by Dora Hiers
“Group hug?” Tessa’s voice came out scratchy. As if she knew the decision her mother faced and the choice Willow would make.
“Yeah. I sure need one.”
“Was that your boss? The same one who told you to take time off?” Gunner grumbled into her hair.
“What did he say, Willow?” Regi stood, arms crossed, ready for battle.
“That if I didn’t show up for work on Monday, he would find someone to replace me.” The words still ping-ponged around in her head, surreal. “Somebody pinch me. Make sure I’m not in the middle of a nightmare.”
Tessa obliged.
“Ouch. Thank you, Tessa. Got the message.” That this whole wild scenario was the real deal.
“That seems a little harsh for someone who told you to take time off. After all, it’s the job that put you in this danger—” Chad grunted when Regi stuck an elbow in his gut. “Um, the job that put you in this position in the first place,” he amended.
Willow stared at her friends. A lump of emotion worked its way down her throat. Gunner was supposed to move into a house today, take on a new job, and make friends in a different city. She didn’t need to pull him down with her bad news. She stepped away from him, immediately regretting leaving the warmth of his embrace.
She forced a smile to her lips. “What are we standing around for? We’ve got an apartment full of stuff to load up, a two-hour drive, a new house to enjoy, and then the real fun begins. Let’s get to it!”
18
“OKay, Tessa. You’ve seen them all. Which one is your favorite? This one or the one in front where we came in?” Gunner held the trunk of the Christmas tree he thought was Tessa’s favorite, guarding it from the hordes of shoppers, and gestured to the front of the lot.
Tessa wrinkled her nose and tipped her head back to regard the top of the ten-foot tree. Gunner held back a chuckle at her serious expression. “I think this one, Gunner.”
Mina laughed. “You guys like it so much because it’s the tallest one here.”
Gunner flashed Mina a bright smile. “Isn’t that the point, Mina? One of those little guys” —Gunner ticked his head toward the back of the lot— “would be dwarfed in the family room. Besides the room being massive, the ceiling is high, so we need a very tall tree. Right, Tessa?”
Tessa nodded. “Right, Gunner. A very tall tree. This looks like the perfect one.”
“I agree.” Gunner glanced from Tessa, tucked deep inside a winter coat and scarf, to Mina, her red nose matching her scarf and hat. “Perfect.” But he wasn’t talking about the tree.
He rubbed his hands together and motioned for the tree lot helpers, who hoisted the tree from the stand with a quick jerk. After he gave them a healthy tip and pointed out his truck, the pair carried it to the wrap station.
Mina’s contented smile snagged his breath. After that phone call from her boss yesterday, he wasn’t sure that she’d stick around. He halfway expected her to grab the first flight out of Charlotte once they’d gotten to his new house, but she’d surprised him. She was probably staying for Tessa’s sake. But Gunner didn’t plan to waste a second.
They walked together to the cashier, and Gunner paid for the tree while the guys loaded the tree in the back of his truck. When he turned around, he slung an arm around both his girls. At least they were his for now. “What do you say, Tessa? Let’s get it home so we can decorate it.”
“I say yes.” Tessa squealed and clapped her hands.
“Thanks for your help in picking out the best tree ever, ladies.” Gunner grinned and opened the passenger door for his niece. She climbed into the cab of the truck, and Mina settled in the passenger seat. Gunner popped a quick kiss on Mina’s cheek, then shut the door and walked around the front of the truck, joy warming his gut as the engine cranked.
“Hey, Gunner. What did the tree guys write on the window?” Tessa’s voice sounded hollow from behind him.
He checked the rear-view mirror and but the back of Tessa’s head blocked the window. “What do you mean?”
“There are words on the window, but I can’t read them because they’re backwards.”
Mina looked sideways at him, worry haunting her eyes. “Do you suppose Chad and Regi wrote a message before they left to head back to Raleigh, and we just didn’t notice it before?”
“Let me get out and check. Maybe the tree loaders left us Christmas tidings, good will toward men and all that.” Not. He knew better.
