Agent out of Time (The Agents for Good) Read Online Free Page B

swiftly.
     
    Trent, lured away by the huge fish jumping in plentiful supply in the stream had moved downriver to fish us dinner, while I and Ted sat and watched. Under pressure by Ted’s relentless pestering I’d divulged what had happened in town.
    It was easy to see how a grandparent could be proud of Trent, but I couldn’t say the same of Deshavi. If our two houses were joined by these two, I couldn’t help but think I was supplying the lesser half of the union. I said as much to Ted.
    “Oh you’re too hard on the girl Caleb!”
    “Am I?” I asked, because I had often wondered if it wasn’t all my fault for the way Deshavi had turned out.
    Ted chuckled, “Probably not, but it sounded good. That is until I saw you start blaming yourself. You were as involved in rearing that girl up right, as any parent could ever be Caleb. Kids make their own choices in life. We all do at some point, sometimes they aren’t good ones, but while breadth remains there is hope though. Perhaps this is the chance Deshavi needs in order to see the light and stop hurting herself.”
    “Or the chance of seeing another soul corrupted.” I added, darkly beginning to regret my matchmaking efforts.
    “I’ll have you know Caleb that we Rogersons are made of sterner stuff than most!”
    “I hope so.”
    Trent came back with several fish and dinner preparations were underway.
    Shadows were beginning to form when I brought a small hand carved whistle out from a pocket and gave a series of calls that were too high pitched in frequency to be audibly heard. Trent watched on curiously as I waited. Several minutes went by and then in the distance I saw Windstalker coming at a full gallop. As he drew near it looked like he wouldn’t stop, but he did at the last moment.
    He reared up on his hind legs and pawed at the air, as only a stallion would. He came back down with a crash and then was upon me in search of a sugar cube or carrot. I chuckled and rewarded him with a sugar cube. Windstalker was a full blood Appaloosa stallion. He was a whitish gray with the telltale black spots on the rump. He had the characteristic large size of the breed as well. My father’s before me had created this breed of horse and had handed it down generation after generation and it was with pride that I carried it on.
    I turned to Trent, who was leaning on the cabin railing taking in the magnificent stallion. I dug in my pants pocket and brought out the truck keys, which I flipped to him. He caught them, with a question reflected in his eyes.
    “In case you want to visit the town or do a little sightseeing.”
    I took a firm grasp of Windstalker’s mane and swung upward astride him and took off down the valley as fast as Windstalker could go and for a moment I was free of everything.
     
    It was almost dark when I reached my home nestled in among the craggy rocks and great trees of the private mountain that I called home. I slid off of Windstalker and smacked him on the rump, and he took off for the lower meadow, where his lady friends were. I made my way up the native stone stairs to the porch of my cabin home. I saw Deshavi stand up from a porch swing in the evening gloom. She looked anxious about something and after my initial surprise at seeing her here I guessed at why she had come.
    I went over to her and extremely uncharacteristic of her she mumbled out quickly, “Can I stay here?”
    “Since when have you ever been unwelcome?”
    I moved past her and sat down, while she still stood seeming uncertain of something. I reached out and tugged on her hand and she seemed to crumple down onto the bench swing beside me and I put my arm around her to draw her against me. She came easily, even as her head lay down on my shoulder. I let my cheek rest against the top of her head for a moment. It was so good to be like this again.
    “I’m sorry about your mother.” I said softly.
    “What are you sorry for? You’ve done nothing but provide for her ever since father