Holiday Defenders : Mission: Christmas Rescuespecial Ops Christmashomefront Holiday Hero (9781460341254)

by Bailey, Jodie; Sleeman, Susan; Giusti, Debby

  He shrugged. “Again, no biggie.”

  Really? No biggie? She dropped her fingers.

  Had he actually moved on so easily when she was still stuck wondering what might’ve happened if she hadn’t broken things off? Maybe he hadn’t really cared for her at all. That thought left her sadder than words could express and she’d love to take the time to figure out where this sadness was coming from.

  But not now.

  Now her full focus needed to stay on the man who’d held Travis at gunpoint and nearly abducted her. If her thoughts were divided at all, her attacker might not only succeed in his mission, but he could also kill Travis in the process.

  SIX

  When Travis entered the seafood restaurant where Claire said Mike regularly ate, the lunchtime rush was in full swing. Tangy spices scented the air, but Travis had no appetite. Not when he was tracking down the man who could’ve broken into Claire’s house last night.

  The house had been inky black and the intruder would’ve only gotten a glimpse of Travis before he fled, but Travis had to allow for the possibility that Mike could recognize him. This meeting held the potential to turn disastrous. Travis would have to be on his guard.

  He searched the narrow room laden with pine boughs and twinkling lights for the man who resembled Mike’s personnel photo. Travis quickly spotted the muscled guy with thinning hair sitting at a long counter near the back. Just seeing the man who was stalking Claire sent Travis’s anger vibrating to a quick boil.

  Stop. Breathe. Anger will get you nowhere. You’re on a mission. Like any other mission.

  He drew in a few cleansing breaths and crossed the room to slide onto a vacant stool next to Mike.

  Travis tapped a colorful menu lying on the counter. “Can you recommend anything here?”

  Mike looked up from his lunch and ran his gaze over Travis.

  Here it comes, Travis thought, and waited for recognition to dawn.

  Instead, he got a welcoming smile. “For a fellow army grunt, sure. The crab cakes are great.”

  Either Mike was a consummate actor, he hadn’t seen Travis clearly enough last night to recognize him, or he wasn’t their guy. The last option was definitely not something Travis wanted to entertain.

  “You active duty?” Travis knew the answer but he wanted to get Mike talking.

  “Nah. I decided to take my chances as a civilian.” He stabbed his fork into a golden-brown crab cake. “We don’t see many uniforms in the Orlando area.”

  “I’m visiting a woman.” Travis leaned closer and gave a conspiratorial wink. “Wore the uniform to impress her if you know what I mean.”

  A lecherous grin distorted Mike’s face, twisting it into an ugly expression. He was thinking about Claire, and Travis wanted to wipe the look off the guy’s face.

  Mike thrust out his hand. “Mike Robb.”

  Travis gripped Mike’s hand and resisted the urge to twist it around the creep’s back and slam him against a wall. Instead, Travis forced a smile and offered a fake name in the event Mike still talked with anyone at the institute. “Do you live around here, Mike?”

  “Not far.”

  “I’ve heard there’s some great nightlife in this part of town,” Travis said, hoping to get Mike to divulge his whereabouts the previous night.

  “That there is. I can give you the names of the best clubs if you want.”

  “Sounds like you go out a lot.”

  “Not usually. My friends don’t like clubbing much. But I’ve been in a funk the last few weeks so I’ve gone out alone to drown my sorrows. Been out most every night.”

  Which meant he might not have a concrete alibi. “Sounds like woman troubles.”

  “Exactly, but I’m working on a plan to win her over.”

  Plan? Like stealing her equipment and then pretending to be the hero who finds and returns it? But that wouldn’t explain the abduction attempts—unless he’d staged them, too so he could pretend to save Claire.

  The desire for the answer almost made Travis rush ahead, but he counted a few beats until it passed. “I have a good ear if you want to talk about it.”

  Mike glanced at his watch. “I’d take you up on it, but I have to get back to work.”

