Free Missing by Sharon Sala Page A

nearing sundown. She could hear voices down the hall, and knew her father and brothers were in the living room watching television. She rolled over, then sat up on the side of the bed and looked down at her crippled foot, absently wondering how different her life might have been if she'd been born without the deformity.
      Then she thought of Granny Devon, who'd been born blind, and told herself she was blessed. She had her health, her sight and two strong legs on which to walk.
      If she had a limp, then so what? As long as there was life, there was hope.
      She put on her shoes, then slipped out the back door and walked to the garden. As she moved between the rows, she made mental note of the work that needed to be done tomorrow. There were green beans that needed picking, tomatoes that needed to be staked, and potatoes to dig. There was no need getting all bent out of shape about her father's stupidity. He could make her life miserable if he wanted to, but he couldn't make her marry Freddie Joe.
     
     
     
      It wasn't the first time that Roland Storm had watched Ally Monroe from a distance, and it most likely wouldn't be the last. He'd stumbled upon her existence quite by accident nearly a year ago, and once he'd seen her, he'd become almost fixated on the fragile woman with the long blond braid. The fact that she limped had been noticed and then ignored.
      This evening he'd walked out of his lab and down the readjust to get some air. Or that's what he'd told himself until he'd gotten to the big curve in the road. At that point, he slipped into the trees and headed west, knowing he would come right up to the back yard of Ally's house.
      His anticipation at seeing her had taken a direct hit when he'd stopped inside the tree line and she'd been nowhere in sight. He'd waited, watching while the old man finished chores in the barn and went to the house. He'd seen the two sons come back from the pasture where they'd been feeding cattle. They'd paused on the back steps to play with the family dog and then gone inside, as well.
      Even then, he kept hoping he would see the girl. He didn't know why it mattered. He had far more important things to focus on besides some backwoods farmer's daughter.
      And still he waited.
      Just when he was ready to give up, the door opened. Breath caught in the back of his throat as Ally stepped out onto the porch. As he watched the sway of her hips, an ache spread in his groin. Despite her age, there was an innocence about her that reminded him of a girl. When she bent over a row of beans in the garden, he stifled a groan. No sooner had the sound come out of his voice than Ally straightened and turned toward the trees.
      Roland froze. Now he'd done it. He'd been taking chances, and considering what he had in the works, that was crazy. He was jeopardizing his entire future by acting like some horny teenager.
      He held his breath, watching the stillness in her posture, afraid to blink for fear she would see the motion, then his face. When she finally relaxed and turned away, he melted into the deepening shadows, and when he was far enough away to make sure she couldn't hear him, he ran the rest of the way home.
     
     
    Six
     
    Wes Holden was now a civilian without a plan, and Aaron Clancy was stuck with a situation he hadn't thought through. On the first day of their arrival, he'd put Wes in the extra bedroom of his apartment, turned down the bed and left him on his own. His focus was on getting to the bank and presenting his letter claiming power of attorney for his incapacitated stepbrother. He made sure they knew that Wes's monthly checks would be deposited directly into his personal account, took the praise as his due that he was being a Good Samaritan, and then went home a happy man. He checked into a facility to dump Wes in, then changed his mind at the cost and decided to pocket the money and care for Wes at home. It would all have been gravy, only brother Wes wasn't