Sworn to Protect, page 17
Noah stopped and took several deep breaths, obviously trying to control his emotion. “Two days ago, I received a call from Mr. Charles Williams. He has been on an in-field study trip with New York University. Charles is working on his PhD in botany. He was studying the flora of the Grand Canyon and just recently returned home. Before he left, he went to the local shelter and adopted a canine friend to bring along. Charles, can you bring him out for us?”
The young man walked backstage and reappeared a moment later with a beautiful German shepherd.
“Snapper!” Katie cried, jumping to her feet.
The dog’s ears twitched, and he sniffed the air, and then, as if he finally understood he was home, he broke rank, jumping from the stage and barreling toward her.
She stepped out into the aisle to meet him, kneeling down to accept his doggy kisses. She didn’t realize she was crying until Snapper nudged her cheek and pawed her shoulder.
“I am so happy you’re back,” she said as she looked into his dark, intelligent eyes.
“He looks great,” Carter said, kneeling beside her and scratching Snapper’s head. Zach joined them, running his hands down the dog’s flanks and shaking his head.
“You wouldn’t know he had ever been away from training.”
“I know everyone is excited,” Noah said above the din of the crowd’s surprise. “But, if you could all settle down for a few moments, Charles has something he wants to say.”
The young man stepped up to the podium, clearing his throat and adjusting the collar of his white dress shirt. He looked around the room, and his gaze found and settled on Katie.
“I had no idea of any of this when I adopted Roosevelt. Sorry, I mean Snapper. I named him Roosevelt after Theodore Roosevelt, but you don’t need to know that.”
The crowd laughed, and the young man continued, his gaze still focused on Katie. “What I would like you to know is that I had no idea Snapper was microchipped or that he was missing from the NYC K-9 Command Unit. I didn’t know that his handler had been killed or that he had a family who missed him. I would also like you to know this—Snapper is everything a service dog should be. He’s obedient, smart and driven. He is also loyal. He was always a good boy, but from the day I brought him home until the day I learned who he really was, I had the feeling that my buddy had better things to do with his time than lie around in the shade while I collected plant samples. So, as much as it pains me to do this, I’ve brought Snapper back home to you today. I hope he will have many more years of service to the community. Mrs. Jameson, please accept my deepest condolences for the death of your husband and my heartfelt thanks for sharing Chief Jameson’s K-9 partner with me for these past weeks. I’m going to miss you, buddy,” he said, not even trying to hide his tears.
Katie was crying again, and she didn’t think there were many dry eyes in the audience. This was a beautiful end to a heart-wrenching story, and she was unbelievably grateful for it.
Noah concluded the ceremony by giving Carter an award for outstanding public service. The audience gave him a standing ovation as he walked stiffly from the stage. All these months later, he still had pain from the gunshot wound he had received in the line of duty, but soon he would be taking over the running of Griffin’s Diner full-time. With his fiancée, Rachelle, by his side, and his daughter, Ellie, cheering him on, Katie had the feeling he would be just fine.
“You look happy,” Tony whispered, his lips brushing her ear.
She shivered, turning so that they were looking into each other’s eyes. “I have a lot to be thankful for.”
“I think we all do,” he said.
“Katie!” Ivy cried, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “What a blessing that Snapper is back.” She crouched to pet the German shepherd, and he seemed to sigh contentedly.
“It really is.”
“I guess he can retire now,” Alexander said, taking Jordyn Rose from Tony’s arms and tickling her under her chin.
She giggled and Snapper got to his feet, padding over to sniff her feet.
“See this little one?” Alexander knelt in front of Snapper. “She’s Jordan’s baby. What do you think of that?”
The baby and dog stared at each other.
Snapper nuzzled Jordyn Rose’s cheek, huffed against her belly and then settled down again.
“He really is a great dog,” Tony said. “Jordan always said he was the best German shepherd he had ever worked with.”
“He did.” Noah joined them, his fiancée, Lani, by his side.
“He is only five,” Katie said, remembering all of the time Jordan and Snapper had spent training together. Hours and hours of work for what should have been eight to ten years of service.
“He’ll have a good home with you,” Noah said, but there was something in his voice that let her know he had been thinking what she had: Snapper was too young and too good to retire.
“Or, he can be assigned a new partner until he is old enough to retire, and then we can decide where he should live when he is an old man.” Katie scratched Snapper’s snout, and his tail thumped rhythmically.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Reed said, joining the small crowd of K-9 handlers, his wife, Abigail, and her emotional-support dog, Jet, beside him.
“Who do you think could handle him?” Luke Hathaway asked, his arm slung around his new wife, Sophie.
“If you want my opinion,” Finn Gallagher said, “Lani is the perfect choice.”
“Me?” Lani looked shocked, her eyes wide as she studied the faces of the other members of the K-9 team. Her time on the team had been limited, but she would always be part of the family they had become. If not for her relationship with Noah, she would have continued to be part of the team. They all knew and accepted that.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Finn’s wife, Eva, said, her guide dog, Cocoa, beside her. “Not that I know much, but Finn keeps telling me what a great asset you were to the team. And, since you’ll be working for another K-9 unit soon, why not be paired with Snapper?”
