by Laura Scott
“They look just like candy,” Adam said, as if reading her mind.
They did. The thought of a child stumbling upon a bag of colored drug pills on Christmas morning and mistaking them for candy sent chills through her.
She radioed the Brooklyn K-9 Unit and filled them in on what she’d found. Thankfully, several officers were already on their way, including Raymond and Abby. She watched as Adam’s hand reached out as if wanting to pat Liberty, then caught himself before he did just as little Matty had. She told Liberty to keep searching. Adam closed his eyes and his lips moved in what she guessed was silent prayer. She looked away to give him privacy.
“Your van will be towed back to the station so the forensics team can go over it,” she said when he opened his eyes. “And they’ll also get a warrant to check your warehouse.”
He bristled. “Except I’ve got a couple hundred kids expecting Christmas presents.”
“I know,” she said, “and I’m sorry, but we can’t risk drugs falling into the hands of children.”
“Of course we can’t.” Adam sounded almost offended. “But toys can be checked before we distribute them. We can’t let these kids go without toys at Christmas. For a lot of them, this could be the only real present they get this year.”
She felt her eyes widen. Did he think she didn’t know that? Or that she didn’t care?
“Trust me, I’m not in the business of stealing toys from children at Christmastime,” she said. “But we’ve got a lot of ground to cover and a lot of warehouses to search. We’ve already cleared several so far.”
“But surely there’s something you can do,” Adam started.
“Like what?” Noelle asked. “I can explain your situation to my boss, but even if you’re leapfrogged to the top of the list, I can’t guarantee your toys will be released until after Christmas. And I can’t let you take these toys. You’re making it sound like you think I’m heartless for doing my job.”
He blinked, like he hadn’t been expecting pushback. Well, he may have done an incredible job pursuing the stolen van, that didn’t mean she was about to let him run the show. “That wasn’t my intention.”
“Trust me, I feel terrible about this,” she said, “and I’m sorry if it makes you think less of me. Hopefully you can have both the toys in the truck and the warehouse back in a few days.”
“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve,” Adam said. “I don’t have a few days. I have kids waiting for toys as we speak, plus a brunch at a community center tomorrow and then another giveaway tomorrow evening.”
Her heart ached for him, for his family and the children too. But there was only so much she could do.
For a moment she thought he was about to argue. But all he said was, “I need to get back to my family.”
Sirens filled the air and lights flashed outside the door. Even more backup had arrived.
“Again, I’m really sorry,” she said, “and I am really thankful for your help. Someone will be in touch.”
She slid her gloves off, stuck them in her pocket and reached out her hands toward him before her brain fully realized what she’d done. She’d almost tried to hug him. Instead, Adam reached out with both hands and took hers in a double handclasp.
“It was nice to meet you, Officer,” he said.
The two-handed handshake was awkward and seemed to be lasting longer than it should. She looked down and startled to realize the three middle fingers were missing on his left hand. Injury, she imagined.
She looked up into his blue eyes. “It was nice to meet you too, Corporal. And if I don’t see you again, Merry Christmas.”
* * *
Adam drove back to the mall as quickly as he safely could. His heart felt like it was thudding through his chest and he didn’t quite understand why. Between the multi-car accident, Quentin’s injury, the candy-like Ecstasy pills inside the toy dog and the children back at the mall awaiting toys, he had so much to think and pray about. But somehow the one single thing that was floating front and center in his mind was the face of Officer Noelle Orton.
Had she thought he was rude when he’d pressed her on whether she really needed to impound his van and warehouse? And if so, why did that thought bother him so much?
There was something about her that rattled him in a way he couldn’t explain and didn’t know how to shake. There was just something, a quality, that got to him. She was beautiful, sure. But more than that, she was professional, focused and driven, and while he was beside himself with worry about what he was going to do, somehow he also admired the way she’d dug her heels in and stood up to him.
He couldn’t remember ever being this impacted by a woman before. Matty’s mother, Carissa, had been his best friend since kindergarten. They’d known each other for years before he’d even once thought of kissing her. She’d been his sweet, steady and reliable confidante for over twenty years when she’d died of breast cancer, leaving him with their toddler son and a broken heart. The incredible and life-changing love he’d felt for Carissa had been completely different from the sudden jolt to the system meeting Noelle had been.
So, what was it about Noelle that he couldn’t shake? The intensity in her eyes? The way her chin had risen when she’d stared him down? The slight flicker of surprise that had brushed her gaze when she’d noticed his injured fingers as she’d held his hands? In the relatively short time they’d spent together, she’d never noticed his injury. Then when she had, she’d taken it in stride.
He pulled into the mall’s back lot, ran up the loading dock and pushed through into the hallway where he found his father waiting for him.
“Everything all right?” Fred asked. “And if not, what can I do?”
That was his dad in a nutshell. The toys were missing, the event was supposed to start any minute and Adam had disappeared for over half an hour without explanation, but all his father was focused on were solutions. Adam was beyond grateful.
