Before he could respond, Heather pulled Chase down to whisper very loudly into his ear. “Mom says Bridgette is a cougar. I better stay with you to make sure she doesn’t bite.”
Embarrassment crept up his neck in waves of heat. A lame excuse for amusement escaped his lips when he stole a glance at an irritated Bridgette. “Kids.” He managed to give her one of his killer smiles to soften her glare at the child. “Besides, the cougar happens to be my favorite animal.”
“Well, mine, too,” she said shifting her weight to one hip. “If you’re sure everything is all right, I’ll go home and light a fire.” She winked again. “If you know what I mean.”
Before he could offer some encouragement, Heather piped in, “Of course, he knows what you mean. We have a fireplace, too. See?” She pointed to the one in the living room that the boys had flipped on then she went to the door and opened it wider. “Thanks for stopping by. Mommy will be here soon. Chasey will take good care of us until she comes home. You don’t have to worry.”
If ever there was a human who resembled a ravenous bird of prey about to snatch up its dinner, it was Bridgette when she narrowed her eyes and glared down her delicate nose. Chase managed to step forward and pull Heather behind him. “Thanks, Bridgette. We had a break-in, and the police were here to take our report. Be sure you turn your security system on. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to you,” he suggested in a deep voice.
She stepped onto the porch and turned back. “Well, some things just happen, you know.”
Chase wanted to respond, but Heather slammed the door before he got a chance.
“That was rude,” he scolded.
“I know. Mom says the same thing about her. She’s always flirting with my dad.”
The boys returned and pointed to the tidy living room once covered in disarray, cushions, and candy canes. “All done. We’re hungry.” Both boys looked hopeful.
Chase decided to try his hand at making pancakes and added some of the chocolate chips he knew Tessa always kept on hand. The kids asked for seconds, so he figured he’d done all right. But the mix of carbs, chocolate, and sugar might have been a poor choice for a meal. He could almost see their heads spinning around and their brains creating scenarios a seasoned undercover CIA agent would find chilling.
“I’m going to clean this up then I’ll come help you with decorating the living room tree. I see your mom already has a lot done in the family room.” The kids carried their plates to the sink. He was a little surprised at first but realized their mom had been raised on a farm and would expect her kids to have chores and responsibilities.
After they hurried into the living room, the sound of plastic tubs being opened soon followed. Remembering he hadn’t replaced Tessa’s weapon on the top of the china cabinet, he managed to slip in and secure it to a safe position. When he joined them, he noticed how they carefully lifted each decoration to hang it on the tree.
“I wish Mommy was here,” Heather sighed as Daniel stroked her hair.
“Me, too,” he admitted. “How about some hot chocolate?” Chase wasn’t sure if they missed having their mother help, or maybe the evening’s adventures had taken a toll on them, but he sensed the need to show a little creative initiation and lighten the mood.
“Mom doesn’t usually let us bring food and stuff in here,” Sean Patrick announced as he took one of the Santa Claus cups. “But we won’t tell, Chase.” He smiled over the rim. They sat on the floor, and Chase set the tray holding extra marshmallows and spoons on the coffee table.
Chase narrowed his eyes and met Sean Patrick’s hard gaze. “Appreciate it. Maybe I won’t tell her about all your shenanigans and potty mouth.”
Daniel poked Sean good-naturedly, making him slosh some hot chocolate onto his shirt.
Heather set her cup down and hopped up to continue decorating the tree. She started to sing “Silent Night” as if performing for her part in the church Christmas play. Suddenly, she stopped and whirled around to face the guys.
“What’s a virgin, Chase?”
Chase spewed hot chocolate all over the boys’ faces. They immediately yelped, and he reached across and frantically wiped at the drips with paper napkins. They grabbed one of Tessa’s holiday pillows to mop up the mess.
Once the commotion died down, Sean Patrick grinned at Chase. “Well, aren’t you going to answer her question?”
