Christmas Protection Detail

by Terri Reed

  He tucked his phone into the pocket of his jacket. “Yes, to both. I’ll be right back.” He headed into the plane.

  She noticed that the landing wheels were crumpled beneath the body of the aircraft. A large red-and-white parachute lay tangled in the branches of the trees surrounding them. Long, thick ropes kept the chute attached to the plane.

  Nick appeared a few moments later with four silver Mylar thermal waterproof blankets. He put one around Harrison and handed one to Frank. Then he handed one to Kaitlyn, drawing her out of earshot of the other two men.

  Nick looked up at the dark clouds gathering overhead. “Doesn’t look good,” he said in a low voice. “I think we’re in for more snow.”

  A shiver of dread coursed through her. Not what she wanted to hear or even contemplate. How would they make it during a snowstorm? She hurried to try her cell phone and also found no service bars. She tried her radio and encountered only static.

  “I need to walk toward civilization.”

  Nick arched an eyebrow at her. “Which way would that be, Kaitlyn?”

  Opening the compass app on her phone, she held the phone flat. Pointing at the mountain, she said, “That’s north.”

  “Okay, that’s helpful,” he said dryly. “Nothing notable in that direction. Only three possible ways to go for help. Unfortunately, we have no idea where the nearest town or sign of human life might be.”

  She hated that he was right. “In the meantime, we could freeze to death.” Her gaze landed on his loafer-clad feet. He had to be numb by now, but he wasn’t complaining or even showing any signs of noticing the icy temperature.

  “There is that,” he said. He held out his hand. “Give me your radio. I’ll head up the mountain. Maybe with higher ground I can find a radio signal. Or maybe my cell phone will work.”

  “No. That’s ridiculous. You aren’t dressed for it and the rescue will come to us, right?” The thought of him going alone was unacceptable, but she realized he’d do it even if it endangered his life. He could get lost. Or fall and hurt himself. He could get eaten by bears. She didn’t have any bear spray with her.

  Of course, she had her weapon, but hitting a charging bear in the exact spot that would stop the creature would be a million-to-one shot. She was good, but she didn’t want to test her skills and fail. She hadn’t expected to crash-land in the middle of an unfamiliar forest miles from civilization. If she had anticipated what would happen, she’d have planned accordingly.

  Unfortunately, she couldn’t predict the future and hadn’t had any warning of what was to come. But it was her responsibility to make sure Nick, Harrison and Frank survived.

  “Then we need to come up with a plan,” he said. “Because Rosie is counting on us to return to her.”

  A pang hit Kaitlyn in the heart. They had to survive for Rosie. The baby had already lost her mother. It would be a tragedy for her to lose the man who loved her like she was his own. Calling upon her wilderness training, she said, “We need to make a bonfire. Something that will send up a lot of smoke. And then pray someone sees it and points the rescue party in the right direction.”

  A slow, pleased smile spread over Nick’s handsome face. “Good idea, Kait. You’re one smart, capable woman.” He touched her cheek. “Of all the people in all the world to crash-land in the woods with, I’m beyond glad it was with you.”

  And he touched his lips to hers, lighting a fire deep within that threatened to consume her. And she had no inclination to douse the flames.

  * * *

  Every cell in Nick’s body came to life as his lips touched Kaitlyn’s. So soft, so warm, so right. It was as if suddenly a light had been turned on, like the sun had broken through the clouds. He’d never been one for poetry, but sonnets from his college English days filtered through his mind. Words of love, family and hope.

  Kaitlyn was part of his family, just as Rosie now was his family. He couldn’t see a future where the two of them weren’t included.

  He ignored the strident voice inside his head that said he couldn’t count on love. She’d already rejected his admission that he was falling for her, but in this moment, he wanted to believe they could be a couple, and believe they could make a family with Rosie.

  He didn’t regret revealing he had feelings for her. Though he hadn’t made the conscious decision to do so. The words had come out of their own volition, surprising him as well as her. But the truth wouldn’t be denied. He was falling hard for this woman.

