Home for the Holidays

by Terry Spear

  “He could have killed Bill.”

  “Bill wasn’t prepared. We will be. When did you want to go?”

  “Now.”

  Brett chuckled. “You’re just like Ellie when she wants to get something done. All right. Let me clear out my inbox, which will take about an hour. I’ll pick you up. Just call Peter first and get the okay, will ya?”

  “Yeah, sure.” Meghan hoped Peter would be fine with it. Not only did she want to help Chrissy, but they really needed the peace and quiet around the inn.

  As soon as Meghan got ahold of Peter and explained where she and Brett were headed, Peter was silent for so long, she was afraid the line had been disconnected.

  “Peter, are you still there?”

  “We have a manhunt going on right now.”

  “I know that.” She tried not to sound annoyed about it, but she wasn’t going to put her life on hold when Chrissy could cause a real stir at the inn as soon as their guests returned for the night. “I shouldn’t be bothering you with this now, but I thought you’d want to know if I left the inn. See you tonight.” This was exactly what she was afraid of.

  She wanted to learn about Peter’s mate, but that would have to be tonight at dinner. She didn’t mention it to her sisters in case Chrissy was wrong. Meghan knew if she did, they’d be hounding their mates for details, and she’d prefer to speak about this privately with Peter.

  She ended the call, not about to hear why Peter didn’t think she should do what she had to do.

  Chapter 6

  Peter understood Meghan’s concern about the ghost causing trouble for her guests, at least in theory. He’d dropped by to check on Bill again at the clinic. CJ and Michael Hoffman were still guarding him, but Bill was sleeping as a wolf. It was a good thing all their medical staff were wolves. Peter had planned to ask Bill more questions about Rollins and let him know he had no chance of getting back together with Meghan. Now, Peter was staring at his silent phone after Meghan had hung up so abruptly on him. He quickly punched Meghan’s contact number again.

  Peter had never seen or heard Chrissy or any other ghosts. Which Meghan said meant he wasn’t as sensitive to psychic phenomena. What with the ongoing manhunt, Peter preferred that she stay at the inn with her sisters and their guards. But if Meghan wasn’t going to, he wanted to be the one safeguarding her. Not that Brett couldn’t do a good job, but Peter would feel better about it if they were both there with her.

  He knew she was peeved with him, or she wouldn’t have ended the call so brusquely. “Hey, Meghan, I’ll meet you over at the Silver Town Mine.”

  CJ was eyeing him, probably wondering what was up now.

  “You don’t have to stop what you’re doing to protect me. I’ll be with Brett, and we will be perfectly fine,” Meghan said, sounding annoyed.

  “Listen, if you’re going to be out there like bait, I’ll be there. See you in a few minutes.” Peter wasn’t about to be deterred from protecting her. If nothing else, he wanted to prove he wasn’t trying to make light of her situation.

  “Thanks.” Meghan sounded relieved Peter wasn’t upset with her.

  He was glad because he sure as hell didn’t want Bill worming his way back into her good graces, just because Peter hadn’t handled this ghostly matter well. They ended the call, and he knew that was something else they needed to discuss tonight. Peter had given the issue of this ghost business she was involved in a lot of thought. As it was for CJ with Laurel and Brett with Ellie, it was hard for Peter to believe in something he couldn’t see or hear. CJ and Brett had witnessed some paranormal happenings, and Peter suspected if he was exposed to this business long enough, he might too. He was determined to prove to Meghan that what she had to deal with was just as important to him as it was to her. So like CJ and his brother, Peter had been reading a lot of books concerning paranormal phenomena.

  Peter let CJ know he was headed out to the Silver Town Mine because of the ghostly issues.

  CJ snorted. “You?”

  “Meghan and your brother Brett are going there in search of a miner’s ghost.”

  “The sisters must be having trouble with Chrissy again. Don’t tell me he’s a relative of hers or…a boyfriend?”

  “Yep, he was Chrissy’s beau.” Peter shrugged. “I have no idea what Meghan intends to do about it, but I want to make sure she remains safe. I’ll let you know when I’m back to the business of hunting Rollins down.”

  “Good luck with the ghost.” CJ sounded amused that Peter was having to juggle his time between real sheriff business and paranormal mysteries, just like CJ did as Laurel’s mate.

  When Peter arrived at the Silver Town Mine, he found Meghan and Brett already there. Peter wasn’t sure if he wished he could see what she did or not. He could imagine how disturbing it would be to see something no one else could. And worse, to have to do something about it. Arresting people or eliminating rogue wolves he had no problem with. Dealing with a ghostly entity? He wasn’t sure how well he could handle it.

  Meghan was peering into the mine shaft where there had been a couple of deadly mine accidents in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

  “See anyone?” Peter asked her.

  She turned and frowned at him. “No. I’ve been calling out to anyone who might be down there, but no one’s responded. I need to go to the area where they died. If any ghosts are hanging around down there, they’re going to be stuck, just like the men who died there were.”

  “Even though we removed the bodies?” Peter asked.

