MITCH KNEW he’d made a serious mistake by agreeing to come to Erin’s school and talk to the kids. He didn’t have anything to say and he didn’t want to scare them with his prosthesis. But Erin had insisted and apparently he couldn’t tell her no. So he found himself walking down the halls of Titanville Elementary, looking for the right classroom.
What he spotted instead was a group of adults talking quietly in a hallway. He joined them, figuring this had to be the right place. A pretty blond woman with a name badge that read Hi, I’m Monica came up to him.
“Hi. I’m one of the teacher’s aids.”
“You must be Monica.”
The woman frowned. “Have we met?”
He pointed to the badge.
“Oh, right. I forgot I was wearing it. Yes, that’s me. My son is in this class. You are here with?”
“Erin Titan.”
Monica’s blue eyes brightened. “Erin’s hero. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
If he’d been sure of his balance, he would have shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not a hero.”
“Former SEAL?”
“Yeah.”
“Wounded in action?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Saved countless lives and you don’t want to talk about it.”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“You have fulfilled the hero description. I’m sorry, but you’re stuck with the title now. Come on. I’ll show you where to wait.” She led him to where the other adults stood and made a few introductions. Then she put her hand on his arm. “If you need anything, just let me know.”
Her smile was sincere, her eyes wide with invitation. He might have been out of the dating game for a while, but he recognized interest when it slapped him in the face.
He watched Monica walk away, his gaze slipping to her butt, then down her legs.
She was appealing, he thought, belatedly realizing she hadn’t been wearing a wedding band. He should probably take her up on her not-so-subtle come-on. They could go out. Get to know each other. Have sex.
All of which should have sounded really good…and it didn’t. He didn’t want blue eyes, he wanted green. A fiery redhead, not a blonde and the only fatherless kid he wanted in his life was Erin.
He swore silently. It had been nine years. Why couldn’t he get Skye out of his head? Why did she have to be the one who got to him?
The door to the classroom opened and Erin came out. She shrieked when she saw him.
“You’re here! You came.”
“Of course I came.”
She waved him into the room where they stood in back while a woman talked about how she rescued horses. A few minutes later, she finished and the kids applauded. Then Erin led him to the front of the room.
“This is Mitch Cassidy,” she said proudly. “He owns the ranch next door and he’s a real hero. He was a SEAL and fought in the war and protected our country and saved lots of lives.” She started to go to her seat, then stopped.
“Oh. He lost part of his leg and now he has a metal one and it’s really cool.”
Several of the kids leaned forward eagerly.
“Can we see it?” one boy asked.
The teacher, a tall middle-aged woman, hesitated. “I’m sure our guest doesn’t want to-”
“I don’t mind,” Mitch said, surprising himself and possibly the teacher. He drew up his jeans pant leg.
Several of the boys oohed while one girl covered her eyes.
“What happened?” a boy asked.
“I got in the way of an explosion. You don’t want to do that. The explosion always wins.”
“Did it hurt?”
“Before. Not now.”
“Does your fake leg come off?”
“How do you stand in the shower?”
“Can you run faster or slower?”
The teacher raised both her hands. “Okay. One question at a time.” She smiled at Mitch. “Unless you’d prefer to give your prepared talk.”
“Not really,” Mitch said. He had a few notes on what it was like to be a SEAL, but everything he’d written down had sounded stupid. Answering questions seemed easier.
“My leg comes off,” he said. “I don’t sleep with it. I don’t run as fast as I used to, but I’m getting better. I can ride and walk and do pretty much anything you can do.”
“What’s it like being a hero?” one girl asked.
Skye slipped into the back of the room. Mitch looked good standing up in front of the class. Maybe too good. Looking at him made it tough to think.
She watched the emotions chase across his face and knew he was debating the whole “hero” part of the question. He accepted that Erin called him that but wouldn’t think it of himself.
“I was doing a job,” he said. “Taking care of my responsibilities. That’s what people do-the right thing. Sometimes that meant being in danger.” He settled on the corner of the teacher’s desk. “Danger is a funny thing. It shows up when you don’t expect it, so you don’t have time to think. You act on instinct.”
