Marrying Kate (14 page)

He glanced up to find her watching him with serious gray eyes. She didn’t look away but met his gaze full on. Kate didn’t prompt him, just sat silently waiting for him to continue.

"I’ve been a real jerk the last few days. I have no excuse for it except to say I’ve had a lot on my mind." Jared dropped his gaze to her fingers once again. "About us. The kids. This whole situation with someone wanting me dead. It’s driving me nuts."

"I’m sorry that you’re having to deal with so much. I wish there was something I could do to help." Kate threaded her fingers through his and squeezed. "We’re in this together now. For better or worse. I guess this falls under the heading of worse."

Jared nodded. "I just hope it doesn’t get even worse before it gets better." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Do you forgive me?"

"Of course," Kate responded without hesitation. "I was worried though. Please talk to me next time. I don’t expect you to confide everything to me but when it affects our relationship, I’d like to know."

"You’re right. I’m still getting used to having a wife and family." Jared gave her a lopsided smile. "I’m used to dealing with stuff on my own. I’ll try to be better about that."

"
We’ll
try to be better about it," Kate stressed. "I’m new to this marriage stuff too, you know."

Jared smiled, the weight of the past few days lifting off his shoulders. He moved to kiss her but hesitated. It seemed like the next logical step but Jared wasn’t sure it was what Kate wanted. She showed him it was when she closed the final distance between them and pressed her lips to his.

*****

The next few days fell back into their old pattern. Once again Kate and Jared rose together in the mornings. Kate couldn’t help feeling that perhaps they’d taken their relationship to a new level.

Affectionate gestures began to occur and they thrilled Kate. Jared’s kiss before he left for work and again when he got home. The way he put his arm around her as they sat together on the couch. They were little gestures that meant the world to Kate. If she couldn’t have Jared’s love, at least she had his affection. It was better than nothing, which was what she’d had for years.

"
Kate, can I talk to you?" Jared appeared in the doorway of the guest room. She had finally decided to move her stuff to the master suite.

"Sure." Kate put the clothes she’d been carrying down on the bed. "In here?"

"Let’s go to the library. I don’t want to chance the kids overhearing."

Kate nodded and followed him downstairs to the library. They sat in the chairs by the fireplace even though it was too warm now to light a fire. Jared looked very serious and Kate’s heartbeat picked up its pace, thudding
deep within her chest.

"I find myself facing a decision
,” he told her. “I need your input."

Kate was surprised but tried not to show it. "I’ll be glad to give it if I can."

"Since it affects you, I’m sure you’ll have something to say." Jared leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "As you know, we’ve had security twenty-four hours a day for the past several weeks. I’m still no closer to finding out who wanted…wants me dead. I’m toying with a few ideas, although none of them sit really well with me."

Kate listened intently as Jared described what his options were. She had to admit that none of them sat really well with her either, especially the one about him becoming a decoy to lure the murderer out into the open. Her heart clenched painfully at the thought of anything happening to
Jared. She’d just found him, losing him would kill her.

"Are those the only options?" Kate asked. "I kind of like the one where we do nothing and get on with the rest of our lives."

"I like that one too," Jared said with a rueful grin. "But it isn’t wise. It would mean we’d be defenseless against the murderer should they decide to take another run at me or you and the children."

"Could we go
undercover? Take on a new identity?"

"I suppose we could. I’m torn here though,
Kate. I’ve never run from a fight yet. That’s why luring this guy out into the open is so attractive to me. On the other hand, I’ve never had a wife and kids to protect either. Yet that’s the very reason I want to deal with this guy. Deal with him and move on. I don’t think we’ll be able to get on with our lives until this situation is resolved."

Kate agreed but thought the options really stunk. "So what are you going to do?"

"Well, first off, I’m not going to leave you guys unprotected. At home we’ll still keep a guard around, but only when I’m not here. At night, when I’m here, there will be no guard. We’ll maintain the security on the children while they are at school. I want to keep the disruption of our lives to a minimum, particularly for the sake of the kids. I certainly don’t want to put any of the other children at risk, but at the same time I don’t want to take the kids out of school, particularly when we don’t know how long this could go on.

"I’m still pleased with the way the school has handled their own security which is one of the reasons I’ve felt okay about not posting a guard right outside each of the kids’ classrooms. The school has pretty good security since it keeps the doors locked during school hours and only those who buzz to get in are let inside. The playground is fenced so strangers can’t just wander
into where the kids are playing. The kids are most vulnerable going to and from the school bus, but that’s why I’ve posted a guard outside. The guard I’ve posted is unobtrusive. As a woman she’ll blend in better than an Arnold Schwarzenegger type."

"It’s too bad it took a tragedy to get the school to beef up
its security, but I guess they figured we lived in a nice enough community nothing would ever happen here," Kate said. "I remember the first time I took Bry his lunch and discovered I had to ring a bell to get in. I was surprised but then Amanda told me about the little boy who’d been kidnapped right out of the playground. I sure don’t want anything like that to happen to our kids."

"I agree," said Jared. "And that’s why I’ll still keep a guard nearby but not right in the school. I want them safe but not scared.

Jared leaned back in the chair, stretching his legs out. "I’m still talking with Drake about how to lure this guy out into the open. I just wanted to talk it over with you so you know and also to see if you have any ideas."

"I’m sorry I haven’t been more help. This area is not something I have a lot of experience in."

"Well, I do
, and I’m still stumped." Jared sighed. "I’ll let you know as soon as we decide something."

