“I understand your granddaughter will be coming in a couple of weeks. Christmas is always so much nicer with family and friends.” The second she said it she remembered she wouldn’t have that this year. A sense of emptiness—always there since Anthony’s and her parents’ deaths and now Jeremiah—threatened to overwhelm her.
As Don talked about Melissa coming to Anchorage and what he had planned for them to do, loneliness spread to every part of Bree. She fisted her hands, her fingernails stabbing her palms.
“We used to go all out when my wife was alive. This year with Melissa coming I wanted to really decorate like we used to. But when I looked for David’s decorations, I couldn’t find any.”
“That’s because I don’t have any, Dad,” David said as he came into the living room, carrying a tray with three mugs on it. “I’m not totally inept in the kitchen, so I made some hot chocolate for everyone.”
“With marshmallows?” Bree asked, forcing herself to concentrate on the here and now in the company of two charming men.
David gave her a mug. “Yes, that’s the only way to have it. Right, Dad?”
“I taught my son well.”
David eased down on the couch, leaving only a foot between Bree and himself. The room’s temperature seemed to rise a few degrees. He was easy on the eyes, not to mention he had integrity and compassion for others. It would be so easy to give her feelings free rein, but she knew where that would lead—heartache. She’d already had more than her share.
Bree took a sip of her hot chocolate. “Delicious. So what’s this about no Christmas decorations?”
“This is my first Christmas in Alaska. Last year, I celebrated at Dad’s.” David turned his full attention on his father. “And if I remember correctly, you didn’t have any intentions of doing anything until I showed up.”
“That’s because I thought both you and Melissa weren’t going to come to Colorado. Who wants to get everything out for one person?”
Bree cleared her throat. “I do.” When both men looked at her, she continued, “I bring the family decorations out because when I put them up I remember how it used to be when my parents were alive. Each ornament on the tree has a story behind it. It’s kind of like taking a walk through the past.”
David averted his head for a few seconds. When he looked back at her, his expression showed no emotion. “I avoid the past. Let’s concentrate on the here and now. If you want decorations, I can get some, Dad. I left all the ones we had before at your house for Melissa. She always loved this time of year.”
“She still does. She just spent it with her roommate at college last year.” Don watched his son over the rim of his cup as he took a sip.
Something passed between the two men, a tension that seemed to intensify the atmosphere in the living room.
“Then it must be great you two will see her this year,” Bree said, trying to lighten the mood.
David pulled his attention away from his father and focused on Bree. “Yes, it will be. So do you want to go shopping with us since it appears you’re an expert at decorations?”
Somewhere along the line their conversation had taken on a hidden meaning. She intended to get it back to something more upbeat. “I’d love to accompany you two.”
Don threw up his hands, then rose. “I stay away from shopping of any kind. You go without me. I’ll be happy with anything. I know it’s early, but I’m going to bed. With all that has been going on, I’m exhausted.”
“Good night, Don. It was nice to meet you. And thanks for dinner.”
David’s father nodded and left the room.
Bree glanced at David. “It’s eight-thirty. Does he always go to bed this early, or is it something else?”
He exhaled a long breath. “It’s me. He and I don’t agree with how I handled the situation with my daughter. He missed her at Christmas last year, and I was the reason she didn’t come.”
“What happened?”
“I wasn’t thrilled with who she was dating at the time. She decided to stay with her roommate for the holidays so she could be with her boyfriend.” He rubbed his hand along his jaw. “Not two months later, they broke up. He was dating other girls behind her back.”
“Then she must realize the wisdom in what you saw about the guy. Has she said anything to you about it?”
“No, we haven’t talked in a year. She doesn’t return my calls or texts.”
“And she’s coming here for Christmas? Are you sure?”
“No, but Dad insists he got her to promise. Frankly, I won’t believe it until I see her.”
She wanted to ask what went wrong with their relationship, but that conversation implied a deeper bond between them, which she wanted to avoid. “I hope she does. For you and your dad.” She finished the last of her hot chocolate. “I better leave. I have a full day tomorrow at the clinic. Some of the morning patients were crammed into an already busy day.”
“I know what you mean. There is some maintenance I need to do on the plane.” He picked up the tray with the empty cups and headed toward the kitchen.
Bree trailed after him, wishing now that she had driven to his house. But he’d insisted on picking her up. Like a date? No, just two new friends sharing some time together, getting to know each other.
She slipped on her coat, gloves and hat while he did likewise; then he opened the door to the garage. “I enjoyed tonight.”
As she passed him, he clasped her hand and stilled her. “So did I. Dad is full of great stories. I liked hearing him tell them again.”
“He is quite entertaining.”
“I can tell he likes you.” David moved into the garage and shut the kitchen door.
“How?”
“When he doesn’t care for someone, he doesn’t say more than a few words. He hardly gave us time to talk during dinner.”
Bree chuckled, thinking back to the pleasant meal. It reminded her of the times she’d spent with Jeremiah. “Do you think he’ll move to Anchorage?”
