Saving Hope: Men of the Texas Rangers Book 1 Page 6

  She heard his words as though spoken from a long distance. The sight of the blood took hold in her mind and multiplied until all she saw was a bright red. I should have foreseen Cynthia trying to commit suicide. If I hadn’t been so focused on Rose—

  “Kate?”

  He grabbed her upper arm, jolting her attention back to the present, to the fact she might lose Cynthia. She shook the visualization of the attempted suicide from her thoughts and hastened toward the corridor. “Come on. I need to be there.”

  Kate paced from one end of the waiting room to the other. She grasped a cup of coffee, taking a sip every once and a while. Finally, she winced and tossed the drink into the trash, then resumed her trek. “What am I doing? I hate cold coffee. I actually hate coffee.”

  “I think it’s called wearing a path in the floor.” Wyatt wanted to take her hand and guide her to the chair next to him. The ordeal of the past few days had etched tired lines into her face and prompted his urge to ease her worry. But there was little he could say that would—because the fact she had two students in danger wouldn’t change with mere words.

  She stopped in front of him. “Why is it taking so long? I’ve never been good with waiting.”

  “Most people aren’t, but it might help you to sit and rest. When you are allowed to see Cynthia, she’s going to need you at your best.”

  “I’m not even sure what that is anymore.” She remained standing, her hands opening and closing at her sides.

  Wyatt rose, near enough to her to smell her scent of vanilla. A memory of that aroma jarred him, throwing him back into the past for a few seconds, to his first house as a married man. To a room lit with vanilla-scented candles. To his wife before him with love in her eyes. Her image materialized in his mind, only to shimmer for a heartbeat then disappear.

  “Wyatt?”

  Kate’s soft voice dragged him back to the present. He took her hand. The brief shock as they touched dissolved his earlier memory. He tried to capture the vision of his deceased wife again, but all he saw was Kate and her needs.

  “Sit,” he finally said to the query in her expression.

  “I’m not a dog you can command.” A weary tilt to the corners of her mouth took the sting out of her words.

  “I’m very aware of that.” He tugged her toward the chair next to his. She let him guide her down onto the seat. “Cynthia lost a lot of blood, but she was alive when she was brought in here. They are very good at their job.”

  “I should have realized she might do something like this. But I was so preoccupied with Rose, I didn’t consider it. I’ve let Cynthia down.”

  Like I did Rebecca. What could he say to Kate to make her feel better, when he knew exactly what she was going through? “All we can do is our best. Sometimes it isn’t enough.” He’d told himself that many times since his wife’s death and hadn’t believed a word of what he’d said.

  “I can’t accept that. Not when I have twenty-four girls in my care. I should have called in Jan Barton right away.”

  “The renowned child psychologist?”

  “Yes. She’s a friend of my mother’s. They went to school together. She’s seen some of the girls in the past. I was so caught up in finding Rose that I didn’t see the needs of the other girls. I can’t afford to do something like that again.” She retrieved her cell from her purse, then she stood and walked a few steps away to make her call. Her back held rigid, she lowered her voice to talk.

  Wyatt blew a long breath out and leaned his head against the wall behind his chair. When he’d gotten up this morning, there’d been nothing unusual about the day before him. He had some leads in a case that he’d been working on for a month and had planned to track a couple of them down. But this had an urgency to it. For six months, the task force had been gathering evidence against lowlifes who lured young girls into prostitution and kept them in line through drugs, threats, and confinement. What they needed was the people behind the pimps—the ones protecting them and funding this major operation.

  The song “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” sounded and jerked Wyatt forward. Glancing at the number calling, he quickly answered his cell. “I forgot. I’m so sorry, Maddie. I got caught up in an emergency.”

  “Then you’re okay?” Fear laced each of her words.

  “Yes, hon. I’m at the hospital, but I’m not the patient.”

  “Nana and I were worried. I told her I would call and make sure everything was okay.”

