Christmas Reunion

by Laura Scott

  Christmas Reunion

  by

  Laura Scott

  Christmas Reunion

  Copyright © 2014 by Laura Iding writing as Laura Scott

  Cover Design by The Killion Group, Inc.

  Digital Formatting by Author E.M.S.

  By payment of the required fees, you have been granted a non-exclusive and non-transferable right to access and read the text of this eBook. No part of this eBook may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now or hereinafter invented without the express written permission of the copyright owner.

  Please Note

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The reverse engineering, uploading, and/or distributing of this eBook via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American copyright conventions.

  Thank You

  Other Books by Laura Scott

  Crystal Lake Series (listed in order)

  Healing Her Heart

  A Soldier’s Promise

  Coming Home

  Worth The Wait

  Christmas Reunion

  Other Love Inspired Suspense Books

  The Thanksgiving Target

  Secret Agent Father

  Lawman-in-Charge

  Proof of Life

  Identity Crisis*

  Twin Peril*

  Undercover Cowboy*

  Her Mistletoe Protector*

  Wrongly Accused (SWAT Series)

  Down To The Wire (SWAT Series)

  Under The Lawman’s Protection (SWAT Series)

  *Stories with Linked Characters

  Chapter One

  Hope County Sheriff’s Deputy Ian Kramer gripped the steering wheel tightly as he maneuvered the treacherous highway through the swirling snow. The citizens of Crystal Lake, Wisconsin were likely thrilled to have a white Christmas, but he was the one stuck working night shift over the holiday and patrolling the county in the middle of a blizzard was not his idea of fun.

  Not that he was complaining. After everything that had happened with his brother a few months ago, he was lucky to have his job at all. He was very grateful that after a lengthy month-long investigation, Sheriff Luke Torretti had allowed him to return to duty. The graveyard shift wasn’t his favorite, but he was willing to take whatever his boss gave him.

  No way was he going to ruin the second chance he’d been given.

  The wind kicked up, blowing snow horizontally across the country highway, buffeting his SUV. He was moving at a crawl and, thankfully, didn’t see any traffic on the road. He hoped the townsfolk were smart enough to stay home rather than risking their lives driving through this.

  No such luck. He carefully navigated a hairpin turn in the road, and caught a glimpse of dim flashers blinking on and off. As he approached he could see that a car was nose down, stuck in the ditch. The vehicle was covered in snow, so much that in another hour, even the flashers would be difficult to see.

  If the battery held out for that long.

  Ian slowed to a stop and peered through the windshield, trying to read the license plate so he could run the tag through the system. Unfortunately, the information was obliterated with snow. He contacted the dispatcher to let her know that he was responding to a stranded vehicle off Highway ZZ.

  Warily, he slid out from the driver’s seat, ducking his head and tugging his hat further on his head against the ferocious wind. He approached the driver’s side door, but the foggy window made it impossible to see who was inside.

  He sharply rapped on the window. “I’m Deputy Kramer,” he shouted. “Is everyone all right in there?”

  There was a long pause, and he doubted his voice carried above the howling wind. He tapped on the window again and to his surprise, it lowered, revealing the pale face of a woman.

  “Kramer? Ian Kramer?” she echoed in surprise.

  He bent over to get a better look, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise when he recognized the woman’s heart-shaped face framed with long dark hair.

  “Sarah Miller,” he said in a shocked tone.

  Her slight smile faded. “My last name is Franklin now. And that’s my five-year-old son, Ben, in the backseat.”

  Sarah was married. And had a son. The news shouldn’t have surprised him. After all, they’d only spent one summer together and that had been ten years ago. But the three months they’d shared together were forever etched in his memory. He’d fallen for Sarah hard, and ridiculously thought she felt the same way. Yet when summer had ended Sarah hadn’t returned his phone calls. After a few weeks, he’d given up since he was attending college in Madison.

  He’d never heard from her again.

  Disturbing to realize that he’d never forgotten her.

  “Hi, Ben,” he said to the youngster curled up in a sleeping bag in the backseat. Where on earth was Sarah’s husband? She shouldn’t have been driving in this storm all by herself.

  “I tried to call for a tow truck, but couldn’t get through.” Sarah shrugged. “I left a message with Billy’s Auto Repair.”

  “Hank owns the garage, but unfortunately he’s out of town,” Ian said. “He’s visiting his daughter in Madison and won’t be back until after Christmas.”

  The spark of hope in her eyes dimmed. “I don’t suppose you can somehow pull me out of the ditch?” she hesitantly asked.

  He could, but there was no telling what damage had been done to her car, and he doubted that it was drivable. Besides, he’d rather get Sarah and her son somewhere safely out of the storm. “I’ll give you a ride, and we’ll work on getting your car unstuck later. Do you have a reservation at the hotel?”

