Finding Leigh: Dark Horse Inc. Book 3

by Amy J. Hawthorn

  “Watch me? Then do the same and sit behind me.” Releasing his waist, she stepped back.

  “Sure thing.” The utter lack of enthusiasm warred with the meaning of his words. She didn’t know whether to be amused or feel sorry for him. She mounted the horse, wishing she could help make his climb easier. She settled for being satisfied that he’d agreed to the ride. Patting the horse’s neck, she tried not to look as if she were watching over him.

  As she’d known he would, he copied her moves. Despite the weakness in his healing leg, he still looked strong, capable. At least until he awkwardly settled behind her and she felt the tenseness of his body from shoulder to hips. “Relax. It’ll be easier on all of us. Hold onto me, and I’ll have you up to Trent’s in no time.”

  “Wait. Don’t you have to take care of her before you put her to bed or whatever horses do in their spare time?” Rick asked as she urged Tallahassee into a walk.

  “I do.”

  His hands gripped her hips. “Just take me with you. I’ll walk from there. I don’t want to make you go out of your way for me.”

  “It’s not a big deal to drop you off first. You really do need to get off that leg. Trent won’t give you too hard a time. He’s worried about you, you know. You scared everyone. You’re the glue that holds them all together.”

  “They’d do fine without me. Each member is smart and talented. They don’t know the meaning of the word quit.”

  “But you were the one that brought them back together, and you did that for Kate. I can never repay you for that, by the way. You barely knew her.”

  “I liked her immediately. She’s good for Trent. Anyone would have tried to help her.”

  “No, not everyone would have. Too many people have become complacent. Far too often, at work, I see people turn a blind eye toward elderly neighbors who can barely make it to the mailbox, or hungry children just a few doors down. You nearly died for doing the right thing. Thank you.”

  His tone seemed flat, impersonal when he deftly changed topics. “My wound isn’t that bad. Even super nurse Cara admitted it’s healing well. You’re right, I did do too much today, but it’s mostly muscle soreness. Tallahassee shouldn’t have to pay for my idiocy. The walk from the barn to Trent’s is a shorter distance over level ground. You can show me what is needed to care for her. I’ll need to learn someday, anyway.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Well...considering on a silly whim, I bought a horse farm that nearly rivals the Walker’s in size, I should probably learn what it’s all about.”

  “I didn’t think you would want horses of your own. Why did you go with a horse farm?”

  “I don’t want them for me, but they would make a great smokescreen for Dark Horse operations and…” He sounded sad as his words trailed off.

  She used his words from earlier in the day against him. “And? Come on, no teasing. Everyone knows the rule. You drop hints, you have to spill.” She felt the rise and fall of his chest against her back as he contemplated heavy thoughts.

  “Addie. She’s not mine. Never will be. But each time I see a horse, I think of her and all the things she should have. The night of the fire out at Kate’s? She risked a hell of a lot to check on Bonnie. She called us horse thieves and was fighting mad over it. She loves that animal. Hell, it was probably the only thing she had to call her own.” He paused for a moment as she led Tallahassee up the rise then continued. If possible, he sounded even more forlorn. “You’re right. I don’t need to know anything about horses. No need.” She ached with the need to comfort him.

  She tried to draw him back to his comfort zone—business. “The location of Underwood Farms is near ideal for Dark Horse operations. It’s not far at all from the interstate, but you’ll have privacy. What is it exactly that you’ll do with the business?”

  “I haven’t decided. I really haven’t had time to put a lot of thought into it. It must seem like I have all the time in the world to everyone, but I have trouble concentrating on anything other than finding Addie and Sutton.”

  They came to level ground, giving them a better view. Trent’s home lay to her left and the stables to the right. She made her choice, urging Tallahassee right. Rick had lost a little of his tenseness, but he remained still and awkward behind her.

  “Don’t beat yourself up over it. You spend too much time taking care of everyone else. We’re all willing to help.”

