rick’s chest, radiating heat through his body. “You do? Really?” He sounded like a sixteen-year-old kid, and he nearly groaned. His lips found hers. So soft and yielding. He drank in the love she poured over him like the desert drank up rain.
Tell her. The words lodged behind his teeth. Three little words. I love you. Why couldn’t he say them? He was afraid to let them loose in case they grew into something he couldn’t manage.
Love made you vulnerable, tore your heart out when you weren’t looking. If he said the words, they might bite him later. So instead he poured how he felt into the kiss. Surely she would understand.
They necked like two kids at the drive-in until he heard the kids laughing as they went past the barn to the bunkhouse.
“Let’s go to the house,” he whispered. “The bed is softer.”
Her questioning gaze softened, and she nodded. Hand in hand, they slipped out of the barn and moved through the pools of moonlight to the house.