Hidden (Jacobs Family Series Book 1) Page 9

  “Or Raton,” he added. “No one would know us in Raton.”

  She pulled the Honda even with his truck. “I once read a relationship you have to hide isn’t worth being in.”

  Ben squatted beside her window. “Taos then.”

  “See you back at the office, Marshall.”

  She drove across the lot, and a small cloud of dust rose up around her car.

  Ben found himself whistling as he hurried to grab some lunch before meeting Clay. It occurred to him he probably shouldn’t be quite so happy about being turned down, but then he realized she hadn’t said no.

  She hadn’t said yes either.

  Maybe was an answer he could work with.

  Twenty-two

  Dana pushed open the door to her house and debated whether or not to turn the light on. The need for darkness won.

  She dropped her purse on the entry table, leaned the crutches against the wall, and limped to the kitchen. With practice, she could be off the crutches by midweek. Drawing a glass of water from the tap, she considered eating. The thought of food turned her stomach. She only had to remember the surveillance devices Clay and Ben had found, and the sandwich she’d eaten nine hours ago caused dangerous rumblings to rise again. Impossible, she knew. The roast beef on rye was no doubt well digested, but her feelings of nausea remained.

  Sinking into her overstuffed chair, she traced the stitching in the red leather with her hand. It had been quite the splurge several years ago when she’d envisioned these rooms being a home. Now it was a place she retreated to when they shooed her away from the office.

  Realizing her thoughts were turning morose, she flipped on the table lamp and checked the time. In Texas it would be eight. Possibly, Erin would be home. Reaching for her cell, she pushed two, her sister’s speed-dial preset.

  Just as she feared her call would transfer to voice mail, Erin answered on the fifth ring.

  “Hey, Sis.” Erin’s voice fell like a comfortable shawl around her shoulders.

  “Hey, yourself.”

  “How are things in the West?”

  “Miserable,” Dana admitted, flipping off her shoes and propping her feet on the ottoman with a groan. “How’s the South?”

  “About the same. I went to rescue a dog. Got there and found out the dog was actually a two-hundred-pound pig.”

  Dana wouldn’t normally have laughed so long or until the tears were running down her face, but she had passed tired several hours ago and entered the black world of weary.

  “Catch a flight and come help me with this orphan.”

  “Not a chance.”

  “Chicken.”

  “Absolutely. I’m not the one who decided to run an ark.”

  “I love my work, pig and all.”

  Dana snuggled into her chair and felt a small measure of satisfaction for the first time since rising sixteen hours ago. “How is Noah’s Ark doing?”

  “Fine. I’m still the only animal rescue facility in Livingston, so I stay busy.”

  “That’s why you get the pig calls.”

  Dana heard the sound of a slop bucket being emptied.

  “Daisy was a 4-H project no doubt. Or at least she started out as one. Then the family up and moved. Daisy didn’t get a seat in the family sedan.”

  “Did she have a name tag around her neck?” Dana asked.

  “I can’t call her, Hey Pig,” Erin said.

  “Sweetie, you’ve been naming animals since you were old enough to talk.” Dana’s mind flashed back to a ragged teddy bear. The pain was sharp and dangerous.

  “Yeah, but the stuffed ones didn’t eat so much.” Erin as usual could follow her train of thought better than anyone else. “You should have seen her, Dana. At first I thought there was no animal there. Then I noticed this reddish lump on the ground.”

  Dana heard the sorrow and regret in Erin’s voice. She wished for the thousandth time since moving west that she could be there for her—to share a cup of tea, make sure she was taking care of herself, even carry a slop bucket for her.

  “She’s a Duroc breed?”

  “Yeah. Wouldn’t even stand up for me. I had to put her on a gurney and drag her to the truck. If I could get hold of people who neglect their pets… All they had to do was drop her off on the way out of town.”

  “Maybe they’re the ones who called.”

  “No. I’m sure it was the neighbors. I saw them watching at the window as I drove by.”

