A Time to Protect

by Lois Richer

  “Chore boy, that’s why I came,” he heard the boy mutter.

  Brendan decided to ignore it, focused on his phone instead. “Hi, Mom. Have you got any chicken soup?”

  “Hello, son. It’s good to hear from you. Yes, our trip was lovely, thanks for asking.” A hint of reprimand lay behind the laughing tone.

  “Sorry. It’s just that Chloe’s got this awful cold and I figured maybe I could pick up some of your soup—if you have any.” He waited for her to take the bait.

  “If I have any?” Fiona sounded disgusted. “Do ducks fly? I’ve just made a fresh pot. It’s simmering as we speak.” A pause, then, “Is the rest of the family ill, too?”

  “No, just Chloe, but I’m sure the kids would enjoy it as well. Mind if we stop by? It’ll save her trying to cook when she should be resting.”

  “This is a restaurant, Brendan. We welcome all our guests.”

  “Yeah. I know. It’s just—” He bit his lip, scrounged for the right words. “Don’t make a fuss, okay, Mom? It’s just a job, watching Chloe and her kids. Don’t make it into something more. Please?”

  As soon as he said it Brendan heard a sneeze behind him and wished he’d kept his mouth shut. His mother would make a fuss about any woman who was with him, whether he asked her to or not, and by the stubborn look on Chloe’s beautiful face, he’d just ruined any chance of building on that kiss they’d shared in her kitchen. Not that he should. He was supposed to be protecting her, not falling in love with her.

  “I gotta go, Mom. We’ll be there right away.” He closed the phone.

  “No, we won’t.” Chloe shoved her hands in her jacket pockets and sniffed. “We’re not going anywhere right away. The van’s got a flat tire.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” The glance she threw at him cleared that up. She wasn’t joking. He followed her to the vehicle, stared at the tire, glanced at his fellow agents. Darcy inclined one eyebrow but didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to. He knew exactly what she was thinking. Even if he believed in coincidence, this was too much.

  “Get inside, Chloe, and stay warm. I’ll have it changed in a minute.”

  “No, you won’t.” Her eyes were streaming in the wind and she dabbed at them with little effect. “I haven’t got a spare. I forgot to get it fixed last time.”

  As Brendan dialed the auto club he caught sight of a man jogging on the far side of the field. He was wearing ordinary clothes, black pants, black shirt and a black jacket. When he reached a grove of trees, he slowed down. Moments later a black sedan rolled up and the man got inside.

  So he’d been watching them. Waiting for an opportunity, or getting the schedule down pat so he could make his move when the stands were full and there was so much noise no one would hear a woman’s scream for help?

  Chapter Ten

  “This is perfect.”

  The restaurant felt blissfully warm, especially with Brendan crowded onto the bench beside her. Chloe shivered but not because of her cold. Sitting here, listening to the bantering between mother and son—it was like being part of a big happy family. She swallowed two cold tablets and glanced around, content to enjoy whatever happened next.

  “The Stagecoach Café isn’t perfect,” he laughed. “But it comes pretty close.” He grinned at her when she lifted her spoon, trying not to blush as the noodles slipped between her lips with a loud slurp. “Now tell me again that this wasn’t a good idea?”

  “Did he force you to come here?” Fiona Montgomery shook her finger at her son. “I never taught you to be a bully,” she said.

  “Go play with the children, Mom.”

  As if she needed Brendan to tell her. Mrs. Montgomery had been fawning over Kyle and Madison ever since they’d walked through the door. Burgers loaded with everything a kid loves, fries dipped in the best gravy in town, chocolate milk shakes so thick their cheeks puckered trying to suck the mixture through the straws. And pie. Oodles of sweet cinnamon apple pie dripping with the best vanilla ice cream. Chloe was afraid her children were going to be horribly spoiled.

  “We’re going to play the video games when they’ve finished their pie,” Fiona announced, then glanced at Chloe. “If that’s all right.”

  “It’s fine. For a little while.” Chloe dabbed her napkin against her full soft lips, drawing Brendan’s attention to her mouth. “It’s very kind of you and your staff to feed us all so well. I just hope I haven’t passed on my germs to them.”

