It was probably only a minute before Tyler reappeared at the entrance of the restaurant, but it felt like three lifetimes had passed for Kelly. He pulled gently on the door handle before she opened it, then he gathered her against his chest as though he could block the rest of the world from seeing her.
It seemed to work. With him holding her tight, it felt as though no one could touch her. “Where did you go?”
“That guy... He took off out the back of the restaurant through the emergency exit as soon as we were out the front. The owner’s calling the police.” He eased back to scan her face. “Now do you believe that someone’s after you?”
THREE
The air in the Family Resource Center crackled with excitement and voices. Familiar Christmas songs piped through the room. The sounds should have been comforting, but Tyler couldn’t think over the onslaught of high-pitched childish giggles. The line of children waiting for Santa snaked until the end was impossible to see. He wanted to find joy in the scene, but all he could see was trouble, too many things that could go wrong.
Against Tyler’s wishes, Kelly worked the crowd, stopping here to chat with a small group of wives, pausing there to share hugs with a group of children. At the moment, she’d stopped to applaud an impromptu concert by a toddler rocking out on a cardboard guitar. She’d been uncharacteristically quiet since they’d found the knife, hardly uttering a word on the ride over, but to watch her now, no one would know anything had happened.
On the other hand, Tyler could not stop fidgeting. From his post by the entrance to Santa’s room, he could see half of the area, and the idea that someone dangerous could be lurking in the half he couldn’t see had every one of his nerves on high alert. What he wouldn’t give for a platoon to patrol this room and be his eyes. He knew exactly who he’d choose, too, if they weren’t busy overseas....
After changing the tire and speaking to the sheriff’s deputy from Christian County, Tyler had tried calling Shorty, but the call went to voice mail. Likely, he was catching a few hours of sleep after last night’s excitement. Well, Tyler sure had more to add to that plate. He’d left a terse message, wondering if he should place a call to Sergeant Major Walters, though there was nothing the older man could do from half a world away.
Helplessness ate at him. He couldn’t do anything to stop this. Tyler felt one step behind.
His leg ached an accusation. Maybe he was only half the man he thought he was.
He tossed the thought away. A bum knee wasn’t stealing his tactical mind. A brunette with a force of life all her own was. Lord, focus me.
“Ready?” Kelly’s voice at his shoulder nearly shot him out of his skin.
“How did you sneak up on me?” The words were harsh, but the fact she’d done it underscored the need for the very prayer he’d been praying.
“Not hard with you staring at the ceiling.” She smiled, ignoring his attitude, but the lines around her mouth were too tight, the creases in her forehead too pronounced. The knife had been a signal Kelly couldn’t ignore, though she was clearly trying. She tipped her head toward the door Tyler guarded. “You’re off crowd control. Two of the other volunteers came down with strep and they need us behind the curtain. They’ll give us a gender and age, and we’ll dig out the appropriate package to pass to Santa. Think you can handle that?”
“And then we all go home and sleep?” As if that was going to happen. He’d pull guard duty on Kelly’s apartment, probably, whether she liked it or not.
“Sounds like a plan.” She slipped open the door and motioned for him to follow.
It wasn’t long before Tyler’s knee ached from kneeling to dig through the mound of presents. He was getting soft with all of this time in the States. Used to be he could pull forty-eight hours on patrol without blinking. That involved movement and thought, though, while pulling gifts out of the pile grew more monotonous with each moment.
“Where’d you leave your Christmas spirit, Scrooge?” Kelly hip-checked him as she took the package he held out, double-checked the tag and passed it to another volunteer.
“Somewhere in your apartment about 0430 this morning.” Straightening he rolled his head to ease the tension in his neck. “How can you act like nothing is going on?”
Something flickered in her expression, then she gripped his wrist to stop him from grabbing another package. “I can’t change what’s happening, but I can focus on now. Right now, I’m safe.” She pulled him closer. “Stand still and listen.”
