Love Inspired Suspense April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Laura Scott (free e reader .TXT) 📕

“Thank You, Lord.” The words came naturally, a sweet confirmation that he had indeed regained his belief in the Lord and His love.

“Daddy, who are you talking to?” Jonah asked.

Somehow Jonah and Ralph had come inside without Liam being aware of it. He shook himself out of his musings and smiled at his son. “I was thanking the Lord for being part of our lives.”

Jonah considered. “That’s good. I like going to church.”

That was another change they’d recently made. Father and son had started attending church. One Sunday, Paige had joined them. It had been good, sitting in the reverent service with her on one side and Jonah on the other.

“I think Ralph is hungry.”

Ralph, it appeared, was always hungry.

“I’m hungry, too,” Jonah added.

“Okay, let’s get you boys something to eat. But first,” Liam added with a rueful look at Jonah’s hands and Ralph’s feet, “the two of you need to get cleaned up.

“You wash your hands, and I’ll take care of Ralph.”

With a great deal of giggling on Jonah’s part and resistance on Ralph’s, the two boys were cleaned up and ready for a snack. Jonah had some cookies, courtesy of a care package from his grandma, while Ralph was given kibble.

“Can Ralph have a cookie?” Jonah asked. “He told me that he liked chocolate chip cookies.”

Liam raised a brow. “He did, did he?”

Jonah nodded solemnly.

“Chocolate’s not good for dogs,” Liam said, equally solemnly. “Let’s stick with kibble. We don’t want to make Ralph sick, do we?”

Jonah gave a vigorous shake of his head. “No! I’m sorry, Ralph,” he said to the puppy, who looked first at the son and then the father, “but you can’t have cookies.”

Ralph favored them with what could only be described as a reproach, then returned to eating his puppy chow.

“I can’t wait to show Ralph to Grandma and Grandpa,” Jonah said between bites. “Do you think they’ll like him?”

Liam smiled. “I’m sure your grandparents will love Ralph.” Because they loved Jonah.

“Can Ralph sleep with me tonight?”

That had been a sticking point. Liam had wanted to kennel-train Ralph, who had mourned woefully at being separated from Jonah.

“What if we compromise and Ralph sleeps in his kennel in your bedroom?”

Jonah thought about it. “Can we put the kennel on my bed?”

Liam didn’t have the heart to refuse. “The kennel can go on your bed. You realize, don’t you, that as Ralph gets bigger, his kennel will also get bigger?”

Another period of thought on Jonah’s part followed. “I guess I’ll need a bigger bed.”

His son’s unassailable logic had Liam chuckling to himself. “I guess you will.” How could he argue when both boy and dog looked at him with beseeching expressions?

“There’s enough time for you and Ralph to play outside again before we get dinner started,” Liam said.

“Okay.” With a swipe of his mouth to brush away cookie crumbs and a whoop of joy, Jonah took off, Ralph at his heels. The ensuing racket reached outside, and Liam could only imagine the calls from irate neighbors he was bound to receive. Obedience school for Ralph was next on the list.

When the doorbell rang, Liam went to answer it, wondering if it was a complaining neighbor already.

It wasn’t a neighbor.

Paige stood on his front porch, her face as bright and cheerful as the armful of yellow tulips she held.

She handed the flowers to him. “I thought your house needed some flowers,” she said.

She was right. The house, his home, needed color and the scent of fresh flowers. It needed her. Just as he did.

“Thank you.” He carried the flowers to the kitchen and put them in the only thing he could find—a water pitcher. As much as he’d tried to make the house a home, it didn’t run to such things as vases.

“Perfect,” she said and came to stand beside him.

He took her hand in his and brought her to the sofa. “We need to talk.”

Her gaze questioning, she nodded.

Liam struggled for what to say. He settled on telling her about adding a new member to the family. “Jonah has been wanting a dog forever. After...everything, it seemed the right time.”

He filled the time talking about the puppy’s antics. “Yesterday he got his head caught in the banister railing. I almost had to take it apart to free him.”

She smiled. “He must have been annoyed.”

“I was the one who was annoyed,” he said with mock gruffness.

“Liam, is Ralph getting his head caught in a banister really what you wanted to talk to me about?” she asked with gentle humor.

“Uh...no. I was trying to set the atmosphere.”

“You were trying to set the atmosphere to talk about Ralph?” A teasing note crept into her words.

“No,” he said more firmly and was reminded of all the reasons he loved her. More important than her beauty and intelligence, she had so much humor and compassion and total lack of selfishness that she took his breath away. Even with all the losses she’d endured in life, she was filled with hope and faith and had dedicated her life to helping others, to seeking justice.

“I was trying to set the atmosphere to tell you that I love you and want you in my life. I want to make a home with Jonah, Ralph and you. That wasn’t how I planned on saying it.” He huffed out an annoyed-at-himself breath. “I love you, Paige.”

“I love you, too.”

“One thing. I’m turning my company over to the vice president to manage. I’ve been offered a job with the US Marshals. I’ve decided to take it.”

“Oh?”

If ever a single syllable held caution, it was this.

He chose his next words with care. “I was hoping you’d be happy for me.” He added a smile, hoping he’d get one in return.

She freed her hands from his. “Is that what you want? To join the marshals?”

His buoyant mood of only moments ago took a puncture wound. He prayed it wasn’t fatal.

“Being with you, working on the case, reminded me of how much I liked