Thoughts of the attacks in the street and just outside this very house made her shiver. No place was totally safe, not even a house with cameras and high fences and armed guards, although all of them added to her sense of security. Knowing that the K-9 team and officers from her very own PD were on the job was all she could ask.

  Looking absently around the guest room, she noticed few feminine touches. Blinds covered the windows; the bed was unadorned and there was a single throw rug at its foot. Colors were muted and earthy. Totally masculine. That figured since Daniel had said the house had been his father’s and he’d lived here alone until Catherine had moved in to look after Joy. That must have been a tough adjustment for a confirmed bachelor to make, she mused.

  Beginning to give thanks that Daniel was coping with upheavals in his life, she thought of her own. “Thank you, Father, for looking after this little girl and her sick mother,” Aurora whispered. “And thank you for protecting me, tonight and always.” Left unsaid was the notion that she should also ask for forgiveness toward her own dad. She didn’t. She couldn’t. Not now. Not yet.

  Truth be told, in spite of her faith, she truly didn’t want to forgive him for dishonoring the memory of her dear mother and to ask for it might mean God would grant it. That was one answer to prayer she definitely did not want.

  The house was silent. A soft glow from the light in the child’s room shone in the hallway and for that Aurora was thankful. Not that she feared the dark, she insisted to herself. It was just nice that it wasn’t pitch-black.

  She turned down the bed, traded her street clothes for a warm sweatshirt and slid beneath the covers, pulling them up to her neck. She breathed deeply, slowly, trying to unwind. She prayed. She sighed. She gave herself a lecture about letting go of daily cares. And she stared at the ceiling.

  Forcing her eyes to close by sheer willpower, she lay there and waited for elusive sleep. Time inched by. An owl hooted outside her window.

  She was just drifting off when she thought she heard something odd. Her eyes popped open. Warmth on her cheek? Her head snapped around. Enormous teeth filled her field of vision.

  Almost crying out, she took a shaky breath before she realized the sensation was dog breath and the canines belonged to the Great Dane.

  Levering herself up, she leaned away from the broad dark muzzle and blinked to clear her thoughts. “Dakota?”

  The K-9 gave ground.

  Aurora swung her legs over the side of the bed. “What is it, girl? What do you want?”

  The ropy tail began to fan the air as the huge dog circled, each turn taking her closer to the open door.

  Standing, Aurora felt pulled by the dog’s actions, as if she were giving her marching orders, so she followed, padding silently into the hallway on bare feet.

  They went straight to Joy’s room. The little girl was sitting up in bed, weeping quietly.

  Aurora’s heart melted. She approached, careful to let the dog lead so she didn’t think the human was attacking. “Oh, honey, what’s wrong?”

  Joy took a shaky, shuddering breath and reached for her with both arms. “I want my mama.”

  FIVE

  Time passed without notice as Daniel went over files about the Jones/Murray gang and their prior operations. Caches of weapons had been found buried in or near several national parks in the Dakotas. What he was looking for was a pattern. Things regarding the gun trafficking had seemed to go smoothly until Hal Murray had been killed. Now, ostensibly under the direction of his brother, Brandon, the gang actions were more random and left law enforcement guessing half the time.

  They had eliminated illegal action at the pizzeria thanks to the two dead thugs who had been actively smuggling cases of guns back in the spring, had conducted a sting operation at a vineyard in South Dakota and recovered another cache of weapons, and had taken down Hal Jones/Murray who’d been the gang’s mastermind. That was progress but this was November. His task force had been assigned to completely eliminate the gun trafficking ring and still had plenty of work to do.

  While he had Joy and Serena to worry about, Daniel added with a shake of his head. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. Almost every member of his team had personal problems to distract them. But that was just life, wasn’t it? Nobody escaped worldly troubles no matter how secluded or perfect a life they tried to lead. Add a law enforcement career to that and you had a guaranteed headache. Period.

