SERENITY: A Path Home (Beauty 0f Life Book 6)

by Laura Acton

An idea sparked as an image of Dan’s Christmas tree flashed in her mind. She decorated her own tree with pretty, but meaningless bobbles. Lexa liked Dan’s much better. “I got it! You wanted my opinion on switching up our gifting tradition. How about we do a Christmas ornament exchange?”

  A grin came to Nick’s face. “I like the idea. More meaningful than a funny white elephant exchange.” His mind shifted to Dan’s sore chest. “Regarding Dan, though. I’ll suggest to Jon that Dan be Zulu One today or is my second. Both positions should keep him away from physical actions.”

  “You aren’t going to tell Jon why, are you?” Lexa worried her lower lip not wanting to lose the progress she made with Dan.

  Nick read Lexa’s body language, noting the concern. He reassured her by laying a hand on hers. “Not in so many words. Leave it to me.” He patted her hand then removed it.

  “Alright.” Lexa stood. “Just make it clear to Jon—”

  “Lexa,” Nick interrupted as he stood. “Have faith in me, please. I won’t do anything which will break Dan’s confidence in you. We all care for him, and I’m thrilled he opened up, made you his confidant, and allows you to help him. With your gentle ways, I believe Dan will start down a path to accept assistance from the rest of us.”

  Lexa hugged Nick then stepped back and spoke from the heart, “Thanks. You have always been there for me. Always.”

  Her gaze softened as she looked at the boss. I truly rely on him, and he’s never let me down. He is my surrogate father. A man, unlike my real father. Boss would never turn his back on me, hurt me, or abandon me. I was lucky to join his team. They became my family. None of them will ever break my heart as my natural family did. They will never cut me out of their lives because of my choices. But what if I lie to them? Taking a deep breath, Lexa released it gradually as she pushed doubt away. “Shall we go tell the team about the new gift exchange idea?”

  “Yes, you can give them the news. Be prepared for Loki to grumble though. He loves finding the funniest, most useless gifts out there,” Nick said with a chuckle.

  “I can handle Loki. It’s time we changed and made Christmas a time to show our teammates we care about them. This will be a fun way to do that.”

  “Yes, it will be.” Nick opened the door and waited for Lexa to go first. As they started for the gym, his smile increased. Lexa’s spontaneous hug warmed him and tangibly displayed she held no animosity towards him for his question regarding her and Dan. She was the heart of this team and the daughter of his heart. Lexa made this time of year bearable for him.

  Nick put up a tree because it was expected, but ever since Martin died, the magic of Christmas dimmed. His tree reflected his emotional state, decorated with lights he never bothered to turn on, and a few trivial trimmings. Hanging the ornaments with meaning continued to be a painful reminder of what he lost. Perhaps this year would be the beginning of a new tradition, and next year the tree would hold at least one meaningful decoration.

  TRF HQ – Gym – 5:00 a.m.

  Dan chose the stationary bike again this morning. He wondered what the boss wanted to talk with Lexa about. Did he know something? Have we been found out? If so, why wouldn’t he call us both in? The last thought settled his mind. Sergeant Pastore would surely call them both on the carpet if he suspected they broke the non-fraternization rule.

  Loki jogged into the room, not wanting to be the last one to workout. After calling Ray last night, his worries quieted, and he had a long soak. His muscles were much looser today. He glanced at Dan on the bike again, instead of a treadmill or heavy bag which was his normal. He decided not to worry because Dan wore a smile which lit his eyes today, he wouldn’t do that if he hurt.

  As he stepped onto the treadmill, Loki said, “So when are you getting your Ducati back? Has to be better riding your motorcycle to work than your mountain bike in this weather.”

  Dan shrugged. “The company I arranged to transport it from CFB Borden got backed up and can’t deliver it until after the new year. If we didn’t work every day, I’d take a bus there and pick it up.”

  “So how did you take out the jasmine-scented lady?” Ray asked.

  Inwardly cringing, Dan kept a smile on his face. Crap, they smelled Lexa’s jasmine lotion even after three washings. I’m definitely getting some man lotion.

  Loki chuckled. “Dantastic let the lady drive I bet. You going to bring her to the party?”

