by Julie Miller
The people were grown. Different. But the feeling was familiar.
“Edward.” Susan Kincaid threw her arms around her oldest son’s neck and hugged him tight. Her tears warmed his neck before she pulled away. “Welcome home, son. Holly?” She gave Stick a hug as well. “Merry Christmas. Welcome.”
“Merry Christmas.”
Edward wasn’t sure how to say this, but suddenly, a calm washed over him. He reached into his pocket.
“I brought you a gift, Mom.”
“Oh, Edward. Having you here is the only gift I need.”
“Eight months ago, on the day we buried Dad, you asked me to do something for you.” Edward reached into his pocket, squeezing Holly’s hand even tighter as his mother waited expectantly. “Irina Zorinsky ruined a lot of lives. And apparently, she took perverse pleasure in collecting a sick memento from each of those lives. Kevin Grove searched her luggage at the airport and—”
“Oh, honey, I don’t want to even discuss that woman. Not today.”
“You’ll want this.” He flipped open the wallet to reveal the KCPD badge that he’d lovingly polished that morning. “It’s Dad’s. Merry Christmas.”
Susan Kincaid burst into tears and hugged him again. As his brothers piled on and joined the group embrace, Edward looked over and winked at Holly. She was smiling.
God, he loved that woman.
Loved this family.
Loved being a cop. Loved being alive.
Yeah. It was about time he came home.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-2443-2
KANSAS CITY CHRISTMAS
Copyright © 2008 by Julie Miller
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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