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  “Not the part I’m going for.”

  What part could he possibly be talking about? She ran through the layout in her mind, but couldn’t figure it out. It didn’t matter. She didn’t plan on letting him get that far anyway.

  Now he was behind her. Her mind flashed through possible escape moves. A sound from above reached her ears, and she almost stopped to listen. Instead, she kept going, wondering if someone had figured out what Wayne had planned. She was almost to the parking-garage level. If she was going to act, she needed to do it soon.

  “Stop there. Did you hear something?”

  “Just you,” she lied. There was no way she was going to tip him off if help was just above her.

  He snorted. “Right.”

  Three more steps and she’d be on the landing. But she needed him closer. Just one more step, Wayne. “So, are we going to stand here all day?”

  “Shut up and let me listen.”

  “There’s nothing up there…”

  She felt him move up one more step, shut her mouth and lashed back with her elbow.

  A choking, strangling cry met her efforts, and she whirled to see him grab his throat. The gun clattered to the steps and bounced down to the landing below them. Carly held her breath, waiting for the thing to go off and send a bullet flying in a direction she couldn’t guess.

  When it landed without discharging, she breathed a sigh of relief. She started to go after the weapon, but Wayne was already scrambling back down to retrieve it.

  Flight was her only option. Pushing herself up the next flight of stairs, she aimed for where she knew help would be.

  “Come back here, Carly! I let your friend live because you said you would get me out of here. Now get back here!”

  The man was losing it.

  She kept going. Heard him closing in behind her. Her head throbbed in the place where Debbie had pistol-whipped her, but she ignored it and pushed on.

  Then Nick was there at the top of the landing.

  Wayne thundered behind her.

  “Nick, he’s got a gun. Get out of sight,” she panted.

  His eyes flicked over her and revealed pure relief at the fact she was in one piece. Then they hardened and he said, “Be ready to move fast.”

  “Wha—?”

  Then he was a blur, diving past her as Wayne rounded the landing and hit the steps just below her.

  Flesh struck flesh and the two men went down, crashing to the floor. Carly blinked and heard a fist connect, followed by a groan and a spurt of blood. Whose, she didn’t know, but kept her eye out for the gun.

  Nick’s arm came back and crashed down. Wayne hollered and rolled, thumping down the flight of stairs he’d just come up moments before.

  Carly raced after him, but once again Nick beat her there. Wayne reached for the gun that had flown from his hand and landed next to the wall.

  Nick grabbed for it at the same time and two desperate hands covered it, fought for it.

  Wayne pulled Nick off balance, and Nick landed on his former friend with a grunt.

  The gun went off next to her left ear, the explosion blasting in the enclosed area. For a brief moment Carly was deafened.

  “Nick!” she called.

  Blood seeped from between the two men. Fear drummed through her, and with one eye on Wayne, she grabbed for Nick.

  He rolled off, fresh blood staining his once pristine white shirt.

  At first she thought he was dead but then realized his chest was heaving with the effort to breathe.

  Wayne’s chest was still. It looked like a bullet had cut a path through his heart that would beat no more. The weapon rested on the floor beside him. She shoved it out of grabbing distance just in case.

  A hand on her shoulder made her jump, and she turned to see Nick sitting up and asking her something. She couldn’t hear him. Turning her head, she listened with her right ear. “What?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” she gulped. “I’m fine. What about you?”

  He nodded. “I just want a shower and a change of clothes. And I want to kiss you and tell you everything that’s going on inside me.”

  She gave a small smile. “I think that can be arranged.”

  Wayne was dead. Debbie was in custody, and Christopher’s grin hadn’t left his face since he saw his uncle. When Nick walked out of the courthouse, Catelyn and Ian had been waiting with Christopher. The little boy had thrown himself into his uncle’s arms, and Carly had wept at the sweet reunion. Ian had held Carly and let her cry.

  Then the two of them got swept along in the aftermath. The paperwork had started for her, and the trial had gotten underway for Nick. She hadn’t seen him since, except for brief snatches she managed to get each night on the news as he left the courthouse.

  Yesterday, Nick had called and asked her to meet him at Lake Bowen Fish Camp. The trial was over, and de Lugo had been found guilty. Relief like nothing she’d ever felt flowed through her. She’d recused herself from the assignment, as she felt like protecting him had become a conflict of interest for her.

  But it was hard putting his safety into other hands. Plus, she missed him.

  She loved him.

  And she told herself that it wasn’t possible. How had she grown to love a man in such a short amount of time?

  But there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that she did.

  And now the case was over. And so was her discontent. Holding onto her anger with Nick and God had just been her way of grieving at first, then quite possibly had become a comfortable habit. But thanks to Nick and his steady faith, Carly had made peace with God and Hank’s death. No, it wasn’t fair and it made her want to cry from missing him, but acknowledging that it wasn’t Nick’s fault—or God’s—had gone a long way in healing her heart.

  She pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and saw that his car was already there. Joy at the thought of spending time with him lifted her nearly off her feet as she glided through the door. From a booth in the back, he waved at her.

