shut down the engine, a couple exited the front door. Jared had called ahead to let the Nilssons know he was bringing their daughter home.
Sassa leaped out of the car. Jared followed as she ran to her mother, who carried an infant. The instant Sassa took the child into her arms, all the tightness and hard edges eased from her features. She smiled and Jared almost stumbled. Her brilliant, beautiful smile transformed her. Golden sunshine slid out from behind a cloud and turned the somewhat dowdy, bedraggled creature into a glowing one. She exuded happiness and was more lovely than Jared had imagined she could ever be. He’d always heard motherhood did things to women, but he’d never witnessed it. Now that he had, he’d never forget it.
As he approached, the most beautiful small creature he had ever seen turned to look at him. Little blond curls nestled on top of her head. The biggest, bluest eyes peered at him with the kind of open curiosity only the very young can portray. He noted the pretty, pouty pink lips just like her mother’s...then she smiled at him with the sweetest, most innocent look.
Precious Keri. That’s what Sam had called her and now Jared understood why.
“Thank you for bringing her home to us.” Sassa’s father, Paul Nilsson, held out his hand.
Jared jumped to respond, trying desperately to shake off little Keri’s charming ways. “You’re welcome. It was the least I could do.”
The FBI agents parked Sassa’s car behind Jared’s SUV and the other government vehicle pulled up behind it. One agent exited her vehicle and carried Sassa’s luggage to where they all stood. Paul accepted the bag, stuffed the keys into his pocket, and thanked him. The man gave a terse nod then turned and headed back to the SUV. That was Jared’s hint to move on.
“We need to go.” He shook Paul’s hand once again and turned to Sylvie Nilsson. She looked much like her daughter except that her blond hair was pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head. She’d kept one hand on her daughter from the moment Sassa was close enough to touch.
That’s where Sassa gets her mothering instincts...from a woman who loves her unconditionally. A pang of something like envy swept through him.
Sylvie caught him staring and murmured her thanks.
Jared nodded and met Sassa’s gaze. “The agents in that SUV will be keeping an eye on things around here. You’ll be safe. I’ll be in touch.”
Understanding sparked between them. She nodded her head. “I’ll be ready.”
Relief swept through Jared and he dipped his head in recognition. Sassa was on board. Now they could get to work. He turned and walked back to his vehicle, but as he climbed in, he couldn’t get the image of the three females—mother, daughter and baby—out of his mind. What would it be like to grow up in a loving family like this one? How would it feel to have such a rich heritage? He had no idea. But he knew one thing.
That kind of goodness needed preserving and he’d do everything in his power to make sure it happened.
“Mom, you absolutely have to go.”
Her mother tugged on Keri’s foot as the baby rested in Sassa’s arms. “I feel like I’m abandoning you two in your greatest need.”
Sassa felt the same way but she wouldn’t openly admit it. After returning to her parents’ home yesterday, she’d slept for a full twenty-four hours, waking just in time to pack and leave this morning. Her mother and father were flying to Florida for the birth of her brother’s first child. They had driven into town in Sassa’s car and were waiting for their Uber ride to pick them up.
This trip had been planned for ages and Sassa absolutely refused to be responsible for changing it now. She was one-hundred-percent certain her brother had taken the job across the country to get away from her ongoing issues. Not that he didn’t love Sassa. He did. But he had a life of his own and her constant “crisis mode” life consumed everyone.
Lars and his wife, Sherry, deserved her parents’ undivided attention for this big event. And besides, the farther they were away, the safer they’d be. If she could find an excuse, she’d send Keri with them. But if she did that, her mother would suspect things weren’t as safe as Sassa had claimed.
Still, they needed to go now, before she broke down and sobbed out the truth.
She sent her dad a pleading glance. Even though her mother seemed oblivious, Dad understood her need. Putting his arm around his wife, he gently pulled her away. “We will miss our plane if we don’t get moving. The Uber we ordered is here.”
Shifting Keri, Sassa wrapped an arm around her dad’s waist. “Thanks.”
He kissed the top of her head and murmured, “I’ve got your back, Sass, always.”
Her mother threw her arms around both her and Keri for one huge hug. “Watch that tooth in the front. I think it’s ready to break through. She’s been chewing on her fist like crazy. Be careful...and listen to Agent De Luca. I think he really cares. I’ll be praying for you.”
Sassa tried to get Keri to wave to Grandma as she hurried to the waiting car. The baby turned big blue eyes toward her as if to ask “what’s going on?” but she refused to wave.
“Mommy and Grandma are trying not to cry. Someday you’ll understand.” She waved one last time then nodded at the FBI agents parked in a car across the street.
Agent Kopack’s assigned men were still watching over her. Were they there for her protection or to make sure she didn’t run? She wasn’t sure but she was thankful for their presence.
She hurried into her small Craftsman bungalow and wrinkled her nose at the musty, closed-up smell. Despite the slight odor, Sassa released a grateful sigh. Being home felt good.
Her parents had helped her purchase the tiny, renovated Craftsman cottage close to the university. Built in the twenties, the house had been restored by the previous owners and now rested in a small enclave of older houses, all restored and in pristine condition.
She loved her little home with its front porch, big windows, wood floors and stained glass in the transom above the front door. This was her safe haven, her hope...a sign that she might finally be getting her head above the waves of insecurity that had almost swamped her.
But today she couldn’t slow down long enough to enjoy being home. She hadn’t told her parents, but she was headed to the university. The sooner she got to work, the better.
Grabbing diapers from Keri’s room and fresh bottles, she stuffed them into her diaper bag just as her cell phone rang. Jared’s name flashed on the screen. Apparently he’d programmed his number into it before he’d returned it to her.
“Hello?”
“Are you home?” Jared’s deep voice rumbled through the phone. Any other time she might have found it attractive...or not. She liked the sound of his voice, so she probably would have argued and used his abrupt manner to make a smart reply. But too much had happened. She took his urgency to heart.
“Yes. What’s wrong?”
“I’ll
