Karen Whiddon - Wyoming Undercover

“Here we are.” Phillip stopped in front of a huge place right next to Ezekiel’s walled-in fortress. “Good luck. I’ll hopefully see you later on tonight.”

And he took off.

Hopefully, huh? Jack took a deep breath and pushed the buzzer. After he gave his name, the person on the other end remotely unlocked the door and let him inside.

Security measures, eh? Maybe things weren’t always so great here in paradise.

He barely had time to process the thought when Thomas strode into the large, octagon-shaped foyer. “Greetings,” he said, sounding neither angry nor friendly.

Considering what he’d said earlier about punishment and rewards, Jack braced himself.

“I understand you’ve been struggling with construction.”

Slowly, Jack nodded, resisting the urge to defend himself.

“That’s okay,” Thomas continued, surprising him. “You’re new here. With the others, we’ve had years to discover where their aptitude lies. So I’ve decided I’m going to reassign you.”

Surprised, Jack thanked him. Then mentally berated himself for allowing the other man to make him feel as if he’d been given a gift. Though in the end, maybe he had.

“Have you ever worked in the medical field?” Thomas asked. “Maybe when you were in the service?” He eyed Jack expectantly.

Though the closest Jack had come to anything even remotely medically related had been when he’d briefly dated one of the military doctors, he nodded. “A little bit,” he allowed, hoping he wasn’t making a mistake. “Nothing major. More like an aide or a therapist than anything else.”

“Perfect.” Thomas beamed. “Right now we only have two women to assist our doctor at the clinic. We’ve been thinking about having someone stronger to do the heavy lifting and whatever else is needed. I think this might be a good fit for you.”

The clinic. Where the nurse with the amazing caramel eyes worked. Maybe working there wouldn’t be as boring as construction work. Swallowing, he gave a slow nod. “Thank you.”

“Report to work there at seven tomorrow morning.” Waving his hand, Thomas dismissed him.

Jack half expected a couple of goons in suits to appear to escort him from the premises. When they didn’t, he turned and went back the way he’d come.

Only when he once again stood outside the gates did he allow himself to think—really think—about what had just happened. For whatever reason, Thomas had decided to show him leniency, at least if the punishment/reward system was to be believed. This time, at least.

Surely he could manage to do okay working as an orderly in the medical clinic. Lifting boxes and mattresses, maybe helping to move supplies. He’d done similar work before in the military.

However, he’d have to be careful. Considering the strength of the attraction he felt for Sophia Hannah, he’d need to take care to keep his distance. Especially since she was promised to the head of the entire organization. Even the most casual flirting could be misconstrued and the last thing he needed was to get that kind of reprimand.

Thoughtful, he headed back to the house he shared with Phillip.

* * *

After meeting with Deirdre, Sophia found herself a mess of nerves with what felt like a forty-pound weight nestled snuggly around her shoulders. She went back to work, but Ana had surprisingly already done everything needed to close out their shift, so she went on home.

Rachel was already there when Sophia arrived. She’d started the evening meal—chicken, rice and vegetables—which smelled heavenly. Sophia stood for a moment in the doorway to their small kitchen, breathing in the scent of curry, and tried to regain her feeling of normalcy.

“Oh, good!” Rachel exclaimed, looking up from the pot she’d been stirring. “I was hoping you’d get done early. Once we eat, do you want to sit down and start planning your wedding? I brought home one of the sketch pads from work.” Rachel taught art and music to the children.

Shaking her head, Sophia relayed what Deirdre had told her. “Basically, everything is being handled by Ezekiel’s people.”

“You don’t get to have a say in anything?” Clearly disbelieving, Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “Anyone who knows you is aware of how long you’ve waited to get to plan your wedding. This is every young woman’s dream and right. Why are they taking that away from you?”

All Sophia could do was shrug. She knew if she spoke, she’d break down crying. The last thing she wanted to do was to reveal the depths of her unhappiness. That wouldn’t be worthy of a Child of Eternity. Not in the slightest.

The other two girls had met friends for a picnic, so it was just the two of them. Rachel continued to pepper her with questions all through dinner, most of which Sophia was glad to answer. She described what little she’d seen of Ezekiel’s house, the outside gardens and what Deirdre had been wearing. Whenever Rachel circled around to the wedding, Sophia changed the subject. Finally, Rachel appeared to get the hint and began chattering away about things her students had done that day at school.

Listening to her friend, Sophia reflected on Deirdre’s words. Unless she did something dishonorable and completely contrary to the laws of COE, Sophia would never have children of her own. Never have the experience of carrying a child inside her body for nine months or holding her son or daughter close to her breast for the first time.

Part of her—the rebellious, secretive part she’d long kept deeply buried—wanted to go find a man, someone like the mysterious stranger Thomas had brought from outside, and have wild sex with him. Enough times as it took to make a baby.

The other part of her—the rule-abiding, good Child of Eternity—was appalled. Ezekiel had been Anointed and he’d chosen his Children. He only did what was best for each and every one of them. If he wanted Sophia to be his wife and remain childless, who was she to question?

She went to sleep that night with her heart heavy and her throat aching from unshed tears.

The next morning, though the sun had not yet risen, the overcast sky and warmish temperatures promised thunderstorms. After her shower and breakfast, she walked to work like she always did, arriving early. She liked to get to the clinic first and turn on the lights, get a pot of coffee going and have everything in order and ready so the doctor could start the day off right. Ana always wandered in right before her assigned start time, acting surprised and grateful at all the work Sophia had already done.

And Sophia found the familiar routine calming. She’d begun to discover that if she kept busy, she could forget about the wedding looming in one month.

As she approached the medical clinic, a figure detached itself from the wall. She jumped back, startled, glad the sky had lightened enough so the man, whoever he might be, wasn’t hidden in complete shadows.

Assuming he was either sick or injured, she hurried over. Then she realized he was the handsome man from outside. Jack. Despite herself, her heart skipped a beat.

“Good morning,” he said, smiling at her. “I’m here to report for work.”

“What?” All she could do was stare at him.

“Yes. I’ve been reassigned to the clinic. I’m to be an aide or intern or something. Thomas said you need someone to do the heavy lifting.”

Her flush heated her entire body. “I apologize for my surprise. No one told me,” she said quietly. Digging her keys from her pocket, she unlocked the back door. “Follow me inside. There’s a lot to do before this place is ready to open in the morning.”

Though he did exactly as she’d asked, staying close behind her, his silence and size made her very conscious of his presence. And she was unsettled. She and Ana had gotten along fine for years. As far as Sophia knew, Dr. Drew had never complained.