Maisy not only led a giggling Patrick into the hall outside his classroom after church, she also made a convincing speech about the benefits of letting the boy participate in the children’s Christmas pageant.
“He can be a shepherd,” she insisted when Sean began to slowly shake his head. “He’d get a cane to lean on and everything. And I’ll be right there.” She began to beam. “I’m playing Mary.”
“How much time would he have to practice with all the others?” Sean asked. “It might take him a while to catch on.”
“We’ll all help him.” The tenderhearted child took Patrick’s hand. “He can do it. Please, please, please?”
Sean was about to make more excuses when Patrick smiled up at him and said, “Peas?”
What could he do or say at that point? “All right. What about practicing? When do you do that?”
“Tonight during church for grown-ups,” Maisy said. “My dad helps. So does Chief Hayes.”
Zoe was agreeing. “That’s right. And I can be there, too, if you’re worried. Sophie’s acting the part of one of the Magi with the chief’s daughter, Lily, and a couple of dogs. It should be worth watching just to see a Labrador retriever pretending to be a camel.”
As far as Sean was concerned, the added exposure was foolish. However, he could also see how much progress toward normalcy Patrick had made since being allowed his freedom among a group of helpful children. Maisy, alone, was a godsend.
That conclusion brought him up short, particularly the definition his subconscious had chosen. To imagine that God had sent anything his way seemed odd. Still, anyone who was privy to the events that had brought him and his son to Desert Valley had to be thinking the same thing. A happy coincidence was one, maybe two, actions that were of benefit. He was seeing dozens, from the original accident to Patrick all the way to this very moment. Along the way, a myriad of connections had been made and people were in places where they would not normally have been. Take Zoe. She should have been at work in Mesa, yet here she was, just where and when he needed her.
Stunned, he had to admit that there may have been a divine hand guiding him to Desert Valley. Many questions remained, though. Such as, why did the boy have to suffer and why was his own mind affected adversely—and why was somebody so determined to harm him?
Sean blinked rapidly to clear his head and realized he was standing in a crowded hallway with all sorts of people milling around and pushing past, laughing and talking. It was too much. An assassin could be right next to him, and he wouldn’t know until it was too late.
He looked at Zoe. “We need to go.”
“I see that. Give me Angel’s leash and bring Patrick.” She started to steer both dogs toward the closest exit.
“The truck’s on the other side of the church,” Sean reminded her.
“I know. I thought it would be best to get outside ASAP and then circle around. Besides, the dogs need room to move, to stretch their legs.”
And so do I. Sean inhaled deeply, trying to force a calm he wasn’t feeling. They broke into the sunlight, and the warmth on his face bathed him in peace. When the time came for him to look for employment, finding work outside was probably going to be best.
“Assuming I can keep it together long enough to look for a job,” he muttered, half disgusted with himself even though he knew his brain had been affected by a trauma he could not have anticipated or avoided.
Zoe overheard him. “You’re thinking about a job? Good for you. That’s a step in the right direction.”
“Yeah. All I have to do is add a dog to my résumé.”
“Stranger things have happened.” She paused and shaded her eyes. “I think you’re doing very well.”
“What about the incident in the parking lot before church started?”
“That’s only a bad thing if it was all in your head. You’re still sure you recognized the guy?”
“Oh, yeah. It was him all right.”
“Then stop beating yourself up about it. The only thing you can really influence is your own actions. We’ll face the rest when and if it happens.”
“If?” His eyebrows arched. “You act like you think my problems are just going to vanish. Well, they’re not. I’m a basket case, my son is half the kid he once was and I’m in more personal danger than I was overseas.”
“I don’t know that I’d go that far,” she countered. “Here, you have the whole police force—and me—on your side.”
“And by being here I’m putting you in jeopardy,” Sean said. He’d have reached for her hands if she hadn’t been holding both leashes and he hadn’t had hold of Patrick.
Instead of acting the way he’d expected, Zoe smiled. “There is no place you could possibly be that would be better for self-defense than this town. And there is no better lookout than a dog. Your senses may not be up to par, but Angel’s are. Stop borrowing trouble. This will all work out for the best.”
“How can you believe that?”
“Because I’ve seen it happening all around me, ever since I became a Christian,” she said. “You’d see it too if you’d just open your eyes and your mind.”
“What about the bullet that took out your car windows?”
Laughter bubbled, leaving Sean astounded, particularly when she said, “It missed us, didn’t it?”
Evening church was a more casual gathering, and although there was a short sermon, Zoe didn’t mind skipping it in order to accompany Patrick and his father to the rehearsal for the Christmas pageant.
They gathered with the children and an assortment of dogs in the fellowship hall. Although the simple drama was to be staged outside under special lighting and with background music, rehearsals were handled inside.
She stood back as one of the volunteers fitted Patrick and several other boys with brownish robes and head coverings. Sean had accompanied them into the large hall that was half meeting room and half gymnasium, depending upon the current need. Children’s chattering and laughter filled the space.