  He deepened the kiss. Astonishingly, she kissed him back. Her lips gave and took in a rhythm that made him feel as if they were floating through time and space. He made a low noise of approval in his throat. It seemed to startle her. She stilled, then jerked away from him, her breathing fast. Their gazes locked. She appeared stunned, confused, conflicted.

  He reached for her to reassure her, to soothe away the obvious upset taking root and showing in her expression.

  She stepped back. “What did you just do?”

  He frowned, confusion seeping in. “That would be called a kiss, Kaitlyn.”

  She touched her lips. “You said you would never do anything to intentionally hurt me.”

  His breath caught in his lungs, sharp and tight. Hurt her? Never. “I’m sorry, Kaitlyn. I didn’t mean—It didn’t mean... I’m overwhelmed from the crash and everything.”

  And he was. His emotions felt out of control, like a plane falling from the sky without a parachute to save the day, and there was nothing he could do to stop the inevitable disaster. He just was so glad they were alive, that she was alive. He didn’t think he’d have been able to take it if something had happened to her.

  Now his kiss had hurt her. How much clearer could she be that she didn’t reciprocate his feelings?

  He needed to find a way to get them out of the woods and home. He had to get back to Rosie and her unconditional love. Because apparently any thoughts of him and Kaitlyn forming a future together would only be in his imagination.

  Unfortunately, he knew deep in his heart that he could love this woman. What an idiot he was for allowing himself to entertain such an unrealistic thing. Falling in love with the deputy would be a mistake.

  She’d said not to talk about his feelings. Clearly, her way of telling him she’d never be open to loving him. She barely respected him. How could he expect her to love him? He couldn’t.

  That was fine. He didn’t need her love or affection. He was good at erecting a barrier around his heart. This time would be no different. He gave a sharp nod of his head to put a period on his own thoughts. “Again, I’m sorry.” He stepped away briskly. “Let’s build a bonfire.”

  In silence, they gathered wood. Kaitlyn had employed Frank to help them. Nick wasn’t convinced the man wouldn’t try to run or something, so he kept a vigilant eye on Frank as they scoured the area for kindling and larger suitable firewood.

  Kaitlyn layered kindling pieces of wood between two short, thick logs. She repeated this process until she had three layers. Then she took taller sticks and leaned them against the pile of wood in a tepee configuration, leaving a space.

  “You wouldn’t happen to have a lighter on the plane, would you?”

  Grateful to be of assistance, he said, “Indeed, I do.”

  She frowned and stared at him like he’d eaten a bug. “Why?”

  She was not going to like the answer. But he told her anyway. “In case I want to create some ambience with candles.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, you would have a lit candle on a plane?”

  He barked out a laugh. “Of course not. But I’ve been known to fly to places where there are really good picnic spots. In fact, I had the resort put a stocked picnic basket in the storage trunk.” He moved to the plane, thankful the area of the fuselage was intact. The door was crumpled and it took effort to get into the compartment. A large picnic basket was stra
pped to the side of the plane. He unhooked it and brought his bounty out.

  “You think of everything, don’t you?” There was a hint of aggravation in her tone that he’d heard numerous times before this whole ordeal had begun.

  “I do try,” he quipped, easily falling back on his flirtatious, deflecting mode, knowing quite well he would put her on the defensive and put them both back on familiar ground. “I was hoping maybe once we finished with our mission in DC, we might then have had a little romantic picnic.”

  “Did you really.”

  Keeping his gaze from hers—he didn’t want to see her disapproval—he lifted the lid of the basket and fished around inside. “Here’s the lighter.” He held it out.

  She took the device. “Thank you.”

  He also brought out two boxes of crackers, packages of cheese and assorted meats. “We’ll have to ration these. Let’s pray it’s not too long before we’re found.”

  He gave some of the food supplies to Harrison and Frank, then offered some to Kaitlyn.

  She shook her head. “Not yet.”

  The first flakes of snow started to fall. His prediction had come true. The situation had worsened. He just prayed it didn’t become dire.