  “Nah, I’m still going stag.” Dan breathed a sigh of relief as the topic shifted when Bram started telling them about how Kellie obtained tickets for the girls to the Sunday afternoon matinee of the Nutcracker.

  Eyes Shining with Innocent Wonder

  20

  December 17

  TRF HQ – Gym – 5:20 a.m.

  Jon glanced at Nick as he entered wearing his street clothes. “You need to stop avoiding workout. All those pignoli are taking up permanent residency.”

  Nick chuckled. “Not avoiding, only needed to run something past Lexa.”

  His brows raising, Jon asked, “Oh, really? What?”

  “She’ll tell you when she finishes changing.”

  “You do realize, we’re the ones who have to drag your happy ass. Go change now or else you won’t like my next team session,” Jon said as the rest snickered.

  “Going now.” The corners of Nick’s mouth turned up with mirth.

  TRF HQ – Women’s Locker Room – 5:20 a.m.

  Lexa dressed in her workout clothes and stood in front of the mirror as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. What am I doing? I’m risking it all for a man. I lied to Boss by omission. How will he feel if he finds out about my betrayal?

  Justine entered the lockers to change her flour-covered shirt after Charlie Team’s encounter while grabbing breakfast. “Morning, Lexa.”

  Pulled from her musing, Lexa stared at Justine. “What happened to you?”

  Smiling, Justine said, “A couple of guys went nuts at Bakery Cafe when they were told the expresso machine quit working. Tyler and I were there grabbing coffee and doughnuts for the team when all hell broke loose. Flour flew everywhere as the men ransacked the place. Looks like it snowed in the cafe. Man, glad I’m not addicted to coffee. Makes people do strange things when they haven’t had their morning cup or two.”

  “You stay with TRF long enough, and you will be.” Lexa laughed as she hurried to join workout, happy she already had her first cup of the day.

  Justine smiled. Yeah, I’ll be here that long. Nothing better than TRF.

  TRF HQ – Gym – 5:30 a.m.

  Lexa chose the stationary bike next to Dan, giving him a small smile as she sat down and adjusted the tension to her liking. She began a slow pedal to warm up as she waited for the boss to return before breaking the news to them. Five minutes later, Boss entered and stepped onto a treadmill.

  Jon prompted. “So what did you and Boss talk about?”

  “Well, we have a little change for this year’s gift exchange. I know it’s late and some of you have put a lot of time and effort into finding just the right useless item.” Lexa gave Loki a pointed look.

  Loki grinned. He had found the perfect thing. A talking toilet paper roll holder which could be programmed to say anything. When someone pulled off the paper, it spoke. He only needed to come up with something funny to program it with before the party tomorrow night.

  As she started to pedal faster, Lexa continued, “This year we’re going to select names out of a hat and choose a meaningful ornament for the person you draw.” Directing her gaze to Loki again, she said, “No gag ornaments. You must put some thought into what you select. It should reflect something they value or enjoy.”

  Dan glanced at Lexa. This is about my little tree.

  As he jogged, Nick said, “Thought we could use a change. We’ve experienced quite a year and some tough calls this week. It got me to thinking that we need to embrace the true spirit of the season. I pulled Lexa aside because I was certain she would come up with a first-class solution. She
didn’t disappoint. So, we will draw names during briefing. We have no warrants. Today can be a patrol day. You can give it some thought, and if you want to walk around a few stores, do a little PR, let the city know we’re out there and keeping the bad guys on their toes, that would be acceptable.”

  TRF HQ – Briefing Room – 8:30 a.m.

  The team finished the morning briefing and drew names. Loki grumbled that he had found his exchange gift, but the quelling look and raised fist from Lexa shut him up as the guys chuckled. Lexa’s little punches to the arms could be painful, and they all tried to avoid them.

  Jon stared at his scrap of paper. He drew Ray. This one would be easy if he could only find what he wanted in Canada in the next two days. Possibly a real challenge. Folding his paper and shoving it into his pocket, he glanced at Dan.

  He noted Dan moved slower than usual, and he bypassed an upper body work out again. Holding the net when the Collys fell, and Loki’s tackle must have put extra strain on his muscles. Jon realized Dan must be sorer than he was willing to admit, but had not let it impede his work yesterday.