Zoe leaned toward Sean. “So far, so good?”
“I’ll live. I think.”
“That makes one of us.” Grinning, she looped Freya’s leash over her wrist and covered her ears with both hands. “I don’t know why schoolteachers don’t have headaches all the time.”
“Maybe they do. I wish Patrick had had more time to learn what to do.”
Zoe wasn’t worried. “Don’t sweat the small stuff. It looks as though Maisy has arranged for the newest shepherd to be shepherded by at least two others. Look, they’re even sharing their crooks. He’ll be fine.”
“He does seem happy.”
“And that’s what matters,” Zoe reminded him. “This is for Patrick more than us.” Realizing that she had inadvertently joined herself with Sean as a couple, she blushed and hoped he hadn’t noticed.
There was no denying how she felt. If she had been around the boy from the time he was a baby, she didn’t think she would love him more than she already did. And his daddy? Oh, yes. No matter where Sean went or how much he did or did not recover, she loved him dearly.
In her deepest heart, she knew she always had.
Supervisors moved the children outside as soon as the Sunday-school director announced, “We have time for one run-through with the manger.”
Sean kept his eye on his son and followed closely. So did Zoe. Angel wasn’t behaving as well as Freya, but she’d quit straining at the leash and trying to kiss every kid she saw. As far as he was concerned, that was a big breakthrough.
He touched Zoe’s arm. “I don’t like moving them outside.”
“You know we have security on duty whenever church is in session. Besides, nobody knew we were going to be staging on-site tonight. The actual dress rehearsal was set for Tuesday night with performances on Wednesday and Friday evenings.”
Sean didn’t hide his concern. “I hadn’t considered that much exposure. Maybe I should pull Patrick out.”
“Don’t you dare. He’s going to have this wonderful experience if I have to hog-tie you to keep you out of it.”
“Hey, tell me what you really think.” He managed a smile for her benefit. “Okay. But one sign of trouble, and we’re out of here.”
“What could possibly happen in a group of great people like these? Look how the boys his age are helping him find his place and sharing the shepherds’ crooks.”
“I see.” Sean sighed. Zoe was probably right. She had been so far. It was just that his skin kept crawling, and the hair at his nape prickled with warnings. Yes, he was not normal. And, yes, the church people had been great to accept him and his son. Yet there remained a sense of uneasiness that refused to go away no matter how much assurance he got.
The children assembled, ready to march up to the manger beneath the makeshift shelter. Mary and Joseph sat beside each other, gazing fondly at the baby doll, while older girls dressed as angels with impressive white wings sang along with recorded Christmas carols playing loudly in the background.
It was time for the shepherds’ entrance. Sean could see the crooks sticking up above the costumed heads of the children. From where he stood it was hard to pick out Patrick, so he looked for a halting gait, instead. None stood out.
Sean scowled. Shaded his eyes against the floodlights illuminating the tableau. One, two, three, four... He grabbed Zoe’s wrist. “How many shepherds are there supposed to be?”
“Five?”
“That’s what I thought.” He shoved Angel’s leash at her and shouldered closer to the costumed boys. There were exactly four dressed as shepherds.
His son was not one of them!
“Patrick!”
Zoe would have beaten Sean to the front if she hadn’t had to manage both dogs. Even Freya was acting out. Little wonder, with Angel leaping against the constraints of her harness and making a terrible racket, half barking, half whining and howling.
“Maisy,” Zoe called over the swell of the music, “do you see Patrick?”
The girl stood. Looked into the background. Shook her head—and immediately abandoned her part as Mary to press in among the younger children.
After that, pandemonium reigned. Joseph was yelling at her to come back. Shepherds milled around, unsure whether or not to follow Mary, and the Magi broke ranks, with Sophie and Ryder’s old dog, Titus, in the lead.
Sophie shouted to Zoe. “Circle to the left. I’ll take the right with my dog. Everybody else freeze.”
Without question, teachers rounded up the children and kept them in a tight group around the staging.
Passing through, Sean was yanking the head coverings off any child who even slightly resembled his son. Zoe could tell he hadn’t found Patrick because he kept going until he had removed them all.
She joined him, facing the parking lot. Beyond lay a stand of ponderosa pines surrounded by rocks and dust and uninhabited desert. Was it possible the little boy had gotten that far? If so, he was liable to be stunned by the cold the winter night brought, not to mention the possibility of a slight snowfall. Thankfully, all the children had been costumed over their jackets and sweaters, but that didn’t mean Patrick would stay warm all night.
Sean’s blue eyes sparked with anger. And fear. “Where is he?”
“He’s probably just playing hide-and-seek the way he did when he hid in the closet. We’ll find him.” She believed they would. They must. The only real worry was how long it might take.
Sophie came up with Titus and began stripping the old yellow Lab of his costume. “I’ve called the station and requested more dogs and handlers. Until they get here, I’m going to start Titus. He’s not the tracker he used to be, but there was none as good when he was younger.”
She looked at Zoe and Sean. “Do either of you have anything of the boy’s? A scarf, hat, glove? Anything?”
