Holiday Homecoming Secrets

by Lynette Eason

  “We are going to decorate the tree, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am. As soon as one of Mommy’s friends gets here.” Just saying the words sent her anxiety skyrocketing. Bryce was coming here. He would meet Mia and she was going to have to explain everything.

  “What friend?”

  “His name is Bryce.”

  “Does he like kids?”

  Jade blinked then let out a low laugh. “Yes.” As long as they don’t belong to him.

  Her mom stepped out of the playroom with Gage right behind her. “Hello, darling.”

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Gage and I are going to fix us some lunch. Mia, you want to help?”

  “Sure.”

  “And you,” her mother said to Jade, “need to go have a heart-to-heart with Jessica.”

  “I thought I might have to. Mia kind of gave me a heads-up last night.”

  Jade made her way down the hall and into the playroom, where she found Jessica sitting on a beanbag under the window. She was reading a book about teen sleuths who managed to get tangled up in a series of mysteries in their elementary school. “That was one of my favorite series when I was your age.”

  The girl didn’t bother to lift her eyes, so Jade sat in the beanbag opposite her. “I know you’re mad at me, and that’s okay, but in this family, we talk things out.”

  Jessica finally looked up, jaw set, eyes shadowed. She didn’t set the book aside. “You lied. There, we talked it out.” Her gaze dropped back to the printed page, but Jade had a feeling she wasn’t really reading.

  “Well, technically you talked, but you didn’t listen to my answer.”

  “What answer? That adults always lie about everything? It’s okay. It’s not my first rodeo, you know.”

  Jade raised a brow. “Where did you hear that expression?”

  Jessica shrugged.

  “Put the book down, please, and do me the courtesy of listening—just like I would do for you.”

  With a heavy sigh and a roll of her eyes, Jessica complied and crossed her arms to glare at Jade.

  Instead of addressing the defiance and the attitude, Jade ignored it. “So, you’re right,” she said. “I didn’t keep my promise about the Christmas tree and I owe you an apology.”

  The girl went still, and her mouth rounded in a silent O. Then she snapped her lips shut. “What?”

  “I owe you an apology,” Jade repeated. “Has no adult ever apologized to you?”

  “Not that I can remember.” The attitude had lessened quite a bit, and Jade slid her hand over Jessica’s.

  When the child didn’t pull away, Jade took it as a good sign. “Well, that’s lousy, honey. I think every adult in your life probably owes you an apology.” She blew out slow breath, tossing words around in her mind, hoping when she strung them together, they’d make sense. “Look, Jessica, I have a very demanding job. One that I love. I’m good at it, too. And while I try to make plans—with every intention of following through on them—sometimes life derails those plans and I have to change them.”

  Jessica looked away. “Lolly said your friend was hurt.”

  “He wasn’t just hurt, he died. It was Frank, honey.”

  The child flinched. “Frank? Frank died?”

  Jade nodded.

  The attitude was all gone and tears spilled over Jessica’s lashes. “But why?” she gasped. “And how? Was it a car accident?”

  “No, it wasn’t a car accident. We’re trying to figure out exactly what happened.”

  “I’m sorry,” Jessica whispered. “Lolly didn’t tell me that part.”

  “She was probably trying to protect you.”

  “I don’t want to be protected. I just want people to be honest with me.”

  “I know.” Jade held the child while she cried. When she pulled back and swiped her eyes, Jade pulled a tissue from the box on the small table under the window. “You have to remember, you’re still a kid. And while you’ve probably been through more than most children your age, you’re still a child. We adults want to protect you—well, the good ones in your life do. It’s actually in the job description.” She offered Jessica a small smile and brushed the child’s dark curls away from her flushed cheeks. “And I don’t mean that as a potential big sister, but as a responsible adult. Most of the adults in your life have really fallen down on the job, but Lolly and Pop and I, we’re trying to change that.” She tilted Jessica’s chin until their eyes met. “And while I’ll always want to protect you, I’ll always be honest, too.”

  “No matter what?”

  “No matter what.” She paused. “But there might be some things I can’t tell you. If I can’t, I’ll simply say that I can’t tell you, but I won’t lie.”

  The child turned into a missile, propelling herself into Jade’s arms. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I love you, Jade, and I’m sorry about Frank. I didn’t know him for a long time, but he was always nice to me and Gage. I’ll miss him.”

  Once again, Jade’s throat went tight for the thousandth time in the last twenty-four hours. “I love you, too, sweetie, and thank you. He’s going to be missed by a lot of people”

  “I hope you get to be my big sister. I’d really like that.”

  Jade’s heart flipped. “I would be honored to be your big sister.”

  A knock on the door startled her. Her dad stood there, and she thought he might be blinking back tears. “Hey, kiddo,” he said to Jessica, “you ready to go for that horseback ride I promised you? Gage and Mia are all ready.”

  “Horseback ride?” Jade asked. “I thought we were decorating the Christmas tree?”

  The child seemed torn. “Can we do both?”

  “Absolutely. The day is ours to spend it how we decide.”

  “Then ride first and decorate the tree when we get back,” Jessica said with a firm nod.

