She laid a hand on his arm. “I’m so happy to hear that, Russ. You’re a terrific guy. You deserve nothing but happiness.”
“About that. There’s only one way I could be totally happy.” He took her hands. “And that’s with you by my side. But if you won’t consider a future with me, then I have to know it now.”
“What? I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t I consider it?”
He turned the full force of his startling blue eyes on her. “I’m an alcoholic, Syd. I can’t promise you I’ll never take another drink. I hope and pray that I won’t. I’ve overcome it so far, but I have to take things as they come.”
She squeezed his hand. “If this whole situation taught me anything, it’s that nothing in our future is certain. We just need to live our lives one day at a time. I’m ready to see where that will take us. Together.”
“You also realize I hope to regain partial custody of Zack. Are you prepared to take on a seven-year-old boy?”
“Of course I am. I can’t wait to meet your son and get to know him.”
“What about Nikki?”
She should’ve known this was coming…
She dropped his hand. “I won’t give her up to be with you, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“What? No. I was going to ask how you think she’ll react to us.” His eyes narrowed. “Why would you think I’d want you to give her up anyway?”
“Other men have in the past. And you told me that you couldn’t raise a teen.”
“No, I said I couldn’t raise a teenage girl alone like you’re doing, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t mind helping you with her.” He smiled. “In fact, she’s kinda growing on me.”
“I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions. Not that it’s an excuse, but I’ve had to go this alone for so long, I’m a little defensive. I’ll try to be more trusting.”
“And I’ll be more patient.” He sighed and drew her into his arms.
“You know,” she whispered, “we are doing entirely too much talking, Chief Morgan.”
“What did you have in mind, Deputy Tucker?”
She tipped her head back and gave him a little pout. “You’re the superior officer. I leave that up to you.”
“About time you acknowledged my expertise.” His mouth crashed down on hers. He deepened the kiss and clutched her tight.
The past few days were worth everything she went through. A few days of pain for a lifetime of happiness—that was quite a bargain.
EPILOGUE
Sydney blew out the candles on the dining table in her new town house and surveyed the room filled with all new belongings. They might have lost everything in the explosion, but now they had a fresh start. Since the construction foreman had been fired for embezzling, it had taken nine long months to finish the project, but she and Nikki were finally settled in.
Russ helped every step of the way, choosing flooring, appliances and fixtures, and the place felt like their home. The open space, encompassing a kitchen, family room and dining area with rich wood floors and muted walls, was exactly as she had envisioned. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the moonlit lake, glistening much like the happiness sparkling inside her chest.
She glanced across the room. When she spotted Russ, sitting on the sofa with her Bible in hand, her heart flip-flopped. With Nikki in the picture, she didn’t often get a night out with Russ, but once a week they made a point of having dinner alone.
She wasn’t going to spend another minute of it cleaning up when she could snuggle up to him on the sofa. When she approached, he set down the Bible and patted the sofa cushion next to him.
He looked confused. “I have another Bible question for you.”
“What?” She sat close to him and offered a quick prayer of thanks for the interest Russ had placed on his faith since her rescue.
“I just read in Romans that God works all things for good. Which I can see is true in our situation. Bad things happened to us, but if they hadn’t, we wouldn’t be together.” Russ reached over and lifted her hair over her shoulder. “And finding you is nothing but good.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“Couldn’t God have brought us together in an easier way? Maybe without so much pain along the way?”
She smiled. “Of course He could. But without the pain and suffering, you wouldn’t have found your way back to Him. Adversity is often a bridge to God.”
“Or away from Him.” Russ’s pain-filled gaze reminded her how he’d turned to alcohol in his last crisis.
“Yeah, that can happen, too,” she said softly and took his hand. “But fortunately for us, this time you chose the route to God instead of away from Him.”
Russ drew her into his arms. “With you by my side, I’ll never head in that other direction again.”
Happy beyond belief, she snuggled closer.
“Mmm,” he whispered. “This’s nice. I could really get used to this.”
“Why, Chief Morgan.” She faked a Southern drawl to lighten the mood and leaned back. “Are you asking me to join forces with you again?”
He smiled back. “Why, yes, I am, Deputy Tucker. I hope this investigation will last for the rest of our lives.” He let his finger dip under her chin and slide up and over her lips.
She groaned. “I can’t think when you’re doing that.”
“Mmm,” he said and planted kisses on her cheek. “That’s the plan.”
She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back so she could see his face again. “If I tell you that I love you, will you stop tormenting me like this?”
“Why don’t you try it and see?”
