Romancing the Holidays Bundle 2009
Page 17
“Then let’s go,” Josh said, trying to hurry her along. “I’ll push Emma’s stroller.”
“Just don’t get too far head of us, okay?”
“Okay,” he said, glancing repeatedly over his shoulder to make sure she and Santa were close on his heels.
“I guess your lecture got through to him,” she told Nick. “I think it made more of an impact coming from you.”
“He’ll forget it soon enough,” Nick said. “I’ll have to stick around to keep reminding him.”
“I imagine I could remind him,” Amy said, though the thought of Nick being around to do it held a whole lot of appeal.
“You don’t have the Santa factor on your side,” he told her.
“And you’ll look pretty strange wearing that costume in July,” she countered.
“Think I’ll be around you guys in July?” he asked.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“You know, there’s something I forgot to ask you earlier,” he said.
“Oh?”
“What do you want for Christmas, Amy?”
She met his gaze and her heart gave a little lurch. “I have everything I need,” she told him. “My kids are safe and happy.”
“And that’s enough?”
“It is for now,” she told him, unable to tear her gaze away from the intensity and heat in his eyes.
He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her lips, then came back and lingered a second longer.
“Then maybe that will give you a few other ideas for your list,” he said when he finally pulled away.
Oh, yeah, she thought. It most certainly did. But having X-rated ideas on Christmas Eve would shove her out of nice and straight into naughty. She wondered what Santa would have to say about that.
One glance into Nick’s mischievous eyes told her the answer to that. They were working from the very same list.
Before she could examine how she felt about that, a woman tapped Nick on the shoulder. When he turned around, his expression froze. It was exactly the look he’d had on his face earlier, when he’d dragged Amy inside that shoe store.
“Nick,” the woman said softly. “Could I please speak to you for a second?”
“Sure,” he said, but there was no mistaking his reluctance.
The woman cast an apologetic look in Amy’s direction. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but this is the first chance I’ve had to speak to Nick since…” Her voice caught. She shook her head. “Sorry. I still can’t talk about it.”
“It’s okay,” Nick soothed. “Really, you don’t have to say anything.”
To Amy, he sounded almost desperate, as if he were willing the woman to remain silent.
The woman drew in a deep breath. “No, it’s important. I tried to call you at the station, but they said you were on leave.”
Nick nodded.
“Because of what happened,” she guessed.
“Yes,” he said tightly.
“I’m so sorry,” she told him. “It’s all my fault.”
Nick regarded her incredulously. “Your fault? How can you say that?”
“If I’d told you right away about my ex-husband, if I’d warned you…” Her voice fell to a whisper. “Maybe things would have gone differently.”
Nick put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “No, Mitzi, nothing that happened was your fault. If anything, it was mine. I just stood by…”
“No,” she said harshly. “That’s just it, that’s why I had to talk to you. I knew you were blaming yourself.”
“Who else should I blame?” he asked heatedly.
The woman sighed heavily. “Maybe it was no one’s fault, not even my ex-husband’s. He had to be sick, right? To think that taking our boy and hurting him would somehow make me love him again.” She shuddered. “Or even that it was a way to pay me back for leaving him. That’s not right. He needs help.”
“Hopefully he’ll get it while he’s locked up,” Nick told her. “The important thing is that he’ll never get another chance to hurt anyone else.”
Amy listened to the exchange with mounting horror. She realized now why Nick had been so desperate to find Josh, so determined to stay right by her side until her son was safe. He was trying to make up for not being able to help another little boy, this woman’s son. No wonder he was tormented. No wonder he’d asked so many questions about Ned. The search for Josh must have dredged up a thousand terrifying moments for him.
The woman spoke to Amy, “I’m sorry to intrude, but when I saw that Nick was here, I wanted to tell him that I don’t blame him for anything that happened. I thought he might need to know that.”
Nick did, indeed, look as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “You have an amazingly generous heart,” he told her.
“If I do, it’s because I had an incredible boy in my life for a few brief years. I’m so grateful for that. It was far too short, but he taught me so much. That’s what I want to remember. Not the way he died, but the way he lived.” She hugged Nick fiercely. “Merry Christmas, Detective.”
“Merry Christmas,” he whispered, his voice choked.
After she’d gone, Amy reached up and touched the tears on his cheeks. “I am so sorry that you had to relive all that today.”
He met her gaze. “I’m not,” he said eventually. “Not if it brought you, Josh and Emma into my life. How could I possibly regret that?”
He turned to Josh, who was rolling a laughing Emma in circles nearby. “Hey, guys, let’s get going. It’s Christmas Eve and Santa’s got a very busy night ahead. I have toys to deliver.”
His gaze shifted to Amy and he lowered his voice. “And maybe, if I’m lucky, I can even sneak a kiss or two under the mistletoe.”
Amy laughed. “You can try. I’ve been wondering all day if that beard tickles. I couldn’t tell earlier.”
Grinning, Nick called out to Josh. “Don’t look, okay?”
“Don’t look at what?” Josh asked.
