Bulletproof Christmas

by Barb Han

  Sniffles filled the room and there wasn’t a dry eye. Not even with the new additions to the family, some of whom had never met him.

  Dalton threw an arm around Dade in a brotherly hug and it looked like a weight had been lifted from Dade. He and Cadence were the only two who hadn’t received personal messages. Cadence was happy for Dade because he carried around the biggest burden from their childhoods. He and their father had never seen eye to eye or found common ground. The look on Dade’s face right now said he had found peace with the past.

  Cadence was hoping that her father would be able to shed light on why Dex and the others might have murdered him. How Rupert was involved.

  And, selfishly, she wanted to know where her mother was and if he’d stayed in contact with the woman who’d given birth to four of his children.

  Ed allowed a few minutes to pause and let everyone gather their emotions. His ruddy cheeks were wet with tears and she figured he missed their father, his friend, as much as everyone else did. In some ways, Ed was probably even closer to their dad, being his best friend and confidant.

  He glanced around the room, searching each face, seeming to wait for approval to keep going. He swiped at a tear and nodded before refocusing on the page in front of him.

  “I didn’t talk about your mother much. Losing her when Cadence was still so young weighed on my conscience. I thought it was best to tell you she’d moved away because I didn’t know how to explain to little kids that their mother was never coming back. I thought it would give you hope that you’d see her again someday instead of breaking you down like it did me. It was my guilt eating away at me. Not only was I a bad father but a no-excuse husband. When I lost her, I didn’t know how to talk to you about death. I thought it would take away hope.

  “Life is odd.

  “Now that I’m facing mine, so much more makes sense to me.”

  Their father knew he was dying? That was the big secret he was going to reveal? The reason for the big changes in his life?

  Questions swirled. Their mother had died? She hadn’t run off?

  Did Ruth know? She must not’ve because she would’ve said something. Right?

  “When I found out that the pain in my side turned out to be more than a pulled muscle or lower back injury, I realized life is short for everyone. Enjoy your time. Don’t waste it on hurt or sorrow. Celebrate more. Let others win sometimes.

  “I’ve wronged a lot of people in my life, including the people who mattered most. A few men will most likely come for me and I’m not going to stop them. Believe me, whatever death they have planned will be so much shorter and less painful than the one nature has dealt. I’m not excusing anyone’s behavior. No one should get away with murder. But it’s my hope that you can forgive the one who gets to me first. Live your life on your terms and make them good ones.

  “I couldn’t be prouder of any one of you. Hereford is in the best possible hands.

  “With all my love,

  “Your father.”

  Cadence glanced up in time to see Rory standing in the doorway. She pushed up to her feet, met him halfway across the room and buried her face in his chest.

  His strong arms wrapped around her and she finally felt like she was home.

  “I heard everything,” he said low enough for only her to hear. “Your father’s right. We have a chance to be better people than our parents. It’s time to forgive them and ourselves, and move on.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Out of the corner of his eye, Rory saw Ed Staples making a beeline toward him. Emotions had been running understandably high in the room and Ed showed that intensity in his expression.

  Mr. Butler had been clear in person. Was he worried that Rory hadn’t gotten the message to leave his daughter alone? Under the circumstances, Rory wondered if Mr. Butler would feel the same way now that Cadence was pregnant. Guess he’d know in a few seconds.

  “This is for you, Mr. Scott.” The family lawyer handed Rory an envelope. He glanced at Cadence—for reassurance?—before opening the letter as Ed excused himself from the conversation. He must’ve realized this needed to be a private moment.

  Rory was thankful for the consideration as he unfolded the handwritten note.

  Rory,

  You remind me so much of my younger self. I’ve been hard on you. I tried my best to push you away. But the fact that you’re reading this now shows me how much you care about my daughter. It’s been obvious to everyone that she took a shine to you the minute the two of you met. She was too young and needed a chance to date other people so she would know you were the one if she came back to you. I did everything I could to keep the two of you apart and give her time to grow into herself. I even sent her away to college, hoping she’d meet someone else there.

  True love stands the test of time and I knew if the two of you ended up in the same room long enough that you’d find a way to be together.

  You’ll never know how much time you have with a person. Don’t waste it.

  And should you and Cadence decide to spend your lives together, I hope you’ll take your place alongside the others on the ranch. I’m proud of Hereford. Not because of the money it made. It’s done well enough. But for the people I’ve been able to help along the way. In the beginning, I bought a ranch to make a successful business. I’ll admit it. Recently, I’ve realized that it was the home we built there that has mattered the most.

  You have my blessing.

  Mr. Butler had been good to Rory. The man was the reason Rory had stayed on the straight and narrow. Having her father’s blessing lifted a heavy weight off Rory’s shoulders. He needed to find a way to convince Cadence to marry him. He loved her with all his heart and he would trade his life if it meant protecting her and the babies.

  With Cadence tucked under his arm, Rory felt like he was finally home.