She laid a hand on the side of his face. “You are perfect for me in so many ways, Russ. I love you.” Their eyes connected and an electrical charge passed between them, the current stealing her breath. She could see the same emotion reflected in Russ’s eyes, but he nudged her away.
He slid his hand into his pocket and drew out a shiny ring box. “I’ve already asked Nikki for your hand, and she’s given us her blessing. So all that’s left to do is for me to ask and for you to say yes.”
Sydney knew she was staring, but she really hadn’t expected him to ask her to marry him tonight.
He knelt down on one knee and opened the box. “I love you so much, Syd. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
He slipped the diamond solitaire on her finger and drew her into his arms. He kissed her, infusing it with love.
The sound of a key turning in the door spoiled the mood and they broke apart.
“Nikki,” Sydney said, secretly disappointed that their perfect moment had to end.
But Russ didn’t seem to mind. Smiling widely, he went to open the door for Nikki.
“You ask her yet?” Nikki asked Russ.
“Yeah, I asked her.”
“What she say?” she demanded.
“I’m right here,” Sydney said. “You can ask me.”
Russ beamed. “She said yes.”
“See, I told you she loves you. And you were all worried.”
“I wasn’t worried.”
“You so were.” Nikki smirked. “But I don’t know why. We both kinda like you.”
Russ rubbed his knuckles across Nikki’s head. “I love you, too, kid. Now go to your room.”
Nikki shot a playful punch to Russ’s arm, then ran across the room and gave Sydney a quick hug. “Thanks for making us a family,” she whispered and then shot out of the room.
Russ pulled Sydney close. She snuggled closer, letting her head rest against his chest where he normally wore his badge.
She smiled. At first, she’d only thought of him as a lawman. A strong, capable man who’d committed his life to protecting others, but she’d found so much more. A warm heart, generous spirit, unfaltering devotion. A whole man. The perfect package lay behind the badge and she could ask for nothing more.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Russ and Sydney’s story in
Behind the Badge. This story is special to me, as it is based on the Bible’s promise in Romans 8:28—“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Like Sydney and Russ, I have had some tough times in my life. Times when I wondered if God knew what I was going through, and if He did, why didn’t He rescue me from these hardships? But when I look back on my difficulties, I can see how God used those trials to make me a better person and to allow me to use what I’d learned in these trials to help others.
How about you? Have you been through the same trials, or maybe you are going through them now?
Your struggle may be like Sydney’s, where someone hurt you, disappointed you or failed to follow through on an important promise, causing you pain and anguish. Or maybe you’re more like Russ. You did something in your past that you wish you hadn’t done and now you struggle with others trusting you or struggle with not believing you should be trusted.
Then you are the person I wrote this book for. Because no matter what has happened in the past, no matter how you feel about the present, one thing is certain: the Lord can and will turn this problem to good.
I pray that the book has encouraged you to trust in the Lord no matter the difficulty you face. I love to hear from readers and you can reach me through my website, www.susansleeman.com, or in care of Love Inspired Books at 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.
Susan Sleeman
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
What is Sydney’s biggest challenge as she tries to trust God?
What is Russ’s biggest challenge? Have you ever experienced something similar?
After making a mistake, Russ struggles with worthiness. Have you ever felt as if you weren’t worthy because of something you did? If so, how did you overcome it?
Why do you think it took Sydney so long to forgive her mother? Have you struggled with forgiving someone? If so, how did you handle it?
Which character in the story do you relate most to and why?
Sydney and Russ both struggle to trust because of major situations in their lives that seem insurmountable. Do you have issues that keep you from trusting God? If so, what are they?
When life was toughest for Russ, he turned to his faith, but as his life settled back down, he slowly let his faith slide. Has that ever happened to you?
As the story opens, Russ was in the right place at the right time to save Sydney. Do you think this was coincidence or do you think God placed them there? Has anything like this happened in your own life?
A police officer helps Sydney as a young woman to overcome her challenging life and Sydney becomes a police officer to pay it forward. Is there some challenge in your life that you’ve come through and used the skills or concepts you’ve learned to help others?
If this officer hadn’t helped Sydney, what might have happened to her and Nikki? Can you see how important it is to help those in need?
Do you really believe God works all things for good, or are there things in your life that you struggle to see good come from?
Trust, once broken, is so hard to reclaim. Have you ever been in a relationship where someone has done something to lose your trust? Did they ever regain it, and if so, how? If you are experiencing this problem right now, how can your faith help you through it?
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0633-5
BEHIND THE BADGE
Copyright © 2011 by Susan Sleeman
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Love Inspired Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Love Inspired Books,
® and TM are trademarks of Love Inspired Books, used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
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