Assassination Authorized

by Erin Wade

  “Mom, we’re ready,” Mary padded into the kitchen. “We’re piling into your bed.”

  Stacy didn’t miss the questioning look on Faith’s face. “We all get into my bed, and I read to them. Sometimes we talk or fall asleep, and they stay in my bed. They’re getting a little big for that now, but we still do it sometimes. Go get ready for bed and join us for our bedtime story.”

  “I’d like that,” Faith admitted.

  Chapter 28

  Faith didn’t open her eyes. She lay between the cool sheets and listened to birds singing outside her window. In the distance goats bleated and a dog barked. She recalled the events of the previous evening and smiled. Stacy and her daughters were remarkable. She’d known them for less than twenty-four hours, and already she felt as if they had always been a part of her life.

  She showered and dressed, anxious to help Stacy get her car from the ditch. The roar of a tractor and more insistent barking announced the arrival of something. Faith wasn’t sure what.

  Faith shielded her eyes from the bright Texas sun as she stepped onto the front porch of the farmhouse. Stacy killed the tractor pulling Faith’s car and jumped down to the ground. She smiled when she saw Faith standing there.

  “Did you sleep well?” Stacy asked as she approached the porch.

  “Better than I’ve slept in days,” Faith admitted. “I’ve been nervous about the meeting with Daniel Devon.”

  “Come back inside and I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee. My ranch foreman is going to change your tire, so your car will be as good as new. We can run your damaged tire into town and have a new one put on the rim.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Faith said as she followed Stacy into the kitchen and sat down at the island. “I’ve put you out enough. I can have the tire fixed, and I need to contact Daniel Devon.”

  A look of horror flashed across Faith’s face as she realized that she hadn’t called Kadence to let her know she had arrived okay. Kadence will be worried to death, she thought.

  But a deeper, more disturbing thought niggled at the back of her mind. This is the first time I’ve even thought about Kadence.

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Is something wrong?” Stacy said.

  “No, I . . . uh, just need to call home, but I have no cell service here.” Faith grimaced. “They’ll be worried about me.”

  “There should be service,” Stacy said, frowning. “We have a signal booster that keeps us connected to the rest of the world.”

  Faith was ashamed to admit that she hadn’t looked at her phone since her arrival at the ranch. She pulled it from her pocket and cringed when she remembered she had turned it off the day before.

  She powered up the phone and inhaled sharply when all the service bars lit up. A dozen messages from Kadence rolled across the face of the phone. “Please excuse me,” she said, flashing a fleeting smile as she picked up her coffee and escaped to her bedroom.

  Dear God, please let Kady answer, she prayed, trying to think of a way to explain to her wife that she had forgotten about her.

  She listened to Kady’s voice on the message. Kadence’s voice calmed her a little.

  “Honey, I’m so sorry I’m late calling you. I had car trouble, but everything is fine now. Please call me when you can. I love you, Kady.”

  She searched her purse for the phone charger and carried it into the kitchen. “Is everything okay?” Stacy asked.

  “Yes, I just need to plug this in and make certain it has a full charge,” Faith replied.

  Stacy pointed to an electrical outlet on the side of the kitchen island. “Plug it in there. It can charge while I fix breakfast.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Faith argued. “Coffee is all I need.”

  “Nonsense. I’m having bacon and eggs. You should join me.”

  “If you’re cooking anyway, breakfast sounds wonderful. What can I do to help?”

  “Just keep me company,” Stacy said. “The girls have gone horseback riding and will storm in here any minute, clamoring for food.”

  “I had fun with them last night. They’re so angelic, leaning on you and each other as you read to them.”

  “They’re growing up so fast,” Stacy noted. “I won’t have many more years with them. I want to make the most of every second.”

  Stacy’s cell phone interrupted their conversation. “Daniel Devon calling,” the phone announced. Stacy rushed to where the phone was lying on the cabinet and grabbed it.

  “Daniel, it’s so good to hear your voice. Thank you so much for returning my call. I have an attorney named Faith Pride here. She needs to talk to you.”

