Guardian of Justice (15 page)

EIGHTEEN

Dallas felt his heart beat faster. “Engaged, huh?” He smiled.

“So you really did propose? In the middle of all this? Are you crazy?” Nick asked in disbelief.

He chuckled. “Yeah, but she never said yes. That’s when she started yelling. And I figured she had every right to yell. We’d just been shot at.” He looked admiringly at her sleeping form. “And, well, we haven’t gone through the traditional dating routine.”

The doctor smiled. “Sounds like love at first sight. Congratulations. I hope it works out for you both.” He filled Dallas and Nick in on Kira’s condition, and how he wanted to make sure she stayed calm for a few days before dismissing her. “The break doesn’t look that serious right now, but that bruise is pretty deep. If she’s still in danger, a quiet hospital might be a good place for her to disappear for a few days.”

Dallas couldn’t believe she’d accepted his proposal. His heart swelled with love.

“She’ll also be in pain, especially until we can immobilize that arm. I don’t want to do that until the swelling has gone down. For now we’ve used a light wrapping of bandages to remind her not to move it, and to hold the ice in place. In about forty-eight hours we’ll change that to heat to get the blood flowing through that bruised area again. We want to watch for clotting. In the meantime we’ll give her medicine through her IV—”

“Doctor, sorry to interrupt, but I think you’re going to have to go through all of this again for our parents, anyway. I’m going to call Mom and Dad, see if they can stay with her for the afternoon.” Nick pulled out his cell phone.

“I’ll stay with Kira,” Dallas insisted.

“No way,” Nick said. “You and I are going to find that kid and have a talk with him. If he won’t give us the phone, he’s going in the juvenile detention center. I’ve had it with his games.”

“I’m not leaving her alone yet.” Dallas had the impression that Nick wasn’t in favor of their engagement. He couldn’t blame him for his concerns. Dallas had plenty of his own, which would have to be dealt with another time. “Any word on the truck yet?”

“Yeah, they cleaned up the picture. The truck was stolen two weeks ago from a ranch south of Vail. No help at all.”

Kira groaned, drawing her brother’s attention and Dallas’s. “Don’t let them take Cody and Betsy from Deb and Glen. It wouldn’t be good for the Woodses. And besides, I can’t separate the kids. I promised they would stay together.”

“What do you mean, it wouldn’t be good for Deb and Glen?” her brother asked. “They know this is part of the deal. I mean, kids from good homes aren’t typically sent to foster care, but they can’t be thrilled to have this danger invading their house.” He held up his hand, motioning toward the phone. “Mom, Kira’s been hurt and needs to stay in the hospital. Could you and Dad come stay with her until we can get police protection arranged?”

Their mother apparently hit the ceiling as Nick handed the phone to Kira.

“I’m going to be okay, Mom. Yeah,” she said after a pause. “I know. Love you, too. I’ll see you in a while and I’ll explain it all then.” Kira handed the phone to her brother. “You scared her to death, Nick. And cancel the police protection bit.”

Both Dallas and Nick refused vehemently. Though Dallas felt guilty for arguing with her, he was not about to back down.

She didn’t say a word. Kira didn’t look like she had the energy left to argue.

“Who do we need to talk to in Protective Services to move the kids, Kira?” Nick pressed.

Dallas wondered if her supervisor was still the only person other than Kira who would be aware of Cody and Betsy’s true location. He made a note to talk to her about that after Nick left. She needed to let them know she’d be out of the office, and that it was an injury due to the requirements of the job. When his mind came back to Nick and Kira, they were back to the argument about the Woodses keeping the kids.

“Deb and Glen are the best foster parents we have in the county. They were ready to adopt three siblings they had taken into their foster care. The mother got out of prison a week before the adoption went through, and they’ve spent the last year teaching the mother how to parent. Instead of fostering the children, they fostered the family.”

Nick wouldn’t let it go. “That’s admirable, but this is different, Kira.”

“Not really. So many times we see well-meaning foster families try to sabotage parents’ efforts to get their kids back. Not this couple. They worked for months with the mother, showing her how to be a mom and create a good home for her children.”

