Nightwatch

by Valerie Hansen

  She absolutely had to touch his arm as she explained, “Harlan sent Adelaide to pick her up.”

  “Thank God.” Mitch placed his hand over Jill’s where it lay on his forearm.

  “How’s it going for you?” she asked, eyeing his bandages and feeling her stomach knot in empathy.

  One of the medics spoke up instead. “See if you can talk him into going to the hospital, will you? We’d like an X-ray of that wound to make sure there’s no bullet fragments left inside.”

  “Later. I’m fine for now,” Mitch said, trying to slip an arm back into his jacket sleeve and grimacing with pain at the movement. “I need to talk to Harlan. I intend to see Megan as soon as she’s brought in.”

  Jill noted perspiration dotting his forehead and reached to help him dress. Instead of grabbing the jacket fabric, however, her hand somehow strayed to his cheek. She caressed it. Looked deeply into his eyes. Saw what she hoped was the same depth of emotion she herself was experiencing.

  He covered her hand with his, then turned and placed a kiss in her palm. There was telltale moisture in his gaze. “I was afraid I’d lost you,” he said softly.

  “Never.”

  It was no longer necessary for Mitch to hold her hand. She wouldn’t have moved away for anything. Instead, she slipped one arm around his neck, pivoted to face him, then lowered her other hand to his shoulder. The touch was gentle, as she’d intended, yet it was also meant to convey the love she could no longer hide or hope to deny.

  “Is that a promise?” Mitch asked in a near whisper.

  Jill nodded. “It’s a lot more than that. I thought it was too scary to fall in love with a fireman because of the dangers you face all the time, but I guess I did it anyway.”

  “Did you? Are you sure about that?”

  “Oh, yes. I’m positive.” Blushing warmed her cheeks far more than the afternoon sunshine. To her relief and delight, Mitch began to smile, giving her the courage to ask, “Do you…? I mean, are you…?”

  He started to laugh, then stopped short and pressed his arm against his side. “Ouch. Yes, honey, I love you, too. I have for a long, long time.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “Lots of reasons,” Mitch told her. “I suppose I was worried that we might mistake friendship for something more and maybe lose the closeness we’d developed if we were wrong.”

  She stepped nearer, rested her forehead against his temple and closed her eyes. “I have never had a dearer friend than you, Mitch Andrews. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather spend the rest of my life with.”

  “Are you proposing marriage?” he asked.

  “I might be.”

  “Just so there’s no question, will you marry me, Jill?”

  In the space of a heartbeat she answered, “Yes!”

  “Good. Now that that’s all settled, let’s find out where they’re taking Megan. I need to be there.”

  “We need to be there,” Jill corrected. “And if I have enough time I’ll swing by the school and pick up the boys, too.”

  “Of course.” Mitch got to his feet and straightened with difficulty, favoring his side. “The whole family needs to welcome her home.”

  It didn’t escape Jill’s notice that Mitch had referred to them as a family. She viewed them that way, too, and had for some time. Later, after things settled down and they figured out what the future held, she intended to suggest that she and Mitch consider adopting all three orphans.

  Yes, it was an outrageous dream, but at this point Jill was ready for anything. Mitch loved her. Megan was about to be returned. And the culprits responsible for the factory bombing and fire had confessed. Any details beyond that were of little importance. At least for now.

  She took Mitch’s arm and held tight, matching his stride as best she could. The grin on her face was so wide she was sure she looked silly. Well, so what? She didn’t mind if the whole town laughed at her. She’d never been happier and she didn’t care who knew it.

  At her side, she felt Mitch falter and saw him grimace. The look on his face grew incredulous. Then, his eyes rolled back and he started to slump to the ground.

  Jill had to use every ounce of her strength to keep him from going down hard. She looked back at the ambulance, intending to call for help, and saw that the medics were already running toward her.

  They had a backboard under Mitch and were loading him into the ambulance in minutes. He hadn’t regained consciousness but they’d assured her his vital signs were strong.

  “I’m riding with him,” she said flatly. “Don’t even think of going without me.”

  “Yes, ma’am. You want to run in and tell Harlan what’s happened? He should be informed.”

  Jill hesitated. She had already promised to do that. “Okay.” One long, loving look at Mitch was her gift to herself before she said, “I’ll be right back.”

  She was beginning to feel as if she’d been running a marathon after all the afternoon’s activity. In the factory, out of the factory, then back in again. This seemed idiotic. Why didn’t the guys on the ambulance just radio their status?

  Struck by that reality, Jill whirled in time to see the EMT unit pulling out of the parking lot with Mitch inside. They were ditching her!

  She continued to Harlan, grabbed his arm and shook it to get his full attention. “I’m heading for the hospital.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes. My car’s out back.”

  “Mitch was transported?” he asked.

  “Yes. I wanted to ride with him but…”

  “Enough said,” the sheriff replied. “There’s no way I’m letting you get behind the wheel when you’re this upset. Come on. I’ll take you.”

  Boyd waved a small, rectangular object at his boss as he passed. “What about the flash drive Natalie had on her?”

  “Bag it and bring her in. We’ll go over this place from one end to the other later.”

