Shielding His Christmas Witness

by Laura Scott

  Maybe she should have expected the trial to be one of the top news stories. After all, by tomorrow morning, the federal courthouse would be jammed with media as she took the witness stand.

  The sick feeling in her stomach returned and she set down her mug then pushed it away. What if her picture was plastered on the screen, too? Everyone in the hotel would stare at her, knowing that she was about to testify against Jamison.

  She needed to get out of here. Now!

  Keeping her head down, she rose to her feet. As she turned toward the doorway leading out to the hallway, she saw the tall, muscular frame of Marc striding rapidly toward her.

  “There you are! I’ve been worried sick,” he said in an accusatory tone.

  “I left a note.” She noticed his gaze had zeroed in on the television screen behind her. The scowl etched in his ruggedly handsome features deepened as he realized Jamison was the leading news story. “Come on, we need to go back,” she said in a low tone.

  He gave a terse nod, stepping aside so she could precede him. She walked quickly, relieved her ankle was up to the pace, as they returned to their adjoining rooms.

  Marc muttered something under his breath that sounded like blood-thirsty reporters. Kari couldn’t help but agree. Obviously, they were willing to do anything, even if that meant putting her life in danger, for the sake of a good story that would increase ratings.

  “Pack your things,” Marc said curtly. “We need to check out of here.”

  “Maybe you should grab something to eat first,” Kari said, gathering the few items she possessed. “It’s free.”

  “No need. I’ll eat the leftover pizza.”

  She nodded, then realized the note she’d left on the pillow was lying on the floor. The breeze must have sent it fluttering away. She awkwardly bent down to pick it up, her stomach seeming to have gotten more rounded in the past few days. “Here’s my note. I’m sorry you were worried.”

  Marc grimaced and took the slip of paper from her fingers. “I’m sorry I yelled,” he said in a low, husky tone. “I panicked when I thought I’d lost you.”

  Their gazes clashed and held for endless seconds and she could easily see the worry and apprehension reflected in the green depths. Her breath strangled in her throat at his obvious concern for her safety.

  Because she was his witness? Or because of the bond that had grown between them?

  She leaned forward, as if to move into his arms, but he broke the connection between them by turning abruptly away. “I’ll grab my computer,” he mumbled over his shoulder.

  He disappeared from sight, leaving her alone.

  Her feet rooted to the floor, Kari wrestled with her hormonal emotions. Ridiculous to be upset that he hadn’t caught her into his arms. Hadn’t kissed her.

  Wasn’t it enough that he was protecting her? Of course it was.

  Shaking off the odd depression, she forced herself to do one last sweep of the small hotel room, making sure she had everything she needed. When her small bag was full, she crossed over to Marc’s room.

  The pizza box was lying open on the table with nothing but crumbs left behind, evidence that he’d already finished the leftovers. The duffel bag was sitting on the top of his bed, and he reached out a hand for her things, tucking them inside.

  “Ready?” he asked, tossing the strap of the duffel over his shoulder.

  Unable to trust her voice, she silently nodded. Within five minutes, they were back outside and seated in the large truck. This time, she’d gotten into the seat under her own volition, thanks to her healing ankle.

  Silence stretched uncomfortably between them as Marc drove away, leaving the hotel behind them. Kari stared out the passenger-side window, absorbing the Christmas spirit decorating the houses they drove past. The city streets had little to no traffic this early on a Sunday.

  Church services weren’t for another hour and a half, and she hoped Marc hadn’t changed his mind about attending.

  Fifteen minutes later, he slowed the truck down as he approached a church. She frowned, thinking it didn’t look like the one she’d found online, but she wasn’t about to argue, either.

  “That’s the church my family attends,” he said, breaking the strained silence. “We’ve been going there since I was a young boy.”

  “It looks beautiful,” she said, taking in the intricate stained glass windows and the Christmas lights hanging from the trees. “I wish you could join your family.”

  He nodded then shrugged. “Next time.”

  She wondered if he’d married his wife there, and if returning every week was a painful reminder. He hadn’t mentioned much about his wife, not even how she’d died.

  The truck picked up speed, and the church disappeared behind them. Twenty minutes later, he pulled up to the church she recognized from her internet search.

  “It’s early, but I thought maybe we could go inside anyway for a while,” he said.

  “I’d like that.” Kari pushed open her door, then frowned when she saw how high up off the ground she was. She didn’t want to jump, fearing she’d hurt her ankle again.

  “I’ve got you,” Marc said, placing his hands beneath her armpits. She clung to his biceps as he lowered her gently on the ground.

  “Thank you,” she murmured, her pulse skipping erratically in her chest.

  Marc surprised her by keeping a steady hand around her waist as they approached the front door. He held it open for her, and the moment she entered the church a sense of calm and joy surged through her.

  She stood for a moment, soaking in the beauty of the simple altar and crucifix at the front of the church and absorbing the amazing sensation of being in God’s house. Placing a protective hand over her rounded belly, Kari knew this was exactly what she needed.

  Peace, hope and love.

