Jack downed the last drops of his hot tea, then set his cup aside, wiped his mouth and hands on his napkin and stood to greet his ally. "I had expected to hear from you before now."
"I got held up," Sawyer said. "First of all, Buck Forbes wasn't at work when I arrived at the nursery this morning. His boss had sent him off on a delivery, so I had to wait."
"You saw Buck?" Peggy Jo asked. "You spoke to him?"
"Yes, eventually." Sawyer removed his overcoat and hung it on the brass hat rack in the corner. "But I found out a few interesting things about the man from his boss."
"Like what?" Jack asked.
"Like the guy drives a car that fits the description of the vehicle you saw screeching away from Peggy Jo's and the one Mrs. Murray saw yesterday."
"I'll be damned." When Jack cast his gaze in Peggy Jo's direction, he realized she'd gone pale, so pale that the freckles covering her nose and cheekbones appeared darker.
"That's not all," Sawyer continued. "Seems Mr. Forbes is sporting a beard and a mustache these days."
"Buck can't be my stalker," Peggy Jo said. "He just can't be. It doesn't make any sense. What motive could he have? We haven't seen each other in thirteen years."
"I'm not saying he's our man, but just in case he is, I gave him fair warning," Sawyer told them. "Of course he denied being Peggy Jo's stalker, but his attitude toward her was downright unfriendly. He made several rather rude remarks about Peggy Jo, her TV show and her books."
"He's watched my show? He's read my books?"
"He gave me that distinct impression."
"I hope you made it clear to him that if he is harassing Peggy Jo, he won't get away with it," Jack said. "You warned him, didn't you, that not only would he be facing a prison sentence, but he'd have to deal with me if he tries to get to Peggy Jo."
"Oh, I told him all right. I told him that the police and the FBI were involved in this case and that Peggy Jo had a highly trained bodyguard with her twenty-four/seven. And the son of a bitch laughed in my face."
Peggy Jo stood, rounded her desk and went straight to Jack's side. She reached down and grasped his hand in hers.
He squeezed her hand, looked at her lovingly and said, "I'm right here, darling, and I'm not leaving your side."
* * *
Costumed children of various ages and sizes covered the stage as they took their final bow. Wendy Sue Riley stood on the front row looking every inch the angel she had portrayed in the Christmas play. Peggy Jo was so proud of her little girl, the precious child who had come into her life after tragedy had ripped Wendy's birth parents from her. Every day of her life, Peggy Jo thanked God for the chance to be a mother. On the day she brought Wendy home with her, she had made a solemn vow that she would be the kind of mother to her daughter that she had always longed for herself.
The audience of parents, grandparents and other family members broke out into thunderous applause and rose to give their little darlings a standing ovation. The children beamed with happiness, basking in the show of love and acceptance.
"Wasn't she wonderful?" Peggy Jo said as she applauded.
"The kid's a natural. She didn't miss a word of her angel speech." Jack continued clapping.
"I don't think I've ever seen her so excited about something." Tears glistened in Hetty's brown eyes.
When the applause died down, the teachers led the students off the stage and the audience dispersed. Jack reached under his seat and pulled out a florist box, then followed Peggy Jo and Hetty down the row and out into the aisle.
"She's going to be thrilled when you give her those flowers," Hetty said.
"She's our little star, and stars should receive flowers after a performance." Peggy Jo slipped her arm though Jack's. "Thank you for thinking of the flowers. She'll love the rainbow colors of the miniature carnations in the nosegay."
Making their way through the crowd, they paused for Peggy Jo to speak to several parents she knew and others who knew her from her TV show. By the time they arrived backstage, Wendy was jumping up and down in an effort to see over the taller children's heads as she searched for her family.
"Mommy!" She came running toward them. "Jack! Hetty!"
Peggy Jo picked Wendy up and gave her a big hug. "Sweetpea, you were the star of the show."
"Ah, Mommy, I wasn't the star. I was just one of the angels."
"But you were the best angel," Jack told her. "The prettiest, brightest, best one."
"Was I really?"
