Lawfully Treasured

by Jenna Brandt

  They arrived at the O’Connell’s sprawling farmhouse about twenty minutes later. Next to their home was a brown barn. Lindsay stood out front, waving to them both.

  Connor parked his vehicle, came around to Hayley’s side, and helped her climb out. They joined Lindsay as Hayley said, “It’s good to see you, Lindsay. Thanks for offering to let us use your horses.”

  She gave them both a giant smile. “No problem. You guys are welcome any time. Do either of you know how to ride?”

  “I’ve gone a few times while I was in Boy Scouts,” Connor admitted, “but it’s been awhile.”

  “You shouldn’t have a problem. It’s like riding a bike,” Lindsay stated, offering the reins to a black horse to him.

  “I’ve had to use horses to get into remote areas while going on archaeological expeditions,” Hayley explained as she took a set of reins for a painted horse from Lindsay. “I’m familiar with them.”

  Lindsay walked over and grabbed an insulated picnic basket and a blanket from behind a hay bale. “I also packed this for you guys. I figured you’ll find a place where you can use it.”

  “Thank you,” both of them stated as Connor took the items and secured them to the saddle of his horse.

  “We’ll be back before it gets dark,” Hayley assured.

  “Take your time and have fun,” Lindsay said. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

  Both Hayley and Connor led their horses out of the barn before mounting their steeds. They took off towards the west, following a wide dirt trail towards a grove of trees in the distance.

  “What an adventurous job you have,” Connor stated as they meandered down the path. “I mean, I’ve watched all the Indiana Jones movies, but I thought a lot of that was Hollywood. But look at you, having to go in by horseback to remote areas to document archaeological sites like a tomb raider. It’s hard to imagine you as a secret Lara Croft.”

  Hayley let a small chuckle escape. “I wouldn’t go that far. The only thing I shoot with is a camera. Although, sometimes our guides have had to carry a machete to clear brush and such. There was this one time, however, when a wild jackal attacked our traveling party in the Sahara Desert. I wish I had a set of Lara Croft guns at that exact moment,” Hayley said as a shiver shot up her spine, recalling how terrified she had felt as its glowing yellow eyes stared at them like a prime rib dinner.

  “What happened?”

  “Well, our guide made a noise with his machete and a pot he had, but it wasn’t working. I pulled out the flare gun I carried for emergencies. I shot off a flare at the jackal. I missed him by several feet, but it did the job of scaring the animal off.”

  “Wow, see, you’re totally Lara Croft. I can see you with double thigh holsters with flare guns in each one.”

  Hayley let out a full laugh this time, causing her whole body to shake. The noise and jerking motion startled her horse, causing him to neigh in response and take off at a gallop, throwing her backwards in her saddle. She was holding on for dear life as she heard Connor’s horse sprinting up behind her.

  He came up next to them and reached over with one hand, saying, “Whoa, whoa, boy. Calm down. We didn’t mean to spook you.”

  The horses slowed down and stopped just as they reached the edge of the grove of trees.

  Connor hopped down from his horse and reached up his hand to Hayley. She took it, letting him help her down. Her body brushed along his until she was on the ground. Her eyes drifted up to meet his and she could tell he wanted to kiss her.

  “Thanks for that,” Hayley said with a grateful smile. “Seems Lindsay gave me the more spirited of the two horses.”

  “She knew you could handle it. You have the same temperament, which I find downright enticing.”

  “Do you?” Hayley asked in a husky voice.

  “Most definitely,” he said as his mouth drifted towards hers.

  Their lips touched, igniting a fire between them. Every inch of Hayley felt like she was burning up. Her body shook as her hands moved up and rested against Connor’s firm chest in an effort to steady herself. She had no idea one kiss from him would set her world on fire.

  Thirteen

  The horses nudged against them from both sides, causing Connor to break the kiss. “Over there looks like a great place to set up our picnic.”