  * * *

  An odd sense of welcoming embraced Marc as he entered the church a few steps behind Kari. He didn’t understand why, since he’d never been inside this particular church before. At first he thought maybe his feelings were tied to Kari, but then he wondered if this was God’s way of receiving him back into his faith.

  He followed Kari as she stepped forward and slid into one of the long pews. Taking a seat beside her, he was struck by the fact that it felt right to be with Kari like this.

  Was this what had been missing in his marriage? When he thought of his marriage to Jessica compared to the union of his parents, he knew now that something had been missing. Even after thirty years of marriage, his parents held a united front, one of deep abiding love and faith.

  Not that he was foolish enough to think their marriage had been perfect, because he knew it wasn’t. Even after they were all grown and becoming established in their various careers, there had been some troubled times between his mom and dad, especially when it came to Michael.

  Max Callahan had made it clear Michael’s decision to become a private investigator wasn’t good enough. Didn’t follow in the Callahan legacy of serving their community. Michael acted as if he didn’t care, refusing to reconsider attending the police academy the way their father had pressured him to, but Marc knew better.

  And so did their mother, Maggie. She’d stood by Mike’s choice regardless of the fact that it was in direct opposition of her husband’s. Marc admired their mother for her unwavering and unconditional love for their children.

  Glancing at Kari, he was struck by the knowledge that she would be the same way, loving her baby no matter the sins of the father. Could he have done that with Jessica? Forgiven her sins enough to love the child despite the lack of a blood bond between them?

  Shame had him hanging his head as he acknowledged how difficult that would have been. Maybe not impossible, but still not easy.

  A man dressed in dark clothes came into the church from behind the altar
. He appeared surprised to see them, but didn’t interrupt, instead readying the church for the upcoming service. Fifteen minutes later, parishioners began to filter in.

  A small choir began to sing, and Marc was startled by his desire to join in. Strange how he’d forgotten how much he enjoyed singing hymns, something he hadn’t been interested in since Jessica’s death.

  The pastor began his sermon by speaking of the first Sunday of Advent.

  “Repent, my fellow parishioners, repent! Turn away from sin and darkness, instead turning to the light of God.”

  Marc wondered if the pastor could see right through to his heart, to the fact that he had turned away from lightness and God since Jessica had died and he’d found out the truth about her pregnancy. When he should have done the exact opposite.

  As the pastor continued, Marc absorbed every word, every phrase, every prayer.

  “Remember that God has accepted each of us just the way we are. We were received when we were less than worthy and now must do the same for those around us. My request of you is to do the same. ‘Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God,’ Romans 15:7.”

  For a moment Marc’s heart stuttered before it resumed its rhythmic beat. Long after the service ended, the pastor’s words echoed over and over in his mind.

  Accept and forgive.

  When the final hymn was sung, Marc stepped into the aisle and then stood to the side, waiting for Kari to precede him. Once again, he followed her back outside to the small parking lot.

  An older woman in front of Kari slipped on a patch of ice. She might have fallen if not for Kari’s quick thinking. She grabbed the woman’s arm, steadying her.

  “Oh, thank you, dearie.”

  Marc came up on the woman’s other side. “Here, hang on to me. Which car is yours?”

  “Thank you, young man. That’s my husband now in the white Dodge. He told me to wait, but standing around doing nothing isn’t easy for me.”

  Marc hid a smile. “Be careful now,” he cautioned as she stepped up to the car. He reached out and opened the door for her.

  “Thank you, again. You two make such a cute couple. Merry Christmas!”

  “Merry Christmas,” he said in unison with Kari, making the woman laugh.

  After the woman’s husband drove away, he took Kari’s arm as they made their way over to the spot where he’d parked the truck. He didn’t want Kari falling, the way the churchgoer almost had.

  “You were pretty quiet in church. Are you all right?” she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

  “I’m fine,” he assured her. “That was nice.”

  A smile bloomed on her face, and her beauty stole his breath. “I’m so glad,” she said. “I was afraid you were comparing today’s service in an unfavorable light to what you normally experience at your parents’ church.”

  “Never,” he said, his voice husky with emotion. He opened her door and assisted her into the truck before going around to the driver’s side to climb in beside her. He turned on the engine, giving it several minutes to warm up. “I need to thank you for picking out this church,” he said. “I have to be honest—I needed to hear that message.”

  “Really? I’m glad to hear that, but I’m a little confused as to why the sermon resonated so much with you.”

  He paused, then decided it was time she knew the truth. “I told you I lost my wife two years ago, but I didn’t tell you everything.”

  Kari reached over to take his hand in hers. “Go on,” she encouraged.

  “Our marriage was great the first year, but then things began to change. Jessica wanted to attend parties and have fun, and she grew to resent the time I spent working. I was just starting my career and wanted to make a good impression with the Special Agent in Charge.”

  “That’s understandable,” she murmured.

  “Jess didn’t agree. And it wasn’t just the hours I worked. I preferred spending time at home, being together with just the two of us, but Jess thought that was boring and insisted we go out. I encouraged her to go on her own, so she did.”

