CHAPTER 1

Sunday 10:25am

 All but the most stubborn leaves had fallen, and they made a peaceful crunching sound underfoot as Alex rode through the wide trails that crisscrossed the farm.  The smell of wood-smoke was in the air, and she could almost taste snow on her tongue.  Every living creature save a few scavenging squirrels seemed to have either gone into hibernation or joined Paul at church.  Church.  That was another thing she hadn’t pegged Paul as… a churchgoer.

He was very quiet about it and certainly not pushy, but she’d picked up on a few things he’d said, and the fact that he’d been the one to offer to take their last witness to Sunday services.  It was a quiet devotion, but it came from a place of certainty and strength.  Alex felt that she had her own brand of strength, and it didn’t come from a God she didn’t believe existed.

She was quite convinced that ten years in the VCS would have stripped faith from even the staunchest believer, and she had never counted herself among them to begin with.  Sunday school once in a while through her early childhood years had tapered off to Christmas and Easter services in high school, and then nothing at all by the time she reached college.  She had simply never found the peace and hope that others claimed to know, and eventually it had been more comfortable not to pretend.  If she thought too hard about it she realized that it had made her feel like a failure… a failure at faith, and failure wasn’t something she took lightly.  It was why she had transferred into the witness protection program rather than face another potential failure in the VCS.

Looking back over her shoulder she realized that she was quite far into the woods.  Definitely farther than she had planned on going.  She tightened her gloved hands around the reins and turned the horse back towards the fields and the house.

“C’mon, Scout.  Paul’s gonna think we got lost or something,” she said as she pushed him into a brisk trot.  “And knowing him, he’ll send out a whole team looking for us.”

Paul had told her that she was welcome to ride any of the horses and she had jumped at the chance.  She hadn’t been on horseback since the days of summer-camp and pony club.  Of course she hadn’t let him know how excited she was.  She had given him a noncommittal ‘maybe’, but as soon as he’d pulled down the driveway she had pulled on her jacket and headed to the barn with apples in both pockets, and only a hastily written note to let him know where she had gone.

As they emerged from the forest into the fields Alex spotted telltale smoke rising from the chimney at the house.  Yep.  He’d beaten her home.  She clucked at Scout and the horse broke into a smooth canter that quickly brought them across the field and up the hill to the barn.  He was standing at the big double doors with two steaming mugs of coffee in his hands and a slight smirk on his face.

“So, I guess that ‘maybe’ turned into a ‘yes’, eh?” he said.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.  So, I went for a ride, so sue me,” she joked.

He laughed and leaned against one of the stall doors as she untacked.  “I’m glad you went.  I’m sure he enjoyed the exercise.  Did you have a good time?”

Alex couldn’t hide the sparkle in her eyes so she looked straight into Paul’s face and smiled broadly.  “It was wonderful.  It’s been too long.”

“Well,” he said as she finished brushing Scout and locked him into his stall, “we’re only a commuter flight from D.C., and I try to get out here as often as I can.  You’re always welcome to join me.”

“Thanks,” she answered as she took the offered coffee.  She shrugged as she took a sip and looked at him over the rim of the mug.  “I think I might take you up on the offer.”

Paul blinked, surprised at the feeling that suddenly caused his heart to race.  This wasn’t good.  It wasn’t good at all.  Complicated relationships were his specialty, and what he had just felt was nearly identical to what he had felt the first time Monica had smiled at him.  From an angel of God to a woman who didn’t even believe in God.  Yes, he certainly knew how to pick ‘em.

*****

 Alex opened her eyes and slowly stretched, trying to awaken her sleeping muscles. She and Paul had worked late into the night last night and then she had awoken early this morning in order to go riding while her partner had been in church. After breakfast and yet another round of paperwork, she had decided that a nap had been in order. She would be able to finish the last bits of work on her plane ride home that evening and would then be able to enjoy her parent’s anniversary party Monday night.

She and Paul were not due back at the agency until Wednesday and he had already decided he wanted to spend the additional time here at his farm, and she certainly could not blame him for that. The place was incredibly peaceful and Gatlin seemed to fit right in with the scenery with his rugged good looks and quiet strength.

The image of her partner gathered in her head and she immediately shook it as she rose from her bed. That was the second time today she had allowed such possibilities to run wild in her mind and she had only too clearly seen the look on his face after she had flirted with him about coming up here with him again. Paul was entertaining such thoughts as well, she had realized, but despite it all, it was a very bad idea. Her college years had been peppered with bad relationships to the point that she had sworn off dating altogether. Then there was the whole God thing with Paul to consider. No, any romantic relationship between them would be destined for failure and failure was something she no longer accepted as part of her life.

She smoothed out her rumpled clothing and ran a brush through her chestnut mane of hair before heading out to the kitchen. Paul had left coffee and a note that he had gone for a ride, but would be back in plenty of time to take her to the airport. After fixing her coffee, she glanced at the note again, thinking that he had uncharacteristically good handwriting for a man. The words were strong and bold on the paper and she shook her head as she balled it up and threw it into the trash. Maybe she should forego the coffee and head for a cold shower before spending an hour in a car with the man. Two days away from him would be good for her perspective.