Kira shifted in the bed, wincing when she tried to move the right side of her body. “They took the mother to church with them, and gave their hearts to the family. It took months for them to be ready to open their home again. In spite of our problems with Cody, this is the absolute best place for him. They’ve been working hard with both kids. They won’t stop now.”

Dallas recognized the look on her brother’s face—a mixture of fear and pride. Mostly fear. “I admire your determination to keep Cody and Betsy together, Kira, but it’s gone beyond what’s safe, for anyone. You’re in the hospital with injuries that could have been a lot worse. We need to seriously consider moving Cody to a detention center where he can’t just come and go and disappear like this. Even if it’s only temporary.”

She tried to adjust the pillow behind her, and glared at Dallas. “I should have known you’d argue with me.”

“We’re not arguing with you. We’re being realistic, Kira. I feel for the Woodses. I even feel for Cody,” Nick said.

Kira glanced at Nick, then back to Dallas. “Cody and Betsy couldn’t ask for a better home,” she said defensively.

“We’re not disputing that, Kira,” Dallas said gently as he helped her sit up. He rearranged the pillow behind her. “It’s also putting the foster family at risk. We can’t trust Cody. He turned his own mother in. He’s not being honest with anyone. How can we trust him not to turn on the Woodses?”

“He doesn’t know how to trust anyone. He couldn’t trust his own mother, Dallas.” She stared into his blue eyes, as if hoping to make him understand. “That doesn’t make him any less important in the eyes of God. He’s scared of losing everyone he cares about.”

Dallas turned away, rolling his head from side to side.

“Let me talk to him again, Dallas, please.”

“You’re staying right where you are. You refused to step back, and now you’re hurt. Surely you don’t expect me to ignore that, do you?” he asked.

Kira crossed her free arm over the one that was tied to her body, and let out a gasp at the pain. She took a deep breath and glanced at her brother. “Nick?”

“Don’t look at me,” he exclaimed, holding his hands up. “From what I’ve heard in the last few weeks, you’ve probably given the kid more rope than he deserves. This case isn’t one I wanted you involved with in the first place, Kira. I agree with Dallas.”

She let her head fall back against the pillow, and took a deep breath. She was wearing herself out. “I still have a job to do, and so do you. I guess we’re not going to be able to agree on this one,” she argued, focusing on her brother, then turning to Dallas.

“I’m not backing away from my job,” Dallas insisted. He took hold of her hand. “I’m not letting Cody know where you are, Kira. And you’d better not, either. He could make this a lot simpler if he’d open up. He’s putting everyone around him at risk. Most of all you, because you’re thinking with your heart and not your head.” He looked at her brother. “Could I have a few minutes to talk to your sister alone, Nick?”

“Sure, talk some sense into her, would you?”

When Nick had left, Dallas paced the room like a caged animal, trying to decide what to say. “Kira…” He had no doubts about his feelings for her, but he didn’t want her to think he was putting his emotions before his job. He didn’t need to scare her to death. “I’m worried about you.”

“I didn’t ask you to…” She turned away.

“Unless you’re changing your mind about my proposal, worrying about you goes with the commitment.” He hesitated, surprised by her reaction. “I’m afraid of losing the chance to get to know you better, Kira. I realized you weren’t interested in having another cop in your life, and I ignored that. I was selfish and only thinking of how much I adore you. I won’t hold you to my proposal—”

“Whoa, wait just a minute,” Kira said weakly. She gazed up at him. “That’s not true.” She smiled tentatively. “I never said anything about not wanting to date a cop. My brothers were trying to scare you away.”

She continued to confuse him. “Yeah, that’s clear, too. I don’t want to see you hurt again,” Dallas admitted.

“Hurt? By who? Cody?” Kira shook her head. “Dallas, this case has hit a soft spot for me. It reminds me of when my little brother, Jimmie, was taken away from me. I had no way to protect him. I’ve spent the last six months trying to find him, and for twenty years before that I’ve lived with the guilt of letting him down.” Tears streamed from her eyes, and Dallas searched for a box of tissues.