  Dana heard a soft grunt and the sound of crickets in the background.

  “Is she eating now?”

  “A little. Mostly, I’m happy to see her drinking. One-half to two-thirds of a pig’s body weight is water. She didn’t have any in the pen where they left her.”

  “Folks are cruel, Erin.” Dana thought of her conversation with Ben on Saturday night. Before she knew it, his words were tumbling from her mouth. “You can’t be responsible for what evil or irresponsible people do. Don’t make yourself crazy worrying about it.”

  Erin’s silence filled the line across the miles. Finally, her laughter erupted like a kettle boiling over. Dana smiled to herself and switched the phone to her other hand.

  “Now what did I say that was so funny?”

  “I just want to know who he is. You’re a wise gal, but that did not sound like my older sis. Fess up. What’s his name?”

  Dana grinned in spite of herself, glad Erin wasn’t there to see the blush staining her face as bright as the leather chair. “You mean I can’t change my attitude about things?”

  “Oh, you can, but it’s rather sudden for someone who’s a confirmed Type-A personality. Now who is he?”

  Dana worried the seam on the chair and tried to think of where to start.

  “Wow,” Erin murmured. “This must be really good if you’re having that much trouble spitting it out.”

  “It’s not what you’re thinking.”

  “Ahh.”

  “Don’t ahh me, Erin Breanne. Ben is our new explosives expert, and…” Dana sighed, stuck again trying to find the right words.

  “Start with a physical description.”

  “But that’s not the part haunting me,” she whispered.

  “So he’s ugly?” Erin’s voice was still teasing, but she was no longer laughing.

  “No. Of course not. Erin, he works for me. I’m his boss. I can’t even be thinking like this.”

  “I’m your sister. I won’t report you. Now tell me what he looks like.”

  “Good point.” Dana sunk lower in the chair, though it meant she was practically lying down. “Okay. He’s a good half a foot taller than I am.”

  “You were five-foot-eight last time I checked. Haven’t been shrinking have you?”

  “Nope. Not yet.”

  “All right. That puts mystery man at six-foot-two.”

  “Ex-military, but you couldn’t tell it by his hair. He wears it to the collar, curly and sun-streaked.”

  Erin laughed again. “Sounds like a surfer dude.”

  “Right? Except he’s from Montana. Last I checked there were no beaches there. But his body is great.” Dana giggled with Erin. For a moment she felt sixteen again and wonderful as her worries slid away. “Let’s just say he must have kept the military regimen going.”

  “Gee, Sis. I think I’d forget he’s your subordinate. What about his eyes? You know we always said they were the window to the soul, the most important part.”

  “That’s what unsettles me the most.”

  “You better not say he’s creepy.”

  “Not at all. Worse. They’re the most peaceful, serene, beautiful…” Dana switched the phone to her other hand again, wiping her sweaty palm against her pants. “We sound like two teenagers.”

  “Yeah. Only I have an ark with a pig—”

  “And I have a major case to solve.”

  “How bad is it?” Erin’s voice was all seriousness now.

  “I’ve had worse,” Dana said with more confidence than she felt. She sho
ok her head, then felt stupid doing so since Erin couldn’t possibly see her. “At least I think I have. To tell you the truth, we’re not exactly sure what we’re dealing with yet.”

  “Is that why it’s bothering you so much?”

  “I almost lost some of my team yesterday. This perp, it’s like he’s playing with my mind. Sometimes I think he wants more than to win.”

  “And your guy—”

  “Ben.”

  “Ben is helping you with this?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then thank him for me.”

  Dana smiled into the phone and realized the knots in her shoulders had eased completely. “I will. You take care of Daisy, okay?”

  “Absolutely. I’ll call you with an update in a few days.”

  “I love you, Erin.”

  “Same here, Sis.”

  Dana turned off the lamp and sat in the darkness, relishing the fact she had so many people on her side.

  It wasn’t a coincidence either.

