Kate's Christmas Read online

  Kate’s Christmas

  Kate’s Case Files, Book 5

  By Sarah Holman

  Kate’s Christmas

  Book five in the Kate’s Case Files Series

  Copyright © 2019 Sarah Holman

  www.thedestinyofone.com

  Cover Design by Perry Elisabeth

  www.perryelisabethdesign.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the permission of the publisher and the copyright holder.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual places, events, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental or used fictitiously.

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Before You Begin

  I’ll Be Home For...

  Spat

  Toby

  Eighteen Again

  Movie Night

  The Rules

  Phone and Prayers

  What Will It Take?

  Kevin

  An Update

  Knocking Down Pins

  She’s a Warrior

  Alone in a Crowd

  The Sport

  Kate’s Past

  The Picture

  A Torn Hem

  What It Will Take

  Extravagant Gift

  Darkness

  The Prayer

  All Wrapped Up

  Snow

  Acting Weird

  Christmas Cabin

  Merry Christmas

  Is It Supposed to Hurt?

  And a Happy New Year

  A Note from the Author

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other books and stories by Sarah Holman

  Dedication

  To Jessica Greyson

  Your faith inspires me

  Your friendship is a blessing

  Your adventurous spirit pulls me in

  You are truly a woman worth far above rubies.

  Before You Begin

  I had the privilege of writing these stories about this fictional FBI team, and in each one, as I do research, I learn new things. Honestly, I know there is no way I can represent them 100 percent perfectly. However, I hope you enjoy this fictional story. If you would like to learn more about the FBI, you can visit www.fbi.gov.

  Franklin, Tennessee, the Dickens of a Christmas festival, and some of the other locations are real. You can learn about them by visiting www.visitfranklin.com.

  I’ll Be Home For...

  Saturday, November 28 7:00 PM

  Evening light filtered through windows. Kate stood with her arms crossed and watched the tourists leaving the San Antonio Museum of Art. Christmas garlands and wreaths hung from railings and on the sides of buildings. Strings of lights, though not lit, could be seen everywhere.

  She swallowed and glanced toward the hallway that led back to the bedrooms. Kim was still back there, her evening prayer time running longer than usual. How anyone could focus on their Bible and prayer for over two hours was beyond Kate’s understanding. Maybe, someday, she would. Truth was, she hungered for some of what Kim had.

  She shook herself. Such musings would have to wait for another time. She was going to see if Kim would answer a knock on her door. Logan would be back from her afternoon with Kevin in less than an hour. She wanted this conversation to be between her and Kim.

  She moved toward the hallway and then tapped lightly on Kim’s door.

  “Come in.”

  Kate slowly opened the door. Kim sat cross-legged on the floor—her worn Bible opened to the Psalms.

  “Do you have a minute?” Kate swallowed. She fought against the walls she had built and the pride that had prevented her from having conversations like this with others. While the last few months had torn down many of the walls, this still wasn’t easy.

  “I wouldn’t have said you could come in if I didn’t have time.”

  Kate slid to the floor and copied Kim’s pose. She took a deep breath and let her gaze rove the room. This shouldn’t be that hard, but it was. She forced herself to meet Kim’s eyes, hoping she would ask her a question that would start her to talking. Kim stared back at her and waited.

  Kate dropped her gaze to the carpet. It needed to be cleaned. Maybe she could clean the carpets later this week. After all, the holidays were upon them. Her stomach twisted and she lifted her eyes back to Kim’s.

  “I want to go home for Christmas.” Her pulse quickened.

  Kim didn’t blink. “Okay.”

  Of course, that wasn’t enough information for Kim to understand what was going on, but words were so hard. Patrick and Brian had both somehow managed to get her to spill her heart at one time or another. Kim could be intimidating. But she couldn’t go to Patrick with this, could she? No, he had already defended her enough times. Besides, she wanted to work on her friendships with the girls. She wanted Kim to help her this time.

  “I already asked Thomas and he said it was too dangerous. They have intelligence that Ingrid is in the States again.”

  Kim nodded but offered no advice or encouragement. She listened in her Kim way.

  “I need your help. I want to go see my parents this year. Last Christmas, I saw them for an hour at a restaurant. As far as they know, I’m still in Europe studying because that’s the cover story. But I want to see them. Our last case made me realize I’ve held a lot against them. I’ve been working on forgiving them, but I want to see them again. I want to look them in the eyes and tell them I love them and…”

  Kate hugged her knees to her chest. She felt as if she were choking on her words. She couldn’t go on. She didn’t feel she could convey how important this was to her. The last time she had seen her parents, she had lied to them about where she was going. She knew that the lie was to keep them safe, but it felt horrible. She had also been angry with them. She had blamed her father for forcing her into the life she had; she had been angry with her mother for allowing it to happen. Her heart had changed toward them. She needed to be in the same room with them and ask their forgiveness. She needed to tell them what was on her heart.