Absent mindedly, she wandered around the kitchen and she stopped as she noticed a card lying on the counter underneath the telephone. Curiously, she pulled out the card with an angel on the cover and opened it, reading the simple message, “Ah, cat woman,” She said aloud, surprised to find herself feeling slightly annoyed. Paul had called her a “special friend” and now she was wondering just how special and when Monica would be returning to collect her cats and whatever else she had left behind.

The ringing of the telephone startled her and she almost laughed at the thought that it had not been the phone at all, but the snooping alarm. Alex hesitated briefly before she answered it.

“Alex?” The sound of Jason Trask’s voice came over the line in response to her “Hello” and her eyebrows furrowed, wondering what was so important that Paul was being disturbed at home during a few days off.

“Jason, yes. What’s up?”

“I need to talk to Paul,” He hesitated briefly before adding, “It’s important.”

She frowned; not sure she liked what she was hearing. Jason usually called with the latest football stats and even occasionally to inform Paul on the latest antics of his toddler daughter. His tone now though was anything but light; “He’s not here at the moment. Are you all right? Can I give him a message?”

There was silence for a moment before he spoke up again, “Have him call me, Alex, as soon as he gets in. There is something he needs to know.”

She assured him she would before she hung up the phone, her eyes instantly looking out the window and seeing Paul leading one of the horses into the stable. She considered waiting until he had rubbed down his mount and returned to the house, but her instincts told her that this should not wait and she grabbed her coat and headed down the hill to the stable.

“Gatlin?” She poked her head inside and watched as he looked up at her and grinned, “Jason from the agency just called. He said it was important. Why don’t you let me rub her down while you go and see what he needs.”

Paul frowned, not liking the sound of what Alex was telling him, but he kept his concerns to himself, “Thanks,” He stated simply as he handed her the brush and walked slowly up the hill, trying to rid himself of the bad feeling he had in his heart.

Alex finished with the horse and then headed back to the house, her eyes instantly searching for her partner and not seeing any sign of him. When she rounded the corner to his office, she stopped, seeing him standing inside with his back to her, eyes focused out the window.

“Everything okay?” She managed to keep her voice light, though everything in his posture was telling her that things were indeed not okay.

He turned to face her and nodded his head, “Fine,” His voice was curt, which further confirmed her suspicions, “Are you all packed and ready to go? We want to get there in enough time to get you checked in.”

His voice warmed up some and she accepted the fact that whatever Jason had wanted to tell him was personal and he was not going to share it with her regardless of how upset this news had caused him to be. “No, but it won’t take me long,” she assured him before she turned and headed down the hall to her room. She had thought about pushing the issue, but she had a feeling that Paul was not a man to be pushed and besides, she had a feeling that maybe there was another female in his life with whom he preferred to share his heart.

*****

Paul sighed wearily as he pulled his car back into the driveway at the farm early that evening. The last bits of light were beginning to fade from a sky that would soon be threatened with snow and he sighed when he thought about the fact that snow was in the forecast. He had nothing against it and actually found it quite beautiful, but it brought with it memories that at least for today were unwanted. Ever since speaking with Jason, he knew he had little time to live in the past and even less time to look to the future, for the moment anyway.

Alex had been a bit distant at the airport, but he had assured her he would meet up with her on Wednesday and told her to enjoy her parent’s party. She had looked uncertain for a moment, before she had nodded her head and boarded the plane. Paul knew it was for the best anyway. There was no sense in burdening Alex with what had just happened, and he had no desire to share with her the details of his past at this point.

He couldn’t help but to feel angry over the entire situation. It had only been a year ago that he had finally found peace in the things that had happened and now the entire thing was blowing up in his face again. Paul opened the car door and slammed it shut, not even realizing he had done that until the noise of it startled him. He sighed and walked up to the porch, and unlocked the front door before slipping inside.

He tossed his keys on the table in the entry hall and wandered towards the kitchen to make another pot of coffee. It was then that he realized that the scent of coffee was already hanging in the air, complete with a hint of mocha. He drew in a sharp breath and quickened his pace.

Andrew and Tess looked up at him from where they sat at the table and smiled, both amused by his expression of disbelief, “Hello, baby,” Tess was the first to speak up as she rose from her chair to greet him.

“Tess…Andrew…” He shook his head as his face relaxed and a smile appeared. “It is so good to see you both.” He felt as if that was an understatement at the moment but he was unable to help but wonder if their appearance had anything to do with the news he had gotten that afternoon. He dismissed the thought for the moment to hug the oldest angel warmly.

“You’re looking well, Paul,” She remarked with a smile, a bit surprised by his show of affection for her, yet she knew that God and a little angel had done some serious work on his heart a year ago.

