Arctic Christmas Ambush

by Sherri Shackelford

  He retreated into the corridor once again, letting the door slam. Graham would be listening for him, and Shane wanted to keep him confused.

  He shut off the lights in the dining room, plunging it into darkness. As he crept past the tables, he heard voices coming from the kitchen area. He fought his natural urge to rush. He needed to keep a clear head.

  He hugged the wall and eased forward. The swinging door to the kitchen had never quite closed all the way, and no one had bothered to fix it over the years. Through the narrow crack, he caught sight of a hand dumping a pile of rags on the open flame of the gas stove.

  Shane shoved open the door and fired.

  Graham jerked back. He stumbled and collided with Kara. She fought him and Graham let out a roar, shoving her hard. She tripped backward and fell, her head striking the stainless steel worktable. Her body went limp and she collapsed to the floor.

  A furious darkness descended over Shane’s vision. Without considering the consequences, he dove forward. Live or die, this ended here.

  Now.

  FIFTEEN

  Something snapped inside Shane. As he fired off another shot, he dove forward, ignoring the gun in Graham’s outstretched hand. He had five inches and twenty pounds on the smaller man, and he planned to use everything he had to his advantage.

  They hit the tile hard and Graham’s gun skittered across the floor. Instead of going after it, Graham snatched Shane’s gun hand and slammed it down. Shane’s knuckles exploded in pain and his hand automatically opened.

  As Shane groped for his weapon, Graham rolled to his side and kicked him in the ribs. Bones cracked and a wave of nausea swept over him. Groaning, Shane reached for the gun again. His fingers closed around the handle and he rolled onto his back.

  Flames from the gas stove were licking up the side of the wall and gathering at the ceiling. Graham staggered to his feet and stood over him.

  “What are you going to do?” he demanded, splaying his arms. “Are you going to shoot an unarmed man?”

  “No.”

  “I didn’t think so.”

  Shane heaved upward and swept his legs beneath Graham’s feet. Caught off guard, Graham flipped to the side. He stretched out one arm when he landed, crushing it beneath him.

  He howled in pain. “You broke my arm!”

  Smoke was starting to fill the room. Shane retrieved his weapon and holstered it. Then he reached for Graham’s gun, dumped out the rounds and stuck it in his waistband.

  Graham clutched his arm and writhed on the floor.

  Shane snatched a fire extinguisher from the wall and doused the flames, then dropped the canister and rushed to Kara’s side. He cradled his hand behind her head. Blood oozed from a large goose egg.

  She blinked groggily. “What happened?”

  Tears flooded his eyes and he didn’t try and stop them. He’d never seen a more beautiful sight. He didn’t feel any of his own pain. Not the broken ribs. Not his sprained wrist. They were background noise that was easily ignored.

  Graham had ceased moving and was lying on his side. His breath came in heaving gasps and his face was ashen. He was no longer a threat.

  “We got him,” Shane said. “We saved the day.”

  “I never doubted us.”

  Her weak smile was like sunlight streaming through a church window. He tucked her into the crook of his arm and rocked her.

  She lifted her fingers to his face. “You’re crying.”

  “I know.” He choked back a sob. “I know.”

  “Everything is going to be all right,” she said, repeating his words back to him. “Maybe not today. But someday.”

  “You’re all right. And that’s all I need. That’s everything I need.”

  A cacophony of sirens sounded outside, and all the adrenaline drained from his system.

  He hoisted her into his arms. As he reached the door, Graham hollered after him.

  “You can’t leave me here!”

  His gun drawn, a state trooper burst into the kitchen.

  Shane jerked his chin over his shoulder. “That’s your guy. He’s your problem now.”

  Graham wasn’t much of a threat in his condition. Shane was happy to leave him behind. He was happy to leave everything behind. He never wanted to see the inside of the resort again. Once he walked out those doors, he never planned on returning.

  He emerged into the lobby as several officers came rushing through the door. His knees weakened. He took a few more halting steps before Jeff reached his side.

  “He’s in there.” Shane jerked his chin over his shoulder. “He’s broken his arm. But don’t turn your back on him.”

  “I won’t.”

  A paramedic was tending to Red. He couldn’t feel his legs but somehow he was still moving. He wasn’t stopping until he was through the doors.

  The blue-and-red lights of the emergency vehicles danced just outside the glass. He reached the door as two firemen arrived. One of the men moved aside to let him pass.

  The second fireman said something to him, but he didn’t hear the words. He kept walking forward. Away from the resort. Away from the death. Away from the pain.

  The fireman blocked his way. He was a big guy and Shane was running out of energy.

  The man’s face flooded with sympathy. “Let me take her,” he said. “You’re dead on your feet.”

  The words finally penetrated the fog swirling through Shane’s brain. He let the fireman take Kara from his outstretched arms. She was safe. He could finally let go.

  As soon as he released her, he dropped to his knees.

  A paramedic rushed over and placed one hand on his shoulder. Shane winced. He recognized the paramedic as someone he’d gone to high school with.