He could never remember a time when a lump formed in his throat because of being tongue-tied or for a lack of words. Yet here he sat with three of the most obnoxious kids on God’s green Earth wanting to trap him. How would Tessa handle the question? Why were the boys looking at him expectantly? Were they trying to gain new insight to a grown-up world, or had they been talking with the other boys and looking at dirty pictures? And weren’t they too young to be exposed to such things?
Chase cleared his throat and forced down more hot chocolate in the hope the liquid would burn his vocal cords enough to prevent him from speaking. Of all the times for the three to wait patiently like Buddhist monks in meditation… He longed for lots of loud chaos and maybe even a terrorist attack where he could escape to find solace.
Daniel sighed as he turned to Heather. “He probably doesn’t know what a virgin is.”
Sean Patrick rolled his eyes. “Really? The song is as old as him.”
Finally, a moment of distraction descended upon the scene. Chase decided it was a Christmas miracle. “Actually, I know all about the song. Once upon a Christmas Eve, a young priest of St. Nicholas parish church faced disaster. The organ had been pretty much destroyed by mice, and he couldn’t afford to get it fixed in time for church services. But the good priest didn’t give up.”
“What happened?” Heather moved closer to the coffee table and sat down, still holding a string of red beads in her little hand.
The boys leaned in to listen and acted interested.
“He found a poem he had written several years earlier called ‘Stille Nacht.’ That means quiet night. The priest took his poem to the teacher who played the organ in a nearby town. He asked him to write a melody to accompany the poem on guitar. In several hours, the teacher had the music done, and the carol was played for the first time that night at the Christmas Eve service.”
“How long ago are we talking about?” Daniel asked, shoving his glasses farther up on his nose.
“The year was 1818.” Chase loved books, especially biographies.
Sean Patrick reached over and patted Heather’s hand. “Told you he was old.”
Heather’s lips pooched out, and her brow creased. “I still don’t know what a virgin is, Chasey.”
For a second, Chase thought his swallow sounded like a pipe bomb had exploded. Where was a good pipe bomb when you needed it? Her curly head tilted in expectation, and the boys raised their eyebrows in doubt and contempt.
“It’s a young lady who hasn’t had a baby yet.” Chase rushed the words as he dabbed his mouth with a snowflake-printed napkin. He downed the last of the hot chocolate, imitating a gunslinger drinking his last whiskey then gritted his teeth. Maybe he’d answered the question well enough, yet she eyed him. He could imagine the wheels turning in her little female brain. She was a miniature version of her mother, making this day Halloween, not Christmas.
“Why was her name Ron?”
“Her name wasn’t Ron. It was Mary.” Chase felt confused. Was this a trap?
Heather sang the song. “Round Ron Virgin, mother and child—” She cut off the song and waited for an answer.
There was no way he couldn’t laugh at her interpretation. “It’s Round yon mother and child. It means everything around Mary, who was going to have a baby, was calm.”
Heather nodded her acceptance and smiled. Chase relaxed and wondered if it would be wrong to pat himself on the back, but he almost choked at her next question. “So, how did the baby get in her belly?”
“I think that is a good question for your mother, since she has had three babies.” Did perspirat
ion bead on his forehead? Maybe they should turn off the fireplace.
Sean Patrick landed a friendly blow to Chase’s shoulder. “Nice save, Mr. Badass.”
Chapter Four
How are things going?” Tessa had decided to call home while she waited for her parents at a coffee shop. She’d already reserved hotel rooms in Reno for them, anxious to be on their way. The crowds of people had slowed, and the arrival and departure boards showed her parents should be landing in the next thirty minutes. They were already two hours later than she’d told Captain Hunter on the last phone call.
“We finished the living room tree. Looks pretty good.” Chase sounded calmer this time. She found it difficult to imagine the Delta Force Army captain doing such a normal thing as decorating a Christmas tree.
“Kids doing okay? I know they wanted me to be there to help.”
“I think they’ll be scarred for life,” Chase quipped. “They already show signs of becoming felons.”
