RESCUED

by Lyz Kelley

  “There were eight men in the compound. Three in the loading bay, and I knew you could take out three, but eight? Broken locks would prevent the others from getting in.”

  “Wouldn’t it also prevent us from getting out?”

  “At the time, you weren’t too worried about getting out.”

  A good ol’ teary-eyed, knee-slapping kind of laugh bubbled up from nowhere. He threw his head back and gave into the temporary relief, and extended his hand. “Rivers. Thanks for your help.”

  “You’re welcome.” His friend squeezed his hand. “You still seeing your father’s ghost?”

  Surprise coiled in his stomach. Thad shifted and pulled at the label of his beer. “He’s always around, in my head, my dreams. I can’t get rid of him.”

  Rivers’ eyes grew dark and severe. “Let your father come. Embrace the memories. Then blow them away. He doesn't matter anymore.” Rivers put his hand to his mouth and blew, then thrust his hand into the air, his fingers splayed. “You will be wiser, stronger for it.”

  Rivers patted Thad on the shoulder and then left the party without a sound.

  Contentment sauntered into the room and massaged his shoulders. For the first time in forever he didn’t feel worthless. Thad turned to see Karly standing by the dessert table.

  He shouldn’t hover. She’d get claustrophobic and push him away, but he craved her company. She attracted him like a dog to a fresh slice of ham. He couldn’t resist. Didn’t want to resist. She’d given him a purpose, and he’d protect her—no matter what.

  She turned just as he approached. “Lopez! You almost got tiramisu all over your shirt.”

  “I wouldn’t mind, if you promise to lick it off.” He started to smile until her eyes darkened, and her plate started to shake in her hand.

  “Thad—”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to marry me again. Twice is enough.”

  Her eyes held a wanting—no, more sadness. Both irritated him, because he couldn’t figure out what she wanted. One minute, she’s telling him don’t go there, the next she’s sending hold-me signals. What the hell was he supposed to do? He needed a map, and she hadn’t even bothered to give him a compass.

  “Karly, I know you don’t want people to care, but we do. What you went through…”

  “I can’t do this. Not here. Not tonight.”

  She slid her dessert plate onto the nearest table and made a direct line for the door, picking up momentum as she went. By the time she got to the door, she was practically running.

  “Is everything okay?” Joe asked.

  Hell, no. Thad studied his beer, now lukewarm. “Are you sure nothing happened to Karly while she was gone?”

  “She said nothing happened. Why?”

  “Just curious.” Thad set his bottle on the table. “Nice speech, by the way.” He glanced toward the door. “But I think I’d better call it a night.”

  “I was wondering if you were going to go after her or just stand here like an idiot.”

  “Excuse me?” Thad had the urge to punch something. Joe was standing in front of him, and in the wrong place at exactly the wrong time.

  Thad moved back a bit. “What’s that smile about?”

  He hadn’t spent a lot of time with Joe, but that fat grin indicated he was up to something. “My deputies need to be able to think on their feet. If you hadn’t, I would have trashed the idea of asking you to come in next week to talk about a job.”

  “Seriously? I’d love to help rebuild this town—help you put it back together the way it was.” He summed up the man. Husband. Soon-to-be father. Protector of this town. He could work for someone with solid integrity, and wouldn’t have to do construction work after all.

  “Your dad had a reputation for working out his problems with his fists.”

  “Yeah. So?”

  “Rivers doesn’t think you’re like that. What do you say?”

  He wouldn’t be reckless anymore, or put himself in front of a bullet just to prove a point.

  He had a purpose.

  Protect this town.

  Protect Karly.

  “I think Rivers is right. I’m not my dad. Never have been. My father was wrong about me.”

  Joe shifted and leaned in. “How so?”

  “He said I was worthless. Couldn’t do a thing right. Would never amount to much.” He looked at the door, then around the room. “Protecting and saving lives isn’t nothing. It’s worth a lot.”

  “You got that right.” Joe’s approval beamed across his face. “Now, get out of here. Go find Karly.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Thad took off at a trot, hitting the front door with enough force to clear the door and make it to the curb in time to see Karly’s taillights disappear around the corner.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets and tilted his head toward the night sky.

  Over the years, he’d had many challenging assignments to protect people who didn’t always want to be protected. Some days were hard, but none were going to be as difficult as this one. Karly didn’t want his protection. Heck, she didn’t want him...well, other than as a friend. His determination kicked in. He'd be there for her, because he’d given her his heart, and he didn’t want it back.

  Ever.

  He’d adjust. Become the man he wanted to be. For himself. For her.

  And continue practicing patience.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Thad waited three days to let her settle back into her routine before visiting.

  The Army taught him when to push forward, when to fall back. He just needed to bide his time. He’d let her run. Eventually, she’d get tired, or he’d capture her heart with love and kindness. Getting her to love him back, well…that might take more time.

  “I have awesome news.” Thad walked into Karly's office. “Joe’s offered me a job.”

  Karly looked up from her computer. “That’s great,” she said, although the enthusiasm didn’t follow.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with me taking a deputy job, versus working for Chase?”