“I can say the same of you,” He replied, before giving Andrew a quick embrace with a clap on the back. As he pulled away a worried expression crossed his face as he looked around, “There…um…there hasn’t been any trouble, has there? I mean, where…”

Andrew chuckled at the agent’s attempt at tact, which was something that usually passed him by altogether; “Monica was getting antsy, so she went down to the stable to visit Scout.”

Paul sucked in a deep breath as he felt his heartbeat quicken just a little, “I hope you don’t mind…I’d like to go and say hello…just to make sure she is staying out of trouble, you know…”

Tess looked further amused as Andrew replied, “You do that,” He was pleased that he knew a happy reunion was about to take place. When they had arrived at Paul’s, Monica had tears in her eyes when she realized what Tess’ surprise was and when they had found the agent not at home, he had not missed his friend’s disappointment, “She’s missed you, Paul,” He added softly.

Their eyes met as they exchanged a look and Paul nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak at the moment. He had accepted the fact that he would probably never see her again and now she was here. At the moment, that was all that mattered.

*****

“Yes, I’m happy to see you too,” Monica whispered as she stroked Scout’s neck and braced herself against the horse’s enthusiastic greeting.  She dug in her pocket for an apple and smiled at the satisfying crunching noise Scout made as he ate it.  “I think he really remembers me, Andrew,” she said as she heard the heavy barn door slide open.

“I’m certain he does.  You’re pretty hard to forget.”

Monica spun around and dropped the last bits of apple onto the floor.  “Paul.”

 His name on her lips was one of the most perfect sounds the agent had heard in a year.  He walked down the aisle to her in three long strides and didn’t hesitate before wrapping her up in a warm hug.

“I hope this is still allowed,” he said in a voice that was half-joking and half choked with emotion, “because it’s the only way I can prove to myself that you’re really here.”

“Oh, it’s allowed, Paul… and I feel the same way,” she murmured as she hugged him back with all her might.

They finally parted but before they stepped back from each other Monica reached up a hand and gently touched Paul’s strong jaw.  “I’ve missed you a lot… and now here I am and you look just the way you looked when we said goodbye.”

Paul chuckled as he took her hand in his.  “Well, you know, all that clean living keeps a man looking young.  I could say the same for you, but I don’t suppose you’ll ever change, will you?”

“Not much,” she said as she shook her head, “at least not on the outside.”

The agent seemed to take that as his cue to lift his hand to her face, and he gazed straight into her dark, caring eyes.  “You’ll never really change on the inside either,” he assured her.  “You’ll always have the same loving, giving heart and soul,” he continued.  He knew that one of her fears had been that she would never be the same as she had been before her first assignment with him, but looking into her eyes he knew that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Monica smiled tearfully and then threw her arms around him again.  “I think Andrew has been sneaking around behind my back and giving you lessons in exactly what to say to me.”

“Nope… I’m just speaking the truth.  That’s something another angel taught me.”

She laughed softly and then released him, but just to arms’ length, keeping a firm grip on his hand.  “I’ve thought about you a lot since we said goodbye,” she said as they walked out of the barn.  “I was always wondering how you were doing, and if you were all right…”

“And whether I was still trusting in God?” Paul finished the question that she had left hanging, and watched as she nodded her head.  “Yes I am.  Sometimes it’s been the only thing to keep me going through all the changes.  That’s when I wonder how I ever got along before…”

“I’m so glad to hear that,” Monica said as she squeezed his hand.

“I wondered about you a lot too.  That protective streak I have is pretty tough to shake.  I mean, I knew that you had God and Andrew but I couldn’t help but think that having a highly trained federal agent around couldn’t hurt.”  Monica laughed and he went on; “and then of course it took about a month before I stopped expecting to see you just pop up in the middle of one of my cases.”

“You know, I often wished that we would!”

“So how were your assignments?” he asked as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.  She definitely seemed much more at peace than the last time he’d seen her, but there was still a hint of sadness in her face, along with a strength he hadn’t remembered.

“They’ve gone very well,” she replied, her gaze wavering slightly as she thought of Faith.  “Some have been tougher than others, but in the end they all left me in awe at the Father’s ability to bring peace and perfection into the most imperfect situation.”

“Perfection, eh?  Sounds like a goo deal.”

Monica gave a little laugh.  “Oh, not your kind of perfection… God’s perfection is all about taking the imperfect and seeing it with new eyes and bringing things together instead of apart.  Even the imperfect is perfect in His sight.”

Paul nodded silently as he thought about that. His mind went immediately to Alex.  It seemed like he’d been seeing a lot of imperfections and impossibilities lately, and the call from Jason had only added to the list.  Maybe it was time to start looking with a different pair of eyes.  He gave an imperceptible sigh.  Seeing the angels now was such a blessing.  Even the darkest past couldn’t compete with their light, and he was determined that he would carry that light into the future.  He would be able to face anything as long as he had God beside him.