Soon the entire team was discussing the idea of Lani working with Snapper. Only Noah remained quiet. He probably felt that his relationship with Lani would make his opinion seem biased.
“I think,” Tony interrupted, “Katie should make the decision. She has spent more time with Snapper than any of us.”
The group went silent, all eyes fixed on Katie.
She looked at each of the men and women who had known and loved Jordan, and she thought about how much he had loved all of them. This was what he would want—the dog he had worked with so diligently being passed on to a fledgling handler. Both of them working together to serve the community he had loved.
“I think Lani and Snapper will make a good team,” she said, her throat suddenly tight, her eyes burning.
Making the decision felt like turning the last page of a wonderful story—beautiful and sad, all at the same time.
“Are you sure?” Lani asked. “It’s obvious he is bonded with you, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to allow him to keep working.”
“It’s what Jordan would want. It is what I want. So, yes, I’m sure. And, I do like that he’ll stay in the family.”
“I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” Lani said, pulling her in for a long hug.
“You know what would mean a lot to me?” Gavin Sutherland asked. “Going into the reception area and eating something. I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m starving.”
The group began walking away, but Katie stayed where she was, watching them leave, listening to their laughter. Near the doorway to the reception area, Ivy and Alexander were entertaining Ellie and Jordyn Rose. Noah and Lani were walking hand in hand, with their heads bent together. Carter and Rachelle were standing face-to-face, talking quietly as they looked into each other’s eyes. Zach and Violet were just a few feet away, laughing quietly about something.
Katie couldn’t help thinking that despite how their lives had been devastated, they had all found their joy again.
“What are you thinking?” Tony asked, his hands settling on her waist as he turned her so they were facing each other.
“Life. About how one season can bring sorrow and another joy. About family and how happy I am to be part of this one. Maybe even about love and how nice it is to see so many people find it.”
“You know what I’ve been thinking?” He kissed her gently, his lips barely dancing across hers.
“That they probably have chocolate cake at the reception, and that’s your favorite?”
He chuckled. “No. I’ve been thinking about life, too. About how one season brings loss and another abundance. About family and how much it means to be part of one. About love and how easy the word is to say when I’m with you. And, I’ve been thinking about forever and how wonderful it would be to spend it with you.”
“Tony,” she began, but she wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. She didn’t know if she could say anything that would be as beautiful as the words he had just spoken to her.
“I know this is a tough day, Katie. For all of us. And, I know that nothing can change that, but one thing I learned from losing Jordan is that now is never too soon to say what needs to be said.”
He reached into his pocket, and her heart stopped. Her breath caught. The world seemed to stand still. He pulled out a small velvet box, and his hand shook just a little as he opened it.
“I never knew what home was until I met you. I never understood what it meant to belong until I looked into your eyes. I don’t think I ever felt love until I sat in the hospital room with you and watched you hold your newborn daughter. I can’t imagine walking through life without you by my side, and I can’t imagine growing old with anyone but you. I love you, Katie. Will you marry me?”
She wanted to say yes. She did. But, the word stuck in her throat as tears flooded her eyes.
She reached for Tony, felt his arms close around her.
“It’s okay to cry,” he whispered against her ear. “It’s okay to mourn what you lost.”
“I know,” she said, burying her face in the warmth of his chest. “But, I don’t want to cry for what I’ve lost. I want to rejoice in what I have.”
She stepped back, wiping tears from her eyes.
“When I lost Jordan, I closed myself off to love. I convinced myself that I would never meet someone who could melt the ice around my heart. I wasn’t looking for love, Tony. I didn’t even want it with you.”
“Is that a yes?” someone asked, and she realized that the team had returned and was surrounding them, a wall of love created by people who knew the weight of Katie’s sorrow and the depth of her loss. She didn’t see judgment in any of their eyes; she saw joy.
“Yes, it is,” she replied, levering up on her toes and kissing Tony with all of the passion and love she had to offer.
This second chance at happiness was a precious gift, and she wouldn’t squander it. She wouldn’t forget how miraculous each breath was, how beautiful each moment.
His arms slipped around her, and he pulled her close, his warmth reminding her of every bright sunrise after every long, dark night.
“Congratulations!” More than a dozen voices shouted in unison, the loudness of it scaring Jordyn Rose. She let out a high-pitched cry.
Katie pulled back, still looking into Tony’s dark eyes as she took the baby from Alexander’s arms. “I love you, Tony. Don’t ever forget it.”
He smiled, his lips skimming her forehead as he wiped a few tears from Jordyn Rose’s face. When he finished, he lifted Katie’s left hand and slid the ring on her finger.
She lifted her hand, surprised by the simple beauty of the stunning diamond solitaire, a small pink diamond nestled beside it. “It’s beautiful, Tony.”
