Love in Hiding

by Diane Holiday

  “This is Sarah. She wants to apply for the job you listed,” Bruce said.

  Sarah stood as tall as possible while Debbie looked her up and down.

  “You a friend of Bruce’s?” Debbie crossed the room to them.

  “No. I kinda bumped into him.” At least the first words out of her mouth to Debbie weren’t a lie.

  Debbie scratched her head, as if she didn’t know what to make of Sarah, and faced Bruce. “Since when do you turn down my chicken soup?”

  Bruce’s gaze darted from Sarah to the door. “No time. I have to get the horse ready for Charlie.”

  Debbie checked her watch and frowned. “But it’s only—”

  “Gotta go.”

  He left without a backward glance and let the screen door slam behind him.

  Sarah blinked at his abrupt departure. His relationship with Debbie must be solid for him to feel free to act so rudely.

  Bruce hiked away from the house at a brisk clip, not sure what to make of Sarah. The tiny woman wearing a jacket two sizes too big didn’t belong doing a job that required hard physical labor.

  No mistaking that look of fright on her face earlier. He’d seen it enough to last a lifetime. He set his jaw and scanned the perimeter. Tall grass swayed in the empty fields, and the surrounding woods were quiet. Nothing out of place. Yet something or someone had this woman spooked.

  Despite her small frame, she carried herself in a way that made her seem taller, and he hadn’t missed the spark in her eyes when he’d questioned her about working at the farm. But the dark half-moons under them and the tightness in her face were textbook signs of stress and lack of sleep.

  With large emerald eyes, fair skin, and wavy, dark hair, her striking features could turn any man’s head. Yet, something had stirred inside him when her cheeks turned pink.

  He tamped it down.

  Didn’t want it.

  Didn’t need it.

  Most of the women he’d worked with in the Navy were tough from the job and didn’t blush. Not much different at the farm, for that matter. Sarah had a softness about her, a vulnerability, but also spunk to think she could hold her own.

  He frowned and continued on his way.

  “Whoa.”

  Someone tapped his elbow, and he swung around to find himself face to face with his uncle Joe.

  Crap.

  Of all people.

  “Where’s the fire?” Wrinkles formed on the sides of his brown eyes as he squinted against the sun.

  A vein pulsed in Bruce’s temple. He never flew under Joe’s radar. All the years Bruce had spent in the Navy, no one could read him. It’s what had made him one of their best operatives. But Joe? It was like he was hardwired to Bruce’s brain. The man didn’t miss a damn thing.

  “I’m headed to the stables.” Bruce glanced at Joe’s hand still on his arm.

  Joe let go but didn’t move to leave. “Why do you look like you saw a ghost?”

  Bruce would rather break in new boots with a blister than discuss his feelings. Yeah, he had a ghost, and he wasn’t about to betray her. “Everyone’s full of questions today. I’ll never get to the barn at this rate.”

  “Uh-huh.” Joe’s eyes narrowed. “I just left there. The place is still standing.”

  “Well, I have stuff to do before Charlie shows up.” He needed to get away before Joe dug any deeper. Turning his back, Bruce called over his shoulder, “See you later.”

  He strode toward the barn. When he entered, the sweet scent of hay filled his nostrils. Horses snorted in their cool, dark stalls. He worked his way down the aisle, stopping to stroke their heads as they poked them over the half doors.

  As usual, when he came to Misty’s stall, the old mare neighed and nudged his hand. His heart squeezed. She might not be around much longer. The last of his father’s horses, and what a trooper. Misty had turned out to be a perfect therapy horse. She’d been gentle and sweet from day one. His father had chosen well when he’d bought her for Bruce’s early lessons. Maybe his dad would have been proud of what Bruce had done with Misty and the program. He needed to stay focused. The veterans depended on him.

  He pulled a sugar cube out of his pocket and held out his open palm. Her warm, fat lips swiped the treat away to crunch.

  Through his work, he’d found a way to cope with the losses in his life. He didn’t need complications like Sarah stirring up unwanted feelings.

