by Karis Walsh
“Hello, Lieutenant,” she called. “Good to see you ready to ride.”
“Thanks, Bryce. I’m glad to be here.” Not a complete fabrication, but not absolutely honest, either. Abby walked past the first 4-H barn, refusing to peek through the wide-open door. “Have Billie and Don arrived yet?”
A shrill neigh blocked out Rachel’s answer. Abby heard the clatter of shod hooves on cement and she reflexively moved to block the aisle.
“Shit. Nirvana, come back here,” a woman shouted from behind the loose horse.
The dark bay mare trotted out of the barn and directly to Abby. She reached for the dangling lead rope although the horse seemed more inclined to stay and nuzzle her than to run any farther. Abby ran her hand over the horse’s satiny neck.
Shit was right.
Chapter Two
Abby knew Kira Lovell by name but she had never met—or planned to meet—her. Kira’s vitals had been on the report Abby had read almost a year ago, and given the matching attributes combined with her connection to this horse, Abby had no doubt about the identity of the woman coming toward her. The small boxes on the report form had been filled out with Kira’s information, but the contrast between black-and-white data and the live version was startling. Brown hair didn’t do justice to the highlights and lowlights of gold and chocolate in the delicate wisps of hair pulling loose from Kira’s ponytail and framing her face. Blue eyes had little in common with the mosaic of aquas and greens in Kira’s eyes. She wore a red, navy, and white plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal tan forearms and the tails knotted at her small waist. Faded jeans and bright red sneakers gave her a youthful air. Five foot six and 125 pounds meant nothing until Kira’s curves and the long line of her legs filled it out and gave the numbers dimension and depth.
Even the report itself had been a conflicting mix of fact and not-quite-the-truth. Kira had called the cops to her house on a domestic call, alleging her girlfriend Dale had abused her, but the responding officer—Abby’s brother, Rick—had written that the claim of abuse was not only unfounded, but recanted by Kira. Abby’s research had led her to believe otherwise. She couldn’t prove it, but she didn’t believe justice had been administered on the scene, so she had taken matters into her own hands. Secretly and anonymously. That was how it was meant to stay.
Her brother’s indiscretions were more difficult to conclusively identify than her grandfather’s clumsy and overt corruption. She’d been collecting hints of mishandled calls and suspiciously self-serving decision making, and her cherished hope was that she’d learn enough to convince him to change. Or blackmail him into becoming a better man and officer. If she couldn’t, and if she found out he was traveling the same road her grandfather had paved before them, then she’d have no choice but to turn him in.
She’d do whatever it took, within her ethical boundaries, to avoid that, but Kira was a concrete reminder of her fears for her brother. And Nirvana bound them all together. Abby waved off Rachel who had been about to come help catch the horse, and her sergeant waved back before returning to the bucket she’d left behind. Abby clenched her fingers around the hot-pink nylon lead rope, and then relaxed them before holding the lead out for Kira to take. “This is your horse, I assume?”
“My daughter’s,” Kira said. She reached for the rope with one hand and tucked the other in her back pocket. Abby felt her slight tremble as their fingers briefly touched, and she understood how worried Kira must have been when the horse escaped. The vibration traveled through Abby and echoed inside after their contact ended. It was only the aftershock from the collision between her secret life and warm, pulsating reality. Would she have reacted to Kira the same way if they’d met beyond the context of Abby’s job? She rubbed her palm with her thumb, trying to erase the lingering effect of Kira. Yes.
“Thank you for catching her,” Kira said. Her voice was low and well-modulated, like Abby would expect from someone who was an actress or a public speaker. She was disconcerted by Kira, who was thoroughly a surprise. And by her own equally unexpected responses. Abby had formed opinions based on the details she’d read in the report, but Kira wasn’t the fragile, helpless woman she’d imagined. Like someone with a family history of addiction who swore off alcohol, Abby never got involved socially—whether as friends or potential love interests—with people who were connected to her or her family by work, but she found herself wishing she didn’t have to keep such tight control over the barriers between her public and private worlds.
