Lonestar Sanctuary (30 page)

"Let me go to the door first," Rick said. "Once they open the door,
I'll motion to you." He still worried it might be a waste of time, but
Walker obviously had something on the kid.

He got out, veered around four Hispanic children playing dodgeball in the street, then went to the door and pounded on it. "Luis? It's
Rick Bailey again. I've got a couple of questions."

The baby wailed, and a woman's voice spoke soothingly. The door
swung open, and Luis didn't look nearly as patient and understanding
today. His glare stabbed at Rick, and his mouth was pinched.

"What now?"

Rick flicked his fingers at his side. Moments later, the two border
patrol agents were showing the warrant. Walker had his foot stuck
between the doorjamb and the door to keep Luis from slamming it in
their faces.

Luis turned to run, and Walker grabbed his arm. "Not so fast,
amigo. We've got some questions." The men shoved inside.

Rick shot an apologetic glance to the young woman, who stood off
to one side, her dark eyes full of fear. The wails of the baby added to
the chaos as Walker pushed Luis into a chair and stood over him.

"Keep an eye on him,"Walker said. "I need to help Mike search."

Rick stood between Luis and the door. The young man sat on the
edge of the chair like he might bolt. Waves of animosity rolled off the
kid, and he kept glaring daggers of betrayal at Rick.

Rick stared down at the young man. "Did you try to implicate
Allie Siders in running illegals through the rodeo?" he asked quietly.

Luis turned his head, but not before Rick saw a knowing smirk
twist his lips. Rage simmered along Rick's nerves. If this guy had
been terrorizing his wife all this time . . . He heard the border
agents tapping along the walls, dragging drawers open, looking in
cabinets.

Nervous energy jittered along Luis's body. His hands shook, and
Rick could see he had something to hide. A boulder began to form in
Rick's stomach at the thought he might have ended this nightmare
days ago if he'd been able to see through the guy. Allie was suffering,
and he'd had the power to stop it.

He was losing his touch. A few years ago he could read these
degenerates like reading spoor in the forest. He'd let this guy bamboozle him. Some protector he was.

Walker came back holding a ledger book. "It's all in here." He
flipped it open and showed Rick the money trail. Hundreds of thousands of dollars. When he handed the book back to Walker, something
fell from between the pages. He picked it up and found a picture of
Allie standing by a horse trailer at a rodeo.

"It was you," he said. "You were trying to frame her."

"She killed his brother, destroyed his business," the woman said,
taking a step forward.

"Callete!"Luis snarled.

The woman clamped her mouth closed at Luis's command to be
quiet. She scuttled back to the couch with the baby.

Rick let his contempt show in his eyes as he stared at Luis. The
young man looked down, but his mouth still held a line of defiance.

It was over. Rick's relief couldn't be described. He could go home, tell Allie to let the fear drift away like puffs of cottonwood seeds. They
could begin to work on making a new life together. Once the adoption was final, he would have a real family.

The thought made him smile.

THE CARE FACILITY WAS ONE OF THE NEWER ONES THAT LOOKED LIKE A
Victorian mansion rather than an institution. Allie could hardly wait
to get inside. What if she was able to find Rick's brother? What a kick
it would be to reunite them and see Rick's face.

She and Dolly stopped at the nurses' station and got directions to
Rosanna Hilgers's room. They found her seated in a chair, her beefy arms
propped on a side table and five cards in her hand. The green sweater she
wore over her housedress had more pills than straight fibers.

"Mrs. Hilgers?"Allie said.

"I'll call you," she said in a shrill voice.

Allie glanced at Dolly and touched the woman's shoulder. "My
name is Allie Bailey, and I'd like to ask you about a former student."

The woman's bleary eyes blinked, then she pulled her gaze from
the cards in her hand and focused on Allie. "I taught you?"

"No, ma'am, not me. But you taught a boy named Chad Bailey. I
was wondering if you knew how I might get in touch with him."

"Who wants to know?"

"I do. My name is Allie Bailey."

"You're his sister?"

"His sister-in-law. Do you know where he is?"

The woman shuffled her slippered feet. "Who wants to know?"