  He pushed away from the console, paused to check the monitors showing the exterior grounds, then nodded, pleased. Jack Donadio and Beau were on the job at the rear of the house and a Plains City police car was parked in the street, purposely visible. The only thing better would be that imaginary moat Aurora had teased him about.

  Leaving the lower level, he silently climbed the stairs.

  Light shone dimly from Joy’s bedroom, as always, making it easy to check on her in passing or if she awoke in the night. They had come to the conclusion that she sometimes had disturbing dreams because she’d been known to begin crying and call for him or his grandmother for no apparent reason.

  An otherwise silent house accentuated every little sound so Daniel lightened his footsteps. Dakota would hear him coming, of course. That was a given. He simply didn’t want to awaken the toddler or either of the sleeping women.

  A soft feminine tone of voice reached his ears and he stopped. Catherine? No. It didn’t sound like her. And since the person was speaking in sentences, that ruled out little Joy, although her grasp of language improved daily.

  Daniel eased closer, stopping beside Joy’s doorway so he could listen without being seen. Aurora was apparently reading a story. Or was she?

  “That’s right,” the gentle voice said. “The princess was named Joy, just like you, and she was very happy to live in the pretty castle where she had her own room just like this one and everybody loved her very much.”

  His heart clenched. Aurora was making up a fairy tale and using his niece’s name for the heroine. It was genius. And it touched him deeply.

  “Where’s my horsey?” the child asked, sounding enrapt.

  “Ah, yes, you need a pony,” Aurora said. “Let me see. I know. The pony is pretending to be a big lovable tan dog with brown eyes and black on her face around her nose and ears.”

  “Doh-dah!”

  “Yes, Dakota. Can you say, Dah?”

  “Da.”

  “Co?”

  “Co.”

  “Tah?”

  “Dah,” Joy said, clapping her chubby hands. “Doh-dah.”

  Daniel heard Aurora laugh lightly. “That’s right. Our sweet friend, Dakota.”

  “I ride Doh-dah.”

  “I heard. You need to be sure it’s okay with Uncle Daniel before you do that though. You don’t want to hurt her. You love her, right?”

  “Uh-huh. Lub her.”

  “And you love Uncle Daniel and Grandma Catherine too.”

  “Nana has cookies.”

  “That’s wonderful. Princesses like Joy love cookies, don’t they?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Daniel silently took a step into the doorway and watched. Joy was cuddled up next to Aurora with a blanket wrapped around them both. Soft rays from the night-light illuminated the woman’s long blond hair from behind, making it glow as if an aura surrounded her and the child. He didn’t think he’d ever seen a sight so beautiful, so ethereal.

  Aurora’s long lashes lifted and she made eye contact with him before continuing. “Princess Joy has lots of people who love her. She’s a very blessed little girl.”

  Joy raised her face to Aurora’s. “What’s best?”

  “Blessed? Well, blessed is like when good things happen to us and we thank Jesus for them because we know He loves us too and wants us to be happy.”

  “Mama loves Jesus,” Joy said sobering. “Mama’s sick.”

  “Yes, I know, honey. That’s sad. I’m sorry.”

  Daniel fought the moisture pooling in his eyes, yet couldn’t make himself look away. He and Catherine had tried to explain Serena’s illness to Joy but up until now they hadn’t been sure she’d understood any of it.

  “Will Jesus make her better?”

  That was the longest sentence Daniel had ever heard the child construct and he was awed. All his prayers for Serena had apparently fallen on deaf ears.

  “Sometimes that happens,” Aurora said, visibly pulling the child closer, “and sometimes our mamas go home to Heaven to be with Jesus. That’s what my mama did.”

  “Awww.” Joy leaned against Aurora and patted her arm.

  “It’s okay,” she assured the toddler. “My mama loved Jesus too. I know she’s happy being with Him in Heaven.”

  “My mama too?” The question was so faint Daniel could barely hear it and it broke his heart for his innocent niece.

  “I think maybe,” Aurora said, once again meeting his gaze. “That means she won’t be sick or hurt anymore.”

