or woman next to you. And you could always count on Kilmer to get them all through. He had never failed them.
Except for the last mission at El Tariq.
Don’t think about it. She’d learned from that night and moved on. It had not been easy. For years afterward she’d had moments filled with fury and a desire to murder that son of a bitch Marvot. Yet she’d been forced to put it behind her when she found she was pregnant with Frankie. At first, she couldn’t risk her unborn child, and it was even more impossible after Frankie had come into the world. She’d hoped as time went by that she’d be able to forget and live a normal life. It wasn’t happening. Kilmer was here, bringing back the past.
And all hell was going to follow.
4
I want to jump the barrier, Mom,” Frankie said as she rode Darling back toward where Grace was sitting her mare. “Is that okay?”
Grace searched Frankie’s face. “Why?”
“I just do. Okay?”
She nodded her head. “If that’s what you want. Be careful.”
“He won’t toss me.” Frankie turned Darling and started around the ring. “I’ll be right back and then we’ll put him up.”
A last good-bye to the horse? No, Grace had an idea it was more than that. Frankie wanted to be in control of something, anything, in this life that had been turned upside down. Grace could understand that feeling. She was feeling the same sense of inadequacy herself. Only pushing a stallion over a barrier wouldn’t help her.
“Come on, Darling,” she murmured. “Give her what she needs.”
No hesitancy this time. Darling soared over the barrier with room to spare and appeared very pleased with himself.
“Good boy.”
She watched Frankie ride back toward her. No joy or exultation this time. Just satisfaction and determination.
“Very good, Frankie.”
Frankie lifted her shoulders. “Darling’s the one who jumped. I just went along for the ride.”
“And a very good ride.”
Frankie turned Darling toward the stable. “Which one of the wranglers from Baker’s Farm will be riding Darling?”
“Who do you want to ride him?”
“That Viennese girl is pretty good. I think her name’s Maria. I saw her ride in a show at Compton and she was kind to the horses.”
“Then Maria will take care of Darling. I’ll see to it.” She added gently, “But it’s only for a little while, Frankie. You’ll be back.”
“Yeah.” She was looking straight ahead. “But it won’t be the same, will it? There won’t be Charlie. And I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to— I can’t look at it in the same way. I’ll see . . . those men.”
Grace felt the anger sear through her. Christ, so much had been taken from Frankie last night. Grace had worked hard to give her a golden childhood and now it was tarnished. “Then you’ll have to forget them and think of Charlie. It’s what he’d want you to do. It would be your gift to him.”
She shook her head doubtfully. “I’ll try, Mom.” She dismounted and started to lead Darling into the stable. “I’ll say good-bye to Darling and be right with you.” She looked back over her shoulder. “It may happen again, right? That’s why you want to run away.”
What should she tell her?
The truth. She wouldn’t lie to Frankie. She’d always been honest with her and she wouldn’t let that trust be damaged. “It might happen again.”
Frankie stopped and turned to face her. “Why?”
Grace had known it would be coming and now it was here. She was almost relieved. “A long time ago I was working for a government agency and I made a very powerful criminal angry with me. I did something he didn’t want me to do and I had to hide to keep him from killing
Except for the last mission at El Tariq.
Don’t think about it. She’d learned from that night and moved on. It had not been easy. For years afterward she’d had moments filled with fury and a desire to murder that son of a bitch Marvot. Yet she’d been forced to put it behind her when she found she was pregnant with Frankie. At first, she couldn’t risk her unborn child, and it was even more impossible after Frankie had come into the world. She’d hoped as time went by that she’d be able to forget and live a normal life. It wasn’t happening. Kilmer was here, bringing back the past.
And all hell was going to follow.
4
I want to jump the barrier, Mom,” Frankie said as she rode Darling back toward where Grace was sitting her mare. “Is that okay?”
Grace searched Frankie’s face. “Why?”
“I just do. Okay?”
She nodded her head. “If that’s what you want. Be careful.”
“He won’t toss me.” Frankie turned Darling and started around the ring. “I’ll be right back and then we’ll put him up.”
A last good-bye to the horse? No, Grace had an idea it was more than that. Frankie wanted to be in control of something, anything, in this life that had been turned upside down. Grace could understand that feeling. She was feeling the same sense of inadequacy herself. Only pushing a stallion over a barrier wouldn’t help her.
“Come on, Darling,” she murmured. “Give her what she needs.”
No hesitancy this time. Darling soared over the barrier with room to spare and appeared very pleased with himself.
“Good boy.”
She watched Frankie ride back toward her. No joy or exultation this time. Just satisfaction and determination.
“Very good, Frankie.”
Frankie lifted her shoulders. “Darling’s the one who jumped. I just went along for the ride.”
“And a very good ride.”
Frankie turned Darling toward the stable. “Which one of the wranglers from Baker’s Farm will be riding Darling?”
“Who do you want to ride him?”
“That Viennese girl is pretty good. I think her name’s Maria. I saw her ride in a show at Compton and she was kind to the horses.”
“Then Maria will take care of Darling. I’ll see to it.” She added gently, “But it’s only for a little while, Frankie. You’ll be back.”
“Yeah.” She was looking straight ahead. “But it won’t be the same, will it? There won’t be Charlie. And I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to— I can’t look at it in the same way. I’ll see . . . those men.”
Grace felt the anger sear through her. Christ, so much had been taken from Frankie last night. Grace had worked hard to give her a golden childhood and now it was tarnished. “Then you’ll have to forget them and think of Charlie. It’s what he’d want you to do. It would be your gift to him.”
She shook her head doubtfully. “I’ll try, Mom.” She dismounted and started to lead Darling into the stable. “I’ll say good-bye to Darling and be right with you.” She looked back over her shoulder. “It may happen again, right? That’s why you want to run away.”
What should she tell her?
The truth. She wouldn’t lie to Frankie. She’d always been honest with her and she wouldn’t let that trust be damaged. “It might happen again.”
Frankie stopped and turned to face her. “Why?”
Grace had known it would be coming and now it was here. She was almost relieved. “A long time ago I was working for a government agency and I made a very powerful criminal angry with me. I did something he didn’t want me to do and I had to hide to keep him from killing
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