by Jill Sanders
“Nope. I was thinking something more…personal.” He moved again, shocking her, but still, she was able to get out of his hold.
“Like what?” She moved quickly and almost had his legs in a hold with her own, but he was able to twist and break free. Damn, she was fast.
“How about dressing up for me?” he asked, a little breathless.
She laughed. “You’re already winded.” She started to move closer.
“I’ve been out here for half an hour. You just got here.” He twisted away and was able to get a hold of her arms, pinning them behind her back. Then her legs swung out and the wind was knocked out of his lungs as they both fell backward, with her body landing on his.
He twisted and, before she could move to block him, he had her pinned under his chest.
“Just where I like you.” He smiled down at her. “I want to see those legs in a dress.” She tried to break free, but when his lips closed in over hers, she stopped fighting.
“You cheated,” she said when he leaned up.
He laughed as a little more of his heart was lost to her. “Like hell I did.”
Chapter 15
It was strange, being the most-gossiped-about person in town. It had been almost two weeks since they’d come to Haven and at this point, they had almost half a dozen names of either dealers or users in the small town.
Still, there wasn’t a clue as to who the supplier was. Brian had gone to meet each dealer and come back empty-handed. As much as the users liked to spread their dealer’s contacts around, the dealers in town were very tight-lipped.
So, every time Mia went to the grocery store, she continued to spread the rumor that her relationship with Brian was on the rocks. How he was reverting to his old ways. The only thing she hated about the ruse was the fact that he was forced to stay out most nights, frequenting all of the strip clubs, while she remained in the house, alone. She’d gone with him a handful of times but, in the end, they figured he could play the pissed-off boyfriend better if she wasn’t around.
Not that it was completely a bad thing. She’d finally had time to herself and the many books in the little study. Hell, she had even pulled out her laptop and started something she’d always wanted to do but had never had the time for—writing her own mystery short stories.
She found the place totally enchanting and each day they spent there, she could better imagine a life, a future, there together. Of course, it scared the hell out of her.
Still, she kept up the front, since it was what was required for Brian to do his job.
Several of the townspeople had stopped her during her normal outings to introduce themselves or to chat.
She’d run into the McGowan ladies several times and each time felt a closer bond to them, especially Dylan and Addy. It was strange—after Brian had admitted that the only reason that he was who he was now was because of Addy, Mia had a deeper respect for the woman.
It was just over a week before Christmas and, still, her mother had yet to lock down a date that she and Steve would be arriving. It was just like her mother to leave her hanging. She wouldn’t put it past her to cancel. Yet another disappointment in the long list her mother had provided during her life.
In the meantime, they’d been invited up to Kristen and Tyler’s home for dinner. They were told that the entire McGowan family would be in attendance.
“Wow.” She leaned towards the windshield to get a better look at the McGowan’s massive log home. “This is Tyler and Kristen’s place?”
The entire log cabin home was alight with Christmas lights and decorations. With the snow falling in the headlights, the place looked almost magical. Like it was a scene from a movie.
“Yeah,” he answered as he parked the car behind several trucks. “Trent and Addy’s home is down there.” He motioned down the hill. “Trey and Dylan’s place is across the field.” He motioned towards a bunch of trees. She couldn’t see anything except snow-covered trees.
“Ready?” he asked.
“We don’t have to really pretend with these people?” she asked, stopping him. “I mean, you don’t think that any of them have anything to do with the drugs in town, do you?”
“No.” He shook his head. “They’re not ones for gossip either. Still, I’d wager they’ll be watching us closely after all the rumors going around town.”
“Right,” she sighed, feeling a weight lift from her. “I like them.” She smiled. “Out of everyone I’ve met in town, they’re the ones I think we could get along with most.”
He nodded, then climbed out of the car and rushed to open her door and help her out. She’d made a fruit salad to bring along. She didn’t know if they were supposed to bring anything, so she figured it was the safest bet.
“You probably didn’t need to bring that.” He nodded to the large bowl.
“I know, but…” She shrugged. She didn’t want to show him that she was nervous, but the McGowans were technically his family.
As they walked towards the large front porch, she took in the home. The porch ran the entire length and even wrapped around. There were heavy wooden rocking chairs spread around and a massive stone fireplace in the corner of the covered part. Small potted trees covered with lights lined the deck tucked just under the roof to keep the snow and weather away.
Two-story windows flanked another stone chimney for the fireplace inside the home. She could see a balcony on the second floor to the right. She assumed it was for the master bedroom and could just imagine the views from there of the surrounding mountains on clear days.
Brian knocked on the door and heard laughter and children giggling as the door was opened.
Tyler stood, his daughter hanging upside down in his arms as the little girl giggled.
“Hi, welcome.” He motioned for them to enter the home. “You remember Clare.” He tickled the little girl, sending her into another bout of giggles.
They entered and immediately removed their boots and jackets, leaving them in the entry area where other coats and shoes sat.
“Come on in.” Tyler waved. “The rest of the family is back here.” He turned and started walking towards the back of the house.