  Connor and Hayley guided the horses over to the nearby trees and placed the reins around branches to secure them from wandering off. They spread out the blanket, laying it on the ground before placing the basket on top and sitting down.

  Conner stretched out his legs and leaned backwards on his hands. Hayley laid on her side, looking over at him. He turned his head towards her and smiled. “It’s nice to be out here instead of in the city. I miss being in nature.”

  “Did you grow up on a ranch nearby?”

  “No, we lived in a house in Clear Mountain, but I camped and hiked a lot with my family. Plus, I was in Boy Scouts so I spent almost every weekend of my youth in the wilderness until I hit high school.”

  “Oh, you mean when you found out you were hot and athletic, and got popular?” Hayley teased.

  “I was a real jerk back then and I’m not proud of it. I even became a cop for the wrong reasons, wanting the badge and uniform to impress women. Plus, there’s the whole power thing, but after the night I almost died, it changed me. I realized I had been living my life in a stupid haze and didn’t want to anymore. I went back to church and focused on helping others rather than myself while on the job.”

  “That’s good to hear. I’m glad I’m not dating a secret jerk,” Hayley stated with a smirk.

  “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  Hayley nodded. “It’s relaxing being here with you. I can’t remember the last time I could just hang out like this.”

  “You keep busy, huh; always on the go?”

  Her face scrunched up before she placed her head on her hand. “It’s easier that way. I kept moving to keep from getting hurt.”

  “What happened?” Connor probed, wanting to understand what made her tick.

  “My brother died when I was in junior high. He was a few years older than me.”

  “I never knew that,” Connor stated. Guilt flooding him that he hadn’t paid attention enough to realize what happened even though they were in school together.

  “He was in the military and died when a bomb exploded near him. His death destroyed my parents’ marriage. My mom couldn’t deal with anything; my dad turned to someone else. He took off with the other woman, leaving both of us to deal with everything on our own. Luckily, my mom knew enough about the newspaper to run it, and she had her inheritance from her parents. I thought nothing could be worse than losing my brother, but when my dad abandoned us, it was the worst. Bitterness made my mom harsh, and I took off for college as soon as I graduated.”

  Connor felt a mix of anger and frustration rise in him. What type of man abandoned his family? He understood Hayley’s father was grieving, but it was no excuse.

  “I’m so sorry. That’s awful.” He sat up, reaching over to put his hand on the side of her cheek. “Not everyone leaves though. Some guys stick around.”

  “Are you talking about yourself?”

  He nodded. “My parents have been married for thirty years. They’ve had their fair share of problems, but my dad never left. I plan to be just like him. You have to stick it out through the tough times to find the good ones again.”

  Hayley’s eyes drifted to the edge of the blanket for several seconds before she sat up and moved over to the picnic basket. “You hungry? I’m curious to see what Lindsay packed for dinner.”

  “I could eat,” Connor stated, realizing she didn’t want to talk about the painful subject anymore.

  Inside was a container of sandwiches, potato salad, fresh cut fruit, and a bottle of sparkling cider along with paper plates and napkins, and plastic utensils and cups.

  They pulled out the items and arranged them on the blanket. Hayley prepared both of
them a plate. Connor opened the bottle of cider and poured them each a glassful.

  The couple munched on the food and made conversation about church and their work until Connor’s phone rang.

  He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced down at it. Great. Work. Go figure.

  Connor looked up from his phone and gave an apologetic smile to Hayley. “We need to head back. I got called in for work. They need our team to serve an emergency search warrant.”

  “Is this a regular thing?”

  “Getting called into work?”

  She nodded.

  “It is if you’re in SWAT. No day off, no lay off. We’re always on call.”

  “Wow, I didn’t realize that. How can you make time for anything else?”

  He could tell she was probing him, trying to figure out how a relationship fit into his life.

  “I only plan to be in SWAT a couple of years. Once I’m ready to start a family, I will transfer to a more 9-5 position.”