  “Ummm…Sorry? I’m still trying to switch gears here.” She tossed her pen on the desk. “Deputy. That’s great news, and it shouldn’t matter what I think. It’s what is important to you.” She pushed her hair off her shoulder and stretched as if she’d been sitting for hours. “When do you start?”

  “There's some paperwork and a few tests. Part of the requirement for me to work for the force is getting my leg back in shape and EMDR therapy.”

  “What type of therapy? I’ve never heard of the EM…what did you call it?”

  “EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's some new psychotherapy that will be useful for helping me get my dad’s voice out of my head. Both Joe and I feel talking to someone will help.”

  “That sounds great.”

  Ah, that smile. If he could see her beauteous expression every minute of every day, he’d be a happy man.

  “Joe will be hiring some new deputies, and wants me to train them in hand-to-hand combat and tactical maneuvering. He’s already hired a female he wants me to test. She’s moving up from Denver.”

  “That’s great. I’m pleased for you.”

  Thad sat on the edge of her desk. The floral scent from her shampoo wafted by, and he wanted to lean in closer to savor her essence. “You seem distracted today. What’s up? Something seems off.”

  “Something’s off, all right. My bank account. My business. It’s all off.”

  Thad studied the computer screen and saw a bunch of red. “Is that your financial statement for the year?”

  “Yep. Even with not accepting any more rescues, adding volunteers, and cutting back on expenses, I still don’t have enough to pay the back bills plus fund operations. I just can't seem to figure out a way to make this place work. Even with the donated food and supplies, I can't do it.”

  Can’t? She’d been using that word a lot lately. She never used to.

  The tears welling in
her eyes shredded his determination to keep his distance. He pulled her into his arms. “It’ll be okay, Karly. We'll figure something out. I’ve already been working on a plan to create some Facebook ads and get you more traffic to your site.”

  “You have?” Her eyes expanded with her surprise.

  “Yep. I just need to look into a few more things before I share.”

  Her whole body deflated. “I wanted to prove to my parents I could do this, run a business. They never supported my dream, well, not until recently.”

  “If the Army taught me one thing, it’s that a team of people can accomplish more than just one person.”

  “It’s too little, too late. I've already put in calls to other shelters. They're willing to take some of the animals. I also called my brother this morning. That manager job in Denver’s still open. I still have time to get my resume in, not that I know how to write one.”

  Wow. “An office job?” He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake until her common sense returned. “That's what you want to do?”

  “What choice do I have? With everything that has happened over the last few weeks, I’m tired of the way people look at me like I’m some rescue that they have to adopt.” Karly shuffled papers on her desk. “Plus, my mother is being weird. She cleaned my apartment yesterday.”

  “That doesn’t sound unusual.”

  “She didn’t rearrange the furniture this time or reorganize my closet. Everything was where it was supposed to be when I got home.”

  “That is weird.” Thad handed Karly a stray paperclip that had fallen to the floor. “Who replaced your mother with an alien?” Thad walked around to the other side of Karly’s desk. “Just kidding.”

  “No, you’re not.” She shoved the papers into one of the filing cabinets. “It’s just I jump at every little sound. I have these nightmares. I can’t even go running and exercise the dogs, because I’m terrified someone will jump out and grab me. I know it’s silly. I need to get over the fear, because I love to run, and the large dogs need to release some energy.”

  I can appreciate how you feel. “We can run together.”

  “That still doesn’t solve the problem of funding.”

  “How much do you need?”

  “If I maintain my boarding and adoption income average, I'm still short five thousand dollars.”

  Thad let out an elongated whistle. “That’s a chunk of change.”

  “My point. Even if I train more service dogs, it won't be enough. I need money now. Plus, training dogs takes away from my time running the business. I’m exhausted and running low on chow.”

  “This kennel has been your dream.” Thad pushed. “If you give up now, you might regret it.”

  “If I can’t properly feed or take care of these animals, I’ll regret it even more. These guys have already been through enough.”

  “Promise me you’ll give me a week.”

  “Thad—”

  “No. Promise me. Just one week. Let me see if I can come up with something.”

  “You need to concentrate on your new job.”

  “Let me worry about my job. We need to come up with ideas for how to keep this place running.”

  “Have you ever thought it might be better, for both of us, if I leave town? I've seen the way you look at me, and you always seem to want more. I've already told you I can't give you more.”

  A slow breath eased out his chest. Patience. He needed to have patience. “Let’s just take one step at a time. Let's focus on your business, and we can discuss our future some other time.”

  The muscles in her face worked like gears on a bike, rotating around and around and around trying to get all the muscles working together, but then the ticking motion stopped, and she shrugged. “Okay. You’ve talked me into it. One week. I’ll give it one more week, then I have to start getting these animals placed, or find foster families.”

  “I’ll take the week, and raise you exercising daily.”

  “What are we, playing poker now?”

  There was the pushback he loved. “It’s called physical therapy. In your case, it’s physical therapy for the mind. You need to keep doing what you love to do. What you went through was horrific, and nobody should have to go through that kind of thing. You need to give yourself a break, Karly. You need to give yourself time to heal.”