“Quentin was threatened at knife point by a thief who stole our van,” Adam said. He kept walking and his dad matched his pace. “He was injured, but he’s okay and in the hospital. Unfortunately, the police found drugs stashed in one of the toys, impounded the van and locked down our warehouse.”
He heard his father thank God that Quentin was safe and pray for his healing.
“Is that what the K-9 officer was looking for?” his dad asked. “Nicole?”
“Noelle,” Adam corrected. What an appropriate name that was for a Christmas case. The veteran in him appreciated Liberty’s name too. “And yes. Although the mall store was clear, somehow a toy dog stuffed with drugs got mixed up in one of our toy shipments. So, until the Brooklyn K-9 Unit sorts out how, we’ve got no toys.”
They reached the double doors and pushed through them back into the mall. The sound of hundreds of excited children and their parents filled his ears.
His heart sunk. Lord, help us out of this mess!
“Daddy!” Matty ran toward him, with his grandmother, Irene, one step behind him. “I met a yellow police dog with a special black smudgy ear!”
“Hey, little man!” Adam bent down and scooped his son up into his arms. “Her name is Liberty, right? So did I!”
“I wanted to pet her but I didn’t,” Matty said. “Because she was working.”
“I wanted to pet Liberty too,” Adam admitted. He hugged his son, as his father quickly and quietly filled his mother in. He watched as a prayer crossed her lips. He echoed her silent prayer with one of his own and set his son down. “I’m going to call all of our suppliers. Hopefully one of them will come through with replacement toys.”
“In the meantime, your mother, Matty and I will lead everyone in some Christmas carols,” Fred said. “Unless, you’d like to do the music while I make the calls?”
“No, thank you,” Adam clasped a hand on his father’s shoulder. “You guys have got this.”
<
br /> As a teenager it’d been all but impossible to pry him away from the guitar. For now, it was still on the list of things he had to reteach himself after the accident.
Not five minutes later, he was pacing the floor behind the stage, praying under his breath and juggling both his and his parents’ cell phones as he placed calls from all three at once, thankful his mom hadn’t misplaced hers again, as she so often did. He left messages, called second and third times, and tried personal cell phone numbers—anything he could do to get toys for the kids. No one was answering. In one ear, he could hear his dad strumming, his mom and Matty leading the crowd in carols. In the other ear, he could hear the cell phones ringing.
Help me, Lord. I don’t know what to do.
His phone clicked.
“Adam? It’s Lou Shmit, owner of Dotty’s Toys.”
“Lou, hi!” Adam nearly dropped the phone as he fumbled to snap it to his ear.
“Got a message from you,” Lou said. “So did my secretary and warehouse guy. Your toys were stolen?”
“Something like that,” Adam said. He wasn’t sure if he’d put it exactly like that but he’d left so many messages it was hard to keep track, and he imagined Noelle would want him to keep the news that drugs had been found in one of his toys close to his chest. “I’m standing in a shopping mall right now, with a couple hundred kids and no toys. Then we’ve got a morning event tomorrow and another tomorrow night.”
There was a pause on the other end. Then he heard Lou blow out a long breath and Adam felt his heart sink.
“I’m sorry,” Lou said. “We had the Brooklyn K-9 Unit searching this place this morning thanks to some big smuggling case. I don’t know the details, but rumor is they’re apparently checking everyone who got a toy shipment in through the port this month. Figured to let them in right away and not wait for a warrant. But it tied up our warehouse and guys for most of the day before we were finally cleared and our trucks went out late. I’ll see if I can do something for tomorrow but I’m not promising anything.”
“Got it.” Adam’s phone beeped that another call was coming in. “Sorry, I’ve got to quickly take a call. Can you hold?”
“Sure thing,” Lou said.
Adam clicked through to the other line. “Hello?”
“Mr. Jolly?” The voice was female and crisp. “My name is Gillian Nicks. I work for Ace Distributors.”
“Hi, yes, and call me Adam.” He’d placed a couple of messages for his regular contact at Ace, but he’d never dealt with Gillian. However, they were also the farthest away. Even if they had spare toys, it would take hours to reach them. “How can I help you?”
“Actually, I’m calling to see how I can help you,” Gillian said. “I understand you’re currently at a toy giveaway without toys. Can you give me the details?”
“Sure,” he said and rattled them off quickly. “Can I put you on hold? I have another call on the line.”
“I’ll call you back,” she said.
Now what had that been about? He ended the call and clicked back to Lou. “Hey, sorry about that.”
“I’ve got some partially good news,” Lou said. “We can get toys for both your events tomorrow. We just can’t do anything about today.”
“Tomorrow is better than never,” Adam said. It wasn’t everything he needed but it was a start. “I owe you one.”
A burst of cheers, followed by applause rose from the crowd of kids on the other side of the stage. What was happening? He ended the call and went to look. Two uniformed teenage employees from the large toy store at the end of the mall were pushing a shopping cart overflowing with toys toward them. Two more followed, carrying armfuls of stuffed animals. Before he could figure out the reason for the parade of approaching toys, his phone rang again. “Hello?”
