Chapter 6 A Child’s Prayer #2
He tipped his forehead against Halle’s. “I need to run our latest discovery past my boss, and maybe the sheriff.”
She leaned back to get a better look at him, her gaze snapping with interest. “Do you think it’s enough to get a search warrant for Aspen Ranch?”
He doubted it. “That’ll be up to the judge. It might help if we can establish a connection between her and James House.”
Normally, any mention of her ex sapped the life out of her. This time, it had the opposite effect. “I’ll wade through old snapshots and social media posts to see if anything pops,” she promised. “If there’s a connection, we’ll find it.”
He didn’t doubt there was a connection and really liked the idea of tag-teaming with her to find it. “I’ll do some digging, as well.” The forensics software he used had some powerful cross-referencing capabilities. “We’ll get started after church.”
He barricaded himself in his office for the next several minutes, a little surprised when Rock Hefner took his call.
“Don’t tell me you’re breaking the Sabbath,” his supervisor teased.
“Nah, we’ll be heading to church soon,” Owen assured with a grin. “This is a legitimate pull-your-ox-out-of-the-ditch situation.”
“Oh?”
Owen told him about the call he’d made from his burner phone and the answering buzz from the rectangular device in Brooke’s pocket—probably a cell phone.
“Well, this is a little unexpected.”
“It is,” Owen agreed. “I’m calling you to hash out our next move.”
“We need to establish a motive, of course.” Rock’s answer came as no surprise.
“Preferably one that ties your neighbor to the other fraudster you’re investigating.
It sounds like you’re getting close to the truth, so I’m giving you the green light to throw all your efforts into chasing down this lead. ”
Owen frowned. “What about the other projects you’ve assigned me?” He’d spent his first week at work assisting with two other cases, mostly on the computer side of things.
“Consider them on hold until you wrap up this one.” Rock’s voice was firm. “Our higher-ups don’t like how close you came to a second crop duster crash at Garrett Farm. In criminal investigations, there’s no such thing as a coincidence.”
“You think the two incidents are related?” Owen had been kicking the idea around, but he hadn’t discussed it with anyone yet.
“It’s possible.” Rock’s tone was guarded.
“You’ve got a dead cell phone service area, a drone zipping around that resembles a UFO, alleged interference with aircraft navigation systems, alleged financial fraud in play, and a potentially compromised neighbor.
What we need is proof, preferably before any more casualties pile up. ”
“I’m on it.” Owen knew better than to make any promises, but he would do his best.
Rock grunted in approval. “Keep me posted.”
During the short drive to church, the twins had a whispered conversation in the backseat that was punctuated by frequent giggles.
Owen cleared his throat and caught Ryder’s eye in the rearview mirror. “Do you care to tell the rest of us what’s so funny?”
Instead of answering him, the twins dissolved into explosive laughter that probably left spit on the back of his and Halle’s seats.
“Okay, then.” He shot a puzzled glance at Halle.
She shook her head at him, smiling. “Don’t ask me. All I can tell you is they’ve been like this since they got out of bed. They heehawed so much during breakfast that they didn’t get much food in their stomachs. They’re going to be extra hungry by lunchtime.”
That wasn’t ideal. Owen was glad to know they would get a snack served to them during children’s church. The boys were still laughing when he drove into the church parking lot. Knowing it was time to get serious, he parked and stood them outside the truck for a father-son talk.
Halle stood by, watching them in bemusement.
“You can’t go into church acting like this,” Owen announced solemnly.
“Why not?” Cooper chortled. “It’s sorta God’s f-fault for m-making us laugh!”
“What in the world?” Owen slapped his hands down on his hips, wondering if it would take the threat of a paddling to sober up his boys.
“We prayed about Miss Garrett being our new mom,” Ryder explained hastily. “Every night in our bedtime prayers.”
“Then we saw you kiss her on the porch,” Cooper chimed in. He and Ryder exchanged a knowing look and snicker-snorted some more.
Oh, boy! Owen caught Halle’s eye again, unsure what to say. They’d been so careful around the boys, but they obviously hadn’t been careful enough.
“Come here, you sweet munchkins.” Halle squatted down and held out her arms to the boys.
She didn’t seem to notice that the hem of her long, lemony dress was touching the gravel.
Or that Ryder stepped on the edge of it with his sneaker when he and Cooper threw themselves into her embrace.
The force of the impact nearly knocked her over.
“I love you boys so much!” She hugged them tightly. “Don’t you ever doubt it.”
They laughed, sniffled, and boohooed a little while assuring her they loved her, too.
