Forgotten (The Lost Children Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  I leaned against the workbench. The hard wood pressed into my back while I crossed my ankles. Dean’s hands moved quickly and efficiently over Giselda’s hooves. His hands weren’t as big as Flint’s and watching Dean didn’t make my pulse quicken. As soon as I thought that, I wanted to slap my forehead. Now, you’re comparing guys to Flint?

  “So, you grow up around here?” I asked.

  “No, I grew up in Wyoming. Just outside Laramie. My parents died a few years ago and left our family ranch to my oldest brother. I’ve got a share in it, but Joe can be hard to work with, so I thought I’d come ranchin’ somewhere else for a while. Pete here was nice enough to offer me a job.”

  “So, how’d you meet Pete?”

  Dean continued filing Giselda’s hoof. The scraping sounds echoed in the barn. “He and Dad knew one another. I’ve known Pete since I was a boy…”

  I listened contentedly to Dean’s story. A while later, he finished up with Giselda. “Come on, girl.” He led the mare out back. “Follow me, Lena,” he called over his shoulder.

  I followed him until we got to a pasture. Dean removed Giselda’s halter and turned her loose. “So you want to get on Coal?” The bright sunlight reflected off his hat, shading his face, but I could still see his sparkling hazel eyes.

  “Um, I don’t know.”

  “Oh, come on,” Dean said good naturedly. “I’ll take care of ya.” He guided me to another pasture and whistled sharply. In the distance, a large, beautiful horse lifted his head. He whinnied before breaking into a gallop. My eyes widened at the sight.

  When Coal reached us, he slowed to a trot and then stopped a few feet from Dean. He blew forcefully through his nose. My eyes traveled up his height and widened even more. He was huge, much bigger than the trail ride horses.

  “Ah…” I took a step backward. “I don’t need to ride him. I can just pet him.”

  Dean grinned. “You’ll be fine. Trust me. Coal’s real good with beginners.”

  Dean proceeded to show me how to groom and saddle a horse. He then spent the next hour teaching me how to ride. It was a lot different from the trail rides. Coal didn’t have a horse in front of him to follow, therefore, I had to tell him what to do. Riding was also tiring. By the time the lesson finished, my legs felt like Jell-O.

  “You did great!” Dean said when I steered Coal to his side. Dean grinned ear to ear, his eyes twinkling in the sunlight. He pulled off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow.

  “That was fun.” I patted Coal’s neck. The large gelding breathed heavily. Sweat shined on his coat. I was sweating too. A salty trail slid past my ear.

  “Should I walk him?” I asked. “He feels really warm.”

  “Yeah,” Dean said. “Yeah, of course, take ‘im back out to the ring.”

  I walked Coal around a few times. It wasn’t until I was on my fourth cool-down lap that I realized we weren’t alone. My eyes widened when I saw our audience. Standing beside the barn were two other cowboys, Pete, Jet, Jasper and Flint. My eyes went to Flint’s. I thought a small smile covered his lips. With a blink, it was gone.

  His averted gaze felt like an arrow through my heart. Five days of this and I still wasn’t used to it.

  “You ready to get off?” Dean asked.

  I slid off Coal’s back easily enough, but once I hit the ground, my legs buckled. Luckily, Dean caught me. A blush crept up my cheeks. Of course, everyone had seen my stumble, including Flint.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled. “That was more work than I thought it’d be.”

  “You’ll probably be sore tomorrow.”

  “You’re most definitely going to be right.”

  Dean took Coal’s reins and led him to the barn. I followed. The group still watched. Jet smirked and Jasper grinned. I had no idea what Flint was doing since I made myself avoid him.

  “Have ya met Tyler and Aaron?” Dean asked.

  I shook my head.

  The two cowboys stood beside one another, watching us. Tyler had a wiry build and skin that looked like he spent all day in the sun. Aaron was meaty looking and big. I got a feeling off Tyler that was similar to Dean, but Aaron…

  I frowned.

  Something about Aaron’s gaze made me nervous. I switched my vision and tuned into the clouds that surrounded them. Tyler’s appeared normal. Aaron’s, however, made me pause midstride.

