Christmas in Texas

by Tina Leonard

  Her gaze turned to his. “He’s not the man I thought he was, so that pain is gone. In my case it’s the dream that’s been hard to get over.”

  “In time you’ll heal, especially when you know you don’t have anything more to fear from him after he’s caught.”

  “What do you think will happen?”

  “He’ll be arraigned. In all probability the judge will order psychiatric testing before he hands down sentencing. Even if he had nothing to do with the attempted kidnapping, he has harassed you and violated the restraining order many times. But if he is implicated, then a trial date will be set with a jury and witnesses.”

  She bowed her head. “As long as he can’t hurt Jack…”

  “Amen.”

  This conversation had gone on long enough. It was time to change the subject. “While you were sleeping, I fixed dinner and ate mine. Yours is in the fridge. All I have to do is warm it up. If you’ll entertain Jack for a minute more, I’ll put it on the kitchen table.”

  “Terrific. We’ll just examine the tree up close and decide what kind of ornaments we want to put on it.”

  Through the open space between the living room and kitchen she said, “Do you have any?”

  “No. After the funeral, my family helped me move here. I told my sisters to take anything they wanted. I’ll buy some more.”

  She nodded. “I did virtually the same thing in my haste to get away from Jerry. In order not to have anything to do with him, I just walked out and left it all for him except a few of my own belongings. The furnished apartment saved my life.”

  “They have their uses. Many’s the time I’ve had to use one on a long stakeout.” He wandered into the kitchen. “Umm. You made tacos. They smell good.”

  “Help yourself.” She walked over and took Jack from him. “While you eat, I’m going to put him down. I can see his eyelids drooping.”

  Flynn gave him a kiss on top of his head. “See you in the morning, little guy.”

  “I’ll say good-night, too.” She reached for the bottle she’d warmed. “My thanks will never be enough for what you’re doing for us.”

  Afraid she might break down, she headed for the bedroom, picking up the quilt off the living-room floor as she did so. As much as she wanted to stay and talk with Flynn while he ate, she decided it would be better to keep everything professional between them. After his kindness to her, the last thing he wanted was some needy, clingy woman waiting on his every word. She imagined every eligible female for miles had their eye on him.

  Jack went down without a fuss, allowing her to get ready for bed and slide under the covers. When she’d been shoved into the snow, she couldn’t have dreamed she’d end up in this man’s home being totally cared for. She admired him more than anyone she knew.

  While she lay there, it suddenly dawned on her that for the first time in ages she was finding her thoughts focused on someone other than herself and Jack. Her heart ached for the man in the other part of the house who’d lost the two most important people in his life. They now had faces. Had it been a mistake to ask him to see their picture? She feared it had dredged up the pain he’d tried so hard to suppress.

  Scalding tears she couldn’t hold back trickled out of the corners of her eyes onto the pillow.

  Chapter Five

  Andrea was a great cook. Flynn ate everything with relish and put his dishes in the dishwasher, but he was wide awake after his long sleep and wouldn’t want bed for a while. Deciding he was too wired to be this inactive, he turned off the gas fire and left for the store. With security outside watching the house, he could leave without worry.

  He had twenty minutes before it closed. In that amount of time he could pick out some ornaments. By the time he’d put them on the tree, he might be ready to go back to bed.

  But to his chagrin, an hour later all the activity still hadn’t tired him out. Once he’d climbed under the bedding, he lay awake for a long time thinking about the woman at the other end of the hall. Jack wasn’t the only person in this house who’d gotten to him.

  Surprisingly, he didn’t awaken until nine the next morning, evidence he was still catching up on lost sleep. He could smell bacon cooking. It appeared his house guest liked to stay busy, too. It took him back to weekend mornings with Michelle.

  Flynn rolled out of bed and stretched before heading to the bathroom. When he looked in the mirror, it hit him what was different about this morning. He no longer experienced that stabbing pain of loss that had always been there since the plane crash.

  The psychiatrist had told him there’d come a day when he’d realize he was healing and life started to look good to him again. His doctor had said it would sneak up on him when he least expected it because the mind and heart took their own sweet time.

  That was a fact.

  Maybe it was finding Jack alive and uniting him with his mother that had done the trick. Whatever dynamic had been in play, it had helped him turn a corner. The Jack Daniel’s would stay on the shelf untouched this holiday.

  Before anything else, he called the hospital and learned the patient had been released and transferred to Marfa. Since he’d be driving there in a little while, he discarded the idea of relaxing in his new pair of sweats and put on a blue-and-red plaid flannel shirt and jeans. Once he’d pulled on his boots, he made his way through the house to the living room filled with warmth from the fireplace.

  Andrea sat crossed-legged in front of the tree with Jack at her side. This time she looked breathtaking dressed in a long-sleeved navy turtleneck and jeans. Her baby lay on his back on the quilt while she teased him with some plastic toy keys. The whole time she made him reach for them, his excited body was in perpetual motion. He wore a smile on his precious face that tugged at Flynn’s heart.