  “Yeah. If they felt the hopelessness of being unable to leave the mine, the horror that they couldn’t rejoin their loved ones, the trauma of their injuries, and the lack of oxygen making them suffocate, their spirits could be trapped there forever.”

  It started to snow, and their breaths were frosty in the cold air. “You don’t want to wait on this?” Peter didn’t think she would, but he was hoping she’d return to the inn and he could get back to helping track Rollins down.

  “Chrissy could be a real problem for us. For whatever reason, this Christmas has hit her harder than last year.”

  “All right. Let’s do this.” Peter would do anything he could to not only safeguard Meghan but also help her. No amount of talking would prove he could back her on this as much as actually doing so for real.

  “I’ll go down first and make sure it’s safe enough,” Brett said, returning to his car. “I just need to take some climbing gear, helmets, and lanterns in case they’re needed.”

  “You were prepared,” Peter said.

  “Being married to Ellie makes me prepared. I never know what to expect when it comes to dealing with spirits. Or with trying to find fresh stories for the newspaper.”

  Brett had never shared that he helped with spirits. Peter wondered just how involved he’d been in this stuff.

  “I’ll go down with you,” Peter said to Meghan. “Brett, if you would, stay topside and watch out for trouble. If we have any problems, I’ll let you know. If you have any trouble, same thing.”

  “Okay, sure thing.” Brett handed the climbing equipment over to Peter.

  A workable ladder led down into the mine shaft, but it had been a while since anyone had used it, that they knew of. Kids might have been playing down there, though it was forbidden. But kids loved to explore and create their own adventures, so it was possible. Even some adults might have done so.

  Fitted with climbing gear and a headlamp on his helmet, Peter gave Meghan a hug, then began the descent into the blackness, wondering what he might find down there.

  * * *

  Meghan couldn’t have been more appreciative of Peter for coming with her into the mine. She would have understood if he’d stayed up above to watch out for Rollins and call in support if Brett and she got into trouble, but she was really glad Peter wanted to be there for her. And she was glad he wasn’t
dismissing her concern.

  “I’m at the bottom of the first level. Do you want to come down?” Peter asked her. “The ladder is safe.”

  “Yeah, sure, heading down now.” Meghan put on the extra helmet with a headlamp. She had never considered seeing if ghosts were stuck in the mine until Chrissy mentioned wanting to see Alvin. Meghan and her sisters hadn’t been in Silver Town that long, and they’d been so busy renovating their inn after years of disuse that there hadn’t been much time for exploring.

  She could see a lantern sitting on the rocky floor where Peter was waiting for her, the light on his headlamp shining brightly. The ladder was in really good shape, for which she was grateful.

  As soon as she stepped onto the floor of the mine, Peter wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. It was cold down here, but without the wind chill. She loved when he hugged her. And then kissed her. Hmm, this was rather a romantic spot for the two wolves.

  “Hey, are you two all right down there?” Brett hollered down.

  “Uh, yeah, we’re going into the tunnel now,” Peter said as if he’d forgotten his duty.

  Meghan liked when Peter wanted to hug her when normally he was so mission-oriented. Do it right, and finish it quickly was his motto. “Where did the miners die?” she asked Peter.

  “Next level down. There was a massive cave-in. We tried to move enough rocks to make a hole through the cave-in area to get the men out, but only two made it out alive. The other ten suffocated. We never cleared the debris to work on that part of the mine again.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Yeah. It was awful. We had another accident much later, and not long after that, geologists declared the silver veins were no longer profitable, so the Silver pack leaders closed the mine.”

  “If we’d thought of it, my sisters and I could have come down here to help these men find peace.”

  “I’d never considered it either,” Peter said.

  They came around a bend in the tunnel and saw a sleeping bag and cans of food—some open and used up, others still sealed, and bottled water for a campout, sitting next to a wall covered in wet moss. New equipment, nothing that had been sitting here for eons.

  Peter immediately got on his radio. “Can you hear me, Brett?” All he got was static back. “I can’t get a signal this deep in,” he told Meghan.

  “I don’t smell anyone’s scent on it.”

  Peter picked up the black backpack and then dumped out the contents on the sleeping bag. A can of hunter’s concealment spray caught their attention. “I doubt it’s a coincidence that Rollins is in the area and this is a fresh stash. Why would anyone wear hunter’s spray unless he’s a rogue wolf who’s up to no good? I’m surprised he didn’t use it earlier when he attacked Bill. That is, if it’s his. Most likely, this stuff belongs to Rollins and he’s been camping out here. From the number of cans of food he’s eaten, I’d say he’s been here for at least three or four days. I need to let Brett know and get some men over here to help search the tunnels.”

  “Whoever it was will smell we’ve been here. I doubt he’ll return,” Meghan said.

  “Probably true.”

  “I’ll stay here, if you want to warn Brett and let the others know Rollins most likely has been camping out here.”

  Peter studied her for a moment. He clearly didn’t like the idea of leaving her down here alone.

  “He’s not here.” She thought she might be able to get ahold of the ghost while Peter was gone.

  “What if Rollins is still here, heard us coming, and is hiding from us deeper in the tunnels?” Peter asked.

