Christmas in Texas

by Tina Leonard

  He cocked his head. “So what you mean is, you’re afraid of my dark side.”

  “That isn’t what I said—” she protested.

  “Then let’s prove it, shall we? It would be a shame to let this mistletoe go to waste.” So saying, he crushed her against him and gave her a long, sensuous kiss that went on and on until she was right there with him. There was no mistaking her response.

  When he finally let her go, he linked his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans to keep his hands off her. “I refuse to apologize for that. Go to bed, Andrea. Knowing your husband can’t hurt you anymore should help you sleep tonight. Everything will look different in the morning.”

  Chapter Eight

  Tortured by her feelings for Flynn and her need to do the right thing, Andrea didn’t sleep all night and did her packing early. Once she’d made the bedroom tidy, she showered and then scoured the bathroom. With that done, she dressed in the red sweater and jeans, and got Jack ready to travel.

  When she checked her watch, it was close to eight o’clock, the time someone would come by the house to bring her a rental car. Though she was a physical and emotional wreck, she put on her best face so Flynn would never know what this was costing her.

  After a flip of her hairbrush and a dash of lipstick, she carried her suitcase, the diaper bag and the carry-cot into the living room. The house was quiet. There was no sign of Flynn. He’d obviously cleaned up the house and kitchen before going to bed and was probably still asleep. The place looked spotless.

  She went back to her bedroom. “Come on, sweetheart.” Andrea picked up her baby and wrapped him in the quilt. “We’ve got a long ride ahead of us.” Which reminded her she needed to get the car seat out of the Volvo and put it in the rental car.

  But when she went out to the garage, she couldn’t get in because it was locked. The only thing she could do was knock on Flynn’s bedroom door and ask for the keys. She knocked several times without getting an answer. “Flynn?”

  “I’m right behind you.”

  “Oh—” Andrea wheeled around to face a clean-shaven Flynn dressed in a cream-colored Western shirt and jeans. He was so handsome, she went weak in the knees. “I was trying to find you because—”

  “Because you needed me to unlock the car.” He finished the sentence for her.

  “Yes. The rental-car person will be here any moment now.”

  “He just left, but I sent him away well-recompensed for his time.”

  Her pulse raced with conflicting emotions. “I wish you hadn’t done that. We went over all this last night.”

  Flynn kissed Jack’s forehead. The baby wanted to go to him, but for once she clutched him to her.

  “We didn’t even get started,” he responded in the Ranger’s voice she’d come to recognize. “I thought we’d go out for breakfast where we don’t have to do any work and can talk. We’ll drive to Alpine.”

  “Why? I have no reason to go to that shelter now.”

  His dark brows met in a bar above his eyes. “That’s not why I’m taking you there. We’ll eat at a great little restaurant first because I think better on a full stomach. All you’ll need is the diaper bag for the baby. Shall we go?”

  It didn’t look as if she had a choice.

  But of course she did.

  Flynn wouldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to do, because he knew he didn’t have to force her. Hating herself for showing so little backbone, she let him carry Jack to the car and get him settled while she got into the front seat.

  A cloudy sky greeted her vision as they headed for the town that had been her destination when she’d left Carlsbad four days ago. So much had gone on since then, she didn’t recognize herself.

  They drove the short distance in silence. After they’d entered a local restaurant and had been served their food, Flynn captured her gaze. “In all the excitement yesterday, I failed to tell you that the accomplice who was driving the camper was arrested. Everyone has now been accounted for.”

  “That’s a huge relief. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for all you’ve done on my case, and for Jack and me personally. I’d like to pay you for the things you bought.”

  His serious gray eyes glanced at her over the rim of his coffee cup. “I don’t want your money, but there is something you could do for me if you were willing.”

  She finished the last of her eggs and cinnamon toast. “You mean before I ask you to drive me to the nearest car rental so I can leave for Carlsbad?”

  He nodded. “Come with me.”

  In a few minutes they were driving through Alpine to a civic building. “This is my official place of work, but I don’t spend a lot of time here.” He put Jack in the carry-cot and they went inside to the second floor. Few people were about. Flynn acknowledged one of the men before he got out his keys and opened the door marked Captain Patterson.

  She walked in, taking a look at the generic furnishings, which included a desk, chairs, computer equipment and a file cabinet.

  After he put the baby down next to her, he walked over to the cabinet and pulled a stack of files from the bottom drawer. To her surprise he put them in her lap. She counted at least eight. Andrea stared up at him, not comprehending.

  “These represent cold cases. I inherited them when I was transferred here. All except two are unsolved murders. The others are missing-persons cases. There’s so much work to deal with in the course of a regular day, I never get enough time to work on them. Though I’m officially back on duty, unless an emergency arises, I’ll be working out of my house on these until after the New Year.