  “Uh-oh,” she muttered.

  “Yeah, that wasn’t the smartest move I ever made,” he agreed in a wry tone. “I thought some sort of compromise would make her happy, but it turned out the exact opposite. She began flaunting the fact that other men were interested in her, and that she could have her pick of the bunch.”

  Kari’s fingers tightened around his and for a long moment he stared at their clasped hands, amazed at how easy it was to talk to her.

  “Well, you can guess what happened then,” he said gruffly. “I asked her to consider counseling, but she refused, telling me that I was the problem.”

  “That’s not right,” Kari said sharply. “It wasn’t as if she didn’t have faults. Besides, couples therapy is all about opening the lines of communication. Difficult to do, if she’s not even around to talk to.”

  Her staunch support humbled him, especially because he knew he didn’t deserve it. Although Kari was right in that Jessica had her share of problems, too. “Thank you, but I know I worked too much. I came home late one night to find several squad cars outside our house. In my heart I knew something was terribly wrong, but I wasn’t prepared to hear that Jessica had crashed her car into a tree.” He swallowed a lump in his throat. “They told me alcohol played a role in her death, and I always wondered if she’d finally decided to leave me that night.”

  “Oh, Marc, I’m so sorry,” Kari whispered.

  He nodded, knowing he had to finish it. “The worst part was finding out later that she was pregnant. Three months along.”

  She drew in a harsh breath, her free hand coming up to rest on her stomach. “That’s terrible.”

  “Yeah. But the fact is, I suspected the child wasn’t mine. I requested DNA evidence, which proved it.” He risked glancing over at her, gauging her reaction. “I shouldn’t have been surprised she cheated on me. After all, I was the one who told her to go ahead and attend the various parties alone. But it was still a shock.”

  “I—I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. The sermon today helped me to understand that accepting ourselves for the way we are is the first step toward forgiveness.”

  She nodded, her hand clinging to his. “I’m glad you heard that message, but I hope you realize that it’s not just about forgiving Jessica. It’s about forgiving yourself, too.”

  Her words hit him like a brick to his chest. Why hadn’t he realized it before? All this time he’d been harboring a deep resentment toward Jessica for sleeping with other men and getting pregnant, but now he realized that he was mostly angry with himself.

  “You’re right, Kari. I don’t know exactly how to forgive myself for the role I played in my wife’s death, but I’ll try.”

  “Just remember, her sins aren’t your fault. You can forgive yourself for working too much, putting your career ahead of your marriage, but you can’t take all the blame. Two people working together and loving one another is the only way to make a marriage work.”

  He knew she was right. After all, wasn’t that the epitome of how his parents had lived?

  “Thanks, Kari.” He reluctantly released her hand to put the truck into gear. “We’d better find another place to stay.”

  She nodded and he backed out of the parking space and then drove back out onto the street. As he approached the next intersection, he noticed a squad car coming up behind him.

  His gut knotted with tension. After a long minute, the cop suddenly put on his lights and hit the siren.

  They were being pulled over? Why? Marc waited for the light to turn green, inwardly debating whether he should try to lose the cop. When the signal changed, he moved forward enough to clear the intersection then pulled over to t
he right-hand side of the road.

  “What’s going on?” Kari asked.

  “I don’t know. I don’t think I broke any traffic laws.” Marc lowered his window, then placed his hands in plain sight on the top of the steering wheel. When the officer approached, Marc glanced up at him. “Good morning, officer. What seems to be the problem?”

  “Driver’s license and registration,” the officer barked.

  Marc carefully reached into his hip pocket to remove his wallet. His badge was in his coat pocket, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to bring out the FBI card just yet.

  Kari rummaged in the glove box, finding the registration paperwork. Marc’s heart sank when he realized that Garrett’s name was listed, instead of his.

  “Please step out of the vehicle,” the officer ordered.

  “Will you tell me what this is about?” Marc asked, trying to hide his frustration.

  “It’s about the fact that you’re driving a stolen truck. Now get out and put your hands up.”

  Stolen? Impossible for Garrett to have reported it stolen from Afghanistan.

  The driver of the black SUV that had tailed him outside his condo must have run the plates, putting an APB out for his arrest.

  Marc complied with the officer’s directive, trying to figure out a way to avoid being tossed in jail, leaving Kari vulnerable and alone.

  FIFTEEN

  Kari’s pulse raced with fear and trepidation as she watched Marc slide out from behind the wheel, holding his hands up in the air the way the cop had told him to.

  “I’m a federal agent,” he said in an authoritative tone.

  “I don’t care who you are. This is a stolen vehicle,” the cop snapped. “Now keep your hands where I can see them.”

  She dug in her pocket for her phone, quickly dialing Miles’s number. It rang twice before he answered. “Yeah? What’s up?”

  “Miles, a cop pulled us over and I think he’s going to arrest Marc.”

  “What? Why?”

  “He claims Mitch’s friend’s truck has been stolen.”