by Sara Davison
With a slight nod, Nicole tore herself away and walked over to the table in the corner. Bracing herself with a hand on the shoulder of the man who had come in last, she leaned in and filled all the cups with hot coffee. When she passed by the window again and glanced out, Daniel was gone.
For a few seconds Nicole stared out at the empty sidewalk, sadness flowing through her for all that might have been.
Then her hand moved to her stomach and, whispering a prayer of thanks for all that was, she went to get dinner for the boys.
Author Note
Dear Readers,
I wish I could tell you how this story came to be. I have fellow author friends who see fodder for their characters and their books in everything that happens around them. I don’t look at the world that way. My stories are birthed somewhere deep inside of me. Or, to be more accurate, they are planted deep inside me by someone outside of and much greater than me. This story, like all others I have written, came to me as a gift.
At the core of Vigilant are two questions: As a believer, how far would you go to obey the command in God’s Word to take care of the vulnerable or, in the words of King David, the weak, fatherless, poor, oppressed, and needy? And, if all legal channels have been exhausted and the least of these—especially children without a voice or the ability to defend themselves—are in need or in danger, at what point does civil disobedience become an option?
I don’t have answers for you. In Vigilant, I propose one scenario, but I leave it to followers of Jesus Christ to decide, between themselves and God, what they might do if offered an opportunity, as Gage was, to risk everything to fight for those unable to fight for themselves.
When I ask myself how I might respond under those circumstances, the only words I can imagine saying are those that came to Gage: Lord, I have no idea what to do. Show me.
And I trust that, should such an occasion arise, He will.
Sara
I would love to connect with you further. You can find me at the following places:
Blog: www.saradavison.org
Twitter: @sarajdavison
Facebook: @authorsaradavison
Instagram: www.instagram.com/davisonsara/
Discussion Questions
1. It has been said that grief is the price we pay for love. Have you ever guarded your heart as closely as Nicole does when she meets Gage? Why did you feel the need to do so? Did you end up taking a chance anyway? What happened?
2. Have you ever felt abandoned by someone you loved and trusted, like Nicole was by her parents? How did you deal with that? Were you able to find healing and, if so, how?
3. Think of the relationships of couples you know. What can you learn from the unhealthy relationships you have witnessed, and what lessons have you gleaned by watching a couple in a strong, happy relationship like Joe and Connie’s? What would you say are the top five characteristics of a healthy relationship?
4. Can you think of anyone you know, or who you have seen, who is vulnerable and in need of someone to speak up for them? How might you be able to help? What would you have to risk or sacrifice in order to help them? Are you willing to do that? Why or why not?
5. Is there ever a situation in which a believer would be justified in carrying out civil disobedience like Gage does? Are there any Scripture verses that might justify this? Can you think of any Biblical or historical examples of people following God’s law or their own moral code rather than human laws? Do you believe they were right or wrong? What happened to them?
6. How do you feel about love triangles in fiction? What do you like or not like about them? Do you believe that in real life it is possible to have strong, romantic feelings for more than one person? Has this ever happened to you? How did you resolve the issue?
7. Have you ever gone through the grief of losing someone you loved? How did you deal with that loss? What helped and didn’t help you as you traveled that journey? How would you advise someone who wants to help someone else who is grieving? What should they say or not say, or do or not do?
8. Do you or does anyone you know suffer from PTSD? What helps you to deal with the trauma of your past? How can others help you as you work to find hope and healing in your life?
9. Nicole struggles with whether or not to work with the police to stop Gage from breaking the law. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you wrestled with turning someone in to the authorities—including a teacher or a parent—in order to help that person? What did you decide? How did the situation turn out?
10. A dark night of the soul has been defined as a time of such great sadness and despair that all hope seems lost. However, it has also been said that such an experience heralds a time of change and transformation, a turning point in someone’s life. Is that what happened with Daniel? Have you ever experienced this in your own life?
Now, a Sneak Peek at Book Two
of The Night Guardians Series
GUARDED
Chapter One
God, help me. I can’t lose him too.
Nicole Kelly choked back an overwhelming panic and forced herself to stop running, to turn in a slow circle and scan the park. Jordan had to be here. She had seen him ten minutes earlier and it wasn’t like him to wander off.
“Jordan!” Heads swiveled toward her. Nicole forced a tight smile, suddenly aware that the fear in her voice was causing concern on the faces of the other parents at the park. One young mother yanked on the hand of her toddler who had been playing beside her in the sandbox, pulling him onto her lap. He responded to the interruption of his digging with an indignant holler and struggled to free himself from the arms that had tightened around his waist.
Nicole drew in a long, slow breath. Terrorizing young families wasn’t going to help Jordan. She forced herself to start walking in the direction she had last seen him, over by the swings. Beyond the playground area, a small hill rose up that she couldn’t see over from her vantage point. Her son was likely there, in the grassy section that widened into an open field. Her six-year-old had always been fascinated by the people playing football and throwing Frisbees to each other, and had probably become so distracted that he had forgotten to check in with her.