  “Okay,” Joy said, brightening. “Tell me a story again.”

  And just like that the life lesson was over. Joy had accepted reality in a simple way adults found impossible. Part of him was glad that Aurora had presented the facts of her faith with such gentle tact while another part of him was jealous that he and others had failed to succeed.

  So it often was with God’s divine plans, he concluded. His prayers for the right words to comfort the child had been answered in a way beyond his imaginings. Where he had wanted to impart understanding, the Lord had sent someone else instead. Someone with an open heart who had the right words at the right time. There was no way he could fault the result since it directly accomplished the goal he’d prayed for.

  With Joy’s concentration on Aurora, he took the chance she wouldn’t notice when he signaled that he was going to go on to his room and sleep. Dakota watched, of course, so he also held out a flat palm to instruct the dog to stay where she was.

  Aurora nodded, sniffling, then looked away. He was in no better shape. The moment he turned to go and knew his face was hidden, tears crested his lower lashes and began to run down his beard-stubbled cheeks.

  He’d been raised by his late father to believe real men never wept. Perhaps men with hard hearts who led unfaithful lives like his father’s didn’t. Denying his daughter, Serena, was a prime example of his father’s closed heart and mind.

  Daniel swiped at his face, filled with disgust for his dad yet awash with emotions of compassion and gratefulness for what he’d just observed. He couldn’t go back in time and correct the mistakes of others but he could do his best to make a good life for Joy and see that Serena had the kindest place in which to spend her final days and hours, however many that might be.

  An unspoken prayer of thanks bloomed in his thoughts. As usual, the Lord had used events that had seemed bad and turned the results to good by causing him to bring that extraordinary young woman into his home to offer solace just when Joy needed her. It shouldn’t have surprised him, yet it did.

  The irony of his reasoning made him snort a wry chuckle. Was he so hardheaded that God had to let somebody shoot at him to make a point? He shook his head derisively. Could be.

  * * *

  Aurora had not intended to remain with Joy but the warm bed, the soft comforter and the snoring dog on the floor next to them had apparently lulled her to sleep.

  She awoke slowly, taking a moment to realize where she was and to ease her arm from around the toddler. Sunlight was peeking in through a gap in the curtains and she thought she could hear activity in a distant part of the house. She inhaled. Coffee?

  Sliding cautiously out of bed, she stood and looked down at the sleeping child. Dakota also stood and stretched, taking up half the space next to the bed before looking to her and walking off, apparently deciding it was time for the humans to take over babysitting.

  Joy stirred. Her butterfly lashes fluttered. When she looked up and saw Aurora, she grinned, then sobered. “I miss my mama.”

  “I know you do, sweetheart.” She held out her hand and the tiny fingers grasped it. “Come on. Let’s get you dressed so you can go see Uncle Daniel and your nana.”

  “Where’s Doh-dah?”

  “Dakota left because it was time for us to get up. Come on. I’ll help you.”

  “Okay.”

  The child’s trust was so complete it almost made Aurora weep again. She had to quit doing that or poor Joy was going to think she was supposed to be sad too. Recalling the explanation she’d given the night before about going to Heaven, Aurora sighed. Those words had come so easily she was still shocked. The times when things like that happened to her were rare, yet strengthened her faith immeasurably. In trying to comfort and bless the innocent little girl, she, herself, had been blessed beyond measure.

  It was almost enough to make a person forget she had potentially been the target of assassins mere hours ago.

  A sense of maternal responsibility rose in Aurora’s heart as she tended to Joy’s morning routine. This little one needed protecting beyond her personal capabilities. Therefore, she must step up and assist Daniel however she could. No wonder he was so cautious, so determined to make up for the failings of others. She got that. If she could have somehow imparted peace to her own father, she would have. But that was another story, wasn’t it?

  One problem at a time, Aurora told herself. She straightened after brushing the child’s fine blond hair and smiled. “There. All done. Ready for breakfast, honey?”

