“Makes you wonder why he’d let her be killed, doesn’t it?”
She shrugged. “Sure, it does. But I don’t question his goodness, his overall plan. In spite of my grief and shortsightedness, I still believe he knows best.” She thought for a moment. “And if Maya thought her death would further his work, then she wouldn’t regret the cost to herself.”
“I’m still processing all that.”
She grinned up at him through a sheen of tears that still lingered. “You’re praying and seeking God, Dakota. You’ve given him your life. That’s all he asks. He’ll take care of the rest.”
As they walked back to the car, Dakota watched Jamie. She had a newly relaxed attitude. She smiled more and didn’t jump when he touched her anymore.
He heard her phone ring and she grabbed it. “Hello?”
As she listened, her eyes widened, then she swung around and grabbed his hand. “Come on, it’s time. Samantha’s on her way to the hospital!”
The moment they’d all been waiting for.
He felt just as eager as Jamie. He was going to be an uncle. Well, almost an uncle. If Jamie would marry him, she’d make him an uncle.
He reached over and clasped her hand. “Are you ready yet?”
“Ready?” Confusion clouded her gaze.
Dakota rubbed her ring finger. “Ready.”
“Oh.” The light went on and she flushed, then looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “Yeah. I think I am.”
Joy exploded in his chest. To cover it, he started the car. “Okay, we’ll address that issue later.”
“Okay.”
“And definitely soon.”
The hospital never stilled. Jamie sidestepped a mother and two toddlers to make her way over to the elevator. She punched the button with a shaking finger.
“Hey, you left me in the dust back there.”
Whirling, she threw her arms around Dakota’s neck and squeezed. “I’m sorry, I’m just so excited.”
He hugged her back and laughed. “I know.”
The doors slid open and she darted in, pulling Dakota in after her. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. “Come on, come on,” she muttered.
“Jamie, chill. They’re not going anywhere.”
She slanted a look at him. “Laugh all you want, Richards. I’m ready to meet my nephew.”
“Might be a niece.”
“He wouldn’t dare.”
Dakota just shook his head at her and she smiled. “I’ll still love her if she’s a girl.”
The car finally stopped on the right floor and they stepped out. Jamie spotted her parents in the hall. “Mom?”
The woman turned and grinned. “He’s here!”
Jamie squealed and gave Dakota’s arm a light punch. “See? I told you.”
Her dad grinned. “An eight-pounder.”
“He’s not a fish, Charles,” his wife reprimanded him.
Jamie let the laughter peel from her. Connor chose that moment to stick his head out the door. “Come on in, everyone.”
He didn’t have to ask twice.
They all crowded into the room.
Jenna stood holding her little brother, beaming down at him. Jamie pulled the blanket aside and reached out a finger to touch his perfect cheek. “He’s just beautiful,” she whispered. Awe filled her. Thank you, God, for bringing us here.
“Amen,” Dakota whispered in her ear as he gazed down at the newborn. “You were praying again, weren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
Jenna grinned. “You want to hold him?”
“Uh-huh.” Jamie held out her arms and Jenna placed the precious bundle in them. A perfect fit. She inhaled his clean baby scent and her heart clenched as though he’d reached through her chest and grabbed it in his tiny fist.
“Hey, Jamie, I’m the one that did all the work. You wanna speak to me?”
Everyone laughed at Samantha’s affected outrage. Jamie crossed the room to lean over and kiss her sister’s cheek. “You did good, Sam.”
Sam’s eyes flooded with tears. “Yeah, I did, didn’t I?”
Connor didn’t seem to know where to look. His eyes flitted from his wife to his son, then back to his wife. Dakota punched his buddy on the arm. “Good job, man.”
Connor grunted. “I better not take any of the credit if I know what’s good for me.”
A knock on the door brought their attention around. Sam called out, “Come in.”
Kit pushed open the door and stepped inside the room. “Hey there. Thought I’d come meet my nephew.”
Jamie passed her bundle reluctantly to her twin. “What’s his name?”
Samantha and Connor exchanged a look, then Sam said, “Connor Andrew Wolfe. We’re going to call him Andy.” Andy let out a squawk as though approving the name.
“For Connor’s partner, Andrew, who was killed,” Jamie whispered. Sam nodded and Conner cleared his throat. “He would be proud.”
Dakota gripped her hand and looked her in the eye. “Soon?”
She nodded. “Real soon.”
And in front of everybody, he leaned down and kissed her. As the sound of clapping penetrated her fog of bemusement, she grinned against his lips. “Real, real soon.”
Epilogue
One, two, three,
You laughed at me,
You tapped your feet,
You rolled your eyes,
The time has come for you all to die.
The Judge clutched the pen so hard, it snapped in two. Blue ink dripped onto the paper in front of him. He ignored it. Not the best poem he’d ever come up with, but it would do. The Judge pulled the last picture in front of him, then placed it into the box. One by one, he’d gathered their pictures, their photos, their schedules. He’d learned everything there was to know about each and every one.
Glancing up, he caught his father’s empty stare, watching. Always watching. “What are you looking at, old man,” he snarled.
The man remained silent.
“What?” the Judge snapped. “You’ve got nothing to say now?”
It drove him crazy how the man could just sit there for hours on end saying nothing. Then other times he would talk until the Judge wanted to run screaming from the house.
“Aw, why do I waste my time on you?”
He gathered up his treasures and carried them from the room. It was time.
Time to take care of those who’d mocked him.
Yes, he decided as he drew in a deep, calming breath. It was a good day to kill.
Acknowledgments
This is always the hard part. I’m always so scared to thank anyone because I’m sure to miss someone. However, I’m going to give it my best shot.
As always, thank you to my very understanding family, my husband, Jack, daughter, Lauryn, and son, Will. I don’t cook – much. I don’t clean – often. I do laundry – occasionally. And I have Chinese takeout, Pizza Inn, and for the guilt-induced vegetable night, Wade’s Family Restaurant, on speed dial. (You know it’s bad when they recognize your number from the caller ID, and instead of “Hello, how can I help you?” your greeting is, “It’ll be ready in 15 minutes, Mrs. Eason.”) ’Nuff said.
Major thanks to Wayne Smith, retired FBI agent, who read my manuscript and said, “It’s a great read that even a macho male would enjoy.” Whew! What a compliment! Thanks, Wayne, you rock.
Mega thanks to the Revell staff. Thanks to everyone who had a hand in the book. Even though I haven’t met you, I appreciate you!
And to my faithful, loyal readers, thank you SO much for being first in line to purchase my stories. I hope you enjoyed this one as much as the last.
Lynette Eason grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. She graduated from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and then obtained her master’s in education at Converse College. Author of ten inspirational romantic suspense books, she is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). In 1996, Lynette married “the b
oy next door,” and now she and her husband and two children make their home in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Visit Lynette at www.lynetteeason.com.
Table of Contents
COVER PAGE
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT PAGE
DEDICATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Don't Look Back Page 29