  He looked good.

  As she walked toward him, he stood and hesitantly wrapped her in a hug when she got near enough. She slid her arms around his waist and snuggled next to his heart.

  When he pulled away and looked down at her, she could tell he had something pressing on his mind.

  “I know it’s only been a couple of weeks,” Nick said, clearing his throat and shuffling his feet. He slid back into the booth, pulling her in next to him. “But?”

  He took her hand and smiled down at her. “At the safe house, you told me I wasn’t crazy when I said I thought we…um…”

  “Had feelings for each other?”

  He flushed. “Yeah. I’m out of practice with all of this, but I’m…falling in love with you, Carly.” He swallowed hard. Her heart fluttered in her chest like a trapped butterfly.

  He touched her hand, and she looked up at him. His eyes met hers. “Two weeks ago, when all of the danger was going on and I was going crazy feeling like I was being pulled in a hundred different directions…” He trailed off, and she waited. “You—and God—kept the insanity at bay. You were the calm in my storm. I needed that. I needed you.” He traced her eyebrow with his forefinger, and Carly let her eyes drift shut.

  Then she opened them and smiled. “I think we did that for each other. I seem to remember a meltdown or two of my own.” She paused. “And you turned to the only one that could really do anything about the situation. I loved that about you.”

  His eyes warmed, and he looked wistful. “Is that all you love about me?”

  She felt the heat rise into her cheeks. “No, but I need some feedback here.”

  “How do you feel about the kids?”

  “I’m very fond of them,” she said without hesitation. “I would even go so far as to say I’ve come to love them. We all went through a lot together—that bonds people in a way that just hanging out doesn’t compare with. And they’re easy kids to love.”

  He gave a fain
t smile. “Yes, they squirmed right into my heart the minute I learned of their impending births.”

  “So, what’s the problem?”

  Nick blew out a sigh. “I guess I’m afraid.”

  Not expecting that one, she felt thrown off. “You? Of what?”

  Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her to him and planted a kiss on top of her head. “That I’ll lose you. That the kids will come to love you and look at you as a mother figure, and then—we’ll lose you.”

  Anger stirred, but she pushed it back. She didn’t want to be angry. She wanted to know where she stood with him. What he was feeling. “So, you’re saying you don’t want to take a chance on us?”

  “No. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying I’m scared and I need reassurance—and I’m not sure what to do about that because I’ve never really been in this situation before. Never really thought it would be an issue. Then you came back into my life, and…here we are.”

  Carly thought for a moment, wracking her brain for the right words. Sucking in a deep breath then exhaling on a prayer, she said, “Nick, I don’t know what to tell you. But do you know what my quiet time this morning was?”

  “Quiet time?” Surprise lifted his brow.

  “Yes.” She nudged him in the rib with an elbow. “Since I’ve chosen to follow God, I figured I’d better spend time with Him to get reacquainted with Him.”

  This time he pulled her into a fierce hug. “I’m so glad you and God got that worked out.”

  “Me, too.” She stroked his cheek. He hadn’t shaved this morning, and his whiskers scratched her palm, sending shivers up her arm. “Anyway, as I was saying, I was reading in Philippians this morning and came across a very interesting verse.”

  “Philippians?”

  “Chapter 4, verse 6. Are you familiar with it?”

  His brow furrowed. “I don’t recognize the reference right off. What does it say?”

  “‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’”

  He was silent for a moment then gave a low chuckle. “And you memorized it.”

  “Because I was a little anxious about that talk you mentioned you wanted to have.” She reached out and squeezed his fingers.

  Taking a deep breath, she said, “I’ll be honest. I want to be with you, to encourage you and to be there during the good times and bad, but I’m not living my life being afraid. I’ve just found some peace and security in God, and I’m going to trust Him with my future. Hopefully, that future includes you and the children.”

  He smiled down at her.

  “You’ve come a long way in a short time, haven’t you?”

  She gave him a look. One she hoped conveyed the love bursting inside of her. “I’ve been working on it.”

  “Then what do you think of marriage?”

  Marriage?

  Had he really said that?

  Warmth suffused his face, and he found himself grateful for the low lighting. Then he decided, why not? It’s what he’d been thinking. “I’ve missed you,” he started over.

  Now she looked up. A smile spread across her lips, and the tears in her eyes dried up. “Good.”

  “Good?”

  “Real good. Because I’ve missed you, too.”

  “You got under my skin. I can’t seem to shake you.”

  A chuckle escaped her. “I think that was a compliment.”

  He grasped her hand. His thumb smoothed over her skin. She had tough hands, calluses on her palms, a bruise near the base of her pinkie. He smiled and lifted it to kiss it. Enough dancing around the subject. “Carly, I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  She gasped, blinked and stared at him.

  He rushed on. “I know it’s fast. It may be too soon for you, but in all the time we spent together, day in and day out, I think I got a pretty good picture of who you are. And I like that picture a lot. It was hard to keep those feelings at bay while the danger was surrounding us. I couldn’t act on them, and I knew you couldn’t, but I don’t want to lose you. That being said, would you marry me?”