  “She’s in good hands, Shane,” the paramedic reassured him. “It’s time to let us take care of you.”

  All the fight drained from him, leaving him weak. Maybe it was time to let someone else carry the burden. Just for a little while. Just until he got his strength back. The past few days had taken all his reserves.

  He collapsed onto his back and stared at the vast blanket of stars crowding the dark sky.

  He could finally rest.

  * * *

  Kara was contemplating the lime Jell-O on her hospital tray when a soft knock sounded on the door.

  When Shane appeared, her heart jumped into her throat. He was wearing jeans and a blue-plaid button-up shirt she recognized. He’d gotten a haircut and he’d shaved recently. She could see the slight burn of the blade on his chin. He had a duffel bag slung over one shoulder and a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

  She fought the impulse to burst into tears. She’d done too much crying lately. She was ready for a little joy.

  He perched on the edge of the bed and extended the hand holding the bouquet. “I brought you something.”

  She buried her nose in the soft petals and inhaled. “This must have cost a fortune.”

  “Worth every penny.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I brought you something else.” He retrieved a furry little body from inside his coat. “This little guy.”

  Kara dropped the flowers on the tray and reached out. “Snowball.”

  The puppy pawed at the blankets and licked her face.

  “Don’t tell anyone. I had to smuggle him in.”

  “If we get caught, do you know any law enforcement officers that might owe you a favor?”

  “One or two,” he replied.

  He grinned, revealing his even, white teeth.

  Her eyes misted. “I’ve missed this little guy.”

  “He missed you too.”

  Shane stood and swung the strap of the duffel bag over his head, then set it on the bed. “There’s something else.”

  “This is plenty.” She scratched Snow
ball behind the ears. “I have everything I need.”

  Shane lifted a cupcake with a single candle on the top. “Happy birthday.”

  Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and she sniffled. “How did you know?”

  “I cheated. When you applied to rent the town house, I did the background check. Your birthday was listed.”

  “I can’t believe you remembered.”

  “Well, I can’t take too much credit. When you mentioned that no one ever forgot Christmas, something kept bugging me. I didn’t figure it out until this morning, or I would have brought you something nicer.”

  “This is perfect.” She touched his sleeve. “You wore that shirt on our first date.”

  He blushed. “I have others.”

  “I like this one.”

  “Then I’m glad I wore it.”

  “I have a confession.”

  His expression grew serious. “What’s that?”

  “When you first asked me out for coffee, I didn’t think you were sincere. I heard there was a bet going around town. People wanted to see who could get a date with the new girl first. Seemed like every single man in town brought a healthy dog to the clinic and asked me out.”

  “I’d never—”

  She pressed two fingers against his lips. “I know that now. But that night, I figured I’d just get it over with. I’d let you win and then maybe everyone would move on to something else. I got to the coffee shop first, and when you walked in, you were wearing this shirt. There were creases in the sleeves like you’d just bought it off the shelf at Stetson’s Clothing that day.”

  He chuckled. “I did.”

  “You’d shaved. You still had a little nick on your chin.” She gestured to her face to mark the spot. “That’s when I realized it was a real date. That you’d asked me out because you liked me.”

  “I did. I do. I’m sorry you didn’t know that right away.”

  “You said once that you felt like I was always waiting for you to fail. And I suppose I was. But not in the way you think. It seemed like every time I was happy, truly happy, something went wrong. That’s what you were seeing. I was never disappointed in you. Only in myself.”

  Shane reached over Snowball and clasped her hands. “You don’t have to explain. After what happened, you never have to apologize for anything.”

  “I do though. I need to explain. You were honest with me about your family, and I want to be honest with you. I didn’t tell you the whole story of what happened in Florida.”

  He shook his head. “I was wrong before. I was wrong to pressure you to share with me. I should have been patient. I should have given you space instead of making demands.”

  “I’ve had all the space I need.” She touched a bit of stubble he’d missed on his chin when he’d shaved. “Now I want to talk.”

  He caught her fingers against his cheek. “Then I’m listening.”

  She stared into his eyes, ready to finally let go of the past. “I used to shoplift. I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t care. I was sick of going without all the time. Then, one day, I stole something expensive, a phone, and I got caught. I was looking at jail time. At being a felon. I was about to go to jail when Jack was shot. Then WITSEC offered to relocate me, and I jumped at the chance. The charges against me were dropped.”

  “You’re not that person anymore.”

  “I know that now. I don’t condone the person I was, but I forgive her.” She stared into Snowball’s liquid brown eyes. Had she ever been that innocent? That trusting? “I should have told you earlier, but I was ashamed.”

  She lifted her gaze and discovered Shane’s face inches from hers.

  “Can I kiss you?” he asked.

  Her stomach curled. “Yes.”

  He leaned forward and their lips brushed together. Without taking a breath, he kissed her again, his mouth moving against hers—warm and soft and right. His hand slid to the nape of her neck, and he drew her in closer.