  Travis felt his opportunity slipping away, and yet he didn’t want to sound overeager and alert Mike to his real mission. “Maybe some other time, then.”

  Mike seemed to think about it as he pushed to his feet. “I’m going bowling tonight with a few guys from work. If you don’t have plans you could stop by.”

  Perfect. “I’m not sure I’ll be free,” Travis said, playing it cool. “But give me the details just in case.”

  Mike rattled off the particulars for a nearby bowling alley as he tossed a meager tip onto the counter. “Maybe I’ll see you there.”

  Mike departed, and Travis’s intuition screamed to follow the guy. He waited until Mike climbed into a shiny red sedan before heading to his rental car. He eased into traffic and hung well back from Mike. Fortunately, the red car stuck out in the sea of white rentals populating the tourist capital of Florida, making it a breeze to follow.

  Surprisingly, Mike took a direct route to the institute where he pulled to the curb well shy of the guard station. Travis stopped farther back and grabbed binoculars from his bag. He zoomed in on Mike, who’d perched a camera on his open window, aiming it at the institute.

  Was he planning an attack here? Or maybe another theft?

  Time ticked slowly by as Mike continued to snap photos. Travis had the urge to march up to Mike and demand an explanation, but he employed the patience he’d learned on the job. That is, until Mike put his camera away. Then Travis gripped his weapon and sat at full alert.

  Mike fired up his car and drove slowly past the building. At the corner, he whipped a U-turn and crept by in the other direction. After he cleared the building, and Travis knew Claire wasn’t in danger, he dropped down in his seat so Mike wouldn’t see him.

  Despite the ongoing danger Mike posed to Claire, Travis smiled. Looked like Mike was their man. Now all Travis had to do was prove it, and meeting Mike tonight was the first step.

  * * *

  Claire trailed Travis to the front door of her home, her emotions lingering near the surface as they had been since Travis arrived. She didn’t want to be around him and yet she didn’t want him to leave. Surprisingly, as uncomfortable as it sometimes was to be with him, he made her feel safe. Not that she’d admit it to him.

  He opened the door then faced her, his expression a hazy mix of concern and eagerness to get going. “Be sure to keep the door locked and remember Officer Harper’s right out front. He won’t be going anywhere until I get back.”

  “Relax,” Claire said, though uncertainty continued to crowd her brain. She was thankful an officer who was friends with her boss offered to stand watch when Travis had to go out tonight. She appreciated his protection, but honestly, she felt safer with Travis. Still, she wouldn’t keep him here when Mike was waiting at the bowling alley. “You’ll be with our top suspect, so he won’t be coming after me. I’ll be fine.”

  Travis searched her eyes, and she warmed at his genuine concern. Concern for her. For her safety. She loved that he was always willing to come to the aid of someone in trouble.

  Check. Down went another mark in his good-guy column. Despite her desire to keep him at bay, he was quickly swaying her toward thoughts she shouldn’t even be considering. Writing out her Christmas cards and drinking a soothing cup of hot chocolate should blot him from her mind.

  “I hope to be back by ten at the latest,” he said and, after a final lingering look that did nothing to help Claire forget the effect he had on her, he strode down the walkway to his car.

  She locked the door as if locking him from her heart then went to the kitchen a
nd retrieved her favorite mug. She filled it with water and caught Julie watching from the family room.

  “Something wrong?” Claire asked.

  “Not with me.” Julie stood and headed for the kitchen. “But you look worried.”

  Claire put the cup in the microwave and stared at the whirling turntable as she considered her answer. Clearly, Julie noticed Claire’s distress, but did she want to talk about Travis with Julie? Claire had never told anyone, not even her mother, the real reason she’d ended things with him. She’d barely been able to admit it to herself much less speak it aloud, but now that he was back and raising all these feelings again, the need to talk about it with someone was pressing in on Claire.

  Was Julie the right person, though? The line Claire had held with Julie made her unbiased when it came to Travis and she should be able to offer a rational opinion. Maybe she could help.

  “I guess I’m more uncertain than worried,” Claire answered hoping to slide into the discussion and see where it took them.

