A Christmas Wish

by Leeanna Morgan

  After breakfast, William had shown them his friend’s toys in the garage. One look at the sled and Nora was hooked. It didn’t matter what Megan said, Nora was determined to throw herself down the side of the mountain with nothing but a piece of red-painted wood between her and the frozen ground.

  But Nora wasn’t the only person risking their life for an adrenaline rush. William had convinced her that she needed to stretch her comfort zone, too. So here she was, sitting behind Nora, praying they’d make it down the mountain alive.

  “Remember to hold on tight to the sled,” William said.

  “We will.” Nora grinned at Megan. “This will be fun.”

  Megan looked at where they were going. She wasn’t sure if the word ‘fun’ described how she felt. Terrified suited her mood better.

  She wrapped her arms around Nora. “This is safe, isn’t it?”

  William pulled his woolly hat over his ears. “As safe as it gets when you’re zooming down the mountain at fifty miles an hour.”

  Megan’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

  “I was joking.”

  William’s grin didn’t make her feel any better. “It’s not funny,” she muttered.

  “Aunty Megan doesn’t like going fast,” Nora said. “She got seasick when we went on the teacup ride at Disneyland.”

  William held onto the back of the sled. “You won’t have to worry about spinning in circles today. We’re going straight down. Are you ready?”

  “We’re ready!” Nora yelled.

  “Here we go. One…”

  Megan made sure Nora’s hands were wrapped firmly around the rope that would steer them down the slippery slope.

  “Two…”

  She bit her bottom lip and prayed they made it to the bottom in one piece.

  “Three!” William pushed the sled down the mountain. As soon they’d gathered enough speed, he threw himself behind Megan, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

  Nora let out a high-pitched squeal as they careened down the icy slope.

  Megan closed her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest. This had to be the craziest thing she’d done in years, maybe decades. Maybe her entire life.

  Frozen air rushed past her face. She was so cold she felt like a frozen popsicle.

  “Hold on tight,” William yelled. “There’s a bump ahead of us.”

  Her eyes flew open. “You never told me about a bump,” she shrieked.

  “It’s a little bump.”

  Megan was sure he was laughing at her, but she was too terrified to turn around and check. So she held Nora even tighter and started repeating the Hail Mary.

  Within seconds they were airborne. Just as Megan’s stomach lurched toward her throat, they bounced back onto the icy slope.

  Nora was laughing so hard that Megan was convinced they’d both fall off the sled.

  “We’ll start slowing down soon,” William yelled in her ear.

  Megan didn’t dare reply. She needed to make sure Nora didn’t steer them into the pine trees on their left.

  The slope leveled out, but they kept moving. When they finally came to a standstill, Megan breathed a sigh of relief. Her face might be numb and her nerves strung tight, but they’d made it.

  “That wasn’t so bad was it?” William’s voice was as calm and controlled as ever.

  “It was awesome,” Nora yelled. “Can we do it again?”

  Megan rolled off the sled. She’d never been happier to see solid ground in her life. “Once is enough for me.”

  “Could I go with William? He’s really good at looking after me and he won’t do anything too scary.”

  William picked up the rope at the front of the sled. “I don’t mind taking Nora down the hill again.”

  Nora was so excited that Megan didn’t have the heart to say no. “Okay. I’ll wait for you here.”

  “Did you hear that, William? We can go sledding again.”

  “That’s great. There’s only one problem.”

  “There is?”

  William pointed to the top of the hill. “We need to climb back up there.”

  Nora grinned. “I can do it. Girls can do anything.”

  “I know they can.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go, birthday girl. We’ve got a mountain to conquer.”

  With one hand wrapped around Nora’s and the other pulling the sled, William made his way up the slippery slope.

  Megan’s heart pounded. She’d only known him for eight days, but it could have been years. He was becoming part of their family, someone who would always want the best for them. Someone who had gotten under her skin and was heading straight to her heart.

  Later that night, long after Nora had gone to bed, Megan handed William a cup of hot chocolate. “There’s no extra sugar.”

  “That’s okay. I’m sweet enough.”

  Megan smiled. “I know one exhausted little girl who would agree with you. Thank you for making Nora’s day special.”

  “You’re welcome. Nora was easy to keep entertained. I’m not so sure about her aunt, though. Sometimes she didn’t look as though she was enjoying herself.”

  “I enjoyed everything about today, except the sled ride. Barreling down the side of the mountain on a thin piece of wood isn’t my idea of fun.”

  “But you did it.”

  “Because a certain someone twisted my arm.”

  William tilted his head to the side. “Was it worth it?”

  Megan thought about the excitement on Nora’s face, the thrill of doing something together that was a little out of the ordinary. “It was more than worth it. Tomorrow will seem incredibly quiet after today.”

  “There are more gadgets in Zac’s garage. Or we could make snowmen. Nora would enjoy decorating them with stick hands and carrot noses.”

  “She would.” Megan leaned her head against the back of the chair. “Is there an easy way to contact Zac? I’d like to thank him for letting us stay here.”