  Debbie wouldn’t hire her. Hell, the twelve-year-olds who helped after school in exchange for riding time were bigger. She’d have to find someplace else to work. They didn’t need whatever trouble might follow her to the ranch. This farm, his patients, and the people he worked with were his family. He’d protect them at all costs.

  Any minute now, Sarah would get back in her car and leave.

  A kitten Debbie had taken in rubbed against his leg, and a knot formed in the pit of his stomach.

  Shit.

  Debbie had a soft spot for strays. He’d have to make sure Sarah wasn’t her next one.

  Chapter 2

  Sarah forced herself not to look away from Debbie’s intense gaze. Between the hard lines of her face and her direct approach, the woman had a roughness about her, like she didn’t take BS from anyone.

  “You have experience with horses?” Debbie asked.

  “I used to ride.” If one time on a pony, and a few occasions with a friend counted. She had to sell herself, or Debbie would probably kick her butt out for wasting her time.

  “How long ago?”

  “It’s been a while, but I know I can do the job, and I’m a decent cook. Whatever you need, I’ll do.”

  Debbie rubbed her jaw.

  A door slammed.

  Sarah’s nerves jumped. She fumbled for the pepper spray she kept close at all times.

  A man entered from the other side of the kitchen.

  Debbie’s eyes narrowed as her gaze trailed down to Sarah’s hand in her jacket pocket.

  The man meandered over to the pot of soup without a glance in their direction and opened the lid. “Smells good. What’s up with Bruce? I ran into him and…”

  He turned. His sharp, dark eyes fixed on Sarah.

  His resemblance to Bruce had to make him a relative. Gray hair and a weathered face placed him probably in his sixties. His lack of paunch suggested he kept in shape.

  “Joe, meet Sarah. She’s here about the job I posted,” Debbie said.

  “You don’t say.” He nodded and waved at the pot. “This ready?”

  “Yup. Help yourself.”

  Well, at least he hadn’t looked at her like she was a mouse auditioning for a tiger act in the circus. He whistled off-key as he dished out a bowl of soup.

  Debbie returned her gaze to Sarah and sighed. “I’m going be honest with you. The cooking and cleaning I’m sure you can handle, but I don’t know if you’re strong enough for the outside tasks. It’s a lot of physical labor. Hauling buckets, tossing hay bales, mucking stalls.”

  “I’m tougher than I look. I can do it.” She’d trained every day at the dance studio and taken self-defense classes. Maybe the jacket wasn’t helping. She slid the coat off, curled her arm, and tapped a well-formed biceps. “See? I’m in shape.”

  Joe glanced at her, and the corners of his mouth twitched. He took his bowl and sat at the table.

  Sarah sensed Debbie’s hesitation and pushed. “Please. I really need this job. Give me a chance. I’ll work the first day free. If you’re not happy, you can fire me.”

  As Joe stuffed a biscuit in his mouth, Debbie’s gaze flicked to him. Sarah could swear he gave an almost imperceptible nod, but then again, he might have just been chewing.

  Debbie turned back to Sarah. “Why do you need this job so bad?”

  “I don’t have a place to live, and your ad said room and board were part of the deal.” Another truth. Hey, she was on a roll.

  Debbie stared her down.

  Sarah’s insides twisted, but she didn’t flinch.

  “
What the hell, I’ll give you a chance.” Debbie shrugged.

  “Thanks so much.” Sarah let out the breath she’d been holding. “You won’t be sorry.”

  “If you work out, you’ll get paid weekly on Fridays.”

  Sarah cleared her throat. “Could it be in cash?”

  Debbie rubbed her chin and squinted. “You running from someone you owe money to?”

  “No.” Another truth.

  “How about the law? You wanted for something?”

  “No.” Not until someone figured out the tags on her car were stolen or that she possessed an illegal gun.

  Again, Debbie held her gaze and then must have been satisfied because she nodded. “Cash it is. Come on. I’ll show you the place. The in-law suite is below.”