Several of the kids frowned, as if confused.
He saw it, too. “You just act. You don’t have time for a plan. So you have to know what you’re going to do before the danger shows up. Can anyone here tell me when you practice for danger?”
There was silence. The students got wide-eyed and looked at one another. Mitch casually pointed to the fire alarm on the wall.
“Fire drills!” one boy yelled.
“Right. You know how to leave the classroom and where to go in the yard.”
“Did you have to practice?” a girl asked.
“Yes. All the time.”
“So you could save people?”
“That’s why I was there.”
He talked about riding on navy ships and airplanes, about jumping from thousands of feet in the sky. He had them enthralled for nearly half an hour.
“I hate to interrupt,” their teacher said, “but we have other special people here to speak. Thank you so much for coming.”
Mitch waved at the kids. He paused by Erin’s desk and spoke to her, then started for the door. Skye knew the exact moment he spotted her.
“What are you doing here?” he asked as he followed her into the hallway.
“I wanted to hear you speak.”
“Why?”
“I thought it would be interesting.”
They walked outside the building and stood in the parking lot.
She found herself oddly nervous. Had he always been so tall? Or maybe it was something else. Maybe it was Lexi and Dana’s ridiculous claims that she was in love with him.
“Erin really appreciates that you did this,” she said, staring at his chest. She couldn’t seem to look into his eyes. “She was so excited that you were coming to her class.”
“I was happy to do it. She’s a good kid.”
Skye risked raising her gaze. “I thought you’d hate her forever.”
“For not being mine?”
She nodded.
“I thought about it,” he admitted. “Then I realized if she was mine, she would be different and I don’t want her to change.”
It was the best thing he could have said.
“I’m glad,” she whispered, then cleared her throat. “You were really good with the kids. They loved hearing you talk.”
“Edited stories. The truth would keep them up for months.”
She was sure of that. “You talked about rescuing people. Who rescued you?”
“A guy named Pete.”
“A fellow SEAL?”
“Yes. He’s a few years younger than me. Married. They’re having their first baby.” He looked past her. “He dragged me to safety, then went to get help. He could have been killed. He was shot himself, but did that slow him down? No way. He’s back in Afghanistan right now.”
He sounded angry. With himself?
“Mitch, you’re getting a couple of medals for what happened. It’s not like you just sat there and had a good cry.”
He shrugged. “I laid down some cover. Got a couple of snipers.”
While he was possibly bleeding to death with his leg blown off. Sure. Just another day at the office.
One of the teacher’s aids walked up and joined them.
“Hi, Skye,” Monica said. “Mitch, that was amazing. Thanks again for coming to speak to the kids. You were a hit. There’s, um, going to be a reception later. You might like to come.” Monica barely spared her a glance. “You, too, Skye.”
A halfhearted invitation at best, Skye thought, trying not to step between Mitch and Monica. She saw the other woman’s interest and, while she wanted to claim him as her own, she wasn’t in any position to do that.
Annoyed, frustrated and not sure why, she gritted her teeth, excused herself and walked to her car. Monica and Mitch were still talking. Neither seemed to notice as she drove away.
Stupid man, she thought, turning the corner. He could date anyone he wanted. She wasn’t interested in him. She never had been. He and Monica could get married and buy a house and she wouldn’t care for one minute. They were both stupid and they deserved each other.
MITCH RODE that evening, after dinner. Sunset was later now that they were heading into early summer. He started toward the cattle, then turned Bullet and rode by the chickens.
Free-range chickens were held in by a perimeter fence that kept them from disappearing toward Oklahoma and protected them from predators. Coops traveled with them and as the sun set, the chickens bedded down for the night. He’d talked to Arturo and had discovered that Erin was right. The damn chickens were fed a coconut-based feed. All they needed was a little Reggae music and they could be on vacation.
But he’d grown used to seeing them on the land and he had to admit they left behind an effective fertilizer. Going organic had meant contracting with local farmers for certified feed. It was good business all around.
