Sonia looked as if she might refuse, but looked at Kelly’s face which must have been quite pale, and nodded.
Stan, who had just walked up, winked at Grant and turned to their sergeant. “Could I hitch a ride with you back to the station?”
She nodded and walked away toward the foyer.
Grant left Kelly sitting in her recliner in the family room while he went to get his car. Once she was inside the car, she looked around. She took note of the radio which he was using to talk to his dispatch. Then she looked down to the column between them where several switches were. She assumed these controlled the siren and the lights she could see on the dash and in the rear window.
When the car stopped in front of her condo, Kelly was reluctant to get out.
Grant grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. “Do you want me to come in with you for a while?”
She started to nod her head then said, “But you have to fill out your report.”
He smiled at her and said, “Yes, but it can wait for a while. It’ll be rather chaotic around there for a while and I wouldn’t probably get to my report for at least an hour anyway. They don’t need me to book those guys. In fact it’s probably better if I stay away from them, especially the guy who had a gun in your back. I’m not sure I could restrain myself around him.
She smiled up at him and touched the scrape on his chin where the man had hit him. He winced but smiled at her gentle touch.
Kelly was still a little uncomfortable. She had never brought anyone home with her. In fact, the only ones who had ever been here were her grandparents and Wayne. And George didn’t really like Wayne so he didn’t come very often.
When they walked in the door of her condo, George met them with loud meows. He immediately went to Grant and began sniffing his pant legs.
Kelly giggled. “You are under inspection Grant. No one enters this home before George gives his approval.”
“Does he allow many in?”
Kelly’s emotions were in terrible shape after the incident at her grandparents’ home and she suddenly felt like crying. She never cried.
Grant looked stunned when he saw the hurt on her face. He quickly reached out a hand to touch her arm.
“I’m sorry, Kelly, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I was just wondering what my chances were.”
Kelly’s face lit up again and she said, “You’re lucky we embraced before. I think he smells my sent on you. See, he approves.”
“How do you know, he didn’t do anything?”
She laughed again. “That’s just it. He didn’t do anything. Believe me, if he didn’t approve, he would have made it clear maybe even painfully so.”
“Do you mean he might bite me?”
“No, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him bite anyone. But he has several degrees of dislike. First, if he mildly disapproves he’ll raise his back up and hiss. Second, if he strongly disapproves, he’ll do all that plus take a swing at you with his paw. But the worst is if he really doesn’t like you, he’ll do all that plus turn your pant leg into shreds.”
“Wow, are you sure he isn’t part tiger?”
She laughed again as she looked down at her fluffy white cat. She was really enjoying being able to laugh, especially after what she just had just gone through.
“Now, George has two levels of approval too. First, is if he merely accepts your presence, he’ll leave you alone and expect you to do the same to him. But if he really likes you, he’ll lie with his head in your lap when you’re sitting, expecting you to pet him of course.”
“So, I must be on at least the first level of approval then since he just walked off without doing anything.” He looked around her living room and gestured toward her chair with her leg rest in front of it. “Is that where you go to rest your leg?”
She was surprised at that question, and a puzzled look must have come across her face. “Yes.”
“Good, then that’s where I want you to go right now.”
She really was confused now as he led her to the chair and helped her ease down into it. Then as if he already knew that was the best way, he lifted her leg into position on the leg rest using the metal bars on each side of her brace as handles.
She crossed her arms across her chest and tried to glare at him. “Now, just what is going on here Grant?”
He smiled as he kneeled down beside her and kissed her and she knew that her pouting expression disappeared as she kissed him back.
When he pulled back slightly, he looked into her eyes and said, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m okay. I was plenty frightened there for a while though.”
He chuckled. You can’t imagine how scared I was when I heard that colonel’s voice on your cell phone.
She smiled at him, then thought of something else. “Did you get the real thumb drive that Sarah must have hidden?”
He smiled back at her and said, “Yes, it was pretty smart of you two to make the switch like you did.”
