The Holiday Secret (Castle Falls Book 4)

by Kathryn Springer

  “Bea will be sad,” Ellery said carefully. “And I know you want to protect her...but I think that caring about something, being thankful for what it brought to our lives, whether it’s for a moment or a month or a lifetime, makes our hearts bigger.

  “You don’t want to take that away from her, Carter. You don’t want Bea to be afraid to...love.”

  Carter went completely still and the disbelief in his eyes made Ellery regret her impulsive words. She’d already been accused of trespassing...now it appeared that she’d crossed a boundary and encroached on his personal life, too.

  The cell phone clipped on Carter’s hip began to ring—thank You, Lord—and Sugar performed that little side shuffle again. With a muttered apology, he stepped outside the stall to answer it.

  “It’s okay,” Ellery whispered, stroking the horse’s nose to settle her down. Sugar quieted immediately, but Ellery’s heart continued to beat in double time.

  Several seconds of silence ticked by before she heard a clipped “On my way.”

  Carter appeared in the doorway again. His expression hadn’t changed but the intensity of his gaze, the set of his jaw, told Ellery that something terrible had happened.

  His next words confirmed her suspicions. “That was dispatch. Domestic disturbance.” Carter was already moving toward the door. “Mom and Bea are on their way back, so you don’t have to worry about the desk being unattended.”

  Ellery wasn’t worried about the inn. She was worried about him.

  Every time Carter saw the dark side of life, it formed another layer around his heart, making it more difficult for the light to get in.

  “Carter.” Without thinking, Ellery reached out and caught his hand. “Be careful.”

  Carter froze, and Ellery waited for him to say something cynical.

  Carter’s fingers tightened around hers. So quickly, Ellery wondered if she’d imagined it.

  And then he was gone.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ellery collapsed on the nearest hay bale.

  If the fleeting touch of Carter’s hand was all it took to make her knees weak, it would be wise to take her own advice.

  The feelings she was developing for Carter weren’t the only thing she found confusing. What he’d shared about her brothers was confusing, too. And troubling.

  Ellery returned to the house and climbed the stairs to the second floor.

  As tempting as it was to make herself a cup of tea, Carter’s mother was as intuitive as her son. It would be safer to retire to her room before Karen and Bea got home.

  Her phone chirped on the nightstand, letting her know a new text had arrived.

  She picked it up and for the second time that day, felt the world slide off its axis.

  It was a screenshot from a newspaper. “Darren Kane Sentenced to Twenty Years in Prison.”

  Below the headline were the words Call me.

  The number belonged to Dwayne Howard.

  Ellery dialed Jameson’s instead.

  He picked up on the first ring. “Ellery—”

  “I just got a message from Dwayne Howard.” Ellery struggled to keep her voice steady. “I thought you agreed we weren’t going to hire a private investigator.”

  “I put Dwayne on retainer just in case we needed him.” the attorney admitted. “I had no idea he would go ahead and do some digging on his own. He told me about the article this morning but I had no idea he planned to forward it to you.”

  “Darren Kane.” The name tasted foreign on her tongue. “Is he...my biological father?”

  “Based on what Dwayne discovered, it appears that way.”

  The lump in Ellery’s throat doubled in size. “What did he do?”

  “Fraud. Kane was a long-distance truck driver who decided it would be more lucrative to switch to construction. And it was. The pseudo-company he started bilked senior citizens out of their retirement savings until law enforcement caught up to him. Based on the information Howard uncovered, Darren Kane was a master manipulator. Someone who recognized when people were vulnerable and exploited it for his own gain.”

  A trait Jameson obviously feared the man had passed on to her siblings.

  Images of Aiden’s mischievous wink and Liam’s wry smile flashed in Ellery’s mind.

  “My brothers aren’t in prison.” She instinctively came to their defense. “They own their own business. They’re involved in the community.”