  Stacy listened as Daniel responded to her information. “Friday,” Stacy repeated. “At your ranch house at ten in the morning. Yes, sir, I’ll tell her. Have a safe trip home.”

  Stacy turned to Faith. “That was Daniel Devon. He is out of the country but will return home Thursday night. He said he would see you at ten Friday morning. I hope that helps you.”

  “Yes, yes, it does,” Faith said. “Thank you so much. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.”

  The clatter of boots on the porch announced the arrival of the girls. “Here are our cowgirls now.” Stacy laughed out loud.

  “Mom, we found the bald-faced the mama and her calf,” Lindsey said. “They were in Devil’s Canyon on the other side of the tank.”

  “Are they okay?”

  “A little skinned up, as if they ran through some brambles, but otherwise just fine. We brought them back so Howard could look at them. He may want to doctor a few of the cuts.”

  Mary opened the refrigerator and pulled out milk and orange juice. “After breakfast you and Mom should go riding with us, Miss Faith.”

  “I’d love to,” Faith said, “but first I must find a hotel.”

  “You don’t need a hotel,” Kimi cried. “You can stay with us. Can’t she, Mom?”

  A smile played on Stacy’s lips. “Of course. We’d love to have you.”

  Toast popping from the toaster settled the conversation. “Don’t you dare touch that without washing your hands,” Stacy warned Lindsey as she reached for the toast and butter. “All of you need to wash your hands.”

  The girls crowded around the kitchen sink, vying for space as they did as instructed. “And use soap,” Stacy said.

  The two women exchanged pleased smiles as they watched the girls.

  Chapter 29

  Kadence breathed a sigh of relief when she played Faith’s message. She had been too worried about her wife to sleep. After a restless night she had cancelled her early morning surgery, fearful she wouldn’t be at her best going into the operating room.

  She poured a cup of coffee, touched the icon that would connect her with her wife, and smiled when Faith answered on the first ring. “Kady, I’m so sorry I didn’t call you last night,” Faith said.

  “It’s okay, baby. The important thing is you made it safely and you’re okay. What happened to your car?”

  Faith recounted her adventures since landing at DFW. “It’s very different here—flat and dry—but I like it.”

  “You’re lucky someone took you in,” Kadence teased. “Not everyone would pick up a drop-dead-gorgeous brunette.”

  Faith giggled into the phone. “Would you pick me up, Kady?”

  “Every chance I get,” Kadence promised. “I miss you so much, honey. Our apartment is so cold and lonely without you. Have you contacted Daniel Devon yet?”

  “The gods must be smiling on me,” Faith said. “The woman who picked me up is a personal friend of his. He’s out of the country but will return Thursday night. I have an appoint Friday morning and will catch a flight out late Friday night. I should be back in your arms very early Saturday morning.”

  “An entire week?” Kadence whined. “I’m not sure I can live that long without you.”

  “We’ll have the whole weekend to get reacquainted. You have plenty of time to plan my homecoming.”

&nb
sp; A knock sounded on Faith’s door, and three vivacious girls flooded the bedroom. “We have your horse saddled,” Kimi said as she danced around the room.

  Faith held up a finger for quiet, and the girls complied. “I better go, honey. Three teenagers are taking me horseback riding.” Faith laughed. “I’ll call you tonight and tell you about it before I go to sleep.”

  “I’ll be counting the hours,” Kadence vowed. “Have fun, honey. I love you.”

  “Love you too, baby,” Faith whispered.

  ##

  Kadence sipped her coffee and daydreamed about her wife. She dreaded the pending night and sleeping alone. She had grown accustomed to falling asleep with Faith in her arms.

  She finished her coffee, showered, and headed for the hospital. She had several afternoon appointments and was looking forward to doing something that would make the time pass faster.

  Chapter 30

  The smell of fresh-cut hay, horses, and leather teased a memory at the back of Faith’s mind, but she couldn’t quite pull it to the forefront. The girls rode ahead of their mother and guest.