“A diamond for each of my girls,” he responded, lifting Jordyn Rose from Katie’s arms and then taking her hand.
“Ready?” he asked, and she smiled.
“To eat?”
“To step into the future together.”
“You know what?” she responded, pulling him a step closer. “I am.”
* * *
If you enjoyed this series, look for True Blue K-9 Unit Christmas by Laura Scott and Maggie K. Black.
Keep reading for an excerpt from Soldier’s Christmas Secrets by Laura Scott.
Dear Reader,
Life is full of surprises. Some of them pleasant. Some not. In the book of Ecclesiastes, we are told that there is a season for everything under Heaven. A time to be born. A time to die. A time to rejoice. A time to mourn. Through the seasons of life, it is easy to get caught up in the sorrows rather than focusing on the joys. In the first seven books in the True Blue K-9 Unit series, you met heroes and heroines who have been through tough times and who have fought their way through doubts, disappointments and heartaches. With their trusty K-9 partners by their sides, they have sought answers to the murder of their beloved police chief, Jordan Jameson. Despite the challenges they face, they are able to cling to faith and trust in God to see them through.
Their stories resonate deeply with me. As someone who has faced very difficult seasons in life, I understand how easy it is to question God and His goodness, to wonder if He really cares. When we are deep in the darkest parts of our heartache, it can be difficult to see the light. But, even then, He is there. Whatever your challenges, remember—you are not alone.
And, because of that, you have the strength and courage to make it through to better times.
I love to connect with readers. Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or drop me a line at shirlee@shirleemccoy.com.
Blessings,
Shirlee McCoy
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.
You enjoy a dash of danger. Love Inspired Suspense stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.
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Soldier’s Christmas Secrets
by Laura Scott
ONE
Hawk Jacobson parked his SUV and moved silently through the dark, cold December night, automatically raking his gaze over the area searching for a possible threat. As a private investigator, he didn’t have set hours, and tonight he was returning home later than usual.
After entering his house, he didn’t bother turning his lights on as he made his way through the interior. Hawk paused near the side window, the one overlooking Jillian’s home. Dark windows outlined by bright Christmas lights indicated his neighbor, Jillian Wade, and her young daughter, Lizzy, had retired for the night.
Just as he was about to step back from the window, he saw two men, dressed in black from head to toe, ski masks covering their faces and guns held at the ready in their hands, moving silently through the night and heading straight for Jillian’s house. No! Hawk sprang into action. Armed with a knife and a gun, yet hoping not to use either, he silently let himself out of his house. Picking the second man who was still standing on the driveway as his target, he stealthily approached from behind. With surprise on his side, he took him down, hitting him in the back of the head and rendering him unconscious. With one hostile out of commission, he went searching for the other.
The front door of Jillian’s house was ajar, and he hated knowing the guy had breached her personal space. Years of military training enabled Hawk to move silently down the hall. The gunman was hovering between the two bedroom doorways, as if unsure which one to try first. Indecision was his enemy. Hawk grabbed him from behind, covered the guy’s mouth and took him roughly to the ground and held his gun at his temple.
“Who sent you?” Hawk asked in a harsh whisper. “Why are you here?”
The man’s eyes, which Hawk could see from the round openings of the ski mask, showed no emotion. The hostile didn’t make a sound, apparently too well-trained to talk. Hawk was about to knock the guy unconscious when a slight movement caught his eye. The door to the second bedroom was open a crack and he saw Lizzy’s frightened face peering out at him.
He froze, wishing more than anything that the little girl didn’t look so terrified. Was she afraid of the gun? Probably, but he couldn’t risk hiding it from her. “It’s okay,” he called softly. “It’s me. Hawk.”
She quickly closed the door. With a frustrated sigh, Hawk pressed on the man’s twin carotid arteries to put him to sleep, making sure he was unconscious but not dead. He took a moment to lift the ski mask, but the man’s face wasn’t familiar. Hawk didn’t recognize him. Leaving him be, Hawk rose to his feet and lightly rapped on Jillian’s door. “Jillian? It’s Hawk. I’m coming in.”
“Hawk?” Jillian’s voice was sleepy. “What are you doing here?”
Entering her room felt wrong, but there wasn’t a moment to waste. The two hostiles wouldn’t stay unconscious forever. “I stopped two guys from trying to kill you. Get up. We need to leave.”
“What are you talking about?” She sounded grumpy. “What two men? I can’t leave. Lizzy’s asleep.”
“No, she’s not. I just saw her. One man is on the driveway near the front door, the other is just outside your room. Hurry. I’ll get Lizzy while you throw some stuff together. But don’t pack like this is a vacation, we’re traveling light.”
“But...”
Hawk was done talking. He turned and made his way to Lizzy’s room, stepping carefully over the body on the floor. He pressed again on the guy’s neck to give them more time, then reached for the door of the second bedroom and opened it. “Lizzy? It’s Hawk. I know you’re scared, but you and your mom need to come with me, okay?”