  Shock shook her. Rendered her speechless. Had he really said that? “Did you just really say that?”

  He gave a slow nod. “I did. I mean, we don’t have to get married tomorrow or anything. We can have a long engagement if you like, but I just…I don’t want to let you get away. You’ve brought something into my life I never thought I’d find again.”

  That knot in her throat just wouldn’t go away no matter how hard she swallowed. Was this really happening? “I’d given up on finding you.”

  A puzzled look crossed his face, and she laughed. “You know. Mr. Right.”

  Relieved, he squeezed her fingers. It dawned on her that no one had bothered them since delivering their drinks.

  Suspicious, she looked at him. “Wait a minute. Where’s our waiter?”

  “We don’t need him just yet.”

  Leaning over, he placed his lips on hers, and she froze—then melted. Finally, he pulled back and murmured, “You didn’t answer me.”

  “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  “Whoo-hoo!” Cheers from the booth behind them made her jump and look around Nick.

  Lindsey and Christopher popped from around the end, and Christopher crawled under the table to wedge his way between Nick and Carly. Lindsey plopped down opposite them and beamed. “This is totally awesome!”

  “I get to be the ring bearer,” Christopher crowed. Then he frowned.

  “What is it, Chris?” Nick asked, concerned.

  “I was just wondering. Is being a ring bearer anything like bearing children?”

  Carly choked, Nick coughed and Lindsey howled while Christopher looked on, confused.

  Thankfully, they were in the back of a nearly deserted restaurant, so they didn’t disturb too many people.

  When Nick caught his breath, he said, “Uh, no, nothing like it, Chris.”

  “Oh. Then what does it mean?”

  Nick rubbed the boy’s head. “It means you get to be a special part of our special day. Come on. Now, let’s celebrate.”

  Chris grinned. “Okay, cool.” He raised his water glass. “To the best aunt and uncle ever.”

  “The best,” Lindsey echoed.

  “Kiss her again, Uncle Nick,” Christopher said, laughing.

  Nick grinned down at her. “Now, that’s one order I’m happy to follow.”

  So he did.

  Dear Reader,

  It always amazes me that I actually get to this point—the Dear Reader letter. Because my letter to you means that I’ve finished another book. I still can’t get over the wonder of that feat. I’m guessing at this point that I’ll continue to surprise myself each time. LOL.

  I hope you enjoyed Nicholas and Carly’s story. I had a great time introducing Carly in A Silent Pursuit and knew immediately she needed her own story. Carly had a hard time trusting God to be who He says He is. Tough times and a lot of loss knocked the fight from her and hardened her heart against God. But through Nick’s example of stubborn faith, she came back to her faith and the God she’d once trusted. I know how Carly felt. Sometimes it’s so hard to trust that God knows what He’s doing and that He’s in control, when it seems as if evil is winning and the good guys are losing. But God is who He says He is and He always keeps his promises. We just have to believe that—in good times and bad. My childhood pastor once said, “Faith unable to be tested is faith that stands strong.” I want to be able to trust that faith. I pray that whatever tough times you’ve been through—or are going through—you stand strong in your faith and realize that joy will come in the morning.

  God bless!

  QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  When Carly found out she’d been protecting someone she didn’t respect, she had to put aside her own feelings and focus on doing her duty. Have you ever had to do something like that? If so, what?

  Ca
rly had a bad experience that made her turn her back on God. Nick had an experience that made him trust God even more. Which side are you on? Give an example.

  Nick gave in and accepted protection from the marshals because of the kids. He did it because it was the responsible thing to do, even though it inconvenienced him. Have you ever had to “be responsible” although you didn’t really want to? Tell us about it.

  Which scene did you like the most?

  Which scene could you relate to the most?

  What do you think about the marshal occupation?

  Carly watched Nick live out his faith in an amazing way, and she was greatly influenced by it. Have you ever watched someone go through something terrible and keep trusting God? What did you think about that? Did it change you?

  Little Lindsey does quite the turnaround from spoiled brat to wise child. Why do you think this is? Did you find it realistic?

  Were you surprised when you found out who the villain was? Why or why not?

  Nick was totally betrayed by his best friend. When he realized who had caused all his suffering, he was devastated. Have you been betrayed by a close friend or family member? How did you react? Have you forgiven that person yet?

  If you had been in Carly’s shoes, would you have stayed on the case or excused yourself? Do you agree with the fact that she decided to see it through to the end? Why or why not?

  What do you think about Nick’s fervent prayer and Carly’s response to it?

  What did you think about Nick’s decision not to give in to the pressure to recuse himself from the case? Even after the kidnappers had his nephew, he still didn’t want to give up the case, although he agonized about it. What would you have done? Did you respect his emotional and spiritual struggle?

  Which character had the most impact on you and why?

  Did this book impact you spiritually? If so, how?

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-6509-1

  PROTECTIVE CUSTODY

  Copyright © 2010 by Lynette Eason

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.