Bodyguard For Christmas. Carol J. Post

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СКАЧАТЬ in one of the swings, fists clutching the chains as she pushed him. He was dressed the same as she was, minus the vest and in tennis shoes instead of boots. Heavier coats waited for them in the car. When the sun went down, they’d need them. Right now, the temperature was pleasant.

      Colton had called an hour ago with a change of plans. They were still doing supper and the Christmas Art Walk, but he wouldn’t make it home first. So he’d asked her to meet him at five at the Cherokee County Courthouse downtown. Since she was running early, the park offered a fun detour. Maybe it would not only distract Liam for a short time but also wear him out enough to sleep well tonight.

      “Would you like to try out the slide?” Though Liam didn’t respond, she brought him to a slow stop and lifted him from the swing.

      Colton had apologized for him disturbing her sleep. In actuality, he hadn’t. She’d awoken from a nightmare herself shortly before he’d started screaming. When she’d scooped him up, she’d still been shaking from her own private terrors.

      Then something unexpected had happened. As she’d held and soothed him, an odd sense of comfort had woven through her, shattering the images flashing in her mind and calming her spinning thoughts. The whole experience had caught her off guard. She didn’t seek comfort from anyone. She dealt with everything on her own.

      As a child, she’d had no choice. Often, she’d been left alone while her mother partied through the night. Or her mother left her with random people for days on end. Most didn’t want to be bothered. Some did, men who tried to do things she didn’t understand but somehow sensed were wrong.

      As an adult, keeping herself closed off had been a hard habit to break. She’d even been tight-lipped with the counselors the army had assigned to help her process the horrors she’d seen and adjust to civilian life.

      She led Liam to one of the slides, searching the perimeter as she’d been doing since they arrived fifteen minutes ago. Nothing raised any red flags. Several moms and a couple of dads stood or sat on benches. Jasmine had already matched the adults to their charges.

      She was just finishing her three-hundred-sixty-degree observation when something over her left shoulder snagged her gaze. A man stood under the pavilion outside the fence, leaning against one of the posts, watching the activity on the playground. Was he one of those creeps who liked to hang out where young children played? Or was he interested in one child in particular?

      Liam climbed the stairs, and she moved around to the base of the slide, keeping the man in her peripheral vision. He continued to watch. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

      She shifted position, the weight of her weapon in its holster now more pronounced against her hip. She likely wouldn’t have to draw it. If the man represented any kind of threat, he’d be crazy to act in a public place in broad daylight.

      When it came time to leave, he hadn’t moved. Liam walked with her to the Suburban without any objection. As she pulled into the courthouse parking lot, her phone buzzed with an incoming text. Colton was finished. Perfect timing. Two or three minutes later, he approached the passenger side, and she lowered the window.

      He leaned inside. “Are you okay with taking your vehicle, or shall we transfer the car seat?”

      “I can drive. Hop in.”

      He directed her through a turn onto Valley River Avenue. The art walk appeared to be in full swing, with every parking space occupied and people roaming the sidewalks. An alleyway between two buildings opened up into a parking area. If Colton hadn’t been with her, she’d have never found it.

      When they’d walked back to the front of the building, a sign overhead announced The Daily Grind.

      She looked up at Colton. “A coffee shop?”

      “And more. Salads, soups and sandwiches. Fast, but good. One of the favorite places around for people to congregate.”

      He opened the door, then walked in behind her, carrying Liam. In front of her, a wide hallway separated the Curiosity Shop Bookstore on the right from The Daily Grind on the left. They joined the end of a short line. Above and behind those working the counter, the menu was displayed on boards. She decided on a grilled panini sandwich with hot roast beef and Swiss.

      After placing their orders, they found an empty table at the front. Colton positioned Liam in a booster seat and took the chair next to him. Jasmine sat opposite them. Large windows offered a clear view of Valley River Avenue. People strolled by just outside.

      Jasmine shifted her attention to Colton. “Are you working tomorrow?”

      “Not at the office, but I did put some files in my vehicle before walking over to where you’d parked.”

      “Are you always this much of a workaholic?”

      He shrugged. “I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I’m taking over someone else’s caseload.”

      She nodded, even though he hadn’t answered her question. She glanced around the interior space, then looked out the window again. A group of people had stopped to converse, blocking her view of anything beyond.

      After they moved on, she scanned the area. The sun had set, and the last rays of light were fading. Her gaze fell on a figure across the street, and she tensed. Shadows hid his face, but the baseball cap, jeans and bulky coat matched the clothing of the man at the playground.

      “Is everything okay?”

      Colton’s words pulled her attention back inside. For a nonmilitary, nonsecurity guy, he was pretty observant.

      She cast a glance back out the window. The guy was gone.

      “Everything’s fine.” She wouldn’t alarm him yet. Based on what she’d seen, most of Murphy turned out for this event. The man across the street might not even be the same person. If he was, he hadn’t followed her. She’d been watching too closely.

      When they finished eating, Colton looked at his watch. “If we want to make it to the tree lighting, we’ll have to walk fast.”

      “I’m up for it if you are.” She stood. “So, what happens at the tree lighting? Other than lighting the tree.”

      “There’s children’s music and dance and a kids’ jingle bell walk. Then Santa arrives on a fire truck.”

      “Sounds like fun.”

      Especially for a kid. She hoped Liam would enjoy it. She would have at that age. If the small town she grew up in had had activities like that, she hadn’t known about them.

      Her mother apparently had, at least the adult parties. More than once Jasmine had gotten up in the morning to find that her mother had come in during the night and passed out on the living room floor still wearing a Christmas hat.

      When they reached the town square, a good-size crowd was already gathered. Jasmine scanned those standing around, searching for the man she’d seen at the park. Throughout each activity, she continued to look. If he was there, he was staying hidden.

      When the last activity ended, Colton shifted his son to his other hip. Liam didn’t participate in the jingle bell walk with the other kids, but his eyes were alert, taking in everything that was going on around him. Maybe next year.

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