  “It doesn’t mean the Kanes don’t have an agenda where you’re concerned,” Jameson said. “I’m still not convinced the letter they sent wasn’t a fishing expedition.”

  Ellery’s stomach churned. Her heart wanted to reject Jameson’s concerns, but the seeds of doubt had already been sown during her conversation with Carter.

  They’re committed to making the family business a success. They’re a tight group.

  What if Aiden’s stay in the hospital and the physical therapy afterward had drained the family’s savings? Put their livelihood at risk?

  Maybe Jameson was right. Maybe they didn’t need a sister as much as they needed what that sister could provide.

  Maybe she was a means to an end.

  And even though Ellery had meant what she’d said to Carter about not being afraid to love, her heart, Ellery realized, wasn’t quite ready for another loss.

  “You accomplished your goal. Now it’s time to let Dwayne take over.” Jameson’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Please come home.”

  Ellery closed her eyes. “All right.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  Jameson’s sigh of relief rattled in her ear. “Let me know when you’re back in town. Trust me, Elle. A little distance between you and Castle Falls is what you need right now.”

  Then why did it feel like her heart was being torn apart?

  Ellery ended the call and dropped into the chair by the window. Drew her knees against her chest and watched the moon struggling to free itself from the branches of the trees.

  Closed her eyes and tried to pray but the words got tangled up in her emotions...

  She woke with a start when someone touched her arm.

  Ellery blinked, trying to make sense of the changes around her. The fire had died out and the moon was gone, cloaking the room in darkness.

  “Miss El’ry?”

  The tears that clogged Bea’s voice brought Ellery to her feet. Her muscles, cramped from having fallen asleep in the chair, screamed in protest.

  “Bea? What’s the matter, sweetheart? Did you have a bad dream?”

  Bea shook her head.

  “There’s something wrong with Gramma.”

  * * *

  The sun was rising when Carter got off duty. Which was a good thing, because he could barely see straight. The adrenaline that had kept the synapses firing in his brain throughout the night was wearing off and exhaustion seeped in to take its place.

  A light glowed in the kitchen window, forcing him to make a decision. Coffee or a few more hours of sleep?

  He opted for coffee.

  Praise music filtered from the kitchen, a welcome relief from the piercing shriek of multiple sirens still playing in the background of Carter’s head.

  He pushed open the door and saw Bea perched on a stool at the butcher-block island, ten pink toes peeking out from the hem of her favorite nightgown.

  No matter what had happened during Carter’s shift, seeing his daughter warmed his heart like an early spring thaw.

  “And here the weatherman said the sun wasn’t going to shine today,” he teased.

  Bea’s head lifted at the sound of his voice.

  And then she promptly burst into tears.

  “Hey.” Carter crossed the room in two strides and scooped her into his arms. “What’s the matter?”

  The quest
ion only caused the sobs to increase in volume.

  The door between the dining room and kitchen swung open and Ellery charged in.

  “Bea...” She stopped short at the sight of him. “You’re home.”

  Worry and weariness lurked behind the relief Carter saw in Ellery’s eyes. And even though she cobbled together a smile, Carter was struck by an overwhelming urge to wrap his arms around her, too.

  “Would someone like to tell me what’s going on?” The storm inside of his daughter had subsided a bit, but Carter continued to pat Bea’s back, absorbing the shudders that rocked her tiny frame.

  Ellery’s gaze rested on Bea for a moment. Her hesitation was a sign she was choosing her words with their audience in mind. “Karen isn’t feeling well this morning, so Bea and I are making breakfast for the guests.”

  Judging from Bea’s reaction, Carter knew there was more to the story, but now wasn’t the time to push for details.

  “I made a cup of ginger tea for Karen,” Ellery continued calmly. “Would you mind taking it to her while Bea and I start the waffles?”

  “Only if you promise to save some for me.” Carter tickled Bea’s ribs before he set her down on the stool again and was rewarded with a throaty giggle.

  “I can’t eat them all, Daddy.”

