by Dana Mentink
She clutched his fingers for one more moment, and then she let him go.
* * *
On Christmas Eve, Donna forced herself to put on her most cheerful sweater, the one festooned with candy canes, and fixed her hair in a loose twist before she delivered her gift to Candace’s house. “I wish you’d come with us to the Del instead of going on your own,” Candace said.
Donna offered a smile. “I’ll meet up with you after a while, I promise. I just need a little time to myself first.”
“Okay, hot cocoa and fireworks. Don’t be late.” She squeezed Donna’s fingers. “It’s a Gallagher family tradition. I tried to tell Sarah that, but she won’t come.”
Donna sighed. “She can’t. Not right now. Maybe when she’s had more time to adjust to being home.”
Candace nodded, and Donna saw the shadows under her eyes. “I guess the Gallagher family traditions are going to have to change.”
“Only some of them.” She clung to her sister and they held each other through the moment of grief. Their first Christmas without their father. Her only comfort was in knowing that Brent was not alone. After Pauline was treated at the hospital for dehydration and a fractured wrist, she had insisted on returning home, with Brent keeping careful watch over her recovery.
Donna had stayed away from their reunion and Brent had contacted her only briefly. He had returned to his duties, joyful that his world was made right again. Donna could not shake the feeling that hers would never be quite right again, without Brent, without her father. Still, in spite of the heartache, she felt at peace, confident in herself for the first time since Nate.
After a final kiss for Candace, she headed to the office. With trembling hands, she placed the finished wooden cable car on the tree and said a prayer for her father. “Love you, Dad. I will miss you every day of my life.”
When her tears subsided enough, she headed for the Del. The grand old hotel was awash in glittering lights spangling its red Victorian roof. Outside past the patio, Pauline was watching the ice rink, supervising her charges. She was thin and moved as if she was sore, but the smile on her face was radiant. Harvey’s arm was crooked through hers, his other hand holding Radar’s leash. Beyond the ice, the ocean glittered in the moonlight.
“I’m watching the ice-skating,” Harvey proclaimed to Donna when he saw her.
“Yes, you are,” Donna said. “And I’m so glad.”
Pauline hugged Donna. “I understand from my boss that you were prepared to step in for me and escort my Open Vistas family to the Del for the festival.”
Donna blushed. “I’m so happy it didn’t turn out that way.”
“You and me both. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go to the beach by myself again, even with Radar.” She shuddered.
“Are you cold, Miss Pauline?” Harvey asked. “Do you want to wear my sweater?”
Pauline hugged him around the shoulders. “No, thank you, sweetie. I’m warm just being here with you for the festival.”
Harvey nodded and returned his gaze to the progress of the skaters clacking along accompanied by strains of Christmas music.
“My brother couldn’t have picked a better partner than you.”
Donna started. “Oh, we managed to solve the case in spite of ourselves. Is he...working tonight?”
“Oh, you never know with Brent. Even when he is at work, he texts me until I’m ready to scream. That man needs another focus in his life for sure.” There was a mischievous sparkle in her eye. “Come on, Harvey. Let’s get the gang together and find some cocoa before the fireworks.”
Donna watched them go. Beyond the ice-skating rink, the sea crawled back and forth as if it, too, danced to the carols. People laughed and chatted around her, kids drifted in and out of the lobby to see the magnificent tree, and every corner of the historic Hotel Del Coronado was steeped in Christmas cheer. She closed her eyes and tried to lose herself in the music and the scent of hot chocolate.
She opened them when someone jostled her elbow.
Brent stood there, wearing a garish vest and red-and-green scarf.
Her heart jumped to her throat. “I didn’t expect to see you.”
“Just got off duty,” he said with a smile so infectious it made her weak in the knees.
“Nice holiday outfit.”
He laughed. “It makes Pauline happy to see me wearing it, even though I get a ribbing from my crew.”
“I can’t imagine why.”
He straightened. “I wanted to give you a Christmas gift.”
“No need for that. You already gave me a poinsettia.”
He grinned. “Killed it yet?”
She hung her head. “Almost.”
He laughed and looked around. “Nothing like Christmas at the Del, is there?”
“Nothing.” Her throat thickened as she watched a little girl whizzing around the ice holding her father’s hand.
“Thinking about your dad?” he said softly.
She nodded and he reached out to stroke her hair.
“I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. But you’ve got your sister,” she said. “And that’s a miracle.”
“Yes, it is.” He sighed. “I can hardly let her out of my sight, I’m so happy every time I clap eyes on her. She finally kicked me out of her house and said if I didn’t go back to my place, she was going to call the police and have me evicted.”
Donna giggled.
He gazed up at the tree, which stood twinkling above them. “So about this gift.”
“You didn’t need to do that. I didn’t get you anything.”
He turned her to face him. “Yes, you did, Donna. I’ve had a lot of time to think since we found Pauline.” His expression grew serious, his eyes brimming with deep emotion. “I’ve been so busy playing the rescue hero I didn’t realize that I was the one who needed saving.”