  “Not a chance. We’re too tough.” Fiona patted Chloe’s fingers where they lay on the table. “You’re too thin, dear. You haven’t been taking care of yourself. Now just relax and let me play grandma for a bit. Brendan can tell you I’m good at it. If you need anything else, ask him. He knows what’s good.”

  “It’s all good, Mom. You wouldn’t allow anything else.”

  Chloe watched the exchange of looks between the two, the way Fiona’s hand seemed drawn to his hair, the tender smile that lifted her lips. It was like viewing a movie filled with the same quiet sharing she had always longed for. She shifted slightly, hoping her face didn’t reveal the rush of emotions her body was experiencing. Sitting next to Brendan had been a colossal mistake—and she loved every moment.

  “Am I squishing you?” With the kids now seated at the counter by Fiona he moved to the opposite side of the table. “Can you last a bit longer?” His concern unnerved her. “Or would you rather go home now?”

  “I’d like some more tea, please. Then I’m going home to sleep for weeks.” She sipped the hot brew, letting all the worries and concern drain away in this happy place.

  Her voice must have carried over to the counter. “You can’t sleep for weeks, Mom! My game is tomorrow. You’re not going to miss that?” Madison’s eyes grew huge. “Are you?”

  “No way, kiddo. I’ll be there, germs and all.” Chloe studied her daughter, wondered when she’d grown so beautiful and emerged from a needy little girl into a child full of confidence.

  “Good.” Madison grinned. “Do you want to come, Mrs. Montgomery?”

  “I’d love to.” Fiona preened. “Just tell me where and when.”

  “Okay.” Madison gave her the details. Satisfied that there’d be another cheerleader in the crowd, Madison dug into her pie. A few minutes later she, Kyle, Fiona and the two guards disappeared into the video arcade.

  “I see you haven’t changed much.” Madge the waitress removed Brendan’s soiled dishes and plunked a buttery tart in front of him. “Still walking around on those hollow legs?”

  Brendan reached up, pinched her wrinkled cheek. “Not as long as you’re around, Madge. You’re the best waitress in this place.”

  Chloe giggled at the dry look the older woman gave him.

  “Hey, what about me?” A pretty blonde sashayed up to their table. “I thought that was my title?”

  “Just like a man, say anything to get his belly filled.” Madge dumped coffee into his mug. “I told you last summer, Tiffany. You have to watch out for guys like these. They’ll leave you broken-hearted every time.”

  Tiffany giggled when Brendan lifted the young woman’s hand and brushed a kiss against her knuckles, but Chloe was watching her face and caught a glimpse of longing in the other girl’s eyes.

  Immediately a picture of Steve with one of his girlfriends filled her mind. Suddenly all joy in the day drained away. Brendan wasn’t any different than her ex-husband. He was a good-looking man who probably flirted and broke hearts everywhere he went. She’d been stupid to imagine anything special between them.

  Chloe remained silent as two other waitresses came over, teased Brendan and were flattered in return. The entire staff seemed to dote on him. The image left Chloe cold.

  “I’d like to go home, please,” she said when it seemed the women would never cease stopping by their table.

  “Sure.” He rose, pulled on his jacket and took a second look at her. “Is anything wrong?”

  “Should there be?”

  “No.” But he was
puzzled by her cool tone and she knew it.

  They drove home in silence, though the kids’ chattiness covered any lags in conversation. Once they’d pulled inside the garage, with the door closed behind them, Chloe followed the agents out of the van and hurried into the house.

  He stopped her as soon she stepped through the door. “Chloe!”

  “Yes?” She blinked at the stern look on his face, then realized she hadn’t waited for the all-clear. “Sorry. I guess I forgot.”

  “You can’t afford to forget. Your safety depends on it.” His eyes pushed past the barriers she’d erected, searched for answers. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I’m going to lie down for a while,” she said. “Tomorrow after the game I’m back on nights. I’d like to get some rest stocked up.”

  “You go lie down, Mom,” Kyle said. “Brendan’s gonna help me clean Ziggy’s cage.”