  Carter picked up the tray Ellery had prepared. Coffee and a few hours of sleep would have to wait.

  He knocked on his mother’s door before letting himself inside. The shades were drawn, bathing the room in shadows. Karen stirred when Carter set the tray down on the nightstand.

  “Carter?” She struggled to sit up. “What time is it? I haven’t started the coffee...” With a low groan, she collapsed against the pillows again. “Or breakfast. The guests—”

  “Don’t worry about breakfast or the guests.” Carter squeezed her hand. Just as he suspected, it felt hot to the touch. “Everything is taken care of.”

  “Bea—”

  “She’s fine, too. In the kitchen with Ellery making breakfast.”

  “I don’t know what I would have done without her.” Karen ran a shaky hand through her hair and for the first time, Carter noticed the bruise on her temple.

  “Did you fall?” Worry spiked all over again. “The only thing Ellery said was that you weren’t feeling well.”

  Karen managed a wan smile. “It was a combination of both, I’m afraid. I had a headache when I went to bed and it got worse, so I decided to take something for it. On the way down the hall, I started to feel light-headed. The next thing I knew, Bea was standing over me. She must have heard me fall and woke up.

  “I could tell she was terrified. I tried to tell her that I would be okay, but she ran away. I didn’t realize she’d gone to get Ellery.” Karen’s eyelids fluttered, as if the effort to keep them open drained her energy. “Ellery calmed Bea down and helped me get back into bed. I convinced her that all I needed was an ice pack and a few hours of sleep and I’d pop out of bed this morning, as good as new.”

  She didn’t look as good as new.

  Carter pressed his fingers against her wrist. “What’s your pain on a scale of one to ten?”

  “Three...”

  “Squared?” Carter knew his mother too well. “I think you caught the virus that’s been going around.”

  “I don’t have time for a virus,” Karen moaned. “I’ve got rooms to clean after the guests check out this morning and Maddie asked if I would provide the refreshments for the Christmas tea at the library’s open house tomorrow...”

  “I can pick something up at the grocery store.”

  Based on the way his mom flinched, Carter’s offer hadn’t put her mind at ease.

  “It’s a Victorian tea,” she said. “There’s a special menu. Cucumber sandwiches. Scones...clotted cream.”

  Clotted cream?

  Carter scrubbed his hand across his chin. Okay, if it wasn’t carrot sticks or cheese and crackers, they did have a problem.

  “Under the circumstances, I’m sure Maddie will understand if you have to cancel—”

  “Or Carter and I can divide and conquer.”

  Carter hadn’t heard Ellery come into the room.

  She walked over to the bed and smiled down at Karen. “Don’t worry about a thing. All you have to do today is concentrate on getting better.”

  If Karen would have had more energy, she would have protested. Or maybe not. Because the frown between her brows eased and she closed her eyes again.

  Carter followed Ellery into the hallway and pulled the door shut with a gentle click.

  “Divide and conquer?” he echoed.

  “You take the upstairs and I’ll take the kitchen.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I spent a summer in London, and clotted cream is a little above your pay grade.”

  The statement should have reminded Carter that Ellery lived in a different world. Instead, he battled an irresistible urge to smile.

  “What I meant was, why did you offer to help?”

  Ellery appeared genuinely shocked by the question.

  “Because your mom needs us.”

  Us.

  It sounded...good.

  Too good.

  Which was really, really bad.

  Chapter Twelve

  Later that evening, Ellery finished washing the last of the dishes and hung the damp towel on the rack.

  The refrigerator held four dozen miniature fruit tarts, the filling for the sandwiches and a crock filled with clotted cream. Tidy rows of scones cooled on wire racks.

  She’d brought a sampling of the menu to Karen’s room, but in spite of the woman’s claim that she “felt a little better,” Ellery couldn’t see any signs of improvement.