“No problem. I’m glad I was able to stop her,” Abby said. Even though Kira held her rope, the mare stayed close to Abby, sniffing every pocket before pressing her forehead against Abby’s chest with a deep sigh. She should walk away, leaving both of them behind, but she couldn’t resist smoothing the horse’s cheeks with her hands, reaching under her chin to scratch the itchy spots she knew so well. Muscles, tendons, pulse, warmth. The feel of the horse grounded Abby in the past for a brief time. Kira and Nirvana both embodied something earthy and pure, and Abby longed to trade her insubstantial life of guilt and atonement for the physical reality of Kira’s world. But Kira had already been bruised by contact with the Hargroves. Being with Abby might immerse Kira fully in their lives instead of releasing Abby into hers.
“She seems to like you,” Kira said. Her voice held a hint of something. Confusion? Suspicion? No. Abby was ascribing her own tendencies to Kira. Kira was just making a comment.
“She must know I like horses,” Abby said. She smiled and gave the mare a pat on the forehead. “I’m riding with the Tacoma Police Department’s mounted unit.”
“Yes, I saw the uniform.”
Did Abby detect a hint of disdain in Kira’s voice? Or was she hearing it because she was expecting it? She was getting uncomfortable with the subtext in their interchange. It might only be on her side and Kira might be innocently carrying on a casual conversation, but Abby was confused by the constant second-guessing.
“It was more than sensing a horse person, though,” Kira continued before Abby could make an excuse and get away. “She heard your voice and pulled the lead rope out of my hands. She’s never done anything like that before. And then she ran right to you. Why?”
Abby stepped back, breaking contact with the mare. She needed to leave. Now. “How would I know why your horse ran away from you? She’s at a new place, with unfamiliar noises and crowds, so it’s only natural that her behavior would be—”
“Hargrove?” Kira asked.
Startled out of her rambling explanation of the horse’s actions, complete with gestures at the horses and people around them, Abby looked at Kira and saw her staring at the small brass name badge that had been hidden from view by the mare’s head only moments ago. In another time and situation, Kira’s pointed focus on her chest would be welcome. Abby felt a shiver of arousal even though she knew Kira’s attention was due to Abby’s damned name and not her body. Her own desires were superseded yet again.
“Um, yes.”
“And you’re related to the other Officer Hargrove…how?”
“He’s my brother.”
Abby didn’t offer any more than her terse statement. She had been prepared to deflect attention and keep her identity from Kira, but she wouldn’t lie. She wouldn’t defend or apologize. She remained silent and watched Kira clearly struggle to figure out what question to ask next.
“Hey, Mom, I’ve been looking all over for you. Why’d you bring Nirvana out here?”
A tinier version of Kira walked over to them. The same wavy hair as her mother, but longer and closer to blond in color. Similar features, but seemingly more prone to lightness and smiles. After one glance, anyone would be able to identify the two as mother and daughter.
“Wow, are you one of the mounted police riders? That is so cool! Have you ever shot anyone from horseback?”
“Julie!” Kira sounded shocked at the girl’s question, but Abby wanted to laugh out loud in relief as Julie managed to break the tension that
had been building between the two adults. Kira was rapidly putting together the puzzle pieces Abby spent her life trying to scatter, yet she perversely kept giving Kira clues. She wasn’t used to having sexual attraction interfere with her mission in life, and the more Kira knew about her, the more she’d want to avoid Abby. Abby needed to drive Kira away for her own well-being.
“No, I haven’t, but I usually have more of a supervisory role with the unit. You can ask the other officers about the police work they’ve done. None of them has shot someone, but they’ve each caught their share of criminals.”
“I’d love to talk to them. Angie and I tried to see your horses, but that whole end of the barn is closed off.”
Abby couldn’t stop her smile at the obvious request, complete with dramatic sigh. “Stop by anytime and we’ll let you in so you can meet them,” she said, feeling helpless to keep herself from making the offer.
“That’s very generous of Officer Hargrove,” Kira said to her daughter, saying the name as if it tasted bitter in her mouth. “But I’m sure she has more important things to do with her time.”
“She offered, Mom. I didn’t ask.”