They sat in silence for a little while before Jared stood. "I’m going to have to work through a few more things down here. You go on upstairs. Don’t wait up for me if it gets late."

Jared took her hands and pulled her up. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. "Try not to worry. I hesitated talking to you about this because you might worry, but I do want you to think and pray about it. I’ll be doing the same."

Kate nodded and then stood on her tiptoes to press another kiss to his lips before reluctantly leaving his embrace. Upstairs Kate searched her mind for options as she carried her clothes into the closet in their bedroom. Everything that came to mind held risk
, and Kate was desperate to find something that wouldn’t put Jared or the kids in harm’s way.

*****

Jared didn’t seem to relax at all over the next few days. He became more and more tense. Kate could see it in the constant furrow of his brow. His sleep was restless, and he was distracted when he dealt with her and the kids. She was concerned for him and tried hard to think of a way to help him out.

She knew he had pulled the night-time guard. The first night Kate had seen Jared slip the gun into the drawer of his night table, she’d shuddered. She didn’t like guns and wanted to protest its presence in their home
, but she knew Jared had it there only to protect the family. He had the gun on him at all times, but thankfully he took precautions with it when the children were around.

Kate had started spending time in the library with Jared each evening. He often worked on the computer or did paperwork. Kate would read or work on the cross-stitch kit she’d picked up. It was a quiet time
, but she enjoyed just being near him.

"I’m going to have to go away for a few days."

Kate lifted her head from the book she’d been reading. "Go away?"

Jared stood from his chair behind the desk and moved to where she sat, settling into the chair across from her. He leaned back and stretched his legs out, lacing his fingers across his flat stomach.

"A client in LA has asked me to come give a security seminar to a group of their employees who will be working in Central America."

Kate’s stomach clenched at the thought of him going away. "How long will you be gone?"

"About a week. The seminar runs from Monday to Saturday so I’ll leave here Sunday afternoon and come back the following Sunday."

"This Sunday?" Kate asked.

Jared nodded. "I’m not thrilled about having to be away from you…and the family right now
, but there’s really no other choice. It’s part of my job. The night guard will come back on duty for the week I’m gone. You all will be safe."

Kate looked back down at her book, the words unfocused before her.
"You’re really going to a seminar, right?"

When Jared didn’t respond right away, she looked up and found him watching her, a dark expression in his eyes. "Do you think I’m making this up? That I’m heading out there to meet some woman or something?"

Kate’s eyes widened. That hadn’t even crossed her mind. "No, I don’t think you’re going out there to meet a woman."

Jared’s fierce expression softened a bit. "I’m glad. I gave you my word that I’d be faithful, and I will."

"I know. That’s not what I meant." Kate closed her book and leaned back into her chair. "I was asking if you were really planning to go out there to try and lure the killer after you."

"Well, to be honest, it did cross my mind," Jared said, his expression losing all hardness. "I want to, really want to, but I knew I couldn’t lie to you and that you’d protest most vehemently if I told you I was going to do that."

"You’re right about that!" Kate grinned at him. "You’re getting to know me a bit better."

"More than a bit, I’d say." Jared reached
out and tugged Kate from her chair.

Her book slipped to the floor
, but Kate didn’t notice as Jared drew her down onto his lap. When she looked into his eyes she wondered if he could see her love for him in hers. And she wondered how he could possibly be this way with her and not love her.

Kate’s finger stroked his bristled cheek thinking how much she was going to miss him for that week. She wanted to tell him but held back, unsure if he would want to hear it. Someday, she hoped, someday she’d be free to tell him all that was in her heart.

*****

The next three days passed quickly. Jared spent most evenings with her and the kids. He took Amelia to her father-daughter banquet, and they both came home with a glowing report of the time they’d spent together. They went out to dinner as a family and then spent the evenings playing games or watching movies. The kids hadn’t been happy when Jared had said he’d be going away. It was only the promise of daily phone calls that helped to cheer them up.

Jared worked late each evening after the kids were down for the night
, and Kate was always asleep by the time he came to bed. But Saturday night, after everything was packed and ready for his trip, Jared came to bed early. He crawled into bed beside her and took her into his arms.

“
Are you going to miss me?” he asked, his voice low and husky in her ear.

“
I don’t know,” Kate replied in a teasing voice. “Are you going to miss me?”

“
You can count on it.” Jared nuzzled her neck. “I’ve gotten kind of used to having you around. And the kids too, of course.”

Kate turned serious.
“Yes, Jared, I’ll miss you. It will probably be the longest week of my life.”

“
Mine too,” Jared said, equally as serious. “I’ll call every day.”

“
You’d better!” Kate pressed her lips to his trying to capture each moment to sustain her through the week ahead.

*****

They went to church the next morning, then out for a quick lunch before taking Jared to the airport. Kate hated driving in the Twin Cities but wouldn’t have missed taking Jared to the airport for anything.

"I’ll just get out at the door. My flight will be leaving in less than an hour," Jared said as he maneuvered the van to a stop in front of the airport
departures entrance.

"Are you sure?" Kate wouldn’t have minded going in with him for a few more minutes.

"I’m sure." He got his bags out of the car and turned them over to a baggage handler before kissing each of the kids good-bye. "You all be good for your aunt. I’ll be asking her for a daily report."

After receiving their promises to behave, Jared turned his attention to Kate. He took her into his arms and kissed her lingeringly. It was over much too quickly for Kate
, and soon Jared was saying goodbye and walking towards the doors. He turned back for one brief wave before disappearing inside.