Hidden Fates (Hidden Heroes #4)

Chapter 2

Reese warmed up some leftover pasta for dinner, and watched funny videos on Garrett’s tablet to pass the time until she heard the party outside dying down. The occasional roars of laughter from Garrett’s friends made her smile, reminding her of happier times. She missed going out, even for simple things like grocery shopping, or running errands, but more than anything, she missed her art. She picked up one of the science magazines Garrett had given her and started leafing through it for a third time. She loved learning new things, and the articles were a great source of inspiration for future art pieces she was creating in her mind. She didn’t have any of the supplies she needed on hand, but as more days passed since Garrett found her and brought her to his guest house, Reese was starting to think about leaving the property, maybe even getting a place of her own, assuming she could find a job that paid enough to cover rent and other necessities.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like the guest house. On the contrary, she loved it. The walls were painted a light creamy yellow. It had hardwood floors, and a small but open kitchen with wood cabinets and a granite countertop. The ceilings had honey colored wood beams going across, breaking up the white planks, and giving the entire place a very cozy feeling. There was a bedroom just off the living area that was big enough for a double bed, a reading chair, and a small desk. And there was a lovely ensuite bathroom with a shower that had amazing water pressure.

Reese’s favorite part of the guest house though was its large picture windows that overlooked the lake. When she wasn’t outside lost in thought on the swing, or puttering in the small area behind the guest house that she affectionately called her ‘secret garden,’ she could spend hours at one of the windows, just watching the ripples on the water, so peaceful and relaxing.

A soft knock on her door startled Reese out of her thoughts, and she nearly dropped the tablet. The knock came again, quiet and steady, as if not wanting to scare her, but coaxing her to open up. It was dark outside now. The only light on was the lamp next to the couch she’d been sitting on for hours now. She reached over and turned it off, casting the room into darkness before getting up to answer the door. This was the only way she could face Garrett. He probably thought she was crazy, but it was the best she could do right now.

She opened the door to find Garrett standing there, backlit by the moon, wearing jeans and a t-shirt that did nothing to hide the gorgeous body she’d gotten a full view of just hours ago. He was holding a long stick with a marshmallow impaled on the end of it. He smiled, and she almost felt her knees go weak. Then he held out the stick to her and asked, “would you like to roast some marshmallows with me before I put out the fire? My friends and I were making s’mores, and I saved some chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows for you.”

Reese didn’t know what to say. Of all the invitations she’d ever gotten from a man, this had to be the sweetest one by far. That he had been thinking about her, even while he’d been with his friends, was so nice of him. But being near an open flame would likely emit too much light. She wanted to say yes, but then Garrett would see how awkward she was, and how she never made eye contact with him. Who was she kidding? He probably already noticed all her weirdness.

Still, she liked the idea of spending time with him. It was on the tip of her tongue to say ‘yes,’ but then she cast her eyes down to the hollow of his throat, not wanting to see his reaction when she turned him down. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

He let out a soft chuckle. “Got better plans?”

She smiled sheepishly. “No, I just -” Reese didn’t have a good excuse, and she wasn’t good at lying. But telling him the real reason would freak him out even more. She just needed a little more time, and she’d be out of here. Then they could both go back to their normal lives. The last thing she wanted to do was overstay her welcome. “I’m kind of tired,” she finally mumbled, not even believing it herself. It was barely past nine o’clock and she was a grown woman.

She stood at the door, waiting for Garrett to laugh at her or simply walk away, but when he remained standing in front of her, she couldn’t help but look up. Her gaze never went higher than his nose, because even in this low lighting from the flames in the fire pit, the moonlight, and the few solar lanterns he had placed strategically around the yard, there was a chance looking into his eyes would trigger her gift, and that was the last thing she wanted.

“No worries. I’m pretty beat myself.” He tried to make his words lighthearted, but Reese heard the disappointment in his voice. He’d tried so many times over the last month to get her to come out, either with him or with his friends, and every time she’d turned him down. She wondered if there would come a day when he would simply stop asking. Stop thinking about her.

