“Then why did you turn?” He clasped her hand between both of his.
“I don’t know. A gut feeling. I just did.” Either way, she thanked God she had. “Let’s not discuss the case tomorrow. Give ourselves a day of relaxation with the children.”
“That sounds like a good game plan. I sometimes do my best detecting when I’m not focused on it.”
He pushed to his feet and drew her up against him with his arms entwined around her. Her pulse rate accelerated. Every time she got close to Nicholas her feelings shifted inside her. After seeing her mother go through man after man, she’d vowed to remain single. She didn’t want to repeat any of her mom’s mistakes. So much heartache. She’d had enough in her childhood to last her a lifetime.
And yet, when Nicholas framed her face between his large hands, she melted into him, her legs quivering. She tightened her uninjured arm about him and peered up at him. A golden light twinkled in his brown eyes, pulling her to him as though they were tethered with invisible ropes.
He cocked his head and slowly inched his mouth closer to hers. The rapid beating of her heart filled her chest, making breathing difficult. She wanted him to kiss her.
EIGHT
Nicholas claimed her lips in a deep kiss. She fit perfectly in his arms. He didn’t want to let her go. And yet he had to. He was protecting her. He needed to keep his emotions contained for both their own good.
Ending the kiss, he backed away. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I have a job to do and that isn’t part of it.” If he said it enough, he might believe it.
She turned away, gathering up the dishes from the table. “I understand completely. Frankly, I don’t have time. That’s one of the reasons I keep things casual between me and anyone I’ve dated.”
“So you’re career focused?”
“Yes, aren’t you?”
He nodded, but he didn’t like her response. She loved children. She should be a mother. And that was another reason to keep his distance. He would never have children even if one day he married. His role model left a lot to be desired. All he knew was a cold, callous father who only warmed up around his wife, and a mother who only cared for her husband.
Selena brought the dishes to the sink, when chimes, like bells ringing, resonated in the silence between them. She washed off the plates while he strolled to the door, checked the peephole and then let in Senator Eagleton.
“Selena, you have a visitor.”
“I’m not expecting…” Her voice faded as her gaze connected with her uncle’s. “Have a seat, Uncle Preston,” she said, gesturing toward the living room “I wasn’t sure you knew where I lived. I haven’t been here long.”
The senator didn’t move. “I can’t stay long, but I wanted to make sure you were all right after what happened last night. I was assured you would get protection.” The tall man glanced at Nicholas. “Are you it?”
“Part of it. Brooke Clark will be here at nights.”
“Good. Someone isn’t happy with you, Selena. Two attacks in less than one week.” He looked right at Nicholas, saying, “I expect the best from you,” then rotated toward the door.
“Wait. Why did you come all this way and only stay a minute?”
“I told you—to make sure you were all right.”
“You could have called.” Wonder sounded in her voice.
“I needed to see you with my own eyes. I know how tough you can be, and I wanted to make sure.”
Selena swallowed hard. “Are you certain you can’t stay for some coffee?”
Her uncle’s expression softened. “No. I have a meeting in an hour, and I can’t keep the vice president waiting.”
She crossed the room. “Thanks for coming.”
“I’ll call you about having dinner or lunch away from the Washington scene.”
“That’ll be nice.” Selena waited in the entrance until her uncle climbed into his town car.
Nicholas came up behind her and clasped her shoulders, feeling the tension beneath his fingers. He kneaded her muscles. “It looks like he’s trying.”
“I hope so. I don’t want to close that door because when Erin returns, I want to have a family relationship with her, which also includes her father. She loves him.”
“But you don’t care about him?”
“I don’t know. When I was young, I used to think of him as a father figure since I never knew my own. After a while, I realized what was really going on between him and my mother. I couldn’t forgive him for disowning my mother, therefore me.” She released a long breath. “I’m trying to do what the Lord wants us to do. Forgive and move on. I’m closer but not there completely. We don’t have a big family. How could he turn his own sister away? His only niece?”
“Did your mom tell you why?”
“No.”
“Why don’t you ask him, then?”
Selena shut the door, threw the lock in place and then leaned back against it. “I just might do that, but I’m almost afraid to know.”
“You? I thought you weren’t afraid of anything.”
“Everyone has fears. If they say otherwise, they’re lying.”
“What else are you afraid of?”
“The usual.” She shoved off the door and headed toward the kitchen. “How about you?”
“Same answer—an evasive one.”
“Okay, rats.” She shuddered. “When I was a kid, I woke up with one on my chest staring at me. I haven’t been able to shake that fear.”
“Turning out like my father. My mother and making money were all he cared about.”
“With the job you have, helping others is one of your priorities.”
He chuckled. “True, but then I have my inheritance stashed away.”
“I keep forgetting you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth.”
“Good. It’s not something I tell a lot of people.”
“Then why me?”
“You’re easy to talk to.”
She tapped her chest. “Me?”
“It has to help you in your job. You work with a lot of people when you set up events.”
