Page 53 of Guarding Truth
Breathe, Caleb. Let her respond.
“Ivy and I just needed some fresh air.” Ivy trailed Juliette from outside.
“I found her bed empty. Why would you two risk going outside at two a.m.?”
Juliette walked over to him and touched his arm. “I cleared it with the FBI agents, and they said we could sit right by the house on the screened-in patio. I saw them patrolling the whole time.”
Noelle yawned. “If you don’t need me, I’m going to get some rest.” She headed back to the guest room, leaving the three of them alone.
Ivy threw her arms around Caleb. “It’s all my fault. I disabled the alarm and was going to sneak out. I wanted to find a signal and email Layna. I thought I could help. I’m so sorry for being dishonest.”
His niece had been adamant about helping the FBI, but he’d underestimated just how far she would take this. He ran a hand through his bedhead hair.
“I—I just wanted to help. You’re keeping me on lockdown. I just wanted to talk to a friend. I know Layna’s not all bad.”
He took several deep breaths, leaned down and hugged Ivy again. “You can’t go after these hackers alone, Ivy. Layna isn’t even a student at your school. She was pretending, so you can’t trust her.”
“But—” Her shoulders slumped.
“I need to keep you out of danger, and you’re running headfirst into it. Please promise me you’ll be careful.” He tipped her chin up and pleaded with his eyes. She needed to see the truth here. See the danger.
Juliette squinted her eyes and gave an almost imperceptible nod to Caleb. Code forWe’ll talk later.
Caleb kissed the top of Ivy’s head. “Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”
“Why, so I can be bored tomorrow without the internet all day?”
“You’re grounded, remember? So it would have been an internet-free day anyway. We’ll play board games and watch movies like we did when I was a kid.”
Ivy rolled her eyes and headed to the bedroom. A knock at the door startled him, but Juliette let the FBI agent in so he could reset the alarm.
He would never get any rest when it came to Ivy. Caleb handed the Kindle to the agent, who dropped it in an evidence bag. Once the agent reset the alarm, he headed out to patrol the perimeter.
“I have no business being a parent.” He sat on the couch. “I can’t keep her out of trouble. Maybe I should give Ivy’s grandparents custody. They’re nice people and can give her a nice life. A safe life.”
Juliette sat down next to him. “Don’t say that, Caleb. This isn’t your fault. On the positive side, at least she didn’t get a signal to turn the device on.”
Caleb’s heart squeezed at Juliette’s nearness. “She’s twelve, Jules. Sure, she sees herself as some sort of Robin Hood white hacker that wants to use her skills to help people, but she doesn’t think things through. I just want her to be a kid again.”
“I hope Agent McGregor can track down this Layna,” Juliette said. “Ivy thinks the girl is a friend, that she can get Layna to turn on Rushmore.”
Caleb shook his head. “Last time I asked, they didn’t have any new leads on the girl’s real identity. I can’t believe I didn’t realize she’s so desperate for a friend that she can’t see Layna is using her.”
Juliette covered Caleb’s hand with hers. “You’re doing the best you can. Being a parent is new for you.”
“I love her so much.”
Juliette cleared her throat. “You know, Ivy said the exact same thing you’ve said—that she can’t lose you. She’s concerned God will take you like he took her parents.”
Caleb’s throat constricted. He’d had no idea Ivy blamed God for taking her parents. But how could he help her when he battled his own demons of insecurity? “I know how she feels. It’s hard to love after so much loss.” He looked into Juliette’s golden-brown eyes that somehow managed to sparkle in the dim lighting of the living room. Could he risk loving this woman, knowing that she wouldn’t hesitate to throw herself in front of a high-speed train if it meant protecting someone else?
Juliette shrugged. “Without the risk, you might miss out on so much more. You have to take the bad with the good sometimes. The good is that much sweeter when it costs something.”
She was still talking about Ivy, right? “You know a thing or two about sweet things with your sugar addiction.”
She playfully punched his arm, but just having her near him gave him a peace he hadn’t experienced in a while.
Silence settled in the room, but he never needed to fill every empty space with words, and she often offered him quiet moments to reflect. His mind worked at unraveling the unsolvable problem staring him in the face.