Valerie hesitated. While there was no solid reason to refuse Nick, she hated giving in to him. “I guess. But I really need for you to take her to Eagar or Show Low for sacrament meeting, at least. I’ll pack her a dress.”
“All right then. I’ll pick her up on Thursday morning.”
“Can you pick her up Thursday afternoon instead? Her last swim lesson is in the morning.”
“Fine,” he growled. Valerie sighed. Nick Hall could be easy to work with as long as he called the plays, but the second a person crossed him, that person became his lifelong opponent. Lucky her.
An hour later, Valerie’s disturbing conversation with her ex-husband was erased from her memory as she watched her little charges with pride. The kids had made enormous strides in improving their swimming skills. Whitney had learned the breaststroke and backstroke, and Justin and Zach were becoming more adept at swimming freestyle. The kids were chattering happily when she pulled into her grandparents’ driveway. Parking the car, Valerie glanced up to say something to Whitney through the rearview mirror when she noticed that the front door was open. She peered at it closer, certain that it had been locked when they left. A feeling of unease crept up her spine. She told the kids to stay put.
Without stopping to think things through, she circled around to the back of the house, gasping when she saw shards of broken glass and dark red splotches dotting the concrete and grass. She stared at the back door, which also stood wide open, before her eyes darted to the cavernous hole in the window of the living room.
Peering through the window, Valerie gaped at the mess inside. More drops of blood soiled the carpet where the intruder, who’d apparently sliced a limb on the broken glass, had made his or her way into the living room and down the hallway toward the bedrooms.
Feeling sick, Valerie pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed 911. In a shaky voice, she told them where she lived and gave the dispatcher the pertinent details. The dispatcher told her not to touch anything and to leave the property immediately as the intruder might still be there.
“Mommy, where are you?” Whitney’s panicked voice sounded from far away.
Valerie turned to find the kids rounding the corner of the house. Whitney must have helped the boys out of their seats belts. Her heart dropped when they stopped to stare at the broken glass and blood. She was sure that the horror on their faces mirrored hers. “Watch where you step. Let’s get back in the car.”
Valerie’s paralyzed brain could only think of one person to call.
Her hands shook as she brought up his number.
She managed one word before the tears fell. “Gage?”
Gage stared at the disturbing scene in stunned silence. The trail of blood, which led directly into Valerie’s bedroom where the intruder had upturned her mattress and rifled through her belongings, turned his stomach. Feminine clothing was strewn in every direction, making his blood boil.
The diamond teardrop earrings she’d worn on their date were now history as well as the rest of her jewelry. In a valiant effort to stave off the hysteria that he knew was settling in, Valerie jokingly claimed, “It’s okay. Most of my jewelry came from Nick anyway.” Gage enfolded her in his arms.
“Everything’s okay now. You’re safe.” When Valerie had called him at work, Gage had had a premonition of sorts since she almost never called him there. He had arrived at the Skylars’ house to find Valerie and the kids in the car with the engine running. In a jumble of “bad guy” and “broke into our house,” Whitney, Justin, and Zach alternately told him the story he’d already pieced together on the phone. Gage let them talk their excitement out for a while. Then he quieted them down and said a prayer of gratitude for Heavenly Father’s protection that day.
When the police arrived with their flashing lights and asked Valerie to accompany them inside the house to take a closer look at the damage, Gage turned to the kids. “Who wants to go for ice cream?”
Whitney’s lips trembled as she asked, “But what about Mommy?”
“She’s with the policemen now so she’s safe. We’ll let her talk to them and come back in a little while.”
Valerie was still inside the house when they returned. The wait seemed to take forever. “The police dusted for fingerprints and took a blood sample, although they cautioned me that it was probably too small to test for DNA,” Valerie informed him as she met him outside. Her voice sounded a little calmer now. “Even then, if the burglar’s blood isn’t in the system . . .”
“They’ll never catch the thief,” Gage finished.