  “They’re incredible riders,” Faith said as she watched the three kick their mounts forward in a race to the bank of the lazy river that cut a gash through Crawford Ranch.

  “They’re like their mother,” Stacy replied. “They excel at everything they do.”

  “I haven’t known you long,” Faith declared, “but you are a wonderful role model for them.”

  “Hold on to your horse,” Stacy warned. “They’re racing back to us.”

  As the girls approached at a full gallop, Faith’s mare reared and pawed the air. Faith held on and got the horse under control, turning her so she couldn’t see the girls charging toward them. She loosened the reins and let the horse trot.

  As everyone pulled abreast of her, they began talking and laughing as they shared their discovery. “There’s a baby goat, Mom,” Mary squealed. “I don’t see its mother anywhere.”

  “You need to look at it, Mom,” Lindsey affirmed. “We should take it back to the house. I don’t think it will live another night out here.”

  They slowly approached the baby. Stacy motioned for them to stop a few feet from the kid and dismounted. She cooed to it as she tiptoed closer. The terrified baby was struggling to stand but was too weak. Stacy scooped it into her arms and continued to soothe it.

  Faith urged her horse to stand by Stacy and reached out for the kid. Stacy smiled and placed the goat on the saddle in front of Faith. “We’ll bottle-feed it when we get back to the house. Girls, fan out and keep an eye open for the nanny.”

  ##

  “Look at it go!” Kimi laughed as she watched the kid suck the milk from the baby bottle she held for it.

  The girls sat in a circle with the baby in Lindsey’s lap. Mary stroked it and sang a lullaby while Kimi fed it.

  “You come feed it,” Lindsey said to Faith.

  Faith joined the girls on the floor, scooting between Kimi and Lindsey. Kimi handed her the bottle as the kid tried to regain hold of the nipple.

  Faith held the bottle out to the baby, and it bleated then grasped the nipple with its lips. The children laughed at Faith as she shrieked and dropped the bottle when the baby goat tried to butt her.

  “Okay, take him to Howard so he can check him over,” Stacy said once the kid had drained the bottle. “And put down fresh hay for him to sleep on tonight.”

  Stacy made a pitcher of iced tea and carried it out by the pool. “I love days like this,” she declared as Faith sat down in a chair and they cooled off from their ride.

  The sound of squealing girls made them laugh as the three dashed from the house, stripping off their clothes as they ran. “Last one in is a smelly billy goat,” Lindsey yelled.

  The girls hit the water at the same time, splashing the two women sitting beside the pool. “Let’s get them!” Stacy shouted, pulling off her boots and jeans. Her shirt and bra hit the decking just before she plunged into the water.

  A drenched Faith crowed loudly as another wave of water drenched her. “Come on in,” the girls chorused.

  “You’re all naked!”

  “So?” Stacy splashed more water on her. “You’ve been skinny dipping before.”

  Somehow, Faith knew Stacy was correct. She stripped off her wet clothes and dove into the cool water.

  The five frolicked in the pool until it was almost sundown. “Am I the only one starving?” Stacy asked as she got out of the water.

  “I am,” four voices chimed.

  “Y’all shower and put on your pajamas,” Stacy instructed. “I’ll have a taco bar ready when you’re through.”

  As the girls headed inside, Stacy wrapped a pool towel around her and tucked the corner between her breasts. She took a towel to Faith, who was ascending the pool steps. Stacy couldn’t pull her eyes away from the woman. The face was different, but she knew that body. There was no doubt in her mind that Faith Pride was Mariam Reynolds.

  A blushing Faith reached for the towel and hurriedly covered herself. “That was fun,” she said, giggling. “What can I do to help with dinner?”

  “Nothing. Go shower. I have chicken in the crockpot and the veggies already cut up. Give me thirty minutes.”

  Faith padded to her room, grabbed her cell phone, and called Kadence. I’ve been away too long, she thought, recalling how the sight of Stacy’s athletic body and sun-streaked hair had stirred something in her.

  Please answer the phone, she pleaded as the call went to voicemail. “Kady, I just called to say I love you, and I miss you so much. Please call me.”