  They stood up and made their way over to the horses. “They need me there right away. I won’t have time to drop you off. Do you want me to call you an Uber?” Connor offered.

  Hayley shook her head. “Lindsay will want to quiz me about our date anyway. I’m sure she can give me a ride home.”

  Both of them mounted their horses and galloped off towards the O’Connell’s barn.

  Fourteen

  “So how was it?” Lindsay asked with a hopeful smile on her face.

  “We had a nice time—that is until he got called into work.”

  Lindsay gave her a knowing smile. “It happens when you’re dating a cop, particularly one in a specialized area. Aiden and Cooper get called out all the time since they’re on the search and rescue team in Clear Mountain.”

  Cooper, Aiden’s K-9 partner, barked from the other side of the room, recognizing his name.

  “I know. I get it in theory. Just not sure how I feel about it in practicality. Besides, I’m not staying here much longer, anyway. I don’t even know what I’m doing dating someone since I‘ll leave as soon as my mother recovers.”

  “You like him; that’s what you’re doing,” Lindsay observed. “And you guys can make it work if you want to. Nothing is impossible if you trust God.”

  Hayley knew Lindsay was right. Long distance wasn’t ideal, but it could work if they made the effort.

  A baby’s cry came over the monitor and Lindsay said, “Well, it sounds like Travis is up. Once I get him changed, we can load my gremlins up and we can take off.”

  By gremlins, Lindsay meant her and Aiden’s three children. They had two sons, one by birth and one by adoption, and also were fostering to adopt a little girl.

  Hayley waited in the living room while Lindsay was down the hall getting her kids ready to leave. She returned a little while later with an infant in her arms and two children beside her.

  “How do you feel about kids?” Lindsay asked.

  “You mean my own or other people’s?”

  “Since you put it that way, both.”

  Hayley shrugged. “I guess I want kids someday, but I want to spend a couple of more years traveling and working before I make that commitment. As for other people’s kids, they don’t bother me.”

  “Good,” Lindsay said, handing off the baby to her.

  “I have to go to the bathroom and this one has to be held when he’s awake.”

  Hayley’s eyes grew round as she looked first at Lindsay, then down at the baby. “I should forewarn you, I’ve only held a handful of babies in my life. I’m not sure how good I am at it.”

  “You’ll be fine. Besides, Alex can help you if you need anything.”

  Hayley glanced over at the young boy and wondered how much help he would be. He looked earnest, but not much bigger than the little girl beside him.

  The baby cooed and Hayley relaxed a bit. At least he’s calm. If I stay just like this, we’re good.

  “I heard you tell my mom you haven’t held a lot of babies. Here, Travis likes it best when you hold him this way,” Alex stated as he came over and adjusted Hayley’s arm to shift the baby’s head further upright. “He likes to look around.”

  “Thank you, Alex. He already seems more alert.”

  As she watched the baby’s face light up and his blue eyes twinkle, an odd sensation stirred inside her. What was that? Why did this little bundle of soft skin and baby fat make her heart quicken so easily?

  Before she could reflect on it any further, Lindsay returned and took the baby from Hayley.

  The group of five headed out and took the short ride into town.

  As Hayley entered her mother’s house, she tiptoed through the entry hall, trying to be quiet. She didn’t want to earn her mother’s undesired attention.

  “Is that you, Hayley? Come in here, please.”

  Hayley let out a heavy sigh. No such luck. She knows I’m here. Might as well go face the music.

  She pivoted and moved towards the parlor. Her mother was in her usual spot on a couch, wearing a prim and proper pantsuit.

  “Where were you all afternoon?” her mother inquired.

  Hayley didn’t want to tell her, but she also wouldn’t lie. Against her better judgment, Hayley told her. “I went horseback riding.”

  “Alone?” the older woman inquired.

  “No, I was with Connor Bishop.”

  “Is he the same man you met for dinner recently?” her mother probed.