Tyler straightened, instantly alert. “What am I listening to?”
“Christmas spirit. Joy in a crazy world.”
Tyler pulled in a deep breath and let it out through his teeth. They had a mission. Pass on gifts, not stand still, but her grip on his wrist stopped him. In fact, her touch seemed to burn through to his muscles, paralyzing every movement. “Listen, we—”
She laced her fingers with his. “Shh.”
Well, when she put it that way... Tyler tried to ignore the feeling of her hand in his, focusing all of his attention on the blur of noise on the other side of the curtains that hid them from the rest of the room. The hum filtered and became individual sounds. Moms laughed. Giggles punctuated childish chatter.
Tyler forgot knives and guns and trashed apartments. Out there, kids whose dads wouldn’t be home for Christmas received joy from strangers who’d poured it into this project, to give them something special for the holiday.
Kelly was right. There was more to this than simply passing boxes around a curtain.
A grin itched the corner of his mouth, and he turned it on the petite brunette at his side. “Okay. Every knee-twanging, back-aching moment is worth it.”
She grinned up at him and squeezed his hand. “See? Didn’t I tell you last week you’d enjoy this?” A rogue piece of hair straggled from her ponytail and tickled her cheek.
Tyler reached up to tuck her hair back, letting his knuckles trail her cheek. All of the sounds she’d had him focused on died away. Man, was she beautiful with that joy on her face, already melting into something different. With that tenacious refusal to let the events of the past twelve hours drag her away from her mission to deliver Christmas cheer. His breath caught in his chest and he knew he’d never be able to deny it again. He was in trouble. As his fingers crept their way to the soft hair beneath her ponytail, he really didn’t care. All he knew was he wanted to kiss her. Right now.
“Hey, guys?” A frantic female voice sliced the moment. “You might want to speed things up.”
The words might as well have been a bucket of cold water, forcing him out of the moment. Probably for the best.
They seemed to have the same effect on Kelly, who dropped his hand and stepped back, like she was waking from a dream.
Tyler snatched up the nearest box and gripped it a little too tightly. His grip grew even tighter when he looked down at it.
Kelly started to step away, but he grabbed her elbow, eyes never leaving the box. His breathing picked up. “Tell me you remember this wrapping paper from yesterday.” Although why she’d choose it, he had no idea. The black paper was flat and dull, a sharp contrast to the sparkling red ribbon threaded around the sides to end in a pointed bow on the top. A glittering tag was anchored under the bow.
Kelly’s ponytail brushed his arm as she flipped the tag over. For Kelly Walters. Her gasp drowned out every other sound.
Tyler swallowed hard, feet already moving toward the emergency exit. “Clear the building. Now.”
* * *
What a nightmare. Kelly dropped her head to the steering wheel of her SUV and stared at her hands, too discouraged to watch. Those poor children, caught in the middle of her nightmare. Explosive Ordinance Disposal had been called in, halting the toy giveaway. The children were more disappointed than concerned, but she’d seen the looks on worried mothers�
� faces. They understood the implications, and they were scared to death.
Kelly had spent the past hour defying Tyler’s command that she stay somewhere secure, because she had to keep moving, to stop thinking. She’d circled among bewildered families, doling out smiles and promising the kids who hadn’t been through the line that their gifts would be delivered by evening. And they would be. Even if she had to rewrap every gift that EOD had unwrapped and deliver them herself. No child would suffer because some faceless coward toyed with soldiers’ families.
Kelly had tried to quash the whispers that ran among the wives, but the collective voice of rumor was quicker than her lone voice of truth. She’d heard terrorist whispered more than once, and she couldn’t blame the spouses for thinking it. After all, she’d thought it herself.
Even if she still refused to believe it.
A knock on her passenger window made her jump with a silent shriek.
Stephanie waved grimly.
Kelly popped the door locks, and Stephanie slipped in beside her, rubbing her hands against the chill as Tasha Pope got into the backseat.