  “After talking to your attorney, I found out nothing’s going to happen in Carlsbad to do with your case or the courts until after the first of the year, so there’s no reason for you to hurry back. Therefore I’m offering you a temporary job. I could use another pair of eyes to see what I’ve missed.”

  He’d really shocked her this time. Aghast, she cried, “I know nothing about police procedure—”

  Flynn sat on a corner of his desk, studying her intently. “You don’t need to. You have a college education and five years of working experience behind you. If you were willing, I’d like you to try reading through each case as if you were watching a detective story on TV. You’d have to go through them thoughtfully, taking your time. Something might stand out you have a question about that will lead me in a new direction.”

  To spend another week with him… She could hardly breathe.

  “You’re serious about this?” Andrea was incredulous.

  “Deadly.”

  His change of tone sent a shiver down her spine.

  “Why me, Flynn?”

  He took the folders from her and put them in a briefcase propped next to the cabinet. “Last night you said you didn’t know me, and I didn’t know you. Working together on the cases I try to solve for a living ought to help us get to know each other on a different level. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  How could she deny it?

  “Sometimes I need to brainstorm, but my colleagues aren’t always available. Your being here gives me the fortuitous opportunity to use you and enjoy Jack’s company for a little longer. How would you like to be taken advantage of, in the intellectual sense only, and get paid for it?”

  “I couldn’t take your money.”

  “Then I rescind my offer.” When his mouth lifted at one corner like that, she couldn’t say no.

  “You mean we’d be like the attorn
ey Perry Mason and his secretary Della Street.”

  “Exactly. No romance in or out of the office. I swear it.”

  If Flynn made her that promise, then she knew he’d keep it, even if it killed her.

  “They were a weird couple, weren’t they?”

  He grinned. “No weirder than you and I spending a whole week together without touching each other. It ought to be interesting.”

  You mean painful.

  “Let’s hurry home. I’m excited to get started. You’ll help us, won’t you, Jack?” He picked up the carry-cot handle and opened the door for her.

  Andrea knew he was telling the truth. No matter how long he lived, you would never take the Ranger out of him. That was something she’d suspected after first meeting him at the hospital, but now she realized it was the key to his fascinating personality.

  Halfway home she ventured a comment. “Tell me about the murder cases.”

  “Two men were killed within three days of each other. One happened on Chuck’s ranch a week before I moved into my house. At that time I was in the middle of a big case and couldn’t get to it for months. That’s how Chuck and I met. Since then I’ve done my own work on it in my spare time, but so far to no avail.”

  “What’s the name?”

  “Jose Rodriguez was the decedent.”

  “And the other case?”

  “Luis Gonzales. He was a waiter at the Spring Inn in Fort Davis.”

  She shuddered. “Sounds like the murders were related.”

  “Definitely.”

  These two cases were personal and important to him. She’d start with them, even if she couldn’t imagine being of any help. Secretly she was flattered by his faith in her. Never would she have thought the day would come when she would be in a position to do anything so foreign to her world. But it didn’t matter, because she was determined to try.

  Excitement filled her body to know he didn’t want her to leave him yet. She’d been trying to keep her distance, but it was impossible. Every second spent with him, she was falling more in love. But she didn’t think that was the case with Flynn. Beyond his physical attraction to her, she didn’t know how involved he could be emotionally after the tragedy of losing his wife and child.

  It frightened her she might not have what it took to hold him for long once the initial thrill wore off. The only thing to do was make the most of this week with him and fill each moment with memories she could hug to herself.

  After a tour of Alpine by car, he drove her up to the McDonald Observatory to take a look around. They ended up away from home all day. Jack had been so good the whole trip, but even he had his limits and was fussing by the time they got back to Fort Davis.

  While Flynn insisted on bathing him and putting him to bed with a bottle, Andrea busied herself in the kitchen making a salad and sloppy joes for dinner. She was looking forward to the rest of the evening. With Jack in bed for the night, she could begin the job Flynn had hired her to do.

  Chapter Nine

  “Captain Patterson?” He opened his eyes. The nurse stood in the entry. “Are you up for a visitor?”

  Flynn frowned. “No one knows I’m in here.”

  “Well, this woman does. She’s waited several hours and is so frantic to at least get a look at you, I hoped you wouldn’t mind.”

  “Flynn?”

  His heart missed a beat when he saw Andrea in the doorway holding Jack in his carry-cot. “What are you doing here? How did you know? I told Deputy Arnold not to say anything specific.”

  “Don’t get mad at him. He obeyed you to the letter. That’s why I guessed something terrible had happened to you. Somehow I knew you were in here. I just knew it. Can I come in?”

