Person of Interest (21 page)

Natalie reached for Everett’s hand as she sat on the hearth next to him and smiled. “I think we’ll be seeing a lot of Bessie in the days ahead. Did you have that talk with your uncle about remaining in his home?”

“I didn’t need to convince him. He’d already thought about Bessie being close in case he needed help. He’s got a new zip to his step and even asked if I thought he was too old to get remarried.”

“What’d you tell him?”

“That no one is ever too old for love.”

“A perfect answer.”

Everett nodded. “I never had time to look for love, Natalie. I was always looking back at the mistake I thought I had made. Since I was shot, I’ve realized I was following orders, which was what I was supposed to do. I had to forgive myself and forgive my commander at the time. We both could have done more and should have done more, but I can’t keep focusing on the past. I’m ready to live in the present.”

Her fingers wrapped through his. “I always kept looking over my shoulder, too, Everett, knowing where I’d come from. It didn’t matter. What mattered was the type of person I had grown to be. The past had a hold on me only because I wouldn’t let it go. Like you, I had to forgive my parents and forgive that young girl who was belligerent and probably hard for her parents to manage at times.”

“I call that independence. That’s what made you get away and not stay in the middle of their dysfunction.”

“Independence sounds better than being an unruly child. Because I was looking back, perhaps some of that darkness kept me from pulling free completely. I know now that I should have registered a sexual harassment complaint against Mason. Perhaps the truth would have come out at that time. Maybe Tammy and Vernon Ingalls would still be alive if I’d done something to stop Mason earlier.”

“But you’re not to blame for his actions or for what Annabelle did.”

She nodded. “I know. I’ve worked through all of that, and I’ve put the past behind me.” She smiled. “I’m living in the moment, too, and each moment with you is so very special.”

Everett’s smile warmed her heart.

“I know you’ve got your exam and student teaching,” he said. “I’d never steer you off course. Your career is important. You’ll be a wonderful teacher and help so many young children, but—”

She held her breath.

“I’d like to have a place in that future. I haven’t gotten out, as you know, to shop so I can’t show you a ring—”

She gasped.

“At least not now. Later, we can shop for that together. That is, if you’ll say yes.”

She tried not to smile and lowered her eyes as if somewhat confused. “But you’ve never asked me what I should say yes to, the question that needs an answer.”

He laughed at his own mistake. “Natalie Frazier, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life by your side. Through sickness—” he pointed down at his leg “—and health.”

Her heart melted.

“Would you...” He paused, before asking, “Natalie, would you marry me?”

Tears burned her eyes, but they were tears of joy.

“Oh, Everett.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and scooted close as he lowered his lips to hers.

His kiss held the promise of what the future would hold. A life together, with God in the midst of their marriage, through the good times and, yes, even those that wouldn’t be as good, but she’d have Everett by her side. She’d left the darkness, and they would both live in the light of God’s love, embracing each day to the full.

They’d faced the past and emerged triumphant.

“I’m blessed,” she whispered, “to have your love. Yes, Everett. I want to be your wife now and forever.”

Uncle Harry’s laughter floated from the kitchen as Bessie cooed over him, and the smell of the dinner she’d brought wafted through the living room and filled the house with a tantalizing aroma.

Natalie snuggled closer to Everett. He wrapped her more tightly in his warm embrace and kissed her again, only this time it was long and lingering.

She sighed with pleasure, thinking of their future together, a wonderful future filled with Everett’s kisses and his love.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from
FUGITIVE AT LARGE
by Sandra Robbins

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed
PERSON OF INTEREST
, the eighth book in my Military Investigations Series, which features heroes and heroines in the army’s Criminal Investigation Division. Each story stands alone so you can read them in any order, either in print or as an ebook:
THE OFFICER’S SECRET
, book 1;
THE CAPTAIN’S MISSION
, book 2;
THE COLONEL’S DAUGHTER
, book 3;
THE GENERAL’S SECRETARY
, book 4;
THE SOLDIER’S SISTER
, book 5;
THE AGENT’S SECRET PAST
, book 6; and
STRANDED
, book 7.

