Page 73 of Lucky In Love

Copyright © 2024 by Margaret Kay

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Chapter 1

Alpha

“Excuse me, Angel, Angel Jackson, isn’t it?”

That was how it started. Angel was at her son’s preschool waiting for the class to be brought outside by their teachers. “Yes, and you’re Ciara’s mom, aren’t you?” Angel asked, shifting her one-year-old daughter, Johanna, to her other hip.

Angel didn’t get to pick her son, Sammy, up after school every day. She was able to make it a few times a month, so she recognized the other parents or caregivers whose children were also in Sammy’s class, but she didn’t know many of them well. Her best friend Elizabeth Williams, who babysat when she was at work, picked Sammy up the remainder of the time.

Angel had never said more than a hello to this woman. She didn’t even know her first name.

“I’m Maeve, Ciara’s aunt; her guardian,” the other woman said.

“Hello,” Angel said.

Maeve and Ciara both had strawberry-blonde hair and light gray-blue eyes.

Maeve dropped her voice to a whisper. “You work for a private investigator or a security agency of some sort, don’t you?”

“Why do you ask?” This question took Angel off guard. The fact that she worked for Shepherd Security wasn’t common knowledge. She merely told people she was an office manager and rarely mentioned the name of her employer.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy. I work in the preschool office a few days a week. Your file was out last week when they had to call you when Sammy hit his head and I saw the name of your employer on it.”

This statement confused Angel. She had not written that on the enrollment form. She swept her black hair back from her face and placed a kiss on the top of her daughter’s head, also covered in black hair. “I don’t recall writing it on that form.”

“I think someone in the office noted it,” Maeve said. “Anyway, I’m glad Sammy was okay.” She paused for a moment and summoned her courage. When she spoke again, her voice was a mere whisper. “I need help.”

From the look on her face, Angel could tell it was a serious matter to her. “What kind of help?”

“It’s kind of a long story, but I need to find Ciara’s parents.”

“Okay,” Angel said. “I think it would be best if you came into the office and talked to one of our investigators.”

Even as she said it, she wasn’t sure about suggesting it. The head of the agency, Colonel Samual Shepherd and his wife were out of town. Shepherd had to sanction all cases. Angel’s husband, Jackson, was the number three in charge at the agency. He was in the office running things in everyone else’s absence this week.

“How much would something like this cost? I have several hundred dollars saved, but I don’t have money to burn.”

Angel, being the office manager and Shepherd’s personal assistant, saw all the financials. She knew that the prices billed to customers varied greatly. And knowing the agency may not take this case, she chose her words carefully. “Well, we’d have to take a look at the case to first determine if we can take it on. And then it’ll have to be determined how long it might take, or how difficult it will be to find them to even give you an idea of the cost.”

Maeve was disappointed. “I see.”

“You know what, to keep this informal, why don’t you come over to my house tonight and talk to my husband and me about it? The kids can play out of earshot.”

“Your husband works for the agency, too?” Maeve asked.

“Yes,” Angel confirmed. She pulled her cell phone out. “Give me your number and I’ll text you my address.”

Maeve was on time. She came right after the Jackson family had finished dinner. Maeve got extremely nervous after she was introduced to Ethan Jackson, who just went by Jackson. He was a solid man with dark hair, a mustache, and a full, nicely trimmed beard. Even when he smiled, he looked imposing. Or perhaps that was Maeve’s imagination getting the better of her.

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