  But he couldn’t do anything about the damage to his heart.

  FOURTEEN

  Fluffy white snowflakes fell from the sky and landed on Kaitlyn’s hair and shoulders, stinging her cheeks. Yet she was burning up from the inside as she stood in front of the wood structure she’d created in order to start a fire.

  Her mind reeled. Nick had kissed her. More important, she’d kissed him back.

  There been no hesitation, no thought of retreat. At least, not at first.

  The sensations that rocketed through her at the touch of his lips had been stunning and exquisitely pleasurable, until something inside her brain kicked in, clamoring, No, no, no. The last time you allowed someone to get this close to you, he hurt and betrayed you.

  She touched her fingers to her lips to keep from screaming, “Nick isn’t like that. He would never hurt or betray me.”

  But did she really know that? He said he loved her. Could she trust his feelings?

  “Better get the fire started,” Nick said, drawing her focus. “Before the snow turns into more than just a flurry.”

  Giving herself a little shake, she flipped the switch on the lighter and a blue flame appeared at the end. Sticking her hand through the opening she’d left in the stacked kindling, she held the flame to the grass and leaves. But they were too wet to ignite. Frustrated, she turned to Nick and froze when she saw the look on his face. Gone was the easygoing, supremely confident expression he normally wore. Instead he appeared...sad? No, not quite. But close enough to be disconcerting. She had to compartmentalize her reactions and emotions. The priority was to stay alive and be rescued. “I need some cardboard or paper to catch the flame.”

  Seeming to snap out of his mental reverie, Nick nodded and headed back to the plane. She watched him with her heart aching. He’d talked of love earlier, going so far as to say he loved her, and she’d been struck with fear again. That seemed to be a recurring theme for her lately. She’d thought she’d dealt with her issues of fear a long time ago.

  While attending the police academy, going through training and being on the job, she’d faced fear every day. Gunmen, bombs, fires and car accidents, not to mention her ex-boyfriend sabotaging her and getting her fired from her college job. But none of her previous experiences came close to what she was feeling now.

  Nick had ignited within her a strange and unsettling type of fear. One she was struggling to control.

  The subject of her thoughts returned a moment later with the empty cardboard boxes from the crackers, broken down and torn into small pieces. She appreciated that he’d anticipated her next request. She took the pieces and stuffed them in various places throughout the bonfire structure. And then she systematically lit the cardboard on fire. Slowly, flames started to spread until there was enough of a blaze that the foliage caught fire. The long sticks grabbed the flames, sending dark plumes of smoke high into the air. She fanned the smoke, hoping to create enough of the black cloud that someone in the nearest house or town would see the plume and send someone to investigate. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the plane’s emergency system, but if she could help the search team pinpoint their location, then they’d be rescued that much quicker.

  “It’s getting colder,” Harrison groused from his seat on the downed tree trunk. “What are you going to do now?”

  Kaitlyn glanced at Nick and rolled her eyes. “I guess he’s come out of his shock.”

  “Seems like,” Nick agreed with the barest hint of a smile. “We should get them back into the plane. In fact, we all should get back into the plane for shelter.”

  Kaitlyn fanned the steadily growing flames. “I need to stay out here and make sure this fire keeps going.”

  He glanced upward. “The sun is almost set. I’ll get them into the plane. They’re not going anywhere. Then I’ll come back out here and help you.”

  She glanced down at his sopping wet pants legs and shoes. Concern arced through her. “You have to be freezing.”

  He glanced down, his eyebrows rising. “Everything’s numb. I hardly feel my feet.”

  “That’s not good,” she said. “Let’s get you into the plane, as well.”

  Thankfully her own boots were waterproof. But she wasn’t immune to the cold. As if on cue, a shiver rippled through her, intensifying when the sun moved behind the trees, creating long dark shadows.

  “I appreciate your concern, Kaitlyn. It’s really nice of you,” Nick said, his gaze searching her face.