Mia felt Brian tense and glanced over at him.
“Rest of the family,” he said under his breath.
Taking his hand, she tugged him and whispered, “Get used to it. Something tells me they’re not going to give you up.”
He sighed. “No,” he said, then pasted on a smile as they walked through the large two-story living room. The fireplace stones ran all the way up to a vaulted wood-beamed ceiling. A massive two-story live Christmas tree sat off to the left of the fireplace. Holiday decorations were everywhere in the home. She even smelled warm apple cinnamon bread and chocolate chip cookies, making her realize just how close Christmas was and how she longed to spend a Christmas in such a place.
Everything was beyond magical. Even the stair railing had garland and lights wrapping all the way up. She’d never seen anything like it before.
The living room was filled with people talking and laughing. Two large sofas sat facing one another, with a large cushioned ottoman in the middle. Other chairs filled the space, and every seat was occupied by the McGowans, except for one sofa.
“Come on in.” Gail stood up and motioned for them to sit on the sofa.
That’s when Mia noticed that both Rea and Tom were sitting on the other sofa, holding a very sleepy Grace while Hope sat next to them, watching a show on an iPad.
“Mom?” Brian said, sitting down. “We didn’t know you and Tom were going to be here.”
“Here,” Gail said, taking the fruit salad from Mia. “I’ll take that and put it in the kitchen.”
“Thanks,” she said, handing over the bowl and sitting down beside Brian.
“I hope it’s okay, but the McGowans don’t keep secrets from one another… anymore,” Tyler added. “Your mother and Tom have filled us in on what you two are really doing in Haven.”
Br
ian stood up quickly. “What the—” He turned to Tom. “You know better than this. Jeopardizing our cover like this. What were you thinking?”
“They’re family,” Rea started while Tom looked on helplessly.
Brian’s eyes moved to his mother. “This isn’t a game,” he warned, looking around.
“Everyone in this room is sworn to secrecy,” Gail said, coming back into the room. “You can trust us.”
“The he—” Brian’s eyes turned towards the children and Mia knew he was having a hard time not cursing in front of all the children. She figured it was why the family had the kids still in the room. Smart move. “Heck with this.”
She wasn’t as upset as Brian that their cover was blown. Sure, it would mean the end to the little fantasy world they were living in. But she’d known it would have to come to an end sooner or later. Everything she’d ever enjoyed normally did.
“Brian.” She stood and took his hand. “Let’s hear them out.”
He turned, his eyes burning with anger, until he looked into her own calm eyes.
“Fine.” He sat down quickly and waited. She sat next to him again and motioned for Gail or Tyler to continue.
“Your mother thought it was best to bring the family into the fold. She’s told us you’re both DEA. Tom filled us in on the rest of the case. We’re all just grateful somebody is doing something about it. Losing Andy, Kris, and Doni was hard, but knowing that Darla could have been added to that list…”
“We all have our issues with that woman, but none of us would wish harm to her,” Kristen said.
“Right,” Tyler agreed. “This is our town. Our home. Our children will be raised here and if we allow this to continue… who knows what might happen. How many others we’d lose.”
“Right.” Gail sat down on the corner of the sofa. “So, what we’re trying to say is, we’re here to help.”
“All of us,” Trey added.
“We don’t need your help,” Brian started. “We’ve got things under control.”
His tone was sharp, and she didn’t think he’d open up to the possibility of anyone helping. Not that it was a difficult case, just slower than normal due to the small-town dynamics. She remembered when they had come into town thinking that the job would go quick, since Brian was in insider in the town, but now…
“No matter,” Tyler broke in again, “we’re here if you need us.” He stood suddenly. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, how about we eat?” He shifted his hold on his daughter and nodded to Kristen.
“Dinner’s ready.” She smiled and handed her son over to Gail, who took him willingly.
Over the next hour, Brian remained cautious as the family acted like nothing was wrong around them. They chatted and even joked with one another like normal. It was so heartwarming that even Mia started to believe in family.
When dinner was over, she was longing for a little more time with the McGowans.
The kids had all been shuffled off to bed upstairs, and even Brian seemed a little more relaxed by the time everyone was sitting around the fireplace, sipping coffee and tea after enjoying their desserts.
“Can you tell us who you’ve got in your sights, as far as who could be manufacturing the drugs?” Trent asked. The light fun mood instantly dissipated again.
“We can’t discuss an ongoing…” Brian started, but Mia took his hand in hers.
“This is your family,” she whispered.
She could tell that he wanted to argue, but instead, he sighed.
“We’ve got a list of dealers in town. I’ll be hitting them up this week again and see what I can find out. Right now, we’re looking into what buildings in town might be used for the operation.”
“It’s not like they need a full warehouse, is it?” Trey asked.
“Something this big? We’ve got word the drugs coming out of Haven are being sold on the dark web. The amount that we suspect… could be a warehouse, a barn, a house.” He shrugged.
“We’ve seen it all,” she supplied. “The magnitude of this operation tells us that someone smart is behind it all.”