“Adam, it’s Gillian again from Ace,” she said. “I’ve spoken to the manager at one of our retail partners and they’ve agreed to meet the immediate need for toys for your event. Apparently, I’m to tell you the Brooklyn K-9 Unit searched their store and stockroom this afternoon and found no problems. They should be bringing toys to you now.”
Relief flooded over him so suddenly his knees buckled.
“Thank you, God,” a prayer slipped out under his breath.
“Now, it’ll just be back-room stock,” Gillian added, quickly, “and on the condition my company provides an overnight restock before the store opens tomorrow. They’ll probably be posting about this on their website to maximize positive publicity and might ask your charity for comment and pictures. Also, I can’t promise it’ll be high-end toys or that they’ll be wrapped.”
“But they’ll be toys for the kids,” Adam said, “and that’s all that matters.”
His heart swelled with joy. The cheers rose louder as the store’s teenage clerks began piling presents under the tree. Matty was bouncing so high on the balls of his feet he was nearly levitating.
“I have to go,” Adam said. He had to coordinate the giveaway and explain to his baffled parents what was going on. “I really can’t... I can’t thank you enough...”
Gillian chuckled softly.
“You’re welcome,” she said. “My sister goes to the same church as a journalist named Sasha Eastman, whose fiancé is with the Brooklyn K-9 Unit. Apparently, an Officer Noelle Orton of that precinct put out an emergency prayer bulletin on the church’s site about your charity being in urgent need of toys and Sasha posted it on her social media. When I saw it, I recognized your name and tried to see what I could do.”
He had Noelle to thank for all this?
He didn’t have time to even begin to think about what that meant. For the next two and a half hours, his hands, heart and mind were full with distributing toys to smiling children. And despite the added complications, not a single child left disappointed and without a toy. For that he was beyond happy and thankful. The event had finished, store fronts were being shuttered and Adam was sitting on the stage with Matty half asleep in his arms, when he looked up to see a familiar face and her canine partner walking through the mall toward him.
“How did it go?” Noelle asked.
“Better than I thought it would,” Adam admitted. “One of our distributors got the mall toy store to pitch in and help us out. I’m told that’s thanks to something you posted online?”
Noelle pressed her lips together and nodded slightly. “Well, I’m not totally heartless.”
A deep and unexpected chuckle bubbled up from somewhere deep inside his chest.
“I never said you were,” he said. “But if you’re here for a toy, I’m afraid you’re too late.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m here because of a larger, and potentially pretty serious, situation I’d like to talk to you about. I have to go back to the station now. But is there somewhere private we can meet up later tonight and talk?”
THREE
Two hours later, Adam paced the living room of his family’s home in Bensonhurst and fought the urge to keep looking out the window. The mall had been closing when Noelle and Liberty had arrived and Matty had been exhausted, so Adam had suggested she come by the house later. Noelle had been quick to agree, saying she’d drop by when she got off duty. Now, for some reason, he was as anxious as a kid waiting for Christmas morning. Did he secretly miss the adrenaline of serving on the battlefield? Or was it something more than that?
Lord, what am I feeling? And, more importantly, what do You think I should do about it?
There was a knock at the door. He looked up to see a police SUV impressively parallel parked in a tight spot on the street outside the house. He walked to the door with his heart beating so hard he almost worried she’d be able to hear it. He opened the door and there she stood on his front doorstep, with a smile on her face that seemed to light up the corner of her eyes. His mouth went dry. “Hey.”
“Hey, Adam,” Noelle sai
d. She’d swapped her police blues for a soft red sweater, black leather jacket and blue jeans. Her long dark hair fell loose around her shoulders. And for a long moment he just stood there, feeling himself grin. Then he felt a nudge against his leg and looked down. Liberty was out of her K-9 harness too and wagging her tail at him.
“Come in,” Adam said, “please.” He stepped back and made space as Noelle and Liberty walked through the doorway. Noelle took off her boots and Liberty shook off the snow. “Let me take your coat.”
“Thank you.” Noelle turned and shrugged her coat off into his hands.
The soft, sweet smell of her filled his senses.
“Liberty’s here! Liberty’s here!” Matty charged around the corner, screeched to a stop and looked from Liberty to Noelle and back. “Liberty’s not in uniform. Does that mean I can pet her?”
“Yes.” The smile on Noelle’s lips grew wider. “Liberty is off duty and pettable.”
“Yay!” Matty knelt down, threw his arms around the canine and hugged her, burying his face in her fur. Liberty gave the boy a lick and something about the dog’s eyes made Adam think Liberty was laughing. Then Matty sat back and looked up at Noelle. “Why does she have a smudgy black ear?”
“I don’t know,” Noelle said. “But it’s very rare and special.” Then she leaned down toward the boy and whispered loudly, “In fact, Liberty is so special that one time some very bad guys wanted to stop her from doing her job so she had to go into hiding!”
“Whoa!” The little boy’s eyes grew wide. “Like witness protection for dogs?”
Noelle nodded conspiratorially. “Yup, but she’s safe now.”