  “He is?” She twisted to look at the FBI agent and confirmed her suspicions that he wasn’t happy about this task.

  “Darcy and I are going to play hockey out back.” Madison and her guard disappeared moments later.

  “I’ll get Ziggy’s cage. We always clean it on the back patio.” Kyle raced away.

  “You really want to do that?” Chloe asked, lifting one eyebrow.

  “I’d rather do dishes for a year. But the kid loves that snake and I want to spend time with him, talk to him about this gang thing, so I guess I’ll just have to deal with it.”

  “Ziggy’s not poisonous,” she told him, hiding a smile.

  “Gee, thanks. That helps a lot.” He took her coat, hung it up next to his. “So why don’t I feel better?”

  “I don’t know. Why don’t you?” She searched his face, puzzled by his odd behavior. “Brendan, are you afraid of snakes?”

  “That’s a really dumb question, Mom. Brendan’s not afraid of anything. Are you?” Kyle gazed up at him, cage swinging forward.

  Brendan’s face whitened and he took an automatic step backward.

  “Are you?” Kyle demanded with less assurance.

  “Yes. I’m scared stiff of snakes. Okay?”

  “But…you work for the FBI.”

  “Yeah, I do. But not with snakes.” He kept his focus on the snake and when Ziggy emerged in Kyle’s hands, Brendan moved farther away.

  Chloe couldn’t hide her smile fast enough.

  “It’s not funny,” he said through his teeth.

  “Oh, yes it is, Brendan. It is very funny.” She reached out to pet the snake, spoke softly to Kyle. “You can help him get over his fear, Kyle. You know, the way they talked about at that meeting you went to. Will you do it?”

  “What if he hurts Ziggy?”

  “He won’t. Not if you show him the right way to do things.”

  Kyle thought it over. “You have to be careful with him,” he warned Brendan. “He doesn’t like it when people drop him. Okay?”

  “I won’t drop him. I won’t even touch him.”

  “You have to. I can’t clean the cage myself.”

  Shaking her head at the six-foot cowering agent, Chloe waggled her fingers. “I’m going to sleep. Have fun, boys.”

  She crawled into bed and let the pills take over. When she woke again it was dark outside and the house was silent. Needing tea to soothe her aching throat, Chloe went downstairs, found Brendan sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the snake safely enclosed in his cage.

  “What are you doing?” she asked curiously.

  “Bonding. Apparently Ziggy likes me. I’m the problem in this relationship.” He straightened his shoulders; his face took on a determined look. “But I’ll figure it out. I have to. Kyle loves this…thing. I suppose I can learn to like it. Sometime.”

  “Well, good luck with that.” She carried her tea upstairs.

  How could a man who’d force himself to like a kid’s snake be a womanizer, she asked herself. The two didn’t jibe. Chloe spent a long time studying the ceiling in her bedroom, trying to understand what made Brendan Montgomery tick. She fell asleep dreaming about his eyes.

  Brendan fidgeted his way through the morning service feeling as if the entire congregation was staring at him. His discomfort had been so bad that at one point Chloe leaned over to ask, “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing, just nervous about the game,” he’d whispered back.

  But now, with only eight minutes remaining, Brendan wished the whole thing was over. They were down two goals and he could see in their faces that the girls were losing hope they’d ever win this game. They’d come so close. But time was slipping away.

  Chloe sat on the bench behind him. It was the only way Brendan could think of to keep her close enough that no one could get to her during the game. Now he wished she wasn’t there so she couldn’t witness his worry, especially when Emily missed yet another pass.

  “They’re tired, Brendan,” Kyle said behind him. “They need a break.”

  “Yes, they do. I don’t know why they didn’t choose you as coach,” Brendan told him with a grin as he motioned for a timeout. The girls came running over and clustered around, their eyes brimming with hope. The weight of their expectations settled heavily on his shoulders as he looked at their shiny faces. Even Buddy expected something big. Give me words, God.

  “You guys have played better than I ever imagined,” he told them quietly. “I’ve never been as proud of any team as I am of this one.”

