Secret Agent Father

by Laura Scott

  She took a step toward Alex, wanting to go to him, to reassure him that she didn’t blame him at all, when Cody cried out in his sleep.

  “Mama!” Shelby hurried to his side, where he thrashed around in the bed. “Mama!”

  “Shh, Cody. It’s okay. I’m here with you,” she crooned, gathering him close so he wouldn’t hurt himself with his flailing arms and legs.

  He continued to cry, so she rocked him in her arms, murmuring words of comfort. She wasn’t surprised when the door opened farther and Alex stood in the doorway.

  “Is he all right?” Alex asked, his expression mirroring his concern.

  “He had another nightmare,” she explained, although no doubt Alex figured that one out for himself. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

  He hesitated in the doorway, as if loath to leave them alone. “Do you really think attending the funeral will help?”

  “According to Dr. Zander it will. But you know as well as I do, there are no guarantees. And I need to know you’ll think of a way to keep him safe.”

  He nodded, and stood awkwardly for a moment. “Is there anything I can do?”

  Her heart squeezed for a moment, as she saw a hint of longing reflected in his eyes. Alex wanted to be a father to Cody, but he didn’t know how. She’d gladly let him step in right now, but Cody’s emotional state was still fragile, and he didn’t know Alex well enough to find comfort with him.

  “Is there something for breakfast?” she asked.

  “Instant oatmeal, since Cody claimed apple cinnamon was his favorite.”

  “We’ll be out in a few minutes,” she promised.

  Alex nodded and finally moved away from the doorway, leaving them alone. Once she’d gotten Cody calmed down from his dream, she helped him brush his teeth and change his clothes.

  Alex, Logan and Rafe were all in the kitchen area when she emerged from the bedroom. They greeted both her and Cody.

  When they finished eating breakfast, she urged Cody to watch cartoons for a bit, sensing the men were on a mission. Sure enough, once she’d cleared the table of their dishes—it still made her chuckle to watch all of the men eating Cody’s oatmeal—they took over.

  Rafe took a sheet of Cody’s drawing paper and quickly drew bold strokes across the page. “Here’s the intersection the church is on. And here are all the doorways leading in and out of the building.”

  “There are too many entry points,” Alex said, groaning and throwing up his hands in frustration. “How are we supposed to keep an eye on all four?”

  “We don’t.” Rafe’s calmness only seemed to grate on Alex’s nerves. “Shelby and Cody will only go in and out of the main entrance, here. From this vantage point across the street, you can keep an eye on both of these doorways.” Rafe marked them in blue. “Logan and I will be inside with Shelby and Cody. No one is likely to make a move on her or the boy in the middle of a crowded funeral.”

  Alex scowled. “You don’t know what this guy is capable of doing. What if he knocks her unconscious and drags her out the back?” Alex seemed bent on poking holes in their plan.

  “You mean after he’s managed to get past both me and Rafe?” Logan asked with a loud snort. “Don’t think so.”

  She moved closer, realizing she was a big part of this plan. “I can tell you what the inside of the church looks like,” she offered.

  Rafe flashed his blindingly white smile. “Thanks, amiga, but I know what the inside of this church looks like. We checked it out earlier this morning.”

  “Of course you did,” she murmured, blushing a bit. “Sorry, I should have known.” She glanced at the drawing in the center of the table. “Why have you decided to keep Alex outside?” she asked, curiously.

  The three men exchanged a long look.

  “We feel it’s safer for Alex to stay outside,” Logan offered.

  She paled and glanced at Alex who was scowling again. “Safer?”

  “Shelby, we’ve decided it’s best if Rafe accompanies you and Cody to the funeral,” Alex explained.

  A cold chill snaked down her back and she crossed her arms over her chest to hide how she was feeling. “I don’t understand. You went to the meeting with Stephan with me. What’s the difference?”

  “For one thing, I haven’t been fully cleared to get back in the field, and there’s no guarantee that my shooting will be accurate enough,” he said. “And besides that, being attacked proves my cover was blown. Even though I look much different now, I don’t want the members of your family, or even Mayor Flynn for that matter, to get a good look at me.” Steel determination lined Alex’s gaze. “I’ll be stationed outside as backup, well within reach if you need anything.”

