Coming Home

by Jill Sanders

  He glanced down at Mia and remembered how the family had jumped in completely to help him find her. Would anyone else he knew do such a thing? Maybe a handful, but he was pretty sure the McGowans would have done so even if he technically wasn’t one of theirs. They were just good people. People he’d strived to shoot down most of his life and now looked up to for those same reasons.

  He glanced around the home and thought about making a life here, with Mia. It was just over a week until Christmas and there weren’t any Christmas decorations in the place. If he’d been back at his own place, he would have at least had his fake tree in the living room.

  Pulling out of Mia’s sleeping death grip, he decided there were some things he could do around the place to make it feel more festive. He’d seen a box of decorations in the garage the other day when he’d rolled out the workout mats.

  Lifting her in his arms, he carried her up the stairs and laid her gently on the bed. She didn’t even stir.

  The cut on her temple had caused a large bruise to bloom across her cheek. There were dark circles under her eyes, and he knew the pain pill she’d taken shortly after coming home would keep her under for at least another hour. Which should be plenty of time to get things set up.

  First things first, he sent a text message to Tom before heading out to the garage to find the decorations.

  By the time he found several boxes of lights and decorations, Tom was pulling into the driveway, a large fir tree in the back of his truck.

  “Your mother picked out the tree. I think it was the biggest one on the lot,” Tom joked.

  “Thanks.” He shook the man’s hand.

  “Is Mia resting?” Tom glanced towards the house.

  “Yeah, I thought to surprise her.” He helped Tom pull the tree out of the bed of the truck and into the house.

  Maneuvering the tree through the back door without making too much noise was harder than he’d expected.

  They set up the stand and tree in the corner beside the fireplace.

  “I’ll leave you to the rest, then. I didn’t know if you needed lights, so I got some. They’re the LED kind. Less of a fire hazard than whatever you found in the garage.” He handed him a large bag with boxes of lights in it.

  “Thanks,” he said again.

  “I’ve got to get back home; your mother probably has dinner on the table already.”

  “Yeah.” He turned to go.

  “Brian,” Tom stopped him. “The coroner confirmed the woman had been raped. He’s running DNA now. We should know more soon.”

  Brian sighed. He’d guessed as much. He’d read the police report on Jonah Burgess. The man had moved to Haven less than a year ago. He’d gotten a job at Granger’s, stocking in the back, and according to his boss, Frank, had taken off so many sick and vacation days, Frank had been thinking about firing him. But, according to Frank, good workers were hard to come by.

  The man had lived in a handful of other small towns prior to coming to Haven. The local PD had been contacted in each town, so they could keep an eye out for any other cases that might show up.

  Of course, none of that had anything to do with why he and Mia were in Haven.

  “Thanks,” Brian told Tom.

  “I’m glad Mia is okay. Keep us posted how she’s doing,” Tom said, getting into his truck.

  “Thanks again.” He waved as the man drove away.

  He was just stringing the lights on the tree when Mia came downstairs.

  “What’s all this?” she asked, smiling at the tree.

  “A surprise. One I’d hoped would be done by the time you woke up.” He moved over and kissed her. She still had the dark circles, but her eyes weren’t as dull as they had been earlier.

  “I take it we’re planning on staying through the holidays.” She sat down on the sofa and tucked her feet under herself.

  “I don’t see any reason not to. It’s not like we have narrowed our list of suspects down to less than a dozen.”

  “Right.” She frowned. “Need some help?” She nodded to the box of ornaments.

  “Sure.” He smiled. “You stay put, and I’ll go make you some coffee.”

  “Hot chocolate.”

  “Okay, some hot chocolate, and then you can direct me where to put everything.” He leaned over and kissed her.

  “Lots of marshmallows,” she added. “Thank you.” She smiled back at him. Her eyes moved to the tree.

  “Anytime.” He disappeared into the kitchen and started putting together two cups of hot chocolate and a plate of chocolate chunk cookies from the store’s bakery.