  “What do you think?”

  She walked over to the bed and put Jack down. “Where are you hurt?” Her beautiful tear-filled blue eyes roved over him anxiously.

  “My lower left leg has a superficial wound from a gunshot, but it’s been treated and wrapped. I didn’t need surgery, only a pair of crutches. It’ll be good as new in a few weeks.”

  “Thank heaven. Oh, darling—” She lunged for him, throwing her arms around his neck. Maybe he was dreaming that she was squeezing the life out of him.

  “The thought of anything happening to you… I couldn’t stand it. I know I shouldn’t be saying this to you, but I love you. I’m so in love, I can’t hold the words back.” She kissed every inch of his face, then covered his mouth with her own.

  At the first touch of her mouth, Flynn found himself devouring her until they were both breathless. When she eventually lifted her head for air she said, “I’ll stay with you as long as I’m welcome. Now that you’ve been injured, you need a nurse. I want to be the one who takes care of you. No one else is allowed. I’ll be your legs until you’re up again. I’ll cook and clean, whatever you want.”

  He pressed another hungry kiss to her lips. “What I want is to leave this place and get you and Jack back home with me. As soon as they bring in my crutches, I’m free to go.”

  “It’s a good thing I brought the Volvo. We can call one of your friends later and ask them to collect your truck for you, wherever it is.”

  “Deputy Arnold is taking care of that as we speak.”

  “Darling—I know you’ve been through a horrific ordeal and you need to rest. We’ll talk about everything after we get home later. Right now I’m going to sit here and watch over you while you sleep.”

  “Only if you get up on the bed and lie with me.”

  “Flynn—I can’t do that.”

  “I thought you said you’d do whatever I wanted.”

  “Well, I suppose I could try.” She removed her parka and inched her way onto the bed on his right side, taking great care not to hurt him. He pulled her down so she half lay against him.

  “Now kiss me again,” he whispered, needing her mouth as he needed the sun.

  Two hours later a nurse walked in, announcing she had his crutches. A starry-eyed, red-faced Andrea, whose lips were swollen from his kisses, had to make a hasty retreat off the bed. The noise woke Jack, who was disoriented and started fussing.

  “Don’t go far,” Flynn called to her.

  “I’ll be in the lounge.”

  * * *

  THANKFUL FOR HER BABY, she took him out to feed him while the nurse helped Flynn get ready to travel. When he appeared in the wheelchair a few minutes later, she saw they’d wrapped his leg from the knee to his toes and put a sock on him. He held his cowboy boot in one hand, his crutches in the other.

  He had a slight pallor, but all in all he looked so wonderful, she thought she might jump out of her skin with happiness.

  “I’ll get the car.” She put Jack back in his carry-cot and they went outside to a sun-filled morning. In a minute she’d brought the Volvo around. While the nurse helped Flynn into the front seat, Andrea went back inside for the diaper bag. When she came out again, the nurse was waiting for her.

  “Here’s a prescription for pain pills and an instruction sheet for his general care during recovery.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “The doctor will want to see him back here in three days to check his wound. Make an appointment with the outpatient desk and see that he gets plenty of sleep. That will help him heal faster.”

  “I will.”

  On their way home she said, “Do you have any idea what pure joy it gives me to be taking care of you for a change? After I get you home in be
d, I’ll pick up your medicine and anything else you require.”

  He reached out and put a hand on her thigh. “There’s only one thing I need.”

  “First you’re going to sleep. Doctor’s orders.”

  “Will you sleep next to me?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’ll put the playpen right by us.”

  “Yes.”

  “Heaven.”

  Yes, yes and yes.

  * * *

  THREE DAYS LATER, after lots of sleep because of the pain pills, the doctor told him his leg was healing nicely and applied a fresh bandage. By the time Andrea had brought him home from the hospital and had served him a big lunch, he felt like a new man and could handle his crutches without a problem.

  Friends and colleagues dropped by throughout the day to see how he was doing. Andrea had called his sisters and they’d gotten on the phone with him several times. Gratifying as it was to be the recipient of so much love, he missed being alone with Andrea. When his boss finally left the house, he told her he’d had enough.

  “Will you put Jack up on the bed? I want to play with him before you put him down for the night.”

  “He’ll love that.” She spread out the quilt so her little guy could see Flynn, who handed him the baby rattle. He liked it because he could bite the handle.

  Andrea sat down on the other side of the bed to watch them interact. Flynn would shake the toy and then Jack would get all excited. His shining blue eyes looked up adoringly at him.

  She had the same problem when it came to the gorgeous man lying there. He’d become the center of their world. Little did he know she’d meant it when she’d told Flynn she would stay with him for as long as he wanted her.