  Now, it was time to figure out why Dex and the others were after Cadence and put them behind bars for their involvement in Mr. Butler’s murder. Rory wanted to give that gift to the family for taking him in and always making him feel a part of something real. He figured family was as much a choice as it was a birthright.

  Dalton’s cell phone buzzed and a hush fell over the room. He glanced at the screen. “It’s Terrell.”

  This wasn’t going to be good news.

  Dalton answered the call and said a few uh-huh’s into the phone.

  “Hold on,” he said and then lifted his mouth away from the receiver. “There’s been a breech. Someone’s in the house.”

  A palpable wave of panic rolled through the room as Rory tucked Cadence behind him.

  Everyone backed up until they were huddled together in the center of the space and could see every entrance into the room clearly.

  Rory pushed himself up to the front so he could watch the hallway leading to the bedrooms and the laundry room doorway on the other side of the kitchen. Of course, they were all sitting ducks and a good sniper could pick them off one by one.

  The sound of glass breaking whirled his attention toward the front window.

  The crack of a bullet split the air.

  “Get down,” Rory commanded as he made himself as large a target as he could by puffing up his body.

  Shock registered and he ignored the white-hot pain in his shoulder.

  “Get everyone out of here and off the property,” he said to Dade and Dalton.

  The twins immediately bolted into action, moving the group toward the garage. Rory ducked behind a sofa and belly crawled toward the shooter that he was sure was Dex.

  Dex would change locations now that he’d given his position away, so Rory needed to stay low and behind as large of an object as he could find.

  One of the twins had the presence of mind to tap the light switch on his way out, plunging the living room/kitchen areas into complete darkness. Rory couldn’t se
e his hand in front of his face. It would take a minute for his eyes to adjust.

  Right now, he had the advantage, so he tucked and rolled toward the broken window, knowing full well Dex would’ve changed positions by now.

  It was a chess match. The one with the best moves would win.

  The stakes for Rory had never been higher. The Butlers had given him a real family with a real home. He was in love with Cadence and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her bringing up those babies. Being on the range in Wyoming without her had been miserable.

  His life had been full of darkness and Cadence was the light.

  In facing the possibility of losing the people he cared most about, life became crystal clear. Rory would do what it took to make his family safe. Nothing else mattered.

  Rory pulled his backup weapon, a Sig Sauer, from his ankle holster. Sharp stabs of pain radiated from his right shoulder. That would be tricky for a couple of reasons. For one, he already knew he was bleeding badly. He ripped off a piece of his T-shirt to tie off the injury. Felt like the bullet had hit bone but that was the pain talking. Another problem was that being shot on the right shoulder could affect his aim. He needed a steady hand in order to hit his target at a safe distance. He might not have either.

  Shouting echoed from the garage and it dawned on him what Dex and his boys were doing. Herding. They’d isolated him from the group and then attacked. He released a string of curse words as he popped to his feet and blasted toward the kitchen. He caught the corner of the solid wood coffee table on his shin, which caused him to stumble.

  Quickly regaining his balance, he bolted toward the kitchen door. His eyes didn’t need to be completely adjusted to the dark. He knew the layout of the house as well as he did his own cabin. He’d grown up at Hereford. It was home. And it was under siege.

  Rory dropped to a crouched position, opened the door leading to the garage and then slipped inside.

  A shot blasted his ears and there was more yelling. The sound of a car door slamming shut echoed.

  Frantic, he searched the immediate area for the shooter. He dropped down onto his stomach to check for shoes, peeking under the carriage of the trucks. Cadence had had on the hiking boots he’d purchased for her. He scanned the area for any sign of the brown boots. Hope died in his chest when he saw there were none.

  He couldn’t shout at anyone because that would give away not only his position but also anyone’s who answered.

  Popping to his feet burned his thighs but it was his shoulder that was causing the blinding pain.

  Progressing forward, he located a small group that was huddled together.

  “Where is she?” he whispered to Dalton who was protecting the small group.

  “With Dade maybe?” Dalton responded in a hushed tone.

  Rory located Dade next and asked the same question. His heart clenched when Dade told him to ask Dalton.

  All commotion had ended and silence belted Rory across the face like a physical punch.

  A full search of the garage revealed she wasn’t there.

  Cruiser lights along with sirens lit up the night sky as Rory ran outside. His gaze darted across the expansive yard, searching for her. There was nothing. He checked the ground for any signs of her.

  Did she break away? Run?

  It was almost too much to hope that she’d gotten away and was biding her time until Dex and his men were caught.

  Or was it? She knew the land as well as anyone.

  He picked up on a set of footprints going out to the barn. The imprints in the heels were a match to Cadence’s boots. The deep imprint suggested she was running. So this was recent.

  The image of her hunkering down against the frigid night air, trying to keep herself from freezing, assaulted Rory. Other images crossed his mind that he couldn’t allow to take seed because they had her in a trunk somewhere with a bullet in her forehead.

  Rory focused on the first possibility. The one that had her sleeping outside at night with no coat or covers. So much for improvement.