When a man from her past kills again, college student Natalie Frazier fears she may be the next to die. US Army Special Agent Everett Kohl wants to protect her, yet the mistake he made as a rookie investigator still haunts him. Natalie’s attempt to make a better life for herself is in question, but by turning to God, she’s able to trust Everett with her life...and her heart.

I want to hear from you. Email me at
[email protected]
or write me c/o Love Inspired, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279. Visit my website at
www.DebbyGiusti.com
, blog with me at
www.seekerville.blogspot.com
and friend me at
www.facebook.com/debby.giusti.9
. As always, I thank God for bringing us together through this story.

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby

Fugitive at Large

by Sandra Robbins

ONE

B
eing caught in a convenience-store robbery wasn’t what Jessica Knight had expected when she stopped to get a soft drink. But from the panicked voices at the front of the store she thought that was exactly what was happening.

“What do you think you’re doing, man?” Fear and disbelief combined in the shrill voice that drifted toward her from the direction of the checkout counter.

“I said give me the money in the cash register.”

“Please, mister, just take it easy with that gun before somebody gets hurt.” Jessica recognized the frightened voice of the young man who’d waited on her the past few times she’d stopped at the store.

“I’ll take it easy when I have the money. Now put all the money in that bag,” the robber snarled.

As of yet, the thief had no idea she was in the store, but that was about to change. She carefully closed the open door of the soft-drink display case and unzipped her heavy jacket. Her fingers curled around the gun holstered at her waist as she pulled it free.

Her mind whirled in indecision. What was her greatest chance of stopping the robbery in progress without anyone getting hurt? Shoot first and hope for the best, or try to talk the guy into surrendering his weapon? Whatever she decided, she had to act before somebody got shot or, worse, killed. It was time to make a move.

So much for staying hidden at the end of the aisle. She took a tentative step toward the front of the store. She knew the layout as well as she did that of her own apartment. The potato-chip display at the end of the aisle wasn’t going to offer much protection from a bullet once she stepped into view. Better to surprise the thief before he had the chance to take a shot at her.

She gripped the gun with both hands and tiptoed farther forward, conscious of being absolutely silent. At the end of the aisle, she took a deep breath and peered toward the cash register about fifteen feet away. Behind the counter the pale clerk kept his eyes on the robber as he pulled bills from the cash register and stuffed them in a bag he held. The robber kept the gun trained on the young man as he reached up and pulled the ball cap he wore lower on his forehead.

A customer, possibly a college student from the campus nearby, stood in front of the counter with his hands raised. His fingers trembled. Scared out of his wits, no doubt. The hammering of her heart told her he wasn’t the only one frightened.

The clerk swallowed hard and pushed the bag across the counter toward the gunman. “That’s it unless you want the coins, too.”

The robber shook his head. “No. That’ll do just fine.” He raised the gun and pointed it toward the clerk, who raised his hands and backed away.

“Leave him alone,” the young customer said. “He did what you asked him to do.”

The thief smiled. “Yes, he did.”

He stared at the clerk for a moment before he reached for the bag. The moment his fingers touched the bag, the clerk took a step back and dropped to the floor behind the counter. Clutching the bag of money, the gunman whirled to face the customer and pointed the gun at him.

The young man lowered his hands and put them out in front of him as if to shield his body from the gun’s blast. “No. Please, no.” His whispered plea sent chills through Jessica.

The robber smiled and shook his head. “You shouldn’t have stuck your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

He raised the gun and pointed it toward the young man’s head.

Jessica’s hope that she could do something to keep anyone from being hurt evaporated. The intent of the robber was plain. He meant to kill the young man standing at the counter and possibly the clerk also.

She took a deep breath and stepped out into the open. “Drop your gun, or I’ll shoot!” she yelled.