  “If Thomas said it was too great a risk, then you should probably listen to him,” Kim finally said.

  Kate pressed her lips into a hard line, her heart rate went up, and she felt like hitting something. She lifted her eyes to meet Kim’s gaze. “Do you always go along with Thomas?” Her voice was a pitch above normal.

  Kim’s gaze shifted to the floor and she picked at the carpet. “I can see you’re upset, Kathrine. However, he is our boss.”

  “As you are fond of reminding us.” Kate stood, folding her hands behind her back.

  Kim sighed and stood as well. “You may be upset, but the rest of you often forget that he does have authority over us.”

  Kate took a deep breath to alleviate the pressure building inside. “Yes, we forget, and you are always right there to correct us if we will listen. Maybe you’ve forgotten that he’s our boss at work, but he doesn’t control our lives.”

  “He does have some say in yours due to your new identity. Thomas is ensuring everyone’s safety.” Kim folded her arms across her chest. “Besides, not all of us get resolution with our families.”

  “I’m not talking about going back to my old life, I just want to visit. I need to see them. Don’t you ever disagree with Thomas?”

  “That isn’t my place.”

  Kate threw up her hands and moved toward the door. “Why not? You correct the rest of us, either silently or verbally,
when we step over a line. Why is it your place to correct us but never question him?”

  Kim breathed hard and continued to meet her gaze. Kate was about to leave the room when she finally spoke.

  “Respect for authority is something that we sadly lack in Christianity these days, Kathrine. If you’ll remember, I rarely say anything to you or anyone else without first being asked. But unless there is a need for me to stand up for my faith, I have no need to question Thomas. It wouldn’t be right.”

  Kate prayed. She then spoke with more calmness than she felt. “Kim, I’m not asking you to go against Thomas. I was asking you as a friend, and as someone who knows the FBI better than I, to help me look at alternatives. I think that you have confused honoring those in authority with something it was never meant to be. I know Patrick, I, and Logan are far too quick to argue with and make fun of Thomas, but I think you’re too quick to do his bidding. Can’t you honor someone and still question them?”

  Kim said nothing nor did she look away.

  With a huff, Kate left the room and forced herself not to slam the door. She picked up her phone and tapped out a message to someone she was sure would help.

  Spat

  Sunday, November 29 1:00PM

  Patrick smiled to himself. He couldn’t help it. He had been smiling since he got the text from Kate. She had asked for his help. The case in Oregon had brought them closer together, but he hadn’t been sure if it would last. If he had learned anything about Kate in the year that he had known her, it was that she wasn’t predictable. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around wishing he had something to do.

  The air was cool, making him grateful for his denim jacket. He watched a couple go by, their arms around each other, enjoying a Sunday afternoon stroll through the paths near the Old Pearl Brewery. The brewery had long ago been converted into shops and restaurants, right near the River Walk.

  Patrick pulled his hands out of his pockets and sat on one of the stones that served as benches. Kate had told him to meet her here at one. He had agreed, but he had been so eager that he had left his apartment early. All he had to do was wait and watch people. That couple walking arm in arm did look sweet.

  Something felt odd. He turned and glanced around. He didn’t see anything. He lifted his gaze to the bridge that spanned the river. Kate leaned against the railing, staring down at him.

  He smiled and shook his head. He waved. She smiled and waved back but made no move to join him. He hesitated only a moment before moving toward her. He passed the couple and hurried toward the stairs. He took the steps up to the pedestrian bridge two at a time and found that Kate was still leaning over the side, staring at the water.

  “Hey,” he said, joining her in her stance.

  “Hey,” she said back, her attention not leaving the water. “Thanks for meeting me.”

  “Of course. We’re friends, after all.”

  She turned toward him and nodded. “Yes.” She started walking down the bridge.

  He followed, falling into step beside her. “So, what’s going on?”

  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze firmly on her shoes. “I…I want to go see my family for Christmas. Thomas says it is too big of a risk. Apparently, there is new intelligence that says Ingrid is in the country and could use my parents to find me. But I…” Something must have been on the path because she tripped.

  Patrick reached out to steady her, and she took hold of his arm for a brief moment before she righted herself.

  “I’m so clumsy!” Her tone was full of irritation.

  Patrick laughed.

  She glared at him.

  He sobered. “I’m sorry, it was just the timing of it and…you made it sound as if…” He swallowed when she continued to glare.

  “It’s only that you made it sound as if your clumsiness was the reason you couldn’t see your family.”

  She looked away.

  Patrick closed his eyes and reined in his frustration. Why was she upset?

  “This isn’t funny.” She turned toward him, a wounded look in her eye.

  “I wasn’t trying to say it was. It was the timing. I’m sorry I laughed.”