She held her hands still even though they wanted to trace the scratch on his face, the gentle smile on his mouth.
“I kept people away, kept God away, because I was angry about losing Carrie. You were right.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “I was afraid.”
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
He shrugged. “You had the courage to tell me the truth. You have heart and loyalty and compassion and you are the most amazing woman I’ve ever known.”
She wondered if she was dreaming.
He kissed her hand. “It’s taken me nearly getting drowned to realize that.”
Donna’s nerves began to fire wildly, the way they always did when Brent was close. “It’s very sweet, but you don’t have to say those things.”
“So here’s my present.” He looked suddenly uncertain. “If it isn’t what you want, I understand.” He pulled a small gold ball ornament from his pocket. It shone in the lights, the ribbon around the top encircling a diamond engagement ring.
Her body prickled in goose bumps. “Is that...?”
“An engagement ring, yes, with the biggest diamond I could afford.”
Her mouth fell open. “You...you’re asking me to marry you?”
He dropped to one knee and took her hand, placing the gold ball in her palm. “You showed me what it’s like to hope for the future again. What’s more, you helped me see how precious each moment is. I want to share all of our moments, however many there are, together. The good ones and the bad ones.”
She stared at him, unable to breathe, hardly daring to believe it was true.
“So...” His eyes searched hers. “Is that a yes?”
She managed a nod through the curtain of tears. He leaped to his feet and kissed her tears away, his arms strong and sure, warming her through and through. When he broke away, leaving her breathless, he was grinning.
They heard clapping and turn
ed to find Pauline and Harvey waving to them with silly grins. Radar cocked his head as if he had listened to Brent’s every word.
Brent laughed. “Boy, am I glad you said yes. Marco would never let me live it down if you sent me packing.”
All around her the sights and sounds of Christmas took on a glittering, joyful glow.
“Don’t worry, Coastie,” she said, leaning into his arms. “We’re partners.”
“Yes,” he said, pulling her close. “We are.”
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from CHRISTMAS BLACKOUT by Maggie K. Black
Dear Reader,
Christmastime is a time of rejoicing in the gift of our Savior, but that doesn’t mean it’s always a happy time. This past holiday season, some of my friends and family struggled with health issues that sometimes seemed to overshadow the celebration. Have you ever felt that way, dear reader? Christmas is the season when we feel the loss of loved ones so strongly and the pinch of loneliness so deeply. Such is the case with Donna Gallagher and Brent Mitchell, our heroine and hero. As they struggle through their holiday, they must lean on each other and God’s providence for their physical and spiritual survival. Recently, I read in a devotional that we have sorrows because they stretch out places in our hearts for joy. I hope whatever your season of life, you have a great big place in your heart for all the joy that finds us here on earth and the immeasurable abundance that is waiting for us in Heaven.
If you would like to contact me, feel free to visit my website at www.danamentink.com. If you prefer to correspond by mail, my address is PO Box 3168, San Ramon, CA 94583. I wish you joy and many blessings this season and always.
God bless,
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.
You enjoy a dash of danger. Love Inspired Suspense stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.
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Christmas Blackout
by Maggie K. Black
ONE
Benjamin Duff gripped the steering wheel with both hands and tried to turn into the skid. It was too late. Pelting sleet and freezing rain had turned the southern Ontario back road into a treacherous mess of slush and ice. The storm had picked up quickly. He’d been just a fraction of a second too late in catching the change of traction from paved road to country lane.
Now his pickup truck was spinning.
Benjamin held on tight as the world flew past the windshield in a blur of gray and white.
Trees. Snow. Sky.
Lord, please keep us safe.
The truck gave a final rotation and came to a stop.
He looked out. Branches, heavy with snow, buffeted against the driver’s-side door. The truck was now pointed back the way he’d come, but he’d somehow managed to stay out of the roadside ditch. He rested his forehead on the steering wheel and let out a long breath. “Thank You, God.”
The hospital room where he’d spent so many months in traction as a teenager flashed through his mind. It would be sixteen years this February since a terrible snowmobile accident had taken a friend’s life and left fifteen-year-old Benjamin with a body so broken that doctors didn’t know at first if he’d ever walk again. Since then, he’d built a successful business as an extreme sports instructor and even used the lingering notoriety as a platform to teach thousands of young people about outdoor safety and living life to the fullest.
Now his business was successfully sold. He was just three days away from catching a Christmas night flight to Australia, to pick up the boat he’d saved his entire life for. First he’d embark on a year long sailing voyage for charity. Then he’d use his new boat to start his own Pacific charter service.
Life on the open waters meant that finally he’d be living somewhere he could escape the long shadow the accident had cast over his life.
Yet here, in an instant, he’d been reminded of just how easily everything could be taken away again.
Not that that he’d ever forgotten.
A soft whimper came from the passenger seat.
