Chapter 11
11
After she and her brother ended their call, Bev stared at her phone’s blank screen. Obviously, she found no clues there, but she wished some kind of sign would’ve popped up.
She really needed to try to figure out what to do next.
Now that a little bit of time had passed, she realized that reaching out to her brother had been instinctive. It had been born out of years and years of counting on him for almost everything. To put it simply, Hardy was the most capable person she knew. He’d always been that way too. Even when they were kids, he’d somehow been able to take care of everything. She might have been the older sibling and the honor roll student, but he’d been the one who’d been amazing in life.
Even their clueless, exasperating mother had known that Hardy could take care of their life better than she could. When he reached middle school, he started asking for part of her paycheck so they’d have food to eat and heat in the apartment. And she gave it to him.
Now, he was bigger and stronger than most and had a wealth of military experience. Bev would never tell him such a thing, but he’d always kind of reminded her of one of those heroes in disaster movies. There was always someone who knew what to do and how to get it done. Who didn’t shy away from bad guys or hesitate when it came to helping someone weaker than himself. In her mind, Hardy was practically invincible.
But she still felt a little guilty for roping him into this mess.
And now his boss was embroiled in it too.
Her brother’s tough, rough exterior was the opposite of the man he worked for. Actually, the man was far different than almost every man Bev had ever dated.
Which made it even more confusing that she had a crush on his boss. Carter Russell was very, very wealthy. Rich-as-sin wealthy. He was also a little bit spoiled because he’d never had to go without.
Carter had an athletic build but a far slimmer one than her brother’s. It was more like a tennis physique to Hardy’s football/wrestler build. Carter was also charming, southern, and had impeccable manners. Whenever they talked, he looked directly at her. Like she was more than an average-looking woman who’d not only never had a piece of designer clothing but wouldn’t be able to even name one.
“Listen to you, girl,” she chastised herself. “You’ve only chatted with the guy a couple of times a year. There’s no reason for you to have a crush on him the size of Mount Rushmore.”
The comparison was goofy. Carter was absolutely not presidential and he wasn’t larger than life. But man, was he memorable. The last time she’d seen him had been at a charity event his family was hosting. She’d attended with Hardy and had been perfectly willing to blend into the background while her brother relaxed enough to converse with the Russells’ associates.
But then Carter had sought her out and even cajoled her to dance with him one time. He’d been in a tuxedo, had a bit of scruff on his cheeks, and had gazed at her like she was special.
And though he treated everyone that way, she’d been mesmerized. Everything about him, from his dark brown eyes to his boyish features to his flyaway, a-little-too-long light brown hair appealed to her. So did his kindness.
She met so many intellectuals, soft do-gooders, and just plain bad people in her line of work, it felt as if everyone she came across had an angle that had nothing to do with helping others but instead with helping themselves. Carter, on the other hand, just went about his day making money and riding horses and whatever else he did ... but amazingly touched a lot of lives in the process. She’d almost begun to believe that men like him didn’t actually exist.
And ... here she was again, wasting valuable time out of her day fantasizing about a man who likely never thought twice about her when their paths didn’t cross. She needed to get it together.
Especially because she needed to call him. He might not take her call, but she needed to make sure she thanked him for helping Stephanie.
Taking a deep breath, she swiped until she found the contacts icon and then searched for his name. Because yes, Carter Russell was in her contacts even though they’d only had a couple dozen conversations over the years.
Before she could lose her nerve, she clicked on his name. After only one ring, he answered. “Hello?”
“Carter, this is Beverly Anderson.”
“Bev?”
“Yes. You know, Hardy’s sister?” And yes, she’d just sounded like she was fifteen and calling her first crush.
He chuckled low and deep. “Beverly, did you really think I wouldn’t know who you were?”
“It’s been a while, and you’re a busy man. And um, you might not remember me.”
“I remember everything about you.” He paused. “Including the fact that you’re usually running about a hundred miles an hour and helping at least two children at the same time. What’s going on? Do you need something?”
“Oh ... no. But um, I did want to thank you for helping Stephanie.”
“Stephanie ...”
“The Amish girl I asked Hardy to help me out with. She’s staying in one of your cabins, right?”