  For the next hour, he put the final touches on the Christmas tree, using every ornament in the boxes. There were even several stockings, and he hung two of them on small hooks over the fireplace.

  “There.” He dusted off his hands and sat next to her on the sofa. “Now we’re ready for Christmas.” He tucked the blanket around her a little more.

  He’d started a fire, but he’d seen her shiver several times and was worried she was getting sick again.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked as she snuggled into his chest.

  “Tired.” She yawned. “It’s stupid, but I think at this point I could sleep for a week.”

  “You rest, I was going to make us some chili.”

  “Hmm, that sounds amazing.” She held onto him for a moment more. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t shown up. How did you know I was there?”

  “I saw fresh tire marks turn off the road. It was pure luck,” he admitted.

  “Whatever the case, I was obviously in shock and could have easily frozen to death. I didn’t even feel cold, not until I was in the hospital.”

  “That’s kind of how being in shock works.” He kissed her forehead. “Rest, I’ll make us some food.”

  By the time the pot of chili was cooking on the stove, Mia was once again fast asleep on the sofa. He muted the television and stepped out back onto the porch to make a few calls.

  Carter was concerned about Mia, but he knew that she was in good hands.

  “This might actually benefit us. If you can convince everyone in town that the entire ordeal has hit you pretty hard, you might convince a few key people that you’re looking for something stronger.”

  It was a smart move, using the circumstances surrounding you to benefit the case. “I’ll see what I can come up with.”

  “How is Mia?” he asked.

  “She’s resting.”

  “When you two get back, we have some… reevaluating to do.”

  “Oh?” He tried to act casual, but after the last several conversations, he knew Carter knew what was up between them.

  “Later, but let’s just say, I may not be there, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind.”

  “Right.” Brian ran his hands through his hair.

  “If I thought that your… dynamics would cause a problem with this case, I’d pull you both back here in a heartbeat. I’d like to think that you two are more dedicated to the job than that.”

  “We are,” he agreed.

  “Good, now, find our kingpin.”

  “We will,” he said before hanging up.

  When the chili was done, he scooped up two bowls, then put a loaf of hot bread on a tray and carried it all out to the coffee table.

  He went to wake her by touching her shoulder and was caught off guard as she lunged forward, knocking his legs out from under him. He landed on his back with her above him and saw recognition replace fear in her eyes just as the air was slammed out of his lungs.

  Her knee ended up pressing into his throat and even though she removed it a second later, he knew he’d be sore tomorrow for it.

  “Sorry!” She moved off him quickly.

  “Damn, that was sexy as hell,” he joked in between coughs as he righted his clothes.

  She sat on the sofa and closed her eyes, and he could tell she was embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” she said again.

  “Hey, it’s my fault.”
He touched her knee as he got up from the floor. “I should have woken you before I touched you. After all you’ve been through, it’s no wonder you’re a little jumpy.”

  “I… don’t know if I can do this anymore,” she said, keeping her eyes closed.

  “What?” Suddenly, thoughts of her breaking it off with him loomed in his mind.

  “How can I square off with some of the baddest drug dealers and not freak out, remembering how one asshole overpowered me and almost…”

  He sat beside her and took her hand. “You’ll recover…”

  “Will I?” She stood up and walked over to the back windows. He followed her and glanced out at the snow falling in the darkness of the backyard.

  “I don’t know. The only thing I do know is… I’m not going anywhere. We’ll get through this together,” he told her.

  She turned towards him and he watched the weariness dissipate a little.

  “Thanks.” She leaned up on her toes and kissed him. “I’m just tired, hungry, and sore.”

  “I think I can help you with all three of those.”

  “Oh?”

  He ticked off on his fingers. “Hot chili, climbing into the hot tub to watch the snow fall, sleep.” He pulled her closer and held onto her lightly, hating that she felt the way she did.