  He was quiet for a long moment then, as if admitting defeat, he replied. “As trite as it sounds, I don’t know how to let go. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been the one to take charge. I’ve always wanted to, never once considered it a chore.”

  “It’s the nature of your beast. I understand.” Tallahassee neared the stable where she was housed. “Early on, my family encouraged me to go into nursing or medical school. There’s not a lot of money to be made in my field, especially in our county. They wanted more security for me. I refused. From day one, I knew I wanted, needed, to go into social work.”

  “It didn't take long for them to give up the fight did it, did it?” Humor laced his voice. There was no disbelief or doubt in his tone, just acceptance and understanding.

  “No. It didn’t. By the time I was finishing high school, my parents were experts in all the ways I could be bullheaded. They were probably relieved just to see me graduate.”

  Shifting, he relaxed a bit. When he spoke, his voice rumbled just above her ear. Shivers raced from her nape to the base of her spine. “I heard Kate call you troublemaker the other evening. What was that all about? How can a dedicated social worker be such a hellion?”

  “It’s an old family joke. I got into some trouble early in high school. The name and the reputation stuck.”

  She stopped the horse at open doors large enough to drive a train through. “Can you get—” before she finished her question, he’d already begun to dismount. She watched as he stepped down then discretely tested his leg. The instant he appeared satisfied, he reached up to help her down. “No, it’s okay.” She’d barely lifted one leg over when he gripped her waist and the world spun as he lifted her. She just resisted wrapping her legs around his waist. Instead she settled for bracing her hands on his shoulders. A moment later she felt the earth beneath her feet.

  It wasn’t the first time she'd noticed that his upper body strength hadn’t suffered the least bit. His broad shoulders and flat abdomen filled out his tees to perfection.

  With Tallahassee at her back, he’d boxed her in close enough to feel his body heat. His breath brushed softly across her cheek. Air charged with heat and long denied desire whispered over her.

  Sweat beaded at his temple. He licked his lips, and forget keeping track of their conversation. She couldn't remember her own name.

  He spoke in the quiet rumbling way she loved. “What did you do?”

  She blinked. “Do what? When?” Where? How? Who? Thankfully, breathing was an automated function, otherwise she’d be blue in the face. She shifted her focus from the temptation of his mouth, meeting his gaze with hers only to sink into the depths of his dark as night eyes.

  Liquid need pulsed through her.

  “In school. What could you have done that branded you a troublemaker for years?” One hand squeezed her hip and the other tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. A cool breeze whispered through the barn. Horses shifted in the background, content in their stalls.

  She blinked and took a breath. Then another. A single finger flirted with the skin just about her jeans. Her breath hitched somewhere between her sternum and her heart.

  She swallowed. “Which time?”

  He quirked a half-smile and shook his head once. “Why am I not surprised? Pick the one you got into the most trouble for.” He reached out as if to teasingly tug her hair. His features softened and desire glittered in his eyes. His hand slowed and caressed down the length of her hair, all traces of play gone.

  She matched his grin with one of her own. “I got suspended for pranking the
high school’s basketball star. I went to the thrift store and bought an enormous pair of granny-panties. Later, I attached them to his car antenna with superglue, like a flag.”

  “Why in the world would you do that?” His head shot back a few inches and his eyes widened.

  “He was picking on one of the girls from the trailer park, saying really nasty things to her.”

  “And you stood up for her when no one else would.” His face softened as he looked down on her.”

  “He was quiet, so none of the teachers heard the nasty things he said to her. Melissa, the girl I stood up for, was so embarrassed, she wouldn’t say anything at all.”

  “It’s no wonder you became a social worker. It’s in your blood.”

  “It is. It’s hard, sometimes heart wrenching, but I miss it even now. There’s not any way I can get back to work until after he’s caught, is there?”

  “No. I’m sorry, there’s not. I won’t allow it.” Regret softened his voice.

  “I’m trying to behave, really, but I don’t know how much longer I can bear it.”

