Failsafe

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  “I didn’t intend for you to spend eighteen hours a day taking care of her. Besides, Stella loves my grandmother. They’ll have a nice visit, and we won’t be gone that long. Only an hour or two.”

  “We didn’t get in until midnight last night,” Hannah reminded him. “She has to be exhausted.”

  “They’re just going to make cookies together,” he said with certainty. “They’ll be fine.”

  “You know, sometimes you talk about your grandmother like she’s a child you have to tend to.”

  “Sometimes she acts like a child who needs tending, but she’s always loved cooking. Trust me on this.”

  Charlotte wavered. “She does like baking.”

  “Exactly. And it will be nice for you to be able to eat something you didn’t have to make,” Jake said. “I didn’t intend for you to make all of my meals too.”

  “You wouldn’t eat if I didn’t cook for you.”

  “You have a point there.” Jake swung himself up onto his horse. “Come on. The sooner we go, the sooner we’ll be back.”

  Charlotte mounted her horse as well. For the first time, she took a closer look at Jake’s horse. “Is that the stallion that was in the front pasture?”

  “Yeah.”

  “He’s such a beautiful animal.”

  “Come on. Let’s see if you can keep up.” Jake started down a path to the left of the barn.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To one of my favorite spots. I think you’ll like it.”

  They rode single file for the first few minutes as they weaved through some nearby trees. When they reached an open pasture, Jake urged his horse into a canter, and Charlotte followed suit.

  Her laughter rang out as she delighted in the sense of freedom. It had been so long since she’d felt like this. When she’d arrived here, the mare had been merely the means to a destination. The few rides she’d taken on her own were always brief for fear Abigail would wake up before she returned.

  Now she let herself get lost in the simple joy of doing something she loved: riding through the beautiful countryside, a magnificent animal beneath her and a kind man beside her.

  They reached the trees on the far side of the pasture, and Jake slowed to a trot and then to a walk. He led the way into the trees and stopped a short distance later at the top of a ridge. He dismounted before she reached him.

  “This is it.”

  Charlotte dismounted and followed him the few steps to the top of the rise. The sun dappled through the trees, making the woods almost magical, and the view was breathtaking. Tree-covered ridges and valleys spread out before them, appearing untouched by man. To the left, a river flowed through a wide pasture, a half dozen horses grazing in the afternoon sun. “This is beautiful. It’s like nowhere else on earth.”

  “It’s the one place I miss when I’m away,” Jake admitted. “This is the first time I’ve been out here since . . .”

  Charlotte understood the words he didn’t say. “Did you spend much time here with your parents?”

  “My dad and I used to come up here together when we were working the fields. It was our favorite lunch spot.” He fell silent, staring out in the distance.

  “What was your father like?”

  “Hard. Tough,” he began. “Kind. Generous.”

  “Let me guess,” Charlotte began, thinking of her own dad. “A man who loved the land and was willing to work it.”

  “That about sums him up,” Jake said. “He had a heart of gold, always willing to help people out. That’s why I never really understood why he was so adamant about the stallion.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When I was young and stupid, I let myself get cornered into a bet.”

  “Was this the bet with Toby?”

  “Yeah.” Jake let out a sigh. “He kept egging me on, insisting his stallion was faster than mine. I knew it would be a good race, and when he kept pushing, I agreed. I didn’t expect our friends to insist we put up stakes.”

  Suspecting she had uncovered the source of tension between the two men, she asked, “What did you bet?”

  “Our horses. Winner take all.” Disgust filled his voice. “That was Toby’s idea.”

  “And you won,” Charlotte said with understanding.

  “I felt guilty about walking away with such a prize, and I planned to give the horse back. My dad wouldn’t hear of it. He insisted we keep him.”

  “Why?”

  “I think it’s because Desiree’s dad sold the horse to Toby after promising to sell it to my dad. It’s odd he never mentioned it to me though,” Jake said. “Max thinks there was some shady deal going on, that Toby blackmailed Bellingsworth into selling the horse to him. My dad must have thought the same thing.”

  “That might explain why he insisted on keeping the horse.”

  Jake nodded. “As far as I know, this is the first time Toby has been back since we raced.”

  Understanding the ways of small towns and the ripple such an event would likely cause, Charlotte said, “I got the impression the race happened a while ago. Where has he been all this time?”

  “It happened right before my senior year of college. Rumor has it he was working on the horse racing circuits.” Jake shifted to look at her. “You know, it seems like I’m always telling you about my life, but I still hardly know anything about you.”

  Charlotte felt a twinge of guilt at how accurate his words were, but she countered them instinctively. “That’s not true. You know I’m adopted.”

  “But I don’t know why you were really riding out in the country,” Jake said. “Why are you really here?”

  She looked out at the view. “Does it matter?”

  “It matters to me.” He shifted in front of her so she would have to look at him. When she saw the sincerity on his face, she felt compelled to share what little she could.

  “I guess you could say my life changed after my dad died, and I needed to run away for a while.”