  He couldn’t fix her mentally, but he could do everything he could to help her physically heal, while being there for her emotionally.

  “Sit.” He nudged her onto the sofa and then handed her a bowl of chili. Sitting beside her, he took his own bowl.

  “This is really good,” she said after a spoonful.

  “Bread?” he asked, handing her a chunk.

  “You’re going to show me how to cook this,” she said after a few more bites. “It looks pretty cool in here.” She looked around. “Like it’s Christmas.”

  He chuckled. “Only ten days left.”

  “That soon?” She shook her head. “I haven’t even gone shopping.”

  He hadn’t either. Shit, he didn’t even know what to get her. What kind of things did she like? Flowers? Clothing? Jewelry?

  “I haven’t either,” he admitted.

  She looked sideways at him. “What kind of things do you want?”

  He smiled. “Tell you what. I’ll make a list if you make one for me.”

  “Deal.” She smiled and then leaned against his chest. “Now, let’s watch a Christmas movie and neck until I fall asleep again.”

  “I like the way you think.” He leaned down and kissed her until he knew there was no chance in hell he’d ever let her go.

  Chapter 21

  The news in Haven was focused on the two murders, Gary’s and the mystery woman’s. The fact that Mia had killed a man with a hammer was also a top topic for the small town. The rumors were going around that she’d singlehandedly stopped a serial rapist and murderer.

  Everyone believed her to be the biggest badass in town.

  No one paid much attention to Brian’s comings and goings anymore.

  Everywhere she went, people she didn’t know stopped and wished her a speedy recovery.

  Even the town’s mayor stopped and sat with them one day for lunch. She wasn’t used to getting so much attention, but sort of enjoyed how nice everyone was being to her.

  She finally got a call from her mother one day while she was at the grocery store buying supplies for a holiday meal. She’d invited Rea and Tom over for Christmas Eve dinner. She’d even stopped off at several of the smaller stores and picked out gifts for them and each of the McGowans. Even the children. She might not like grocery shopping, but she absolutely loved gift shopping.

  It was strange, but she didn’t want to tell her mother what she’d been through. Not over the phone anyway.

  “So, Steve and I will be there tomorrow afternoon. Steve’s booked us a room at a local B and B.”

  Mia didn’t even know there was one in town or anywhere near Haven.

  “That’s good,” she answered, remembering that she hadn’t purchased gifts for either of them. She tossed a loaf of bread into her cart, realizing she’d have to head back to the boutique next door instead of heading home after shopping.

  “It appears the town is pretty scarce of places for visitors to stay,” her mother started.

  “Yeah,” she agreed. When she turned the corner, she noticed a woman standing at the end of the aisle. When the woman noticed her, the pretty brunette’s face turned white. Mia shook it off as odd, but continued shopping. “As far as I know, there’s only one hotel in town.”

  “Anyway,” her mother continued, “I’m excited to meet your partner. I’ve heard good things about him from Steve.”

  Mia frowned. “How would Steve know Brian?”

  “Steve is the one who talked Brian into the DEA,” her mother answered.

  “What?” Mia almost dropped the can of yams she’d been about to throw into her cart.

  “I thought I told you. Steve is from Helena. He was recently transferred out here and well… we ended up working a case together…”

  “You worked with a DEA agent?” she asked, knowing that often local PD worked one on one with agents. But still, her mom was a beat cop.

  “Yes, well, Steve isn’t your normal… agent.” Her mother was hiding something.

  “Okay.” She tossed a bag of marshmallows into her cart and when she turned the corner, noticed the same woman watching her. “Mom, I… need to go. I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”

  “Okay, I’ve got your address. We’ll come straight over after we get settled in the B and B.”

  “Okay,” she said, hanging up. She walked over to the woman, who was obviously trying to act like she hadn’t been watching Mia. “Hi. Do we know each other?” she asked.