  Jade watched her father and Jessica leave, and her smile faded. Well, one good thing about postponing the decorating. She could also delay telling Bryce about Mia. Or at least send her rehearsed speech through one more round of edits.

  * * *

  Bryce stood in front of Jade’s front door with Sasha at his side. Two patrol cars sat in plain sight, but they hadn’t stopped him from approaching the house. Jade must have given them a heads-up that he was coming and bringing a large dog.

  So here he was, being a big old chicken about announcing his presence. He shifted and winced as pain arced into his thigh. His leg hurt from his overuse of it yesterday, but not bad enough to keep him down. He lifted his hand to knock, then lowered it. Why was he so nervous? What did he think was going to happen?

  Well, the kids might not like him.

  Ah...that was the issue. He was almost surprised to find himself that worried about it. But he was.

  Sasha looked up at him as though asking him what the delay was. “Sorry, girl. I’m working up the nerve to ring the bell.”

  She leaned forward and pressed her nose against the lighted rectangle.

  Bryce gaped. “Hey! Wait...” Too late. Chimes went off behind the door and he groaned.

  Bell. He should have known better than to say that word while standing on the porch. When he’d been confined to a wheelchair, Sasha had been trained to ring doorbells for him. Apparently, she hadn’t forgotten that part of her training. She sat and looked up at him, waiting for the praise. He scratched her ears with a sigh. “Good girl.”

  The door opened and Jade stood there dressed in jeans, a long red cable-knit sweater that reached midthigh and brown boots. She looked gorgeous, and it took a moment to find his tongue. “Um...hey. I’m not too early, am I?” Had she always been so striking?

  “Not at all.” She held out a hand to the dog. “Who’s this?”

  “Sasha.”

  Jade rubbed Sasha’s nose, then worked her way to her e
ars. The animal groaned her appreciation. “Nice to meet you, Sasha,” Jade said. Sasha lifted her paw, and Jade giggled. The sound went straight to his heart and took his breath away. “Wow. You’re a very smart girl, aren’t you?” She shook the paw. “The kids are going to adore you.”

  “Is it okay if she comes in?” Bryce asked.

  Even though Sasha was a support animal, he never assumed she would be welcome in everyone’s home—and Jade didn’t know about Sasha’s special role in his life.

  “Of course.” She motioned for them to enter.

  He and Sasha walked past her and found themselves in a small living area. “It’s cozy,” he said.

  When she didn’t answer, he turned to find her standing to the side of the door, almost as though using it for protection, staring out into the distance. “What is it?” he asked.

  She shut the door. “I thought I saw someone out near the barn.”

  Bryce’s nerves stiffened. “What kind of someone?”

  “I’m not sure.” She snagged her weapon from the shoulder holster. “Stay here.”

  “Not likely.”

  Just like at the shooting range, she darted ahead, and Bryce ground his teeth. At least she didn’t have to call for backup since it was sitting in front of her house. The thought made him feel only slightly better.

  He followed behind her, leaving Sasha inside her den. He just hoped the dog didn’t break anything trying to lie down in the small space.

  Bryce navigated the steps and found Jade at the barn with the two officers who were watching the place. “We’re going to walk through the barn,” she told Bryce. “Can you hang back here and make sure no one comes out?”

  “Of course.” He pulled his weapon and held it ready.

  One of the officers, Charlie, rounded the side of the barn, while Jade and Ricky entered the wooden double doors. Bryce waited, tension threading through his shoulders. He scanned the area, looking for anything that would tell him what Jade had seen. Nothing set off any internal alarms. He stepped closer to the door and glanced inside. She and Ricky walked sideways, back to back, sweeping their weapons up and across the barn. “Clear,” Jade called.

  “Clear out here!” Charlie called.

  Bryce stepped into the barn, and Jade and her fellow officer joined him.

  “You walked through the entire place and you didn’t see anything?” Bryce asked.

  She frowned and shook her head. “I guess I’m just paranoid.”

  “We’re going to get set back up,” Ricky said. He nodded to his partner and they left. Jade planted her hands on her hips while her eyes scanned the area.

  Bryce did the same but didn’t know what she could be looking for. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “I think so.” She strolled down the center aisle, petting the horses’ noses jutting from the stalls. At the office, she glanced inside. “Everything looks fine. I suppose I’m seeing things now.” She turned and made her way back to the entrance, stopping at the steps that led to the horseshoe-shaped loft. “Ricky went up there and said it was clear.” She shrugged. “So whoever or whatever I saw, it’s not here now.”

  “You spent a lot of time in this barn growing up,” he said.

  “So did you.”

  He sighed. “Yeah. Lots of great memories. I miss those days.” He narrowed his eyes. “That little secret room still there?”

  “I guess.” She smiled. “I haven’t thought about that place in years. I’ll have to show it to Mia one day. I’d do it now, but I’m afraid it would hold way too much appeal to her.”

  “Who?”

  “Uh...one of the kids.” She cleared her throat. “I sure do miss those days, don’t you?” He’d just said he did. Her nervous tongue was going to get her in major trouble if she wasn’t more careful. “I mean, I miss them, too. Especially summers when we just hung out, rode horses and went swimming in the pond. The four of us were inseparable.”