  “On horseback.” Jake stared at her, waiting for her to offer more of an explanation. When she said nothing, he spoke again. “Running away doesn’t usually solve problems. Sometimes it can make them worse.”

  She stiffened. “I thought you would understand. I got the impression you’ve spent some time running yourself.”

  “Now you’re starting to sound like my sister.”

  “Is that a bad thing?” she asked.

  “Lately it is. Kennedy met her husband while she was in college. He was just finishing up school to become an orthodontist. Even though they’ve started a great life together, she wants the farm to remain the same as it’s always been. In her mind, that includes me bowing down to what our dad wanted for me.”

  “Which was following in his footsteps?”

  “Exactly. That’s why I don’t understand why she came unglued when she found out I inherited the farm.”

  Charlotte put her hand on his arm. “Wait. Your parents left you everything?”

  “No, Kennedy received an inheritance, but it was mostly in cash assets.”

  Now Charlotte understood. “She got the money, but you got the history.”

  “I never really thought of it that way, but yeah, I got the history . . . and the weight of it.”

  “Jake, appreciate your history and the fact that you know who you are and where you come from.” She stood silently for a moment, surprised at how badly she wanted to help smooth away the hurt. Not sure she trusted her deepening feelings, she said, “We should get back.”

  Jake took her hand, sending a flutter of emotions through her. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I should appreciate what I have. Being around you makes me realize how hard it would be to be without it.”

  They stood in silence for a moment, holding hands, the horses grazing behind them.

  Jake edged forward. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

  “I haven’t done anything except what you hired me to do.”

  “No, you’ve do
ne much more than that. You made my house a home again. You made me feel like I can spend time here without drowning in the past.”

  As compliments went, it was a good one. Charlotte gave his hand a squeeze. “I’ve enjoyed being here. It’s the kind of place that helps me feel peace even when I know chaos is going on everywhere else.”

  “Are you ever going to tell me about this chaos of yours?”

  Charlotte considered for a moment, opting for a version of the truth she knew he wouldn’t believe. “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

  Jake took her comment in stride. “I want to know more about you.”

  Charlotte heard the earnestness in his words, and she was surprised to find a deep sense of trust for this man she barely knew. He released her hand and slid his around her waist.

  She felt his breath flutter over her lips, and a bevy of butterflies erupted in her stomach. His eyes stayed on hers, their faces close, Jake staring at her as though trying to memorize every detail, every sensation.

  When he leaned forward to press his lips to hers, the butterflies took flight and sent her heart and mind spinning. Every coherent thought escaped her as she let herself get lost in the kiss.

  The breeze fluttered around them, the earthy smell of the horses and the woods combining with the lingering scent of Jake’s aftershave.

  Though she had enjoyed being with him the night before, now, with his lips moving slowly and easily against hers, she found herself dreaming of a life like the one she was currently living—a home, a family, someone to share it with. That thought startled her, causing her to pull away. When she looked up at Jake and saw an equally confused look on his face, she didn’t know what to think.

  “I suppose I should have asked this earlier, but do you have any issues with dating your boss?”

  The sense of belonging and joy warred with her recent loss. “I’ve never thought about it before. I’ve always worked for my dad.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up difficult memories.” He touched his lips gently to hers as though trying to soothe away the pain. When he pulled back, he trailed his hand up and down her back, sending goose bumps over her skin. “What I was trying to say is that I want to be more than just the guy who signs your paychecks.”

  She rolled his words through her mind, both awed and delighted that this man she was developing feelings for was interested in her as well. Her words didn’t come easily when faced with the thought that her time here was limited and that her career wasn’t one that made relationships easy. Could Jake truly care about her even though she would never be able to be completely open with him?

  He seemed to sense her uncertainty and added with wry humor, “Of course, we both know that, technically, I’m not your boss. My grandmother still runs this house whether she realizes it or not.”

  Charlotte smiled at the thought. “I think she enjoys her role as matriarch of your family.” Her horse nudged her, causing her to lose her footing. Jake held her fast, sending her emotional balance tumbling. “We really should get back.”

  His eyes intent on hers, he stared for a moment without moving. Then he looked out at the view before turning his gaze back to her. Releasing her, he took her horse’s reins to hold the mare steady while Charlotte remounted.

  “You’re quite the gentleman, aren’t you?” Charlotte said.

  “Not usually.” He waited for her to swing herself up into the saddle before adding, “I’m starting to think you bring out the best in me.”

  Again she saw intensity in his eyes, but before she could comment, he mounted his horse and turned back the way they’d come.

  Chapter 25

  Charlotte spooned the marinade over the flank steak, her mind still on that moment in the woods with Jake. For the first time in her life, she found herself faced with hopes and dreams for a home and family, dreams she had never taken much time to consider before, dreams she was afraid to explore now.