  “I can see the Christmas elf has been at it again,” he drawled. Without thinking about it, he sat down on the other side of the baby and leaned over to kiss him.

  Her brilliant blue eyes lit up when she saw him. “Well, good morning! After putting all these shiny new ornaments on the tree by yourself, we thought you might sleep in until noon at least. You must have been up half the night. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving.”

  “Good. I put your breakfast in the oven to stay warm.”

  His lips twitched before he got to his feet. “No wonder Santa’s so jolly and plump.” Suddenly in the Christmas mood, Flynn headed for the den and turned on the radio to a music station playing Christmas music. With the sound of “Jingle Bell Rock” filtering through the house, he headed for the kitchen.

  Equipped with scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns, he grabbed a fork and went back to his spot in front of the tree. While he sat down to eat, Jack watched him with attentive blue eyes. “I know your milk tastes good to you, but it’s nothing like this. Just wait until you can eat your mom’s cooking. You’ll flip!”

  “Flynn…”

  He flashed her a quick grin. “It’s only the truth.” After putting his empty plate to the side he turned over on his stomach so he could look Jack in the eye. “Hey, buddy—what do you want to do today? How about after I come back from the jail, we watch a fun cartoon on TV and give your mom a break?”

  Andrea eyed him furtively. “I’m sure Jack would love it, but if you’re going to the jail, could we go with you? I’d like to talk to the man who stole my car yesterday.”

  Just like that, the mood had changed. For a little while Flynn had forgotten everything, in
cluding the reason she’d spent the night under his roof. “It’s not normally allowed, and you’re supposed to be getting your rest today.”

  “I’ve done nothing but relax since you brought me to your home twenty-four hours ago. I’d only talk to him for a few minutes. If Jerry hired him, I want to know how he paid him of my hard-earned money. I bought and paid for my own cars and would like to hear how he’s going to pay me back for the one he crashed.”

  Flynn couldn’t blame her for that. Not only had the creep terrified her by stealing her baby, her only transportation was gone. He was enraged for her in his own right.

  “I’ll take you, but pack a few extras for Jack. The jail is in Marfa, twenty-four miles from here. No telling how long we’ll be. Depending on the situation and the attorney defending him, you might be able to have a few minutes with him. Let’s leave now and get it over with. Then we’ll have the rest of the day to enjoy ourselves.”

  He watched her swallow hard. “Thank you, Flynn. I’ll get Jack ready.”

  While she stood up and took the baby back to the bedroom, he shut off the radio and gas fire. After slipping on his parka, he took advantage of his privacy and phoned security outside to let them know his plans.

  Once he’d hung up, he reached the garage ahead of her and changed the baby’s car seat to the rear of the Volvo. When he saw her in the doorway, he reached for Jack and settled him in. “Here we go, buddy. I think you’ll like riding in this better than in the truck, where it’s hard to see around the seats.”

  * * *

  ANDREA MARVELED OVER Flynn’s concern for her son’s welfare. And mine. He treated her like a princess. That’s how she felt on this beautiful Christmas Eve day. Even the sun had come out to warm the air and a lot of the snow had already melted.

  Two days ago she’d been running for her life through an unexpected blizzard, straight into a kidnapper’s clutches. This morning she could truly breathe again. The sorrow and fear she’d been living with since the last months of her pregnancy no longer held her in a vise. The remarkable man at her side was the person solely responsible for this change.

  If she felt any alarm, it was her own growing attraction to him. She couldn’t blame it on hero worship, although she did think he was a hero. No…this was another feeling taking over despite her determination to stay emotionally distanced from him.

  Once they were on the highway, Andrea asked him to tell her about the murder case in Van Horn. Talking about his work would help keep her focused on his profession rather than on him. “I’ve discovered you’re famous. The story is all over the news, and the staff at the hospital sang your praises.”

  “Don’t believe it. A whole network was involved to get the job done.”

  “With you spearheading it,” she reminded him. “Don’t you see? This will be the only time in my life I actually have an opportunity to learn the facts from the horse’s mouth—so to speak.”

  His deep laughter excited her. “That about covers it.”

  “Flynn—”

  He shook his head. “You don’t want to hear the gruesome details.”

  Modesty wasn’t the only thing holding him back. Something in his tone made her realize he didn’t want to revisit it. That’s probably how he’d survived since going into law enforcement. Put it away and move on to another case.

  “I’m sorry. It’s just that because of what you do, I got my son back, and I know you’re going to see that Jerry no longer poses a threat. I’m pretty much in awe of you.”

  While she studied his distinctive profile, he gave her a rueful smile. “That sounds good, but I’ll wait until the job is successfully done before I take those words to heart.”

