A hard knot formed in my gut. No way had Jack made an appointment to enroll Calla. If he had, he would have mentioned her autism and Derek would have told me and Cord about her so we could join him in the interview. That meant Jack intended to simply turn up and expected that his demands would be met. Which wasn’t what would happen because that’s not how Rawhide worked. In order to keep everyone safe, Derek made sure he knew exactly who someone was before he’d allow them entry to the ranch. He made sure the front gates were never left open and that the gatehouse was always manned. Anyone who lived or worked on the property was given a button for the gate but had to sign an agreement that made it very clear that they were to never allow someone to come with them on to Rawhide grounds unless they had permission from Derek to do so.
I hadn’t been joking when I said Derek took security seriously. He was fully aware of how precious those who sought out the sanctuary at Rawhide were, and how important it was they were protected from anyone who might mean them harm.He would not take kindly to an arrogant politician with a God complex rolling in unannounced.
“What time did the email come in?”
“Nine-thirty this morning.”
I mentally calculated how long it would take them to get from Denver to Montana. Since Jack clearly was loaded, he’d fly private. There was an airstrip about a forty minute drive from the Ranch. Since he was bringing his driver with him, I assumed he’d arrange to have a car waiting at the airstrip for them to drive themselves to the Ranch, rather than calling for a pickup. That meant roughly three hours for the flight up from Denver, together with however long it took to get from their home to the airfield plus the forty minutes on this end.
Glancing at my watch, seeing it was two in the afternoon, a sense of urgency filled me as I mentally added the four to five hours traveling they needed to do to the time the email was sent. A sour taste rose up my throat as I realized I was potentially already out of time.
“I need to run. If he sent that email just before they left, they could already be here. I’ll keep you posted.”
I didn’t wait for her to respond before I hung up and pulled up Derek’s number and hit the call button as I strode back toward 004.
“Hey, Eric, what’s up?”
“Just got off the phone with Jacqui, my therapist from Pieces to Peace. She’d received some disturbing news about a former patient who is on their way to Rawhide. Girl’s name is Calla Lewis. She’d been enrolled in the facility by her mother and stepfather whose name is Jack Bosman. Calla is non-verbal autistic and also has ADHD. According to the email Jacqui received from Joe Marshall, Jack’s driver, Jack is bringing her from Denver today. That’s not what had her calling me though. Apparently Jack’s got all sorts of ideas about what we might bedoing in the name of research and has been tormenting Calla with threats about us for months.”
After a moment of shocked silence, Derek’s voice exploded through the phone.
“He did what? Hedaredto use the Rawhide name to threaten an innocent? I will have his hide for this.” He paused for a moment, sounds of him using his computer coming over the line. “I don’t have any new guests or students booked in this afternoon. What did you say his name was?”
“Jack Bosman, a councilman from Denver. I’ve never heard of him, but I have heard of Calla. Do you remember about four years ago, a case down in Louisiana where they went in to arrest a man and found his teenage daughter, that no one knew about, locked away in the attic?”
“Ah, damn. I remember hearing about that one but had forgotten any of their names. I’m guessing that poor girl was Calla?”
“Yeah, Calla is the daughter, and?—”
Derek cut me off. “Hold up, I now recall I did receive a call from Bosman a while back and that it wasn’t a pleasant conversation. When nothing ever came of it, I put him out of my mind. Now you’re telling me that not only was Calla abused by her biological father, but her stepfather continued that abuse after she was rescued?”
“From what Jacqui’s told me, that’s what I believe has happened. Listen, I’m out in the mountains with 004 but as soon as I’m off the phone I’ll be coming back. I’m calling because they could be arriving at any moment. Jacqui called me as soon as she saw the email, but it was sent earlier this morning. From what she’s told me, Jack is the type who’s used to everyone bowing to his every whim. Definitely the type who doesn’t believe he needs to make appointments. I suspect his intention is to turn up unannounced to drop the poor girl on our doorstep beforerunning off back to his mansion. I know this is way outside how you normally do things, but that girl can’t be turned away, Derek. She needs Rawhide. I have no clue if she’s a Little?—”
Derek cut me off again. “That’s irrelevant. Rawhide Ranch’s original purpose was to protect and provide for any vulnerable young women who needed it. We might have refined things some over the years, but the core of what we’re about here hasn’t changed. Whether she turns out to be a Little or not makes no difference. She’s entitled and welcome to claim the sanctuary Rawhide offers.” He chuckled briefly. “And once Sadie finds out what Calla’s been through, she’ll demand we keep her here. You may have some competition on being this young woman’s champion. You’ve not seen my Sadie in full momma-bear mode yet. While she may be a Little, she’s also a force to be reckoned with when she’s on a mission, and if I know my wife at all, which I do, she’ll see getting Calla settled in here as her most important mission yet.”
Frowning as I pictured how energetic Sadie could be with her friends had me speaking again instead of ending the call like I’d planned.
“Warn Sadie that Calla will get overwhelmed easily; it won’t matter that Sadie’s acting out of love. She’ll scare easily and shut down.”
Derek scoffed, “No one needs to warn her, Eric. Haven’t you seen how Sadie and her welcoming committee of Littles are with newbies? While every one of them is full to overflowing with love to give, they are also extremely observant and know how to temper their enthusiasm when required. They’ll work out what your girl needs to feel welcome in no time and happily provide it. Don’t worry about that. Once Calla settles in and gets more comfortable, I’m sure they’ll love showing her all the fun that can be had here at the Ranch. I can’t imagine the poor girl hadmuch of a childhood with how her dad kept her locked away. The Rawhide Littles will make it their mission to make it up to her.
“For now, take a few deep breaths, Eric. Make sure you’ve found some calm before you drive—safely—back. Come straight to my office, and if you beat them here, we’ll make some plans. If you don’t, I’ll have your girl safely waiting for you.”
Something in my chest tightened at being included in the circle of those Derek cared about. I knew having a man with unending compassion and empathy in my corner was a blessing, and I would never take it for granted.
“She’s not my girl. But thanks, Derek. The world would be a much darker place without you, hope you know that.” Clearing my throat after the awkward confession I hadn’t meant to voice had apparently left Derek speechless. Desperate to move on, I blurted out the first thing I thought of.
“Ah, also, I’m willing to cover all her costs. Whatever I need to do to make sure she doesn’t leave the Ranch with that man.”
He muttered under his breath, “Not his girl. Sure.” Then louder he said, “As I’ve already stated, Eric, Calla will not only be provided for and protected, but also welcomed with open arms at Rawhide. Just make sure you get back here in one piece to do your part.”
He ended the call, not giving me a chance to respond. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths as instructed. Feeling slightly calmer but still as determined as before, I reached forward and twisted the key, bringing 004 roaring to life. The sound filled my ears as I pushed my foot down and spun her wheels in the gravel as I took off out of the rest stop much faster than I’d pulled into it. Any paint that got chipped from the stones would be easy enough to fix, but not making it back in time to help Calla wasn’t something I could risk happening.
Not that I doubted Derek’s word. He was an honorable man who would follow through on his promises. He would welcomeCalla and keep her safe from her stepfather. But for some reason I couldn’t pinpoint, I needed to be the one to welcome her home.
I knew in my bones that Rawhide Ranch was not just a place where Calla could thrive. It was also where she was destined to be.
Chapter Four