  She slid the glass pan into the refrigerator and wandered over to the window overlooking the mountains. For most of her life, she had studied and trained for the career she now possessed, a career that had brought her father’s life to an end and had left her alone and on the run. But she wasn’t alone right now. She had Jake and Abigail. Or did she? One kiss didn’t mean this was going to last. Her meeting with Ace in a few weeks would surely end things even if Jake’s feelings did go beyond a few dates.

  “He’s going back to New York,” she muttered to herself, trying to keep things in perspective. As much as she might want a simple life in the country, it wasn’t meant to be. She heard music coming from Abigail’s room and went to check on her. The older woman was happily listening to an old vinyl record and knitting.

  With nothing to occupy herself at the moment, Charlotte wandered into the living room and debated how she should spend her time. She didn’t feel comfortable going for a ride while Abigail was awake, and she and Abigail had already gone through and tended to the basic housework earlier that morning. Jake had offered to hire someone to do the cleaning, but Abigail seemed to enjoy tending to the basic chores of keeping house.

  Charlotte couldn’t remember if the bookshelves had been dusted recently and crossed the room. One particular shelf caught her eye. She moved closer to find the complete collection of Jackson Clark. When she noticed his newest book, one she had yet to read, she pulled it off the shelf.

  Abigail and Jake had both told her she could borrow any of the books she wanted, and Charlotte decided now was a great time to accept that offer. She crossed to her favorite chair by the bay window overlooking the front lawn. Eager to distract herself for a while, she flipped open the first page and began to read.

  She heard the door open an hour later and looked up when Jake walked in. Embarrassed to be caught indulging in what was one of her favorite guilty pleasures, she stood up. “I’m sorry. I hope it’s okay that I borrowed one of your books.”

  “That’s fine. I told you to help yourself.” Jake rolled his shoulders as though trying to work some kinks out of his back. “Which one are you reading?”

  She held it up so he could see the cover.

  “Oh, yeah. That one just came out in April.”

  “I thought I hadn’t seen it before.”

  “Where’s my grandma?” Jake asked.

  “She’s in her room, listening to her music.”

  “In that case, do you want to go get that article? I thought we could start the research on that family you were talking about.”

  Charlotte set the book aside. “That would be great, but shouldn’t you be working?”

  “I need a break. I think I hit a wall.”

  “Does that happen often?”

  “Occasionally, especially when I’m transitioning between scenes. One of my main characters needs to transport forward in time. I’m trying to figure out a way to make it seem believable.”

  Charlotte chuckled. “You could always have her drop into a pasture in the middle of a thunderstorm. A lightning strike maybe?”

  Jake grinned. “You know, I actually thought about that. You were certainly dressed for the part when I met you.”

  “Yes, I was, wasn’t I?” The humor drained out of her as the memory flooded through her, reality catching up with the fantasy she was currently living in.

  Jake narrowed his eyes and shook his head as though he’d picked up on her thoughts. “Why don’t you go get that article, and we can start our search.”

  Charlotte retrieved the article from her room and joined Jake in the office. She sat beside him and handed it to him.

  “Let’s see what we can find.” Jake typed in a Google search for the accident, but he didn’t find any more than what Charlotte had already discovered. He went into one of the genealogy programs and did another search, again coming up empty. “Nothing’s showing up.”

  “Do you think it’s odd that the obituary didn’t mention any living family members?”

  “That is odd. I can
try to dig out some actual birth records.”

  She thought of the many resources she normally had access to as a government employee with top-secret clearances. She now found herself overwhelmed with the need to learn how normal people searched for information. “How do we find the birth records if we don’t know where they were born?”

  “Well, the accident happened here in Virginia. That’s as good a place as any to start. I can also look in Maryland and D.C. If we don’t get a hit in those, we’ll expand our search.”

  “Is it hard to find birth records?”

  “Not too hard. Actually, I need to go into Richmond and file some paperwork for my parents’ estate. When I do, I can check the records out while I’m there. At some point, I’ll probably need a long drive to help me organize my thoughts.” Jake shifted his attention back to the computer. “What do you know about your family?”

  “Not really anything. I only know I went to live with my parents when I was three and my biological parents were killed in a car accident.”

  “You don’t think this article is about your parents, do you?”

  Charlotte hesitated. His suspicions mirrored her own, but as much as she wanted to confide in him, she knew she couldn’t. Her training simply wouldn’t allow it. “I seriously doubt it.”

  “Where were you born?”

  “Ohio,” Charlotte answered, giving the information consistent with her alias.

  “I can request your birth certificate.”

  “No, that’s okay. I think for now I’d rather research this other family. I don’t know if I’m ready to find out about my own.”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  “It is, at least for now,” Charlotte said again. “Hopefully the friend I’m meeting in a few weeks will be able to give me the information I’m looking for, or at least a starting place.”

  “I hope he can help you too.”

  * * *

  Ace juggled a bag of groceries in his hand as he walked into the safe house. What he wouldn’t give for a personal chef right now. He was halfway through putting away the cereal and canned goods when he received a secure text message from one of his fellow guardians.