“I didn’t start out wanting to do that kind of work. I sort of fell into the job when I was an assistant for the president’s chief of staff. When he went to the White House, he asked me to come along and work for him. When the job of White House tour director came up, the president asked me to take the job. He’d liked what he’d seen me do.”
“My commanding officer knew General Meyer, and when I left the service, he recommended me for a position with the Capitol K-9 Unit. He knew how I felt about animals.”
Selena began loading the dishwasher. “Would you change anything about what you did?”
“Not one minute. How about you?”
“No. I love a challenging job and mine is definitely that.”
As they exchanged stories of their work, Nicholas realized just how easy Selena was to talk to. He’d shared more with her than most, especially in such a short time. It must be the close quarters while he guarded her.
*
On Sunday afternoon, Cassie Danvers greeted Selena and Nicholas in the foyer of the foster home, protected by a high fence, a security system and a guard with a dog. Selena thought of her own house and realized she had the same things except the high fence. All Our Kids foster home, which Harland Jeffries had founded on his property, was temporarily located in a safe house. On the night of the murder at the congressman’s house, a child’s mitten had been found near the crime scene and determined to belong to one of the foster children. None of the kids would admit to being out that night, though. The home, housemother Cassie Danvers and the children had all been targeted by the killer or accomplices, so All Our Kids had been relocated to this secret residence out in the country. Nicholas had received special permission from his captain to bring Selena along, but she’d had to wear a blindfold during the drive.
Cassie outstretched her arm toward Selena. “I’m glad you could come. Gavin told me
you’re the White House tour director and planned that fabulous Easter Egg Roll for the children.”
Selena shook the hand of the petite woman who ran All Our Kids Foster Home. “Gavin?”
“He’s our captain,” Nicholas answered.
“And my fiancé.” Cassie pointed into a great room. “They’re waiting for Max. Oh, and you, too, Nicholas.”
“Thanks, Cassie. I know who the real star is in this team.” Nicholas took Selena’s hand, and they entered an area filled with all kinds of toys and children.
“The kids don’t want for a thing. I think Gavin is spoiling them—and I know Harland Jeffries also often orders toys for Gavin to bring over—but who am I but the manager,” Cassie said with a laugh.
First Brooke and now Cassie, happy and making plans to marry. Love was all around Selena. A secretary in the West Wing announced a few weeks ago she was getting married, too. That was good for some people—just not her.
A boy about six or seven jumped up and rushed toward them. “Max, you’re finally here.” He threw his arms around the rottweiler. “I’ve missed you.”
More kids started crowding around.
“Tommy, let others greet Max, too,” Cassie said to the child with sandy-brown hair and blue eyes.
The slightly built boy backed away, mumbling, “Sorry.”
As the other children petted Max, Selena moved to Tommy, who stared at the floor. “Max is special, isn’t he?”
The boy lifted his head and nodded. “I wish I could have a dog like him.”
“I’m Selena, Tommy.” She knelt down and whispered, “I’ll tell you a secret. So do I. Max is wonderful.”
Tommy grinned, showing one of his missing teeth. “I just lost this.” He pointed at his mouth. “I got a whole dollar for it. Cassie gave it to me.” He dug into his jeans pocket and pulled it out. “All mine.”
Selena’s heart cracked, and all she wanted to do was hug the boy. She could remember, when she was growing up and got anything, how special it was, especially one Christmas when a charity gave out presents. She got a doll. She still had it.
“What are you going to do with the dollar?”
“Save it. I want my own bike, not one I have to share with the others.”
After the children lavished attention on Max, Nicholas motioned them to the far side of the large room. “Are you all ready for a story?”
Several said yes, while others cheered.
Tommy hurried toward the group.
Cassie came up beside her. “I would never have pegged Nicholas as a storyteller, but he is. I think it surprised him when they all asked him to tell them a story after he’d read a book to them.” She slanted a look at Selena. “I admit I’m surprised you received clearance to come here to the safe house.”
There was a wealth of questions in Cassie’s voice, and her gaze assessed Selena. “He’s been ordered to guard me.”
The manager’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“I’ve been attacked twice, and my home and office have been burglarized”
“I assume it involves the Jeffries case if the Capitol K-9 Unit is involved.”
Selena nodded. “I’m Erin Eagleton’s cousin. Like the Capitol K-9 Unit, maybe the attacker thinks I know where she is.” Now that she’d said it aloud, she realized it was a real possibility. Or the attacks were tied to the Littleton case or both.
“Do you?” Cassie asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
Selena chuckled. “No, but if I did, I wouldn’t be telling the captain’s fiancée I did.” She panned the group of children—their expressions were intense while listening to a story about the White House. “Have they ever been to the White House?”
“No.”
“I’d love to give them a tour. I can make the arrangements.”
“I’ll take you up on that when the Jeffries case is settled and the murderer is in jail.”
“Perfect.” The loud clapping drew Selena’s attention back to the children and Nicholas.
A few kids threw their arms around a grinning Nicholas. He would make a great father. Not one of the children hadn’t responded to him.
*
“I’m glad we got away from the White House for lunch,” Selena said a few days later as Nicholas pushed her chair into a white-clothed table at a popular restaurant nearby. “The West Wing has been busy this morning with meetings”
“I saw your uncle.” Nicholas picked up the menu.
