The glass side door reflected sunshine and vehicles as it swung open again. Sean started to straighten before he realized it wasn’t Zoe passing through. He relaxed and looked away. Then his head snapped around. He’d almost failed to recognize the beefy hit man wearing Sunday clothing. And there was a telltale bulge under the arm of his sports jacket to confirm that he was armed.
Sean eased around the pickup and kept his head down as he watched the would-be assailant. A uniformed officer of the DVPD had followed him outside and was resting his palm on the butt of his sidearm while calling, “Wait!”
If the hit man replied, Sean didn’t hear it. He didn’t have to. He saw enough. The man hailed a dark SUV and climbed inside, leaving the cop standing alone in the lot.
It was impossible to ID the driver due to darkly tinted windows. When the vehicle accelerated out of the parking lot, Sean expelled his breath in a whoosh. They were gone. For now.
As he started to stand, his innate wariness kicked in again and he muttered, “Assuming there are only those two.”
* * *
Zoe had trouble spotting Sean so she commanded Freya to find Angel. That was all it took.
She hurried up and greeted him with a smile in spite of his frown. “The kids are all set. Are you ready to go back inside?”
“I’m not sure. Not after what I just saw.”
Waiting, she raised an eyebrow. When he failed to volunteer information, she asked. “What did you see?”
“One of the guys who came to Arizona after me.”
A frisson of fear shot up her spine as she wheeled to face the church. “Where? When?”
“He came out and got into a black SUV with a second man. They drove away in spite of one of the cops calling to him.”
“When?”
“Just now.”
“You’re sure it was the same guy?” She hated to question Sean’s judgment, but his record of being correct was less than perfect. He was, however, apparently ultrasensitive to danger. The key was learning to differentiate between the real thing and figments of his imagination.
“As sure as I can be under these circumstances,” Sean said dryly. “Being paranoid doesn’t mean there’s nobody after me. Your car did get shot up.”
“True.” Continuing to scan their surroundings, Zoe kept Freya at heel. “You’re sure you saw them leave?”
“Yes. I don’t know why they were here in the first place. I mean, if they wanted to harm me, why not shoot when I came out here?”
“Maybe they didn’t see you leave.”
“It’s more likely that,” Sean agreed. “I wouldn’t want to cause trouble in a church full of cops.”
“So, you’re ready to come back in with me?”
“I have to. Patrick is in there.”
“Right,” she said. “I’ll alert church security to watch for the SUV, just in case. We can find seats in the rear of the sanctuary and sneak out just before the altar call so we’re waiting when his class dismisses.”
Although Sean agreed by not arguing, she could tell he was far from settled. As before, she would take one moment at a time, ready for intervention if necessary yet hopeful that his troubled mind would allow him to actually benefit from the pastor’s sermon. Beyond that, she had no plans.
“Freya, heel,” she said, stepping out to lead the way. Was Sean following? She wanted to look back to be certain. Instead, she kept walking until they reached side windows on the building where she could see their reflections. Her pulse jumped. Sean’s posture looked good. Straight, tall and in command. Was wishful thinking influencing her, or he had actually made some progress? That didn’t matter as much as the fact that he was functioning well despite his recent scare.
When she’d first spoken with him about coming to Desert Valley, he had not seemed nearly as sure of himself or able to cope. Research had told her that his traumatic past might always color his future, but she also knew that some degree of healing was possible. With God, all things are possible.
If she had ever doubted that biblical truth, she didn’t anymore. Truth to tell, nobody but God was in charge of their future.
All Zoe prayed for at this point was her friend’s happiness and well-being. If Sean’s life was to include her, she would be overjoyed. If not, she would somehow accept that, too. She either trusted her heavenly Father in all things, including the long-ago loss of her ill, helpless baby brother, or she didn’t.
For years she’d assumed that childhood disappointment had cost her the most dearly of any. Now, realizing how much she cared for Sean and his son, she knew better. Losing him, for any reason, was going to hurt so much she might never recover. The mere thought was enough to tie her stomach in knots and make her wish she had skipped breakfast.
He touched her elbow. “Are you all right?”
A shiver zinged up her spine and tickled the back of her neck.
“Of course. Why?” Their eyes met in the mirrorlike window glass. His body language spoke of protection. His height and strength giving her an instant sense of awareness that made her insides quake.
“You seemed different,” he snorted. “Don’t tell me that was all in my head, too.”
“No.” She turned to look directly at him and tried to smile. Their lips were so close, the idea of initiating a kiss so tempting, she swayed, fighting to keep from leaning toward him. Suppose he was resistant? Suppose he wasn’t as enamored of her as she hoped? Suppose she ruined their close friendship by taking it to a new level before he was ready?
Zoe sighed. “I was thinking too much, that’s all.”
“About me?”
What could she say that would be the truth, yet not reveal her burgeoning love for man and boy? Imagining his tender kiss was already bad enough, so she turned his question into a gibe. “If I say yes, will you get all sappy on me?”