  She wasn’t sure it was a miracle, as Ben thought. But it was a fact she could take comfort in.

  Twenty-three

  Ben waited and watched Dana for the next week. She showed up without the crutches on Wednesday and stopped limping completely by the following Monday. He figured ten days was plenty of time to recover from a light sprain.

  Sayeed had returned to work earlier that day. He’d only be seeing desk duty for six weeks, but his presence in the office gave Ben the opening he’d been waiting for.

  Dana’s decision to leave the surveillance bugs in place was a brilliant one in his opinion. It put them back on top. Not only did the perp think he was proceeding undetected, but they could now feed him misinformation.

  Of course, knowing your every move was being monitored also made for a tense work environment.

  Which is one of the reasons Ben found himself keeping such a close eye on his boss. If you paid attention, you could see the stress take a greater toll on her every hour.

  Plus he rather enjoyed making up reasons to stop by her office. She was prettier than watching a trout splash in a sunlit stream.

  “What now, Ben?” Dana looked up tiredly when he came to her door at three thirty.

  “I was wondering if we could talk about that other thing.”

  Dana looked up at him, but didn’t raise her head, reminding him of a librarian he had angered more than once in high school.

  She shook her head and turned her attention back to the papers on her desk. “Thing. What thing? You’re going to have to be more specific.”

  “Uh. The thing.” He glanced back over his shoulder, then stepped into her office. “You know. The ‘you owe me’ thing.”

  This time Dana leaned back in her chair and gave him her full attention. “I owe you?”

  “Yeah. For doing such a good job?” Ben smiled, placed his arms behind his back, and waited for her to remember. When she continued to stare at him blankly, he cleared his throat and tried again. “Last week, at lunch. You said I had done nice work, and you owed me.”

  Dana put her hands over her face. She was either counting to ten or praying for patience. “I’m busy, Ben.”

  “Everyone has to eat.”

  When she lowered her hands, he had pulled out the note he’d written on a full sheet of paper. In large letters it read, “Rock climbing and dinner. Need to leave by 4:00. Meet at my place?”

  Her eyes grew wider as she read.

  He knew he’d surprised her when she didn’t answer immediately.

  “I, well, I…”

  “Great. It’s a deal then.” He pivoted on his heel and headed for the door.

  “I can’t leave an hour early.” Her tone made it clear she thought he’d lost his mind.

  He stopped in the doorway and smiled back at her. “Why not? You got here an hour early. So did I. Shouldn’t be a problem—technically.” When she didn’t answer, he gave her a little salute. “See you there.”

  And while her mouth was still hanging open, he turned and fled from her office.

  He left immediately so she wouldn’t be able to find him and offer an excuse. Pulling in front of his apartment, he jumped out and ran up the stairs. He’d changed his clothes and put together a small cooler full of bottled water and snacks by the time she knocked on the door.

  “Hi.” Her eyes were as big as a doe’s. He knew he had to move fast or she would still find a way to back out.

  “I already have packs in the car,” he said, walking outside where she waited.

  “Ben, I don’t have—”

  “Clothes? Supplies? Courage?” He laughed when a spark of defiance came into her tired eyes. “We’ll stop by your place and get some clothes. I have all the other supplies. If you have the courage, we should be good.”

  “Marshall, do you know how tired I am?”

  He reached out, tucked the hair back from her face. “Yeah. I do.”

  “I should be working. Doing something to catch this creep—”

  “Long investigation. Not a critical timeline. Do your job, do it well, and be out of the office at the end of your shift.” He could tell that hearing her words quoted back to her was having the desired effect. “That’s exactly why I’m calling in my favor this way. Come on. No experience required. What do you say? It’s a great way to work off tension.”

  Dana hesitated, then shook her head as she walked back down the stairs. “If I break something, you’re fired.”

  “You’ve got it, boss.”

  He followed her in his truck, retracing the roads back out to Cimarron Hills. While she was inside changing, he transferred the climbing packs he’d loaded into the passenger seat that morning to the bed of the truck.

