by Terri Reed
Concerned, he touched her elbow. “Are you okay?”
“I need fresh air.” She hurried outside.
Tyler followed her. She gulped air as if she were oxygen deprived.
“What’s going on?”
“The smell of the grease was too much for me,” she explained.
The only aroma he’d smelled was the cinnamon rolls.
They walked to the front gate where Rob oversaw the admittance box. A line had formed of people eager to come and see the Christmas Village. Heather asked if the attendants needed anything. They assured her they had everything under control.
“Come on,” she said to Tyler. “Let’s pretend for a few moments we’re tourists.”
He smiled, glad to see the color back in her pretty face. “Okay. Take me on a tour of the village.”
She led him through the gift shop, where they sold handcrafted items from local artisans as well as an assortment of different types of ornaments. Christmas carols played from speakers mounted in the corner. Heather sang along for a moment, her voice clear and melodic. She encouraged him to sing, so he added his baritone voice to hers. Their two voices melded well together. They were compatible in so many ways. He shook off the wayward thought and stopped singing.
“I doubt Seth would hide the journal in a place where it could be accidentally found by anyone in the shop,” he whispered to Heather.
With a nod, she thanked the carolers. She and Tyler moved on to the train depot, where a modular train set was on display. He enjoyed the excitement in Heather’s tone as she explained how the set had been collected and built by her grandfather. Tyler had to force himself to remember why they were in the train depot building.
After covertly searching the building and not finding the notebook, they continued on their way. Heather linked her arm through his as they made their way down one side of the little make-believe town. Tyler couldn’t stop himself from enjoying the closeness even as he began to despair they’d never find Seth’s journal.
Plus, the place was now packed. Tyler hadn’t expected the village to be so popular. Families, young couples, older couples all filed in to pass some time in the village, buying gifts in the gift shop, eating pastries or sipping hot cocoa, before heading to either the precut tree lot or to hike through the rows of trees to cut their own.
Keeping Heather close to his side, he moved through the crowds until they came to a stop outside a petting pen where the mannequin nativity scene was lighted from the back, making the figurines glow. Children petted the goats, sheep, a small donkey and some rabbits. The snow turned dirty beneath the animals’ hoofs and children’s feet.
“I don’t remember rabbits in the story of baby Jesus’s birth,” he commented to Heather.
She laughed. “We make do with what we have. One year when I was a kid, my dad put ducks in the pen. He’d found them wandering on the property, so he cared for them and they stayed for a long time. Then one day they flew away.”
He chuckled. “That must have been disappointing.”
She shook her head. “They were free to go. But we decided it would be best to keep grounded animals from then on.”
Staring into her beautiful eyes, Tyler felt grounded, anchored in a way he’d not thought possible.
“Tyler!” Nathanial waved them over to where he stood by the precut trees, which had been wrapped in plastic netting.
He was grateful for the excuse to dispel the disconcerting sensation. No matter how much he liked and admired and respected this woman, he eventually had to walk away. That was the nature of his job. The nature of his life.
They joined Nathanial. “What’s up?” Tyler asked.
“I just heard from Blake. The sting was a bust.”
Not the news Tyler wanted to hear. “What happened?”
“When they arrived at the location where they were to drop off the trees, they were told to take them back. They wouldn’t take possession of them.”
“Do you think they found out it was a sting?” Heather asked.
Tyler ran a hand through his hair. “If so, how? We’ve been careful here. I don’t think anyone suspects we’re law enforcement.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Nathanial said. “I did overhear a couple of the guys talking about a shipment they were expecting. When I asked what they meant, they clammed up.”
“We just learned that the missing truck isn’t exactly missing,” Tyler said. “A shipment of trees coming from the northeast part of Canada will be arriving sometime tomorrow. Don said he’d get me the info at noon.”
Heather touched Tyler’s arm. “It’s a quarter to noon. I should get Colin back to the house for lunch and a nap.”
“I’ll escort you,” Nathanial offered. “While Tyler talks with Don.”
It was logical for the other man to take Heather and Colin back to the house and stay with them as protection, yet Tyler didn’t want to let Heather out of his sight. But he couldn’t very well protest. He had a job to do. It would be strange and suspicious for Nathanial to get the information from Don.
And right now, he had to focus on his job.
“As soon as I’m done talking with Don, I’ll come back to the house,” Tyler promised.
Heather smiled. “We’ll be fine.”
Of course they would be. Nathanial would keep them safe. As he watched them walk toward the bakery, Tyler couldn’t deny he was falling for the beautiful widow despite knowing he shouldn’t. He had nothing to offer her. Nothing but love.
He snorted. What did he know of love?
Nothing. Nothing at all. And he didn’t see that changing anytime soon.
* * *
Heather had to pry Colin from the bakery. “Come on, sweetie. It’s time to have lunch.”
“But I’m not hungry, and I’m helping customers,” Colin declared.
Bending down so they were eye to eye, Heather said, “Sweetheart, we are going now. If you want to come back this afternoon, you need to cooperate now. It’s your choice.”
His bottom lip stuck out. “Fine. I’ll cooperate.”