Sounding a little guarded, he said, “Bev, it’s real thoughtful of you to reach out and all, but I can’t take any credit for putting her up. Hardy brought her to the ranch last night and then he informed me about it.”
“But it is okay with you, right?”
“Of course.”
Bev was starting to feel a little foolish for calling. “Oh. Well, okay.”
He chuckled. “Beverly Anderson, I sure hope we have the occasion to see each other soon.”
“That would be nice. Um, are you in Cincinnati right now?”
Maybe she could ask him to lunch as a thank-you.
“I’m sorry to say that I’m not. I was, but I’m actually in Florence right now.”
She’d called him, and he was across the world. “I have a feeling you’re talking about Florence, Italy, and not Florence, Kentucky,” she teased. That was a common joke. The small city just on the other side of the Ohio River was a place where she and Hardy always called each other when they were on the road mainly because of the gigantic water tower that proclaimed “Florence, Y’all.”
“Now I can’t say that I would hate that ... but I really am in Florence, Kentucky. I was in Cincy, but then decided that I’d better head down to the ranch too. Hardy might need some help.”
“Oh. Well, um, yes. I bet he’ll appreciate that.”
“Listen, I’ve got an idea. No pressure, but how would you feel about heading down there too?”
“You’d like me to drive down to your ranch?”
“I would. After talking to Hardy, I’m thinking that this girl might need something more than just to stay hidden.”
“I know my brother was going to reach out to the sheriff.”
“Yeah, I know. And safety is important. But to be honest, Beverly, that’s not what’s got me worried.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I could be worrying for nothing, but this is an Amish girl. She’s living in one of my cabins all alone. I don’t have any female ranch hands or people on my security team down there. Maybe I should, I don’t know. But all I know is that she’s a sheltered woman among a lot of rough men.” He paused. “No offense to your brother.”
“None taken.”
“Do you see what I’m getting at? She needs someone there who she feels comfortable with.”
“I admit that I’m female, but she and I don’t really know each other, Carter.”
“Yeah, but if you don’t show up, then the only person she’s ever going to see is Hardy.”
“Hardy would never hurt her,” she blurted.
“I know that. Come on. I know him as well as you do.”
“You’re right. I’m ... I’m sorry.”
“But see, while you and I both know that Hardy would sooner cut off his ear than harm a single hair on that girl’s head, Stephanie doesn’t. And that’s what counts, right?”
“Right. I mean, you’re right.”
“I’m even more of a stranger to her. Plus, Hardy is going to need to be on patrol. She’ll be by herself a lot.”
“You want me to go down to keep her company.”
“It’s your call, Bev. But ...”
“But ... it was also my idea to send her to Hardy.” And the truth was that it hadn’t been right for her to call Hardy, pop her on a bus, and then check with him every now and then to make sure she was all right. That wasn’t good enough. Not for Stephanie. Not for Hardy. And, it seemed, not even for Carter.
“Yeah. What do you say?” he asked, his drawl turning even more slow and irresistible. “Can you get away?”
“I want to. It might take me a day or two. I have a couple of kids who I need to meet with.”
“I understand.”
There was something in his voice that felt a bit like a cattle prod. It poked and gave her a jolt in the right direction. It wasn’t going to be enough for her to just do a little bit. In this case, she needed to step up and help Stephanie. Help Hardy too.
It was the right thing to do.
And, if by chance, she was able to see Carter Russell every now and then, since she would be staying on his ranch, that would be an added bonus.
Sure, it was a slightly embarrassing, selfish bonus. But no one would ever have to know. Would they?
“Carter, I can probably get away in a couple of days. I know it’s not as soon as I should go, but some of my kids are really at risk. I can’t just leave them.”
“If you can’t come down, I understand.”
“No, I’m coming. I just need a bit of time.”
“Are you sure? I’m guessing Stephanie would feel a lot better with you around, but all those kiddos you work with need you too.”
“On your ranch is where I want to be, Carter.” She winced. Because she’d really just admitted way too much.
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to hear you say that, Beverly. I’ll see you in a few days. Will you promise to call me when you’re on your way? I’ll be worried until I know you’re safe on the ranch.”
“I promise.” If her voice sounded a little breathless, she hoped he’d never know the reason why.
Some things just needed to be kept private.