by Hope White
“Of course.”
“Good. We’re going to put an end to this. Tonight.”
Excitement buzzed in the air as flurries drifted down to coat the branches of the city’s official Christmas tree.
Krista clung to Luke’s arm, pretending, just for a second, that this moment was real, and not some strategy to expose the bad guys who’d been hounding her since her return from Mexico.
The moment passed when someone bumped into her and she practically launched into Luke’s arms for protection.
“You really came!” Julie Sass said, hugging Krista.
“I really did,” Krista said.
“Not you.” She pointed to Luke. “Him.”
Luke smiled, but continued to scan the crowd for danger.
“I don’t go anywhere without him,” Krista covered for him.
“No, you don’t, do you?” With a sad smile, she said, “Well, I’m doing cider, so I’d better scoot. Hey,” she said to Luke.
Krista nudged him to pay attention.
“What? Sorry.”
“Take care of my friend,” Julie said.
“Yes, ma’am, I plan to.”
Julie drifted off into the crowd. There must have been a few hundred folks in the town square. It was the biggest thing to happen in Wentworth County besides the summer boat races.
Luke led Krista toward the Christmas tree. “Any advice on the best vantage point?”
“It really doesn’t matter. Once the tree’s lit, you can see it from anywhere.”
They edged their way into the crowd just as the carolers burst into a chorus of “Winter Wonderland.” Krista glanced across the square at the shops, lit up and offering cocoa and cookies in hopes of jump-starting the retail season.
As her gaze drifted back to the tree, she spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Timothy.
She waved and smiled.
Timothy glared at Luke and disappeared into the crowd. He was being way too protective of Krista, especially now that he knew Luke was here to protect her, not hurt her.
At least he wouldn’t mean to hurt her. But the truth was, he’d leave and she’d be heartbroken.
It was her own fault for falling in love with him.
“What happens next?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“We wait for someone to attack me?”
He glanced into her eyes. “No, I’d never put you in that kind of danger. He won’t risk doing anything in such a public setting. But once he spots you, he’ll follow us to the decoy location at which point he’ll be arrested.” He tipped her chin up with his bent forefinger. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, got it?”
“Yep.” It’s all she could get out. She wanted to keep looking into those blue eyes of his, wanted to make him smile, make him laugh so she could see his eyes sparkle.
He turned back to the crowd, his jaw clenched and his body tight.
This was his job. To protect her, put Garcia’s men behind bars and move on to the next assignment.
But tonight she could honestly say there was more to Luke than scouting suspects and nailing the bad guy. Something had changed since that first night she’d met him outside her house.
He had changed since then, gone from emotionally guarded federal agent to considerate man. Maybe he’d changed enough to consider a life with Krista?
“What’s wrong?” Luke said, his eyes focused on the crowd.
“Why do you think anything’s wrong?”
“You’re staring at me.”
She snapped her gaze from studying his profile. “I was thinking about…” she hesitated. Did she dare? “If you and I had met under different circumstances.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“You do?” She didn’t risk looking at him.
“Let’s talk about this later, when you’re safe.”
“Sure, okay.” They were going to talk about it? She wanted to do the happy dance right here in the middle of the town square. He was admitting to feeling something for her, right? Admitting that there was something to talk about.
“So about my honey-do list,” Lucy Grimes said, brushing up against Luke.
“Mrs. Grimes, you are relentless.” Luke smiled. “I haven’t forgotten about you.”
Three more church friends greeted them, Luke plastering a fake smile on his face. He looked like he was in physical pain.
Once they were alone again, she asked, “Is it that hard to be friendly?”
“It is when I’m supposed to be focused on protecting you.”
“Oh, right, sorry.”
He squeezed her hand and she looked into his eyes. “You never have to be sorry. For anything.”
She thought he might kiss her, but he turned his head to continue his search of the crowd.
“Something’s off,” he muttered.
“What?”
“I’m not sure. Come here, get in front of me.”
He shifted her in front of him and wrapped his arms around her waist, interlocking his fingers in front. She closed her eyes and leaned back into his chest. They swayed slightly to the music.
This was heaven on earth, leaning against the man she loved, listening to Christmas songs, and being surrounded by friends in the first of the town’s celebration of the birth of Jesus.
She could stay here all night in Luke’s arms, rocking, humming, wishing.
She wasn’t afraid. She knew in her heart that the Lord wouldn’t have finally brought love into her life only to take Luke away from her.
He needs me, Lord.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed cradled in his arms, but the music stopped and people started moving around.
“Where did you go?” he teased.
“I was dreaming.”
“About hot chocolate?” he asked.
About you.
“No, I dreamed about going home and having a cup of lavender-white tea.”
“Well, let’s make that dream come true, shall we?”
With his arm protectively around her, they walked to the car. Luke glanced over her head into the crowd.
“Anything?” she said.
“No, but that doesn’t surprise me. He’s probably going to follow us. That’s the plan anyway.”