  “Uncertain about our safety or about Travis?”

  “Officer Harper’s out front so I’m not worried about our safety at the moment.” Claire waited for the microwave to ding, then took the cup to the breakfast bar.

  Julie slipped onto a stool, perching on the edge and resting her elbows on the smooth granite counter. “I don’t know how you can drink that when it’s so warm out.”

  “Comfort food, I guess. Besides, if the cold front they’re predicting comes through tonight we’ll both be drinking it tomorrow.”

  “But that’s tomorrow.” Julie propped her chin on her hands, her penetrating gaze locking on Claire. “This’s now.”

  Claire poured the chocolate powder into the mug and before she could decide how to respond, Julie shifted closer. “This is about Travis, isn’t it?”

  Claire shrugged, but her reluctance was halfhearted as she really did want to get this out in the open so she could make sense of her feelings. She just didn’t know how to begin revealing something she’d kept to herself for so long.

  “It’s clear you two still have a thing for each other,” Julie continued. “So why’d you break up?”

  Julie was right. They did have a thing for each other. Claire had no idea what this thing was, but it was a good place to start the discussion. She perched on a stool and thought back to the beginning, when her father died. Memories came flooding back and she stirred the cocoa to keep from crying. The day of his funeral was as fresh today as it’d been that bitterly cold day six years ago. Standing at the freezing cemetery, her arm around her mother’s convulsing shoulders as much for warmth as for comfort in their loss. Watching them lower the casket into the ground. Saying good-bye. Forever.

  “Claire?” Julie asked gently.

  Claire forced herself to move forward. “I told you about how my dad was killed in that chopper crash. Well I... The pain. It was unbearable.”

  Julie patted her hand. “I’ve never lost anyone so unexpectedly, but I can imagine how hard it must’ve been.”

  No, you can’t. Not really. Not until you experience it. “I vowed to do everything I could to never go through it again. Which meant I couldn’t get close to anyone else who served in the military and had a dangerous job like my dad. Then along came Travis...” She ended with a lift of her shoulder.

  “And you fell for him.”

  “Big-time.” Claire shook her head. “I mean, really! How could I have fallen for a guy who was the worst risk of all? He runs into danger on a daily basis. It’s only a matter of time before...well...you know.”

  “So you broke up with him before that could happen.” Julie paused to appraise Claire. “Didn’t that hurt, too?”

  “Yes.” Tears pricked Claire’s eyes and she swiped them away. “But not as badly as if I had to say good-bye to him at a funeral.”

  Julie nodded her understanding. “Now he’s back and you’re still not over him.”

  “Yes,” Claire said as tears began to fall in earnest and she grabbed a paper towel to dab at them. “But nothing’s changed. He’s still putting his life on the line and I’m no more ready to risk the pain of losing him than I was two years ago.”

  Julie sat back, her eyes narrowing the way they often did when puzzling out a problem at work. “You have to admit if you were going to fall for anyone with a dangerous job, Travis’s skills give him a far better chance of coming home at the end of the day.”

  Claire hadn’t even considered that. “I guess, but skills or not, he’s not protected from a rocket launcher or bomb strike.”

  “I’m so sorry you’re going through this, Claire. Especially on top of this crazy guy stalking you.” Julie squeezed Claire’s hand and seemed sincere, but a mountain of skepticism lingered on her face.

  “I hear a ‘but’ coming.”

  “Since I’m not a Christian,” Julie said, sounding uncertain. “I could be way off base here, but I know you usually pray over big decisions. Have you asked God if He wants you to be with Travis, or did you let your fears get to you and make the decision on your own?”

  Claire sat back and felt a flush of embarrassment color her face. She’d completely left God out of her problem. Not just once when she ended things with Travis, but for two solid years whenever she’d thought of Travis or about dating. Worse, it’d taken someone who didn’t even believe in God to point it out.

  How had she been so blind?