  He tilted his head in confusion. “Behave? How are you supposed to behave while you’re here?”

  “I’m trying to give you space, letting you do what you do best without interference. Part of me wants to be underfoot, asking a million questions about what you’ve found and what your plans are. I would only be a hindrance. If I could go to work, even for just a few hours a week, I think it was ease my restlessness. I don’t do well with boredom.”

  “Give me a little more time and we’ll get him. Hang in there, okay?” He kissed her briefly, sweetly then pulled back.

  “Okay.” She dropped her forehead to his chest and sighed. What else could she do? She looked up and met his dark gaze. “I trust you.”

  A flash of something dark and potent flickered in his eyes. He seemed hurt, torn.

  Pulled closer as if by some invisible force, her body brushed his. The heat of his palm pressed flat against the bare skin of her lower back holding her in place. The other returned to her waist.

  Blissfully helpless, she waited, star struck as his mouth descended. Firm, full, silken lips brushed hers. She parted, thirsting for his taste, so hungry for any morsel he’d give.

  Tangling her fingers in the material of his shirt, she held on and succumbed. He groaned, the sound a delicious rumble. Thinking she’d won, that he’d finally surrendered to the unbreakable pull that bound them, she smiled beneath his mouth.

  His kiss was everything she’d dreamed of and more. Desire, fiery and fierce burned through her, all-consuming. His tongue met hers, seducing and claiming. He pulled away, only to return for more. They crashed together in a passion fueled maelstrom.

  His hand swept up under her shirt, across the bare expanse of desire sensitized flesh, then pressed her front flat against his, crushing her against him in the most delicious way. Dizzy with need, her every cell seemed to reach for his with a desperate ache.

  Tallahassee shifted behind her and brushed against her back. Rick pulled out of the kiss, rested his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes. Starved for air, their chests rose and fell in a matched rhythm.

  Then without a word, he walked away.

  In a not-so-subtle hint for attention, Tallahassee nudged her shoulder. She turned and reached for the reins. She run a hand along the horse’s neck. Pressing her cheek to Tallahassee’s side she closed her eyes to shut out the heartbreaking view. She might be a strong, independent woman, but that didn’t make it hurt any less when she watched the man she loved walk away.

  Chapter 10

  Instantly alert, Rick checked the caller ID and answered his cell. “It’s nearly one a.m., Pete. What’s going on?” With the youngest member of Dark Horse, it could be anything from the most random and trivial nonsense to Armageddon.

  Pete’s words came out quiet and rushed, tumbling one after another. “Sorry, but I might have found something and knew you would want to hear the news right away.”

  Rick sat up on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes, afraid to hope. He braced his elbows on his knees and swallowed before replying. “Yeah. I was awake. If it’s anything remotely important, call at any hour. What did you find?” He hadn’t slept well since the shooting, and each time Addie had slipped through his fingers, his insomnia had only gotten worse.

  “Well, I’ve been digging through Tom Caudill’s family tree, property history, and really anything connected to the asshole. I’ve covered the same ground over and over. Haven’t found shit. I got tired of chasing my tail.” Rick waited, hoping Pete got to the point sooner rather than later. “Everything’s led me to a dead end. I’ve run numerous searches on Addie’s mother too with the same result. Nothing.”

  Rick head spun with the speed of Pete’s words. “Whoa, lay off the caffeine. You’re going to give yourself a heart attack, and Crystal will have my hide.”

  His friend’s speech slowed a fraction in an all too serious and unPete-like way. “Not until we get her home, boss. I got my girls, and I may not have a lot of money, but I’ll work three jobs and give them every fuckin’ penny I have before I let them go without a single cookie. That girl needs a home and good people to care for her, too. If you and Leigh can’t take her in, then Crystal said she’d sign us up for foster parent classes. We’ll make room for her. The girls might like having a big sister.”

