She shook her head, tiny shakes like vibrations that resonated through her entire body.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know if there’s anything to do. I don’t know how I’ve been so blind. Or how God could have allowed this to happen. Aaron...I don’t know if I can ever trust anyone again.”
EIGHTEEN
The afternoon of Ellen’s wedding, Cally sat in her uncle’s hospital room for her daily visit. She had a few free hours between the ceremony and the reception while the bride and groom were taking photos, and since she didn’t think she’d have a chance to visit after the event, she’d decided to stop in for a little while. Uncle Zarek had needed surgery on his spine to remove the bullet and repair damaged vertebrae, but it was going to be a long road to recovery and the doctors weren’t sure he’d ever walk again. A few days ago, he’d been moved from ICU to a regular hospital surgical bed to begin some passive mobility exercises. Soon the hospital would be moving him to a rehab unit for a few weeks.
And though it had been a week since she’d learned of her uncle’s betrayal, every part of Cally’s body still ached at his admission. She didn’t know how she was going to tell her mother, let alone the rest of the family. She’d spoken on the phone with various relatives in vague terms, but she hadn’t truly processed the situation enough in her own mind to relay it with accuracy to everyone else. Plus, it seemed like a conversation best held in person when she returned to Amar after Christmas.
It wasn’t that she didn’t know the details—she had all of them, perhaps more than she needed. The paramedics had rushed Uncle Zarek to the hospital for surgery, and as soon as he’d woken up and shaken off the effects of the anesthesia, Cally had gone in to speak with him. Aaron and another officer had coached her on what to say, and how to shape her questions to encourage a confession of the truth.
But he’d told her everything, and she hadn’t even needed to ask.
It turned out her uncle had a spending problem—his government job for the Department of Natural Resources had sent him around the world, given him many opportunities, but it had also caused him to start looking at the world in terms of what he didn’t have. Fancy cars like the representative from Switzerland had. A gorgeous house in the country like the one owned by a British representative he’d met at a conference. Expensive clothes, luxurious vacations. His government job didn’t pay a whole lot, and he’d started seeing cracks in the system.
With the influx of money to Amar after the oil discovery, he and the other employees had waited and waited for some of the benefits to start to pour down to them. The country was getting richer, his relatives were getting richer, and his department had expected to see rapid improvement, forgetting that governments moved slowly. He’d started to feel like he was being left behind, stuck in a dead-end job with a prestigious title that was nothing but a false front. His department budget was slashed, his salary frozen. More funding went to the oil companies and less to the people working to ensure that the same natural resource making the country rich wasn’t killing it in other areas.
He’d started to think that if the government didn’t care about him, if no one could be bothered to thank him for his tireless work, he didn’t care about it.
So when he was approached by an oil company representative from another country and offered a substantial sum to sell secrets on Amar’s plans—how much oil they were extracting, the price per barrel, how it was being transported and who was buying it—he saw the numbers they offered and had thought it might be a good way to make some fast cash. A small windfall that he could put away for retirement, or at least to make life a little more comfortable while he worked his tail off.
They’d made it easy, too. The representatives were diplomats living in Amar, and they moved in the same circles as himself and the extended relatives of Amar’s royal family—fancy events that were fun, but ultimately meaningless when it came to prestige. He’d known that Cally and her late husband had attended these types of events frequently, and had encouraged her to continue that connection to the outside world throughout the course of her grieving process. Uncle Zarek had seen an opportunity, a way to move information in a manner that wouldn’t be suspect—and one that would make him look like the good guy to his heartbroken niece.
It was simple. He’d gifted Cally a locket fitted with near-field communication technology inside. With a simple tap of his cell phone, he was able to transfer sensitive information into the locket, which his buyers could then retrieve doing the same thing—a friendly, innocent hug of greeting to Cally, cell phone in hand, meant the transfer was instant and untraceable. Zarek made money, and Cally never had to know about it.
Until she took off to another continent without warning.
Zarek’s buyers had been very upset. They’d threatened Cally’s life, theorizing she’d figured out the scam and wanted a cut of the money, but Zarek had promised that wasn’t the case. He’d told her location to his buyers so they could attempt to retrieve the information, but they grew increasingly violent when she unknowingly foiled them at every turn. The NFC transfer kept getting blocked by her heavy coats and sweaters. When she’d told her uncle about the severity of the attacks during their phone call, he’d realized what was happening and decided he needed to come and retrieve the necklace himself before the buyers took her out—but he couldn’t tell the police what he was doing without incriminating himself for treason.
The impatience of her uncle’s associates had nearly cost Cally her life. He’d begged for them to be careful, not to use weapons, but when buyers were paying over a million dollars for information that would make them billions, apparently their motto was “by any means necessary.”
Cally had left the hospital room in shock. She didn’t know if she could ever forgive her uncle, but she supposed it would come in time. She’d returned to the hospital room every day since, trying to make sense of everything.