  “Don’t get used to it,” she said without much heat.

  He barked out a laugh. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  His laughter chased away the chill in a way the blaze she’d started never could. She grinned, then turned away to stoke the fire before she and Nick hustled Frank and Harrison to the plane. Once inside, she got Harrison and Frank situated in the back with their Mylar blankets covering them. Then she turned to Nick, who’d taken a seat in one of the rear-facing leather seats. “Take off your socks and shoes. We need to warm your feet up so you don’t lose any toes.”

  Without comment, he slipped off his loafers, rolled his pants legs up and peeled his dark socks off. With the flashlight from her phone, she assessed his limbs. His skin was icy to the touch and his toes had a bluish tint. She knelt down in front of him and proceeded to rub his feet in an effort to bring some warmth and circulation back into them.

  Nick batted at her hands. “Kaitlyn, you don’t need to do that.”

  “Yes, I do. It’s my job to protect you. Which includes keeping you from getting frostbite.”

  Frank snorted. “You can rub my feet, Deputy.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at the man. “Not a chance.”

  Finally determining Nick’s feet were warmed up enough, she wrapped his feet with her blanket.

  “You need that blanket,” he said.

  His concern wrapped her in the kind of warmth a Mylar blanket never could, touching her deeply. He really was a caring man. “I’m going to check on the fire. When I come back, if your feet are okay, then I’ll take my blanket back.”

  She rose and hopped out of the plane before he could respond. She added more twigs to the growing fire, fanning the plumes of smoke in the hope that, despite the darkening sky, they would be seen.

  There was a scuffling noise behind her. Reaching for her sidearm, she turned quickly. Her breath caught in her throat. Nick was wrestling Frank to the ground and Harrison was running into the trees, his silver Mylar blanket flapping behind him like he was some winged creature. In a blink of an eye he disappeared into the darkness.

  She gave a shout and started to run after him but stopped. They would bo
th end up lost or worse. The man would return, if he wanted to live. Or maybe he would rather take his chances in the snow than face the reality of a prison sentence. She jogged back to where Nick had Frank pinned to the ground in a choke hold.

  Nick grinned and shook his head. “This guy just won’t learn.”

  “You can let him go.” She grabbed Frank by the biceps. “I thought you said you were turning over a new leaf.”

  Frank hung his head for a brief second, then lifted his gaze to meet hers. “Yeah, I’m a work in progress.”

  “What was the plan?”

  “The boss man promised me triple what he was going to pay me if I helped him escape.”

  “You do realize you both are going to prison,” Nick said.

  Frank slanted him a glance. “Obviously, you know nothing about the penal system. The dude’s got money. He’ll have access to it even behind bars. He’ll make my life a lot easier with an influx of cash in my commissary account.”

  Disgusted by the man’s thought processes, Kaitlyn pushed him back into the plane and situated in his bucket seat again. Though this time she zip-tied his hands to the armrests so there was no chance he would escape.

  She turned to Nick. “Sit down. What were you thinking? You’re barefoot.”

  “I’m aware, Kaitlyn,” Nick said dryly, shaking the snow off his feet before taking a seat.

  She set to work on warming up his feet again. “You keep putting your life in danger.” She couldn’t keep the admonishment from her tone. Would the man never learn?

  “And you don’t?”

  “It’s my job.”

  “Maybe I should become a police officer,” he said. “I can’t see a future where I won’t do what’s right, even if it means doing something dangerous.” He touched her shoulder. “I know you understand.”

  She did understand. And she really appreciated his honor and integrity. He was nothing like Jason. She’d come to realize that a while ago, but right now, in this moment, the difference had never been clearer. Her heart stuttered. It was time to share her past with him. She wrapped his feet up once again with the blanket, then sat on the floor with her back against the wall so that she could keep an eye on the fire through the side window. She glanced at Frank, wishing there was some way to have privacy. But she wouldn’t let the man out of her sight again. And she didn’t want to risk Nick getting frostbite by moving them outside so she could be more comfortable telling her story.