He stared at the land that stretched to the horizon. Now that he was back he wondered how he’d stayed away for those many years. Why hadn’t he missed the Texas sky-bigger here than anywhere in the world? Why hadn’t he wanted to ride by the herd, work the cattle dogs, eat Fidela’s enchiladas and play chess with Arturo? He’d stayed away so long, he’d forgotten what home was like. Now that he was back he could see-
A dark shape moved across the open field, staying low and heading directly for the fence around the chickens. Mitch urged Bullet forward. He’d just checked the fencing a few days before. Was there a hole in it already?
He saw the opening seconds before the coyote dove for it. Without thinking, he reached for his shotgun, aimed and fired. The sound echoed in the night.
Inside their coops, the chickens began to shriek. The coyote, frightened but unharmed, raced in the opposite direction.
“Next time I won’t fire a warning shot,” Mitch yelled after it. The coyote didn’t slow.
He slid off Bullet and walked toward the hole in the fence. The entire structure was moved every few days as the chickens ate the grubs and scratched at the grass. The corners and points of connection were vulnerable to separating, allowing coyotes and other predators a way in.
This opening was just the right size for a small coyote. Mitch fished out a few connectors and clamped them into place. It wasn’t a permanent fix, but it would do for tonight. He and Arturo could put one of the guys on it tomorrow.
Then he turned back to Bullet, only to come to a stop. There was no way he could get back in the saddle without a mounting block. The lights from the house twinkled in the distance. It was going to be a very long walk.
He grabbed Bullet’s reins and led him a few feet. The horse stopped and looked at him. If Mitch didn’t know better, he could swear the horse was telling him he was an idiot.
“Don’t look at me like I’m stupid,” he said. “I’m the higher mammal here.”
Bullet shook his head. Mitch could swear he also rolled his eyes. Then he carefully lowered himself to the ground, crouching like a camel.
Mitch stared at him. “You’re kidding,” he muttered. “Why didn’t anyone tell me you could do that?”
He settled on the saddle, hung on and Bullet struggled to his feet. When he was standing, Mitch patted his shoulder.
“I owe you, big guy. Oats for you, tonight.”
Bullet turned his head and glanced at him, then headed for the ranch.
The house was in silhouette, a pretty place with welcoming lights. He could see Fidela moving in the kitchen. Arturo would be in his office or watching TV. It was a simple life, but it was his. For the first time in years, Mitch knew that he was home.
SKYE FINGERED the letter on her desk. “I wish you’d reconsider,” she told Marianne. “We’ve done such good work together. You’re an important part of what we do here.”
Marianne coordinated all the local fund-raisers for the foundation and provided support for those interested in learning how to raise money to feed children.
She was barely thirty, with a new husband and a burning desire to make a difference.
“I appreciate the opportunities I’ve had here,” Marianne said, not meeting Skye’s gaze. “You’ve been really nice to work for and I really like all the people. I just feel it’s time for me to make a change.”
The last words were barely a mumble. If Skye hadn’t been listening intently, she wouldn’t have heard them. But she got the message and knew what it meant.
“Marianne, I swear to you, no senior staff has ever been paid a bonus and I have not taken a penny from this foundation. I don’t even get a salary. That information is someone’s idea of a bad practical joke. Trisha and our computer guys are working on solving the problem. We’ll find what’s wrong and fix it. Can’t you give me a few more weeks? Haven’t I earned your trust that much?”
She hated to beg, but in the past week, she’d already lost three good people.
“I have another offer,” Marianne told her. “I start Monday. It’s a smaller place and I won’t make as much, but it’s exciting and…”
“And you won’t have to worry about your reputation,” Skye said, trying not to sound bitter. “I understand.”
In Marianne’s position, she would probably do the same thing. Why not? Until Skye could prove her innocence, no one had any reason to believe her.
“I wish you the best,” Skye told her. “If things don’t work out at your new job, you’re always welcome back here.”
Marianne looked doubtful, as if she couldn’t imagine wanting to return. Skye hoped that when the truth finally came out, she could salvage her reputation, but she wasn’t sure. Garth had done some serious damage here.