  That was so like his mother to let Maddie make the call. Mom didn’t like to deal with anything that might be emotionally messy. “Have you competed yet?”

  “No, but I should soon. I’ve got to go.”

  Maddie hung up before Wyatt could say anything else. He stared at the cell in his hand. More and more his job interfered with his family life. He’d let Maddie down again. She was the most important person in his life, and there were times he wished he had a job with more normal hours.

  “Is something wrong?” Kate asked, coming back to sit in the chair beside him.

  “That was my daughter. I should have called her to tell her I wouldn’t make the rodeo. Whenever I don’t show up when I’m supposed to, she worries about me. That’s the part I hate the most.”

  “I’m sorry. You should go. I’m fine here by myself. Maybe you can make it before it’s over.”

  Wyatt glimpsed the clock on the wall in the waiting room. “No. I’d be too late. Besides, how would you get home?”

  “A cab. I’m a big girl and can do it by myself.”

  Twisting toward Kate, he looked into her eyes. “No. I want to make sure Cynthia will be all right. You’re not the only one who blames herself for what Cynthia did. I was sitting in on that interview. Was my presence what pushed her over the edge? Most girls who’ve been on the street avoid the police any way they can.” He flicked his silver star. “It’s kinda hard not to figure out who I am.”

  “I think it has more to do with losing any security she has felt at Beacon of Hope with Rose disappearing. Plus she knows the odds of Rose being found.”

  “Alive?”

  Kate nodded. “She was left for dead six months ago. I doubt the person who lured her into prostitution wants Rose walking around free from his domination. Rose was a loose end he was probably trying to tie up.”

  “I wish she had talked to you about what happened to her.”

  “Whoever controlled Rose put the fear into her. The police quietly looked for a family, but it wasn’t publicized she was found on the side of the road. I was hoping her pimp might think Rose was dead. But if she met someone she knew in the park, that might have changed everything.”

  “Do you think she died with Lillian?”

  “Maybe. Was the girl beat up?”

  “No. I think it was an overdose. There were track marks on her arms. The autopsy will have to confirm the cause of death. Tomorrow my FBI counterpart on the task force is bringing in a cadaver dog to search the area where Lillian was discovered. If there are any other dead bodies in the field, the dog will find them.”

  “There are dogs that can sniff out dead bodies in the ground?”

  “Yes. There are even some that can detect a dead body in water, which will be our next move. The small lake at the end of that road needs to be searched.”

  “Do you think they used the lake to dispose of bodies?”

  “Maybe. It has to be checked out.”

  Wyatt caught sight of a doctor approaching them. “Miss Winslow?”

  “Is Cynthia all right?” Kate gripped the arms of her chair.

  “She’s alive and will make it, but I’m admitting her to the psych floor for further evaluation. I see other cuts on her.”

  “She hasn’t attempted suicide before, but she does cut herself. She’s been going to counseling to help her with that. When can I see her?”

  “She was quite agitated, and I sedated her, so not before tomorrow.”

  “Can I at least look in on her? Is she up on the psych
floor?”

  “We’ll be moving her in a few minutes. She’s still down here.” The doctor looked toward Wyatt. “Are you here for professional reasons?”

  “Yes.”

  The emergency room physician frowned before swinging his attention back to Kate. “Miss Winslow, you can see her for a few minutes before we take her up.”

  “Thank you. Is she in the same room they brought her to?”

  “Yes. I’ll let the nurse know it’s okay.” The doctor made his way into the hallway.

  “I’ll wait for you in here then take you home.”

  “You’re not coming?”

  “No, I think you need some time alone with Cynthia.”

  “She’s sedated.” Kate started for the doorway. “But you’re right. Even if she can’t hear me, I need to talk to her. You should go on home. See your daughter. I can take a cab.”

  The bleak look in Kate’s eyes reminded him of the times he glimpsed himself in the mirror especially right after Rebecca was murdered. The man who had stared back at him had been inundated with guilt. And no one had been able to help him. Not even the Lord. It had eaten at him for years until his daughter had demanded his participation in her life. But the guilt was still there, buried deep inside him.

