Page 61 of Jenna's Threatened Sanctuary

“Absolutely.” Calvin squeezed Jenna’s hand, giving her as much reassurance as he could. Even though Bowman was behind bars, questions regarding Stella’s death remained.

“We uncovered some disturbing things at Bowman’s residence. A room dedicated to information he gathered about you, Dr. Simon. Pictures of you coming and leaving work, data on a lot of your friends and family. He filled notebooks with everything he could learn about you. It appears he discovered Stella’s connection to you and used her to get more inside knowledge. He’s documented all his feelings, even stating how finding out you had adopted Stella’s son was his tipping point. He didn’t think you should have a child when he was never given that opportunity with his wife. The wife he believes you killed.”

Calvin wrapped his free arm around Jenna’s shoulders. “Was he paying Stella for information?”

“No. Bowman lured her with the promise of love. Told her that he’d leave the priesthood to be with her, and that he wanted to take care of her and Oliver. He gave her money, yes, but never as an outright bribe.”

Jenna leaned against Calvin as if unable to support the weight of this new information. “He pitted my sister against me.”

“Then why kill her?” Calvin asked, still trying to put all the pieces together.

Cruz clenched his jaw. “Stella found the room. Found all the data Bowman had collected on you. We think she found this information and confronted him after you two had fought.”

“He killed her so she couldn’t tell anyone what she saw.” Jenna’s voice dipped low, as if the words were painful to speak. “She would have told me—told someone what she found. Stella might have been angry with me, but she still loved me. I know she did. She wouldn’t have let Bowman get away with stalking me. Of planning all of this behind her back. Especially if she put it together that he’d used her.”

Calvin pressed his lips to her temple, wishing he could do something to take away her pain. “Stella loved you. She wanted to stop a bad man from doing bad things. You are not to blame. For any of this.”

Hurried footsteps came down the stairs behind him, and Calvin glanced over his shoulder. Oliver bounded toward him then threw himself in his arms. He lifted him up and held him tight, inhaling the scent of his shampoo. “Thank you for your time, Cruz. I’d like to call you tomorrow to get more details. If that’s okay with you?”

“That’d be fine. Talk soon. Sorry again for your loss.” Cruz stepped into the swarm of people exiting the church.

Jenna glanced up at him with her lips pressed into a thin line, but she couldn’t hide the joy that laid under the sadness in her puffy eyes. “Ready to go home?”

Hesitation slowed his response. They hadn’t talked about what would happen now. The question had sat on the tip of his tongue for days, but fear held him back. He couldn’t wait any longer. “Where is home, Jenna?”

She offered him a watery smile. “Anywhere that I’m with you.”

He widened his eyes, his heart seizing. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

She nodded. “I want you and Oliver in that big farmhouse. We’ve already wasted so much time. I want our family together.”

Oliver shifted in his arms and rested his chubby hands on Calvin’s cheeks. “Cal. Home.”

Happiness burst bright in his soul. He hated the circumstances that had led Oliver and Jenna into his life, but now that he had them, he’d give them the whole damn world.

With Oliver in one arm, he pulled Jenna into his embrace.

Jenna tilted up her chin, tears shimmering in her eyes. “I love you, Calvin.”

Calvin rested his forehead on hers. “I love you, too.”

“Love,” Oliver said, smacking a kiss on Calvin’s cheek.

He squeezed them tight. He had everything he ever wanted—a family of his own.

EPILOGUE

After working all day, exhaustion should have weighed Calvin down like a brick. But anticipation zipped through his veins as he jumped onto the creaking porch and hurried into the house he loved so much. He kicked off his snow-covered boots at the door, hung his coat on the hook, and padded down the hallway in thick socks.

Sounds of laughter greeted him before he stepped foot into the warm kitchen. Pressure tightened his chest, and happiness tugged at his heart.

Oliver sat at the table, coloring in a new book Calvin had just bought. Jenna sat beside him and beamed as he attempted to stay in the lines.

Calvin strode across the room and placed a kiss on the top of Oliver’s head before pressing his lips to Jenna’s “How are my two favorite people?”

Oliver beamed up at him. “Dada!”

Three months had passed, and Oliver’s excited greetings still misted his eyes. Calvin’s mission every single day was to show both Oliver and Jenna how much they meant to him. Knowingthey cared just as much for him made each day brighter than the last.

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