“You hinted. That’s the same thing.”
Abby smiled as she watched mother and daughter face off in what sounded like a laid-back argument they’d had many times before. This pair could prove to be dangerous for her. Julie was frank and chatty, making Abby feel uncharacteristically at ease. Kira made her feel things, too, with her subtle strength and effortless beauty and the scent of gardenias when she came close.
“I’ll tell my sergeant, Rachel Bryce, to watch for you if I’m not there,” she said, striking a compromise. She’d be able to grant Julie access to the police stable, while reassuring Kira that she wouldn’t be around. She didn’t think Kira would want anything to do with the police in any fashion, but a visit to the stable might be less unpalatable if Abby herself wasn’t involved.
“That’d be awesome! Thanks, Officer Hargrove.”
Kira cringed when she heard her daughter say that name. She had spoken it herself, about a year ago. Please help me, Officer Hargrove. Spoken to a different person, in a very different kind of plea, but the memory was tied to her, body and soul. Tension, anger, helplessness—they arose automatically at the sound of that name. They were feelings she never wanted Julie to experience, but Julie wasn’t in the same situation. Kira might feel as if she’d been transported back in time, back into the midst of pain and helplessness, but Julie was in the present. Cheerful and at ease as she and this other Hargrove talked about a book they’d both read on using mounted police techniques for training a spooky horse. Kira closed her eyes briefly as she struggled to get her mind, her body, and her reactions back to now.
“I can’t wait to see your demonstration today so I can get some training tips for working with Nirvana. Are you actually riding, Officer, or do you just supervise the demos?”
“You can call me Abby, please. And yes, I’ll be trading in my desk chair for a horse during the fair.”
Kira opened her eyes when Hargrove laughed. Abby. Her laugh had a musical quality and made her sound more dimensional than her polished exterior implied. Her light makeup and controlled expression gave her an airbrushed quality, as if she had applied a mask over a human face. Kira focused on what she could clearly see in Abby, like her perfectly upswept auburn hair, her aloof demeanor, and the pressed and spotless uniform that set her apart as an authority figure. The gun strapped casually on her hip. Kira tried not to see the cracks that appeared for brief moments. The warm, almost childlike smile when Julie’s charisma charmed her. The haunted look in Abby’s eyes when she touched Julie’s horse. Kira had been around enough dominant personality types in her lifetime. Far too many. She didn’t need anything to distract her from the resolve to stay far away from the kind of personality that could make her feel helpless ever again.
Of course, Abby wasn’t her brother. Whatever issues Kira had with him, his sister hadn’t been on the call that night. She hadn’t been the one to abandon Kira when she most needed help. She wasn’t involved. But the similarities between the two siblings were hard for Kira to ignore. There was a resemblance in appearance, once Kira started looking for it, but Kira didn’t care about that. What set off the alarms in her head was the way Abby wore her uniform. Proudly, as if she had been born to carry the weight of responsibility and power that the simple material conveyed. Of course, the fit of Abby’s was more distracting. Kira had to work hard to keep her gaze from dropping below Abby’s waist and down to those snug navy pants. But her attraction had to be tempered by reason. Abby’s brother had flaunted the control his more generic uniform gave him. Abby’s alpha streak seemed less overt, but no less present.
“You’ll want to watch the rest of my team closely, and not me,” Abby said. “They’ve been working with their horses for almost a year now, and I think you’ll be impressed by their level of training. I’ll look like an amateur in comparison, but I’m sure you’ll pick up some great training ideas if you study Sergeant Bryce and the others.”
“But you do know how to ride, don’t you?”
Kira heard the wistful note in Julie’s voice. Her daughter had found someone to worship, but Abby would be dropped like a disgraced idol if she couldn’t stay on a horse with some degree of skill. Kira would be happy to have that happen, but Abby wasn’t cooperating.
“I do. I even competed here at the fair when I was about your age. But being a lieutenant means I don’t have time to ride like I used to. These two weeks will be a sort of vacation for me, but I’m sure I’ll end up with saddle sores and aching muscles.”