"Really." Jack held out the florist box. "Mommy and Hetty and I have something for you. Flowers for m'lady, to celebrate her brilliant performance."
Wendy's eyes widened, and her mouth opened in surprise. "For me. Flowers?" She grabbed the box, ripped off the lid and squealed with delight. "I love it! My own bouquet!"
Jack discarded the empty box, then glanced around, checking out the crowd. "You girls ready to go?"
Wendy took Peggy Jo's hand and held the small nosegay with the other. "Mommy, did that man from WLOK come and film the play?"
"He sure did. And he's supposed to be waiting outside to give us the tape so we can watch it tonight, if you want to."
"I want to."
"Well, let's get moving," Jack said.
"Are we still stopping for milkshakes on the way home?" Wendy asked. "Remember, you promised."
"Absolutely," Jack replied. "Chocolate milkshakes for Mommy and Hetty, vanilla for me and strawberry for you."
"Yippee!"
Part of the crowd lingered inside the building, but over half had already gone outside and rushed to their cars. The weather forecaster had predicted a possibility of light sleet tonight and temperatures dropping to well below freezing before midnight. As they came closer to the outside doors, Peggy Jo felt the frigid night air invading and destroying the inside warmth.
Wendy tugged on Peggy Jo's hand. "Wasn't tonight the best?"
"You're the best, Miss Riley, the very best. I'm so proud of you."
"Ah, Mommy, you just say that because you love me."
Peggy Jo caught a glimpse of Mick Hamm, one of WLOK's camera crew, who waited just inside the front doors. When he saw her, he came forward and held out the videotape.
"I got it all," Mick said. "From beginning to end." He glanced down at Wendy. "You were great, kid. Your mother will be talking about your performance for the next month."
"Thanks, Mick," Peggy Jo said.
"Sure. No problem." He nodded to Jack. "See y'all tomorrow."
Jack stayed on Peggy Jo's right side as they walked out of the building. Hetty and Peggy Jo flanked Wendy, whose attention was completely absorbed by the colorful carnation nosegay she held.
"I'm glad we got here early this evening and found a parking place close by," Jack said. "Looks like the drizzle has started."
Cars drove by slowly. Headlights glowed in the darkness and taillights glimmered like large, dazzling rubies. Voices carried on the night air. Parents grumbling about the weather. Children laughing. Babies crying. And a light, freezing rain chinked against the vehicles and pavement and coated the ground with sparkling moisture.
The car came out of nowhere, headlights off, traveling at an ungodly speed. Dear God, the car was headed straight for her. Peggy Jo froze to the spot. It was too late for her to move out of the way. Her body shut down. Her heart stopped. Her mind cried out for help.
Suddenly Jack spun around and shoved her backward, accidentally causing Wendy's had to slip loose from her mother's tenacious hold. Wendy fell into Hetty, knocking the housekeeper to the ground. Having missed Peggy Jo, the car careered directly toward Wendy. Peggy Jo screamed. Jack lunged forward, reaching for Wendy just as the car sped by.
Everything seemed to have happened in slow motion and yet in the blink of an eye at the same time. Hetty moaned as she lifted herself up into a sitting position. Peggy Jo came up off the pavement. The bloody scrapes on her hands and knees stung, but she barely noticed. Despite the soreness radiating through her legs, she rus
hed over to where Jack lay huddled on the ground, his big body shielding an unmoving Wendy.
* * *
Chapter 15
« ^ »
Matt O'Brien and Domingo Shea arrived at Erlanger Hospital's emergency room just as the nurse wheeled Hetty out into the waiting area. Peggy Jo's housekeeper sported a cast that covered her broken ankle, and a tired, worried expression deepened the fine wrinkles around her mouth and eyes.
"Well, they're finished with me, and I'm ready to go home," Hetty said. "Looks like I'll have to get used to using crutches for the next few weeks." She glanced down at Wendy, who lay asleep in Peggy Jo's lap. "How's our baby?"
"The doctor said she'll be fine. She just had the wind knocked out of her, and she has a few scratches and bruises." Peggy Jo gulped, swallowing the tears lodged in her throat. "But she was so scared. She cried herself to sleep."