  “As a member of the coast guard, I’m the most recognizable of the bunch,” Rafe added. “The plan is for you to introduce me as your new boyfriend. I’m going to stay glued to your side and Cody’s the entire time.”

  “And Logan?” she asked, looking at the newest agent.

  “He’s going to mingle as one of Trina’s friends,” Alex said. “We’re hoping your father doesn’t notice him much. We figure there are bound to be people there, friends of Trina, who your father won’t know.”

  She blinked, trying to take it all in. They’d planned all this out in such a short time. Yet while she was sure the plans were solid, she hadn’t realized how much she’d been counting on Alex to be there with her. “Is it really necessary to introduce Rafe as my boyfriend?” she said finally. “I don’t like lying, no offense, Rafe.”

  Rafe chuckled. “None taken. How about you simply introduce me as the new man in your life? Technically, that’s true. I’m one of three new men in your life.” He waved his arm wide, including the others.

  She supposed stretching the truth that much wouldn’t hurt. “All right.”

  “Okay, now that we have that settled, let’s get back to the entrances.” Alex tapped on the paper in the center of the table, frowning. “I don’t know. I still don’t like it. Let’s just say that somehow you both lose Shelby in the crowd and someone comes behind her with a gun. If they force her out the back doorway, we wouldn’t know until it was too late. It’s too big of a risk.”

  “Remember, he’d have to get past both of us,” Logan said with a long-drawn-out sigh. At Alex’s dark look he shrugged. “But okay, let’s say you’re right. Rafe and I both lose Shelby at the exact moment someone approaches her from behind. What if we put together some sort of time frame? Say an hour? If Shelby and Cody don’t come out through the main doorway in an hour, you go in after them.”

  “An hour? Are you kidding me?” Alex pushed away from the table in a fit of disgust. “By then, they could easily be dead.”

  THIRTEEN

  Alex knew he was probably overreacting, but he didn’t like the idea of Shelby and Cody being exposed to danger. He couldn’t seem to shake the bad feeling that nagged at him, ever since he’d put the pieces of the puzzle together about Shelby’s father.

  He was keenly aware of the way Logan and Rafe exchanged a concerned glance when they thought he wasn’t looking. They no doubt thought he was too emotionally involved to be of any use to them.

  Maybe they were right. He dragged a hand through his hair. It was difficult to remain cool and objective when Shelby’s and Cody’s lives were in danger.

  “Forget the time-frame angle. If we lose sight of Shelby, we’ll send you a text message,” Rafe said, breaking the strained silence.

  Since he couldn’t come up with anything better, he nodded. “Fine. A text message will have to be good enough.” It wasn’t as if he didn’t trust Rafe and Logan, but he’d prefer to be the one inside, next to her.

  Shelby glanced at him too, her gaze full of concern. As if she was worried about him, rather than the other way around. He had to get a grip, or he wouldn’t be any good to anyone.

  He hid the depth of his fear behind an indifferent mask. “What time does the funeral service start?”

  “Visitation starts at four in th
e afternoon,” Rafe announced, reading from the obituary he’d picked up. “Followed by a brief prayer service at five-thirty.”

  “I’d like to stay for the prayer service,” Shelby said.

  He nodded. “I know. Should be fine.”

  “We could get the local authorities involved, requesting extra security for the back exits,” Logan said, staring at Rafe’s sketch.

  “No.” Alex’s bold refusal caused more raised eyebrows. “No local cops. We can’t rule out the possibility of someone working from inside.”

  “Do you really think so?” Logan asked.

  “Someone tracked us to Kayla’s bed-and-breakfast. The only two calls that we made, outside of Rafe, was the call I made to the local police and the one Shelby made to her father.”

  “I called the day care center, too,” Shelby reminded him.

  “Cartoons are over,” Cody called out, interrupting them from where he was seated in the living room. Alex glanced over to see the boy was jumping up and down on the sofa.