She took him by the hand, and they met Nathanial on the wooden sidewalk.
“I thought we’d ride back to the house in the truck,” Nathanial said.
Grateful for his thoughtfulness, Heather smiled. “That’s a good idea. I need to touch base with Rob first and let him know I’ll be at the house if he needs anything.”
They found Rob in Santa’s House. He’d put on the Santa outfit so that Don could take a break. A line of children and parents waited along the sidewalk to get their pictures taken with Santa. Two women dressed in green elf costumes played Santa’s helpers. One controlled the line while the other manned the camera.
Colin slipped inside and ran straight for Rob, beating out a little girl of about four.
Heather rushed to pluck Colin up and held him on her hip. “Honey, there’s a line. You’ll get your chance to have your picture taken with Santa later.”
“Ah, man,” Colin groused.
To Rob, Heather said, “I’m taking him to the house. If you need anything, call.”
“You aren’t going alone, are you?” Rob rose from the large chair.
Uneasy with his concern, she replied, “No. Nathanial is taking us over.”
He settled back onto the chair. “Good. You shouldn’t be alone.”
Not sure what to make of his words, she turned to go and noticed the supply closet door had a shiny new padlock on it.
“Rob, when did you put the lock on the closet?”
“I didn’t,” he replied. “I thought you had.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then Seth must have.”
Could this be where he had hidden his journal? She remembered seeing a set of small keys in his d
esk drawer when she was searching his room for the notebook. Could those keys fit the padlock? Would they find the answers to his death behind the door?
She hurried from the building. She couldn’t wait to tell Tyler.
TWELVE
“Finish your mac and cheese, sweetie. Then we can head back over to the village.” Heather rose from the table with her own plate and took it to the sink. Through the window over the sink she saw Nathanial walk by. She’d invited him in for lunch, but the man had politely declined, saying he wanted to stand guard outside. Walking the perimeter, as Tyler had called it.
She smiled at the thought of Tyler. This morning, strolling through the Christmas Village together, arm in arm, had filled her with a serenity she hadn’t felt in a long time. She had to fight against wishing the contentment would last. She had to stop letting herself hope for something with Tyler that wasn’t going to happen. For now she’d appreciate his presence. His and his crew’s, that was.
Admittedly, she was grateful for the time alone with her son. It seemed in the past few days there had been little opportunity for some one-on-one time with Colin. He’d talked nonstop from the moment they’d entered the house. It seemed he, too, was taken with Tyler and Nathanial. But what boy wouldn’t be when he had no father figure in his life?
Maybe she was doing her son a disservice by not seeking companionship and love again.
The thought slid through her, stirring up yearnings she’d thought she’d suppressed. But only now did she realize they had been bubbling in her subconscious for days.
Yearnings for someone to share her burdens and her joys with. Someone to teach her son how to be a man. Someone to love and cherish her, to make her feel wanted and beautiful.
The way Tyler did.
But Tyler couldn’t be that man. Even if she really wanted him to be. He didn’t want a family. He was married to his job. End of story. And she needed to keep herself in check if she didn’t want to end up brokenhearted when he left.
And the sooner they found Seth’s journal, the sooner she could get on with her life. Alone. But safe.
After setting her dish in the dishwasher, she made a beeline for Seth’s room. She knocked just in case Liv had returned, though Heather hadn’t seen her car in the driveway. Hesitating for the briefest moment, she pushed open the door. After the break-in, she and Tyler had restored the room as much as they could, but it was still a blow to see the bed rumpled just like Seth would always leave his bed. But then Liv’s clothes strewn over the chair in the corner and hanging in the closet reminded Heather that Seth was gone.
She hastened to the desk and paused as her attention landed on the stack of photos waiting to be attached to the large three-sided poster board that was now tucked away between the bed and the desk. The photo showed Seth mugging for the camera wearing a jersey with the Steelheads logo of the Idaho minor-league ice hockey team he followed. He’d loved the sport of ice hockey and had played for a while in his teens, but then drugs had put a damper on things and he’d quit.
“Oh, Seth.” Heather heaved a disappointed, sad sigh that vibrated through her and made tears well.
Blinking quickly to rid herself of the waterworks, she opened the top dresser drawer. When she’d returned the contents after the intruder had dumped them on the floor, she hadn’t take time to arrange anything, so she had to wade through the jumble of pens, paperclips, packs of chewing gum and other miscellaneous things that had found their way inside.
She found the two tiny keys she’d noticed earlier fastened together with a ring. She’d shut the drawer and turned to go when her gaze snagged on a small clear vial filled with white powder on the floor under the desk.
She picked it up. Was this cocaine? Had the intruder left it behind? Heather hadn’t recalled seeing it when they had searched the room for the journal or when they’d cleaned up the mess left after the break-in. But maybe it was Seth’s? Or had Liv brought this into Heather’s house? Heather hated to even contemplate the idea. Was Liv using again? Had Seth’s death led Liv back down a destructive path?
“Oh, please no, Lord.” Unfortunately, she couldn’t shake the thought that Liv was back to her old ways. Another more horrifying thought ricocheted through Heather’s mind. Was Liv involved in the drug trafficking?