In a way, Reese had always wanted to disappear, to become one of those people no one noticed, because that would make it so much easier when she avoided making eye contact. But the thought of Garrett Cooper forgetting her or ignoring her created an ache in her chest that she suddenly had the urge to rub away.

Garrett turned and walked away, carrying the stick with the impaled marshmallow on it like a walking stick that had been cut off at the end. Reese sighed, fighting the longing to call him back and tell him she’d changed her mind - that she would love to roast marshmallows with him and make s’mores. Smiling at the thought, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something that sounded like so much fun. Maybe as a kid when she went to an overnight camp, but that was years ago.

But instead of calling his name or drawing his attention back to her, Reese quietly shut the door, turned the deadbolt, and retreated into the bedroom, taking the science magazine with her. She placed it on the bed, and went into the bathroom. The day had been warm and she yearned for a shower to cool off before climbing under the covers to try and get some sleep. She took her time under the stream of warm water, washing her hair, scrubbing her body, all the while thinking of what Garrett was doing now. He’d been outside most of the day, so he was also probably showering and getting ready for bed. Tomorrow was Monday. He’d go back to work, and she’d have the property to herself until he returned in the late afternoon or evening.

After her shower, she put on a long t-shirt, combed through her wavy brown hair, scrunching it with her fingers to give it a little bit more bounce, then climbed into bed, nearly moaning at the pleasure of the soft mattress and cool sheets.

She was almost half way through the magazine, having read every single word and studied each photograph and graphic with the utmost attention, when she could’ve sworn she heard another knock on her door.

The only person who ever came to the guest house was Garrett, and she was sure he’d turned in for the night. He’d always assured her that no one could get on his property without him knowing about it, so who else could it be? She shook her head, certain she’d just been hearing things, but there was another knock. That time she knew someone was at her door.

She got out of bed and padded her way across the living area, but stopped just short of turning the deadbolt. If it was Garrett, she had nothing to fear, but it could be anyone. “Hello?” She called out, almost too softly to be heard through the door.

“Reese, it’s Garrett.” His voice had all her muscles relaxing, and now she felt silly. Of course, it was Garrett. She unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door. With her eyes cast down, the first thing she saw was a plate filled with s’mores. Her jaw went slack as she lifted her eyes, not to meet his, but just up to the tip of his nose. “For me?”

Garrett smiled and extended the plate. “All for you, Reese. I hope you like sugar and chocolate.”

Reese smiled shyly. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you. This was totally unnecessary, but thank you so much.”

“You’re very welcome. Enjoy. I’ll come by tomorrow to pick up the plate.” And with that, Garrett turned and walked away.

“Good night,” she whispered under her breath. It probably wasn’t loud enough for him to hear, but as soon as the words left her mouth, he glanced over his shoulder as if he had heard her, then disappeared through the back door of his house.

Reese stood in the open doorway of the guest house holding the plate of s’mores, just staring out at the vast darkness. The sky was clear with thousands of stars and a full moon that lit up most of Garrett’s backyard, casting a soft glow over the lake and making the water glisten in the night.

She put the plate on the kitchen table, and went back to the bedroom where she pulled on a pair of shorts before taking a s’more off the plate and heading outside. As soon her feet touched the walkway, she inhaled the fresh air and sighed in contentment. Most people feared the dark and loved the light. But as an artist who often got her best inspirations well past midnight, and as someone who avoided eye contact at all costs, the darkness was her shield from the world. It was a safe and comfortable place where others left her alone, and she could just be herself.

Reese walked across the vast property to the dock. She slipped off her shoes, and sat, letting her feet dangle off the edge, her toes skimming the surface of the water. She gasped softly at the coldness of it, then bit into her s’more, moaning from the pleasure of its ooey gooey sweetness. A light flicked on behind her and she turned to see that it was coming from Garrett’s bedroom. She’d never been in his house, but she assumed that’s what it was since he always seemed to go there right before all his lights went out for the night.

She wondered what the last thing he did before going to bed was. Did he read, watch television? Did he have a girlfriend he talked to? He hadn’t mentioned having someone special in his life and from what she’d seen during her time here, he didn’t seem to be with any of the women who usually came to his barbecues. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t a special someone in his life. She could be out of town, or maybe it was a long distance relationship.