Sean reached into his jacket pocket. “He took his gloves off when they put his costume on him.”
“Perfect.” Snatching the small, padded mittens, Sophie presented them to the old dog, let him sniff for a few seconds, then said, “Find.”
Knowing what to expect gave Zoe comfort. Unfortunately, that did not transfer to Sean. He started to follow Titus.
Zoe grabbed a handful of his jacket. “No. Let them work. If you interfere, you’ll confuse the dog.”
Anger flashed from his eyes. His body was so obviously tense, so primed for action, she was surprised her efforts even slowed him down.
She’d looped the ends of both leashes over her wrist to free her hands and used both on his arm to hold him back. “Stop. Think. That dog is trained and you’re not. Let him work.” As his focus shifted to her she added, “Please?”
“I’ll give you to the count of ten, then I’m going. Understand? Patrick could barely walk a week ago. There’s no way he got far on his own.”
“I know. I agree, up to a point. But he’s been doing so well since Maisy started encouraging him, I think you may underestimate his abilities.”
A shout came from the dimness. Dogs barked. Zoe’s heart jumped along with her body. Releasing her hold on Sean, she started to run toward the sound, and in the process lost hold of Angel.
Freya paced Zoe while Sean and the border collie raced ahead. It was easy to keep Angel in sight due to the bright white parts of her coat. Zoe could have cheered and wept at the same time when she saw the dog stop and circle.
They’d found Patrick. It had to be him. It just had to be. Please, God, let him be all right.
Sean was on his knees by the time she got to him. His arms were wrapped around his son, his face buried on the child’s shoulder. Angel kept circling, and Titus was barking, proudly announcing news of his success.
A sobbing Maisy tugged on Zoe’s jacket. “It’s—it’s all my fault. I told him I’d help him go get another crook for the boy who gave him his. Only I meant later. Will my daddy be mad at me?”
“I’ll explain for you,” Zoe assured her. She looked at Sean and noticed how tense he appeared. “Relax. We found him. No harm done.”
“That’s what you think.” Gesturing at several uniformed officers and their K-9 partners who were disappearing into the shadows of the trees, he said, “Patrick didn’t walk all the way out here by himself. He says a strange man promised to help him find a long stick and carried him this far.”
“What man?”
“Exactly. I strongly doubt it was a member of the church. That leaves only one other option.”
“Impossible,” Zoe insisted. “If kidnappers had taken him, they’d still have him. They wouldn’t have let him go.”
“That was my first thought—until he told me somebody else told the man to put him down and wait for me.”
“Wait for you? Did he say why?” There was no real reason to ask that question, but Zoe had to hear for herself.
Sean’s eyebrows arched. “Why do you think? They’d probably still be waiting here to ambush me if the police response hadn’t been so overwhelming and fast. And if there hadn’t been dogs in the lead.”
He stared into the woods where the officers and other working K-9s had disappeared in pursuit. Patrick was hugging his daddy and acting as insecure as he had when Zoe had first met him. Poor kid. He gets a little independence back, starts to enjoy it and his whole world falls apart.
Finally, Zoe held out her hand to the boy. “Come with me, Patrick. We need to go back to rehearsal.”
“No way.” Sean cupped the boy’s tousled head. “He’s through standing around outside where I can’t hold on to him.”
“Whoever bothered him is long gone with half the DVPD on their heels. There’s no place safer than the church right now.”
“I said, no.”
There was enough ire in Sean’s voice to have made a grown man quail, so Zoe wasn’t surprised that the little boy began to sniffle and cry.
She stood as tall as her slim frame would allow and tried to appear formidable. “I understand your concern, but stop and think about it. If everything you say is true, then it’s you who needs to stay out of sight, not your little boy.” Signaling with a nod toward the church she added, “Move, before I have you handcuffed and put in protective custody for your own good.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Facing him with every ounce of courage she possessed, Zoe managed to sound convincing when she said, “I will do anything I need to in order to keep you safe, Murphy. Even make you mad at me, if that’s what it takes.”
A shout from the woods and intense barking brought Sean up short in the church parking lot. He looked to Zoe. “Hear that?”
“Yes. It sounds as though they caught him.”
“I almost hate to get my hopes up.”
Ellen Foxcroft joined them, waving a radio and grinning. “Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“They got the guy. And he’s the one who left the palm print on the stolen truck!”
They’re sure?” Sean asked.
“Positive ID.”
Mirroring the other K-9 officer’s grin, Zoe glanced at Sean. “See? I told you this police force was good.”
“What about the second man?” Sean asked. “Did they spot him, too?”
Ellen sobered. “Not yet. We’re close. As soon as the suspect in custody talks, we’ll pick him up, too.”
“Was this guy driving a black SUV?”
“Yes. They’re dusting it for fingerprints now. Should have AFIS results on any partners he may have had before the end of the night.”
Zoe whispered, “Thank You, Jesus.”
Sean swallowed hard. He was almost ready to agree.