A surprised look flashed on the robber’s face, and he jerked the gun away from the customer and aimed it at her. Before she could move, the sharp crack of a bullet exploded next to her, and the smell of barbecued potato chips filled the air. She ducked and fired at the gunman before he had the chance to get off a better-aimed shot.

A scream of pain poured from the robber’s mouth. He dropped the gun and the bag of money before he grabbed for the side of his head. Jessica could see a trail of blood running down the man’s cheek and realized her bullet must have grazed his head.

She took a step forward, and the man stooped to retrieve his gun. She raised hers higher and stared down the barrel of the weapon. “Don’t even think about it, mister.”

He cast a wild-eyed stare from her to the customer. Then he grabbed the young man and shoved him toward her. She braced for the impact, but the boy’s full weight slammed into her and knocked her backward.

The robber, blood still trickling from his head, turned and ran out the door before she could regain her footing. Jessica caught a glimpse of the young customer’s fear-filled eyes before she darted around him and sprinted after the fleeing gunman.

The clerk peeked up over the top of the counter as she sped past. “Call 911,” she yelled over her shoulder.

As she stepped onto the sidewalk outside the store, she saw the thief run toward the open passenger door of a waiting car. He jumped into the car, and it peeled away before he had the door closed. She lowered her gun and stared at the car’s license plate. As she muttered the numbers on the plate over and over, she pulled a notepad with an attached pen out of her pocket and jotted them down in an unsteady hand.

When she walked back in the store, the clerk was leaning against the counter, his face in his hands. The bag containing the money lay on the floor where the robber had dropped it when he fired the first shot. The customer stood in front of the cash register, his face pale and his body trembling. His hand clutched a cell phone, and he glanced down at it. “I called 911.”

Jessica glanced at the clerk, and he bit down on his lip. “I was shaking so hard I couldn’t get my fingers to work.” He sagged against the now-closed cash register and shuddered. “Did he get away?” he mumbled.

“Yes. Someone was waiting outside in a car.” She grasped the young customer’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Are you okay?”

He straightened to his full height and nodded. His gaze drifted to the gun still in her hand and then back to her face. His lips moved, but no sound emerged from his mouth. He cleared his throat and looked at the gun once more. “Who are you? A police officer?”

She stuck her gun back in the holster and shook her head. “Not anymore. I used to be. Now I’m a bounty hunter.”

His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. Jessica tried to suppress the smile that always accompanied the surprised first reaction of many people when she told them her profession. She knew what the next question would be, and he didn’t disappoint her.

“A woman bounty hunter?”

She sighed in resignation. “Yes, believe it or not. There are women who take on this job, and I’m proud to say I’m one of them.”

The clerk shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve been seeing you come in here for a while, but I never would have guessed you were a bounty hunter. Are you like that guy on TV? You know, the one who tracks down fugitives who’ve skipped bail.”

She shrugged. “A bit like him. I don’t have tattoos like he does, though.”

The two young men smiled.

“Well, whatever you do for a living,” the customer said, “I’m glad you were here today. You saved our lives.” He stuck out his hand. “My name’s Jamie.”

She grasped his hand and shook it. “And I’m Jessica.”

The clerk gave a shaky laugh. “And I’m Richard.”

He started to say something else, but before he could, sirens wailed outside and tires squealed as a car came to a stop. “Sounds like the police have arrived. That was fast,” she said.

She stepped toward the entrance to meet the first responders and had almost reached it when the front door burst open. A man bolted inside, then skidded to an abrupt stop, the surprise on his face reflecting her own. Neither one of them spoke for a moment, and then he drew in a rough breath.

“Jessica?”

Her eyes wide, she took a step back and shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. Ryan Spencer. Why hadn’t she expected him to come? After all, the store was in the precinct where he worked. Where
she’d
worked when they’d been partners four years ago. Her fingers curled into her palms, and she swallowed.