  “But we’re not winning, Coach.”

  “Winning isn’t always possible. Everybody loses sometimes but that doesn’t mean they didn’t play a terrific game.”

  “So you don’t care if we lose?” Ashley’s forehead furrowed.

  “Of course I’d like you to win. You’ve pushed yourselves really hard, done an excellent job of showing what you’re made of. In my books, you do win because you play with your hearts. All I’m asking is that you don’t give up. Keep pushing, play the hardest you can. You are awesome.”

  They stood in their circle for a moment, thinking about what he’d said. Then the referee blew the whistle. Buddy called out his players. “Give it your best,” he urged.

  And they did. They bumped their opponents, passed, made new plays on the fly—everything Brendan had tried to teach them. But by the end of the game they were still one goal short. They’d lost the championship.

  After congratulating the winners, the Springers team hung on the sidelines, waiting for his last words. Brendan cleared his throat, his chest swelling with pride as he scanned their perspiring faces.

  “Congratulations, ladies. You rock.” He rubbed heads, hugged a few emotional members and drew them all around him. “Don’t look so sad. You didn’t lose. You won.”

  “How’d you figure that?” Emily wasn’t buying.

  “Did you give it your best?” he asked, studying their faces. He stopped, stunned by the intensity on Madison’s. “What’s wrong, Maddy?”

  “I prayed and prayed, and God let us lose.”

  “Did He?” He paused, waited until the others were quiet. “Soccer is a game. This league was formed so you could learn to enjoy the game and develop your coordination. Each of you has come so far from when you started. You’ve learned to work together as a team should, to think of the other person’s skill as well as your own, to take the hard knocks even when it’s not your fault. You’ve made some good friends and you’ve made your family very proud. Do you still think you lost?”

  “No, I don’t.” Maddy’s voice broke the silence, a big grin transforming her face. “I think we won because we did what we set out to do. Three cheers for our coaches.”

  Satisfaction surged through him at her response. It was more than he dreamed they’d learn. Everyone helped gather the equipment so they could hurry to the party Brendan had arranged at the Stagecoach Café.

  “Congratulations,” Chloe croaked. “That was a great speech. I think each of those girls will be back again next year.”

  “I hope so.” He checked her e
yes. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m fine. We couldn’t have had a better afternoon.”

  “I wasn’t too sure the warm spell would hold. November is never a month you can count on around here. I spent a lot of time praying about it and in the end God really came through for us. Today couldn’t have been sunnier.” He pulled on his jacket while Kyle repacked the cooler with water bottles.

  “Do you pray about everything?” Chloe asked softly.

  “Pretty much.”

  “Why?”

  She looked and sounded sincere, so Brendan tried to answer honestly. “Because sometimes I just need to talk about what’s bugging me and I know God always listens. Because God loves me and wants to build a relationship with me and talking is one way to do that.”

  “But He doesn’t talk back,” she protested.

  “Sure He does. Through the Bible. That is His letter to me. The more I read it, the better I get to know Him.” She went to church. How come she didn’t know this?

  “I know what you’re thinking. I’ve gone to church, to Sunday school most of my life.” Chloe smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as confident as you are about God, though.”

  “Aren’t you confident?” he asked as they walked toward the van.

  “Not really. When I was a child, church was this sterile, cold place where we recited formal words. God was scary, far away and more of a judge.” She glanced sideways at him, her blue eyes wide. “I guess I never got past my fear that if I did the wrong thing, God would ‘get’ me. But the more I go to your church, the more people I hear who speak as if God is an intimate part of everyday life, not just for Sundays.”

  “He is. He cares deeply about everything we’re going through.” Brendan helped her into the van, conscious of the kids and their protectors talking nearby. “You can know God very personally, Chloe, if you take the time to study what He says in the Bible and talk to Him. I could suggest a book that will help if you like.”

  “Yes, I think I would.”

  Brendan drove to the party thinking about what she’d said. Though he knew there were other agents on-site, he kept vigilant watch on Chloe while praying for her. If nothing else came of this, perhaps he could at least help her grow closer to God.