Finally, Kira just wiped her face with the corner of her bedsheet. “I don’t want Cody to go through that. I don’t want Betsy to grow up feeling as if everyone abandoned her. Their dad ran off before Betsy was born, her mom is incapable of being a real mother to her, and her brother is the only one she has left. If I put Cody in a detention center…” She shook her head. “That will just reinforce the negative. He’s trying to protect his sister, and I’m not going to let him down.”

Dallas took a deep breath and let it out, praying that she would take what he had to say the right way. “I know that, Kira, but he’s a kid. And he doesn’t care about hurting you or anyone else. No, he obviously cares about Betsy. But if he would only realize that he’s making matters worse by not trusting us, we could get to the bottom of this.” He leaned against the rail of her bed and looked into her tired eyes.

Kira gazed back, and he could feel her love as she said, “God tells us to administer justice and take care of the poor and needy. It’s clear that Cody is trying to get away from the trouble that his mother has been involved in. Being a teenager isn’t a crime. He needs to have good examples to follow, not be punished for trying to take care of those less capable.”

She was right. “As much as you want to help him, Kira, he doesn’t seem willing to accept help.”

“He’s afraid. He doesn’t know who he can trust,” she stated.

“No, he probably doesn’t. We’ve tried, and as difficult as it may be to accept it, sometimes we have to know when it’s time to let go. We can’t help him if he won’t open up to us. I want the chance to worry about you, Kira. I need your promise that you won’t take any more risks to try to help Cody.”

“I can’t give it to you.” She closed her eyes and tears welled in the corners. “I assured him that I would keep him and Betsy together. I can’t break my word to him, and I can’t make a promise to you that I can’t keep. I promised him first, Dallas.”

Dallas sat on the hospital bed next to her. He brushed the dusty curls out of her eyes and wrapped his arms around her. “Oh, Kira,” he said, realizing that it was too late. He should have gotten her out of his heart long before now. This is why I didn’t want to fall in love again. Someone always gets hurt.

He couldn’t expect her to stop trying to heal others, any more than he could walk away from law enforcement.

Kira looked up into his eyes as he cautiously lowered his lips to hers. She tried to calm her racing heart, but it was pointless. The sweetness of his kiss mesmerized her. It was impossible that she’d fallen so hopelessly in love. They’d known each other such a short time. It had only been a few weeks ago that she’d gone on that ride-along.

She tightened her hug and realized suddenly that he was wearing his Kevlar vest. Kira pushed herself out of his embrace. “You’re off duty. Why…” Her hand skimmed over his chest. “Why are you wearing your vest?”

He seemed puzzled. “What’s wrong with me wearing my bulletproof vest?”

“Do you always wear it off duty?”

Dallas’s hands fell away from her shoulders and he stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest. “No,” he said with annoyance. “But you cancelled going to church.” He ran his hand over his chin, his agony clear in his eyes. “I put it on because we were going to look for Cody. I wear it any time I suspect there could be trouble. And with anything connected to Cody, I expect trouble. I’m sorry if that sounds paranoid, but considering what happened the other night I didn’t want to let them slip through her fingers again. We don’t know who we’re dealing with, I’d rather be prepared than dead.”

Kira felt a shiver tickle her spine. “I guess you don’t plan to be shot at any day, even when you go to work….”

“If it makes a difference, I didn’t expect to propose to you today, either, but I’m a man of my word. You can still say no, but I don’t regret letting you know my intentions.”

His eyes challenged hers, and then settled on her lips as he pulled her close again.

Kira pushed him away, laughing this time. “Not when you’re wearing a bulletproof vest!”

“So?”

“Next time you kiss me, there’d better not be any hint of guns or reminders of bulletproof vests.”

“You must be willing to wait awhile, then, huh?”

“Not especially,” she said seriously, “But I don’t want this image of you shielding your heart from me when I’m totally vulnerable to letting you in.” She tapped her own heart. “I expect open access.” She watched as Dallas backed away. “And just to make myself perfectly clear, Dallas, the only cop I’m interested in dating or marrying is you.”