Holiday Illusion. Lynette Eason
down her fingers jerked her from her memories. Breathing hard, she set the can down, wiping her hand on her jeans, ignoring the stickiness.
What had happened to that evidence she’d found? She’d lost track of how many times she’d silently asked herself that question. Her colleague Justin didn’t have an answer, either. The FBI agents who’d come in behind her should have found that memory card with no trouble. The sting operation had gone off like clockwork…at least up to the point where she’d been shot and they’d realized someone had slipped through the cracks. So, who had messed up? Justin didn’t know, and she was going to drive herself insane running it over and over in her mind.
Gritting her teeth, she shut down the computer. It didn’t matter. She’d done her job, paid the price for doing it. She was in a different line of work now, didn’t have to worry about men who killed, didn’t have to wonder when she stepped outside whether a bullet would pierce her flesh. She definitely didn’t miss the stress and tension of the job…or the adrenaline high, the satisfaction of a job well done, the knowledge she’d made a difference in keeping someone safe for one more day. She didn’t miss it at all.
Much. Terribly much. Well, maybe a little. If she could get over her fear…
She was going back for Paulo. Just Paulo. Because she would need to be there to sign papers and offer him love and support. And that was it. Period.
“How’s he doing?” Anna asked as she settled onto the love seat beside Lucas, two glasses of lemonade fresh from the fridge clutched in each hand. She ignored the pitter-patter her heart made whenever she was close to him or thought about him or pictured them together at some point in the future or…Someday, maybe…Uh-uh. Don’t go there, Anna.
Ella, one of the orphanage staff who’d volunteered to go along as an extra pair of hands, snoozed on the pullout sofa off to the side. The plane cruised smoothly through the clouds at thirty-five thousand feet, due to land at Rocking Wave Beach Airport in approximately one hour. They’d flown all night, the two pilots taking turns sleeping and flying. She’d just had a nap in the queen-size bed at the back of the plane and felt refreshed in spite of what lay ahead.
Lucas looked up and took the glass of lemonade. “Thanks. He’s sleeping right now.”
“He’s such a special kid. He’s been a real trouper. I just hope…” She bit her lip, looking down at the plush carpet.
“Yeah, me, too.” Lucas set the glass on the end table, rising to check Paulo’s vitals one more time. “An ambulance will be waiting at the airport for us. I’ll get him loaded on then get a rental car while you and Ella ride with him to the hospital. I’ll meet you all there.”
“Don’t you want to ride with him? I don’t mind getting the car.”
“No, I have something I need to take care of. He’ll be in good care. My friend Mark Priestly is the heart surgeon on this case. He’s going to be in the ambulance waiting on us.”
Anna looked curious about what he needed to take care of, but didn’t ask, just nodded.
Slightly less than an hour later, they were on the ground, and rolling Paulo into the ambulance. Lucas greeted Mark warmly. “Hey buddy, how are you? I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you doing this.”
The tall, slenderly built doctor had a head of shaggy blond curls and smiling hazel eyes. He looked more like a surfer than the top-notch, highly in demand surgeon that he was. He grabbed Lucas in a bear hug. “Man, it’s been forever.” Concern touched his eyes. “You back for good?”
Lucas shrugged, ignoring the meaning behind the question. “We’ll see.”
“Yeah, and we’ll talk, too.”
Lucas motioned to Anna. “This is the lady I was telling you about. Anna Freeman, this is Mark Priestly.”
Mark turned his smile to Anna, holding out a hand graced with slender yet strong fingers. “Nice to meet you. You’re as beautiful as Lucas said.”
Anna blushed, which Lucas found extremely charming. He shot his buddy a glance that said watch it, then introduced Ella, who smiled shyly and shook the doctor’s hand.
Anna, Mark and Ella climbed into the ambulance and Mark turned professional in the blink of an eye, checking Paulo’s vitals, reading through his chart and asking a dozen questions. Once he was satisfied he waved Lucas on. “We’ll see you there.” Lucas watched the ambulance pull away.
Sighing, he shivered, tugging his leather jacket tighter around himself. Gripping his cell phone, he wondered if he should even bother checking in with his family. After all, it had been close to three years since he’d even spoken to his father. Three years since his father had blamed him for his brother’s death. Lucas shook off the thoughts, clipped his phone back into its case and headed for the rental car counter. Four days ago, when he’d called to let his family know he’d be coming home, Ted, the family chauffeur had been thrilled to hear from him and had offered to send a car around to the airport. Lucas had refused because, until he had more time to get a feel for how things were going to go at home and with his father, he didn’t want to be without immediate transportation. A rental car would be just fine.
“Excuse me, sir.”
Lucas looked up to see a fresh-faced teen dressed in the popular tradition of faded frayed blue jeans, and a cropped top revealing a pierced navel. Didn’t the girl know it was the last week in October and unseasonably cold?
Hiding his thoughts, he asked, “Yes?”
“We’re on a mission trip and I just wanted to give you this. You look like you could use a friend.” She handed over the little slip of paper.
A tract. Great, just what he needed. He forced a smile. “Thanks. Good luck with your trip.”
A beautiful smile crossed her lips to mesh with the peace written in her eyes. Eyes that reminded him of Anna even though this girl’s eyes were chocolate-brown and Anna’s were sky-blue.
“I don’t need luck,” she said. “I’ve got God.”
Well, since I don’t have God, I guess I’ll have to stick with luck.
Why that thought depressed him, he wasn’t sure, but instead of dwelling on it, he crossed to the car rental place to get in line. A dancing reindeer with a red nose greeted him as he approached the counter bobbing in time to “Jingle Bell Rock.” He shook his head. Not even Thanksgiving yet, and Christmas waved to him from every direction.
The trash can to his right caught his attention while the tract burned a hole in the palm of his hand. Curling his fingers around the paper, he started to slam-dunk it when, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a blue-jean-clad leg jiggling in time to the music in the girl’s head. She was still watching him. Instead of scoring a two-pointer, he slid the paper into the front pocket of his jacket. He’d toss it later when she wasn’t around. No use in hurting her feelings even if she was deluded into thinking God cared about anything she did.
Finally, keys in hand, he headed for his car, tugging his phone from the clip on his side as he walked, his other hand pulling his rolling suitcase along behind him. Anna’s and Ella’s things would be shipped to the hospital within the hour.
Frigid air greeted him as he stepped outside, nearly sucking every last drop of oxygen from his shocked lungs. He’d forgotten how cold it could get even in the South. Used to eighty-plus-degree weather year-round, the fifty-two degrees he was now shivering in seemed to make his blood freeze mid-flow.
Fingers trembling, he pressed the remote unlock for his compact little car and climbed in. The heater finally going full blast, he pulled out of the parking garage and stopped at the stop sign. Tapping his fingers on the wheel, he finally decided it was now or never to ask the question he’d been wondering for the past three years.
Pulling out his phone, he dialed his father’s number.