Reese pushed the thought from her mind and focused on the beautiful nighttime scenery around her. The fireflies were out, flitting around her and over the water, giving her quite the light show. She swung her legs in small circles, her toes brushing against the surface of the cool water that didn’t feel nearly as cold anymore.

A part of her wanted to turn around and see Garrett joining her, but she hadn’t heard his footsteps, and she fought the need to turn around and assure herself he wasn’t there. Mostly because she knew it would be followed by disappointment, much like the kind he must’ve felt when she’d turned down his invitation tonight. It just couldn’t be helped though. Garrett was… well, she just wasn’t sure she could trust him yet.

Sure, he’d saved her from Vivian, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t become just like Vivian or Russell as soon as he found out the truth about what she could do.

***

Garrett fell asleep watching the silhouette of his guest on the dock as she cast long shadows on the lake under the moonlight. His first instinct had been to go out there and keep her company, but after giving it a moment’s thought, he knew she would just retreat back into the guest house as soon as he stepped foot near her. So he’d kept his distance, got ready for bed, and turned out the lights, leaving the blinds on his French door open just enough to be able to keep an eye on her.

The day had been long and hot, but a lot of fun. He loved having his friends over, and Hallie’s idea of making s’mores was one of the best ones yet. Sitting around the open fire, roasting marshmallows, and just talking and relaxing with everyone, was definitely a night he’d remember.

All evening though, while the women talked about the shows they were binging, complained about their work schedules, or teased the guys, Garrett’s thoughts kept drifting to the woman in his guest house. Reese would like Orly, Hallie, and Skyla. He was sure of that. And the guys would like her, too. Though he wasn’t sure how much she would like them. They could be loud and boasted a dry sense of humor that not everyone understood, but they were harmless when it came to their friends, and their women, of course.

The next morning, Garrett woke just as the sun was starting to turn the sky a lighter shade of gray, right when the first birds were waking up. He wasn’t one of those people who hated mornings or Mondays. In fact, he loved getting up early, having that extra head start to the day. And going to work was never a chore. It was a calling he’d fought hard to achieve, and now that he was a Texas Ranger, he never took it for granted.

Garrett was particularly excited about today. He was meeting with the FBI liaison on a joint task force his boss asked him to work on regarding the very same drug that Russell Graham was connected to. He’d already been helping out with the case on his own time, so he was only too happy to be part of the investigation formally.

Garrett pulled into the parking lot of the Texas Rangers Headquarters building and parked his gray F-150 truck in his usual spot. On his way inside, he spotted Caden approaching the door. “Hey stranger,” Garrett called to his friend.

Caden turned and smiled. “Good morning.”

“What brings you by today?” Garrett asked.

Caden ran a hand through his hair, not bothering to hide his grin. “Well, it just so happens I’ve been tasked to work with a Texas Ranger on one of my cases.”

Garrett took a step back. “Wait a minute. You’re not -” Caden nodded before Garrett even had a chance to finish his question. “You’re the FBI liaison,” Garrett said accusingly, but with no heat.

“Guilty. Now I just have to find out which one of you Rangers I have to whip into shape to nail this damn drug case already and put Russell Graham away for good.”

Garrett playfully punched him in the arm. “You’re looking at him.”

Caden’s face split into a full on grin. “No shit.”

“Dig deeper, Man. You’re stuck with me.”

“Good. I was hoping it would be you. I actually asked for you, but was told to mind my own business. I guess some people are still under the impression that different law enforcement agencies have to be at odds with each other instead of working together.”

“Yeah, that was probably Baker. He has a chip on his shoulder. Most of the time it works in his favor, but sometimes it can blow up in his face.”

“And Baker is…” Caden said, without really asking, as they walked up the steps of the Texas Rangers building.

“Used to be one of us, but was recently promoted,” Garrett wasn’t sure how much he was allowed to reveal about the internal workings of the Texas Rangers, so when Caden didn’t ask for more details, Garrett let it drop. “So, how do you want to do this?”