  That sent a chill up her spine. “Okay, I’m coming with you.” No way did she want to encounter the wolf alone after he had nearly killed Bill.

  When they reached the ladder, Peter used his radio again and this time got ahold of Brett. “Hey, we found camping gear and supplies, probably Rollins’s stuff.”

  “Hell, good thing Meghan had a mission and that you agreed to come with us,” Brett said to Peter.

  “Yeah, he might be off prowling the woods or something, or he might be deeper in the silver mine. We’re coming up until we can get more men to help us make sure he’s not here.”

  “All right. See you in a few.”

  “Ladies first,” Peter said to Meghan.

  She so wanted to go find the ghosts, but she didn’t want to run into Rollins and risk becoming a ghost down here herself. Her sisters would be furious with her!

  Meghan began the climb up, hoping to make it out of the mine in record time so they could get some men here and she could do what she vowed to do—help Chrissy.

  Once she was up top, Peter didn’t take long to join them. Then he was on his phone to his deputies, asking several of them to join him at the silver mine. “Any luck finding any sign of Rollins anywhere else? Are there any unaccounted-for vehicles parked in isolated areas?” he asked his men. “Okay, well, he’s not from here, so he’d need to make his way here somehow. Maybe he hitchhiked, but I still figure he’s got a vehicle somewhere. See you soon.”

  That was one thing about the wolves who had lived here all their lives. They knew every bit of the Silver Town wolves’ territory, unlike her and her sisters, who were so new.

  Meghan called Laurel to give her the news.

  “Rollins has been hiding out at the silver mine? I hope they can catch him. You’re not going back into it, are you?”

  Meghan turned off her headlamp. “Yeah, I have to. For Chrissy’s sake, if only to let her know I found Alvin or not.”

  “All right, but be careful.”

  “I will be. There will be a ton of us down there, so I’ll be safe. I’ll tell you when I know something.”

  “Good luck,” Laurel said.

  They waited until ten men arrived to check out the mine. Meghan wanted to go with them, or behind them, and look for any ghosts that might be down there. That way, she’d have plenty of protection, and she might still be able to make some headway on Alvin’s whereabouts today.

  Chapter 7

  “I know you. You’re not going to want to wait to go back down into the mine.” Peter wished Meghan would return home with an armed guard of wolves. He didn’t like that she’d be in the mine if Rollins was running around down there. He was surprised the bastard would actually be in the mine. It would be easy to get lost without knowing his way around, and it wasn’t the safest place to camp out. But Rollins probably figured no one else would think to search for him down there.

  “You’re right. With all these men looking for him, it will be the safest time for me to find the spirits that might have been left behind.”

  Despite his misgivings, Peter gave in. He didn’t usually. He couldn’t in the line of work he was in if it meant keeping order and protecting people. He just didn’t want to get into any issues with her over it. He realized when it came to relationships with women he cared for, he really didn’t like conflict and avoided it if at all possible. “All right. We’ll go down together. Brett and a couple more men will stay up top to watch for any signs of Rollins if he should return and that was his gear down below.” This time, Peter let her climb down first, since the other men were already down there, deciding which teams would go where.

  When she reached the bottom, Meghan called out that she was safely down and Peter followed.

  Once he joined her, they went together to search through the first of the tunnels, the men having split off into groups of three and headed down three different ones. CJ joined Peter and Meghan in the mine after having left Ranger Michael at the clinic to guard Bill. Peter knew Michael wasn’t there just to safeguard Bill but also his mate, Carmela, the office manager at the clinic.

  CJ hung back a little. Peter wondered if CJ might be able to see ghosts down here too.

  “What are you going to do if you see any miners’ ghosts?” CJ as
ked Meghan.

  “If I can talk to them, I will. I don’t have anything with me that I could use to exorcise them, though sometimes just getting to the root of why they’re stuck where they are works to release them. Using psychology can make all the difference. If Lelandi ever has some slow time from her practice, she could help us with what to ask the ghosts.”

  Peter shook his head. “I doubt it. She doesn’t have time except for her patients, the kids, and helping Darien lead the pack.”

  “You never know. She might find she has a real calling for it.”

  “If you ever need help, I’m sure she’d give you some advice.” Peter couldn’t see Lelandi entering the mine of her own accord. He recalled when she’d been kidnapped and forced to hide in the caves, and Darien had come to her rescue. She was terrified of enclosed spaces. Not everyone knew that, and Peter had no intention of telling anyone who hadn’t witnessed it.

  CJ continued to follow behind them as they made their way to the first of the cave-ins, and Peter appreciated he was there too. They had to crawl through the hole the pack members had made to rescue the only survivors of the earlier mine accident. When they reached the other side, they heard voices in the tunnel. It was just three of the men who were searching for Rollins, not ghosts.

  Peter glanced back at CJ to see if he was sensing anything. He smiled and shook his head.

  And then Meghan slowed her pace way down and Peter glanced at her. She was looking straight at something, and he wondered if she’d found Alvin. He was hoping she had and could resolve this situation. After that, he’d take her directly back to the inn.