Tessa smiled at the attempt at humor. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“No. I’m serious as a heart attack. Sean Patrick is too big for his britches. Daniel may very well be capable of hacking NORAD and sending us to DEFCON 4. Heather—let’s say she’s probably going to be the world’s best con artist.”
“Aww. She is such a sweetie.”
“Are you wearing those rose-colored glasses again?” His voice softened the way it did sometimes when they shared a moment of closeness. “I guess they’re okay. I think they’re plotting even as we speak about how to circumvent my authority. No wonder you eased right into the Enigma team. You’ve been fighting terrorism for years.”
Tessa chuckled and wished she could see the corner of his mouth turn up in a grin. “Have I told you lately you’re my hero?”
“Shouldn’t your hubby fill that kind of position?” Now, his voice had switched to contempt. He’d never liked Robert and let her know he wondered why she’d married him. They were going through a rough patch and had separated a few weeks earlier, unbeknownst to the kids and her coworkers at Enigma, or so she thought.
“I feel an insult about to be hurled at Robert. If you do, I’m warning you, I’ll personally put a lump of coal, not in your stocking but upside your head.”
“That’s probably what the kids are planning anyway. At least they’d put me out of my misery.”
“Chase,” she sighed. “I’m sorry.”
There was a pause before his warm voice came through the phone again. “I’m yanking your chain. Kids are good. No trouble. I think being a father might not be so bad. This is probably the closest I’ll ever get, so thanks.”
“Now, you’re being too adorable.”
He groaned. “Do not ever call me ‘adorable’ in public, or I’ll send your butt back to Afghanistan.” When she didn’t respond, he continued, “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Tessa hadn’t fared well in Afghanistan and still carried the emotional scars of the experience. Chase and her Enigma friends were the only ones in her life who truly understood the turmoil inside her. She’d returned home a different person, and her husband, Robert, had not adjusted to the change.
The twinkling lights of Christmas drew her back to the present, and the smell of her peppermint latte soothed her soul. “What did you get me for Christmas?”
“I’m watching the wild bunch for you. Merry Christmas.”
She sighed and almost said I love you but caught herself. “It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
“Some little elves want to talk to you. Okay?”
“Sure.”
Sean Patrick spoke first and declared all was well. He’d made sure Chase knew the rules even though he wasn’t very good at taking orders. She agreed with him and thanked him for his service. He would appreciate the comment. From the time the boy turned five years old, he’d declared he would be going to West Point someday and become a general by the time he was twenty. This always made her laugh. Even now, as he grew older, he hadn’t lost the dream, only expanded the timeline a bit. No wonder he and Chase were at odds. Both thought they were in charge.
“I need you to be a good listener, Sean Patrick. Did you know Chase is a captain in the Army?” She could imagine him turning and eyeing Chase with a new kind of respect. “He even went to West Point.”
Daniel was soon handed the phone, and he gave a rundown of the evening’s events in a logical and orderly fashion. He said Chase might be the best sitter they’d ever had but was kind of old.
“He’s a little older than me, Daniel,” she corrected.
“My point exactly. I much prefer the cheerleader who lives down the street, but Chase is more fun.”
Tessa didn’t know when her son had started noticing girls, but he was still a little boy, and that would never do. She wondered what Sean had exposed him to or what website he’d discovered.
“Hi, Mommy.” Hearing her daughter’s voice warmed her heart. The two of them had a special connection only a mother and daughter shared. “I miss you. When are you coming home? Are Mimi and Poppy with you? Can I talk to them? Where are you? Why aren’t you home? Did you know Chase told me all about virgins?”
Her smile faded at the last question. “Slow down. What?”
She repeated all the questions again, only louder. With a deep breath, Tessa tried to remain calm. “I miss you, too. I’ll be home tomorrow. Mimi will be here any minute. I’m in Reno, and the snow is blocking the highway, so I have to stay here tonight. Are you being a good girl?”
