Healing Waters by Nancy Rue & Stephen Arterburn

Author:Nancy Rue & Stephen Arterburn [Rue, Nancy & Arterburn, Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Inspirational, ebook, book
ISBN: 9781595544315
Google: uXU2_PWQjecC
Amazon: 1595544313
Barnesnoble: 1595544313
Goodreads: 3421773
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2008-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

I had just about decided life didn’t get any better than an afternoon with James-Lawson and Bethany. Fresh–squeezed lemonade, James-Lawson’s small feet hanging off the dock next to mine, Bethany’s tucked up under her like a shy kitten’s—and a concerto of squeals and giggles as they watched a line of turtles sun themselves on a log and take turns sliding in and out of the water. I was as close to happy as I’d been in forever.

Until a nondescript sedan pulled into the driveway, and a squarish woman emerged from the driver’s seat, in a turquoise pantsuit this time.

Bethany pointed as Special Agent Deidre Schmacker opened the car’s back door and reached in.

“Is that a stranger?” she said.

Well, she’s strange, I wanted to say. But I shook my head. “No, I know her. We can talk to her.”

As if I had a choice. But I did have a choice for Bethany.

“You two can play in the gazebo while I talk to her,” I said. “It’s going to be boring.”

“Oh.” James-Lawson nodded sagely. “Big people stuff.”

“Definitely,” I said.

I put out both hands for them each to take one and started for the gazebo. Agent Schmacker came toward us, carrying something in her arms. Something that moved.

“Hey, Miss Lucia,” James-Lawson said. “She gots a dog.”

She did indeed. A pug, to be exact, who I could hear sniffing and snorting from its almost nonexistent nose even from yards away. Just when I’d been sure she couldn’t have been any less like any FBI agent I’d ever met.

Dropping the kids off at the gazebo wasn’t an option at that point. Bethany matched the irrepressible James-Lawson on the enthusiasm scale.

“I see that you’re being well taken care of, Mrs. Coffey,” Agent Schmacker said when she reached us, a squirming canine in her arms.

James-Lawson took his eyes off the dog long enough to inform her that I was taking care of them.

“Sonia is in physical therapy right now,” I said.

“That’s all right. I actually came to talk to you, and perhaps Bethany.”

I could feel my eyes going cold.

She leaned over. “Do you like dogs, Bethany?”

Bethany bobbed her head.

James-Lawson stuck out his hand. “I do, too, and my name is James-Lawson and it’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too, both of you. This is J. Edgar.”

In spite of my rising annoyance, I had to choke back a laugh.

“Would you like to pet him?” she said.

James-Lawson pulled back his hand. “Does he bite?”

“Oh no. And he loves kids. He’s just waiting for you to say something to him.”

Bethany put her hands on her chubby knees. “Hi, doggy,” she said.

The pug leapt out of his “mother’s” arms and into Bethany’s. He licked and snorted until I thought she’d giggle herself to death. I felt a smile sneak across my face.

Agent Schmacker clasped her hands behind her and looked on as if she were Bethany’s grandmother, there to enjoy the moment.

“Can I hold him next?” James-Lawson said.

Bethany handed J. Edgar right over and dug into her pocket, producing half a Pop-Tart.

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