Lone Star Secret

Trisha looked toward Anna for help, fear and dread evident in her eyes. “No, I’m afraid I don’t. Should I?”

“Never mind,” David said. “I was a senior in high school when you were a freshman. It was a long time ago.”

Trisha held tightly to her files and her tote bag. “I—I’m glad you made it safely home, David.”

“We are indeed thankful that you managed to get Ali here for his surgery,” Anna said to change the subject. “We do appreciate it.”

“Yes, we do,” Trisha echoed. “Very much.”

“Please, no more thanks.” David gave them another quizzical look. “I wasn’t the only one. A whole lot of people care about little Ali. It’s hard for a child to have to grow up without a parent. And now he’s lost both of his.”

Trisha busied herself with gathering files. “I—I have to go get busy.”

Anna gave her friend a sympathetic look. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, pretty sure,” Trisha said, her eyes misting up again. “I—it was nice to meet you, Chief Ryland.”

“Call me David,” David said as Trisha rushed past him. Then he turned to Anna. “Was it something I said? I think I remember her from high school, but maybe I have the wrong girl. She was a lot younger than me.”

Anna’s heart went out to David and Trisha. Trying to find the right words, she replied, “You’ll have to forgive Trisha if she doesn’t remember. She’s been trying to deal with her father’s death and a whole lot of other things.”

“General Davis Morrison was a real soldier’s soldier. His daughter might not remember me, but I sure remember him, even before he became commanding officer. And even before I joined the army. I used to see him on the evening news.”

Anna’s heartbeat accelerated. Even their first names were similar. “So you knew him personally?”

David shook his head. “Oh, no, nothing like that. We didn’t run in the same crowd of course. I knew of him. A regular legend in his own time.”

“He was that, indeed,” Anna said. “His death hit all of us very hard.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. He was a good soldier.”

“Yes, he was dedicated to his country and the army.”

David nodded as he glanced across the hall to where Trisha was now talking to a woman who’d just come in. “I didn’t mean to upset her.”

Anna wished she could change the subject, but she had to be careful. Trisha was putting on a good show, but she knew her friend was just trying to avoid the issue. “She’ll be all right. Her mother died a few years ago and now her father. She’s feeling all alone and it’s been hard for her to adjust.”

“Wow, that is tough. Does she work here?”

“She volunteers here,” Anna explained. “Trisha inherited her father’s estate, so she doesn’t have to work for a living. She had just moved back from Dallas when it happened, so she hasn’t taken the time to decide what to do with her life. But she helps out here a lot, and she is looking for something to fulfill her, I think.” She nodded toward the door. “She’s a whiz with fundraising, so I’ve put her in charge of our annual black-tie ball. I’ll send you an invitation.”

David scoffed. “I don’t do black tie. But I can do just about anything else you need done around here. So…what do you say we get started?”

Anna let out a sigh of relief. If he stayed out back all day, he could avoid Trisha’s overly curious stares.

“I’ll take you out to the old garage where we have everything stored,” she said.

David followed her out the door and down the long hall.

And Trisha stood at the door of Caitlyn’s office, watching them all the way.

Chapter Five

“So I hear Ali is doing okay. Maddie told me she went by to see him the other day.”

Anna smiled at the way David’s eyes lit up whenever he mentioned Ali. She watched as he stacked fresh lumber against the porch railings. He’d brought it over earlier so he could get started on repairing the back steps. And, Anna thought thankfully, her mother, who usually hovered around and helped out as needed, was over at the grief center at Prairie Springs Church, probably flirting with the reverend.