  She opened a door off the kitchen and led the way down a flight of stairs. A plaid sofa with a folded afghan draped over the back sat behind a wooden coffee table and a small television on a TV tray. A mustard-yellow refrigerator lined up with a matching stove and sink in the kitchen. The clean scent of bleach hung in the air.

  Debbie pointed to a door at the end of the room. “That leads out back.”

  The muscles in Sarah’s shoulders tensed. While it meant another escape route if she needed one, it also provided a second access to the suite. She’d have to check out the lock. The windows in both rooms only had valances. Most people enjoyed the sun peeking in. She had more to worry about than the sun.

  “The bedroom is back here.” Debbie led her to the chamber with an oak dresser, nightstand, and a double bed covered with a pastel-floral comforter. Only one window. At least it had a full curtain. A door opened to an attached bathroom with a shower.

  “Nothing fancy, but everything works,” Debbie said.

  Sarah nodded. “It’s fine. Thank you.”

  “Besides cooking and cleaning, I’ll also need you to do chores in the stables until summer when I have more help. Right now, only a couple of girls come after school. You may need to tack up a horse from time to time for a boarder.”

  She’d have to learn how first. “Okay. When can I start?”

  “How about now?”

  Sarah let out a deep breath. She wouldn’t have to spend another night in her car. A real bed and people around for a little security. “Sounds good.”

  “Get yourself settled. I’ll go over more with you later.” Debbie headed to the stairs. “There’s not much in the way of restaurants around here. Plenty of soup in the kitchen. Help yourself. I gotta get back to the barn.” She climbed the steps and disappeared into the upstairs kitchen.

  Sarah hurried over to the windows. Simple pocket rods held the valances. She could get longer curtains, but it wouldn’t take much of a push to pop off the rusty locks. Next, she checked the door leading outside. No deadbolt. Her pulse quickened. She opened the door and examined the knob. The two small screws attaching it would be easy to remove.

  A shadow crossed the door, and she jerked her head up to find Joe peering down at her. She straightened. Crud. Nothing came to mind to say, and silence stretched between them for a moment.

  He pointed to a dirt drive beside the house. “You can park your car up here. Seeing’s you don’t know the place yet, that path winds through the woods back to the main road.”

  More than one way in and out could mean trouble. “Thanks.”

  “Yup.” He moseyed off toward the barn, whistling.

  Sarah frowned at the woods across a short field close to the house. Anyone could hide in the trees and watch the suite. She went back inside to the bedroom and dug through her purse for her throwaway phone. Her wallet fell out, and she opened it to a picture of her two older sisters, standing with her by a fountain in San Diego. Anne, wearing glasses, stood in the middle, her short blond hair clipped and neat. On her right, Maddie gave a thumbs-up sign, her red curls wild from the wind. Sarah’s eyes misted. Bright, happy smiles lit all three faces. So much had changed in the two years since they’d posed for the picture.

  She grabbed the phone from her purse and dialed Anne’s number.

  Her sister’s strained voice came across the line. “Sarah? Thank God. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, for now.”

  “Is there any sign he knows where you are?”

  “No. I did everything the private investigator told me. Like Alec said to, I drove through Seattle and looked at an apartment. They ran a credit check. I put in an order for phone service there.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I paid cash everywhere. What’s going on with my credit card? Is your friend using it?”

  “Yes. She’s been traveling all over the place. Purchases should come up in several states.”

  “Good. I don’t know if the bastard can access my accounts, but maybe it will keep him busy if he does.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I cut and dyed my hair.”

  “That had to be hard.”

  “I stole license plates. Twice. In different states.” She waited for the admonition. Anne followed rules and always colored inside the lines. As a teacher, she had a strict moral code.

  “Good idea. They called me from the studio. I told them I didn’t know where you were.”

  A knife twisted in Sarah’s chest. Even if she could return to the ballet company, she doubted they would take her back. She’d left without notice, and plenty of dancers waited in the wings eager to take the place of the principal. “I’m sorry you have to deal with all this.”