Nicole climbed the small slope on trembling legs and cleared the top. Holding the side of her hand to her forehead to block out the bright October sunshine, she let her eyes adjust. When they did, she could make out her son’s orange jacket and Toronto Blue Jays baseball cap and her chest clenched. He wasn’t alone. A man was crouched in front of him on the walkway that wound around the edge of the field, his back to her. The two of them appeared to be deep in discussion.
Anger rose in Nicole’s chest, competing with the fear as she started down the hill toward them, almost at a run. When she was close enough that she wouldn’t have to scream, she called out, “Jordan!”
The man in front of him rose and turned. Nicole stopped abruptly, the breath that had become ragged over the last few minutes suddenly catching in her throat. “Daniel.”
A slow smile crossed his face as he lightly touched the back of her son and the two of them walked toward her. “Nicole.”
For a few seconds she couldn’t speak. His dark hair was a little longer than she remembered, and ruffled from the wind, but his eyes were as blue and piercing as she always pictured them whenever she thought of him. Judging from the jeans and long-sleeved navy T-shirt, he was off-duty. Or maybe he wasn’t even a cop anymore. It had been a long time since she’d seen him. A lot could have changed.
Daniel contemplated her for a moment, then let out a small laugh and stepped around her son to reach out to her. Nicole hesitated before sliding her hand into his and letting the strength of the fingers that closed around hers draw out the last of the fear.
He searched her face. “You’re shaking. Are you okay?”
Nicole pulled her hand away. She had no idea whether the trembling was a remnant of her fear over not knowing where her son was, or from being in Daniel’s presence agai
n after so much time. “I thought something might have happened to Jordan.” She wrapped an arm around her son and pulled him to her side. “He doesn’t usually go off without me, so when I couldn’t find him, I kind of panicked.”
Jordan kicked at a pile of leaves on the pathway. “Sorry, Mom.”
“It’s okay. Now.”
“I found him over by the skate park. He was pretty interested in what those kids were doing. I think you might have to invest in a board one of these days.” Daniel grinned.
“A skateboard? I’m still trying to get up the nerve to let him ride his bike on the sidewalk. I’m not quite ready for anything with wheels that actually leave the ground.” She tilted her head. “Did you know he was my son?”
“Yeah.” A sheepish look crossed Daniel’s face. “I’ve seen the two of you in the park a few times since I’ve been back.”
“Back?” The word clanged around a sudden emptiness in her chest. She hadn’t seen him since the night she caught a glimpse of him standing outside the diner watching her. Still, for seven years the thought that he was close by had comforted her as she’d mourned the loss of her husband, given birth to Gage’s son, and raised him on her own. The idea that Daniel hadn’t been there after all left her feeling irrationally bereft.
“Yeah, I left town for a while.”
“Where did you go?”
“London.”
Her eyes widened. “England?”
Daniel chuckled. “Not quite. London, Ontario. Couldn’t be that far from … my family.”
So only a couple of hours away. Somehow that didn’t feel much better. And what had he been about to say? “What were you doing there?”
“Two buddies of mine and I decided to try our hand at the private eye game.”
“And?”
“It went well, actually. The business took off. They’re still at it, but a while ago Toronto Police Services offered me my old detective job, and Sharleen talked me into accepting. We’re partners again.”
“So you’ve been back for …?”
“Six months.”
And you haven’t called. Nicole shook her head. Of course he hadn’t called. Why would he? The last time they’d spoken, she’d broken his heart by choosing Gage over him. She was lucky he was even speaking to her now, when they’d accidentally bumped into each other in the park. Or maybe not accidentally? “So you’ve been watching us since you’ve been back?”
His cheeks colored slightly. “I prefer looking out for you, but yeah, I guess I have, off and on.”
“How did you stay out of sight?”
He offered her an indignant look that was so clearly feigned she had to press her lips together to keep from laughing. “Might I remind you that I am a professional detective? I can blend into any surroundings so well that, unless I chose to reveal myself, you would never know I was there.”
“Clearly. So why haven’t you talked to us before now?”
He sobered. “I wanted to give you time.”
Her smile faded. “Daniel, it’s been almost seven years.”
“Six years and ten months. Believe me, I know.” The sadness in his voice tugged at Nicole’s heart. Neither of them spoke for several seconds, until she glanced at her watch. “I should get Jordan home. He has a friend coming over in a few minutes.”
“Okay if I walk with you?”
Nicole nodded. “Sure.”
They turned and headed in the direction of Nicole’s condo, at the far end of the park and across the street. Jordan pulled away from her grasp and ran ahead of them.
“Stop at the corner, Jord,” Nicole called out after him.
“I will.”