Jack nudged Peggy Jo. "There's Matt and Dom. Y'all stay right here. After I speak with them, we'll take everybody home."
Peggy Jo nodded her head wearily. Stress etched her features with a haggard expression. She pushed back stray tendrils of disheveled red hair that had fallen onto her face. Tattered pantyhose and mud-stained clothing added to her unkempt appearance. Without conscious thought, Jack reached out and caressed her cheek. She rewarded him with a weak smile.
"I'll be back in a minute," he said, then got up and met the two Dundee agents as they approached. After shaking hands with both men, he motioned for them to follow him to a more private area. He didn't want Peggy Jo or Hetty overhearing their conversation.
"Thanks for coming, guys." When Jack had called Ellen several hours ago, he'd specifically requested that she send Matt and Dom. Dundee's CEO had obliged him since both men had recently completed their assignments and were temporarily free.
"Ellen said this was a personal matter for you." Matt glanced across the room at Peggy Jo. "Is she the reason it's personal?"
"Hey, I might have exaggerated a bit when I told Ellen this case had become highly personal to me," Jack replied. "But I knew that would be the easiest way to get her to send me the agents I wanted."
Grinning, Dom elbowed Matt's arm. "I told you Jack hadn't gone soft on some woman. You owe me fifty bucks."
"Yeah, yeah, I know what you told me, but I'm not convinced." Matt eyed Jack. "So, which is it—you lied to Ellen or is Peggy Jo Riley more than a client?"
Jack cleared his throat. "I haven't gone soft on her, not exactly, but … to be honest, she is more than a client to me."
Dom's swaggering smile broadened. He lowered his voice to a discreet whisper and said, "Which means he's screwed her."
"Damn it, it's not like that! Not with her." Jack glared at Dom, whose triumphant grin vanished instantly.
"I think you owe me fifty bucks," Matt told Dom.
"What the hell were you two doing on the drive over from Atlanta, making bets on my love life?"
"Yeah, something like that," Dom admitted.
"If either of you knuckleheads say one word to Peggy Jo about your insights into our relationship, I'll skin you alive," Jack warned them. "Now, let's get down to business."
Matt and Dom nodded, but wisely kept quiet, apparently realizing that they'd said more than enough.
"We're sending the housekeeper and the daughter to a cousin's farm in Spring City as soon as we can get their suitcases packed," Jack said. "I need y'all to take them to the farm and make sure they get there safely and without being followed. Then one of you will stay at the farm with them until Peggy Jo and I come up there in a couple of weeks so she can spend Christmas with her family."
"Dom's staying at the farm," Matt said. "Ellen's shipping me out to Los Angeles day after tomorrow."
"Fine. For now I need you two to get Hetty—the housekeeper—into your car and follow us home," Jack said. "Once we're there, we'll finalize some plans for the trip to Spring City."
When Jack turned around, Matt grabbed his arm. "Wait up a minute."
"What?"
"Sawyer contacted me right before we got to the hospital," Matt said. "He paid a late-night visit on Ms. Riley's ex-husband. Seems Buck Forbes had a car wreck last night and messed up his car pretty bad. Wrapped the old Pontiac around a tree and just left it there while he staggered out onto the highway."
"Son of a bitch!" Jack clamped his hands into tight fists. He had the overpowering urge to ram his fists into the wall, just to let off a little steam. "Quite a coincidence. He just happened to wreck his car the same night somebody tried to run us down."
"Sawyer said when they found the guy, he was in the local jail, charged with a DUI," Dom said.
"What time did his accident happen?" Jack asked.
"Around ten-thirty." Matt inclined his head in Peggy Jo's direction. "Are you going to tell her?"
"Later, not now. She's had just about all she can take for the time being. Telling her that there's more evidence pointing to her ex as the stalker can wait."
* * *
Three hours later, right before daybreak, Peggy Jo and Jack said goodbye to Hetty and Wendy. Last night's sleet had turned into a light snow, but the flakes melted on the pavement as they hit the ground. Although her heart was breaking because she had to send her child away for her own safety, Peggy Jo put up a brave front, assuring Wendy that she was going to have a wonderful time at the farm with Betsy's family.