“We need a mom really bad, Miss Garrett,” Cooper informed her in a trembly voice.
Owen felt close to weeping himself.
“I know, baby. I know.” Halle kissed his cheek. “More importantly, God knows, and He heard your prayers.”
“Promise?” Ryder whispered.
“I promise.” She hugged the boys again, kissing the tops of their heads. “Now go learn some good stuff about the Bible, you hear?”
“Yes, ma’am!” They rubbed the backs of their hands across their eyes, looking so happy that Owen’s heart ached for them. He’d known they wanted a mother, but seeing the way they’d responded to Halle’s hugs and kisses had still been eye-opening.
He watched his sons straighten and look at each other, then glance toward the church to gauge the distance to the front door.
Cooper hissed, “Last one’s a rotten—”
Owen caught the boys by their collars before they could break into a run. “Walk!” He used his deepest dad voice to tell them he meant business.
They adopted sheepish looks. “Yes, sir,” they mumbled in unison. Then they started walking. Admittedly, their walking got faster as they tried to beat each other to the front door.
Owen cleared his throat loudly enough for the sound to travel across the parking lot, and they slowed down again. Their antics earned them a few smiles from other families who were walking into the church.
Halle reached for Owen’s hand. “They’re so precious! Even when they’re cutting up.”
“You mean brats.” He threaded his fingers through hers, leaning back against the side of the truck. After the conversation he’d just witnessed her have with his sons, he wasn’t ready to step inside the building and start visiting with friends.
“They just have a lot of energy,” she protested with an airy chuckle. “Like frisky kittens.”
He gazed at her, not bothering to hide one drop of what he was feeling. “Thank you for telling them you love them.”
“I do.” She drenched him with a smile that made his heart pound.
“What about me?” His question sent a tremor through her that he felt through the tips of her fingers.
“I think you already know the answer to that,” she whispered.
“Tell me anyway,” he begged.
Her expression grew anxious. “Are you really going to make me say it first?”
“No.” He used their joined hands to tug her closer. “I love you, Halle. I started falling for you the moment you stepped out of your car and accused me of trespassing.”
Her eyes grew soft and dewy. “I’m not sure why that line worked on you, but I’m so glad it did.”
“Okay. Your turn.” He squeezed her fingers. There was no way he was letting her off the hook without telling him what he was longing to hear.
“I love you, too, Owen.” She raised her forefinger to her lips, kissed it, and pressed it to his lips.
He reached up and held it there as she began speaking again.
“You’re the most incredible man I’ve ever known.” Her eyes glowed into his. “The most decent. The most honest. The most loyal. The most caring.” Her voice trembled with emotion. “The best listener and my best friend.”
Her words were both awe-inspiring and humbling. It was a lot to live up to. “Did you mean what you said about God answering Ryder and Coop’s prayers?”
“Of course!” Her eyes widened.
“They weren’t kidding about needing a mom.”
“I know they weren’t.” Her voice took on a breathless quality.
“Do you want the job?” He kissed the finger he was still holding to his lips. “Because their dad really wants a wife. More specifically, he wants you to fill the role.”
Her eyelashes grew damp, and a tear streaked down her cheek.
He rubbed it away with his thumb.
“It feels like we’re moving really quickly.” She shivered, and his heart sank. “Yet not quickly enough,” she continued in a dazed voice.
“If you need more time,” he said quietly.
“Yes,” she said quickly.
His fingers convulsed against hers.
“My answer is yes, Owen.” She tipped her face up to his. “Yes to you. Yes to your boys. Yes to us.”
His thudding heart skipped a few beats, then started thudding again even faster than before. “I want to kiss you so bad. Just not in the church parking lot.”
Her smile lit him from the inside out. “Raincheck?”
“One I intend to cash as soon as possible,” he promised huskily.
By now, the parking lot was crammed with cars, and few people were lingering outside the building. If they didn’t head inside soon, they would miss the beginning of the service.
They walked hand-in-hand to the front entrance. There were still so many things Owen wanted to say to Halle, but they had the rest of their lives together for him to say it.
For the next hour, he was simply going to enjoy sitting next to the woman who’d just finished agreeing to be his fiancée.
He was going to thank God for sending her to him and his boys.
If anyone got their boxers in a wad over how close he was sitting to her in church or how tightly he was holding her hand, then let the small-town gossip begin!
He couldn’t wait to tell Ryder and Cooper their prayers had been answered. In their own boyish way, they already knew it, but he was going to remove any last doubts they might have. He might even do it over ice cream.