“Do as you’re told,” Amy instructed, laughing. “Mommy’s gonna kiss Santa Claus.”
Josh’s expression immediately brightened. “Cool!”
Yeah, Amy thought, as Nick’s mouth settled on hers. It was definitely cool. No, she concluded an instant later, actually, it was hot. Very, very hot.
Outside the mall, the air was icy and snow was falling, but Amy was still overheated from that kiss. North Carolina might be in for some sort of rare blizzard, but for her this was quickly turning into the hottest Christmas on record.
EPILOGUE
Christmas, one year later
“SO, YOUNG MAN,” Nick said to Josh in his booming Santa voice, “What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?”
Amy had no idea how Trish had persuaded Nick to play Santa for a day once again this year. He still claimed he’d hated every minute of it when she’d coerced him into it the year before. Maybe it had something to do with knowing that Amy would once again be bringing Josh and Emma to the mall for their Christmas Eve visit.
Josh studied Santa intently, then seemed to reach some sort of decision. He cast a quick glance toward Amy, then pulled Santa’s head down so he could whisper in his ear.
Nick immediately glanced at Amy, a grin spreading across his face. “Well, now, I don’t know about that, son. Maybe your mom should have a say about something that important.”
Amy sighed. A puppy? He’d asked for a puppy. Josh knew they couldn’t have one where they were living. What was she supposed to do now?
“Sweetie, I told you we can’t have a puppy till we move to a house,” she said, which oddly enough only seemed to make Nick’s smile grow. She regarded him with confusion. “He didn’t ask for a puppy?”
“Nope,” Nick said, carrying Emma down to join her.
“What then?”
“A new dad,” he told her. “And he seems to think having Santa for a dad would be pretty awesome.”
Amy’s cheeks flooded with heat.
“Oh, no. I am so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m thinking it’s something to consider.”
She stared at him in shock. “Excuse me?”
“Not today, of course, but you know, down the road.”
“Say sometime after you’ve actually had a chance to think about it?” she asked dryly.
He laughed, not the fake, booming laugh of Santa, but the amused chuckle of a man she’d discovered had a wonderful sense of humor.
“Oh, I’ve been thinking about it for some time now,” he told her. “How about you? Has the thought crossed your mind?”
It was her turn to chuckle. “How could it not, with your folks and Trish pressuring me every chance they get?”
“So, what do you think?” Josh demanded impatiently. “Is he gonna be my new dad or not?”
“I think maybe we ought to give your mom a little more time to think about this,” Nick told him. “She might even want a real, romantic proposal.”
“What’s that?” Josh asked.
“Candlelight and stuff,” Nick told him. “Keep it in mind. You might need to know about things like that later. In the meantime, why don’t I walk you all to your car. I’ve heard a rumor and I want to check it out.”
“What kind of rumor?” Amy asked, confused by the hint of mystery in his voice.
“You’ll see.”
They walked to the same exit where Amy, Josh and Emma had entered the mall on that fateful day a year ago. When Nick pushed open the door, she immediately saw what he’d been talking about. Once again, snow was falling. It had already covered the ground and turned the rapidly emptying parking lot into a winter wonderland.
“Snow!” Josh screamed, running ahead and twirling around, his head thrown back and his mouth open so he could catch the fat snowflakes on his tongue. Suddenly he ran over and threw his arms around Nick’s huge, padded waist. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Nick winked at Amy. “Sorry, kid, Santa can’t take credit for this.”
Maybe not, she thought, but he had a lot to do with the joyous expression on her son’s face. He was also responsible for the amazingly lighthearted feeling inside her.
As far as she was concerned, Santa—Nick—had given them everything they needed and the promise of much more.
The Five Days of Christmas
By Lindsay McKenna
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 1
December 20
“Morgan, you can’t say no,” Laura pleaded as she stood in her husband’s large office at Perseus headquarters, hidden deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. Though his office, which was next to the war room, where so many mercenary and military missions were launched, was officially closed for the holidays, Laura had come to talk to her husband as he wrapped things up. The Five Days of Christmas celebration she ran every year was at the top of her agenda. But there was one important detail she felt had to be taken care of first.
Now, as she watched him scowl and rummage through several top-secret military reports on his desk, love for him welled up in her heart. With silver flecking the temples of his black, short hair, Morgan was getting even more handsome with age.
He lifted his head, and his blue eyes softened as he looked at his wife—at her blond hair in tempting disarray around her slim shoulders, her arms crossed and those soft lips of hers set in a petulant pout. She wore a bright red, cowl neck mohair sweater, dark green slacks and simple oxfords. A piece of green holly with red berries was fastened in her hair. Sighing, he ran his hand across his chin. “Listen, I’ve tried everything to get Colt out of our safe-house condo. He’s hurting, Laura.”
Uncrossing her arms, she perched her hip on the side of Morgan’s desk and gave him a beseeching look. “I know his mission over in Kosovo was successful. So why is he holed up?”