They got in the car and pulled away from the festivities. She glanced in the rearview mirror, but didn’t see any headlights.
“Nothin’,” Luke muttered.
She could tell he really wanted to finish this off tonight because he’d made a promise to Krista.
He’d keep his promise.
Then leave her.
No, she had more faith than that.
“Chief Cunningham, come in, over,” the dispatch operator’s voice called through a radio the chief had given Luke.
“This is Cunningham, over.”
“We’ve got shots fired at 112 Cherry Street.”
Krista sat straight. “That’s my house.”
NINETEEN
Luke didn’t want to take her to the scene of a shooting, but he couldn’t let her out of his sight.
“Why would someone shoot up my house?” Krista asked, gripping her down jacket.
“Let’s not overreact. It could be the Bender kid shooting off a pellet gun again.”
She nodded, but didn’t look convinced.
“Is there anyplace I can drop you where you’d feel safe?” he asked.
“I only feel safe with you.” She glanced out the window.
“How about—”
“No. I have to stay with you.”
He took a deep breath and kept under the 35 speed limit. He didn’t want to be the first to respond to the scene of a shooting with Krista in the car. Yet he was anxious to know what had happened.
Krista wasn’t home. Why would someone shoot at her house? Or did the perp get inside?
“We’ll cruise by your house, but you stay in the car,” he ordered.
“Okay.”
She didn’
t fight him this time. She’d surrendered completely to his decisions and it scared him. He liked it better when she fought him, argued and stood her ground. He felt completely responsible for her in a way he hadn’t before.
A few minutes later they turned the corner to her house and flashing blue lights lit the street. Two squad cars and an ambulance were parked out front.
Luke pulled up behind a squad car. “Stay here.”
He got out and walked around the front of the car. He glanced at Krista and changed his mind about leaving her. He opened her door and offered his hand. “On second thought, I’d better keep you close.”
With a nod, she got out of the car and they started up the driveway. The sound of an excited Roscoe barking from the garage echoed through the yard. Two EMTs were treating a man in the back of the ambulance. Luke recognized Alan Jameson as the victim.
A police officer stood guard.
“What happened here?” Luke flashed his badge at the cop.
“Chief said to bring this guy in once they treated his flesh wound.”
“Alan?” Krista said, stepping toward him.
Luke put out his arm to block her.
“Why’s he being questioned?” Luke asked.
“He took a couple of shots at Officer West.”
“What? Alan?” Krista said, shocked.
Alan stared at the ground, ashamed, maybe even dazed.
“Come on.” Luke led Krista to the back of the house and they went inside. Officer West and the chief sat at the kitchen table. West’s hair was messed up and her hands were shaking.
“I thought it was one of them. How could I know?” she said, staring at her firearm on the table. “I mean, why was he shooting at me?”
“Because he thought you were Krista,” Luke offered.
Krista pulled away from him. “Why would Alan shoot me? He—” she paused “—likes me.”
“It has nothing to do with like or dislike, Krista. If he’s the local contact, his job was to get whatever you brought back from Mexico to the right people in the States.”
“Alan can’t be a drug dealer. I won’t believe it.”
“Believe it, Krista.” Officer West glanced up from her gun. “He shot out the windows. He thought I was you.”
Silence blanketed the room.
A third officer came into the kitchen with a rifle. “It’s a pellet gun, sir.” He handed it to the chief.
“He was going to kill her with a pellet gun?” Chief Cunningham said in disbelief.
“I need to question him,” Luke said. He turned and took Krista’s hand. “First, we need to get you someplace safe, a place no one knows about.”
“But Alan’s in custody.”
“And Garcia still has men out there. Chief, any ideas?”
“Everyone knows everyone in this town. If Alan has been working with the two guys, they’d probably know where to look for her.”
“Natalie,” Krista whispered.
“What about her?” Luke questioned.
“She manages all kinds of property. Maybe she has an empty unit?”
“Give her a call,” Luke said.
With a nod, she pulled out her cell phone and went into the living room.
Chief Cunningham tapped his fingers on the kitchen table to get Officer West’s attention. She glanced up.
“You okay, West?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m going to hold on to this for a few days until we wrap this thing up.” He took her gun and she closed her eyes.
Surrendering your firearm was procedure after you shot someone. She had to know that, but still it stung.
Krista wandered back into the room. “Natalie said she’s got an open condo unit five miles north of Wentworth.”
“Good.” Luke glanced at the chief. “Can one of your officers take her to the condo?”
“Officer Sherman can do it. I’ll take Alan to the station and you can meet us there.”
Luke placed his hand on Krista’s shoulder. “It’s almost over, sweetheart.”
Without warning, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his chest. He didn’t return the hug at first, embarrassed to do so in front of the chief and Officer West.
“West, why don’t you get your coat and I’ll drop you off on the way to the station,” the chief said.
With a nod, she grabbed her jacket.