“It can’t get much colder out there.” Tasha blew into her gloves and tucked her hands under her thighs.
Kelly turned on the SUV and cranked up the heat, knowing it wouldn’t do much good.
Stephanie shivered. “At least there’s no wind in here.”
“True.” Kelly sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, angling so she could see both women. “Why are you two still hanging around? I figured everyone was pretty much gone once the MPs cleared them to bolt.”
Stephanie sniffed a short laugh. “I’ve got no kids to drag back home. Tasha and I helped some of the wives pack up their kids then decided we’d stay and see what can be done in the aftermath.”
Tasha leaned up between the seats, dark hair forming a curtain that covered one of her chocolate eyes. “The volunteers took names of the kids who didn’t get toys. There are only a dozen. Steph and I wanted to see if we could get those presents delivered.”
“I know you well enough to know that’s what you were thinking of doing and didn’t want you here alone.” With a sly grin, Stephanie poked Kelly’s elbow.
For the first time since the gunshot cracked last night, Kelly felt warm, as though she had allies other than Tyler. “Thanks.” Maybe it was exhaustion, but tears threatened. She blinked twice and stared out the front window. Never would she cry in front of wives who had so much more on the line than she did. Other people needed her too much for her to break down. She cleared her throat. “What’s the latest word?”
“EOD is about done, but I only know that because I saw them loading up the trucks. Major Rainey is in the middle of everything, so he’ll probably be here any minute to brief you. As soon as they clear the building, we’ll go back in. There are other volunteers still here, so prepping those gifts will be fast.” Stephanie tapped Kelly’s arm again.
Tasha pulled a knit hat low over her ears before chiming in. “Go home. We can take care of this.”
Any other day, Kelly would have argued that this was where she needed to be, but sitting in the truck, she began to doubt she even had the presence of mind to drive home. She pulled in a deep breath and said the hardest thing imaginable. “Okay.” Guilt ate at her, but she’d be no good to anybody if she didn’t rest. She’d think later about what could happen when she was home alone.
Stephanie chuckled. “I know that was hard.” She pointed out the front window. “Here comes Major Rainey.”
Kelly followed her finger to see Tyler step into the crosswalk, a tall, chiseled man with him. They were speaking grimly as Tyler motioned with his hands, mimicking the size of the box he’d held.
Kelly’s stomach tightened, only it wasn’t from fear. Once again, he’d been there when needed. What would have happened if a child had ripped into that box?
Even from this distance, she could feel him watching her. In spite of everything that had happened since, she still felt the warm shiver of his touch, the look in his eye when they’d been alone behind the curtain. He’d have kissed her had they been anywhere else.
And she’d have let him.
Her fingers gripped the steering wheel. Absolutely not. He’d made it clear he wasn’t staying. Tyler would be like her father, constantly one foot out the door, never able to fully give to his family.
“You okay?” When Kelly looked at Stephanie, a knowing look formed. “So. Major Rainey?” A smug grin took the place of her curiosity. “I thought so.”
“Really?” Tasha poked her head between them. “Nice pick. He’s a cutie.”
Not the word Kelly would have chosen for the six-foot man whom she knew had biceps of— No. Her brain could take a vacation and stop this nonsense. “No way. He has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. That’s all.”
“That always seems to be wherever you are.” Tasha wouldn’t let it drop.
Kelly held up her hand in Tasha’s face. “No. Don’t go starting rumors.”
“Our lips are sealed.” Stephanie twisted an imaginary key and tossed it over her shoulder.
Kelly wanted to argue there was nothing that needed to be sealed, but Tyler and the stranger had arrived at her car, and she reached for the door.
Blessedly, Stephanie said her goodbyes, motioning for Tasha as she said, “Call me if there’s anything I need to know.” She was gone before Kelly even opened her door.
Tyler didn’t wait for her to step out of the vehicle. “Well, there’s good news and bad news.”