  She’d managed to coax Karen into taking a few sips of tea, but the crackers on the nightstand had gone untouched. Karen’s cheeks were flushed with color, a sign the fever hadn’t gone away. Neither had the pain from the headache that accompanied the virus, no matter how hard she tried to downplay her symptoms.

  There was no way Ellery could walk out on a woman who’d been nothing but kind since the day she’d arrived in Castle Falls.

  And Carter...

  Ellery hadn’t been able to walk out on him, either.

  She’d sent Jameson a quick text explaining that she’d had to delay her return for a day, but now the day was over. It was time to find Carter and let him know she’d be leaving first thing in the morning.

  There was no sign of him in the lobby or the gathering room, but Ellery could hear the faint strains of Christmas music coming from a room that hadn’t been included in Carter’s tour of the inn. She guessed they’d carved out some space for a private retreat. A place the family could relax and enjoy some time together, undisturbed.

  Ellery veered down a narrow hall that branched off from the back entryway. Tapped on the door.

  No answer.

  Cautiously, she turned the knob and nudged it open. Peeked into a spacious living room that lived up to its name.

  The logs burning in the fireplace cast a golden glow over the books scattered on the rug and the toys overflowing from a wooden chest in the corner.

  And the man stretched out on the sofa.

  Ellery’s breath tangled in her lungs.

  Carter lay on his side, one arm pillowed underneath his head, the other resting on his abdomen. Ellery could see the gentle rise and fall of his chest. The fringe of dark lashes that fanned out on his cheekbones.

  In uniform, it was easy to see the warrior in Carter. The Navy SEAL who’d transitioned to full-time deputy. But now, relaxed in sleep, Carter looked younger. Vulnerable.

  And the feelings Carter stirred made Ellery feel vulnerable, too.

  She backed out of the room, careful not to disturb him, and padded back up the stairs. Hesitated for a moment
on the landing before turning left, toward the family suite.

  She’d broken so many rules already, what was one more?

  Ellery found Bea standing on a stool in front of the bathroom sink, humming while she dragged a brush through her hair.

  Affection bubbled up inside of Ellery.

  The little girl had been a trouper all day. Ellery had kept Bea busy in the kitchen all afternoon so that Karen could rest. She’d let her mix the crust for the fruit tarts and layer paper-thin slices of cucumbers between slices of bread while Carter prepared for the next wave of guests.

  No wonder he was exhausted. He’d worked twenty-four hours straight without complaint.

  “Where’s Daddy?” Bea’s face crumpled when she spotted Ellery in the doorway. “Is he sick, too?”

  “No, sweetheart, your Daddy is fine,” Ellery hastened to reassure her. “I’m sure he’ll be here in a few minutes to tuck you in. Would you like me to read you a bedtime story while you wait?”

  “Uh-huh.” Without hesitation, Bea hopped off the stool and strung her arms around Ellery’s waist. “I’m glad you’re here, Miss El’ry.”

  Ellery returned the hug. “So am I,” she murmured.

  Oh, leaving was going to be so much more difficult than Ellery had first thought. In the space of a few short days, Bea had worked her way into Ellery’s heart.

  But as Jameson was so quick to remind her, she didn’t belong in Castle Falls. And Bea didn’t belong to her, either.

  That didn’t stop Ellery from holding tight to the little girl’s hand, though, as Bea led her down the hall. Bea’s bedroom was a wonderland of pink-and-white gingham. Dress-up clothes spilled over the side of an antique steamer trunk. A porcelain tea set similar to Karen’s formed the centerpiece for a tiny wooden table and matching chairs.

  Bea burrowed under the patchwork quilt, careful not to displace the herd of stuffed ponies lined up at the foot of her bed.

  Ellery sat down on the edge of the mattress and looked at the stack of books on the nightstand. “Do you have a favorite?”

  Bea chose one from the top of the stack and snuggled closer. It was a children’s version of the nativity story and Bea giggled as Ellery tried to imitate a cast of secondary characters that included a sheep, a donkey and a cross-eyed camel.