Kira sighed. So much for Abby’s inability to ride quashing Julie’s adoration. Kira hadn’t been too optimistic, though. She saw how Abby moved and how natural she looked in the equestrian uniform. Kira imagined her looking equally graceful on the back of a horse, drawing the attention of every woman in the crowd as they applauded her skill and drove her ego even higher. Besides, she had recognized Abby as a horsewoman the moment she saw Nirvana run straight to her side…
“Do you have a horse of your own, Lieutenant?” Kira interrupted their conversation.
She watched as Abby hesitated before answering. “I did. But not anymore.”
“Until how long ago?”
“About a year ago.”
Again the brief pause. Kira almost stopped her line of questioning when she realized Abby didn’t want to give her any more information, even though she seemed compelled to tell the truth. Kira had lived with so many lies and half-truths, she couldn’t believe someone with such integrity really existed. Julie stepped in and unknowingly pieced together the suspicion that had been forming in Kira’s mind.
“Hey, that’s when I got Nirvana! I entered an essay contest for 4-H members, and I won her. It was the best day of my life.”
“I’m glad it was. She seems like a special horse, and I’ll bet you’ve given her a great home.”
Abby’s eyes didn’t leave Kira’s while she spoke. There was something Kira couldn’t define in Abby’s expression. Sadness and loss, but also a sense of relief at Julie’s obvious happiness.
“We’ve often wished we knew who the anonymous donor was,” Kira said, “so we could thank her…or him for this gift.”
Kira’s mind faltered as she tried to figure out the web of connection between her and Abby. She’d thought her bewildering night with Hargrove had been over the moment he turned away from her pleas and walked out of her life. For some reason, Abby had reached out to her by giving Julie Nirvana. Abby seemed as disconcerted by this meeting as Kira was, so why had she insinuated herself into Kira and Julie’s life? What was her motivation? Kira had to override the instincts attracting her to Abby and rely on logic and lessons learned instead, although she couldn’t reconcile the wonderful gift of Nirvana with the obvious indications of a deeper relationship than she’d been aware of between her and the Hargroves.
“I don’t know how any
one could want to give her away,” Julie said, hugging the patient mare’s neck. “But I’m very grateful.”
“Yes, I also wonder why her previous owner gave her away.” She really had been curious about Nirvana’s past, but it had never once crossed her mind that the mysterious gift might have remotely sinister intentions behind it. She watched Abby closely, trying to discern any sign of malice in her eyes, but what she saw was a forthrightness that was hard to reconcile with her obvious subterfuge, and a sensual appeal impossible to harmonize with Kira’s driving need for caution and self-protection.
Abby shrugged. “Who knows? At least it worked out well in the end. That’s all that matters. Look, I need to get to work. Good luck in your classes, Julie. Be sure to stop by and see the horses anytime you want. Kira, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
Kira shook the offered hand. Abby’s face didn’t really register pleasure, but something much more complicated. The whole interchange had been odd, and the only thing Kira knew for certain was how strong and comfortable Abby’s hand felt when it gripped hers. Dangerously right.
“Nice to meet you, too,” she said quietly as Abby patted Nirvana’s neck one more time and walked away from them.
Chapter Three
Kira followed Julie and Nirvana down the aisle and back to their assigned stall. 4-H riders were everywhere and constantly on the move as they either cleaned or prepared for the upcoming show. Some kids were sweeping the aisleways or pushing wheelbarrows full of shavings, while others were grooming their horses. Kira stepped around a freshly swept pile of shavings, but she felt disconnected from the noise and crowds surrounding her. Julie was still talking about Abby Hargrove, and Kira barely registered the words she was saying. She was more concerned with her own questions about Abby. Was she a good role model for twelve-year-old Julie, or was she too much like her brother? Kira couldn’t believe that one sibling could be so uncaring and cold while the other wasn’t, but she had no basis for judging Abby yet. After all, Abby had given Julie her wonderful horse, but was she planning to take her back now that she’d seen her again? Now that she needed horses for her mounted unit? The loss would be painful for Julie, and Kira couldn’t bear to have her daughter’s heart broken.