"Me, Allie Bailey."

"Want to play poker? I promise not to take too much of your money."

"I don't know how to play."

"Sit down and I'll show you."

Allie gave Dolly a helpless look and pulled over a chair from under
the window. "About Chad," she said.

"Such a good boy," the woman said. "Terrible he had to go to Africa."

Dolly rolled her eyes, butAllie leaned forward. "He went to Africa?"

"With his parents. I was so upset. He came to see me on his giraffe
when he got back though. So grown up and handsome."

"When was he here last?" Allie knew this was likely all false, but
she might find a glimmer of reality in the stories somewhere.

"Just last week. He came on his elephant this time. He could name
every part of that beast. I taught him well." Her eyes glazed over, then
closed, and her mouth sagged. A snore ripped from her throat.

"She's not making any sense," Dolly whispered. "Let's go."

"I'm going to talk to the nurse."Allie rose and followed her friend
from the room.

"Poor lady. She's delusional. All that talk about elephants and
giraffes. I doubt you'll learn anything from the nurses."

"Just a quick question." Allie stopped at the hubbub of activity
by the entrance and waited until one of the women was free. "Excuse me. I was wondering if you knew if Rosanna Hilgers gets many
visitors?"

The young woman's tired smile brightened. "Oh, Mrs. Hilgers!
Isn't she a sweetheart? We just love her. Some of her former students
drop by from time to time, though since her mind has failed more, not
so many.

Allie allowed herself a glimmer of hope. "I'm looking for a young
man who would be in his early twenties now. Chad Bailey?"

The woman frowned. "Bailey. The name isn't familiar. There's
another Chad that comes by though. He's about that age."

Allie exchanged a glance with Dolly. "Do you know how I might
get hold of him?"

"No, I'm sorry. Visitors don't leave their information or anything"

Allie dug in her purse for a pen and paper. "Listen, could I leave a
note for you to give him if he comes in again?"

"Sure. I'll put it in her file."

Allie scribbled out a note explaining who she was and what she
wanted, then folded it and handed it over. "Thanks so much."

"No problem. I hope you find him."The woman tucked the note
into a file folder.

It was the best Allie could do, but it felt like a pitiful attempt. Still,
God was in control of this, and he could move mountains.

The women drove back to Dolly's house, but the conversation was
much more subdued on the trip home. They stopped at the corner
grocery and bought some milk, then went to the O'Sullivan home.

As they pulled into the driveway, she saw Rick's truck parked
along the curb. "Don't tell him where we were," she told Dolly.

"I won't. I warned Grady to keep it mum too." Dolly held up the
gallon of milk. "We'll tell him we went after this."

"I hope he hasn't been here long," Allie muttered. She got out and
followed Dolly to the house. "Rick?" she called.

His voice came from her left. "In the living room."

Allie went to find him. "Did you find out anything?" She eyed him,
noticing the triumphant grin he wore.

He stood from his seat on the couch and stepped to where she
stood.

"It's over." Rick folded Allie in his arms.

She could hear his pulse thumping against her ear, sense the elation that filled him. "What do you mean?" she asked against his shirt.

His hands gripped her shoulders and pulled her out so he was staring into her face. "It was Luis Hernandez. They found the money trail
and a picture of you at the rodeo. He put money in your account and
tipped off the authorities, then pulled out the money and moved it
around to some other accounts of his own offshore."

She felt giddy, and her knees threatened to buckle under her. She
clung to Rick's strength. The nightmare was over. "How did he know
I'd come here?"

Rick shrugged. "I suppose he tapped Yo's phone or something. The
border patrol will figure it out. Let's celebrate. I'll take you to supper."

She wanted to smile, but it didn't seem real. "Are you sure? I never
met him."

"He had a picture of you, and the money trail was clear."

For someone to hate her so passionately when she'd never even
met him saddened her. "He must have loved his brother very much."

"You're feeling sorry for the guy? Get over it," Rick said. "He
deserves what he's got coming to him. He murdered your family."

Allie shuddered. "It's hard to understand."