  “Yes, we attended Clear Mountain High School together.”

  “Really? I don’t remember you ever mentioning him.”

  “You wouldn’t. We didn’t hang out with the same people.”

  Her mother rolled her eyes. “You didn’t hang out with anyone, Hayley. You insisted on being a loner.”

  “Well, it’s better than getting hurt. After what happened with William and Dad, I thought it would be easier than getting close to anyone.”

  “And you’ve been that way ever since, even with me,” her mother stated, with a deep seed of resentment.

  Hayley came and sat down by her mother. Hesitantly, she reached out and placed her hand on her mother’s arm. “I was, but I don’t want to be anymore. Since I’ve been home, I realized I made a lot of mistakes. I want to change all of that.”

  Her mother’s face changed from hurt to hopeful. “I haven’t heard you refer to this place as your home since you left for college.”

  “I want for us to be close, Mom. We’ve never had that. I don’t want to blame you anymore for how you were after William died.”

  Her mother reached out and patted her daughter’s hand. “I’d like that too.”

  “If you wouldn’t mind, I think a great start would be if you came to church with me on Sunday.”

  “I noticed you had been going the past two weeks. I wanted to ask why, but didn’t want to upset you.”

  “It‘s not lost on me I can be prickly, and I’m working on it, with God’s help.”

  “I have seen a change in you.” She tilted her head in contemplation, then added, “If the church is responsible for the change in you, then I think I will go.”

  “I’m glad. You won’t regret it.”

  Fifteen

  Connor knocked on the ornate mahogany door, taking in the massive structure in front of him. He knew Hayley’s mother owned the Clear Mountain Gazette, but he had no idea her family had that type of money. It was slightly intimidating.

  The door swung open to show a woman wearing a blue and white uniform with her grey hair pinned back in a bun. Connor guessed she must be the maid.

  “I got it, Tara,” Hayley said as she rushed up behind the older grey-haired woman. “Thank you.”

  The woman stepped back and nodded before scurrying off.

  “I’m ready to go,” Hayley stated, gesturing to her coat and purse in her hand. “We don’t want to be late for your family’s dinner.”

  Connor looked down at his phone in his hand. “We’ve got plenty of time,” he countered, look
ing up to inspect her reaction. “What’s the hurry? Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

  Hayley glanced behind her and shook her head. “My mom’s resting; I don’t want to disturb her.”

  “I was resting,” an unfamiliar voice stated from behind her, “but I’m no longer.”

  A middle-aged woman that looked like an older version of Hayley came to stand next to her daughter. It shocked Connor at how much they looked alike. Other than her mother having her hair up and wearing formal clothing, they were like mirror images.

  “Why don’t you invite your friend in, Hayley, instead of leaving him standing outside?”

  He could see the reluctance in Hayley’s demeanor, but after a moment’s hesitation, she stepped aside and offered, “Come on in.”

  The inside of the mansion was even more impressive than the outside. The entryway was at least twenty feet high with four marble pillars and a double grand staircase.

  Hayley shut the door behind him, then gestured towards her mother. “Connor Bishop, this is my mother, Nora Hall.”

  “Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” he said, reaching out his hand to her.

  She glanced down at it and then up at him, eyeing him for a second before taking and shaking it. “Why don’t you come into the parlor, Mr. Bishop.”

  He could tell from the older woman’s tone, it was more of an order than a request. Connor wanted to make a good impression, so he followed the maid down a long hallway without further comment.

  There were rows of photos on the wall. Connor realized after a few photos, there was a series of pictures of Hayley as she grew up and one of a boy—he assumed was Hayley’s brother. The last photo in his line was in an Army green officer’s uniform.

  They entered a room that was stiff and formal. It was designed to impress rather than be comfortable. It was the exact opposite type of room in which Connor would spend time. With the stiff white chairs, carpet and decorations, he likened it to an upscale version of an insane asylum.