“Please,” Rachel said, waving her hand at her. “In my former life, I excelled at lying. I’ve turned over a new leaf, and I expect the same from you. If we’re truly friends, you’ll tell me the truth.”
“You’re right. I’d want you to do the same. I don’t have an appointment because I planned to remove the cast myself. I can’t afford another doctor’s visit. I still have to contact the hospital about my bill. I haven’t received anything yet.”
“Hmmm,” Rachel said as they entered the living room.
“I wish you hadn’t called Rebecca and ruined the party for her. She and Kara seem awfully close,” Riley said, taking a seat on the couch.
Matthew entered, bringing her a fresh cup of coffee and passing one to Rachel. “Call me if you need anything.”
“You won’t kick Garrett’s ass, will you? I prefer you didn’t. Once I get over the shock, I plan to do it myself. Please don’t take the opportunity away from me,” she pleaded.
“You got it,” he said, chuckling.
A few minutes later, Rebecca walked into the living room, and Rachel went to the kitchen to fetch her a cup of coffee. “Rachel gave me the general rundown. How do you feel?”
“I have no idea. I’m mostly hurt, and then I’m mad. It’s like he changed before my eyes. It felt like I was watching my dad all over again without the drinking,” she admitted.
Rebecca hugged her. “I’m sorry. Do you know what happened to cause him to change so drastically?”
“Matthew says his mother’s boyfriend, Kenny, planted the seeds of doubt,” Rachel said, returning with Rebecca’s drink.
“Remember when I told you we kept a secret we couldn’t share?” Rebecca asked gently.
Riley nodded, watching them.
“I work for the CIA and other branches to take down sex trafficking rings. We rescue adults and children and bring them here for medical care, mental health, or whatever else they may need. When they’ve recuperated, we take them to a place in Corpus Christi to reunite with their families,” Rebecca explained.
Riley’s mouth fell open. “You’re serious?”
“As a heart attack,” Rachel chimed in.
“Why are you telling me this now?” Riley asked.
“We didn’t plan on saying anything, but we want to offer you a cabin to stay in until you’re on your feet. You’re running from domestic violence. With your situation with Tara, we can help you with legal counsel, and you should consider counseling.”
“Yeah, I think counseling will help Tara,” she said, sipping her coffee.
“Sweetheart, you need it, too,” Rachel broke the news gently.
“What? Why do you think I need it?” she asked, surprised.
“For one thing, your mom died horrifically and you became a parent at the age of sixteen. You lost everything you worked for on your family ranch and took off with Tara due to your father’s alcohol abuse,” Rachel listed out her issues like a laundry list.
Wincing, Riley put her head down in shame. “I guess if you notice these things, others do, too. I wanted to giveTara a stable home, and he managed to screw both of us up.”
“No, honey. Therapy will give you a safe place to talk about your feelings. Of course, we’ll be here, too,” Rebecca reassured her. “Have you ever heard of flight or fight instincts? It’s when a person’s nervous system stays in a constant state of stress. You don’t like losing control, Riley. You won’t let Tara go to school or socialize with people her age.”
“I can’t,” she exclaimed. “Dad always finds us. I pitched our luggage and phones, and he still finds us.”
“We understand. But you watch your phone for texts, and you get agitated if she hasn’t checked in with you,” Rebecca pointed out. “You did it today when we searched for the perfect lingerie. Instead of enjoying the moment, your mind stayed on Tara.”
“How do you know about this stuff?” Riley said, realizing everything they mentioned, she did.
“Julio and I worked together on a sex trafficking ring case. During the investigation, I discovered my partner was involved. They kidnapped me for almost a year before Julio found me. Megan’s one of the survivors. They took her mom, an OBGYN, because they needed her expertise. Megan’s father was killed searching for them.”
Riley’s hand went to her mouth. “I’m sorry, Rebecca. How awful. What can I do to help?”
The women smiled. “We need volunteers to watch the kids and teach skills to the men and women. Some don’t have families to return to and choose to stay here. We’d like to offer them jobs, but they’ve never worked on a ranch.”