"I think the two of you need some time alone," Dolly said. "The
girls would love to be together tonight. Why not let Betsy stay with
us? There's no need to worry about her now"

It felt strange to let go of her anxiety, to let loose of her daughter.
She felt light, airy, as the reality sank in that the danger was behind
her. The future stretched ahead like a beautiful blue sky.

"Allie?" Rick said. "It's safe. You can leave Betsy with no worries."

"She's not used to being without me." Going off without Betsy
would be like losing her arm.

Dolly laughed. "Listen to the girls chattering. She won't miss you."

Sure enough, Allie could hear the high, sweet sounds of the girls
talking. Talking. Betsy was talking again, and life might actually
return to normal, whatever that meant. "If you're sure." She couldn't
look at Rick.

"I'm positive." Dolly made a shooing motion with her hands. "Get
out of here, you two. Go celebrate."

Rick took her arm, and his warm fingers jump-started her pulse.
"We'll get her first thing in the morning."

"No rush," Dolly said, smiling.

Rick led her from the living room and out the door. "What sounds
good for supper? Let's walk. It's not far."

"Do we have a choice?" She turned to smile at him. The air suddenly smelled fresher, clean with the scent of citrus from the groves
along the path. The sunset cast a subdued light over the tiny village,
bathing it with a heavenly glow.

Free. She was free to love Rick and build a new life with him. And
that's what this emotion she'd been unwilling to name was. Love.
How did he feel? She glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. He'd said if he acted love, maybe he'd feel it. Sure enough, the transformation had occurred in his heart as well. How was she to know
about her own heart though?

The emotion swelled within her, lodging in her throat, choking
off anything she might say. Not yet. She couldn't tell him yet. Maybe
after supper.

He kept possession of her hand as they strolled along the sidewalk
to the little cafe two blocks down. Allie glanced in the windows of
the homes they passed, noticing the families living and loving. She
wouldn't have to envy the other families any longer. She had a place
of her own.

Carrying this much joy felt overwhelming.

Rick held open the door of the cafe for her, and she stepped
onto the battered wooden floor. Red-and-white checked tablecloths covered the square tables, and the air was thick with the
smell of chicken enchiladas, tonight's special according to the chalkboard. A few locals looked up and spoke to Rick, tipping their hats
to her as well.

Rick led her to a corner table that looked out on the patio where
pots of flowers bloomed. He sat across from her and smiled with so
much contentment that she had to smile back.

His smile changed as he looked over her shoulder at someone.
"Judge," he said.

Judge Thompson was smiling, and Allie let herself hope. The older
woman stopped at the table. "You two look awfully happy."

"The border patrol just arrested the man who's been giving Allie
so much trouble," Rick said. "And if that's not enough, Betsy is talking
again, so we're celebrating."

The judge's smile widened. "Glad to hear it. Come see me tomorrow, and I'll give you the ruling. I think you'll be pleased." She
winked and walked away.

"Ah, the joys of small-town living," Rick murmured. "No tightly
held secrets." He laughed, then stretched his hand across the table to
take Allie's. "Enchiladas just doesn't sound like a celebratory meal. I
think we should have steak."

"Me too." Though right now she felt she couldn't eat a thing. They
placed their order, and the waitress left them alone.

"What are we going to do about Jon's parents?" Allie asked. "They
are going to still want to see Betsy, even if the adoption goes through."

"How do you feel about it?"

"They're her grandparents. I'd like her to know and love them, but
I hate for her to be forced to visit when she doesn't want to."

"Sometimes blood can't make family," he said. The sun dipped
below the horizon as he spoke, and the shadows deepened on his face.
His voice darkened as well. "Adoption can. Love is what counts."

"You never talk about your family," she said. Maybe he would open
up now. She wanted to know more about this man who'd slipped into
her heart when she wasn't looking.

The triumphant smile he'd worn since she first saw him tonight
took a dip. He pulled his hand away and took a gulp of his water. "Not
much to say. I haven't seen my parents in years. Last I heard, my dad was
in prison for assault and battery over a dispute at work, and my mom
was waiting tables in San Antonio and living with man number six."