  “And we were all going to do big things with our lives. Remember that?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  He turned toward the entrance. “You know Frank had a big old crush on you at one point our sophomore year of college. I think you were sixteen or seventeen.”

  She gaped, all nervousness suddenly gone. “What? He did not.”

  “He did.”

  “Well, he sure never told me about it.”

  “He wouldn’t.”

  “Why?”

  Bryce shrugged. “He thought you were too young. He was going to give you a couple of years to grow up.”

  “I guess he changed his mind, because he never said a word.”

  “Guess so. When Frank told me he and Heather were engaged, I nearly fell over. He always said she needed someone to take care of her. I never guessed he’d be interested in that role. When did they get so chummy, anyway?”

  She frowned, and they walked together back toward the main house. “Heather went to the police academy in Greenville but was determined to come back to Cedar Canyon and join the force. Only there weren’t any jobs available, so she worked in a feed store until her current position opened up and they hired her. She and Frank started hanging out soon after she came home from the academy, and one thing led to another.”

  “I still can’t see it, but what do I know?” He paused. “So, I know a little about your time in Charlotte. Can you tell me more?”

  “What do you mean?” She pushed the garage door open and led him to the stairs that would take them back up to her place.

  Did he dare ask? “Frank said you met some guy there. A guy he thought you were going to marry.”

  She looked away from him. “I thought I might, too.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Lee Simpson.”

  “Why’d you break it off?”

  She raised a brow and stepped inside her home. Sasha padded over to greet him while Jade tilted her head and studied him. “What is this? Twenty Questions? An interrogation? You’re not with CID anymore.”

  Bryce grimaced. “I know. I didn’t mean to sound like that.” A pause. “Well?”

  “Well what?”

  “Why’d you break it off with him?”

  Jade huffed a laugh and shook her head. “For a lot of reasons, Bryce. Too many to list, but suffice it to say, he wasn’t right for me.”

  “Is he the reason you moved back here?” Bryce walked to her sofa and lowered himself onto it.

  Jade took the chair near her fireplace. “Part of it. And partly to be near family. I...needed my parents’ help...” A funny look flittered across her face before she shot him a tight smile.

  “Help?”

  “Look,” she said, rubbing her hands together, then dropping them to her thighs. “I need to tell you something.”

  He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that. “What?”

  “I...uh...whew...”

  He frowned. “That’s a real struggle. Just spit it out.”

  “I have a daughter.”

  EIGHT

  For a moment, Jade waited for him to respond, to react, to...something. Finally, he blinked. “A what?”

  “A child. A daughter. Her name is Mia and she’s five years old.” Better to start simple. I have a daughter instead of You have a daughter or even We have a daughter was just...easier. If she had used you or we, she doubted his reaction would have been quite so...calm. “Bryce?”

  “I...see.” He sucked in a breath and raked a hand over his head. “Wow.”

  “That’s it? Wow?” Ask me, she wanted to yell. Ask me if she’s yours.

  “Okay,” he said, “well, I guess I understand why you moved back here. You needed your parents’ help to take care of the baby.”

  “Yes, exactly.”

  “Frank never said a word.”

  “Frank apparently never sa
id much of anything to you about me,” she muttered.

  “Sorry?”

  “Nothing. Look, I told you that because—”

  The door slammed open, followed by running footsteps clamoring up the steps and into the den. “Mommy? We’re back! Can we decorate the Christmas tree now?”

  Jade closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them, Bryce looked pale. “Can we finish this later?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  Mia stopped when she saw Bryce in the den, and her eyes widened when she spotted Sasha lying in front of the fireplace. Then her attention swung back to Bryce and she grinned. “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  “I’m Mia. Who are you?”

  Jade’s throat tightened. Mia had never met a stranger. Making a new friend—especially one who had a dog—was always at the top of her priority list.

  Bryce rose and went to kneel in front of the little girl. “I’m Bryce, a friend of your mom’s.”

  Mia’s face fell. “Mommy’s friend Frank died. Did you know him?”

  “I did. He was my friend, too.”

  “I miss him. He took me and the twins to a birthday party, and he always brought me ice cream. It’s very sad.”

  “Yes, it sure is.” Bryce cleared his throat.

  Mia stepped closer. “Who’s that?” she whispered and pointed at the dog.

  “That’s Sasha,” he whispered right back.

  “Wow,” Mia breathed softly. “Can I pet her?”

  “Sure.”

  Bryce walked her over to the dog that looked like she could crush her with one paw. “She’s ginormous,” Mia said.

  “Ginormous?” Bryce asked. “Where’d you learn that word?”

  “Jessica.”

  “Well, this ginormous dog is a Great Pyrenees and she loves kids.” He directed her hand to Sasha’s ears, and Mia scratched. Sasha’s eyes closed and Mia giggled.

  “She likes it,” Mia said.

  Jade watched the two, heart thundering, palms sweating, confusion swirling. Why would he think he’d be a lousy dad? He was amazing. Okay, so he’d only been interacting with Mia for all of three minutes, but still...