  Jon decided to keep an eye on Dan on the sly because his open overtures were always met with resistance. Pairing Dan with Bram today would be beneficial for a couple of reasons. One, Bram had a positive relationship with Dan. Bram forged a path with the rookie the rest of them continued to follow. Two, if they got into any situations while patrolling which demanded strength, Bram would be best to assist Dan.

  His gaze turned to assess the remainder of the team. Glimpsing a pout on Loki’s face, Jon suppressed a grin. The team’s techie still appeared to be miffed about the change. He would pair Loki with Lexa. A bit of one-on-one time with her would straighten Loki out. They would be laughing in short order.

  As he took the last bite of his Jammy Dodger, he caught Nick giving him the evil eye. Jon was as guilty of eating too many cookies lately as the others, but he loved the shortbread filled with raspberry jam. Dan’s mom had even made the little heart cut out on the top biscuit like the original Jammy Dodgers. These had been his favorite since he was a kid. His mother packed them for him on their camping and hunting trips. It was her special way of telling him she loved him.

  The tactical lead pulled himself out of his reminiscing … time to get to work. “Patrol day it is. Let’s change somethings today. Ray, you’re with me. We’ll take the entertainment district. Bram and Dan, east end, keep the roving gangs of ankle biters in check and stop playground fights. Lexa, Loki, that leaves you the west.”

  Loki smiled as he pumped his arm. “Yes! Lunch at Zorba’s Flaming Kabob. Lamb souvlaki, here I come.”

  Lexa grinned. “I’m in for Greek food.”

  The team stood, ready to head out and Nick said, “Jon, I need a moment before you go.”

  Jon glanced at Ray. “I’ll join you at the SUV.”

  Ray nodded and left with the rest. Glad to be teamed with Jon today because he drew his name. Ray had no clue what kind of ornament would be meaningful to Jon. He needed to do a little probing. Though, he liked this new exchange idea because he was having a heck of a time trying to find a white elephant gift. Giving something useless always went against how he felt about Christmas—a season to give of oneself and celebrate life and family.

  Jon eyed Nick after the room emptied. “What’s up?”

  “Today, if we get a call, I want you to assign Dan to Zulu One or let me use him as my second.”

  Leaning forward, his voice solemn, Jon said, “You also noted Dan avoided upper body workout again. Yesterday he refused to do target practice with Lexa and me. Bram told me he declined to do combat training with him and Ray too. Do you believe his injury is worse than he’s letting on?”

  “Yes. We know those things hurt for days and the last few days have been taxing on Dan as well. I don’t want to make it obvious, but we need to ensure he stays out of tactical positions which could pose a potential risk for physical encounters. At least for a few more days. Give him a chance to rest but not irritate him as we did on Monday.”

  Jon gave a slight nod. “We’re in agreement. I thought the same thing. Holding the net and Loki’s tackle yesterday probably didn’t help much either. That’s why I paired Dan with Bram and assigned them the family neighborhoods. Though, previously we agreed to take it slow with Dan on the talk side of the house. Yesterday could’ve been tragic when he called attention to the girls. I’ll make sure he’s in a Zulu position if at all possible.”

  “Thanks, Jonny.”

  As Jon strode out, Nick sat down. He had to figure out what ornament to buy for Loki.

  Patrolling – 3:30 p.m.

  So far, Bram enjoyed today because it had been slow. Not that he would ever give voice to his thought and jinx the team, but they all needed a break after the last five days. He spent a lot of the day pondering what kind of ornament he should select for Dan. He wondered if Dan had a tree, particularly given last Christmas.

  He finally decided to broach the subject. “So Dan, where are you going to hang your new ornament?” God, that was not smooth, Bram berated himself.

  Dan chuckled, “On my Christmas tree Bram. Yes, I got one. I forgot to show you the picture I took of it.” He pulled out his phone.

  Bram glanced at Dan. “Sorry for prying. I was just … well after last year and all.”

  “Yeah, that one was tough—the first without Brody. This year is easier. The ornaments your daughters made me were the only ones on my little tree until the fifteenth.” Dan turned the phone so Bram could see the photo he took on the twelfth. “This is what it looked like a couple of days ago.”