There was no way Kelly could handle more bad news. “Start with the good.”
“The package wasn’t a bomb.” The man with Tyler stepped forward and held out his hand. “Captain Shorter.”
Kelly gripped his hand, then stepped back, eyeing the man who stood at least two inches taller than Tyler. In spite of the day, she managed a wry grin. “This is Shorty?”
Tyler grinned and winked.
Yeah. That was enough to skitter her right back to the conversation at hand, amusement dead. “So what was it, Captain?”
“Assorted wires. A few rocks for weight. Nothing that’s going to hurt anybody unless your name is David and you’re carrying a sling.” His attempt at humor fell flat.
“I assume I know the bad news.”
Pulling in a deep breath, Tyler shrugged as he shoved both hands in the pockets of his black fleece. “You probably do.”
“Well, I know my name was on the package.” She leaned against the hood of the SUV.
“There’s more.” Captain Shorter stepped forward, tugging his beret tighter over short cropped brown hair.
Tyler looked away at the crosswalk where she’d been targeted the night before. It was almost as though he wished this part didn’t have to be said.
Kelly felt her remaining strength flag. “I don’t think I’m ready for more.”
“We reviewed last night’s security footage from all of the gates. Your shooter came in Gate One around 2130. An MP spotted him pulled off to the side of the road around forty-five minutes before you were hit.” Shorter tossed his chin over his shoulder toward the gate a half mile away. “Right over there. It looks like he never went farther. He waited specifically for you.”
Kelly dipped her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. This would be easier if she could stick her fingers in her ears and hum to keep from hearing things she preferred to ignore, the way she used to as a child.
“I’d like to sit down with you and conduct an interview, see if—” The buzzing of the cell phone at the captain’s hip stopped him. He held up a finger as he pulled the phone to his ear. “Shorter.”
Tyler reached for her hand, forcing her to look at him. “We’ll figure this out.”
“I’m not so sure it’ll be that easy.” Shorter slipped
his phone back onto his hip. “Dispatch is getting calls like mad. There are more suspicious packages on front porches all over post. They’re all families that were at the toy giveaway today.”
FOUR
“Take me back to the Family Resource Center.” Kelly leaned across the seat, regretting the stupid decision to let Tyler drive her to her house to get clothes. The plan was for him to take her back to the battalion to sleep in her office, where staff duty could keep an eye on her. She’d been too defeated to argue at first, but now she was wide awake.
The call had come in that they were bringing affected families back to the Family Resource Center until the bomb squad could investigate every package. The number stood at seventeen. The first three investigated had been harmless, but that didn’t mean anyone dropped their guard for the rest.
Helpless and feeling out of control, Kelly gripped Tyler’s arm where it rested on the console between them. “I have to be there for those families. They’re scared. More than anything they want to talk to their spouses and they can’t. That makes this all a hundred times harder.”
Tyler’s eyes never left the road in front of him. “They’ve called in counselors and chaplains. Trust me. Nobody is alone. You need to sleep. What is it you always tell your volunteers? The thing about the oxygen mask?”
Kelly huffed back in her seat and crossed her arms, not caring that she looked like a pouting two-year-old. “Not the same.” Wives only had to worry about themselves and their families. It was her job to take care of them. All of them.
“Say it, anyway.”
Sucking her lip against her teeth, Kelly sighed in defeat. “If you’re on a plane going down, you put your oxygen mask on before helping anyone else. Otherwise, you run out of air and nobody gets helped.”
“So, take care of yourself first? Is that what I’m hearing?” Tyler cocked an eyebrow. “You need sleep. And if I have to, I’ll bunk down outside your office door to make sure you don’t sneak out.” He held up a hand against her protest. “Don’t argue. Somebody needs to keep an eye on you until we know what’s going on.”
Holiday Defenders : Mission: Christmas Rescuespecial Ops Christmashomefront Holiday Hero (9781460341254) Page 18