Garrett walked past the front desk with Caden following close behind. He offered the receptionist and a few of the Rangers he passed a chin lift on his way to his desk. He liked to keep his work space fairly simple. The few things he did keep on his desk were mostly gifts given to him by people he’d either helped or worked with. He had a mouse pad with the picture of a cute kitten on it from a little girl he’d helped transition into witness protection with her parents after her mother witnessed a high profile murder, a pencil box from one of his colleagues who’d given it to him as a gag gift after Garrett complained about having to use computers and technology in a job that used to be all pen and paper, and his all-time favorite gift was from two Christmases ago when he’d gotten a foot massager in a white elephant gift exchange from Holly Reynolds, the previous receptionist. She’d worked with the Texas Rangers for over a decade until she got married and fell pregnant with twins. Last Garrett heard, she and her family were doing well. Her husband was an affluent businessman in the area, and Holly was expecting their third child.

“You haven’t heard a word I said,” Caden smirked, his eyebrows raised in mock annoyance.

“Sorry.” Garrett pushed his chair further under his desk to shove the bright blue foot massager out of Caden’s view. It was bad enough the guys around here teased him about it. If Caden saw it, he’d never hear the end of it. “Let’s go to the conference room where we’ll have more room to spread out and talk.”

“Lead the way,” Caden said. “Oh, and how do you like that foot massager? I was thinking of getting one for myself.”

Garrett sneered in his friend's direction, and the other man barely contained a laugh.

The large conference room off the stairwell was the perfect place for meetings and presentations. It had a long table with ten chairs, and a large window overlooking a park across the street. Garrett closed the door and watched as Caden laid out the files, opening and studying several of them. There were maps with color coded sections, graphs of demographics, charts of various levels of the drug across the regions that it had been found in, and photos of all the dealers who’ve been arrested with it in the last year. It was a lot of information to process, but most of it Garrett was already familiar with. His only question was how he could help the FBI nail whoever was making it so they could finally get it off the streets and arrest Russell Graham.

A knock at the door interrupted them before they had much of a chance to get started. Garrett opened the door to find Luke standing there in full uniform. “Can I come in?” Luke asked.

“No,” Caden said with no heat. “Sorry, I know what this means to you, but it’s an FBI case and the only reason Garrett is in here is because I was assigned to work with him directly. We have no idea who we can and can’t trust so -”

“You don’t think you can trust me?” Luke asked, clearly hurt by his friend’s words.

“Hey, I want in on the FBI case too,” Harvey Black, another Texas Ranger said, pushing his way in the door.

“Stop,” Garrett said, blocking both men from entering. “Sorry, guys. We’ll let you know as much as we can, when we can.”

Harvey grumbled something under his breath and walked away, but Luke remained standing in the doorway. “Luke -” Garrett started to say, but Luke lifted his hands, palms front, in surrender.

“I get it,” Luke said. “It’s just after Arlo J blew smoke up Blake’s ass, I was hoping I could get in on whatever lead the FBI is currently chasing. We are talking about the same drug that almost killed my wife.”

Caden sighed and stepped in front of him. “Trust me to see this through, okay?”

Luke stared at Caden for a long moment, then gave him a slight nod and backed away, letting Caden shut the door.

“If you didn’t want him here, why did you tell him about this meeting?” Garrett asked.

“I didn’t,” Caden said, rubbing his neck and returning to the table. “But if there was a drug out there that almost killed Hallie, you better believe I’d have my ear to the ground, knocking down every door I could, whether I was welcome or not.”

Garrett sighed. “I can’t even imagine the hell he’s going through. It’s bad enough Russell Graham is still walking around free as a bird, but now we’re so close to -.”

“That’s exactly why he can’t be a part of it, Garrett.” Caden let out a frustrated breath. “When we take this to court, I don’t want some punk ass attorney throwing our case out on a technicality because the husband of one of the victims was working on it.”

“I know. You’re right. It’s just Luke has been dealing with this for so long, and -”

“Who do you think has been spearheading this case?” Caden shoved an agitated hand through his short dark hair. “Do you have any idea how many hours I’ve spent away from Hallie to get all this leg work done?”