  “Don’t worry about me. All I want to do is help.”

  Sarah rubbed the back of her neck. “I appreciate it. I need to go now.”

  “I’m so scared for you. I don’t know what else we can do.”

  “Me either. Just pray he doesn’t find me.”

  “Be careful. Love you,” Anne said.

  “Love you too. I’ll be in touch when I can.”

  Sarah hung up. She sank to the floor and rested her head on her knees. Rocking back and forth, she let the tears she’d held in for the past week flow. It might be a long time before she saw her family again.

  She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Thanks to Alec, she had a new last name and ID. With any luck, all the diversions he’d told her to set up would work. If not, she had a backup plan.

  She grabbed her purse and dug in the bottom to pull out a small gun she’d purchased at a pawnshop. Alec had told her about a place where money talked and the owner didn’t. The shady part of town had made her nervous, but she’d walked away with a silver .380 pistol not much bigger than her hand. If her life depended on it, she’d be ready.

  After slipping the gun back into her bag, she stood. She needed to find some boots and move the car. Fewer people would see the stolen license plates with it parked at the house.

  She hiked across the lawn toward her Honda. As she passed a window in the stables, Bruce’s voice sounded from within.

  “She doesn’t look strong enough to—”

  “I’m giving her a shot. Someone gave me a chance once when I was in a load of trouble, and I made sure they never regretted it. And since when do you get into my business?” Debbie asked.

  Sarah stopped under the window. Bruce might be sabotaging her chance at the job. Her ears burned. He had no idea how tough she could be.

  Debbie continued, “Tell you what. I need someone to show Sarah how to tack up a horse. Let her help you get Misty ready for your patients tomorrow and take her for a ride. See how she handles everything, and then tell me what you think about her.”

  “I’ll pass.”

  “Really? Because you’re the one questioning her. We all have to work together. At the end of the day, if you don’t think she has what it takes, I won’t hire her.”

  Sarah stomped to her car. Fine. He didn’t think she could cut it.

  She’d prove him wrong.

  Chapter 3

  Bleep. Bleep. Bleep.

  Sarah sprang out of bed.

  Dance. She had to go to the studio.

  She smacked a h
and at the glowing red light of the clock radio on the nightstand until the noise ceased.

  Submerged in darkness, she stood still and waited for her eyes to adjust. The sound of crickets brought reality crashing back, and a heaviness settled in her chest. She wasn’t in her city apartment. No warm-ups, no dancing, no performances. Her old life didn’t exist anymore, but for a fleeting moment, she’d had her dream back.

  She dragged on pants and a T-shirt, brushed her teeth, and opened the bedroom door. The soft glow of an outside light cast shadows around the room. The stalker shouldn’t be anywhere near, but she wasn’t taking any chances. She shuffled across the floor to avoid tripping and went upstairs to the kitchen.

  “Coffee’s ready if you want to bring a cup to the barn.” Debbie, dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt like yesterday, poured the steaming brew into a large mug.

  “Thanks, but I’m good.” Caffeine. Her body craved it, but her stomach fluttered from nerves, and coffee would make it worse.

  “Suit yourself.”

  Debbie opened a bag of bagels and handed one to Sarah. “You’re gonna need energy.”

  Despite not being hungry, if she didn’t eat, she’d have no stamina. She couldn’t afford to appear weak, so she took the bagel. “Thanks.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Sarah followed Debbie to the mudroom off the front of the house and slipped on a pair of flat, rubber-soled boots. She’d picked them up at a thrift store in town yesterday with her last five bucks. They really weren’t suited for farm work, but until she could afford something else, they would have to do.

  A beat-up, blue Chevy truck pulled in as they approached the barn.

  “Well, hell’s bells, Greg actually showed up on time today. Wonders never cease.” Debbie nodded. “This’ll make life easier.”

  A wiry guy wearing a ball cap loped toward them, stopping once to yawn and rub his eyes.