  The woman shook her head and swallowed hard. It almost looked like she was about to break out in tears and, for a moment, Mia was concerned she was going to ugly cry.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  The woman nodded her head and glanced around. “I… I’m sorry.” She wiped her eyes dry.

  “It’s okay, can I get you anything?” Mia asked, concerned.

  “No.” The woman shook her head. “You… You’re the one who killed him. Right?”

  Mia’s stomach dropped. Suddenly, her head was light, and her vision started to fade. Oh god, was this woman Jonah’s girlfriend? His wife?

  She hadn’t even looked into the life of the man she had killed.

  Now it was her turn to swallow the lump in her throat. “I…”

  The woman reached out and touched her arm. “I’m Kylie. Miley was my twin,” she said, as if that cleared everything up.

  When Mia shook her head, Kylie continued.

  “It was my sister… the one they found after… Jonah killed her.” She swayed slightly and Mia reached out to take the woman’s shoulders, pulling her out of the frozen food section and into the bakery area.

  “How do you know?” she asked, wondering why she hadn’t heard anything from Brian about the police IDing the body yet.

  “I just came back from the coroner.” Kylie covered her face. “I had to…” She looked up at Mia, tears rolling down her face.

  “Let’s go…” She glanced around. There was a small eating area by the deli that had a few chairs.

  Taking her cart and Kylie’s arm, she pulled her into a chair and sat across from her.

  “When did your sister disappear?” she asked, trying to comfort the woman.

  “Just before Thanksgiving. My parents… they didn’t believe me when I told them something was wrong. Miley was… had…” A short cry escaped her lips, and she covered her mouth. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”

  “I’m so sorry.” She reached over and touched her hand.

  Kylie looked into her eyes, her hazel eyes pleading with her. “They say that you’re the one who killed the man who did that to my sister.”

  Mia nodded slowly. “Yes, he… attacked me and drove me out there to…” It was
her turn for emotions. Kylie squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry.”

  “They said you’re a cop of some kind. That that’s how you survived and fought back.”

  Mia didn’t want to lie to the woman but knew that she was still deep in a job.

  “I just happened to get lucky and have a hammer in my back seat.”

  Kylie shifted closer to her and whispered. “I wish it had been me, that had killed him.”

  Mia understood the emotions. She’d talked to so many other victims of abuse and attacks. Anger was part of the healing process. She was prepared to go through those stages herself.

  “How did you know who I was?” Mia asked, suddenly.

  Kylie looked at her. “I saw you…” She nodded to the other side of the store. “I knew it had to be you.” She motioned to Mia’s temple.

  She’d almost forgotten about the bruises and the cut. Touching the spot, she noticed it was still tender, but no longer ached like it had the day after.

  “Right.” She sighed.

  “And you look like Miley.” Kylie pulled out her phone and flipped the screen to a picture of the twins. They didn’t really look alike, telling Mia that they were probably fraternal twins, but when she looked more closely at Miley, Mia’s heart skipped.

  Miley could have been Mia’s twin. They both had long dark hair, hazel eyes, and several tattoos. Jonah had definitely had a type.

  “I’m so sorry,” Mia said again.

  “They say there are more victims.” Kylie put her phone back in her purse.

  Again, this was the first Mia had heard of it. “They have?”

  Kylie nodded. “The press is calling him a modern-day Ted Bundy.”

  Mia remembered how Jonah had looked. Hell, he’d just looked like a normal guy.

  “How many, have they said?” Mia asked.

  “At least four more that they’ve found. Not here,” Kylie added quickly. “He lived in Kalispell before coming here. That’s… where I’m from.”

  Mia didn’t know where Kalispell was and figured it was as small of a town as Haven, since she knew all the big cities in Montana.

  “They’re looking into other places he lived,” Kylie added. “I... need to get going. It’s a long drive home. I’m so sorry I… interrupted your shopping trip. I just had to say… Thank you.”