“I’ll meet you at the station,” the chief said to Luke. He and Officer West left and shut the door.
Luke slipped his arms around Krista’s lower back and gently squeezed. “It’s okay, honey. Everything’s going to be fine.”
She looked up at him. “How can it be fine when you’ll be gone?”
Luke paced the chief’s office as they discussed the best way to interrogate Alan. They had to find out how Alan was involved and, more importantly, what Garcia wanted from Krista.
Unfortunately nothing tied Alan to Garcia’s business. Luke had requested a trace history on Alan’s phone logs and e-mail account. Nothing popped. There seemed to be no connection between them.
“You’ve got more experience with this kind of thing,” the chief said. “I’ll follow your lead.”
Luke knew he had to choose his words carefully with Alan, question him in such a way that he’d want to come clean. It had to be to his advantage to turn on his drug boss.
“Let’s go,” Luke said.
They went into the conference room where Alan was sitting at a table. Luke sat down across from him. Alan stared at his handcuffed hands in his lap.
“Alan, want to tell us why you were shooting at Officer West?” Luke said.
Alan didn’t answer.
Luke pounded his fist on the table. Alan jerked and glanced up.
“Why would you try to kill a police officer?” Luke pressed.
“I wasn’t. I didn’t know—”
“Did Garcia give the order? You were trying to kill Krista, right?”
His eyes widened in horror. “I’d never hurt Krista.”
“Why, because you love her? Makes sense, right, Chief? You love someone so you try to kill them? How does that work, Alan?”
“I wasn’t trying to kill her.”
“Sure you were. Garcia told you to take her out so you could get your hands on whatever it is she brought back with her from Mexico.”
“I don’t know anyone named Garcia.”
“Stop lying and tell us why you tried to kill Krista!”
Alan jumped to his feet. “I wasn’t trying to kill her, just scare her!” The chief put his hand on Alan’s shoulder and encouraged him to sit down. Alan collapsed in the chair and rested his cuffed hands on the table.
“Scare her?” Luke said. “Why?”
“Because then she’d need me.”
“Come again?” Luke leaned back in his chair.
“I couldn’t get her to commit to our relationship, so I thought if she saw the value in having me around to protect her…”
“So you broke into her house and tea shop and sent the threatening note?”
“I didn’t break into her house. I did some other stuff.”
“What other stuff?”
Alan shrugged.
“You’ve gotta tell us or we’re going to assume you were behind everything including running Natalie off the road thinking it was Krista.”
Alan glared at Luke. “I left the note with the dead mouse, took a shot at the tea shop and shredded her clothes. That’s all. I would never hurt Krista. Not like you.” He leaned forward across the table. “I know your type. You’ll get what you want from her and leave.”
“We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you terrorizing Miss Yates.”
“She needs me. She needs to be taken care of, but she’s so independent she can’t accept the love of a nice man. No, she’d rather fall in love with a stranger who’s going to break her heart.”
Luke glared at Alan. There was truth to his words. Luke shoved that
thought way back.
Luke’s phone vibrated and he glanced at the caller. It was a text from his boss to call in immediately.
“Excuse me,” Luke said. He went into the hall and called in. “Yes, sir?”
“Garcia’s men were spotted on a toll exchange in Indiana two hours ago. I’m faxing you their picture so you’ll know who you’re looking for. What’s the fax number there?”
Luke went to the fax in the chief’s office and read him the number.
“Backup is on the way,” Marks said.
“Thank you, sir.”
Luke hung up and the fax came through. He picked up the sheet and remarked that the two men looked familiar: one bald, one with thick, black curly hair.
The men from Krista’s photographs.
Photographs she’d been putting up on her blog. Her first blog site had been destroyed. Which meant… Had she somehow taken pictures of Garcia’s operation in Mexico? Is that what they wanted from her? Could it be that simple?
The authorities had no idea where the base of operations was, although they knew it was within a hundred-mile radius of Mexicali.
Could it be this whole time they were after her photographs, needing to destroy them? Luke knew she always carried her thumb drive on her keychain, which meant they’d never find it, unless they got their hands on her.
If Alan was telling the truth and he wasn’t tied to Garcia, and if this was all about her taking the wrong pictures on her trip…
They were still coming for the thumb drive.
And Krista.
Planning his next move, he glanced at the chief’s desk and spotted an orange, foil candy wrapper.
Just like the one he’d found at the lighthouse…at the tea shop when he’d found the dead mouse.
“Everything okay in here, son?” the chief said, standing in the doorway.
Luke eyed the chief. “I don’t know, is it?”
The chief couldn’t be involved in this. Luke’s instincts would have alerted him that the guy was dirty. Then again, Luke had been distracted by a sweet and wonderful woman these past few days.
“I don’t think Alan’s involved with the drug case.” The chief glanced at the fax in Luke’s hand. “Those Garcia’s men?”
“Yes.” Luke shifted back a step and held out the candy wrapper. “Is this yours?”