  She put her feet up on her desk, leaned back and crossed her arms. “Are you healed?”

  “I’m getting there, but it’s taken me much longer than I ever thought it would. How about it? We can each take three dogs. You can always do the paperwork later tonight.”

  “Thad Lopez, did anyone ever tell you you're persistent?”

  He chuckled. “I've been called a lot of things, but persistent hasn't ever been one of them.” Thad stood. “Why don’t I get the kennels loaded and the supplies packed while you finish up here?” The skepticism on her face he wanted to erase. “C’mon, it’ll be fun.”

  Her sad eyes lifted to him. “Thank you. You’ve been a great friend these past several weeks. I'm glad you came home.”

  Friend. He was starting to hate that word. “Yeah. Me too.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Neon, my man, I need a favor.” Thad paced across the floorboards of his kitchen.

  “Monk. Good to hear from you, buddy. What can I do for you?” There was no hesitation, no what-now tone in his friend’s voice. Support for life. That’s military for you.

  “I need to tap into your social media network. I need to raise money, and fast. It’s for a good cause.”

  “Don’t tell me that old cabin’s got leaks.”

  “No, man, nothing like that. There’s this animal shelter that trains service dogs. Some of the guys coming back need help. I want to raise funds to train the dogs.”

  “Hey, Kenny? Thad’s on the line. Doesn’t your sister own a kennel?”

  #Busted.

  “Neon?” He waited for the shuffling to die down. “Neon. Yo, man. Just forget it.”

  “Not happening. You need a love fund. That’s what you need, and Kenny and I will get you one.”

  Love fund? He was never going to live this one down. Sometimes there was a downside to having buddies who knew too much. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

  “No. It’s a great idea. We gotcha covered. Tell me what you're thinking.”

  Turbulent insecurity tumbled through his chest. You can do this. He hated asking for help, but he wanted this for Karly. He rolled his neck to steady his uneasiness. “I want to set up a page on CrowdFund.com, see if I can’t get a few people to chip in. I need to raise five grand.”

  “Dude, I know you’re doing this to help Kenny’s sister, but you’ll also be helping vets. If we’re going to do this, do it right. Set the goal high.”

  “You know how to do this stuff. What do you suggest?”

  “Let’s double it, and see where we land.”

  “Double?” Wow. “That’s a hefty goal.” Thad watched a herd of elk move through his pasture and stop to graze. Every member of the herd depended on the others to alert them to danger, and to keep the group healthy. Just like his friends. “Okay, ten grand. Ask Kenny to help.”

  At that moment, the clouds shifted and the sun unveiled her brilliant colors.

  Maybe this would work.

  The heavy burden he’d been carrying slid off his shoulders.

  “I ain’t gonna ask. He’ll help. I won’t be able to stop him.” Neon puffed out in disgust. “If this is for you, and his sister, he’ll fill the love bucket to overflowin’.”

  It’s more than about me. “If I don’t get this money, Karly will give up her dreams. I can’t let that happen.”

  “It’s about time you unbolted that door. I’ve been wondering when you were going to admit to loving that woman.” I already asked her to marry me—twice.

  Love. What a funny thing it could be. He leaned against the counter. “Karly stole my heart when I was in grade school, and she’s n
ever given it back.”

  “Then let me talk to some buddies and see what we can do. Once you get the account set up, send me the link. There’s this guy at the hospital in San Antonio. He makes videos of vets returning from the zone. I’ll see if he’s willing to put together a few clips.”

  His excitement transformed into real possibilities. “That would be great.”

  “Hey, Kenny wants to talk to you. Hang on a second.” The moments ticked by and Thad waited.

  “Monk?”

  “Hey, Kenny. What’s up? You doing better?”

  “Yeah, the sergeant is sending me on a new course next month. All’s good. How about you? Are you staying out of trouble?”

  The last few weeks slashed through his mind, but he couldn’t tell Kenny about the kidnapping. It wasn’t his story to tell, and Karly insisted her brother shouldn’t be told, especially while he was preparing to leave. Kenny needed to keep his head in the game. Karly’s words, not his, because war wasn’t a game.

  “No trouble here.” Thad switched the phone to the other ear. “You wouldn’t happen to know if something happened to Karly after I left Elkridge, would you? I get the feeling it’s something bad.”

  “Karly’s always been a locked box. Not even a crowbar will open her up unless she wants to tell you what’s going on.”

  “Would someone else know?”

  “Our cousin in New York, maybe, but when it comes to Karly, she wouldn’t say a word. She's loyal. Always has been.”

  “I’d sure like to know what she’s afraid of. It’s like she’s resigned to spending her life alone.”

  “Wish I could help you out there, man, but Karly’s always kept to herself. I’m the closest to her, and I still don’t think anyone knows my sister.”

  Good to know. “Thanks. If you think of anything, shoot me an email.”

  “Good talking to you. Catch you next time.”

  Thad ended the call and crossed his legs. The last phone conversation he had with Karly all those years ago replayed in bits and fragments. He’d been jealous. She’d been angry. Both of them said a whole lot of things, yet nothing worth anything.