  In less time than he’d have thought possible, she returned in hiking pants and a long sleeve, powder blue, cotton shirt. Her hair was pulled back with a Nike sweat band.

  He smiled, but didn’t say anything.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “It’s something or you wouldn’t be sporting a Cheshire grin on your face.” She climbed into the two-tone truck as he held the door.

  He walked around, started the truck, and maneuvered out of the driveway. Neither of them spoke until he’d merged onto Highway 64.

  “I was smiling because you look nice in casual clothes, and you dressed perfectly.” Ben glanced at her, but she was busy studying the passing scenery. “Have you climbed before?”

  Dana snorted. “No. I haven’t. Generally, I have more common sense than when I’m with you.”

  His laughter filled the truck. Settling his arm across the back of the seat, he touched the back of her neck, then began gently massaging the bunched muscles.

  “Then you’ve hiked.”

  She tensed beneath his hand, but he waited as he would for a fish to settle on a line.

  “I used to hike,” she admitted. “When I first came to Taos.”

  She studied the trees and mountains and eventually she forgot to hold her shoulders up. Ben felt her fall into the memories she wasn’t ready to share. He continued to massage the knot in her neck muscles.

  “I thought I’d been assigned to heaven. Where else is there so much sunshine and cool temperatures?”

  “Not to mention fishing, canyons, cliffs…” Ben pulled his hand away as he signaled to pass a farmer moving his tractor. When he did, Dana relaxed into the corner of the truck and studied him.

  “How long were you here before?” she asked.

  “A summer. One summer doesn’t seem like a long time, but it made an impression on me.” He moved his visor to block the descending sun as the road turned north. “In many ways those three months changed the course of my life. But that’s another story.”

  Ben still felt the ache from the loss of his best friend. He could accept God’s will in all things, but rarely a day passed by when he didn’t remember—and miss—Joe. Shaking the loneliness away, he glanced over at Dana.

  “What matters this af
ternoon is I learned to climb from a very good friend I met then—Joe Tafoya.”

  “Apache?”

  “Yeah. Joe had climbed since he was a boy. I think he took me with him because he enjoyed watching me scrape myself up. I was a slow learner, but I was stubborn.”

  “You’re kidding. You?” Dana yawned and pushed up on her sunglasses. “I guess you outgrew it.”

  Ben reached for the radio dial, set the volume low, and pushed in the Eric Clapton cassette he kept handy for road trips. “Sarcastic women can usually benefit from a nap.”

  “Uh-huh.” She scrunched further down in the seat, until her head could rest comfortably against the back. Her arms crossed over her stomach, and the frown lines that worried the space between her brows relaxed.

  Ben wasn’t sure he’d ever seen a sight that made him feel any happier, any more content.

  Forty minutes later, he was tempted to keep driving when he reached Cimarron Canyon State Park.

  He slowed the truck as he tried to decide whether to make a loop and drive her back. Maybe she was more tired than he realized. When he shifted down the gears, she blinked twice, then sat up and stretched.

  “Wow. I was totally out, Marshall. It was either the music or the company.”

  “I’ll send your regards to Clapton.”

  Ben pulled up to the state park visitor entrance. There was no charge to enter the park. A man of about seventy with a close-cropped white beard wore a tag which said State Park Host. He asked if they’d like a map, but Ben declined. He did tell the gentleman where they’d be climbing, and the old guy promised to log them into the book.

  “Why did you do that?” Dana asked.

  “Safety precaution. You should always let someone know where you’re climbing just in case.”

  “In case what?” Dana’s voice rose a notch.

  “Relax, boss.” Ben pointed to three deer, standing near the riverbed.

  The does succeeded in distracting her for about ten seconds. “Why didn’t you get a map?”

  “I have the map.” Ben tapped his head. “It’s all up here.”

  Dana glanced at him. “Frightening. I thought I heard something rattling while I was sleeping. Figured it was this truck.”