  “I’ll give you his email address in the morning, but don’t send your message until the FBI has found the terrorists. We don’t know if anyone’s monitoring your email account.”

  “I still can’t believe we got caught up in an FBI investigation. Where would you be if you weren’t looking after us?”

  William stared at the flames dancing in the fireplace. “Unless another assignment arrived on my desk, I’d be in the Bozeman office, working with the County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement groups.”

  “Do you like living in Bozeman?”

  “I do. It’s much better than living in a big city. What about you? Do you think you’ll ever move from Milwaukee?”

  “Not at this stage. Nora starts school after Christmas and I’m finally earning enough money to make a decent living. Or I was.” For the last few days, Megan had been thinking about ways she could rebuild her client base when she went home. It wouldn’t be easy. For people in regular jobs, they’d see the time they were away as an enforced vacation. For her, it was a disaster. Especially at one of the busiest times of the year.

  William added another log to the fire. The wood crackled and hissed as the flames leaped across its surface. “I hope being here doesn’t make a huge difference to your business.”

  “So do I.” Megan didn’t want to think about what would happen if people stopped ordering cakes from her. She had some savings, but they wouldn’t last forever.

  She turned to William. Thinking about her business was depressing. “Looking at the stars made Nora’s birthday extra special. How did you know she’d like the telescope?”

  William smiled. “It was easy. Every picture she draws has at least one star in it. Even if it’s in daylight, there’s a star. Buying her a telescope seemed like a good idea.”

  “It was. Looking at the stars is her way of staying connected to her mom. When Christine died, Nora didn’t understand what death meant. She kept asking for her mom and crying when she didn’t come home.”

  “It must h
ave been heartbreaking.”

  Megan nodded. “Do you believe in heaven?”

  William didn’t seem surprised by her question. “Before Lacey died, I believed there was a God, that there was good and evil in the world. But heaven was hard to imagine.”

  “And after your daughter died?”

  “I didn’t believe in anything for a while. I was angry. I blamed myself for what happened, for not reacting sooner to the car coming toward us. And then I wasn’t angry. I was empty.”

  He placed his mug on the coffee table. “Mom used to have a poster on her wall. It said, ‘Heaven is a beautiful place because they’ve got you.’ I’d forgotten all about it until Lacey died. She was such an incredible little girl. I needed to know she was still part of our lives, watching down on us. Does that make me a fraud for only believing in heaven after she died?”

  “It makes you human. Our family was different. We always went to church. It never occurred to me that heaven didn’t exist. When my sister and parents died, knowing they were still part of our lives helped me get out of bed each day. They’d be proud of what we did for Nora’s birthday.”

  “You should be proud, too. Nora was happier than she’s been all week.” William studied her face. “How do you feel? Has the sadness from this morning gone away?”

  Megan nodded. She missed her family, she always would. But after William’s hug, she hadn’t felt any of the soul-numbing sadness that snuck up on her and left her exhausted.

  “I feel…content.”

  “Is that good?”

  Megan smiled. “It’s very good. We’ve had an amazing day. I’m sitting in front of an enormous fireplace in a beautiful home. There’s music playing and we’re drinking hot chocolate. What more could I want?”

  William’s eyes filled with warmth. “You’ve got me.”

  “Only for a few more weeks.” Regret and something more filled Megan’s heart. “I like you, William, but Nora is my main priority.”

  The hopeful light left his eyes. “I understand.”

  “It doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

  “No. It doesn’t. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  Megan sighed. It wouldn’t have mattered whether he’d said anything or not. She felt the same tug of attraction, the same sense of being right where she needed to be. But she was scared that when this was over, what they felt for each other would disappear. She couldn’t risk having her heart broken or hurting Nora.

  She clasped her hands in her lap, needing something to hold onto. “We have completely different lives.”

  “We do.” William picked up his mug. “I should go back to my office. I need to catch up on some paperwork. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Megan didn’t know what to say. “Okay. Thanks for everything you did today.”

  “You’re welcome.” He hesitated in the doorway. “I want you to know…”

  Megan’s gaze locked with his. The air became supercharged as unspoken words swirled between them.

  “I want you to know you’re safe here. I’ll check the locks and security system on my way upstairs.”

  She tried to hide her disappointment. “Thanks. I’ll stay in the living room for a few more minutes.”

  William nodded and left.

  Megan stared into the fire and hoped they wouldn’t be spending too much longer in Sapphire Bay. For everyone’s sake.

  Half an hour later, Megan was still sitting on the sofa, thinking about William. Since Nora had come into her life, dating hadn’t been an option. It wasn’t until tonight that she could imagine herself spending time with someone else.

  William was a wonderful person and Nora adored him. Maybe, after the terrorists were arrested and they were living their normal lives, they could see if there really was something special between them.

  But for now, they would live under the same roof and keep as far away as possible from the terrorists. If that wasn’t enough to give her sleepless nights, then waiting to see if she was related to a stranger would do it.

  A loud thump from upstairs brought Megan to her feet.