  “Uh-huh.” Joy smoothed the cartoon T-shirt she’d chosen to wear. “I look like a princess, huh.”

  “Yes, you look beautiful.”

  “Yeah.”

  “The polite thing to say would be thank you.”

  “Okay.” She giggled behind her hand. “Tank you.”

  “You’re very welcome, princess. Come on. Let’s go get something to eat. I’m starving.”

  As they left the child’s room together, Joy reached up and clasped one of Aurora’s fingers as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and the show of childish trust was so touching it almost brought her to tears. This innocent little one counted on the adults in her life to keep her safe when their own lives were in turmoil. Her mother was dying and would soon be gone, her uncle was embroiled in a manhunt that had already caused members of his team to be wounded and had created a vendetta against law enforcement. And she—Aurora tensed—even she had been shot at. It was as if the people who cared for Joy were dancing on a knife-edge with no safety net and all she could do was pray and hope.

  She swallowed hard. It was a lot easier to claim that she trusted God fully when things were peaceful, wasn’t it?

  SIX

  Daniel had been relating the latest developments in the gun trafficking case to Jack over coffee in the kitchen. He greeted Aurora and Joy with a smile. “Good morning, ladies.” He gestured. “You know Jack Donadio, don’t you, Aurora?”

  “Yes. I hope you and Beau didn’t get too cold last night.”

  “We kept each other warm,” Jack quipped. He raised his mug. “Coffee?”

  “I’ll get it.” Daniel was already on his feet. “Nana will look after our little friend.”

  “I’m a princess,” Joy said, striking a pose with her hands on her hips.

  That made everyone laugh. Daniel was grinning broadly. “So I heard.” He looked to Aurora. “That was quite a story you were telling her last night.”

  “How much of it did you overhear?”

  “It doesn’t matter. What I did hear was spot on. Very helpful if you know what I mean.”

  “Spiritually?”

  “Yes.” He indicated Catherine where she was offering food to the toddler now perched in a high chair and she nodded. “We both appreciate it.” Aurora was smiling wistfully and Daniel couldn’t help remembering how beautiful she had looked the night before.

  “Join us,” he said, bringing a mug of hot coffee to the table for her. “We were just discussing plans for the day.”

  “Do they include me?” she asked.

  Daniel nodded. “Yes. We’re going to the courthouse to visit your cousin Maddie and see if we can figure out who made Swiss cheese out of her car.”

  “I’m glad you told her. Was she very upset?”

  Because of the way Aurora was gripping the mug in both hands and frowning, he reassured her. “She understands it wasn’t your fault.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  He chuckled. “We thought it would be. There was a guard on her house all night and we’ve added plainclothes officers to the staff at the courthouse, just in case. She’s promised to go over her recent prosecutions and try to come up with names of possible suspects.”

  “She and I do kind of look alike. Do you actually think the shooter mistook me for Maddie?”

  The truth seemed appropriate. “No, I don’t. However, there have also been threats against me and my team. You may have been standing next to the target. Me.”

  Pensive, Aurora stared into her steaming coffee for a moment before agreeing. “I can see that, although the shooter didn’t put holes in your SUV.”

  “They may have known it’s reinforced steel with bulletproof glass.”

  “Or they were a lousy shot. Did your people get any info out of the guy you grabbed last night?”

  “Nope. Not a whisper.”

  Jack piped up. “We do think he’s associated with Brandon Jones/Murray.”

  “Ah. Maybe it wasn’t about me or Maddie. It would be nice to know for sure.”

  “Which is why we’ll meet with her this morning,” Daniel offered. “Grab a bite to eat and get changed while Jack and I do a last sweep of the grounds. We’ll leave in an hour.” Noting her worried glance at the toddler and Catherine, he added, “Jack will stay here while we’re gone and hold down the fort.”

  At this, Aurora cracked a smile. “You mean man the turrets in this castle, don’t you? After all, there is a princess in residence.”

  “Me!” echoed from the high chair and little arms waved with delight.