"Remember your cousins, Shane and Molly. Y'all can play games and feed the animals and do all sorts of fun things," Peggy Jo said.
"But I'm going to miss you, Mommy."
"I'm going to miss you, too, sweetpea, but I will call you every day, and Jack and I will come to the farm for Christmas. And you'll have Hetty and Fur Ball there with you."
She hugged her child one final time, kissed her cheeks and helped her into the back seat beside Dundee agent Domingo Shea, then she picked up Fur Ball's pet carrier and handed it to Wendy.
"I'll take good care of Wendy," Hetty said.
Peggy Jo hugged Hetty, then moved out of the way so that Jack could assist Hetty into the front seat alongside Matt O'Brien.
What had happened to her sane, safe, orderly existence? Before some madman had made it his mission in life to torment her, her world had made sense to her. She'd been able to take care of herself and those she loved. But not now. She hated living like this, hated being put in a position where she couldn't protect her own child.
With Jack at her side, Peggy Jo stood on the brick walkway and waved farewell as Matt backed the midsize Buick out of the driveway. She continued waving even after the car disappeared up the street. Tiny snowflakes melted as they hit her hair and face. Jack grasped her hand, pulled it down and turned her toward the house. She didn't protest when he guided her up the steps and across the porch. Once inside he kept his arm securely around her waist as he locked the front door, punched in the security code and then led her toward the staircase.
"They'll make sure no one is following them, won't they?" she asked.
"They'll make sure. Don't worry."
"Easier said than done."
"Yeah, I know," Jack replied. "But remember that this guy isn't after Wendy or Hetty. They just happened to be in the line of fire last night because they were with you."
"Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? To know that my daughter could have been killed because some lunatic tried to run me down. And knowing that Hetty has a broken ankle—"
Jack grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently. "Stop it. Don't do this to yourself. None of it's your fault."
"Then whose fault is it? I'm the one who made this man, whoever he is, so angry that he's decided to torment me. To … kill me."
"You haven't done anything wrong. And we're going to catch this guy and put him behind bars." Jack slid his hands down her arms and grasped her wrists. "Come on upstairs. You need a hot bath, some clean clothes and a few hours of sleep."
"I can't sleep. Not until I know that Wendy and Hetty are safe at Betsy's."
; "As soon as we get the call from Matt, I'm putting you to bed."
She nodded agreement, then went with him upstairs. He walked her to her room and paused in the doorway.
"Bath or shower?" he asked.
"What?"
"Do you want to take a bath or a shower? I thought if you wanted a bath, I could draw the water or I could turn on the shower and lay out some towels for you."
"Oh, Jack." Tears gathered in her eyes as she touched his cheek. "You're such a sweet man."
Sweet? Jack Parker? Women had used many an adjective to describe him, most of them flattering, but Peggy Jo was the first one who'd ever told him he was sweet. And he knew by the look in her eyes that right at this particular moment it was the highest compliment she could pay him.
"You're pretty sweet yourself, darling."
She inhaled and exhaled slowly, then said, "I can handle the shower by myself, but thanks for offering. However, there is something you can do for me."
"Name it." He longed to wrap his arms around her, keep her safe and blot out the rest of the world.
"After you take your shower, would you go down to the kitchen and fix me some hot cocoa? We missed out on those milkshakes last night, and I feel a powerful need for a dose of chocolate."
"How about a couple of Hetty's chocolate chip cookies to go with the cocoa?" he suggested.
"Ah, Mr. Parker you sure do know how to tempt a girl. But just cocoa. No cookies."
"I want to tempt you, Peggy Jo. Only you."
The words had rolled off his tongue so easily. The emotion materialized verbally before his brain had adequately processed its meaning. A sudden, deafening silence hung between them. Time stood still for one breathless moment as they stared into each other's eyes. Jack realized that he had meant exactly what he'd said. For the first time in his life there was only one woman he wanted to tempt, to impress, to please. Only one woman he cared about. No one else mattered.
JACK'S CHRISTMAS MISSION Page 18