  She had no doubts, but unfortunately she’d been caught looking at him again. With her pulse racing, Andrea turned away and discovered they were coming into Marfa. In a minute they drove up to the Presidio County Jail, a one-story building.

  “We’ve arrived and there hasn’t been a peep out of Jack.”

  Andrea looked over her shoulder. “A drive usually puts him to sleep.”

  “I’m afraid snooze time is over for the little guy. The jail is a busy, noisy place with visitors coming and going. Let me carry him in for you.”

  Flynn got out to take care of Jack while she gathered the diaper bag and they walked inside. He’d been right. There were a dozen people in the lounge area obviously waiting to visit detainees. One young woman, who was maybe twenty, held a crying baby. Two of the adults were having an argument and didn’t seem to care if anyone heard them. On the day before Christmas, the reality of the situation was all the more depressing.

  After kissing Jack’s forehead, Flynn handed her the baby. “Sit down over here while I go in and find out what’s going on. After I come back out, I’ll tend Jack so you can have a turn. That is if they let you.”

  “Be careful—” she said before she realized how stupid and personal it sounded.

  His eyes turned that soft gray color again. “That was nice to hear. It’s been a long time.”

  She could feel herself blushing. “It just came out. I don’t know why I said it.”

  He studied her for a second longer. “I promise not to be long.” He headed for a door marked Authorized Personnel Only.

  The woman with the baby walked over to her. “I need to change my kid. Do you have an extra diaper?”

  “Sure.” Andrea dug in the bag for one.

  “I’m here to see my boyfriend. He got busted last night for getting in a fight. What about you?”

  Andrea handed her a diaper and some wipes. “I’m here to talk to a man who was brought in from the hospital.”

  “What did he do?”

  “He kidnapped my baby, but a Texas Ranger caught him.”

  The woman’s painted brows arched. “You’re talking about the stud who walked in here with you?”

  Flynn was a stud, and so much more, there weren’t enough words to describe him. “Yes.”

  “Kind of reminds me of the hunk on the pack of cigarettes my grandad used to smoke. You know, the Marlboro Man?”

  Andrea knew and nodded.

  The younger woman eyed her for a moment longer before she took off for the restroom. No sooner had she disappeared than Flynn came striding into the lounge, the essence of the man the younger mother had been describing.

  Andrea had thought he would have been gone a lot longer. Her heart thudded at the sight of him. Jack recognized him at once and squirmed to be held by him.

  She laughed. “Look at that! My son’s a traitor.”

  Flynn’s eyes smiled as he reached for the baby. After putting him against his shoulder he said, “While this case is still unfolding, I can’t get permission for you to talk to him. Not until after he’s arraigned by the federal court judge.”

  “Why? I only want to ask him a few questions.”

  “I know, but as I suspected, he wasn’t working alone. The guy driving the truck camper was an accomplice and is still on the loose. The police have an APB out on him. Once he’s caught, then you’ll get your turn to talk to both of them.”

  “How did you find out this much?”

  “After he refused to talk to me at the hospital, I gave instructions he could be allowed one phone call. The sheriff told me he made it to a P.I. firm he works for in Carlsbad. He goes by the name Stanley Cooper.”

  “He’s a P.I.?” Andrea asked incredulously.

  “No. He’s someone they keep
on the payroll to do certain kinds of dirty jobs for the firm. They’ve sent down their attorney, who has advised his client to remain silent.”

  Once again she was outraged. “And Jerry found them…”

  “It goes without saying they’re a sleazy outfit.” He sounded thoughtful before he added, “This case is turning into something bigger than anyone had supposed.”

  “In what way?”

  “My boss just got word back to me that the fingerprints I had sent to the database on the patient have identified him as Cooper Stanley, an alias he uses. He’s done jail time before. At the moment there’s a warrant out for a Cooper Stanley in Arizona for grand theft and shooting an officer.”

  Andrea shuddered. “Jerry must have paid a lot of money for that firm to agree to kidnapping Jack. Where did he get it?”

  Flynn grimaced. She noticed he had such a strong instinct to protect, he unconsciously held Jack tighter. “I can tell you this much. That place is going to be out of business and several people, including your husband, are going to be behind bars before too much longer.” He looked her square in the eye. “Grab your things and let’s go.”

  Relieved to get out of such a depressing place, she followed him through the main doors of the jail to his car. A few minutes later he pulled up in front of a restaurant called the Food Shark and shut off the engine.

  “I’m ready for lunch. Let’s go in. The chef serves slow-roasted pork tacos in an ancho-cocoa rub I know you’ll like. We’ll take some of their famous brown butter cookies to eat on the way home.”

  “Sounds delicious. Let me just change Jack and feed him a bottle, then he’ll be good while we’re inside.”

  “He’s always good.”

  “That’s because he’s used to you and enjoys all the attention you shower on him. He’s getting spoiled.”

  Flynn’s eyes penetrated hers. “Don’t you know every guy likes to be spoiled once in a while?”