Even more frustrating was the fact that Aaron’s and her paths had crossed very little since that day. She’d been moved to Ellen’s apartment to stay with her friend while the official investigation went down and charges were laid, and Cally had been called on several times to make statements. She’d seen Aaron last night at the rehearsal dinner for Ellen’s wedding, but there’d been no time to sit and talk about what happened that night—the confession, the kiss.
She sighed, reached over to squeeze her uncle’s hand while he slept, then stood with the intention to leave and head down to the wedding reception early.
“Would you like an escort?”
Cally gasped and looked up to see Aaron standing in the doorway. He looked handsome and sleek in his tux, though his expression was uncertain and a mite sheepish.
“Shouldn’t you be helping your brother at the photo session?”
He shrugged. “Nah, they’re almost done. Sam is finishing up with him. It was my job to bring over any gifts left at the church after the ceremony to the reception venue. I dropped them off and figured...I had a few minutes, and I might find you here. Sorry for startling you. I should have known better—you looked deep in thought. Are you all right?”
“Still asking me that, I see.” She offered a gentle smile to ease the sudden worry that flashed across his features. “I appreciate it, Aaron. And I think so. Mostly.” She wanted to run over and hug him, but resisted the urge by crossing her arms and hugging her elbows instead. They’d barely connected all week, and she feared that reaching out for an embrace might be unwelcome. “I’m just... I think I’m still in shock. Here I was wondering if maybe I’d done the wrong thing by trying to escape my family, like I was overreacting about their behavior, and then this happened. I keep asking God why—why did I feel so strongly that I needed to leave? Was that Him protecting me after all?”
Her words trailed off as she wrenched her gaze from him, feeling foolish, but Aaron moved closer and gripped her forearms. “I can’t answer th
at for you. But I do know that God is good. It sounds like you’re still afraid that God was punishing you for running from a hurtful family situation, but from where I stand, it looks like He was actually guiding you to a safer place.”
She sighed. “You might be right. If this had happened back home...I feel like the mess would be even worse. Maybe not for my uncle, but for the family in general. At least they can enjoy Christmas without being tied up in the drama. They won’t have to deal with it until afterward, when I fly back and tell them the whole story.”
“So...you’re going back, then?”
Her gaze snapped up. His eyes were wide and sad, like a puppy who’d been scolded. “I do need to talk to them. But believe me, I’ve considered what it’d be like to just stay here.” Her statement was accompanied by a nervous laugh, but she meant it. She’d thought about it a lot, in fact.
“I’d be okay with that.”
“You would?”
He shrugged and gestured toward the doors. They walked down the hallway, heading toward the hospital exit. “I meant what I said, Cally. None of that has changed.”
“None of what?”
He stopped walking and turned to face her. She’d never seen him so serious. “My feelings for you. You’re strong, sensitive and loyal. You know your mind and you refuse to compromise, and I’d never ask you to. Your past makes you who you are today. I want to be a part of your future, if you’re willing to make room in your heart for me. I’m madly in love with you, Cally Roslin. And I wouldn’t mind if you chose to stay here.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, unsure what to make of his admission. Happiness and confusion bubbled up inside of her, mixed with a fear of what might happen the moment she said the words he was waiting to hear, too. She swallowed them down and gave voice to her worry first. “But you might be leaving. For a promotion.”
“Well, yes.” He tilted his head back and forth. “You could come with me. If you wanted to.”
“Aaron.”
“I’m serious.”
They stepped out the front door onto the sidewalk. The reception was being held in a restaurant banquet room just around the corner. In the time Cally had been visiting her uncle, the sun had set. The sky was dark and clear. Like her thoughts in this moment.
She offered up another reserved, teasing smile. “So, what are you saying?”
He spun around on the sidewalk and dropped to one knee—and then gasped and pointed behind her. She twisted to look over her shoulder and understood his reaction: the northern lights gleamed in the sky overhead, bright shades of green amid the blue-gray night sky.
The sight took her breath away, but it did more than that.
It felt like God’s very own love letter to her in this moment, a reminder that He had been with her this whole time. That it was indeed time for a fresh start—a bright renewal of life and love, with someone who understood where she’d come from and what she’d lost, and respected how that fit into who she was and always would be.
Aaron’s breath felt warm on her neck. He’d abandoned the whole down-on-one-knee thing and now stood next to her, closer than she could have imagined allowing anyone on that very first day she’d stepped off the little charter airplane.
“Cally?”
Words hung unsaid in the air between them, and she grinned for the first time in a long time, waiting for Aaron to speak them aloud, for the words to reach her. “Yes?”
This time he did slide back down to one knee, the northern lights a stunning backdrop to the moment. “I’m fighting a losing battle here, and to be frank, I don’t even want to win. You’re the most brave, determined woman I’ve ever met, and—while it scares me to say this out loud—I’m willing to find a way to make this work if you are. Will you marry me?”