“I get it. This affects all of us,” Garrett hadn’t missed the dark circles under his friend’s eyes or the intensity of his determination to see this through. “And I’m beyond impressed by all this data. But I’m still not seeing how I can be of help.”

Caden rubbed a hand down his face, then handed him a file. Inside was a photo of a high school along with a class roster of an English literature class, complete with the names of twenty-three students and their teacher. “You think the dealer is in this class?” Garrett asked.

Caden leaned against the table and crossed his arms in front of him. “I think the dealer is the parent of someone in that class, but the FBI can’t seem to get close enough to the parents to make a case against them. So, we have to go through the kid instead. That’s where you come in. These kids are known for getting in trouble. They can smell a cop or an FBI agent from a mile away, and they know exactly how to act and what to say to get guys like us to back off, or eat right out of their hands. Depending on what their end goal is at the time. We’ve got exactly one shot at this, and I'm counting you to make it happen.”

“Sure thing,” Garrett glanced at the class roster, then looked back up at Caden. “What is it exactly that you want me to do?”

“I’ve been in touch with the principal, and he tells me their teacher is going on maternity leave in two weeks. That gives us time to prepare, and get you ready to teach high school English Literature.”

Garrett barked out a laugh. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, but I am,” Caden deadpanned.

“Wait a minute, why me?” Garrett asked, suddenly feeling slightly underqualified. English Literature wasn’t exactly his best subject back in high school. “You said you asked for me specifically.”

Caden sighed and dropped his shoulders. “Because I think you could actually pull this off. You’re solid without being rigid. You’re fun, but responsible. You’ll give the kids enough leeway to make them believe you’re an actual substitute teacher who's been thrown into the fray, but you also have the mind of a law enforcement officer who knows how to get information from an unwitting eighteen-year-old.”

Wow. Garrett never thought of himself quite like that. He was just a guy who enjoyed life and did his best to be the best Texas Ranger he could be on any given day.

“So,” Caden said, pulling out a chair and sinking into it. “Are you ready to learn and teach, Mr. Cooper?”

Garrett didn’t have to think long. There wasn’t anything he would do for his friends, and if he could actually help move the Russell Graham case forward, he was definitely onboard. “Let’s do this.” He sat across from Caden and started reviewing everything about the school, the students and teacher, and most importantly, the student whose name was highlighted in yellow - Madison Grier.

Caden had extensive files on her parents, too, complete with their names, contact information, residential and employment backgrounds, and any other information that could be needed. Angela and Dale Grier. On paper, they seemed like ordinary folks. Angela was an accountant at a law firm and Dale was a construction foreman. If Garrett had to guess, his money was on Dale, but the job had long since taught him that the least likely suspect could just as easily be the guilty party.

Garrett spent the rest of the day reviewing intel and discussing possible strategies on how to get Madison to trust him enough to talk about her parents, and the drugs that one or both of them was likely responsible for putting out on the street.

By the time five o’clock rolled around, Garrett was mentally exhausted, and Caden was itching to get out of there to meet Hallie at her store. The Mystic Cow closed at six, but ever since Vivian’s attack, Caden didn’t like her being there alone after dark if he could help it.

Garrett hadn’t thought much about Reese all day, but as soon as he walked into his kitchen, he noticed the plate he’d given her last night sitting outside his sliding glass door. There was a note stuck to the bottom of it, the corner of the paper curling upward in the light breeze.

He smiled, opened the door, and picked up the plate and the accompanying note. Thank you for the s’mores. Maybe next time I can make something for you.

Garrett brought the plate and note inside. He’d never asked her if she knew how to cook, but since he’d been bringing her groceries every week, he should’ve assumed she at least knew the basics. There was so much he didn’t know about Reese.

Aside from needing her help with Russell, Garrett just wanted to be able to talk to her without worrying that she would run away from him the moment their eyes actually locked. It was odd how she seemed to stick to the dark and always avoid eye contact. Garrett knew that had to mean something; he just didn’t know what.

Standing in his kitchen, an idea suddenly came to him that would hopefully get her to come out of her shell. He just had to wait until nightfall.