  When Kate entered the hospital room in the ER, Cynthia’s pale face captured her attention first. Then the bandages on both of her lower arms. And finally, the blood infusion she was receiving.

  She moved slowly toward the bed. Cynthia didn’t deserve to be in this room. She shouldn’t be here, but was because Kate had neglected her and focused on Rose.

  Bowing her head, she closed her eyes and pictured the young girl healthy, laughing, and involved with others. “Father, please heal Cynthia and bring her back to us. Give me a second chance to do what is right by her. Keep Rose safe and help us to find her. Amen.”

  When she opened her eyes, the unhealthy gray pallor of Cynthia’s face mocked Kate. And please, Lord, give me the strength to do whatever needs to be done.

  An idea began to form in her mind and take hold. She could use her contacts to ask around about where Rose might be.

  As Kate emerged from the room, she found Wyatt lounging back against the wall across from the door. He pushed upright, a smile on his face.

  “Okay?”

  She nodded; her throat choked up with emotions from seeing Cynthia, but also from the fact Wyatt had cared enough to be waiting outside the room.

  “Ready to leave?”

  Kate swallowed several times and said, “You’re stubborn, aren’t you?”

  “Yep. I’m not going to leave you here to call a cab.” His grin grew. “Besides, I wanted to hear how Cynthia was.”

  “If only I had gone upstairs sooner, I could have stopped her.”

  “Cynthia hadn’t been gone long from your office.”

  “When she left us, she must have gone directly up to her room and cut herself. At least she’s got the help she needs.”

  Wyatt strode toward the exit. “She’s had that for a while. You’ve provided her with the therapy and counseling she’s needed and been there for her when others haven’t. You’ve been reaching troubled girls when the system we have couldn’t. Not everyone is out there on the frontline trying to do something about a growing problem. The girls are getting younger and younger. This is a problem not only in the United States but around the world.”

  After he opened his truck door, Kate climbed into the front seat and watched him round the hood of his vehicle. The glow from the security light in the parking lot emphasized the strong lines of his face, his well-built physique, his confidence in how he carried himself. Economical movement—nothing wasted.

  He had a daughter. Did he have a wife? When he talked, she didn’t think his daughter’s mother was in the picture. Was he divorced? Suddenly she put a halt to the direction her thoughts were going. What she had worked for the past years was starting to unravel. She couldn’t afford for that to happen. The program was her way to give back. She needed the girls as much as they needed a place to stay, an opportunity to better their life.

  Once he slipped into the cab, he turned the ignition on and drove away. “While you were with Cynthia, I called the police and talked to the officer who responded to the call about the suicide attempt. I took care of everything. If there are any follow-up questions, he’ll contact me. You won’t have to deal with them right now.”

  In the shadows, she studied his profile. “Where have you been when I needed to cut through red tape?”

  At a stoplight, he threw her a smile that kindled a spark in her. “Having a good working relationship with the local police is important to a Texas Ranger. We’re partners. Besides, the situation was pretty straightforward. Nothing magical to it.”

  “However it happened, thanks. One less thing to worry about.”

  “I figured your family was tight with the chief of police. I’m sure you would have been fine.”

  “My parents are friends with him. Not me. I prefer not to ask them for help.” Only if she absolutely had to for Beacon of Hope to stay in business.

  “Mmm. That sounds like there’s a story behind that comment.”

  Preferring not to discuss her lack of a real relationship with her parents—at least her mother—Kate focused on the passing terrain and said what had been on her mind previously, “I hope your wife won’t be too upset that you missed the rodeo because of work.” The second she uttered the inane comment she wanted to disappear. Not a very original way to find out if he was married. And what business did she have even to ask in the first place? It wasn’t like she was looking for a date or anything.

  “No. My wife died nine years ago.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Who helps with your daughter when you get involved in your work?”