  My mouth went dry.

  Dean turned, seeming to notice I wasn’t beside him. I snapped my vision back to normal and began walking again. A sheen of sweat erupted across my body that had nothing to do with the bright sun.

  When we reached everyone, Dean introduced me. “Lena, this here is Tyler and Aaron. Tyler’s been ranchin’ here with Pete for years but Aaron’s a bit new.”

  Tyler held out his hand for me to shake. I shook it readily. Aaron did the same, but I hesitated a fraction of a second. I didn’t want to touch him. I didn’t want to be anywhere near him.

  Swallowing, I took his palm. It was hot, big and felt like a vise seizing mine. When my eyes reached his, I had to stop myself from visibly flinching. There was a hunger in his gaze that made me squirm. I withdrew my hand as quickly as I could.

  I sought Flint. Relief poured through me when I found him watching me. That safe feeling once again settled over me, like a massage easing away the tension. Flint’s gaze flickered to Aaron’s before coming back to mine. I unconsciously took a step toward Flint. At the last minute, I stopped. Once again, my reaction to Flint baffled me. I wasn’t a child. I’d grown used to taking care of myself. So why did I seek his comfort? And why did I feel so certain he would never let Aaron hurt me?

  “You did pretty good on that horse, Lena,” Pete said, interrupting my thoughts.

  “Oh.” I mentally shook myself. “Thanks, Pete.”

  “First time riding outside of a trail ride?” he asked.

  Since I had no idea how to answer that question, I nodded.

  “You could give Mica a run for her money,” Tyler added. He sounded amused.

  “Speaking of which, where is Mica?” I asked.

  Jet rolled his eyes. “She’s off with Jessie, the other cowboy. The guests are on a big trail ride this afternoon. She was so eager to go, Pete let her. The rest of us have been moving cattle around.”

  “Mica must be doing all right,” I replied. “If she’s helping Jessie on the trail ride.”

  “Yeah, she’s been a great help this morning.” Tyler grinned. “She’s very enthusiastic.” There was a smile in his voice.

  Coal pawed the ground behind us. “Should we unsaddle Coal?” I asked Dean. Even with Flint present, I still didn’t like being so close to Aaron. I also didn’t like that his eyes hadn’t left me since I joined them.

  Dean and I walked inside the barn. I breathed a sigh of relief when Aaron finally disappeared from view. Thankfully, Dean’s infectious good nature soon took hold. As the minutes ticked by, I felt more and more like myself. By the time we had Coal ready to turn to pasture, I was smiling again.

  After we let Coal loose, I knew I needed to get back to the cabin. I had no idea what time it was and hoped it wasn’t past six. I thanked Dean again for the riding lesson. He told me to come back up the next day.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, I’m up here most afternoons working on the horses. Come on back.”

  The thought of riding again and hanging out with Dean had me smiling. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He tipped his hat. “See ya then.”

  I felt Dean’s gaze linger on me as I turned to go. I waved one last goodbye. After my hand fell, my eyes flickered around, but as hard as I tried to find Aaron, it was like he disappeared.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  I walked slowly back to the cabin. My thighs protested the entire way. About halfway down the hill, footsteps sounded behind me. A mental picture of Aaron flashed through my mind. It was of him raising his hand to strike me down. Instinct took over. I whirled around, placed my feet farther apart and brought m
y fists up.

  But it was only Flint.

  He stopped a few feet away and held his hands up. “What’s wrong?” His tone was hard.

  I paused. “Ah, it’s nothing.” I dropped my fists. “I thought you might be Aaron.”

  “And that makes you frightened?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  “His cloud’s dark.”

  Flint put his hands on his hips. An expression grew on his face. He didn’t seem happy. He was also dirty from a morning on the ranch and incredibly attractive in the sun. I wanted to kick myself for noticing.

  “I wondered as much,” he said. “I could tell you were bothered by something when you met him. I haven’t been able to figure him out, but I don’t trust the guy.”

  “You shouldn’t. I’d stay away from him if I were you.”

  “It’s not myself I’m worried about.”

  I balked at his gruff tone.