“At least nothing else is missing. The burglar left the flat screen television and my laptop alone.”
Emerging from the house, Officer Jordan added, “In all likelihood, Mrs. Hall, the perp was watching your movements and knew you wouldn’t be gone long.”
“Watching me?” Valerie’s eyes dilated to round saucers. Her face was white. “You think he knew where I was going?”
“He?” Gage echoed in alarm. Taking hold of her elbow, he led her to a nearby wicker chair and knelt next to her. “Who, Valerie?”
Gage had the feeling she wasn’t really seeing him as she whispered, “Nick. He and I argued right before we left for swim lessons.” Gage abruptly stood and flexed his fingers. He wanted to hit something.
The policemen soon left with a reminder to be safe and that they’d be in touch. Valerie took a shuddering breath. “I’ll call Chloe and ask her to take the kids for the afternoon. There’s so much stuff to clean up.”
“I’ll help you.”
As soon as Chloe pulled up in her minivan, she got out and hugged Valerie. “I’m so glad you’re safe. What’s the damage?” While Valerie updated her, Gage patiently answered the kids’ questions. Yes, the police would find the burglar. (He hoped.) No, nobody else’s houses were broken into. Yes, they would be at Aunt Chloe’s house for the duration of the afternoon. No, Whitney’s dolls and Justin’s car collection hadn’t been touched. Neither had their bikes, including Justin’s specially made model that Valerie’s parents had given him for his birthday.
Gage peered at Valerie to see how she was holding up. The children’s toys might not have been taken, but her sense of security had.
And that wasn’t something that could easily be found again.
After Chloe loaded the children into her car and left, Valerie turned to Gage with such a defeated expression that he couldn’t have stayed away if he tried. She threw herself into Gage’s arms and wept. He stood there as solid as stone, holding her, hoping to give her comfort.
“Valerie? Gage?” They pulled away upon hearing Brande Levington’s voice as she and John came through the back door. Brande’s stricken face silently assessed the mess before she met her daughter’s gaze. “Honey, I’m so sorry.”
She came up to Valerie and hugged her. “Thanks,” Valerie said.
Valerie and her mom swept up the broken glass and mopped the tile floor; then they packed some clothing for the children while Gage and John boarded up the shattered window and carefully picked up the shards of glass outside.
“Brande’s parents are due to arrive two weeks from now,” John Levington said as they worked together.
Gage raised his eyebrows. “That soon, huh?” Valerie hadn’t told him that. And she still didn’t have a place to live. He hadn’t wanted to rush her with her decision, but he now felt a greater urgency.
John leveled a look toward Gage. He lowered his voice so that the women couldn’t hear him. “Valerie is trying not to show it, but she’s pretty shaken up over this.”
How well Gage knew it. He remembered her shivering in his arms a few hours ago. “She’ll get through it. I’m amazed by all that she’s accomplished on her own.”
John nodded his agreement. “Always feels like she needs to prove something to us. That divorce sure did a number on her, as if we would think less of her for divorcing Nick.”
As long as they were being frank with one another, Gage felt that he should le
vel with John. “The thing is, she doesn’t have to do this alone anymore. I’ve asked your daughter to marry me.”
“I know. She told us.”
“And?” Gage prodded when no further comment was made.
John brought his hammer down and looked at Gage steadily. “You’re a good man, son. And I have no doubt that you’ll be a good husband and father to Valerie and her children. But were you serious when you told her you’d marry her in the temple?”
“As soon as Valerie gets her sealing to Nick canceled, we’ll be ready. That’s a promise.”
John must have heard the sincerity in his voice because he nodded his consent. “We’ll get the ball rolling on that and welcome you into the family, provided that Valerie agrees to marry you.”
Valerie opted to stay the night with her parents after she and Gage picked their children up from Chloe’s house and Gage and Zach went home. All entrances to her grandparents’ house were secured along with the window. But Valerie didn’t feel very secure there.