  “Cody, get down from there.” The boy stared at him defiantly, continuing to jump, adding fuel to Alex’s temper. “I said get down!”

  Cody’s eyes widened with fear and he immediately stopped, his face crumpling as he started to cry. Alex mentally winced, knowing he’d been too harsh. For a moment he’d sounded just like his father.

  A really bad comparison.

  “Cody, that’s not how we sit on the furniture,” Shelby said in a soothing voice, as she crossed over to Cody, gathering him into her arms. “If you fall off, you could hit your head.”

  Alex hated knowing he’d scared Cody and stepped forward. “Do you want to see my scar?” he asked, kneeling down by the sofa where they were seated. “I was jumping on my mom’s bed and hit my head on the edge of the frame. Got five stitches right here,” he tapped the diagonal scar half-buried in his right eyebrow.

  Cody’s expression cleared as he gently fingered the mark on Alex’s forehead. “Did it hurt?”

  Alex nodded. “Not any more, but at the time I cried and cried.” He almost added more detail about the blood, but then remembered Cody’s extreme reaction to his injured hand. “That’s why I corrected you. I didn’t want you to be hurt like I was.”

  Cody jammed his fingers in his mouth and nodded.

  Crisis averted, at least for the moment. But those moments when he’d lost his temper, sounding too much like his father, bothered him for a long time afterward.

  Alex couldn’t seem to relax, even after he’d escorted Shelby and Cody to the local department store so they could pick up the proper clothing to wear for Trina’s funeral. The brief outing had helped to get Cody out of the hotel suite for a while, but Alex had been tense and nervous the entire time.

  Long after Shelby and Cody had gone to bed, he sat in the kitchenette area, too keyed up to sleep.

  When Shelby opened the door from her bedroom, he glanced up in surprise. “Can’t sleep either?” he asked in a low voice.

  “No. Figured I’d try some herbal tea,” she said, clenching the sash of her robe tightly at her waist. “Would you like some?”

  He grimaced and then nodded. “Sure. Why not?”

  She heated two mugs of water in the microwave. After putting a tea bag in each, she carried them to the table. “You’re really worried about this funeral, aren’t you?”

  He stared into his cup for a moment. “I shouldn’t be worried. The funeral is a public place and it’s not likely anyone will try something shady with all those people around.”

  “But you’re still worried,” she persisted.

  “Yeah. I guess I am.”

  She reached over to cover his hand with hers. “Maybe you need to try putting your faith in God, Alex. You, Rafe and Logan have prepared as much as you can. I’ve prayed about this too, and I believe we are meant to attend Trina’s funeral. From here on out, the future is God’s will.”

  He offered a faint smile. “Guess I still have a lot to learn about being a Christian, don’t I?”

  She didn’t move her hand and he turned his so that their palms were meshed together, their fingers interlaced. “You’re doing fine. All you need to do is believe in our Lord.”

  “Yeah.” He took a sip of the tea, which wasn’t as bad as he’d anticipated. “I think the hardest part is realizing I’m not the one in control.”

  “We certainly control our actions and our thoughts, but I believe everything outside our control happens for a reason,” Shelby gently pointed out. “Helps to talk about it and to pray.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” He took another sip of his tea. She’d finished hers, setting her empty mug aside.

  “Good night, Alex,” she said tugging on her hand and rising to her feet.

  He didn’t immediately let go of her hand, but stood and leaned close, brushing a gentle kiss along her cheek, so he wouldn’t scare her. “Good night, Shelby.”

  Shyly, she reached up and brushed her mouth against his, a soft caress that was over before he knew it yet still made his breath catch in his throat. The kiss was over far too soon. “See you in the morning,” she murmured.

  He let her go, even though he wanted very much to hold her close. But he told himself to be patient. Shelby’s kiss had been her way of telling him that she wasn’t afraid. At least not of him.

  And her trust was definitely worth waiting for.

  Shelby was glad when the time came to prepare for Trina’s funeral. Sitting in this hotel room was already driving her crazy.

