Murder Under the Mistletoe

by Terri Reed

  The door opened, and Heather ran out, hefting a large shotgun. Her red jacket made her a visible target.

  Momentarily distracted by the sight, Tyler lost his grip on the assailant. He wiggled away, jumped to his feet and took off at a dead run for the rows of trees.

  “He’s making a break for it. Southwest of the house through the trees,” Tyler said. “I’m securing the house.”

  “On it,” Nathanial said.

  “I’m holding my position watching the truck,” Blake declared. “This could have just been a distraction.”

  Agreeing with his colleagues, Tyler moved with purpose to the house. Heather held the shotgun with the barrel pointed downward. The light from the wall fixtures slashed across her anxious face. “He’s getting away.”

  “Nathanial’s on his tail.”

  Her brow was furrowed with worry. “You’re hurt.”

  Ignoring her statement and the pain from where the guy had sent his fist into Tyler’s jaw, Tyler wrapped his hand around the long barrel of the shotgun. “Where on earth did you get this?”

  “When I was searching for Seth’s notebook, I came across my dad’s stash of firearms in a safe at the back of the downstairs closet. I had no idea they were there. I wasn’t expecting another attack on the house, but I got it out anyway.” She shrugged. “I’m glad I didn’t need it. And frankly I’m not sure it’s loaded. But it looks intimidating.”

  “And dangerous.” Taking the shotgun from her hands, he ushered her inside. “Though I admire your tenacity and bravery, don’t ever do that again. Next time I tell you to stay out of sight, you need to stay out of sight.”

  Her mouth lifted on one side. “You didn’t say stay out of sight. You said stay away from the windows.”

  “Really? You’re going to quibble with me on this?”

  She shook her head. “No quibbling here. Come into the laundry room and let me take care of the cut on your chin.”

  Exasperated yet glad she was safe, he followed her to the small laundry room. She dragged a stool out of the corner. “Sit.”

  He sat down. “It’s not that bad.”

  With an arched eyebrow, she countered, “You haven’t seen it.”

  Rising, he faced the mirror over the sink. A deep slash cut into the skin on his jawline and extended over his chin. “The guy had a ring on.”

  “Could you identify the ring or the man?” She dabbed his cut with an alcohol swab.

  He gritted his teeth against the sting. “Not the ring. The guy’s face seemed vaguely familiar, but I only caught a glimpse of him without his goggles on.”

  She used butterfly bandages to close the wound. “Familiar, huh? That doesn’t bode well.”

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  “What do you think he was after?” Heather met his gaze.

  Her green-tinted eyes were round. She was so close. All he’d have to do was lean toward her a fraction of an inch, and their lips would touch. He held himself still by sheer force of will. “Not sure.” His voice cracked.

  That hadn’t happened since he was a teen. But considering he felt like a love-starved teen with hormones racing through his blood, he shouldn’t have been surprised. He strove to keep his tone even. “I can only guess that his intention was to see if you knew where Seth’s journal was.”

  She licked her lips. He tracked the moment with his gaze.

  “I hope your team catches him,” she said, her voice breathless.

  Was she struggling with the same attraction that had him in a stranglehold?

  “Oh, my.” Liv stood in the doorway.

  Tyler jerked his gaze away from Heather at the exact moment that she broke contact, as well. Heat clawed up his throat and settled in his face.

  Liv’s gaze narrowed. “What happened? I heard noises.”

  Heather backed away from him. “Tyler stopped a trespasser.”

  “Are we safe?” Liv’s expression showed panic.

  Tyler stood. “Yes. Everyone is safe.” He turned to Heather. “I’ll call the local police and loop them in.”

  She gave him a faint smile. “Thank you.”

  He slipped past Liv and headed down the hall, thankful not to have succumbed to the temptation to kiss Heather. The last thing either of them needed was Liv witnessing an error in judgment. Especially after he’d assured Liv his intentions toward Heather were purely platonic.

  But whether he liked it or not, his feelings for the widow were far from platonic. And that made everything much more complicated.