Her mother helped her put Whitney and Justin to bed, at which point Valerie was able to take a much-needed hot, soothing soak in the tub. Donning a fluffy robe she’d borrowed from her mom over her nightgown, she went downstairs to fix a bowl of ice cream. Yes, she was splurging on calories, but after a day like this, she was trying to hold onto her last shred of sanity.
She blushed as she remembered Gage’s departing kiss. He had no qualms about kissing her right in front of her parents. Knowing grins graced their lips as she and Gage parted. Maybe they knew something she didn’t.
But you do know, her conscience whispered to her. Gage is the man you love. Valerie had known it in that moment when she’d called him at work. He was the one person she wanted there in her time of need.
As she ate her ice cream, Valerie’s mind automatically replayed the day’s events again and again. She was glad the intruder had ended up getting hurt rather than them, she thought darkly.
Forcing those morose thoughts from her mind, Valerie recalled the conversation she had with her father a few hours ago as he had put his hand out to stop her from leaving after finishing her dinner. “Valerie, may I talk to you for a few minutes?”
“Sure, Dad.” She’d followed him to the back porch where they sat watching the sun set on a very long day. The pinks and oranges of the horizon refreshed her downtrodden spirit, reminding her of the evening she and Gage had spent at Tempe Town Lake.
“Valerie, I’ve had a chance to talk to Gage. I believe he’s sincere when he says that he wants to marry you and be sealed in the temple. If this hold-up is a matter of you not loving him, then I can certainly understand that. But your mother and I both think that you do.”
Valerie took her time answering. “I do love him, Dad. He’s a great guy and has become a wonderful father to Zach.”
“I believe he would be a good husband to you.”
Valerie sighed. “I know. Like he said, we really do balance each other.”
“So what’s the problem? Are you nervous about taking on his son permanently?”
“No. Zach’s a great kid. He and Justin get along really well.”
“What are you afraid of then?”
“I’ve already gone through one divorce. I don’t want to go through another.” She decided not to tell him about Gage wanting more children. She figured if or when the time was right to do so, the Lord would let her know. For now, she could only cross one bridge at a time.
“You’re afraid that Gage won’t stick it out?” John asked gently.
“He’s told me over and over that he’s changed. But . . . how do I know for sure?”
“Have you prayed about it?”
Valerie nodded. “A few times. But I haven’t received an answer yet.”
“The answer will come when the time is right.”
“Justin told me a few weeks ago that Gage would be his new dad. How could he know that when I don’t even know it?”
“Hmm.” He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “It seems to me that special needs children often see things we overlook. Could be that Justin is closer to the Spirit than you are at times. What else did he say?”
“That was it. He said it as a matter of fact. I was so thrown by it that I almost crashed my car.”
“What happened after that?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you sure?” John regarded her carefully. “Think back to that time. What did you tell Justin?”
“I started to explain that Gage couldn’t be his dad, but I—I . . .” Valerie stopped midsentence when she remembered what had occurred next.
“What is it, sweetheart?”
Her heart beat rapidly. “When I began to dismiss his idea as a foolish notion, a warm feeling spread through me, like I was on fire. With all that’s happened lately, I haven’t thought about it since then.”
“That could be the answer.” They were both silent for a few minutes as they watched the sun slowly sink into the horizon. The crickets started their nightly chirping as the night air gradually cooled. “Pray about Gage’s proposal again tonight, all right?”
Valerie was quiet as she lifted herself off the wicker chair. “All right, Dad. I will. Good night.” She kissed his cheek.
When she reached the back door, her father called out softly, “Valerie.”
“Yes, Dad?”
He smiled at her kindly. “I’ve learned through the years that when you want to know if taking a certain step in your life is the right thing to do, asking a yes or no question helps.”
She returned his smile. “Thanks, Dad.”