Her heart leaped, telling her—unequivocally—that this was the right time. She had a freelance contract job; she could work from anywhere. Even if he had to move across Canada for a promotion, she’d be willing to follow. It was a startling, but not unwelcome, realization. “You know what? You’re the most considerate, attentive, kindest man I know. And handsome, too. I do believe I’ve fallen in love with you, too...so yes, Officer Thrace. I will marry you.”
And when he pulled a thin, silver diamond ring from his pocket and slid it onto her finger, she knew that, despite all that had happened, she was going to have a joyful Christmas after all—making new memories, treasuring the old and looking forward to a grace-filled future.
EPILOGUE
Five and a half years later...
Aaron checked all the buttons and buckles on his ceremonial red RCMP uniform, making sure everything was in place. His brown hat was the final touch, but he wasn’t quite ready to put it on yet. He slid his fingers over the brim, stomach twisting with anticipation.
“Ready?” He glanced at Cally, who smoothed her dress and patted her hair before checking her lipstick in a small compact mirror. “You look beautiful. I mean, you always do, but you have an extra sparkle today.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment...”
He leaned over to kiss her, but she stopped him with a raised hand. “After the ceremony! I didn’t bring extra makeup wipes to take red lipstick off your face.”
“Good call. And I’ll hold you to it. Are all your documents ready?”
Cally lifted a beige envelope from her purse. “If they weren’t, it’d be too late to go back and get them.” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “We’d better go inside. It’s almost time, and we both need to check into our respective places.”
He reached for her hand, twining their fingers together. They fit perfectly, as they always had—and today would ensure that they’d stay that way for the rest of their lives, but in a different way than most couples needed to.
Today, Cally would become a Canadian citizen, and he couldn’t feel more honored by her choice.
They separated at the front doors as she ventured off to the registration table, where she got in line to check in with her citizenship ceremony notice and other documents. As for him, he’d been appointed as a special guest for this particular citizenship ceremony. It was a gracious gesture by his Ottawa detachment, since they’d known his wife would be taking the oath today.
The way his nerves jumped at every movement, he wondered if he was more anxious about the event than she was.
He met the presiding official and the others who’d be conducting the ceremony, and said his hellos to several fellow officers in attendance—then snuck a glance out the door, eager to watch Cally at every step in the process.
She finished at the registration table and headed into the main room where the ceremony would take place, and minutes later it was time for the event to begin.
He followed the presiding official into the room, which was jam-packed with people about to become new Canadian citizens, as well as their family members, friends and members of the media. Cameras flashed and papers rustled, but he only had eyes for one person. He found her easily: she was sitting in the second row, looking as breathtaking as the moment he’d first laid eyes on her.
His heart beat rapidly in his chest as the presiding official made her opening remarks, after which the applicable guests stood and recited the Canadian oath of citizenship. Cally had brought her family Bible with which to take the oath—a surprising but cherished gift from her mother. Mrs. Roslin had begrudgingly accepted his and Cally’s marriage after the first few years, and though it had taken several more for her to finally come around to the idea of Cally becoming a Canadian citizen, mother and daughter had reconciled and the family Bible had been given as a peace offering.
Not everyone in Cally’s family felt the same way, but with her mother leading the charge to relate to each other with grace, Aaron had no doubt that Cally would soon feel comfortable taking him on a trip to Amar so t
hat he could meet everyone. He truly looked forward to it.
A lump formed in his throat as Cally’s name was called to come forward and receive her certificate of citizenship. She shook the official’s hand with one of the biggest smiles he’d ever seen, and he didn’t miss her tiny wink in his direction as she returned to her seat. Once all the certificates were handed out, it was time for him to speak.
His speech was short and heartfelt, encouraging the new citizens and congratulating them for their efforts. Although he would never fully relate to their struggles or emotional journey in deciding to call a new country their permanent home, he had no doubt that each and every new citizen had wrestled with the choice and done what was right for them. Cally had come to the decision on her own, surprising him six months ago with the news that she was applying. She’d sent in her application the day she became eligible, five years after being a permanent resident in the country.
Their first five years of marriage hadn’t been perfect, but what marriage was? He’d gladly marry her all over again, given the chance.
As the national anthem began to play, he felt certain that both of their voices were louder than the rest of the room—he caught her eye midverse, and the smile she gave him sent a new kind of anxiety swimming around his insides. He wanted to hold her and congratulate her, but it would be a few hours yet before they had a moment alone.
With the official ceremony complete, the reception was held in a side room, where the new citizens could take photos with the presiding official and special guests. Aaron enjoyed this part of his job—everyone loved getting their photo taken with a “real Mountie,” and he had fun cracking jokes, posing for pictures and answering questions about horses.
As the room began to clear out, he realized it had been some time since he’d seen his wife. He frowned and scanned the room. Had she stepped outside or wandered off with someone else? He didn’t have a message on his phone. He waited a little while longer until only a few folks remained, then made his way to the front entrance.
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