  After they’d gotten safely through the funeral, she and Cody would go back to the hotel with Alex, while Rafe and Logan did their best to uncover the mastermind of the drug smuggling operation. Apparently they’d discovered some secret gambling debts Mayor Flynn was hiding and as a result, he’d moved back up a few notches on their suspect list.

  She took a deep breath when Rafe pulled into the church parking lot. “Are you ready?” he asked, flashing his bright smile.

  “Yes.” She glanced back at Cody, who’d been uncharacteristically silent on the way over, since she’d explained what to expect at church and the somberness of the occasion. “Are you ready, Cody?”

  He nodded.

  She reached for the door handle, and then stopped and looked at Rafe. “Wait. I need to know your last name, so I can introduce you to my father.”

  “DeSilva. My name is Rafe DeSilva.”

  She repeated the name, committing it to memory. She stepped from the car and opened the rear door, for Cody.

  “I’m scared,” he said, his lower lip trembling.

  “Oh, sweetheart, church isn’t scary. We’re going into God’s house. He’s going to be watching over us the whole time.”

  He seemed to hesitate, but then allowed her to unlatch his toddler seat so she could lift him from the car. Instead of setting him on his feet, though, she kept him in her arms.

  “Everything okay?” Rafe murmured.

  “Fine.” She reminded herself that Dr. Zander thought it was good for Cody to have closure, so she walked into the church, feeling a sense of peace the minute she entered the sanctuary. The place was already crowded and several people approached her, offering condolences. Once Cody seemed to adjust to his surroundings, she set him on his feet.

  She finally caught sight of her father and he quickly made his way over. “Shelby.” He leaned down to kiss her cheek, and then ruffled Cody’s hair affectionately. “How’s my favorite grandson?”

  “Hi, Grandpa.” Cody’s apprehension seemed to vanish.

  “It’s good to see you, Dad.” Shelby wet her suddenly dry lips and pulled Rafe forward. “I’d like to introduce you to a very special friend, Rafe DeSilva. Rafe, this is my father, Russ Jacobson.”

  Rafe held out his hand and her father took it solemnly. “Rafe DeSilva. I recognize that name. Didn’t I just read something about you in the paper?”

  Rafe nodded and slipped a steadying arm around Shelby’s waist. “Yes, sir. I’m with the ninth distri
ct coast guard. You might have read about how we rescued those ice fishermen off the bay a few weeks ago.”

  Shelby thought her father appeared taken aback by that news. “You’re with the coast guard?” he asked.

  A chill snaked down her spine and her smile slipped. Rafe must have noticed because he gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Yes, sir, for the past seven years,” Rafe said proudly.

  Her father didn’t seem at all happy. “How did you and Shelby meet?”

  “My nephew attends her day care center.”

  Shelby was glad they were standing together, so they’d have their story straight. She didn’t understand how Alex could work undercover.

  If she didn’t know better, she’d think Rafe was thoroughly enjoying himself. “It took me a while, but I finally convinced Shelby to go out with me. God was watching over me, I think.”

  Shelby returned his smile, pretending that her father’s discomfort didn’t bother her.

  “Hmm.” Her father continued to look uneasy, but just then a group of relatives arrived, his cousins that she didn’t know very well, so she moved away and took the opportunity to kneel beside Cody, straightening his shirt beneath his vest. “How are you doing?”

  “Okay.” His gaze was serious. “Is it time to say goodbye now?”

  Assailed by a barrage of doubts, she hesitated. Maybe she shouldn’t push him. “Is that all right with you?”

  He nodded.

  “We’ll say goodbye together, then.” She took his hand and ignoring Rafe for a moment, led Cody over to the front of the church. She knelt beside the casket and Cody followed suit.

  She clasped his hand. “Dear Lord, we ask You to keep my sister and Cody’s mom at Your side in heaven. We will miss her here on earth but we know she’s in a much better place with You. Please help us to be strong. We loved her so much,” her voice broke and she fumbled for a tissue. “Rest in peace, Trina,” she said softly.