  “Natalie had a flash drive?” Jill asked as soon as she’d climbed into the patrol car. “Was that what she was looking for?”

  “Apparently. I suspect it proves she’s the one who’s guilty of embezzlement.”

  “Why did she have to shoot Mitch?” Jill was too frightened, too stunned, too worried about him to weep, but her spirits had sunk as low as they could get.

  “Because she wasn’t rowin’ with both oars in the water. The woman’s a sandwich short of a picnic.” He flashed a smile. “Don’t worry. Mitch’ll be fine.”

  “I wish I could believe you.”

  “Never mind me. Believe God. He’ll take care of you.”

  “Like He took care of Mitch?” Jill countered.

  “Nope. Like He took care of that little girl we’re about to meet up with,” Harlan drawled. “Adelaide reported her ETA while you were outside with the medics. She should be gettin’ to the hospital about the same time the rest of us do.”

  Time? Panicky, Jill looked at her watch. “Oh, no. It’s after two. I need to pick up the boys at school.”

  “I’ll do that for you as soon as I drop you off.”

  “Thanks.”

  Jill’s mind was spinning, her thoughts so disjointed she wondered if she was much more lucid than Natalie was at the moment. It would have been terrible if she’d forgotten to go get those kids on time.

  Then again, since the culprits were under arrest it was probably safe again. At least she hoped so. Until Harlan had everybody locked up in jail and had explained his conclusions she couldn’t truly relax.

  They pulled onto the hospital grounds and Harlan sped directly to the emergency entrance.

  Jill was out of his car and running toward the E.R. before he had time to take his seat belt off.

  She reached the door only seconds after the medics pushed Mitch through on their gurney. To her delight he was now awake and talking.

  “You ditched me,” Jill said, hitting one of the men on the upper arm before she reached for Mitch’s hand. “That was a terrible thing to do.” />
  “Just protecting our patient,” he answered as he gave her a sheepish look. “If we’d known how mad he’d be when he woke up without you, we’d have taken you along.”

  “You missed me?” she said, focusing her undivided attention on the man she loved. “That’s good to hear.”

  “I’m sorry if I scared you,” Mitch said. “I’ve never passed out before.”

  “Well, see that it doesn’t happen again.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Smiling through tears of relief, Jill continued to hold his hand. “As it turns out, we’re in just the right place. Adelaide is bringing Megan here.”

  “What about the boys?”

  “Harlan’s gone to pick them up.” She laughed lightly. “I hope the teachers don’t refuse to release them. I was pretty adamant about it when I dropped them off this morning.” Sighing, she bent over the stretcher and kissed Mitch’s cheek. “So much has happened since this morning it seems like a week has passed instead of only one day.”

  “That’s because you were having so much fun hanging out with me,” he quipped. “I really know how to show a girl a good time.”

  “Yeah, well, let’s make our dates a little less exciting from now on, shall we?”

  “Awww.”

  Jill was about to tease him more when the double doors swung open and the female deputy entered. In her arms was the child none of them had believed they’d ever see again.

  Megan’s short, curly hair was mussed and she looked as if she’d just awakened from a nap. Jill had never seen a lovelier sight.

  Although Jill held out open arms, Megan leaned toward Mitch and reached for him.

  He didn’t hesitate. “Just give her to me for a second,” he said, sounding choked up. “It’s hard to believe I’m not dreaming.”

  Megan chortled and began to bounce the moment her feet touched the edge of the gurney.

  Jill rescued Mitch by lifting the little girl away. “You’ll get to play with him soon,” she promised. “And Tim and Paul are on their way.”

  The little girl’s dark eyes twinkled. “Tim? Paw?”

  “That’s right,” Jill said, once again so happy she was almost in tears. “We’ll get you and Uncle Mitch checked over and then hopefully we can all go home together.”

  Beside her, Jill saw Mitch reach for the toddler’s bare foot and give it a gentle squeeze before he said, “That sounds like the best idea I’ve heard today.”

  He laughed aloud and grabbed his side when Jill arched one eyebrow and stared so pointedly at him. “Okay, the second best,” he said with an earsplitting grin. “Marrying you is the absolute best. Honest.”

  EPILOGUE

  Thanks to his injury, Mitch was forced to take the next three weeks off work. He chose to spend them with Jill and the children, much to her delight. Tim was still acting as if he didn’t trust any adult to care for his siblings but there were times, like now, when his unnecessary concern came in handy.

  She and Mitch were able to meet with Harlan and talk openly about the Pearson case because Tim was busy in the living room, showing Megan and Paul how to use the new teaching video Mitch had bought them.

  “More coffee, Sheriff?” Jill asked, holding up the carafe.

  “No, thanks. I’m fine. I just stopped by to fill you in on the latest.”

  She came to stand behind Mitch and touched his shoulder. He covered her hand with his and left it there while they both listened.

  “Natalie was the instigator. And the embezzler, just like we thought. She’d lost piles of money gambling and was doing everything she could to blame it on others.”

  “Like the men Rob fired, you mean?”