  Faith plugged her phone into the charger. She wanted to have plenty of time to talk to Kady tonight.

  ##

  “Mom, that was so good,” Mary said as they cleared away the dishes.

  “I’m glad everyone liked it,” Stacy said.

  “You can do miracles with a crockpot,” Faith said. “It must be one of your time-management secrets.”

  Stacy laughed. “You’re learning all my secrets.”

  “Kimi and I are going to pick up our clothes from around the pool,” Lindsey announced as she pulled her sister out the door.

  “Then we’ll be ready for our bedtime story,” Kimi said, beaming. “When we finish this Harry Potter book, Mom has another new one.”

  Chapter 31

  The five of them sprawled on Stacy’s bed, propped on pillows, heads in laps, limbs entwined, and lost in the story.

  “The end,” Stacy whispered, closing the book.

  “Do you believe wishes come true, Mom?” Kimi asked, snuggling into Stacy’s side.

  “If we work hard enough, anything is possible. Do you have a wish you’d like granted?”

  “I’d like to know Mariam is okay,” Kimi said with a sigh. “I don’t want anyone but you for my mom, but I’d just like to know she’s okay. She saved our lives.”

  Faith held her breath. She was positive the three girls were her daughters but couldn’t recall anything about them. Maybe she was wrong.

  “I don’t think Faith knows our story.” Stacy inhaled deeply, wondering if she’d regret what she was about to do. “Why don’t you tell it, Lindsey.”

  “Mariam Reynolds is our real mother,” Lindsey began. “We were kidnapped by a group of terrorists. They planned to sell us to sex traffickers. Our father is the president. They wanted to discredit him, make it look like he had something to do with our disappearance. We were terrified, but our mother was so brave. She sharpened a spoon handle into a knife and killed the man jailing us. We swam and walked for hours in the water along the shoreline of a river so they couldn’t track us.

  “She finally took us to a motel and called Mom—Stacy. Mom arrived at the same time the terrorist discovered us. Mariam made Stacy take us, and she stayed to face them, giving us time to get away. I’m sure they killed her. She died protecting us.”

  “They pulled her body from the Hudson River,” Faith said softly. “They had a televi
sed funeral for her.”

  “We thought that maybe . . . you are her,” Lindsey said. “You’re her height, and you’re built like her, and you—”

  “Oh, honey.” Faith pulled Lindsey into her arms and rocked her. “I would love to be your mother, but I’m not. Mariam Reynolds is truly dead.”

  There was a collective sigh as Faith’s declaration registered with all of them. Silence fell over the group until, eventually, sleep overtook them.

  ##

  Faith snuggled into the softness that surrounded her. “Kady,” she whispered. It took her a minute to ascertain where she was. She didn’t open her eyes. She knew she was in the wrong arms.

  “Mariam?” Stacy’s warm breath made a tremor run through Faith’s body. “I know—”

  “No!” Faith hissed. “I’m Faith Pride, married to Dr. Kadence Pride. Mariam Reynolds is dead, and I’m very much in love with my wife.”

  “Wife?” Stacy rolled away from Faith and put her feet on the floor. “No matter who you are, just know that if you ever need me, I’ll be there. All you have to do is call. I’m going to take a shower.”

  Faith rolled out of the bed, glad to see she had her pajamas on. The last thing she remembered was rocking Kimi in her arms as they fell asleep. It had surprised her to awaken in Stacy’s arms, but she was certain nothing had happened between her and the blonde.

  ##

  Faith towel-dried her hair as she walked into the bedroom. The cool shower had felt good. She had to find Stacy and make certain everything was good between them. Her phone rang, breaking into her thoughts.

  “Kady! Oh God, Kady, it’s so good to hear your voice.”

  “I tried to call you all night, Faith. Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

  Faith’s mind raced. How could she tell Kady she’d fallen asleep in Stacy’s bed? She loved Kady too much to lie to her.

  “My hostess has three daughters. She read them a bedtime story, the last chapter of Harry Potter. We all fell asleep together.”