Sean gave a wry chuckle. “I think you’re safe. I’m too busy trying to keep this dog in line and make sure nobody is trying to sneak up and shoot me while I’m distracted. I don’t have room in my brain for excess sentimentality.”
Although she said, “That’s a relief,” she was disappointed. Her brain certainly had enough room to entertain romantic notions while still doing her job.
“Well, this threat can’t last forever,” Sean said, adding, “I hope.”
In Zoe’s mind a worst-case scenario began to form. If they didn’t manage to nab the thugs or figure out who had sent them in the first place, the only other way this story was all going to end was if Sean was killed. There had to be a different answer. Anything was better than that.
Witness protection was out because Sean didn’t qualify. And he certainly couldn’t go back into the military. Not with PTSD. Neither could he join her profession. Besides, if he wasn’t around anymore, who would look after his little boy?
That brought her back to their verbal agreement about custody.
Zoe sighed as she started into the main sanctuary and led the way to seats in the rear for Sean’s sake. The more she was with him, the greater her affection grew. Did he suspect how she felt? Was it possible he was falling for her, too?
The shake of her head was barely perceptible. If Sean cared for her, he would be sending out clues, and she wasn’t getting any hints at all. Perhaps it was time to quit hoping their pact about Patrick’s care would be fulfilled by a mutual love and take the legal steps they had discussed in the beginning. The drawback was that that might satisfy Sean and keep him from considering alternatives.
Such as marriage.
NINE
Maisy not only led a giggling Patrick into the hall outside his classroom after church, she also made a convincing speech about the benefits of letting the boy participate in the children’s Christmas pageant.
“He can be a shepherd,” she insisted whe
n Sean began to slowly shake his head. “He’d get a cane to lean on and everything. And I’ll be right there.” She began to beam. “I’m playing Mary.”
“How much time would he have to practice with all the others?” Sean asked. “It might take him a while to catch on.”
“We’ll all help him.” The tenderhearted child took Patrick’s hand. “He can do it. Please, please, please?”
Sean was about to make more excuses when Patrick smiled up at him and said, “Peas?”
What could he do or say at that point? “All right. What about practicing? When do you do that?”
“Tonight during church for grown-ups,” Maisy said. “My dad helps. So does Chief Hayes.”
Zoe was agreeing. “That’s right. And I can be there, too, if you’re worried. Sophie’s acting the part of one of the Magi with the chief’s daughter, Lily, and a couple of dogs. It should be worth watching just to see a Labrador retriever pretending to be a camel.”
As far as Sean was concerned, the added exposure was foolish. However, he could also see how much progress toward normalcy Patrick had made since being allowed his freedom among a group of helpful children. Maisy, alone, was a godsend.
That conclusion brought him up short, particularly the definition his subconscious had chosen. To imagine that God had sent anything his way seemed odd. Still, anyone who was privy to the events that had brought him and his son to Desert Valley had to be thinking the same thing. A happy coincidence was one, maybe two, actions that were of benefit. He was seeing dozens, from the original accident to Patrick all the way to this very moment. Along the way, a myriad of connections had been made and people were in places where they would not normally have been. Take Zoe. She should have been at work in Mesa, yet here she was, just where and when he needed her.
Stunned, he had to admit that there may have been a divine hand guiding him to Desert Valley. Many questions remained, though. Such as, why did the boy have to suffer and why was his own mind affected adversely—and why was somebody so determined to harm him?
Sean blinked rapidly to clear his head and realized he was standing in a crowded hallway with all sorts of people milling around and pushing past, laughing and talking. It was too much. An assassin could be right next to him, and he wouldn’t know until it was too late.
He looked at Zoe. “We need to go.”
“I see that. Give me Angel’s leash and bring Patrick.” She started to steer both dogs toward the closest exit.
“The truck’s on the other side of the church,” Sean reminded her.
“I know. I thought it would be best to get outside ASAP and then circle around. Besides, the dogs need room to move, to stretch their legs.”
And so do I. Sean inhaled deeply, trying to force a calm he wasn’t feeling. They broke into the sunlight, and the warmth on his face bathed him in peace. When the time came for him to look for employment, finding work outside was probably going to be best.
“Assuming I can keep it together long enough to look for a job,” he muttered, half disgusted with himself even though he knew his brain had been affected by a trauma he could not have anticipated or avoided.
Zoe overheard him. “You’re thinking about a job? Good for you. That’s a step in the right direction.”
“Yeah. All I have to do is add a dog to my résumé.”
“Stranger things have happened.” She paused and shaded her eyes. “I think you’re doing very well.”
“What about the incident in the parking lot before church started?”
“That’s only a bad thing if it was all in your head. You’re still sure you recognized the guy?”
“Oh, yeah. It was him all right.”
“Then stop beating yourself up about it. The only thing you can really influence is your own actions. We’ll face the rest when and if it happens.”
“If?” His eyebrows arched. “You act like you think my problems are just going to vanish. Well, they’re not. I’m a basket case, my son is half the kid he once was and I’m in more personal danger than I was overseas.”