She shook her head as her son veered off the path, chasing a squirrel until it disappeared up a tree before making a wide running arc in the direction of the sidewalk, his arms out to the sides like an airplane.
“He’s a great kid.”
“Thanks. I think so.” Nicole tore her eyes from Jordan and looked up at him. “You really are a great detective. Except for the night I re-opened the diner, I haven’t seen you once.”
“Well, I’ve seen you. And you’re a great mother.”
Warmth flooded her chest. “Thank you. That means a lot. So what made you finally show yourself?”
“I saw Jordan alone and figured you’d be worried, so I thought I’d bring him to you.”
“What made you think I’d be worried?”
Daniel looked down at her and smiled.
Nicole stopped walking.
He stopped too and turned to face her.
“I guess I don’t usually let him get too far away, do I?”
“Not from what I’ve seen. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. It’s wise to be careful.”
“But you think I’m too careful.”
“I didn’t say that.” Daniel lifted both hands in the air. “I’m not a parent. I’m not about to give advice. I can imagine there are lots of things for a mother to worry about, especially when she’s raising her child …”
“Alone?”
He sighed. “Yeah.”
Nicole turned and started walking again and Daniel fell into step beside her.
“I know I can be over-protective. It’s just that Jordan’s all I have left of …”
“Gage. I know. I really do understand that, Nicole. And it’s okay for you to talk about him with me.”
The muscles across her shoulders relaxed. “Are you happy to be back with police services?”
“Sure. It’s where I always wanted to be, working the super-hero thing, on a perpetual mission to rid the world of evil.”
“Oh yeah, I always think of you when I see the bat signal in the sky at night.”
Daniel laughed. “I wish. I’d love to have some of the toys he gets to play with. And the black cape is pretty cool.”
Nicole bit her lip. She hadn’t realized until she saw him again how much she’d missed him. They came to the edge of the park. Jordan stood waiting for them on the corner. “Well, I’m glad you finally came out of hiding. It’s good to see you.”
“Again, I prefer ‘surreptitiously observing’ to hiding, but thank you. It’s good to see you again too. Up close, I mean, not from behind a bush or while peering around a corner wearing a disguise.”
Nicole giggled. “What kinds of disguises did you wear?”
“Oh you know, I like to keep it simple. Sometimes it was a moustache and thick glasses combination. Other days I’d wear my blond wig and brown contacts. The best was the nun’s habit, though. That was even better than my old police uniform to make everyone straighten up and behave themselves.”
Nicole burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny, Mom?” Jordan trotted over and stood at her side, looking back and forth between them.
“Detective Grey was telling me about some of his undercover work.”
Jordan swung around to look at Daniel. “Undercover work? That’s cool. Do you have a gun?”
“Jordan!”
Daniel smiled. “That’s okay.” He crouched down in front of Jordan again. “I do carry a gun when I’m working, but not when I’m off-duty, like I am now.”
“Can I see it sometime?”
“If it’s okay with your mom. Maybe the two of you could come over for dinner one night and I can show you.”
“Can we, Mom?”
With both of them looking at her expectantly, Nicole didn’t have the heart to say no. “Sure, Jord.”
Daniel pushed to his feet. “How about Thursday?”
“That would work. Tuesday and Thursday are my nights off from the diner.” She looked at him and wrinkled her nose. “Which I guess you already know.”
He shrugged. “You do keep a pretty regular schedule.”
“I have to. Between running the diner and being a single mom, it makes things easier if I know what’s coming.”
“I can see that. Of course, sometimes surprises are good. They keep life interesting.”
&nbs
p; “They do that.” Nicole lost herself in the blue eyes that probed hers. An insistent tugging on her sleeve finally got her attention and she looked down.
“Alex is coming. We have to go.”
“Right, okay.” Nicole took a deep breath as she held out a hand toward her son.
“Mom, I’m six. I don’t have to hold your hand anymore. I can cross with the lights.”
Nicole could feel Daniel’s eyes on her. She exhaled loudly and dropped her arm. “Okay, fine. But don’t run.” She watched him until he reached the other side of the street and jogged to Alex and his mother before she shifted her attention to Daniel.
“I guess I better go too.”
He nodded. “See you Thursday? Six o’clock? I kept my apartment here, so I’m at the same place.”
Her stomach twisted. The place she’d last seen him, where she’d kissed him goodbye. How would it feel to walk into his home again? “Sounds good.” She started for the crosswalk then paused. “Daniel?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for watching out for us.”
“You’re welcome. It’s been fun. I’m kind of going to miss the skulking, actually.”
Nicole grinned. But as she crossed the street after her son, the grin faded, and she pressed a hand to her abdomen. What had she done? Agreed to open up the Pandora’s Box she’d shut the lid firmly on a long time ago? Not very smart. Surprises were all well and good, but there was a fine line between life getting interesting and life spiraling out of control.
A line she’d crossed seven years earlier and had no desire to go anywhere near again.