“I’m sorry, Harry.” Benjamin slid one hand into the dog’s thick fur. He scratched the young black-and-white husky on the back of the neck, just where the seat belt clipped into his safety harness. “Don’t worry. We’re almost there. Piper’s bed-and-breakfast is only a few minutes away.”
I hope.
He eased the truck back onto the road and kept driving. He’d met Piper Lawrence during the summer, when the spunky brunette had walked into his sports shop. Truth be told, they’d barely kept in touch since then and he didn’t know her all that well. But he knew she had a bed-and-breakfast, on a huge property on the edge of Lake Erie. While Harry was a pretty good dog he sure wasn’t suited for life on a sailboat, so he’d asked Piper if she’d be interested in giving him a new permanent home. She’d said yes.
But the weather forecast was pretty much as bad as the holidays could be. His deep blue eyes glanced at the console clock. It was quarter to four. It was a seven-hour drive from here back to his sister’s place on Manitoulin Island, the home he had shared with her. At this rate, he’d be driving well into the night.
“See, dog, Meg and Jack are getting married on Christmas Eve, which is the day after tomorrow.” Maybe talking out loud would calm both the husky and himself. “Sounds like your Christmas will be exciting, too. Our friend Piper is hosting a huge Christmas Eve thing.”
Our friend Piper. He scratched his trim brown beard. Why did it feel weird to call Piper Lawrence a “friend”? But he couldn’t think of a better term to call her. The second to last week of August, he’d just looked up over the counter one day and saw Piper there in the doorway. A mess of tumbling dark hair, plaid shirt worn over jean shorts, sparkling eyes behind huge, round glasses. The dog had charged her instantly, tail wagging. Puppy love at first sight.
She’d had just four days on the island and only been there to escort her aunt. But there’d been this glint in her eyes that told him she could use an adventure. So, he’d done his best to find her one. Together they’d gone hiking, boating, parasailing and waterskiing. Sure seemed like a friendship. Good one, too. But then, when they’d gone out for dinner her last night on the island, somehow everything had gone from comfortable to awkward between them, and he still didn’t know why.
“But when it was time to find you a new home, she was the first one I emailed.” Benjamin ran one hand through Harry’s fur. “Living all by herself, taking care of a bunch of strangers, Piper could use a guard dog, I figured.”
He dialed her on his cell phone, which was mounted on the dashboard. The hands-free earpiece was clipped to the corner of his tuque.
“Hello?” Piper’s voice filled the car.
Something about her voice always reminded him of salted caramel. Sweet and light on the surface, yet down-to-earth and gritty at the same time.
“Hey. It’s me. Benjamin. I’m sorry. I’m running a bit late.”
“A bit? I expected you hours ago.” Her tone was somewhere between frustrated and worried. Whatever the tension was between them, this probably wouldn’t help.
“Yeah, I’m really sorry. Had a lot of goodbyes to get through and you’re my last stop—”
“Hang on. The signal’s patchy. I’m just carrying some Christmas decorations down to the barn. I was going to wait until after you’d left. But I didn’t expect you to be so late and now the storm is getting worse.” There was the crun
ch of footsteps. He heard the sound of a door creaking and the dull sound of stomping. “Now when—”
A loud bang shook the air.
He heard the clatter of her cell phone hitting the floor.
Then the muffled sound of someone screaming.
“Piper? Piper! Hey? You okay?”
The phone went dead.
A shiver shot down his spine. He hit Redial. The call didn’t go through.
The dog growled.
“Don’t worry. She probably just got startled by something and dropped her phone.”
He hoped. He prayed. Eighteen months ago, a serial killer had targeted his sister, Meg. It’s what had brought her and her fiancé, Jack, together. Ever since, every unexplained footstep had sounded just a little more ominous.
Benjamin’s headlights flickered over a wooden sign for The Downs Bed-and-Breakfast. The house lay straight ahead. A smaller sign advertised Christmas Eve at The Downs and Barn. He followed the arrow and pulled a sharp right and found himself driving down a slope toward the barn where he’d find Piper. “See, we’re here.”
The truck jolted over uneven ground. The twisting lane dipped even steeper. Wet snow pelted vertically across the windshield like Impressionistic paint strokes. When the trees parted, he spotted a large wooden barn at the bottom of the hill. The frozen surface of Lake Erie spread out behind it. He hit the brakes but the truck kept inching forward slowly. The hill was in desperate need of both plowing and sanding. Even with snow tires it might’ve been better to wait for Piper at the house.
He tried the phone one more time. Still, no answer.
Below, the barn door opened and someone walked out. Didn’t look like Piper. No, this was a big, wide, grizzly bear of a man. The man was dragging something behind him. He hoisted it onto his shoulders, took a few shaky steps across the snow and then dropped it.
Not it. Her.
The man was dragging a woman’s body out onto the lake.
Benjamin’s heart stopped cold.
She started thrashing, flailing and kicking out against her attacker.
