His Watchful Eye

Chapter 28- Waiting

Georgia tossed her keys on the hall table and sighed deeply as she sank onto the couch. Closing her eyes, she reflected on the disaster constituting their intended raid earlier in the day. Just as Colin feared, the warehouse was completely vacant. Evidence of occupancy including camera equipment, furniture, and other such items littered the building, but all sign of life was absent. She feared Traeger had warned his compatriots of their coming, giving them ample time to vacate before their operation could be shut down. Another deep sigh escaped her lips as she prayed God would let them get to Henry before Traeger figured out they were wise to his schemes.

Resting her head on the plush arm of the couch, she closed her eyes and soon drifted into a light sleep. The shrill ring of the doorbell forced her into a sitting position, and she looked at her watch. Shocked to find she had been sleeping over an hour, she raced to the door sliding a little when her socks came in contact with the polished wood floor of the entryway. When she opened the door, she was pleasantly surprised to see Colin's handsome form filling the doorway.

"Hi there, stranger. It's been awhile." She gave him a lopsided smile.

"Did I wake you?" The look of concern on his face was very endearing.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Not that you look bad...you always look perfect. I think you must have forgotten that I lived with you for about a month; I know what you look like when you first wake up."

Georgia felt a warm blush spread over her cheeks. "I guess I should have thought of that. What brings you here this evening, Beckner?"

Clearing his throat, he brought his hand out from behind his back to reveal a movie and a box of microwave popcorn. "I figured you might be worrying about Henry tonight, which is totally understandable. All we can do now is wait until T.J. tracks his driving and finds out where Traeger is keeping him. We have prayed and given the matter over to God, so worrying will do no good. I thought maybe a movie night would be a good thing to get your mind off everything for one hundred and ten minutes."

Almost overcome by his thoughtfulness, her eyes misted with tears. What could she possibly have done to deserve such a kind person in her life?

"I didn't mean to upset you...I'll go if you would rather be alone." He turned to head back to his car.

"Don't go! I'm not upset, just a little overwhelmed." She was relieved when he turned back to face her. "Thank you so much for always thinking of me. A movie night sounds perfect." She slipped her hand in the crook of his arm and led him into the living room. "What movie did you bring?"

"It's some musical my mom's been raving about."

She grinned at the mildly disgusted look on his face. "Really? I wouldn't have taken you for the musical type. I would have pegged you as more of an action kind of guy."

"That's because I am more of an action kind of guy, but apparently this musical is a pretty big deal. Something about you makes me think you are more cultured than I am and might appreciate it."

"I have to confess, I love a good musical." She bit her lip to keep her smile from growing. "You have my permission to sleep through it if that is what you would rather do."

"Not on your life! My mom will probably quiz me on it later tonight."

He worked on getting the movie started while she popped the popcorn in the kitchen. When she walked into the living room with the bowl of popcorn, she took the seat beside him on the couch.

As the movie started and the music filled the room, she was transported to a place where people sang and danced their cares away. If only for a little while it felt good to push her worries completely from her anxious mind.

After the final song was sung, she turned to Beckner whose eyes were still wide open. "You stayed awake...I'm impressed."

"It wasn't as brutal as I thought it would be." He smiled, and her heart beat a little faster.

"I don't think it was brutal at all. In fact, it was just what I needed. Thank you so much." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rested her head on his chest and hugged him tightly.

"You're very welcome." His arms enclosed her in an embrace; she never wanted him to let go. They stayed in each other's arms for quite a while before he reluctantly loosened his grip on her.

"I guess you probably need to get back home." She lowered her gaze, sad to be left alone once again.

"I should be going, or your neighbors will get the wrong idea." He winked at her, and she smiled. "Tomorrow is Saturday, and even though we have the day off, I was going to meet T.J. at the office. We plan to spend the day tracking Traeger. Do you want to come in with us?"

"Absolutely I do!"

"I'll pick you up around eight tomorrow morning then." He leaned down and kissed her cheek sending ripples of warmth spreading through her whole being.

"I'll look forward to it." Her voice was a breathless whisper.

When he left, a sense of loneliness again occupied her mind with the absence of her son. Falling to her knees on the wood floor by the front door, she prayed God would bring them a step closer to finding Henry tomorrow. She pleaded with God that he would be safe until she could hold him in her arms again and never let him go.