  Suddenly it occurred to her that she hadn’t prayed about the missing prototype, either. She’d been so worried about her lost work, and the idea of her project ending up in enemy hands, but she’d never thought to turn it over to God, to trust in His solutions...or to even consider the idea that He might have sent Travis to her—to protect her work, and to force her to face her fears.

  Julie’s brows furrowed. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “No.” Claire shook her head, not only to reassure Julie, but because she couldn’t believe how oblivious she’d been. “You said the thing I needed to hear most and something I’ll be spending a lot of time thinking about.”

  SEVEN

  Mike and his friends Hank and Nick had been too busy focusing on one-upping each other to give Travis time alone with Mike. Three hours of bowling and Travis had learned nothing other than Mike was highly competitive and a sore loser.

  Travis didn’t care. He poured his frustration into the bowling ball and hurled it down the lane. The pins exploded, the loud whack fighting with “Jingle Bell Rock” blaring from speakers.

  Cautioning himself not to gloat over the win and alienate Mike, Travis turned back to the group.

  Hank looked at Travis, a snide grin on his chubby face. “So glad you came along so Mike didn’t skunk all of us.” He slid his ball into a neon-orange tote bag. “I’m out of here. Catch you guys tomorrow.”

  “Hold up, I’ll walk out with you.” Nick shrugged into a lightweight jacket, his slight frame the opposite of Hank’s, a man who could easily fill in for Santa Claus without any padding.

  “Fine, run home to your wives,” Mike said tauntingly.

  Hank picked up his bag and scowled. “You’re just jealous there isn’t a little woman waiting at home for you.”

  Mike fired a testy look at his buddy. “I’ll be married soon enough.”

  “Don’t you actually need a girlfriend for that to happen?”

  “I’ve got a girlfriend,” Mike ground out between clenched teeth.

  “Oh, right.” Hank raised his eyes in disbelief. “Claire. The woman we’ve never even seen.”

  They know about Claire? the question shot through Travis’s brain.

  Mike crossed his arms, his jaw rigid. “That doesn’t mean she doesn’t exist.”

  “Oh, we think she exists,” Nick said casting a knowing look at Hank. “We just don
’t believe she’s your girlfriend.”

  Mike spun on Nick. The anger in Mike’s eyes said he was fully capable of hurting someone—maybe even Claire, the woman he claimed to love.

  “You’ll see,” Mike said. “She’s not only my girlfriend, but she’ll be my fiancée before the week is out.”

  “Whatever.” Nick rolled his eyes and clapped a hand on Hank’s shoulder. “Ready, man?”

  Hank nodded and they strode away.

  “Sorry about that,” Mike quickly fired off an apology to Travis, but kept his flaming angry gaze on his friends.

  Travis slipped out of his bowling shoes. “I have to admit it was uncomfortable.”

  “They just don’t get it. But they will. Everyone will.” Mike packed up his equipment. “Once I make Claire mine. For life.”

  You won’t get close enough to make her yours for even a minute.

  Mike leaned closer and Travis had to fist his hands not to deck the guy. “But see, what they don’t know is I’ve got this big thing in the works that’s gonna insure Claire will marry me.”

  The soda Travis drank earlier churned in his stomach, but he forced an even keel to his voice. “Big thing? Like what?”

  “I don’t want to talk about the details. You know, in case I jinx it.” Mike winked. “But trust me. It’s gonna happen soon. Real soon.”

  Travis tried to gain additional details as they returned the rental shoes, but Mike clammed up. Travis even tried to set another meet with Mike, but he gave a vague response and hopped in his car.

  Frustrated, Travis pointed his own car homeward as Mike’s words reverberated through his brain.

  Soon. Real soon.

  Had Mike really stolen the prototype to stage a phony recovery of the device to garner Claire’s favor? Or were his plans more sinister?

  Mine. The word shot into Travis’s brain, shocking him into admitting the truth.

  He wasn’t over Claire. Far from it. His feelings for her were just as strong as the day she’d rejected him. How could he even consider trusting her again when he could still feel the sting of her rejection? Could they make things work? Was he even willing to try after the way she’d let him down?