“I hope he does. He loves the outdoors. Alaska will be perfect for him.”
“And it’s nice to have family closer.”
David opened the passenger door for Bree. “Yes, it is.” When she was inside, he made his way around the hood of the car and slid behind the steering wheel, then punched the remote for the garage door. “As a kid we went hiking, fishing, hunting and camping all the time. Mom, Dad and me. I was an only child.”
“Me, too, and my family did the same. Although I’ve lived here most of my life, I still haven’t done and seen all I want of Alaska.”
“I missed doing that with my own family.”
“Because of being in the service?”
David backed out of his driveway and headed toward her house. “No, the main reason was my wife didn’t like any of those things. Melissa and I did a little depending on where I was stationed, but not as much as I would have liked.”
“I hope I get a chance to meet her.” Why did I say that? Because she wanted to know everything she could about David. But he kept a lot of himself locked away. She wasn’t sure she would ever really know him, which was probably a good thing. The more she discovered about him, the more she liked him.
At an intersection, he stopped to wait his turn and smiled at her. “I hope you’ll get to meet Melissa, too.”
Her pulse rate kicked up a notch. In the shadows, she could feel the intensity behind his look and the genuineness in his grin. Even with the temperature hovering around zero and the heater not having a chance to warm the interior yet, his look had done the job.
When he turned onto her street, she almost wished the evening were longer, but she hadn’t slept well since the wreck. Weariness wheedled its way through her. She needed a good night of rest, without the nightmares.
He pulled into her
driveway and switched off the engine. “I’ll give you a call about a time to go shopping for the decorations tomorrow.”
“Good. You have my cell number. I always carry it.” She grasped the handle and pushed it down. “Thanks. Tell your dad again how much I loved the dinner.”
As she exited the car, David did, too. “I’m walking you to your door.”
“You don’t have to. This isn’t a date.” Then why did it feel like it was? Wishful thinking?
“Humor me.” He started for the sidewalk leading to her porch, pausing until she caught up, then strolling next to her.
She unlocked her door, then swung toward him. “Good night.”
“I’d like to check and make sure your house is secure. Okay?”
“I overreacted this morning. I’m not in danger.” At least I don’t think so. “I’m fine.”
“Please. Checking will give me peace of mind so I get some sleep tonight.”
She shoved open her door and hurried to tap in the security code on the panel in the hallway off the foyer. When the beeping stopped, she returned. “See, perfectly all right. My security system is working well, and don’t forget my guns.”
“If anything happened to you...” David’s voice faded into silence as he headed for the kitchen and checked the back door and the one to the garage. Then he went from room to room, making sure the windows were locked.
In the living room, Ringo saw him and came over to rub against him and whine. David bent over and scratched the big white cat behind the ears.
Bree leaned against the doorjamb. “He doesn’t do that usually. It takes a while for him to warm up to a stranger like that.”
“I like animals. I’ve thought of getting one now that I have regular hours. Strike that. Not exactly regular but a cat’s pretty independent and can be left a couple of days by himself. Are you going to keep him?”
“In January I’ll be going to a village and will be gone for a month, so I was going to look for someone to keep him, at least while I was away.”
David straightened. “Then you don’t have to look anymore. I’ll take care of him when you are away.”
“Thanks. At least I won’t have to worry about Ringo.”
David moved toward her. “Good.” He took her hands and edged closer. “Your house is locked up tight. I know you told me that, but I’m one of those guys who has to see it for himself. I appreciate you humoring me.”
Jeremiah used to watch out for her, and she’d let him although she’d always felt she could take care of herself. She didn’t know if she wanted David to feel he had to take on that role. It took their friendship to another level—one she wasn’t ready to pursue.
She should step back, but the soft look in his eyes captured her and held her rooted to the spot, mere inches from him. When she drew in a breath, she inhaled his scent, it was like the forest they’d walked through the day before.
He lifted his hand to cup her jawline, the warm imprint searing his brand into her. At least that was the feeling that overcame her as he framed her face and slowly dipped his head toward hers.
SIX
Ever since David had found Bree safe and secure at the café, he’d wanted to hold her, kiss her, protect her. He brushed his lips across hers. She wound her arms around him, anchoring her against him. Her vanilla scent surrounded him as he deepened the kiss.
When she drew back, her dazed look no doubt mirrored his. He hadn’t kissed a woman since his wife. The thought of their last one, the morning he had left for his final tour of duty in the Middle East, sobered him. He had no business starting something with Bree when he didn’t have his past in order.
He shut down his emotions and put more space between them. “I’d better go. I’m going to the airport early in the morning.” He crossed the foyer. When she didn’t say anything, he glanced over his shoulder.
He wanted to kiss her again. Until his sanity edged the insanity of that action out of the way.
“Good night,” he murmured and escaped from the house.
He didn’t leave the porch, though, until he heard her lock the door. Then he practically raced away before he made a fool of himself. He hadn’t gone inside with the intention of kissing her. He’d only wanted to assure himself she was safe—a purely selfish reason so he could sleep tonight without worrying.