“You guys stay inside. Keep the truck warm for me, okay?” He forced lightness into his voice while his hand slid to the weapon he’d stowed earlier. Sliding it out, he tucked it into his coat pocket, executing the transfer quickly and discreetly while he talked so Tessa wouldn’t see him. No sense in alarming her. He opened the truck door and looked around before stepping out.
He slid his hand into the coat pocket, touching the cold metal of his weapon, as familiar to him as the clothes he put on every morning, and walked to the back of the truck, eyes and ears alert to the people milling around. Cars and trucks backed out of parking slots, and more vehicles pulled in to take their place. People smiled and talked as they shopped. Some waited for trees to be cut and loaded.
No Malcolm faces stared back at him.
The words on the window registered in his brain.
BERKSHIRE + AUDIT = DEAD
Funny guy, that Brugman, if he thought those crude math skills would scare him or Mina. He scanned the parking lot once more, disappointment slicing through him at not seeing the man. What he wouldn’t give to find Brugman and haul him to the slammer so he couldn’t bother Mina or Tessa anymore.
Now what did he do? Had Brugman tracked them to Gunner’s new house? Couldn’t have been too hard to follow a moving truck. His gut churned, anxiety rolling around inside him like waves of an angry sea.
He hopped up into the bed and swiped at the window with a coat sleeve, made faces at Tessa, then grinned at Mina, hoping to erase the worry lining her face. Had she been able to make out the words?
When he rejoined them in the truck cab, the heater blasted warm air against his frozen cheeks. “Thanks for keeping it nice and toasty in here. Now let’s get out of here.” He punched the truck in reverse.
Tessa patted his shoulder. “Did they wish us a Merry Christmas?”
“Not exactly.”
Mina flashed him a worried look.
“Call Trent,” he ordered. As the truck’s Bluetooth worked to comply, Gunner reconsidered. Not only did Trent and Avery have a couple of teens besides Jake staying with them, but Avery was pregnant and not sleeping well, either. He couldn’t take Mina and Tessa to stay at their place tonight.
Who else? Who else? A couple of names flipped through his head before he settled on his buddy, Ryker. He canceled the connection and called his friend, glancing in the rear-view mirror to make sure no cars followed them.
“McLane.”
“Hey, man. Thanks for your help today.”
“No problem. Did you get all settled in?”
Gunner turned onto Highway 75, a four-lane divided highway, and glanced in the mirror again. No tails. “Only the essentials, like the coffee and coffeemaker and bed sheets. The rest of the boxes are untouched for now.”
Ryker chuckled. “I hear you. I’m sure it’s been a long day for everybody.”
“Actually, we just bought our Christmas tree.”
“Really? Can’t say I’ve bought a real tree in years.”
“Well, you’re welcome to enjoy this one.” Gunner negotiated another turn. A white car two lengths back made the same turn. He’d keep his eye on that one. “I have another favor to ask.” He lowered his voice and turned his head slightly toward the door on the pretense of looking out the window so Tessa wouldn’t hear.
“Uh-oh. Sounds like you’ve had trouble.”
“A little. The girls were going to spend the night with Trent and Avery but that’s no longer an option. Can I get you to come over and help with protective services tonight? I’
ll throw in tickets to a pro football game.” He’d overheard Ryker and Trent talking about the quarterback earlier while unloading the truck, so he knew Ryker was a football fan.
“Hey, man. I’ll come over. You don’t need to bribe me with tickets.”
“It’s not a problem. I wouldn’t mind going to a game myself.”
“What time will you be back home?” Ryker asked.
“Give us about twenty minutes. I want to make sure we don’t have any tails.”
****
“Tada! The one we’ve all been waiting for.” Tessa pulled the last ornament out of the box and held it up.
Willow smiled at her daughter, clad in new fleece pajamas, as she hung the glittery pinecone on a lower branch of the tree. “I think I’ve heard that phrase from someone before.”
Gunner chuckled from his perch on the top of the ladder. “You beat me. I still have a couple holes.” After stringing the lights, Gunner had made a deal with Tessa. He would hang the ornaments at the top of the tree if Tessa would handle the bottom. Willow was charged with putting on the hangers and handing them out.