  A huge smile broke out on Bram’s face. “Wow. I’ll let the girls know. Did you go buy more decorations and lights for it?”

  Dan shook his head. “Nope. My tree is unique.”

  Seeing the grin on Dan’s face made Bram happy. “How so?”

  “You know those pictures Loki started?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, when I saw the one Bravo Team created of me, the frozen sniper in a pear tree, hanging on the TRF Christmas tree it gave me an idea. I decided to hang all the photoshopped pictures on the tree.”

  “Cool! Awesome, Dan!” Loki called across the headset.

  Bram nodded. Loki’s right. “I’m happy this year is much better for you.”

  His day started off excellent and had only gotten better. Dan felt so close to being great—an emotional state he failed to reach since before Sara died. “I can’t wait to go home and surprise my mom and dad. That call at lunch was the general. He asked if I could swing a few hours at home on Christmas. When I said I couldn’t, Dad even offered to fly me to and from Ottawa. I feel a little bad making them think I must work, but it reminds me of my sixth Christmas, only reversed.”

  “In what way?” It thrilled Bram that Dan began recalling his happier childhood memories. The months Dan spent at his parent’s home recuperating had been beneficial to the entire Broderick clan.

  “Well for one, all I wanted for Christmas was for my dad to come home.” Dan recalled one of the quiet evenings spent with Mom in her sitting room. They talked about so many things as he tried to sort out fact from fiction in his childhood. The Christmas of his sixth year was one they discussed, and he learned things about his parents he never knew.

  “Sounds like a pleasant memory,” Bram said and gave an encouraging smile, hoping Dan would open up with the whole team.

  Glancing at Bram, he glimpsed the warmth in his soft blue-green eyes. “Yeah, it is. One of my best.”

  “Ooh, story time. Tell us all about it,” Loki piped in with an excited voice.

  Dan chuckled hearing Loki’s childlike enthusiasm. “You sure you want me to bore you with the details?”

  “Bore me, bore me to death!” Loki’s eagerly said.

  “Okay, you asked for it.” Dan took a moment to gather his thoughts as a soft grin grew. He launched into his memory. “On the twenty-third of December, my mom took Sara, Becca, and me to v
isit Santa at the mall.”

  Dan’s Sixth Christmas

  December 23

  Ottawa – Mall

  Shining with innocent wonder, two pairs of eyes—one sapphire blue, and the other emerald green—reflected the twinkling lights hanging around Santa’s Candy Cane House.

  With a deep-seated sense of duty, Dan held tightly to Sara’s hand. Mom trusted him to keep Sara safe. They didn’t want to lose their place in the long line, having waited over an hour to get to this point—only four ahead of them. So when Mom went to the bathroom to change Becca’s stinky diaper, she instructed him to hold onto his sister and not to go anywhere with strangers.

  Dan glanced around at all the colorful lights and decorations on the gigantic Christmas tree by the Santa house in the middle of the vast mall. Everything still seemed magical, even though he knew the secret about Santa Claus. He overheard several older boys talking at school, and they said that Santa didn’t exist, and those gifts were from his parents.

  When he got home, he asked Mom if Santa was real. She tried to tell him Santa lived in the North Pole. But at nearly seven years old, well seven weeks shy of seven, Dan didn’t buy it. He persisted in questioning Mom until she finally explained the truth of it all to him.

  Mom said Santa does exist, but it isn’t the jolly fat man little kids believe in. She claimed Santa is the spirit of giving which lives in the hearts of everyone. And that this time of year is when we show all those we care for that we love them, by letting our inner Santa spirit shine. The season was a time to be charitable and show kindness towards others. Mom also said giving to others filled you with more joy than receiving presents.

  Pondering his mom’s explanation, Dan felt his sibling tug on his hand. He turned to Sara and smiled. “Yeah?”

  “Danny, how much longer? I wanna see Santa,” Sara griped.

  “Sara, no whining. Remember, Santa Claus is still making his list.”

  Her eyes widened. “I’ve been good.”

  Dan tousled her hair. “Yes, you have.” But then he teased, “Except for painting my plastic army men with pink nail polish.”