No. Heather refused to believe that Liv was complicit in something illegal. She had a thriving hair salon to protect. And she certainly wouldn’t have killed Seth. She’d loved him too much. But that loss could have sent her running for something to dull the pain.
Tucking the petite bottle into her pocket, she left the room. She could be totally jumping to conclusions. Heather didn’t know how to tell if the powder was cocaine or something less sinister. For all she knew, the vial could contain a sleep aid.
She’d ask Tyler and see what he thought. Later tonight she could broach the subject of the vial and its contents with Liv. And if the bottle was filled with cocaine, she’d hopefully be able to convince Liv not to destroy the life she’d built by using again. And Heather was sure Tyler would want to know who her supplier was.
Heather refused to believe the worst of Liv. Not when they were just starting to get to know each other.
When they were ready to leave the house, Nathanial drove them back to the Christmas Village.
“Can I go back to the bakery?” Colin hopped from foot to foot, clearly anxious to help Mrs. Theid again.
Heather had a feeling it was the free pastries and ice cream that he wanted. But she didn’t want to burden Mrs. Theid, and she didn’t like the idea of Colin not being protected.
“I’ll ask the deputy to keep an eye on him,” Nathanial offered, somehow sensing her hesitation.
How could she refuse? “I’m okay with you helping out Mrs. Theid, but only one treat.”
His little face scrunched up in protest.
Heather arched an eyebrow.
Colin heaved a sigh that made his shoulders droop for a moment. “Fine. One treat.” Then he was off, running for the bakery. Heather followed him while Nathanial found Deputy Potter and sent him to the bakery.
After thanking Daniel and making sure Colin wasn’t bothering the baker, Heather took a turn at the front gate for a couple of hours. A prickly current of awareness announced Tyler’s presence when he relived Nathanial as her shadow.
She put Tyler to work handing out the brochures and giving directions to the trees. When there was a lull, she grabbed the vial from her coat pocket and called to Tyler. He stepped over, and she took his hand, slipping the vial into his palm. “I found this in Seth’s room.”
He gave her a quizzical look. “When?”
“This morning.”
She could see the questions churning in his eyes as he tucked the vial into a pocket, but there was no time for more conversation. The time passed quickly as more visitors arrived and the excitement of the Christmas season settled inside Heather. Despite the dangers, they would soon be celebrating Jesus’s birthday.
When the next person scheduled to man the entrance arrived, Heather and Tyler made their way to the gift shop, where she would relieve the woman behind the counter.
Tyler patted the pocket where he’d stashed the vial. “This wasn’t in Seth’s room when we searched it or after the break-in. I would have noticed.”
“I know,” Heather admitted. “Do you think it’s—” she lowered her voice “—cocaine?”
“I won’t know for sure until I test it.” He opened the gift shop door for her.
As she passed him, she said, “I hope it’s not.”
He nodded in understanding.
Heather settled behind the cash register. After about ten minutes in the gift store, it was clear Tyler was uncomfortable as he fidgeted and tried to find a spot out of the way among the ornaments and knickknacks. There were a few scary moments when
she thought he’d knock over a display as he tried to stay out of the way of the customers. Taking pity on him, she said, “I’m fine.” She held up her phone. “I have you on speed dial.”
He gave her a lopsided grin that did funny things to her insides. “Thanks. I’ll be right outside.”
A few hours later, the gift shop quieted down. She’d ended up staying even after her employee returned because there were so many customers waiting to be helped. It was nearly closing time. She debated gathering Colin from the bakery but decided to wait a little longer when she spotted Tyler and Rob deep in conversation by the puppet playhouse. At the moment the puppets were gone, but the puppeteers did two shows a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. As a kid she’d been fascinated by the handmade puppets.
She stepped up, and the men stopped talking. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“Not at all,” Rob said. “We were just discussing the finer points of physical therapy.”
She slanted her gaze to Tyler. “I didn’t know you’d ever had PT.” In fact there was a great deal she didn’t know about Tyler. And wouldn’t learn because they weren’t in a relationship. A stab of regret reverberated through her, but she steadfastly ignored it. She had to remember that there was no future for her and Tyler.
“I was stabbed with a hunting knife in the thigh a few years ago,” Tyler explained. “Thankfully, no arteries were nicked, and the blade missed the bone. But it took a good six months before I was able to walk without limping. But my PT wasn’t nearly as involved as Rob’s.”
She wondered if the incident had occurred while he was on the job. Most likely. “You were fortunate.” So was Rob, but she could never bring herself to broach the topic of the tragedy that had taken his family and left him scarred.
Tyler’s cell phone rang. “Excuse me.” He walked a few paces away as he answered.
Heather watched him for a moment. She’d known he had a dangerous job, but for some reason the reality hadn’t sunk in until now. What was it about alpha males willing to put their own lives at risk for others that drew her in like a bee to a picnic? The thought knocked her back a step. Ken’s job had been dangerous just like Tyler’s. The connection couldn’t be ignored. And one more reason why she couldn’t let herself fully fall for the handsome DEA agent. She never wanted to go through that kind of loss again.