  He raked a hand harshly through his hair. “Are you going to make it back to the cabin?”

  I figured he noticed my less than graceful walk down the hill. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

  “Do you know where Aaron is?”

  I shook my head.

  He frowned again. “I’ll walk with you.”

  Before I had a chance to reply, he started walking which forced me to follow. I half expected him to stay ahead. Instead, he slowed his step and walked by my side, matching his longer stride to mine.

  The sun shone upon us. Fresh, clean air swirled around. Neither of us said anything. I was acutely aware of the awkward silence.

  “What did you think of Dean?” Flint asked abruptly. He still stared straight ahead.

  “Um, I like him. He seems really nice and genuine – generous too. He spent a long time teaching me about horses this afternoon.”

  “He certainly did.” Flint’s tone was gruff, and he ran a hand through his hair again.

  Silence stretched. I was about to ask him something really witty, like, did you have lunch, when he said, “You did well on that horse.”

  His compliment took me by surprise. “Um, thanks.”

  “Do you think you’ve ridden before?”

  “I have no idea. Maybe?”

  “Di and I talk about that a lot, about what we’ve done in our lives and what we haven’t. Like driving. Di and I are pretty competent behind the wheel, but Jacinda’s an accident waiting to happen, and I’m pretty sure Jet doesn’t know where the brake is.”

  I laughed.

  For a moment, I thought he was going to smile. He didn’t.

  “So are we going to try to get permanent jobs on this ranch?” I asked.

  “Did Di tell you that?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Something like that is the plan.”

  I was about to ask him another question when he nodded ahead. “Looks like someone’s waiting for you.”

  Di and Jacinda stood no more than ten yards away. I’d been so caught up in Flint, I hadn’t noticed we were almost to the cabin. I hastily took a step away from him. Unconsciously, I’d inched closer and closer to him since we’d walked down the hill. I hoped Di hadn’t noticed.

  “Lena,” Jacinda called. “Come on, we’re going to be late.”

  “You better get going,” Flint said.

  I didn’t want to leave. I liked being near Flint. I liked it too much. “Yeah, thanks for walking with me.”

  He didn’t reply, but when I turned to go he said, “Lena?”

  I actually shivered at the sound of my name on his lips. “Yeah?”

  “Stay away from Aaron, okay?”

  “I will.”

  “And tell Di and Jacinda about him. They need to know.”

  I TOLD DI and Jacinda about Aaron’s cloud when we walked to the main house. Jacinda’s eyes widened. Di merely pinched her lips together.

  “Is he the only one here with a dark cloud?” Di asked.

  “I don’t know.” Since coming to the ranch, I’d been lulled into a feeling of safety. Between the effects Flint had on me, always being in a group and getting to know Pete, Val and the guests, I’d never felt threatened. Beside the cowboys, I hadn’t checked anyone’s clouds.

  “Then that’s what I want you doing tonight. Assess everyone, and I mean everyone. Report back to me what you find,” Di ordered.

  I swallowed uneasily. “Um, okay.”

  By seven that night, everyone was in the dining room, including Flint and Aaron. I tried not to let Aaron affect me. He kept watching me, as if I was his meal. Biting my lip, I glanced at Flint. Safety once again engulfed me even though he ignored me. A part of me felt confused. This afternoon, Flint had seemed worried for me, but tonight, he hadn’t said hello.

  I sighed. Turning, I walked back to the kitchen. Di stood at the counter, helping with dessert.

  “What’d you see?” she asked quietly.

  “No one’s dark. I don’t think we need to worry about any of them.”

  Di nodded tightly. “So, it’s just Aaron.”

  “Yeah, just Aaron.” Although, that just didn’t make it any better.

  Once back in the dining room, my eyes darted to the cowboy’s table again. Dean sat beside Tyler, and across from him, Aaron. The other cowboy I hadn’t met yet sat beside him. He had black hair and looked Native American. I figured he must be Jessie.

  Against my better judgment, I shifted my vision. Aaron’s cloud readily appeared. Ugly, black, jagged edges darted around his skull and neck. It was unsettling to watch. With difficulty, I swallowed a grimace.