Marianne left. Skye turned her chair so she could see out the window and wished she knew how to make things better. Where exactly had everything gone so wrong? At what moment had Garth decided to start his plan? Could he be stopped?
Her door burst open and a tall, geeky-looking guy stumbled into the room. His glasses hung halfway down his nose; his hair stuck up in fifteen directions and his clothes had a serious slept-in look.
“I found it,” he announced with great pride. “I found it. I’ve been staying up all night and I wasn’t sure I could, but I did.” He paused, expectantly.
Skye stood. “Who are you?”
“Leonard.” He pushed up his glasses. “I work in IT. I found where the breach is in the firewall. It’s pretty slick.” He said a bunch of stuff that didn’t sound like any language she’d ever heard.
Skye raised her hands in the shape of a T. “Okay, Leonard. Talk more slowly and to those of us who barely know where the on button is on our computer.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry.” He smiled. “I got a little excited. The guy got through the firewall by piggybacking on another program that we let in all the time. It’s very complicated. A lot of work went into this. Once the Trojan horse got in, it went to work, opening up an easier access, then covered its tracks. So basically whoever is doing this can see everything we do online. Putting in a second set of books was a snap.” He grinned at her.
It took her a second to absorb the information. “Can you stop it?”
“Sure, but I can do one better. I can send a program back that will start to capture information there. That way we can figure out who did this.”
“Will it be legal proof?”
Leonard shifted uncomfortably. “Um, no. Tapping into someone’s computer without a warrant isn’t legal. But it would give you a place to start.”
“I already have an idea of who’s paying the guy,” she said. “I just don’t know who’s cashing the checks and doing the actual work. How illegal is it?”
“I don’t know.”
Skye didn’t, either. She didn’t want Leonard or herself going to jail, but she was tired of Garth being one step ahead of her.
“If we found out who was doing this, we could stop him, right?” she asked.
“Yes,” Leonard told her.
“Give me a second.” She grabbed the phone and dialed from memory.
“Why are you calling me at work?” Dana said by way of greeting. “Is this an emergency? Did you mean to call nine-one-one?”
“Is tapping into someone’s computer really illegal or only a little bad? I mean are we talking about a slap on the wrist or time as Bubba’s love slave?”
“You’d be in a women’s facility, so you wouldn’t know Bubba and I can’t believe you asked me that,” Dana said. “Don’t ask me about illegal stuff. I do not want to arrest my friend.”
“I have a computer genius standing in my office. He found out how Garth got into my system and can send a program back that will help us identify who he used to hack in and where he is.”
There was a long pause. “Skye, don’t ask me this. I’m serious. I love you, but I’m not breaking the law for you. And I’m not helping you do it, either. So just stop. We’ll get Garth another way.”
“I had a feeling you were going to say that. Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”
Dana hung up and Skye did the same.
“Leonard, I can’t ask you to do this. It’s illegal and I have no idea how much trouble we’d be in. You don’t want to be a part of that.”
He looked disappointed. “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “If you change your mind, let me know.”
“I will.”
He left.
Skye sat at her desk and wished they didn’t have to be the good guys. Life would be much easier to handle if they had the same lack of concern for the law Garth showed.
Her phone rang. “Dana, tell me you’ve had a change of heart,” she said as she picked up the receiver.
“Skye Titan?” a man asked.
She could barely hear him. There was a horrible loud rushing sound in the background. “Yes.”
“This is Daryl Green. I work with Izzy on the rig. There’s been an explosion. Izzy’s hurt. She’s in a helicopter right now, heading for Dallas.”
Skye stopped breathing. “Hurt? What happened?”
“We don’t know what happened yet. There was a flash and then it all went to hell. She’s alive. I know that much.” He gave her the name of the hospital and then hung up.
Skye felt sick and scared and frantic. Izzy hurt? An explosion? That had to be bad. What if it was serious? What if she died?
Her fingers shook as she reached for her purse and keys. She had to get to the hospital so she was there when Izzy arrived. She had to tell Lexi and their father. She had to ask Fidela to pick up Erin at the bus stop.
Izzy, she thought as she hurried to the door. Izzy who had believed she was safe from Garth. That she had nothing to lose.