  Harlan nodded. “Particularly one of them. She’d cooked the books to make it look as if Vernon Betts was so old and addled that he’d made a bunch of costly mistakes. Now that it’s all been sorted out, Thad’s given Vernon his job back and says he’s the best worker he’s ever had.”

  “Wonderful.” Mitch closed his fingers around Jill’s and smiled up at her. “The kids are doing well, too.”

  “Looks like you all are,” Harlan said knowingly. “Are you interested in hearing more about who took Megan and where she was all that time?”

  “It was the gamblers, right?” Jill said, glancing toward the doorway to make sure the children weren’t eavesdropping.

  “Yup. It all made sense once I got the details sorted out. The woman who was babysitting Megan had no idea we were turning the town upside down looking for her. She’d been hired by Natalie’s crooked buddies to take care of the little girl for a few days. As soon as they got the forged papers they needed, they were planning to ship the baby out of the country just the way Natalie said.”

  Jill felt Mitch’s shoulder quiver beneath her touch. She knew how he felt. The thought of that innocent little girl being sold like an animal was enough to unnerve the strongest person.

  “Thank God we found out in time,” Jill said.

  “Yeah.” Harlan nodded sagely. “I know a lot of folks claim there aren’t any more real miracles these days but this sure felt like one. Too many odd things came together just right for me to believe it was an accident that we figured everything out before it was too late.”

  He drained his coffee cup and pushed away from the table. “Well, I guess that’s about it. Any other questions?”

  “Only a couple,” Jill said. “What about the man who chased me through the forest?” She felt Mitch’s fingers tighten over hers as she added, “I’d hate to think he’s still out there.”

  “He’s not. I convinced the gamblers that the DNA in the lost stocking cap matched one of their samples and they couldn’t wait to confess and blame each other.”

  “You didn’t really have a match?”

  “Not yet. Those tests can take months, especially if there’s no threat to life involved. Now we won’t have to worry about it.”

  Mitch was shaking his head. “Okay, we know they were responsible for the bomb, too. But what about the second set of arson fires? Why did they set those?”

  “They didn’t,” Harlan said, looking at Jill. “Remember a teenager you fostered about a year ago? His name was Gilbert.”

  She nodded, thoughtful. “Of course. He had an unhealthy fascination with fire. That was one of the reasons I finally had to give him up.”

  “Well, it turned out he was the one who snuck around and lit those little fires. He said he was jealous when he heard you’d taken in a couple of younger boys and he just wanted to make trouble.”

  “So, all the threat is gone?” Mitch asked.

  “Yup. Serenity has returned to Serenity.” The sheriff levered himself to his feet. “So, when are you two gettin’ hitched?”

  “News travels fast in this town,” Jill said, grinning back at Mitch when he smiled at her. “I guess we shouldn’t keep everybody wondering. We’ve talked to Brother Malloy and it looks like he’ll be able to perform the ceremony before Thanksgiving. We’re looking forward to spending the holiday here, together.”

  “The kids too?” Harlan asked.

  Mitch answered, “Yes. We’re already like a family. If things work out the way we hope, we’ll be adopting them real soon.”

  A collective squeal came from the direction of the doorway. Tim, Paul and Megan had overheard.

  Mitch held out one arm toward them while Jill crouched next to his chair and did the same.

  As the children gathered around her and the man she loved and they shared a mutual embrace, she realized that her fondest dreams had come true.

  There was nothing more to say. They were a family.

  Dear Reader,

  I spent many years working with elementary-school children. That’s probably why, when it comes time to write about them, I usually create characters between four and eight years old. Those are the ages I think I understand—as much as any adult can. In those days I saw my job as a way to demonstrate the love of Christ in a secular atmosphere. Now I do it mostly in pri
nt.

  This is the first book in my new miniseries, The Defenders, that features the work of CASA volunteers. These court-appointed special advocates represent children in regard to the legal system, appearing before any judge who is being asked to decide their fate. It’s a thankless, unpaid position that must make all of heaven rejoice, especially when there is a happy ending.

  I pray that your personal happy ending includes a commitment to Jesus Christ. Mine certainly does. I love to hear from my readers. The easiest way to reach me is by email, val@valeriehansen.com, or send a letter to P.O. Box 13, Glencoe, AR 72539. You can also see my other work at www.valeriehansen.com.

  Blessings,

  Questions for Discussion

  Have you ever known a real firefighter? Was he or she like Mitch Andrews? In what ways?

  Do you think Jill was being foolish to go to the scene of the fire? Were the other bystanders wrong, as well, or is it common for tight-knit communities to gather like that in times of tragedy?

  Did you notice how well the boys accept the loss of their parents? Have you ever had to break news like that to a child? How did they react? How did you?

  Do you know anyone who is a foster parent? How can the authorities tell which families are both willing and capable?

  Have you ever imagined that the Lord is answering your prayers one way, then later discovered you were all wrong? Please explain.

  People who are strong willed can be difficult to deal with. What’s the difference between Jill and Natalie? How are they the same? Different?

  You may have noticed that I chose not to include the impressionable children in the funeral plans. Should they have attended? Why or why not?

  After Megan disappears, Tim, the oldest Pearson child, is much harder to handle. Are you the eldest in your family, and if so, do you feel responsible for the younger members?