  A few minutes later, Dean pushed his chair back from the table. The scraping sound echoed above the din. When he passed me on his way out, he smiled brightly and stopped.

  “It’ll be fun to do another riding lesson tomorrow,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  I smiled back. “Yeah, me too.”

  “I bet you’d make a good cowgirl. Maybe you could join Mica and the rest of us instead of working in here.”

  I shrugged uncertainly. “Well…I’m not sure if we’re fully employed. We’re just helping out right now.”

  Dean smiled. “You will be. I heard Pete and Val talking. They’re going to offer you all jobs. They said something about you not having any plans, so maybe you’d want to stick around for a while.”

  “Really?” A part of me was dumbstruck. Was that Di’s plan all along? To let Pete and Val think that they’d come up with the idea of hiring us? It was an incredibly manipulative tactic that Di seemed to have pulled off flawlessly.

  “Lena?” Dean said.

  “Oh, um.” I glanced toward the kitchen. I wondered what Val would think if another one of us disappeared to the outdoor work. “I’m not sure Val would approve if I left. She needs the help in here.”

  Dean grinned. “Right, what was I thinking. A woman’s place is in the kitchen.” He winked.

  I laughed at his joke. His eyes lighted up even more. We spoke for a few more minutes before he left. When he finally disappeared out the door, a strange sensation flowed in the air. My body followed the feeling on its own accord.

  My eyes locked with Flint’s. I realized that strange power sensation was coming off him again. He averted his gaze. Abruptly, he stood and stalked out the door. My breath came out in a whoosh. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding it.

  With Flint gone, the strange power slowly dissipated. I jolted back to my surroundings. My eyes flashed to each table. Everyone carried on eating, talking and laughing. They all seemed oblivious to the heavy energy that just flowed through the room like invisible syrup.

  “You want to give me a hand, Lena?” Di held up a tub full of dirty dishes.

  “Right, of course.” I shook myself.

  I joined her in the kitchen. However, I still couldn’t shake off whatever had just transpired in that room. How was it that nobody felt that energy off Flint? It was so strong at times, it took my breath away.

  DEAN WAS RIGHT about Val and Pete. The next da
y, they offered us jobs until the season was over. Di’s plan had worked.

  Consequently, Di, Jacinda and I began working in the kitchen. Since Val only needed two of us we had a number of days off, also like Di anticipated. Over the next week, we fell into a steady routine as we waited for the new girl. It was pretty much the same each day. Our day started at six. We’d help Val with breakfast and then clean cabins all morning. After that, we made lunch, did dinner prep and then we had off until six at night. It was a split shift but I didn’t mind. We were off during the nicest part of the day.

  The other routine I’d fallen into? Every afternoon, I joined Dean for a riding lesson. A few times I considered asking Di or Flint if I could join them when they ventured to internet cafes, but I didn’t. Being around Flint and seeing the closeness he shared with Di hurt too much. I felt weak because of that. I wished I could force those feelings away or bury them in some hidden chest deep within my mind, but every time I saw Flint – those feelings exploded. I had no control over them. Besides, Di and Flint seemed to work well together. Maybe it was best to leave them up to finding answers. The rest of the group seemed to have done just that. Still, that didn’t sit well with me. I wanted answers more than anything and passively waiting for them didn’t suit my personality.

  Riding and joking with Dean, however, helped keep my mind off Flint and our strange situation. It was the only thing that stilled the longing in my heart, or at least, allowed me to ignore it for a brief amount of time.

  “Afternoon, Lena!” Dean’s cheerful voice called. I’d just finished the steep climb to the barn. Once again, he waited for me at the top.

  “Hi, Dean.”

  “You ready?” His hazel eyes shone brightly, a big smile plastered on his face. “I brought Coal into the barn for you to saddle. I already brushed ‘im.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah, I was thinkin’ maybe we’d do somethin’ fun today. How ‘bout a trail ride?”

  “Really?” We’d never done that before.

  “Sure, I’ll show you some of the ranch that you can’t see on the guest trail rides. You’ve learned enough you’ll be just fine, even if Coal gets spooked. It’s a great afternoon to go out.”