“I don’t know that I’d go that far,” she countered. “Here, you have the whole police force—and me—on your side.”
“And by being here I’m putting you in jeopardy,” Sean said. He’d have reached for her hands if she hadn’t been holding both leashes and he hadn’t had hold of Patrick.
Instead of acting the way he’d expected, Zoe smiled. “There is no place you could possibly be that would be better for self-defense than this town. And there is no better lookout than a dog. Your senses may not be up to par, but Angel’s are. Stop borrowing trouble. This will all work out for the best.”
“How can you believe that?”
“Because I’ve seen it happening all around me, ever since I became a Christian,” she said. “You’d see it too if you’d just open your eyes and your mind.”
“What about the bullet that took out your car windows?”
Laughter bubbled, leaving Sean astounded, particularly when she said, “It missed us, didn’t it?”
* * *
Evening church was a more casual gathering, and although there was a short sermon, Zoe didn’t mind skipping it in order to accompany Patrick and his father to the rehearsal for the Christmas pageant.
They gathered with the children and an assortment of dogs in the fellowship hall. Although the simple drama was to be staged outside under special lighting and with background music, rehearsals were handled inside.
She stood back as one of the volunteers fitted Patrick and several other boys with brownish robes and head coverings. Sean had accompanied them into the large hall that was half meeting room and half gymnasium, depending upon the current need. Children’s chattering and laughter filled the space.
Zoe leaned toward Sean. “So far, so good?”
“I’ll live. I think.”
“That makes one of us.” Grinning, she looped Freya’s leash over her wrist and covered her ears with both hands. “I don’t know why schoolteachers don’t have headaches all the time.”
“Maybe they do. I wish Patrick had had more time to learn what to do.”
Zoe wasn’t worried. “Don’t sweat the small stuff. It looks as though Maisy has arranged for the newest shepherd to be shepherded by at least two others. Look, they’re even sharing their crooks. He’ll be fine.”
“He does seem happy.”
“And that’s what matters,” Zoe reminded him. “This is for Patrick more than us.” Realizing that she had inadvertently joined herself with Sean as a couple, she blushed and hoped he hadn’t noticed.
There was no denying how she felt. If she had been around the boy from the time he was a baby, she didn’t think she would love him more than she already did. And his daddy? Oh, yes. No matter where Sean went or how much he did or did not recover, she loved him dearly.
In her deepest heart, she knew she always had.
* * *
Supervisors moved the children outside as soon as the Sunday-school director announced, “We have time for one run-through with the manger.”
Sean kept his eye on his son and followed closely. So did Zoe. Angel wasn’t behaving as well as Freya, but she’d quit straining at the leash and trying to kiss every kid she saw. As far as he was concerned, that was a big breakthrough.
He touched Zoe’s arm. “I don’t like moving them outside.”
“You know we have security on duty whenever church is in session. Besides, nobody knew we were going to be staging on-site tonight. The actual dress rehearsal was set for Tuesday night with performances on Wednesday and Friday evenings.”
Sean didn’t hide his concern. “I hadn’t considered that much exposure. Maybe I should pull Patrick out.”
“Don’t you dare. He’s going to have this wonderful experience if I ha
ve to hog-tie you to keep you out of it.”
“Hey, tell me what you really think.” He managed a smile for her benefit. “Okay. But one sign of trouble, and we’re out of here.”
“What could possibly happen in a group of great people like these? Look how the boys his age are helping him find his place and sharing the shepherds’ crooks.”
“I see.” Sean sighed. Zoe was probably right. She had been so far. It was just that his skin kept crawling, and the hair at his nape prickled with warnings. Yes, he was not normal. And, yes, the church people had been great to accept him and his son. Yet there remained a sense of uneasiness that refused to go away no matter how much assurance he got.
The children assembled, ready to march up to the manger beneath the makeshift shelter. Mary and Joseph sat beside each other, gazing fondly at the baby doll, while older girls dressed as angels with impressive white wings sang along with recorded Christmas carols playing loudly in the background.
It was time for the shepherds’ entrance. Sean could see the crooks sticking up above the costumed heads of the children. From where he stood it was hard to pick out Patrick, so he looked for a halting gait, instead. None stood out.
Sean scowled. Shaded his eyes against the floodlights illuminating the tableau. One, two, three, four... He grabbed Zoe’s wrist. “How many shepherds are there supposed to be?”
“Five?”
“That’s what I thought.” He shoved Angel’s leash at her and shouldered closer to the costumed boys. There were exactly four dressed as shepherds.
His son was not one of them!
“Patrick!”
* * *
Zoe would have beaten Sean to the front if she hadn’t had to manage both dogs. Even Freya was acting out. Little wonder, with Angel leaping against the constraints of her harness and making a terrible racket, half barking, half whining and howling.
“Maisy,” Zoe called over the swell of the music, “do you see Patrick?”
Rookie K-9 Unit Christmas Page 8