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wishing he could hug them tighter but careful to be gentle. “God did, buddy.” The words barely escaped his swollen throat. “And He used our neighbor to help.”
    James twisted to look over his shoulder at the woman in question. She stood with a hand cupped over her mouth, her head bent. She’d always been attractive, but at the moment, she looked a thousand times more beautiful than he’d ever noticed.
    He fought back the habitual onslaught of questions and theories flooding his mind whenever a problem arose. It made him an asset to his company, but as a parent he didn’t want to face what his analytical mind shouted: this was too bizarre to be random.
    The events of the last week shifted together in his memory, a puzzle begging to be solved. The blood in his veins ran cold. Bottom line: it had to be his fault, and he had no guarantee they wouldn’t try again.

TWO
    R achel fought off a relieved sob as she watched James reunite with his sons. His broad shoulders provided enough room to embrace both children at once. He stood as he held them to his chest, their little feet dangling. Both pairs of little arms wrapped around his neck.
    She turned to the side, not wanting to intrude on their moment. She’d gotten to know James and the boys as they car-pooled to church together every Sunday and Wednesday...at least until a few days ago when he’d left without her.
    Last Sunday, she had walked to the sidewalk at the appointed time and found his car already halfway down the street. She wouldn’t have minded driving on her own to church, but the lack of communication infuriated her. She’d half hoped he would explain, but on Wednesday he’d gone without her, as well. She’d meant to talk to James about it the past few days, but the awkwardness of the situation didn’t inspire her to make the first move. And now certainly wasn’t the time.
    Other sirens approached, but they had a different rhythm to them. Her suspicions were confirmed as an ambulance pulled to a stop on the main road. She didn’t envy the commuters the traffic jam it created, but his boys were alive. That was all that mattered.
    A policeman stepped in front of her. “Ma’am? Were you the one that called in? I need to ask you some questions.”
    Something flew into the back of her legs. Her knees almost buckled. She looked down to find two three-year-old boys firmly attached to her legs. The officer smiled. “I’ll give you a minute,” he said.
    â€œDaddy said you saved us.” Ethan held on to her right leg.
    Caleb squeezed her left knee. “We’re supposed to say thank you.”
    â€œI didn’t say you should tackle her, though.”
    Rachel twisted her torso to find James McGuire, tears in his eyes, flash a sheepish grin at her. “I—I can’t thank you enough,” he said.
    He reached above the boys and pulled her into an awkward hug. His arms squeezed her tight around her shoulders for half a second, as if he was about to lift her up instead of embrace her. Despite it being a clumsy hug, her cheeks heated. His abrupt release threatened her balance, but the boys’ weight around her feet helped steady her. She averted her eyes. She didn’t want him to see how his hug affected her.
    James cleared his throat and bent down. “Boys, let Rachel move.” The twins took the cue and jumped into his arms again. They had blond hair, from what she assumed was their mother’s side, but their blue, sparkling eyes and dark eyelashes were an exact duplicate of their father’s.
    A movement in the distance caught her eye. A man crouched between two trees on the opposite side of the street. The kidnapper returned to the scene to spy on them? A coldness that made no sense in a California suburb chilled her skin. “He’s there,” she shouted, raising a finger up. She trained her eyes and finger on him, but it seemed he didn’t