Ryker was responsible for…supervising. Isn’t that the term Gunner had used? With a teasing wink in her direction.
Willow angled a glance to where Gunner’s friend had sat at the kitchen island, quietly observing, sipping coffee. But the man had disappeared.
She turned back to the tree and handed Gunner the last two. “Just in time to adore the tree for a minute before you go to bed, honey.”
“Aww, Mom. Do I have to?”
“Yes, you need to go to bed. It’s late.” Willow dropped the bag of unused ornament hangers into Gunner’s storage box and glanced at her watch. Yikes! Ten o’clock already. Exhaustion seeped from her pores, but worry and fear kept her eyes open. She doubted she would get any rest tonight. Even with two Deputy U.S. Marshals on duty.
Gunner stepped down from the ladder, folded it, and hauled it back to the garage. He walked back in and stood next to Willow for a minute before leading her to the couch. Once he settled, he pulled her down next to him and tucked her under a shoulder. Tessa wiggled under his other arm and snuggled against him. Gunner grinned at both of them.
The giant tree sparkled with white lights. Bear, moose, deer, and fox ornaments nestled against the branches. Cranberries hugged the needles, and pinecones filled the air with their cinnamon scent. The special ornament, as Gunner called it, a girl holding a basketball, occupied the position of honor in the middle of the tree. A fire glowed in the fireplace, its warmth radiating through the entire room. And her heart.
Is this what life with Gunner would have been like had they married?
The marshal spoke, breaking their self-imposed moment of silence. “It looks great. Good job, everybody. When we get back to Tampa, we’ll have to put up your tree.”
When we get back to Tampa? He planned to return to Tampa with them? That was news.
“We only have an artificial tree, Gunner. Mommy never buys a real one.” Tessa rolled her eyes and planted a palm against a cheek, nodding her head.
Drama queen or not, Willow could relate. She hated artificial Christmas trees as much as her daughter.
Gunner’s head jerked toward her in surprise. “What’s up with that, Mina? I thought you loved real trees.”
Yeah. Like tonight. When someone hauled it in the house for her, stood it up, and helped decorate the top. She couldn’t drag a huge tree into the condo by herself. “My choice would still be to have a real tree, Gunner. They just aren’t practical for a single female.”
He nodded slowly, understanding dawning on his face.
Ryker threw open the front door and breezed inside, a frigid blast following him into the room. He slammed the door shut, locked the deadbolt, and walked to the fireplace to warm his hands. “It’s freezing out there. It’s got to be the coldest year on record for Thanksgiving weekend.”
Tessa’s eyes zapped wide open, and she sprang from the spot burrowed under Gunner’s arm. Clapping and jogging in place, she turned expectant eyes toward her uncle. “Do you think we’ll have snow tomorrow?”
Gunner laughed, the tenderness in his eyes making Willow catch her breath. “Mmm, probably not, sweetheart. There’s a better chance of snow at Christmas.” He hesitated. His eyebrows wrenched together as he regarded the girl, wonder edging his voice. “Have you never seen snow, Tessa?”
Tessa shook her head, a pitiful look of longing on her face. “Only on the TV.”
Gunner’s jaw dangled. He speared Willow with a mock frown. “We’ll have to see about changing that. A kid has to be able to play in snow. How else can you have a snowball fight? Or make a snowman?”
Smiling, Willow stood, and her daughter followed suit. She looped an arm around Tessa’s shoulders. “All right, kiddo. Enough talk. It’s time to hit the sack. Say good night.”
“Good night, Ryker. Night, Gunner.” Tessa wrapped her arms around Gunner’s waist, and he hugged her tight. Moisture shimmered from his eyes as his gaze found Willow’s over Tessa’s head.
Willow lowered her head. These two had formed such a tight bond in the space of a few days. How would Tessa react when they left to return to Tampa?
Willow couldn’t think about that right now. She wouldn’t feel safe, wouldn’t truly rest until Malcolm was caught. Tessa needed Gunner. So that meant right now Willow needed Gunner.
Leaving here, leaving Gunner, would break Tessa’s heart.