  Nora hadn’t been sleepwalking since they arrived, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t start. Megan’s biggest worry was that she would come out of her bedroom and forget she was in a different house. Stairs could be lethal at the best of times and, to a six-year-old who was still asleep, they were even worse.

  She ran out of the living room and met William on the stairs. “Is Nora okay?”

  “She was still asleep when I left my room.”

  Megan lifted her hand to her chest. “Thank goodness. I thought she was sleepwalking. Did you hear the bang?”

  “Sorry, it was me.” William’s face was pale. He looked more stressed than Megan had seen him in days.

  “Are you all right?”

  “The FBI called me a few minutes ago. The terrorist cell sent Caleb Andrews a photo of Nora. They’re threatening to hurt her.”

  Megan’s eyes widened. “But she’s only a little girl.”

  “It doesn’t matter. They want the program Caleb’s developed and they’ll stop at nothing to get it.” William handed her his cell phone. “Do you know where this photo was taken?”

  Megan looked at the image. It could have been taken anywhere; a shopping mall, a supermarket or any building where there were plenty of people and products. Instead of focusing on the building, she studied the clothes Nora was wearing.

  Her eyes widened. “This must have been taken in Milwaukee. In one of the stores at the airport.”

  “That’s what I thought. Unless the man who tried to kidnap you took this photo, he had help.”

  A sick feeling settled in Megan’s stomach. Just when she thought her life couldn’t get any worse, it had. And right at the center of all the fear was a stranger who could be her brother—and a little girl who saw her mom in the stars.

  Chapter 7

  The following afternoon, Megan glanced at the calendar on the kitchen wall. Even though they hadn’t chosen to come here, the time had gone quickly. William’s friend’s house had everything they needed. If it weren’t for the terrorists, it would have been an idyllic place for a vacation.

  She added a little more flour to the cake batter. Megan was desperate to do something that would take her mind off the photo of Nora. If she couldn’t make Christmas cakes for her clients, she’d give this one to the man who could be her brother and leave the others for Zac.

  The cake that was already baking in the oven was for William. After their conversation last night, she didn’t know how he would be this morning. But knowing him, he would carry on as if nothing had happened.

  She folded the wooden spoon into the batter, making sure the extra flour was mixed in well.

  The results from the DNA test wouldn’t be far away. William had checked with the lab and their samples were being processed. She took that as a good sign. At least they hadn’t lost the kits.

  The kitchen door opened and William walked toward her. He sniffed the air. “Cinnamon, mixed spice and, if I’m not mistaken, a hint of lemon and almond essence.”

  “Right again. You should have been a chef. A lot of people can’t distinguish between different smells.”

  “Some days I’d prefer to work in a kitchen.”

  Megan studied the grim expression on his face. “Is this one of them?”

  William nodded. “I don’t know if I’m the bearer of bad news or good, but your DNA results have arrived. Do you want to see them?”

  The spoon in Megan’s hand dropped into the batter. She’d been waiting patiently for the results of the test. Now that they were here, she didn’t know what to think.

  “You don’t have to open them now,” William said quickly. “I’ve printed a copy of the report. You can read it when you’re ready.”

  Megan took the folder he handed to her. “Have you seen the results?”

  William shook his head. “No, but I’d appreciate knowing what the lab said. It could make a
difference to what happens next.”

  Megan placed both hands on the edge of the counter and held on tight. Everything she had imagined about her life was about to be proven right or wrong.

  If she was adopted, she still wasn’t sure how she felt about not being told, but there was nothing she could do about it. Except read the results from the DNA test.

  She took a deep breath. Whatever the results of the test were, they wouldn’t change who she was. She had to remember that and believe in it.

  “What if I’m not Nora’s biological aunt? Will that make a difference to my guardianship of her?”

  “Your sister named you as Nora’s legal guardian. No one can take her away from you.”

  She wished that were true, she really did. But there were so many unknown factors in Nora’s life, too.

  William leaned against the counter. “Do you want me to stay with you while you read the report?”

  She stared at the green folder. “That would be great.” With shaking hands, she turned to the first page. After days of speculation, the simple, straightforward text was an anticlimax. Caleb Andrews, a man she’d never met, was her brother.

  Megan looked at William. “I’m related to Caleb. He’s my brother.” She cleared her throat and took another deep breath. “We share the same parents.”

  William’s eyes narrowed. “Both parents?”

  She nodded and sat at the kitchen table. With her head resting in her hands, she tried to think of a reason why she would have been adopted out of his family.

  William sat beside her. “I have something else for you, too.”

  The brown envelope in his hand looked new. “What is it?”

  “It’s a copy of a letter that was in your adoption file. The FBI wasn’t able to take the original but, given the results from the DNA test, I’m sure you could ask for it.”

  Megan lifted the envelope’s flap and stared at the folded piece of paper. If the results of the DNA test weren’t enough to change her life, she had a feeling the letter would.

  William frowned. “Where’s Nora?”

  “She’s having a nap in the living room. Her late-night astronomy session made her tired.”