After a restless night and subsequent morning in which Gage had worried endlessly over Valerie, he brought Zach over to her parents’ house earlier than usual to check on her and the kids. Valerie was already waiting at the door. Gage breathed a sigh of relief knowing that she was safe. Maybe it had been foolish to think that something might happen to her here, of all places, but the robbery had been nerve-racking for everyone involved.
Valerie greeted them and led Zach down the hallway to find Whitney and Justin. She then turned to Gage seriously. Backing up a few steps, she reached for the magician’s hat that he hadn’t noticed sitting on a decorative case. When had she snatched that from the house?
“I need to hand this back to you,” she said solemnly.
His heart plummeted. “Okay.” Gingerly taking it from her, he swallowed hard, not quite sure what to say.
“There’s a rabbit in there.”
Of all the things he’d expected her to say, that was probably the last. “What?”
A tiny smile peeked out from her serious expression. “You know . . . the rabbit that magicians pull from their hats? Look inside.”
His sleep-deprived brain finally caught on to her meaning as he eagerly peered into the hat and thrust his hand into it to grab the white slip of paper, cut into the shape of rabbit’s head, within. One word had been written in bold pink letters: YES!
“Are you sure?” And of all the things he wanted to say, that was possibly the most idiotic.
But Valerie didn’t seem to mind. “Absolutely. I love you, Gage. I finally know what I want too. And I’m ready to take that journey with you.”
Gage didn’t waste any time. He poured all the love he felt for her into his kiss. When they finally came up for air, they were both breathing hard. “So what changed your mind about us, sweetheart?”
“The Lord answered my prayer last night. I felt the Spirit so strongly when I asked Heavenly Father if I should marry you. It feels right to me too.”
“In that case . . .” He pulled the jewelry box out of his pocket and placed the ring on her finger.
Valerie’s eyes bulged. “Wow. Were you really that confident that I would say yes right now?”
“No. But a funny thing happened when I was getting ready to leave. The thought came to my mind to grab the ring. I almost forgot about it as I finished helping Zach get ready. But then the thought came again just befor
e we went out the door. So I stuffed it in my pocket, thinking I must be losing my mind to take it with me to work. I think this means we’re on the same page now, doesn’t it?”
She grinned happily. “It sure does.”
Gage and Valerie waited apprehensively inside the Skylars’ home with Whitney by the window for Nick to pick her up on Thursday after finishing swim lessons. The boys were in a back bedroom playing. In light of the events of Tuesday, Gage wasn’t about to let Valerie face her ex-husband alone, especially considering Whitney’s occasional outbursts expressing fear of “the bad man” coming again. Nick parked his convertible behind Gage’s Camaro and Whitney lugged her overnight bag outside to meet him.
“That’s odd,” Valerie said, puckering her brows. “Nick’s not getting out of his car to help Whitney, the way he usually does.”
Gage squeezed her hand. “I’ll help her.”
As he approached the car, he noticed Nick rapidly drumming the fingers of his right hand on the steering wheel, as if the guy was anxious to be on his way. A little too anxious, perhaps? His left arm hung down by his side, hidden from Gage’s view through the tinted window that was rolled a quarter of the way down. Gage would sure love to see if that hand sported a large bandage.
“Hi, there,” Gage said lightly. “I see you didn’t get out to help Whitney with her bag. Feeling a bit tired today?”
Nick’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s asking?”
Before Gage could answer, Valerie spoke. “My fiancé.” Gage wrapped his arm possessively around her shoulders as she stepped beside him.
Nick looked sharply from one to the other. “Your what?”
“You heard her,” Gage said, struggling to keep his tone even. “We expect you to bring Whitney home on time. And in one piece. Her safety is important to us.”
Instead of acknowledging Gage, Nick sneered at Valerie. “Is this guy for real, Val?”
Valerie stiffened. “Listen, Nick, we’re all a little on edge because we had a break-in earlier this week. We’re letting you know so that you’ll be able to calm Whitney down if she becomes upset.”
The Matchup Page 19