He thought for a moment. “And that little trick you did in calling me to let me hear what was going on was terrific. You were really cool in a dangerous situation.”
She knew she was blushing and was glad when he continued.
“Now, I have to go down to the station to file my report, and this is the way I want to see you when I get back. I shouldn’t be gone more than an hour.”
He leaned over and kissed her again. This time when the kiss ended, he stood. “I could really get used to doing that.”
Kelly smiled up at him and said, “I never thought I’d be saying this, but me too.”
“Is there anything you need before I go?”
“No thanks. I think I’ll just sit here for a while to let my ankle stop throbbing, and then I may get up and make myself a cup of tea.”
“Okay.” Grant started for the door but stopped half way there and turned back. “Why don’t I pick up your car at your office on the way back?”
That surprised her. “Oh, that would be too much bother.”
He laughed. “Haven’t you figured it out yet, Kelly? Where you’re concerned, nothing is too much bother. I’ll just get someone to drop me off at your office. Besides, I’ve been wondering what it would be like to drive that hot little red Mustang of yours.”
She laughed and reached into her purse for her keys and tossed them to him. She didn’t stop smiling for some time after he left.
* * *
Grant couldn’t wait to get back to Kelly’s condo. He wanted to be with her, sure, but he had lots of information that he was sure she would want to know. Some of it was good things about her father. He wasn’t sure how she might react to that news though.
When he arrived at her condo, he drove around to the rear to her garage. He hit the remote and drove in.
When he reached the door into her condo, he felt strange just going in, so he knocked. Kelly immediately called out for him to come in.
When he stepped through the doorway, he was in a short hallway with her bedroom at the end, but to the left was a doorway that led into the living room.
Kelly wasn’t sitting in the same position she had been in when he left. She was sitting on the sofa with her leg in the stand in front of her. There was an empty cup sitting on the coffee table in front of her. Then he noticed that she didn’t have her brace on and her crutches were propped in the corner of the sofa and the wall behind her.
He didn’t hesitate before he leaned down and kissed her. She must not have objected since she kissed him back.
She patted the seat next to her and said, “Let’s sit together, Grant.”
Grant gladly sat next to Kelly and draped his arm across her shoulders. She smiled at him as she snuggled into his embrace.
“Okay, I’m sure you’re dying to know all the details.” He took a deep breath. “Well, I can’t tell you everything, but I can tell you most of it.”
She nodded encouragement to him so he began. “The black
market ring was run by the other two generals and the four colonels who were the executive officers. It seems that your father and General Walker were the only ones not involved, although both their execs were. Those who were at your grandparents’ estate today were the four colonels. OSI and the FBI are currently looking for the other two generals who have apparently left the area.
Kelly looked into his eyes. “Do you mean that my father wasn’t involved at all?”
“That’s what it looks like right now.” He steeled himself for the next revelation. “It also seems that there is a possibility that your father wasn’t the target of the shooting in Afghanistan, but that General Walker may have been.”
He could see that this bit of news visibly upset her. She shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. “I don’t know what I was thinking. If he hadn’t been shot, he still would have stayed away and neither you nor I would have ever met Sarah.”
She thought for a second then smiled again, “Or each other either.”
That jolted him. He hadn’t thought about that. “I guess you’re right.”
After they both thought about that for a minute, he turned back to his story. “Well, it seems that when someone broke into your grandparents’ home two weeks ago, they weren’t really looking for anything.”
When she turned a puzzled look on him, he said, “No, they were simply planting bugs in Sarah’s bedroom and sitting room so they could hear what was being said in there.”
Her face lit up. “So that’s how they knew about the thumb drive.”
“Yes, but only after they had already started moving in to confront Sarah. They knew she was moving, so they decided to get her to help them look before she moved. It wasn’t until they were already coming in that they heard about the thumb drive. On the way in, they took out the guards that Agent Scott had in place.”
Alarm showed on her face. “Are they all right?”
“Yes, the others found them bound and gagged with bumps on their heads just like Leo.”