  And then he realized the tracks stopped. He scanned the area for a second set or any signs of a struggle.

  The doctor had told her to rest and he worried that more stress could cause her to lose the babies, their babies. Waves of anger vibrated through him.

  A noise to his left sounded. Rory froze. It wasn’t much more than wind whistling through barren trees but he heard it.

  The unmistakable sound of a heavy shoe on a branch caught his attention next.

  Rory crouched low, his movement soundless. Based on the weight of the footsteps, Rory was dealing with a male. He could also tell the person was being quiet intentionally, signaling the man was hunting. The man—Dex?—would take a few steps and then listen. After another few steps, he would stop to listen again.

  What if Dex or one of his men were watching Rory?

  And that’s when Rory realized that tracking Cadence could bring the killer right to her.

  Rory had a decision to make. His instincts said go after Dex and stop him. The sheriff hadn’t caught him yet and if Rory walked away now, Dex could go free.

  Before Rory could debate his next actions, Dex came into his field of vision. It was clear that Rory had the element of surprise on his side because Dex didn’t so much as tilt his ear toward him. Dex liked to hide in the woods and shoot, which convinced Rory that he didn’t trust going one-on-one with an opponent. Rory had him in height and build.

  He waited until he could see Dex’s chest move when he breathed before he made his move. And then Rory burst from behind the tree, tackling Dex at the knees. The smaller guy toppled over and Rory landed on top.

  A fist connected with Rory’s chin. His head snapped back and it took a second to register the pain radiating from his jaw. The loss of blood combined with the constant bite coming from his shoulder weakened him. He needed to make a mental adjustment for that as Dex bucked, trying to tip him off balance.

  Rory threw a punch but his right side was too weak to make the impact he wanted. He felt around for a rock, anything he could use to knock Dex out.

  Dex got off a few punches to Rory’s midsection.

  Thinking that this was the man who was trying to take Cadence away from him and harm his children gave Rory the burst of adrenaline he needed to power through the blinding pain and focus on stopping Dex.

  He fired off several punches, connecting with Dex’s face, chest and upper arms.

  Dex’s head snapped from side to side, taking the impact of everything Rory had left inside him to give. After a few more jabs, Dex finally dropped his arms and fell slack.

  To make sure he’d debilitated his enemy, Rory fired off one more punch. When he was certain that Dex was not a threat, he rolled off and onto his back. His breathing was ragged and all he could see was dots.

  He fished out his cell phone and called Sawmill to give his location before he passed out. Sawmill answered on the first ring. Rory immediately relayed his location.

  “Rupert Grinnell turned himself in an hour ago. He had no idea his cousins were involved last summer with this character who goes by the name Dex. According to Mr. Grinnell, David Dexter Henley’s mother claims to have had a relationship with Mr. Butler. Mr. Butler refused to acknowledge Dex as his child and she had a difficult life bringing up the child on her own. Dex talked to his associates about having a DNA test that confirmed he was an heir to the Butler estate. His associates said that he later said that Mike Butler needed to pay for walking out on Dex and his mother. They’re assuming he murdered Mike Butler in order to draw the inheritance his father threatened to tie up in court should Dex try to claim it. Mr. Grinnell stated that Dex walked right past Cadence when she was leaving the barn the night of her father’s murder.” Sawmill paused.

  “Meaning as soon as she realized it, she’d be able to positively ID him and testify,
” Rory said.

  “The man became obsessed with tracking her down and said she needed to die so she couldn’t identify him, according to his known associates. Mr. Grinnell said his cousins came to him once they realized how far the situation had gotten out of control and the three of them hatched a plan to disappear. David Dexter Henley had threatened them into doing his bidding in the first place and they were afraid of disobeying his orders.”

  Rory sighed in relief. The others were in custody. Dex was three feet away from him, still knocked out.

  And then he heard a noise.

  “Is one of your men near me?” he whispered into the phone.

  “No,” Sawmill admitted.

  “Then I gotta go.”

  Rory listened intently, trying to discern the noise that could mean the difference between life and death.

  The footsteps were definitely softer this time, so he hedged that it might be Cadence. Maybe he was hearing what he wanted—plain and simple hope—because he was about to pass out and his life might depend on being the one to wake first. Law enforcement was on its way. Rory fought against the blackness overwhelming him as he strained to listen.

  More soft steps.

  And then he heard the gasp that could only belong to Cadence.

  His heart felt bigger than his chest, barely contained by his rib cage when her beautiful face came into view.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked.

  “No. I’m fine. Cold but good,” she admitted. A look of panic crossed her features when she scanned his body and he instantly knew he must look in bad shape.

  “Rory.” She dropped down to his side. Her gaze shifting between Dex and Rory.

  “It’s done. A deputy is on his way. Rupert’s cousins confessed and all three went to the sheriff’s office to turn themselves in. All three are in custody. Rupert had no idea what was going on,” he informed her. The look of relief on her face was short-lived.