  Rick closed his eyes and hoped to hell they found Addie soon. Her loss had taken its toll on every member of his team. They all suffered for his failure. He chose not to reply to Pete’s words, hoping he got to something important sometime before sunrise. His thoughts had pulled him out of the conversation but his head snapped up when Pete’s information registered. “We know that Amanda Caudill was born Amanda Potter. Tom’s property came to him through her. Amanda’s father, John Potter, had two sisters, Bethany and Pauline. Pauline married Chuck Wilson at the age of seventeen. I ran a search on the properties on either side of Caudill’s and came up with squat. The property directly beside the Caudill’s belonged to Bethany Franklin. Just beyond the Franklin property is another large parcel that was deeded to Pauline Wilson until about three years ago. She passed away and the property went to the county for unpaid taxes. It was sold at auction and a new family built a new home there about eighteen months ago.” Pete paused to take a breath, unintentionally giving Rick a chance to speak.

  “Pete? Please tell me this is going somewhere. I’m getting dizzy.” Maybe it took a brain that operated as fast as Pete’s to process this amount of info. “If someone not related to the Caudills, Potters or even the Wilsons owns the property now, what’s so special about it?”

  “Caves.”

  Caves. That one words stopped Rick’s heart. “Where on the property are the caves? Is it likely that she would know of them?”

  “John Potter’s parents purchased about two hundred acres in 1947. When they passed away, the land was divided into three pie-shaped wedges. John, Pauline, and Bethany each got an equal share. From the road, it’s quite a distance, even to drive, but the caves are closer the center of the pie. There, at the narrow end of the wedge, the distance to the caves from Tom’s place would be a fair hike, but not impossible, even for a half-grown child.”

  “A child who grew up in those woods.”

  “Exactly. Especially one who may have spent a great deal of time there with her grandfather, the Army vet.”

  “Fuckin A, Pete.” The knot in his gut loosened. It was almost too perfect, made too much sense.

  Could it really be that simple?

  Eager and, if possible, even more wound up than usual, Pete spoke. “Boss, I only have one question.”

  Lost in his thought and hopes, Rick asked distractedly. “What’s that?”

  “When are we going? If I head out now, I can meet you in Potter county in about thirty-five minutes, maybe sooner since the roads will be empty at this hour.”

  Every cell in his body screamed at him to go now. Break protocol,
skip calling in his team, grab his keys, and haul ass through the dead of night. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He couldn’t ever do that to his team again. They’d all worried, sweated and even shed a tear or two over this girl. They’d never forgive him if he did something so unsafe and unfair. They deserved so much better from him.

  And Leigh. Dear god, Leigh. She’d been so patient, placing all her trust in him to do the right thing and to bring their girl home safely.

  Their girl.

  Shit. No.

  “Try to get some rest if you can and be here at dawn. I’ll wait until 0400 to call in the rest of the team to meet us here. Be here at 0500.”

  “Yeah!” Pete yelled into the phone.

  When Rick heard Crystal shush her excited husband, he smiled, his heart a hundred times lighter.

  Wanting his team to meet at five am, he’d waited until four to notify everyone except Trent and Pete. Pete had already been notified, and Trent had only to travel from one end of his house to the other in a fifteen second commute.

  Rick was sitting at the dining room table, looking at satellite images of the area Pete had pinpointed, when Trent walked in. His friend ran a hand through his shower-damp hair and glared at him. “What’s got you so fired up? We need to get you settled with your own woman. Maybe then you’ll think twice about leaving her side before sunrise.”

  “Bullshit.” Rick looked at his friend and frowned. “You would have been up within the half hour anyway. You have horses to pamper and who knows what else needs doing around here. You’re the crazy one.”

  “So, what gives?” Trent took a seat at the table and leaned back, stretching.

  “Got a call from Pete a couple of hours ago. He found a promising lead, possibly the most promising thing we’ve had so far.”

  He snapped to attention, all traces of snark gone. “Your girl?”

  Your girl. There it is again.

  Rick chose to ignore his friend’s words and the tug in his chest when he answered. “There’s another property that used to belong to the Potters not too far away from the Caudill land.”