“I did, too. He even stopped and talked to me before he met with the president. Congressman Jeffries was there, too. Did you find out anything about who was peeking into his house?”
“Dead end. The shoe print was a woman’s size, but only one camera caught her back. She was wearing a silk scarf, and besides, we know from the elderly couple who took her in before she disappeared again that Erin changed her hair color and style. Whoever it was made a point to disguise herself.”
“But from the tone of your voice, you don’t think the woman is Erin,” she said as the waiter appeared at the table.
Nicholas waited until after they had ordered before replying, “No. I can’t see why she would be at the congressman’s house. I would think that would be one of the last places she would go.”
“You’ve got a point.”
“If I spot Erin, I’ll let you know.”
“And then you’d watch me like a hawk to see if she contacts me.”
He pointed at himself, grinning. “Who, me?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Selena spied Carly Jones, Tabitha Miller and a couple of other aides to the senators and representatives at the White House. “It looks like we aren’t the only ones escaping for lunch. Did you ever find out who was at Tabitha’s that day Greg Littleton had an argument with Saul Rather?”
“Tabitha could only give me three names of who attended her get-togethers, Sally Young, Janice Neill and Becky Wright. Sally couldn’t remember if she was there that day. But Becky Wright confirmed that Tabitha had shown some interest in Rather. That was why they were out on the balcony, since he was swimming. I think she was the one on the balcony with Tabitha.”
“What about Janice Neill?”
“I haven’t been able to track down Janice, who no longer lives in the area. It seemed those three were the regular attendees. I’m looking into how far Tabitha’s interest in Saul Rather went. The problem is, the incident was almost two years ago.”
The waiter delivered their iced tea, and Selena took a long drink. “I hope we can prove Greg didn’t kill Saul. From my research into the case, I believe he’s innocent.”
“Perhaps Janice will have a better memory of what happened that day at the pool.”
“So three regulars at these weekly get-togethers at Tabitha’s with others occasionally dropping in.”
Nicholas touched her hand, compelling her to look at him. “Don’t sound so defeated. I know this is a long shot, but if Littleton didn’t kill Rather, then we need to see who used the man as a scapegoat. I’m looking at the court records and police evidence with the mind-set Littleton is innocent.”
As their lunch arrived, Selena watched Tabitha and Carly leave together after the other two aides. Outside in front of the large plate-glass window, the two women faced each other and, guessing from their expressions, the exchange wasn’t a pleasant one. Did the animosity between Eagleton and Jeffries carry over to their staff?
While Selena enjoyed her spinach salad, she said, “I’d love to go back to the All Our Kids Home this weekend, but my uncle wants me to come to lunch on Sunday. I don’t want you to cancel going to the home because you’re protecting me. Could we go on Saturday instead?”
Reuben sandwich in his hands, Nicholas put it on his plate. “Yes, if you don’t mind being blindfolded again?”
“Not one bit. Things have been calm the last few days. Maybe the person who attacked me and trashed my house realizes I don’t know anything.”
“Don’t count on that. You need to stay vigilant. We haven’t b
een able to figure out who the person on the motorcycle was. There were no one else’s fingerprints on the knife, and on the bike the only other prints belonged to the owner who, like Geary, had an airtight alibi. He was in a staff meeting with the press secretary.”
“I especially want to see Tommy again. There’s something about him that draws me.”
“We’ve all tried to get Tommy to open up.”
“About what?” She forked some salad and slipped it into her mouth.
“There’s evidence one of the children from the foster home could have possibly witnessed Jeffries’s murder. Tommy denies he is the one, but he’s been having nightmares about a bad tall man with white hair.”
“Harland Jeffries?”
“We talked about it, but his hair is gray, he was shot, too. The gun was never found at the scene of the crime. So where is it? Also a car was sighted speeding away from the house. Tommy’s description of the man in his nightmare still leaves who it is inconclusive. Too vague. Lots of men have white hair, and it might not have anything to do with happened at Jeffries’s estate.”
Selena rubbed her chin and thought a moment. “Tommy would have had to sneak out at that hour to have witnessed the shootings. Most kids won’t admit that.”
“Cassie has stressed to the children no one will get into trouble if the one comes forward. Still nothing.”
“But you think it’s Tommy?”
“Yes. He has been upset a lot and withdrawn. Brooke worked hard to help him open up, but he’s just too scared.”
“Except around you and Max.”
“That’s because he loves dogs.”
“A kid after your own heart.”
His eyes crinkled with a big smile. “I used to go once a week when it was on Jeffries’s property, but I didn’t know Tommy well. I’ve been trying to get closer to the boy, and I have, but not enough for him to trust me.”
“What if he really isn’t the one?”
“Cassie is on the lookout for anything that indicates it could be someone else, and I’m getting to know all the kids even more than before.”
Selena tapped her forefinger against her chin. “You know, this getting to know a person better in order to get information sounds like a familiar pattern of yours.”
Love Inspired Suspense June 2015 #1 Page 11