  And if there was one thing he didn’t want, it was complications.

  * * *

  “Are you all right?”

  Liv’s worried expression had Heather blowing out a shaky breath. “Yes. Kind of. I mean, no.”

  She was scared, freaked out and way too aware of how close she’d just come to kissing Tyler. He’d saved her life twice and that of her family. She shuddered to think what would have happened had the man with the gun slipped past Tyler and broke into her house.

  “It was a good thing Tyler was around,” Liv said. “Though what was he doing outside, anyway?”

  Heather shrugged. “I guess he couldn’t sleep and decided to take a walk.”

  “Hmm. Well, it worked out for us, didn’t it?”

  Heather put away the first aid kit. “It did, indeed.”

  “So he’s your business partner?” Liv’s smirk grated on Heather’s nerves.

  “Yes,” she affirmed in as neutral a tone as she could muster.

  “How long have you two known each other?”

  “A while.” That was vague enough, wasn’t it? The last thing she needed was for Liv to prod too deeply into Tyler’s cover. Heather yawned. It started out as a fake, but it turned into a real one. “I’m done in.”

  A knowing look in Liv’s gaze made Heather want to squirm. There was no way Liv could guess Tyler’s true purpose on the farm. But she’d witnessed the sizzling attraction between Heather and Tyler when she’d walked into the laundry room, much to Heather’s chagrin.

  “Good night again,” Liv said and strode out of the laundry room.

  Once she was alone, Heather sat on the stool for a moment and lifted a prayer of thanks to God for protection and for Tyler and his team.

  She heard voices coming from the living room. She hurried down the hall to find Nathanial and Blake had joined Tyler. All three men were dressed in dark clothes. They kept their voices low.

  “Guy had an ATV stashed in the trees,” Nathanial said. “He was prepared for a quick getaway. I tracked the ATV to the road and then lost him. I’ll go back out there in the morning and see if I can distinguish his trail.”

  “Too bad he got away,” Blake said. “I’d like to know what he was doing here and who he’s working for.”

  “Wouldn’t we all,” Tyler commented, frustration evident in his tone.

  “I found his gun,” Blake said. “An MP9. Slick. I bagged it and will send it in for printing.”

  Heather had no idea what type of gun that was, but Tyler looked pleased.

  “At least that’s a start,” Tyler said. “You two head on back to the truck, though I doubt we’ll see any more action. I’ll stand guard here, just in case.”

  Heather didn’t like the “just in case” scenarios playing through her mind. Just in case the intruder tried to break in again. Just in case he brought buddies with him. Just in case Tyler and his team weren’t successful a second time around.

  When the two men vacated the house, leaving her and Tyler in the living room, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Had it really been only two nights ago he’d entered her life? It seemed like a lifetime.

  Strange how easily she’d let him into the very fabric of her life. And she was afraid she was letting hi
m into her heart, as well.

  Time to retreat. Yet she couldn’t make her feet move. Truth was she didn’t want to leave the living room. She didn’t want to leave Tyler’s side. For that reason alone, she forced herself to say good-night and hurried upstairs.

  She’d escaped his presence. But she was pretty sure she wouldn’t escape her growing feelings for him quite so easily.

  * * *

  Tyler sat in the darkened living room, his weapon at the ready on his knee. He hated that he’d allowed himself to be distracted by Heather and let the man with the gun escape. It had been a rookie move.

  And a testament to how deeply he’d gotten in over his head with the lovely Heather. He’d let her get under his skin, into his mind and definitely into his heart.

  He needed this assignment to end so he could move on to a safe one. Safer for his heart, anyway.

  There was no way he could let himself believe he had a future with Heather and her adorable son. He wasn’t cut out to be a dad, and he wasn’t the settle-in-one-place kind of guy. He didn’t know how to do domestic. He knew undercover work. He knew taking down bad guys. But being someone’s husband, some kid’s father? No way.