  “My mother. When I had trouble being a single dad, she came to live with us. Maddie was seven, and over the years there are times I’m hard pressed to distinguish the child from the adult.”

  “It sounds like you have mother problems like I do.”

  “Not problems so much. Just opportunities to learn patience.”

  Kate chuckled. “I like how you put that.”

  Before she asked too many personal questions she had no business asking, she clamped her jaws together and watched the street as Wyatt neared Beacon of Hope.

  When he pulled into a parking space in the back of the building, Kate had her hand on the handle and the door open before he’d switched off the engine. “Thanks for the ride.”

  But as she marched toward the back entrance, Wyatt joined her. “I want to make sure everything is all right. No more problems. Okay?”

  “Sure. I just hate keeping you from your family.”

  He reached around her and pulled the door open. “The damage has been done. It was my choice, and I’ll stand by it.”

  She had a feeling he was that kind of guy. He didn’t make excuses about his mistakes but owned up to them and dealt with the consequences. Very different from the one serious relationship she’d had. Paul had been a nice enough person. Although his family was one of the oldest in the Dallas area, he wasn’t caught up in the wealthy world her parents frequented. That was the problem in the long run. Money had been more important to him than her. He’d accepted a great job with one of her dad’s businesses, but the catch was he had to leave immediately for Africa for several years and her father had made it clear he didn’t want his daughter accompanying him. Once her dad got his hooks into him, she’d heard less and less from Paul. Then the next thing she’d discovered when reading the newspaper was that Paul was engaged to a woman from South Africa.

  Inside the foyer, the silence was ominous. “Where’s everyone?”

  Tension whipped down Wyatt’s body. He didn’t draw his weapon, but he positioned his hand near it. “Where are they usually at this time?”

  Kate checked her watch. Surprise flitted through her. “It’s almost eleven. I didn’t realize it was that late. Most are in
their rooms for the night. Some are probably even asleep.”

  The click of heels echoed down the long hallway to the right. Twenty seconds later, Susan appeared in the foyer. “Good. I promised the girls I’d tell them as soon as you returned.”

  “Where are they?”

  “In the chapel.” It was a room she insisted on having at Beacon of Hope. She’d wanted the girls to have a place where they could go and pray if they chose to any time of the day.

  “All of them?”

  “Yes and I have to say it’s crammed. That room isn’t meant to hold so many people. I’d just come out to write you a note and pin it on your office door. Your mother called several times in the past hour and wanted you to return her call whenever you got back from the hospital.”

  “You told Mom I was at the hospital?”

  Susan shook her head. “She already knew. How’s Cynthia?”

  “She’s going to be all right, hopefully. They’re keeping her in the hospital for a while.”

  “I expected that. I’ll tell the girls. They need to go to bed. These past few days have been hard on everyone.” Susan’s gaze bored into her. “Especially you. After you call your mom, this nurse is telling you to go to bed and get a good night’s sleep.”

  Yeah, as if that’s possible. “I’ll try.” Then she turned toward Wyatt. “Thanks for the ride. Come by tomorrow after three if you still want to talk to the students.”

  “I do.” He tipped his hat toward Susan and Kate then left.

  Kate stared at the closed front door. The last person she wanted to talk to was her mother.

  “I can continue to field your mom’s inquiries if you want.”

  “I can’t do that to you.” Kate sighed. “Putting it off won’t make it go away. Thanks for the message. If you could tell everyone how Cynthia is doing and have them go to their rooms, I’ll make the rounds tonight and answer any questions they have after I talk with Mother.”

  As Kate trudged down the corridor toward her office, she heard Susan say, “Which means you won’t get any rest.”

  What she’d said was true. But then after what had happened earlier, she didn’t think she could sleep anyway, especially not after a confrontation with her mother. In her office, she plopped down in the chair behind her desk and reached for the phone. Her hand trembled, and she squeezed it into a tight fist to still the quaking.