The Officer's Secret

by Giusti, Debby

  “How…are…you?” he asked through cracked lips.

  “Fine, now that I’m with you.” Her eyes clouded as she thought of what could have happened. “For a moment there, I didn’t think you wanted to go with me into the chopper.”

  His lips curled into a weak smile. “That was hypothermia talking.”

  A knock sounded at the door. Maggie turned in time to see Jamison and Chief Wilson step into the room. “The nurse told us you were both doing better,” the chief said as the two men moved to the bed and smiled down at Nate. “Proves a good CID agent can withstand just about anything, even a raging river.”

  “The doctors weren’t very optimistic when they brought him in last night,” Maggie reminded them. Both men had been there when the helicopter had touched down and had stayed until morning.

  The chief’s upbeat expression sobered. “We were all worried about you, Nate. You went above and beyond on this one.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “I’m sure you’re interested in what happened,” the chief continued. “Foglio confessed to murdering Major Bennett.”

  “With Corporal Mills’s help,” Jamison added.

  “Did you find out what happened in Afghanistan?” Maggie asked.

  “Seems the driver killed in the IED explosion suspected his roommate was involved in a mail ring,” Jamison said. “He took one of the earthenware figurines to your sister, Maggie, and asked her what he should do. She convinced him to go to Captain York, the company commander, with the information, and since she wasn’t sure who was involved on that end, she mailed the evidence back to the U.S.”

  The chief nodded. “The roommate must have realized they were on to him. CID in Afghanistan called and told us he confessed to setting the IED that killed the company commander and the soldier.”

  “And the guys from the pawnshop?” Nate asked, his voice somewhat stronger.

  “They’ve been arrested,” Jamison said. “Evidently Graham pawned a gun some time ago that Foglio planned to use on Major Bennett if the copycat suicide didn’t work. He borrowed Graham’s Mustang, knowing if murder was suspected and if anyone saw the car the night of Major Bennett’s death, they’d pin the crime on Graham.”

  “Then he used the gun on Corporal Mills and Arnold Zart,” Nate added.

  “Exactly.” Jamison nodded. “In his twisted mind, Lieutenant Colonel Foglio thought Graham would be charged with their deaths while he walked away without anyone suspecting his involvement.”

  Maggie sighed. “I’m just relieved it’s over.”

  The chief glanced at his watch. “We need to get back to the office, but I’ll pass on the good news that you’re doing better.” The men headed for the door and then the chief stopped short. “Oh, I almost forgot. I tore up your paperwork for transfer, Nate.”

  With a broad smile and a final wave, the chief left the room. Jamison gave his friend a thumbs-up before he followed Wilson out the door.

  Maggie turned back to Nate, almost afraid to ask. “Paperwork?”

  He squeezed her hand. “I had wanted to go back to Afghanistan before I met you, Maggie. But all that has changed.”

  “So you’re not going to be deployed?”

  “I’m staying at Fort Rickman.” A smile pulled at the corners of his cracked lips. “Although I plan on spending a lot of time in Alabama.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Sounds like a great idea to me.”

  He lowered his gaze for a moment. When he looked up at her, his face was serious. “I heard the family counseling office on post has a vacancy.”

  She didn’t need to think about her answer. “Now that’s an opportunity I wouldn’t want to pass up.”

  Nate’s eyes twinkled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Knowing there was more information he needed to hear, Maggie said, “Colonel Rogers paid me a visit this morning and told me the truth about my dad. Now I know what you were trying to explain while we were in the water. Dani wasn’t to blame for our father’s death. Neither was I.”

  She paused before adding, “For a long time as a kid, I was jealous of my sister. She seemed to have everything I wanted—a group of friends and a guy who liked her and, on rare occasions, even attention from my dad. I told myself none of that was important to me, but of course, it was. I made a number of mistakes, trying to have what was hers, never realizing love comes to different people in different ways and at different times.”

  Nate rubbed his fingers over Maggie’s hand. “When I was in the recovery room, I asked the Lord to forgive any mistake of mine that had bearing on Michael’s death.”

  “I’m so glad, Nate.”

  “This morning, I called my parents. My mom started crying when she heard I was in the hospital. She said she knew I wasn’t to blame. I didn’t know if my father would be as forgiving.”

  Nate licked his lips before he continued. “My dad…” He hesitated a long moment. “My dad said he was proud of me.”

  “What’s that tell you?” Maggie asked.

  “That I don’t have to run away from the past.”

  She leaned over him and took pleasure in seeing the spark of interest light up his eyes. “Not only are you an excellent CID agent, Nate Patterson, but you’re also a fast learner.” She smiled playfully. “Guess what?”

  His lips twitched into a smile. “I don’t know, what?”

  “I’m proud of you, too.” Then Maggie did what she had wanted to do for a very long time. She lowered her lips to his. Despite the IV, he wrapped his good arm around her waist and drew her close. Her last thought as she sank into his embrace was that she would have waited a lifetime to find Nate.