And hers.
19
“OKay, Dad. I’ll let you know.”
Gunner clipped the phone back into its cradle. Squeezed his eyes shut. Pressed a fist to his forehead.
Oh, God. This is not how I pictured reconciling with my brother. Not how I would have chosen for Mina to reconnect with Mark. Isn’t there a different way? One less painful? How does this fit into Your plan?
He heard the screen door to Mina’s condo open and close behind him, but he didn’t turn around. What would he say? How would he say it?
Two palms cupped his cheeks. He finally pried his eyes open and unclenched his hands. Sweet Mina. This was going to tear her world apart. And Tessa? What had Mina told Tessa about her father? Why hadn’t he asked before now? Wasn’t it important?
He tore his gaze away from her dear face to the gray clouds that raced across the sky overhead, the damp mist trailing behind tickling his cheek. Life was like this sky before God had filled him.
Dingy. Gray. Uncertain. Now he knew what he had to do. Clear as the sunny blue sky they left in North Carolina yesterday. He just had to convince Mina.
“What’s wrong, Gunner?”
Licking dry lips, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans to keep from pulling Mina into his arms, resisting the desire to hold her tight and not to let go. He didn’t want to pressure her. This had to be her decision. “That was my dad on the phone. Mark was in a car accident last night. He’s in the hospital with life-threatening injuries.” Gunner’s voice faltered. He cleared his throat.
Mina’s hand fluttered to cover her open mouth. The other shielded her heart.
“Mark just got out of surgery. It’s touch and go at this point, and the doctor wasn’t able to give my parents any assurance about his recovery. Dad suggests that I should be there, just in case.” Trouble was, Gunner couldn’t get his legs to move. Couldn’t will his brain to focus. Couldn’t stop the ringing in his ears or ease the pain building up in his chest.
Mina’s eyes filled with tears. She swiped at an ivory cheek before reaching around his waist and pressing her face against his chest. “I’m sorry.”
He inhaled a ragged breath, took comfort in her touch. “Mina, I want you and Tessa to go with me.” His voice sounded pleading, even to him. Wasn’t he? If Gunner were dying in a hospital bed, wouldn’t he want to meet his daughter for the first time? Wouldn’t he want the slate wiped clean?
Yes. Absolutely. No questions. Gunner had to give his brother the same opportunity.
But if Ma
rk fought death’s door and won…Gunner was going to strangle him.
Mina drew away from him, hugging her stomach, dread showing on her pinched cheeks. “T-t-t…to the hospital?”
“Yes. You and Tessa.”
Mina studied him with solemn eyes, double their normal size, her shoe tapping the cement next to his. “Gunner, you know what my boss said. If I don’t report to work tomorrow, I won’t have a job.”
He closed his eyes and hung his head. Of course. Her job. How could he forget? The main reason they were back in Tampa and not relaxing at his house.
Two gentle hands lifted his face to study him. “Why do you want us to go to the hospital? Is it because of Malcolm? Because if it’s—”
He shook his head. “No. There’s enough law enforcement out looking for him, he would be a fool to show his face to you or Tessa again. Our boy’s probably on the run by now.”
Why did he want her to come to the hospital so badly? Because of Mark? Yes, but more for Mina and Tessa.
He wanted them to have closure about their past. So, they could have peace in their future. Not a huge gray cloud of doubt or regret always hanging over them.
He faced her, gently massaging the tension kinks gathering around her neck and shoulders. “You’ve known Tessa all her life. But Tessa hasn’t known Mark. What if this is Tessa’s only chance to meet her father? Wouldn’t you want her to have it?”
A sob erupted from her chest, and the tears finally spilled over.
He pulled her back into his arms and rocked her gently, stroking her silky hair. He let her cry for a few minutes. Until his mind started to cooperate and the plans to gel. They had to go. Mark could be running out of time. “Will you go with me?”
She jerked free from his grasp, took a step backwards. With eyes closed, her fingers kneaded her forehead.
When her lashes finally lifted, grief and indecision haunted her eyes. He reached for her again but she moved away from his touch.