“It was successful,” Morgan agreed, leaning back in his leather chair. Just gazing into Laura’s tender eyes made him feel better. She was his anchor. She always had been. And even now, after carrying four beautiful children in that petite but oh-so-strong body of hers, she looked just as young and vibrant as when he’d met her so many years ago. “Colt’s suffering from mild PTSD—post-traumatic stress disorder—according to Dr. Jennifer Ramirez, our staff physician.”
“Well, if that’s so, then all the more reason to get him out of there and back with normal people and society.” She stretched out her hand. “Morgan, you know what PTSD is. You’ve suffered from it for years because of your experience over in Vietnam and later, after you were kidnapped. The last thing you needed was to be alone at times like that. Colt Hamlin has worked for you for seven years now and I agree that he needs downtime. But with people.” With a mischievous grin, Laura said, “He can help me with the Five Days of Christmas celebration.”
Groaning, Morgan sat up, folded his hands on his desk and raised one eyebrow. “You’ve got that look in your eye, sweetheart. You’re making me nervous.”
With a lilting laugh, Laura reached out and covered his massive, hairy hand with her own much smaller one. “Now, darling…”
“Now I know I’m in trouble.”
“Colt is, actually,” she replied playfully. Patting his hand one last time, Laura eased off the desk. “I have a plan, Morgan. One that I think can help Colt and help me.”
“Uh-oh…”
“Don’t be such a fussbudget about this. Hear me out, will you?”
One corner of his mouth crooked. “That look in your eyes is still there. You have a plan. I feel like I should already be waving a white flag of surrender….”
Chuckling, Laura said, “Listen, you know Abbie Clemens, the biology teacher over at the high school? The teacher that Jason loved so much?”
Morgan nodded. “Sure I do. She’s helping you with the Christmas celebration, right?”
Laura’s smile deepened. “Yes, she is. What I want to do is lure Colt out of hiding and ask him to help Abbie. She takes care of all the decorations for these five days, and I’ve got my hands full with all I’ve got to do.”
“You’re matchmaking—again….” Morgan gave his wife a warm look. He couldn’t stop the smile from edging his mouth. Laura stood there, her shoulders back, her smile effusive and her eyes glimmering with happiness.
“Well…” she murmured coyly, “I just feel it’s time Abbie got back into the mainstream of life. Her husband died two years ago in the line of duty while working with Perseus. It’s the least we can do to help her, Morgan. She’s ready to let go of her past.”
“And you think bringing snarling, grouchy Colt Hamlin into her life is a good thing? Are you a sadist?”
Laughing at his good-natured jab, Laura moved around the room. “I know he’s grumpy right now. I just happen to feel Abbie will be like a healing ointment to his emotional wounds. And if she can handle petulant, hormone-driven eleventh-graders, I’m sure she can deal with Colt.” Laura pirouetted, taking in his office as she spun around. There were maps of the world on the walls, photographs of their four children, whom Morgan doted upon, and a pair of crossed Marine Corps ceremonial swords to attest to his time spent in that branch of the service.
Morgan watched his wife move with grace around the windowless room. His office was in the basement of the Perseus complex, hidden beneath a Victorian home. Because of the nature of his super-secret work, Morgan did not want to be found by his enemies…and he’d made many over the last fifteen years. He also wished to protect his growing family. Once, several years before, Laura, their oldest son, Jason, and Morgan himself had been captured by drug dealers who wanted to get even after Morgan’s mercenaries destroyed their trade in several key regions of South America.
Frowning, Morgan recalled that horrible experience. Laura had suffered badly at the hands of her captors. His son Jason, although very young when it happened, had been scarred, it seemed, for life. Before the kidnapping, Jason had been an outgoing young boy. Afterward, he’d become withdrawn, a loner, angry and rebellious…even to this day. If it hadn’t been for Abbie Clemens, who was like a second mother to Jason, Morgan doubted that his son would have gained an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy to follow in the Trayhern family’s two-hundred-year-old tradition of military service.
Guilt ate at Morgan. His family had suffered needlessly because of his own arrogance, his confidence in Perseus and its ability to protect his family…and the families of people who worked for him around the world. It had been a lesson he never wanted to repeat, so he’d gone underground—literally disappeared—so that no terrorists, no drug dealers, however powerful, could hunt Perseus down and take out their rage and revenge. Moving to the very small town of Philipsburg, Montana, deep in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, had been a brilliant tactical decision. Here, Perseus staff were relatively safe, although none of them let down their guard completely.
As Laura turned and smiled winningly at him, Morgan knew his goose was cooked. He could never say no to her. He loved her too much to deny her anything. Besides, what she was asking was more than reasonable. She was right: Colt needed to be pried out of hiding. Being with people would help him heal.
“Well? What do you think? Can you phone Colt? Tell him you need him, Morgan? Fib a little and tell him you’re overwhelmed with work and that you usually do this running around for me in preparation for the Five Days of Christmas celebration, but you can’t this time. Colt will understand that. And he’ll help if you ask him.”
Giving her a wry look and then gesturing to the mission plans on his desk, Morgan growled, “I don’t think I’ll have to fib one iota about being overwhelmed with work.”