  Yet he couldn’t deny that being with Heather and Colin filled him with cravings for a life he’d never known. Would probably never know. He knew better than to say never, but he couldn’t envision any other life than the one he led now where he moved from one assignment to another all over the continent. It worked for him. Even if at times it was lonely.

  The hours ticked by as the sun slowly made its rise on the eastern horizon. Just as dawn broke, there was a rattle at the front doorknob. Tyler bolted for the door. He unlocked it, grasped the handle and swung the door open in one swift movement. He caught the would-be intruder unaware. A large-framed man tumbled into Tyler, knocking him back several steps. The stench of alcohol hit Tyler in the face like a brick wall. “Whew!”

  The intruder wasn’t the man Tyler had grappled with the night before. This man was built like a tank with dark hair and a weather-beaten complexion as if he spent his days in the sun without UV protection. Tyler recognized him as one of the men who worked with the trees.

  He pushed at Tyler, squirming to get free and yelled, “Mrs. Randall!”

  “Whoa! Dude.” Tyler wrenched the guy’s beefy arm behind his back, whirled him around and drove him face-first into the couch.

  “No, you don’t understand.” The man’s slurred words were muffled by the couch cushion. “Mrs. Randall is in trouble. I need to warn her.”

  Feet pounded down the stairs. Heather skidded to a halt. She wore the same sweats outfit she’d worn the other day. Her hair was messy from sleep, and surprise and panic warred in her eyes. “Ernesto?”

  “What’s going on?” Liv’s sleepy voice cut through the air. She walked out wearing a pink silky robe over a long matching gown and fuzzy pink slippers.

  Tyler yanked Ernesto upright. “What do you need to warn Heather about?”

  He wobbled on his feet. His gaze darted around until it latched onto Heather. “There are bad people here. You can’t trust anyone.”

  TEN

  Heather’s heart jumped into her throat. Morning sunlight flooded through the window and open door along with a chill from the cold air temperature outside. Tyler had Ernesto’s hands jerked tight behind his back. She reached out a hand to Ernesto. “What do you mean bad people? Who can’t I trust?”

  Liv made a derisive noise. “He’s drunk or high.” She marched closer to stare the man in the eye. “He’s just trying to make trouble. Or scare you.” She shook a finger at the man. “Why would you do this?”

  Ernesto’s face paled. He whipped his gaze to Heather. “You must call the police.”

  “You bet we will.” Liv reached inside the pocket of her silk wrap for her phone. Within seconds she had the sheriff’s department on the line. “This is Liv Dorsett. I’m at the Larson tree farm. We’ve captured an intruder. You need to come take this crazy man away.”

  “I’ll take Ernesto outside.” Tyler gave Heather a look that she interpreted to mean he’d question Ernesto without an audience. He propelled the other man out the front door.

  Heather was torn between wanting to hear what Ernesto had to say and needing to keep Liv from following Tyler and finding out that Tyler was more than he claimed.

  As Liv headed for the door, Heather made her decision and snagged Liv’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re here. This is such a nightmare.”

  Liv frowned at the closed front door, and something dark crossed her face. Heather chalked it up to the fright and anger about the invasion. She felt the same sense of fear and vulnerability. But not because of Ernesto. He couldn’t possibly be a part of the drug ring. She’d known him and his family her whole life.

  “It’s a good thing your boyfriend was here to intercept that lunatic,” Liv said. “Who knows what he might have done?”

  Heather froze. Remembering the pulse of attraction last night as she’d tended to Tyler’s chin, Heather’s face flamed. She should have known Liv wouldn’t believe her when she insisted she and Tyler weren’t romantically involved. “Tyler is not my boyfriend, but, yes, it was good that he was here.” Confusion swirled through her. Had Ernesto been the one to call her the other night, advising her to leave the farm? “Ernesto and his brother, Sal, have been with the farm for longer than I can remember. He was trying to warn me, not threaten me.”

  “Right. You believed him?” Liv flicked her blond hair. “That whole bit about bad people and not trusting anyone was probably his way of weaseling out of a breaking and entering charge.”