  EPILOGUE

  Nate pulled his car to the curb. Rounding to the passenger side, he opened the door for Maggie. She stepped to the sidewalk and looked at the one-story brick quarters. A bed of flowers edged the porch—bright red geraniums and white begonias interspersed with bushes of blue hydrangeas.

  Maggie nodded her approval. “Nice curb appeal.”

  “It’s not Hunter Housing Area, but we can move in as soon as we get back from our honeymoon.”

  She squeezed his hand. “It’s a wonderful house, Nate, and it’s ours.”

  He wrapped his arm around her waist. “Until Uncle Sam moves me to a new assignment.”

  “The counseling service on post said they’d transfer me to your next duty station when you get orders.”

  “They don’t want to lose someone as empathetic as you.”

  “You’re biased.”

  He nuzzled her cheek, making her laugh. “You bet I am.”

  Wrapping his arm around her, they walked toward their new quarters. “How’s Kyle Foglio doing?”

  “He still refuses counseling, but he and his stepmom are talking and that’s important. I told Kyle he wasn’t to blame for his father’s actions.”

  “Did he believe you?”

  “I don’t think so. He’s leaving in a few days to spend the rest of the summer with his mom.”

  “And Mrs. Foglio?”

  “She’s adjusting to civilian life, although she doesn’t talk about her husband. Maybe with time, she’ll be more forthcoming.”

  “Must be hard to live for years with someone and not really know them.”

  Maggie nodded. “I’m beginning to believe all families have secrets. Some are more painful than others.”

  Nate slipped the key into the lock and pushed the door open. “This time we walk in together.” He winked. “Next time, I carry you.”

  Stepping into the cool interior, he closed the door and took her in his arms. Without a doubt, Maggie was the best thing that had ever happened to him. “Every night before I go to sleep I thank God for bringing you into my life.”

  Her eyes filled with tears of joy, and laughter bubbled from her throat. “Then He’s getting two thank-yous, because I do the same thing.”

  “Two peas in a pod, eh? Maybe we need to make this permanent.”

  She gen
tly slapped his shoulder. Although his wound had healed, he still had residual pain. “In exactly two weeks and three days, it will be permanent.”

  “Hard to believe, isn’t it?” He felt his gut tighten, this time not with fear or anxiety, but with overwhelming love for Maggie. Pure, wondrous love that was warm as the summer sunshine and better than anything he’d ever known.

  “I love you, Maggie.”

  “Oh, Nate, I love you so much.”

  “Promise…” He hesitated, soaking in the feel of her in his arms. “Promise you’ll love me forever?”

  “Longer than forever.” As he lowered his lips to hers, he thought of the journey they had traveled. Both of them had carried heavy burdens from the past that, at the time, had seemed insurmountable. Now, holding the woman he loved more than anything, Nate vowed to enjoy this moment and every moment God gave them, knowing the Lord had a wonderful future planned for their lifetime together.

  Dear Reader,

  I’m excited about The Officer’s Secret, the first book in my new Military Investigations Series, which features heroes and heroines in the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division. I hope you will enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  In The Officer’s Secret, Army CID Special Agent Nate Patterson and family counselor Maggie Bennett butt heads and hearts as they try to uncover the truth about Maggie’s family, her sister’s mysterious death and an earthenware figurine from Afghanistan that may have been smuggled into the U.S. Like many of us, Maggie and Nate hold on to secrets from the past that keep them from moving forward. Jesus tells us in John’s gospel, “The truth will set you free.” My fictional heroes need to learn that lesson just as many of us must realize it, as well. Christ wants us to live in His truth and to accept His unconditional love and forgiveness. Only then can we be truly free.

  To join my Cross My Heart Prayer Team or to learn about my upcoming books, go to my website, www.DebbyGiusti.com, or my blog,

  www.crossmyheartprayerteam.blogspot.com.

  Wishing you abundant blessings,

  QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  Why did Dani and Maggie both believe they were responsible for their father’s death?

  Did you learn anything new about military life by reading this book?

  What type of relationship do you think Maggie had with her mother? What about Dani?

  What did Maggie need as a child that she didn’t receive from her family? How did that influence her in adulthood?

  Was Dani and Graham’s marriage flawed from the start? What could they have done to strengthen their relationship?

  Compare and contrast Nate’s family to Maggie’s. Which character had a stronger foundation of love and acceptance?

  Why did Nate feel responsible for his brother’s death? What did he need to realize?

  Do you think Dani had forgiven Maggie?

  What will happen to Kyle Foglio?

  What is the significance of the marked scripture passage in Dani’s Bible?

  Did Graham love Dani? What about Maggie?

  How was Maggie able to take the pain she had experienced as a child and use it to help others in her counseling?

  How many secrets were revealed in this book?

  What did Nate learn from Maggie? What did Maggie learn from Nate?

  Did the truth set Maggie and Nate free?

  ISBN: 978-1-4592-0261-0

  THE OFFICER’S SECRET

  Copyright © 2011 by Deborah W. Giusti

  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.

  www.LoveInspiredBooks.com

  *Magnolia Medical

  †Military Investigations