  “No one understands. Not Thomas, not Logan, not Kim. I thought that you might.” She walked rapidly away. He took two long strides forward and caught her arm, which she jerked away.

  “I said I was sorry. I don’t even know what’s going on.”

  “What is going on? What do you care? You, Kim, Brian, and Logan have everything worked out in your life. You can’t understand.”

  His jaw tightened and he spoke through clenched teeth. “I thought that after our time in Charleston, it had been firmly established in your mind that we all have gone through some hard things. We all understand what it is like to have pain.”

  “But even Thomas talks to his parents!”

  He glanced over at the couple that was hurrying by and felt warmth creeping up his neck. “You don’t have to shout.”

  Her jaw flexed and her eyes bored into him. “So now I’m an embarrassment to you?”

  He swallowed. How had she known he was embarrassed? Oh, he had glanced at the passing couple. He closed his eyes and prayed for the right words and chided himself. He was an agent for crying out loud! He should be able to keep his emotions under control. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath. “I didn’t come here to start an argument, laugh at you, or make you upset.”

  Kate shook her head and started walking again.

  Not knowing what else to do, Patrick fell into step beside her. They descended the steps of the bridge and passed some workers planting flowers.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Patrick stopped, surprised by her words. “That’s okay.”

  She wouldn’t meet his gaze. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get this friendship thing down.” She kicked at some leaves on the pathway.

  Patrick couldn’t help his grin and he leaned toward her. “Bad news, none of us ever have it completely figured out. We all muddle through, praying for wisdom every step of the way.”

  She was smiling even before she met his gaze. “What? Something Saint Patty doesn’t have together?”

  “Don’t let Brian know. He thinks he has me well trained.”

  Kate folded her hands behind her back and resumed walking.

  “Now, could you start again?”

  Her gaze fell once again to the ground. “You know how we talked about forgiving our parents?”

  “Yes.”

  “I got it. I know that my father did some stuff wrong, but it isn’t right that I haven’t forgiven him for those things. I’ve also been wrong to hold him responsible for my choices. I need to make things right. I need to go back home for Christmas.”

  “And Thomas is against it?”

  She nodded and looked up at the trees.

  Patrick lifted his gaze as well. The strings of lights that had been hung in the downtown area for the holiday season weren’t down at this part of the River Walk, but there were occasional ribbons and other decorations that had been put up to give this part of the River Walk a festive feel.

  “I went to Kim. I thought she might have an idea, but she said she thought Thomas was right. I was hoping that you would help me figure out a way to change Thomas’s mind.”

  “I’m not sure going around him would be a good idea.”

  She turned toward him. Longing and vulnerability he hadn’t seen in her in a while shone in her eyes. It was hard to not look away.

  “Please, Patrick. I need to do this. I need to look my father in the eyes and say that I’m sorry. I’ve said and done some hurtful things. I need to ask my mother to forgive me for the distance that I put between us because she didn’t stop him. I need to go home so that I can make this right and finally let go. I know it won’t fix everything. I know there are some things I will need to forgive, even if my parents aren’t sorry. I just need the closure.”

  “So, you understand that this might not go
perfectly? They may not understand why you are apologizing and might be upset at some of the inferences.”

  She kept her gaze locked with his. “Yeah, I know. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from all of you, it’s to do what is right, even when it isn’t easy.”

  Patrick swallowed and finally allowed his gaze to drop. “If you go home you could be putting them at risk. Ingrid is still out there. The threat against your life is real. The holidays are when she would expect you to go home.”

  Her shoulders drooped and she wrapped her arms around herself. “You’re saying there’s nothing we can do?”

  If only she knew that, at that moment, he would have done anything to erase the pain and despair from her face. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder for one moment. When she lifted eyes moister than normal, he let his hand drop. “I’ll see what I can do.” If it meant moving a mountain, he would try to relocate it for her.

  Toby

  Monday, November 30 9:00AM

  “It’s going to be a great day,” Brian said, tossing a golden ball to Logan as he walked into the office.

  “That it is,” Logan responded, tossing the ball into the air, her long red hair bouncing with her.

  Kate smiled. The morning ritual was as soothing as the mug of tea she was sipping. She peered over at Patrick, busy at his paperwork. He glanced up and winked at her. For some odd reason, it made her feel giddy.

  “I seriously doubt this is going to be a great day,” Thomas said, stepping into the room, a man with him.

  “Well excuse me, Mr. Thomas Raincloud,” Brian said with a wide grin. “Here, you try tossing a ball, it will make you feel better.” He tossed one of Logan’s balls.

  Thomas caught it with ease. “That’s Mr. President to you.” He tossed it back, but not before a little smile peeked out.

  Kate glanced at the young man beside Thomas. He had dark hair that was cropped short. He wore rimless glasses and his hands were shoved deep into his pockets. His gaze kept roving. Kate couldn’t decide if it was from nervousness or paranoia.