  “No. I’m heading to my grandparent’s cabin. I appreciate you giving us a ride. Would you mind getting our suitcases out of the trunk?”

  Suitcases? Ian thought it was odd that she’d come up to her grandparent’s place two days before Christmas, but then again, for all he knew, her husband might be meeting her there so they could spend a rustic holiday together.

  The idea left a sour taste in his mouth.

  “No, I don’t mind.” He tried not to remember the last time he’d been to her grandparent’s cabin, the night he kissed her beneath the stars. Ancient history, he reminded himself as Sarah popped the trunk.

  There were three suitcases and several boxes crammed in the trunk without any room to spare. He couldn’t help wondering just how long Sarah and her son were planning to stay. There was way more stuff here than what they’d need if they were just visiting over the holiday break from school.

  Not that Sarah’s plans were any of his business. He fought against the wind and swirling snow, grabbing the suitcases and hauling them over to store them in the back of his SUV.

  Sarah joined him, looking cute in her pink parka with matching hat and gloves. “Ian, would you be willing to take the boxes too, if there’s enough room?”

  “Sure.” He saw her son standing beside her, the hood of his coat up over his head and a scarf covering a good portion of his face. “Why don’t you and Ben get inside where it’s warm? I’ll take care of moving everything over.”

  She nodded, look
ing relieved. “Thank you.”

  He trudged through the snow, until he had everything from Sarah’s car—including the sleeping bag and booster seat from the backseat. Sarah wrestled with securing the booster seat while Ian kicked the snow from his boots and slid behind the wheel.

  “Ready?” he asked as he started the engine and blasted the heat on high.

  “Yes,” Sarah’s voice was strong as she glanced back at Ben, as if to reassure her son. “We’re ready, right Ben?”

  The boy paused, then nodded. “Right, Mom.”

  Ian nodded and slowly pulled back out onto the highway. He noticed that Ben hadn’t said much, and his instincts warned him that something wasn’t quite right with this situation.

  He was surprised at how much he wanted to help and protect Sarah from whatever was causing the shadows in her eyes. But unless she was involved in something illegal, which he highly doubted, he needed to remember her problems weren’t his concern.

  He had his brother to worry about, and that was a huge challenge. Jesse was finally getting the psychiatric help he needed, but Ian was still worried about his brother’s emotional stability. The last thing Ian needed was to put his job at risk, especially not for a married woman. He’d get Sarah and her son safely to her grandparent’s cabin.

  From there, she could call her husband for help if needed.

  Sarah momentarily closed her eyes and silently prayed, seeking strength. She’d never in her wildest dreams imagined that Ian Kramer was still living in Crystal Lake. Or that he was a deputy with the sheriff’s department.

  She’d been seventeen to Ian’s eighteen during that summer they’d spent together. They’d been inseparable; swimming and boating in the lake, taking long walks on the hiking trail, and sitting by the campfire roasting marshmallows at night.

  Ian had kissed her several times, nothing too heavy until the night before she had to leave to return home. They’d kissed beneath the stars, passion simmering between them. She was ashamed to admit that Ian had been the one to break things off before their young love spiraled out of control.

  “Sarah? Are you all right?” Ian asked, breaking the silence.

  She opened her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing a smile. “I’m fine, thanks so much for coming to our rescue.”

  “I’m surprised you decided to drive up here, despite the storm warnings that have been on the news for the past twenty-four hours,” Ian admitted.

  She hoped the darkness hid the desperation she knew was reflected in her eyes. The minute she heard David, her ex-husband, was going to be released from jail, she’d loaded up her car and driven north. She hadn’t heard the weather reports until she was on the highway, but even then she wouldn’t have let the snow stop her.

  “I was already on the road when I heard the news,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

  “I didn’t realize your grandparents had kept the cabin,” Ian said, shooting her a side long glance. “I thought maybe your family had sold it.”

  Sarah knew what he was really asking, since she hadn’t returned his many phone calls ten years ago. And at the very least, she owed him an explanation.

  “A week after returning home after our summer together, my mother was diagnosed with stage four uterine cancer. My father,” she hesitated, unwilling to speak ill of the dead. “He didn’t handle it well. Instead of being supportive he worked longer and longer hours, using every excuse possible to avoid coming home. Six months after my mother passed away, he died of a massive heart attack.”

  “Oh, Sarah, I’m sorry for your loss,” Ian said, reaching out to take her hand. The simple comforting gesture made tears spring to her eyes and she struggled to blink them back before Ian noticed. “I can’t imagine what you went through. Losing both your parents so close together must have been terrible. You should have called me, I would have been there for you.”

  Looking back, it was easy to see how different her life might have been if she’d garnered the courage to make that call. But then again, she wouldn’t have Ben, and she could never regret having her son. Ben meant everything to her.