“Right,” Brian added. “It’s not just your run-of-the-mill setup. Whoever’s running it is smart enough to cover their tracks.”
The room was silent for a while. “What about the old Meier’s place?” Trey asked. “The one that burned down when…”
“You almost died,” Dylan finished, taking his hand in hers.
“Yeah.” He smiled over at her. “The house was destroyed, but the barn was left untouched.”
“It was?” Brian frowned. “Why didn’t I know that?”
“The Meier’s insurance paid to total the entire property,” Tyler answered. “I only know because we drove up there after… everything.” He squeezed Dylan’s hand.
“He was hoping his cell phone had survived the explosion.” Dylan shook her head.
“Did it?” Mia asked, curious.
“No, nothing did,” Trey answered with a frown.
“Except for the most important thing—you,” Trent said.
“Right,” Tyler broke in. “So, we can head up and…”
“No.” Brian stood up suddenly. “As I said, we don’t need anyone’s help. Besides, it’s not allowed.” He glanced down at her and she stood up at his hint. “We’ll check it out ourselves. What we really need is for everyone to steer clear and remain safe.” He glanced over at his mother. “And for our job to remain a secret.”
“I only told them because they’re family,” she said.
“We know you meant well,” Mia said, “but we’re trained for situations like this.” She glanced around the room at all of the couples, knowing they all had people who relied on them to remain safe. Who counted on them. It was why she and Brian were so good at their jobs. They didn’t. “For your own safety, it’s better if you let us do our job.” She turned to Kristen. “Thank you for dinner, for inviting us to your lovely home.”
Kristen smiled and nodded, then took her husband’s arm when he stood up and acted like he wanted to argue.
“Thanks.” Brian followed her towards the front door.
They put on their boots and coats and then shook everyone’s hands and said their goodbyes. Brian got behind the wheel.
“Think they’re really going to leave this alone?”
She thought about it and shook her head. “No.”
“Damn, me either.” He sighed. “How do you feel about a late-night trip to the old Meier’s place?”
“I’m game,” she answered quickly.
He stopped and looked over at her before pulling out of the long driveway. He motioned to the large house, and she saw his eyes change as he looked at the festive home. “It’s all so… desirable,” he admitted.
She had to agree with him. Part of her wanted to run back into the warmth of the home and the people and forget all about their commitments, their job. But, still, part of her was leery of trusting anyone again that much.
“We’d better get going. The snow is really starting to fall now. We wouldn’t want to get stuck anywhere,” she said, totally understanding the double meaning in those words.
“Right,” he said after a moment, then he threw the car into reverse and left the magical home and people behind as they headed towards the darkness and the unknown.
Chapter 16
As he drove up to the Meier place, he thought about Mia’s words. Did she really think that having a family and a home was a trap? He knew how she felt about her mother, but still, someone must have shown her at one point that family could be more.
He hadn’t meant to be so strict with Tyler, Trent, and Trey. If there was anyone in town that he could trust with their mission, it was the McGowans. Still, seeing them with their new families had him realizing just how much they each had to lose if something went wrong.
They had wives and kids, or at least kids on the way. He thought back to Dylan and Trey, how they had pretty much gushed over her flat belly all night.
>
He’d hope that they heeded his warnings, but still, heading out to the old barn might just give them a leg up in the case.
They had stopped by the house and changed into more appropriate clothes for the trek, making sure to grab their guns and badges, just in case.
He made sure Mia had plenty of layers on, since the snow and cold weather hadn’t let up any in the past week.
There was easily more than two feet of fresh powder on the ground in some places. He’d traded the rental car in for an SUV two days ago, since the car kept sliding in town and they didn’t know just how much off-roading they would have to do in the coming weeks.
He’d made the right choice, since he had to force the thing up the muddy hillside.
“It’s a good thing we have this car instead of the old one,” Mia added as he pulled off to the side of the dirt road and parked in a snowdrift.
“I know.” He sighed. “Well, I can tell this might just be a waste of our time.” He glanced around before shutting off the engine.
“Oh?” she asked, turning slightly to him.
“There are no tire tracks. No one’s been up here for days, maybe weeks.” He grabbed the backpack filled with their flashlights, water, and other supplies, and stepped out into the cold night.
“Is there another way up there?” she asked.
“Only a couple of service roads. I’ve parked us down a ways, so we won’t tip anyone off.”
“Good.” She nodded and tucked her jacket further around herself.
“Ready?” he asked. “It’s about a mile hike from here.” He nodded in the direction.
“Lead the way.” She followed him as they headed up the muddy, snow-covered road.
He knew that she could keep up with him, it’s one of the first things he’d learned about her. He trusted her with his life, which was one of the things that drew him to her.
He knew better than anyone what she was capable of physically. He’d seen her fly tackle and take down a man double her size on more than one occasion. And some of those whom she’d taken down had been high and strung out on drugs. Having struggled with a few junkies in his time, he knew how hard that was. They seemed to have more power, more energy than most humans normally did, depending on what they were on at the moment.