“Yes. Because I’m a virgin.”
“Okay, sweetie. I need you to put Chase back on the phone. Love you.” She could hear Heather call Chase to the phone as the boys’ remote-control cars sounded like they might have crashed and broken something.
Chase let out an excited “Oh,” then laughed. “Set it up again and we’ll see how far that puppy will fly.” This time his laughter failed to amuse her. “See? We’re good.”
“What have you been telling my daughter about her being a virgin?”
“The tone in your voice hints you’re irritated at me.” She could tell he covered the phone for an instant but heard him yell out nonetheless. “No. You can’t take the cars outside.” Then he turned on the charm. “You were saying? Oh. The virgin thing.”
“The virgin thing?” Tessa pulled the phone away from her ear and switched to FaceTime. “Read my expression, Captain Hunter.”
Chase tilted his head and grinned at her. “You’re missing me?” She started to comment, but he continued. “No. No. Don’t tell me.” He looked over his shoulder at the kids wrestling in the background then whispered, squinting. “Wondering how to make me a happy man?”
“I know I’ve said it before, but it is no wonder you aren’t married. You are terrible at reading women.” He started to speak, but she cut him off. “Don’t even say you don’t usually do much talking with the brainy bimbos you date. Now. What have you been telling my kids?”
His quick rundown of their earlier conversation caused her to burst into laughter. “Can you even imagine how embarrassed I was?” he admitted. This only made her erupt in laughter again until tears squeezed from the corners of her eyes. “You need to apologize to me,” he growled. “Glad to see you’re amused.” He’d told her many times he loved her laughter. She made life worthwhile in his dark world. When she focused on something other than him, he immediately sounded concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m turning the phone around, for you to see this. Recognize her?” Tessa turned the phone toward a woman wearing a backpack, walking down the concourse toward an exit.
“That can’t be good.”
“I’ll follow her.”
Chase protested, like she knew he would, so she disconnected the call. Did it turn him into a fuming volcano ready to erupt? Most likely. But she wasn’t a novice agent anymore, and the woman she’d encountered years earlier now strolled through the airport. Wherever Honey Lynch showed up, trouble soo
n followed.
Chapter Five
The kids stood at the living room window staring out into the night. Something about their quiet demeanor unnerved him. It reminded him a great deal of when he waited for the Taliban to sneak out from behind rocks and out of caves when darkness grew so thick it could be cut with a knife.
The white lights of the decorated tree and the fireplace brightened the room enough for him to evaluate their handiwork. He didn’t usually celebrate Christmas. The situation made him consider whether Tessa planned this whole scenario in hopes of giving him a kind of warm and fuzzy feeling. With the children quiet, and the room decorated, he had to admit she knew how to weave magic into Christmas. The house reeked of peppermint bark and sugar cookies.
Growing up in China, his family couldn’t celebrate Christmas. Being missionaries in a Communist nation, singing “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” could get you in serious trouble. His parents would quietly tell the story of Bethlehem, baby Jesus, shepherds, wise men, and all the rest, each Christmas. Occasionally he and his sister would get a pair of new socks or a very worn book written in Chinese. Even those had pages missing.
It wasn’t until they were sent to Paris to spend Christmas with his grandfather who was serving as the French ambassador that he discovered how people celebrated the holiday in other parts of the world. Those two weeks were eye opening. From there, they traveled to the Qualla Reservation in North Carolina to visit his maternal grandfather. There he got to experience living in a large family with all his Cherokee cousins.
With all the sins he’d committed over the years, Christmas felt like a death trap waiting to make him pay penance for all the pain he’d inflicted in order to keep the country safe. Was this another cruel joke God wanted to play on him? Thoughts of Tessa waiting for her parents at the Reno airport surfaced; another cruel joke God played on him. The woman continued to be a heart attack waiting to happen for him, yet the enticement to be near her remained strong in spite of the do-not-touch zone.
The Knight Before Chaos Page 3