  Snowball squirmed between them.

  She treasured the feeling of his arms around her. She held him close, relishing the feeling. In that instant, she knew what it felt like to belong.

  He pulled away but kept his arms around her.

  “I know about shame,” he said. “And you’re not the only one who can forgive.”

  All of her uncertainty vanished in an instant. The bridge between them was complete. They still had work to do. Both of them had a lot of bad habits they needed to work on, but as long as they worked together, they had a chance.

  Snowball barked. They burst into laughter and separated, allowing the puppy a little breathing space.

  “I hope you like dogs,” she said. “Eileen came and saw me earlier. Walt’s mom left the land to the wildlife trust, just like you thought. He left the dogs to me. He also left me his savings. He ordered me to pay off my student loans.” She reached past Shane to the side table. “She also brought me this.”

  The money was enough to pay off her loans and then some. She didn’t want to take it, but Eileen wouldn’t listen to her doubts. A bullet had killed Walt, but the cancer invading his body had almost gotten him first. He’d known he was dying. Maybe that’s why he’d argued. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t backed down. She’d never know. She didn’t suppose it mattered anymore.

  “Were you going to show me something?” Shane asked.

  “Oh. Yes. Of course.”

  She held the large envelope aloft.

  Shane lifted an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

  “It’s the deed. Walt sent it to Eileen. He’d put it in his mailbox at the end of the drive. The postman didn’t realize it right away. Turned out, we crushed the mailbox during our escape.”

  Shane gaped. “It was in his mailbox all along?”

  “Yep.”

  “What happens now?”

  “Well, Walt’s mom left the land to the wildlife trust. Since the hot springs were technically his land, as well, they’ll go to the wildlife trust too.”

  Shane threw back his head and laughed. Snowball perked his ears and stared at him.

  “I know I shouldn’t be laughing. It’s just, well, it’s fitting somehow, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” She gazed at his handsome face and thought about how nice it would be to look at that face every day. “I heard once that love is two people trying to heal each other.”

  “And here we are.”

  She straightened and smoothed her atrocious hospital gown. If he could kiss her while she was wearing this, he must really like her.

  She crossed her arms. “Even though my cover wasn’t compromised beyond you, and I can stay in Kodiak Springs, I think it’s time to start over.”

  He was here. He’d kissed her. He’d been brave the first time around, and now it was her turn.

  He tilted his head. “How do we do that?”

  She thought back to the first time she’d seen him. She didn’t believe in love at first sight, but there’d been something there between them that very first day. He’d risked his life for her. And that wasn’t even the best part about him. The best part about him was knowing that was just the kind of person he was. He’d protected her with his whole heart.

  “Would you like to meet me for a cup of coffee sometime?”

  He glanced at her askance. “As long as this isn’t part of some game you’re playing with me. You know, see who can take the trooper out for coffee first.”

  “Nope.” She smiled. “No game. I really like you.”

  “All right then.” He leaned in for another kiss. “I’ll be there.”

  SIXTEEN

  Exactly one year to the day after Kara asked Shane out on their official starting-over date, she was sitting in a dogsled. The dogs galloped ahead, and Snowball loped beside them. He wasn’t a runt anymore. He was an enormous, voraciously hungry dog
with a boundless supply of energy. He wasn’t old enough to pull a sled yet, but he was getting used to the harness and learning the commands.

  Shane stood behind her as musher. They’d spent the past year learning about each other. Shane had taught her about fly fishing and rock climbing and pan-frying fish over an open flame. She’d taught him everything she knew about dogsledding, baking bread and college football.

  They still butted heads occasionally, each of them falling back into old habits, but they always managed to work through the setbacks. As the months drifted past, the stumbling blocks grew fewer and farther between, and they each worked on building better, healthier skills.

  She still thought about her mom sometimes, but she’d learned to accept that some people couldn’t be fixed, and it was better to let them go.

  The wind whipped at her cheeks, and the snow stretched out before them, as clean and crisp as a freshly laundered cotton sheet. She glanced over her shoulder and her heart expanded until she felt as though her chest might explode. She’d wondered what it would be like to be loved by Shane. Turned out, it was better than anything she could have imagined.

  He wrestled the dogs to a halt, giving them both a chance to savor the gorgeous scenery and the beautiful day.

  “You’re becoming quite the musher,” she said.

  He stepped off his perch and stood beside her. “I learned from the best.”

  She inhaled a lungful of crisp, cold air. “The Walt Tsosie Memorial Wildlife Preserve is really something, isn’t it?”

  “It sure is.”

  The resort had sat abandoned on the land until an anonymous donor had offered to transform the building into offices. The Wildlife Foundation had relocated. Most of the people who’d worked at the resort now had jobs there. Even Mark. She’d expected him to leave after what happened, but he proved to be tougher than all of them gave him credit for. He even joined them for dinner on occasion.

  Shane rummaged around in the duffel bag at her feet. “Look what I found.”