They sat in companionable silence for a while with Grant’s arm still around Kelly’s shoulders. She reached for the fireplace remote and turned it on with just flames. Grant smiled at that. After all, it was still August and the air conditioner was on.
After a few minutes passed that way, Grant opened his mouth to say something but stopped. Kelly noticed and said, “Go ahead, Grant. I think that I can say the same thing you did. You can ask me anything you want.”
He thought about that for a moment then said, “I suppose that Sarah is still going to move in with Sybil, but they shouldn’t need for me to move in to protect them now.”
He could see that she was wondering where he was going, so he continued. “There won’t be much of a reason for me to go to your grandparents’ house anymore either.”
She was really giving him a puzzled look now.
“Blast it, Kelly, what I’m trying to say is that I want to continue seeing you . . . as much as possible.”
She turned her blue eyes toward him and looked into his brown ones. She smiled mischievously and said, “Grant Thompson, if you’re trying to ask me out, why don’t you just say so?”
He grinned and shook his head. “I’m not simply asking you out, Kelly. I’m asking to spend every spare minute with you that we can arrange.”
Her only answer was, “I’d like that too.” Then she leaned over and kissed him.
They both sat back in the sofa and simply watched the flames and enjoyed being in each other’s embrace.
After a very companionable ten minutes, Kelly turned to gaze into Grant’s eyes again. “Grant, do you know what love is?”
Grant was glad he was sitting, because that would have floored him. Immediately her face turned a rosy red.
“I mean, I’m not really sure that I do. Do you?”
When Grant still could not form any words, she continued. “Sure, I love my grandparents and Wayne and even Maria, but that’s not the same as the kind of love that should be between a man and a woman.”
Finally, he thought he knew what she was getting at. “No, Kelly, I don’t really know either. Like you, I love my Aunt Sybil and Alison.” He thought for a moment. “And I’m trying to love my mother again.”
He stopped and shook his head. “But I’ve never known the other kind of love. So, in answer to your question, No, I guess I don’t know what love is.”
They were both silent again staring into the flames.
Kelly snuggled closer to Grant and said, “Grant, I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I feel something strong for you. I don’t know what it is but I hope it is . . .”
Grant turned her chin toward him with his free hand. “So do I Kelly, so do I. And I’d like to find out.”
She nodded her agreement and then they kissed again.
About the Author
T. E. Killian has been an Army Medic, high school English teacher, pastor, hospital chaplain, crisis counselor, police chaplain, and pastoral counselor.
All of these occupations have helped him to understand how men and women build and keep relationships. He also knows how they repair or destroy those relationships. He has also observed how people interact in all kinds of situations.
They also give him firsthand knowledge of how people live and act within each of those types of situations.
Therefore, his characters take on the characteristics and personalities of people who work in all of the occupations he knows so well.
Having been in many crisis situations over the past thirty plus years, he can write about them realistically.
He and his wife, Ann, live in Cottonwood, Arizona, where he writes fulltime and still serves as a police chaplain.
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Please take the time to give this book a review on Amazon.com. Other readers can only know about it if you tell them. Thank you very much and may God bless you.
* * *
He would love to hear from his readers. Each of his novels has a Christian message in it. If you have any questions or comments on those messages, he would love to discuss these with you via email.
If you would like to contact him or if you would like to be added to his mailing list which is only used to announce the publication of each new book, please send him an email at: tekillianbooks@hotmailcom.
Also please check out his webpage at: www.tekillian.com
Look for all the uplifting Christian novels
By
T. E. Killian
The Sycamore P.D. Series
Lost Memories
Accepted Memories
Resolved Memories
Crowley County Series
No Easy Solution
A Better Solution
The Only Solution
Another Solution
Clear Creek Series
Ryan’s Ruin
Chase’s Return
Hunter’s Revenge
Walking Together Series
Walking Straight
Walking Away
Walking the Line
Lost Memories (Sycamore P.D. Series Book 1) Page 25