  “I was pretty focused on staying in high school so I could graduate, and being there for my mother,” she said softly. “And then so much time had passed, it didn’t seem right to call you.”

  “I would have come, no matter when you called,” he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before releasing her. She missed his warmth and twisted her fingers together to prevent herself from reaching for him.

  Sarah knew she couldn’t afford to let her foolish teenage emotions get the better of her. Ian had been the center of her world that summer, but the reality of her mother’s cancer and her father’s avoidance had caused her to push the memories aside. She’d convinced herself that he’d moved on without her.

  And she’d moved on as well. Realizing too late that she’d made the wrong choice in marrying David.

  But there was nothing to be gained by rehashing the past.

  “Well, anyway, that’s enough about my life. What about you?” she asked, eager to change the subject. “I’m so impressed that you’re a sheriff’s deputy.”

  He lifted a brow and sent her a sideways glance. “I’m pretty sure I told you that I wanted to be a cop when I grew up,” he reminded her.

  And she’d wanted to be a nurse. Regret burned in the back of her throat. She’d only managed to complete a nursing assistant program before her mother passed away.

  “Yes, you did,” she said softly. “I didn’t start my nursing degree. I completed my nurse’s aide training, but that’s all.” Which reminded her she’d need to get a job within the next few weeks, before she depleted her meager savings. But that would have to wait until after the holidays.

  “We have a hospital here,” he said, as if reading her mind. “Eighteen months ago, I spent more time there than I wanted to.”

  “What happened?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “Gunshot wound, but I survived. The staff there took good care of me.”

  Sarah swallowed hard, more upset than she had a right to be about his close call. Why was she dredging up her old feelings for Ian? After ten years, they were two completely different people, nothing at all like the carefree teenagers they’d been.

  “Are you married?” she asked, striving for a casual tone.

  “Nope. Got close once, but things didn’t work out.”

  Her own five year marriage proved that was the understatement of the year. Her divorce had been finalized over two years ago, but that hadn’t stopped David from coming after her. And now that he’d been released from jail, her brief respite was over.

  “Lucky that you found out ahead of time,” she said before she could stop herself. “Less complicated that way.”

  Ian frowned. “Sarah, what’s wrong? Why isn’t your husband with you?”

  She glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see that Ben had fallen asleep. “We’re divorced,” she said simply. “I haven’t changed my name because of Ben. It’s less complicated to share the same last name.”

  “I guess I can understand that,” Ian said with a nod. “How long have you been divorced?”

  “Two years.” She had no idea why she was telling him this. It wasn’t as if she was interested in picking up where their summer romance left off. The last thing she wanted was to jump into another relationship. Once was more than enough. “Oh, is that the driveway to my grandparent’s place?” she asked, changing the subject as the highway marker caught her attention.

  “That’s it, although it might be tricky getting into the driveway,” he cautioned. “Having four-wheel drive isn’t fail-safe.”

  She refused to let the news upset her. She was more than willing to walk up to the cabin if necessary.

  Ian gunned the engine and barreled through the snow drifts without stopping until he reached the clearing in front of the cabin. The welcome sight of the familiar rustic dwelling gave her an overwhelming sense of relief.

  “Ben, w
e’re here,” she said, reaching back to shake her son awake.”

  He opened his eyes but then groggily closed them again.

  “Let him sleep,” Ian suggested. “I’ll carry him in for you.”

  “I can do it,” she said quickly. “But would you be willing to light a fire for us?”

  “Of course. Do you have the key?”

  She smiled. “Don’t you remember? It’s in the flower pot on the porch.”

  Ian looked surprised, but nodded. “I do remember. Stay here, let me check things out first.”

  “All right.” She sat back in her seat, knowing she shouldn’t be leaning on Ian like this. Hadn’t she learned the hard way that it was better to stand on her own two feet? She’d vowed never to be dependent on a man again.

  With renewed determination, she pushed her door open and tried not to gasp as she was hit by a blistering wave of cold air. Winters in Crystal Lake were far different than summers, that’s for sure. Although they had tough winters in Chicago too. She refused to be wimpy.

  After trudging around to the back of the police vehicle, she fumbled with the latch. After two tries she finally found the release. She grabbed the smaller of the suitcases and then closed the tailgate so the snow wouldn’t get inside before heading up toward the cabin.

  The door was open, which was a relief since that meant Ian had found the key. The interior of the cabin smelled musty and was only slightly warmer than being out in the wind and snow. The only light was from Ian’s flashlight which was propped beside him.

  “I told you I’d carry everything in,” Ian chided gently from his kneeling position in front of the wooden stove.

  “I know, but I’m not helpless, and I appreciate that you’re getting the fire started.” She glanced around the cabin, surprised to note that it didn’t look all that much different from the last time she’d been here. Of course her grandparents had come up here on occasion over the years, at least until they’d retired in Arizona, but she hadn’t been back.