Worrying is a waste of time. His father’s words came unbidden into David’s mind. One part of him knew God was in control and he should let Him do what He did best. But he was a man of action and couldn’t give that last bit of control over to God.
* * *
In the living room Bree watched David back out of her driveway and head down the cleared street. The lamp near the curb gave off a golden glow that lit a small area of her yard, but most of it was in shadows and darkness. She switched off the overhead light, went back to the large window and peeked out at the night.
Not one evergreen moved. The wind was still, in stark contrast to a couple of days ago when it had snowed with almost blizzard-like conditions. In a short time her life had changed. She’d lost Jeremiah, her last link to her parents. She’d gotten to know David and realized the danger in getting too close. She needed to cut their ties before she lost her heart to him and he broke it.
She’d seen the look he’d given her after their kiss. It had been full of confusion and something she couldn’t quite decipher. Regret? Maybe.
A movement outside caught her attention. She squinted her eyes and tried to focus better on a spot near a fir tree. Was someone out there?
Her thundering heartbeat pulsated inside her head, drowning out all thoughts for a few seconds.
Then one flooded her mind. Get your gun.
She swirled from the window and hurried upstairs to her bedside table. She pulled open the drawer where she kept the loaded revolver. It was gone!
Her rapid breathing sounded in the eerie silence of her house. She closed her eyes to the spinning room and collapsed on her bed.
Think. No sign of a break-in. Is this where I put it after cleaning it before leaving for Daring?
When she tried to retrace her steps that day before she’d left, all she could think about was the emergency she’d been called back to the clinic to help with. She fumbled in her pocket and withdrew her cell phone. She should call David and tell him she couldn’t find her revolver. What if someone had gotten into her house and taken it?
She jumped to her feet and covered the distance to her walk-in closet to search for the rifle and shotgun she stored there. Both hung on the back wall above her rack of shoes. She took the shotgun, loaded it and returned to the bedroom. Cell phone in one hand and her weapon in the other, she began checking the few places she kept her revolver if not in the bedside table.
All of them were empty.
She went back to the living room window and peered out between the slats. That same pitch-black patch drew her attention. Short of going outside and investigating, she couldn’t tell if someone was standing there or not.
Ringo brushed against her legs, sending a streak of alarm through her until his loud cry for food penetrated that fear. She went into the kitchen to get his chow and paused at the table where she’d cleaned her gun the last time.
She remembered that Jeremiah had sat across from her, keeping her entertained with stories from one of his trips up north. Her cell phone had rung. She’d hurried to get her keys and drive to the clinic. The last thing she’d done as she’d left the house was ask Jeremiah to finish cleaning her gun and put her weapon in the drawer by the front door.
She found her revolver and sank against the hall table. Now she remembered why it was there. He’d told her when she’d left that she needed it near where she would come into the house.
Stuffing her cell phone back into her pocket, she propped her shotgun against
the wall near the front door, then took up guard at the window to see if anyone was outside. Too much trauma had occurred the past few days. It wasn’t like her to forget something like that. What if there had been a problem? She knew what stress could do to a person. She needed a good night’s sleep, and after being posted at the window for half an hour and not seeing anyone or any movement, she decided she’d overreacted.
She checked the alarm and the doors, then went to her bedroom, leaving the revolver on her bedside table next to her charging cell phone. In time everything would return to normal and the wreck would become a distant memory—she hoped.
* * *
Late the next afternoon after a long day at the clinic, Bree stood next to a cart in a large department store. “You don’t have to buy out the whole Christmas section. Save some for other customers.”
David dropped the set of glitter-covered ornaments into the basket. “I’m not like you. I’m starting from scratch. I need it all. Lights. Ornaments. Tinsel.”
“Are you an all-or-nothing kind of guy?”
He nodded and snatched up several boxes of lights. “Dad reminded me how much Melissa loved Christmas. Maybe if I can re-create some of that—” He stopped, stared at the pile already in the cart, then looked at Bree.
Astonished and appalled expressions vied for dominance on his face.
“I think you have enough lights to light up the whole street,” Bree said in a soft voice.
“It won’t work, will it?”
She thought she knew what he meant, but she asked anyway. “What won’t work?”
“Trying to relive the past. This won’t bring back my daughter and make a bad relationship good.”
“The only thing that can do that is you and Melissa working things out. Possessions don’t make a difference. People do.”
“I first have to get her here and make her agree to talk to me. These past few years have been so hard, trying to make amends for regrets but at the same time letting her know my side of what happened.”
“Make it simple.” Bree smiled, thinking of her boxes of decorations. There was nothing simple about them, but they were an accumulation of years of memories. “Instead of grabbing all these ornaments, think about what you like. What Melissa likes. Your dad. An ornament can reflect that. For instance, when my parents found out that I wanted to be a doctor, they started buying ones that had a medical theme. My dad got particular pleasure in buying them since he was a doctor. What does your daughter like to do? What’s her major?”
The Yuletide Rescue Page 8