  At one time, Heather might have agreed, but with all that had happened, she knew the man hadn’t been fabricating a plausible excuse. He knew something. Something about the drugs and Seth’s death. Heather had confidence that Tyler would find out exactly what. In the meantime, Heather’s job was to keep Liv and Colin in the dark about the danger. She didn’t want to upset either one of them. Liv’s grief was still so raw, and Colin was too young to be burdened with the truth.

  Heather glanced at the wall clock. It was a quarter after eight in the morning. “The sheriff will be here soon,” Heather pointed out, gesturing to Liv’s silky pink robe over the matching nightgown. She hoped Liv would get the hint that she needed to change out of her pajamas. Heather had pulled on sweats when she’d heard the commotion, and though she wasn’t dressed fashionably, she was presentable. But she did need to do something with her hair and brush her teeth.

  Liv’s eyes widened, and she let out a little yelp of dismay. “I better change.” She hurried out of the living room and down the hall, disappearing into Seth’s room.

  Heather took the opportunity to duck out the front door. Ernesto sat on the stairs, his head in his hands. Tyler, Blake and Nathanial conversed a few feet away. Taking advantage of the moment, Heather sat down beside Ernesto.

  “Ernesto, who are the bad people?”

  His head snapped up. His dark eyes grew round. “Oh, Mrs. Randall, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking to come here like this. I meant no harm.”

  She smiled at him, willing him to stop dodging her question. “I’m sure you didn’t. But what did you mean?”

  “No, no. I am drunk.” He smiled crookedly. “I need to go to jail.”

  “Are you the one who called me the other night telling me to leave the farm?”

  He shook his head. The pleading expression in his gaze tugged at her. “Not me, but that’s good advice. You should leave before something bad happens.”

  “What do you know about Seth’s death?” she pressed in frustration.

  The sound of a siren sent birds flying from the perfectly conical sheared Douglas fir trees closest to the snow-covered lawn.

  Ernesto lurched to his feet and practically ran
to the sheriff before the man had even brought his silver SUV to a halt. Tyler strode over to the vehicle as the sheriff got out. The three men conversed, and then the sheriff opened the back door for Ernesto to climb inside the vehicle. Heather watched the sheriff and Ernesto drive away with annoyance pounding at her temples. She hoped Tyler had been able to extract some information from Ernesto. She’d failed miserably convincing him to talk.

  She approached Tyler where he stood with Blake and Nathanial. When she stopped beside Tyler, the other two men strode away.

  “Well, what did Ernesto tell you?”

  Tyler shook his head. “Nothing other than he wanted to go to jail. He said he’d be safe there.”

  A fissure of fear bubbled to the surface. “That doesn’t sound good. He wouldn’t answer my questions. This is all so...so... Argh.”

  She couldn’t find words to express how upsetting and irritating and frightening this situation was for her. She’d come to the farm hoping, needing, a peaceful place to raise her son. There was nothing peaceful about having her brother murdered, drugs planted inside her Christmas trees, threats and warnings, people sneaking around at night. It was as if she’d stepped into a horror flick. At least there weren’t psychos running around with chain saws. Though, she supposed that was possible because there were several chain saws on the farm. She shivered at the thought.

  Cupping her elbow, Tyler urged her back to the house. “No, it doesn’t sound good. Nothing about this sounds good.”

  Liv came out of the house as they reached the top step. She was dressed in dark skinny jeans tucked into her tall black boots and her pink coat was buttoned up. She slung her purse over her shoulder and held her phone in her right hand. Clearly she planned to leave.

  “Where are you going?” Heather paused on the stairs with Tyler beside her. She didn’t recall Liv saying she had somewhere to be on Thanksgiving.

  Wrinkling her nose, Liv said, “I completely forgot I’d promised one of my clients I’d do her hair in an updo for her family Thanksgiving dinner.” Liv hurried down the steps. “I’ll stop by the grocery store on the way back and pick up a few things we’re missing for our feast.”