Sugarplum Way

by Debbie Mason

  Since Marco knew Jasper almost as well as Liam, either his friend was in denial or he held a grudge longer than Liam had given him credit for. Noting the angry bounce of Marco’s right leg, he was going with the latter. Then again…“They’ll be okay, buddy. We’ll find your niece. Get them out of there.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. What I don’t know is why the hell she’s here. After eight years, she just shows up out of the blue…” With a white-knuckled grip on his helmet, Marco gave his head an angry shake.

  So Liam had been right after all. “I don’t get it. Aren’t you happy she’s finally come home?”

  “Give me a break. You have no idea what her leaving did to my family. For two years, we never heard a word from her. Now we’re lucky if she calls a couple times a year. And for the amount of time she talks, you’d think we were putting a trace on her phone calls.”

  “So, what, you don’t believe in second chances? Don’t be a hothead and blow it. At least you still have a sister.” Liam sensed his father glancing his way and Fergus’s eyes on him in the rearview mirror.

  “You’re right. Sorry, I didn’t think.”

  Fergus blasted the horn as he drove beneath a vine-covered stone arch, past the iron gates leading into the estate. The headlights and emergency lights sliced through the gloom of the late-October night and Liam leaned forward. What got his attention wasn’t the sprawling mansion built of local granite or the people scattering from where they’d been standing on the circular drive. It was the white smoke billowing from the manor’s entrance. He opened the door as the engine rolled to a stop and smelled the air—chemicals, not burning wood. “There’s no fire,” Liam said to his father as he jumped onto the asphalt.

  “Not yet, but could be electrical. Breathing apparatus on, Liam,” his father called after him.

  Liam raised his gloved hand, indicating he heard him, as he jogged to where Jasper was leading Kitty from the manor. “You okay, Grams?” he asked once he reached them.

  She nodded through a coughing fit.

  He rubbed her arm and looked at Jasper. “Sophie and the little girl still inside?”

  Jasper gave him a clipped nod. “We’d gone through most of the upper and main floors before Miss Kitty was overcome.”

  “All right. Go let Dad check you both over,” Liam said as he started into the building, then pivoted when it hit him what he was smelling. “Jasper, you didn’t have the fog machine going, did you?”

  “Certainly not, Master Liam. As your father directed, I expressly forbade Miss Kitty and Madame from using it this Halloween.”

  Since Madame didn’t like to be told what she could or couldn’t do, Liam didn’t rule out the possibility that Colleen and a fog machine were behind the smoke. As he walked into the entryway, he tapped the switch on his helmet twice. The beam of light cut through the haze, providing him with a 180-degree view. He jogged across the lobby, calling for Sophie while trying to get an idea where the smoke originated from. He spotted what he believed was the point of origin at the same time he heard someone cough.

  A woman with long dark hair stumbled out of one of the sitting rooms. “Sophie, it’s Liam.” He tipped up his helmet as he closed the distance between them.

  She lowered a denim jacket from where she’d held it over her mouth and nose. Her face was pale, her golden brown eyes red-rimmed. She looked exhausted and utterly terrified. “My little girl. I can’t find my little girl. You have to help me—” She started coughing again.

  “I’ll find her, Sophie. But you need to—” He broke off as a second beam of light joined his. “Marco, get her out of here,” he ordered his best friend.

  Marco nodded, his expression unreadable as he reached for his sister.

  She pulled away from her brother and frantically shook her head. “No, I can’t go. I have to help you find her. You don’t—”

  Her brother cut her off. “Dammit, Soph, don’t be stubborn. We’ll find her, but you have to—”

  “No, no, you don’t understand. She’s terrified of fire…of firemen. And she can’t…” Her voice broke on a sob. Liam saw the herculean effort it took for her to regain control, but she did, and then she finished what she’d been about to say. “She can’t talk.”

  He and Marco shared a glance. Their job just got a whole lot harder. “Sophie, I’ll take off the breathing apparatus and my helm—”

  “Like hell you will,” his father said through his com. Marco said the same thing beside him.

  Liam knew the reason for their concern and ignored them. He couldn’t think about that now. Couldn’t let the memory of the warehouse fire into his head. “I’m going to find your little girl. What’s her name?”

  She held his gaze as though she believed him and swiped at her eyes. “Mia. Her name’s Mia.” Overcome by another coughing fit, Sophie struggled to take the knapsack off her shoulder. Waving off his offer to help, she dug around inside and pulled out a pink pig with a singed ear. “We had a fire at our apartment in LA. Other than Mia, Peppa Pig is pretty much the only thing that survived. It might help if you show her…” Sophie bit her bottom lip, then handed him the stuffed animal. “Please, Liam, please find her. She’s all I have.”

  He slipped the pink pig into his pocket. “Right now it doesn’t look like we’re dealing with a fire. She’ll be okay, Sophie. I’ll find her,” he promised.

  “Jesus, Soph. Why didn’t you call us? Why didn’t…?”

  Liam didn’t waste time waiting for Sophie to answer her brother. He jogged toward the door behind the grand staircase. It led to the basement, a place that had featured prominently in his nightmares as a little kid. Probably because his older brothers and cousins had traumatized him with stories about the long-dead pirates that haunted the narrow passageways and secret tunnels. If the upper floors had already been searched, it’s possible he’d find Mia down here.

  Smoke billowed through the partially open door, and Liam adjusted his breathing apparatus before opening it wide. As soon as he did, he was hit by a thick wall of smoke. The beam of light cut through the fog and illuminated the spiral staircase.

  Liam started down the stairs and the stone walls closed in around him, transporting him to a wide-open space filled with movement and noise. Voices came over his radio—yelling, the rapid repeat of gunshots. Faint at first, and then the gunfire became louder. Get down. Get down. He belly-crawled to where Billy lay in the middle of the floor, laser beams zinging overhead from one side of the warehouse to the other. Shouting. Everyone shouting. A bullet shattered the concrete an inch from his head, and then another one…

  Something repeatedly bumped his leg, getting harder with each jab, and the flashback started to fade. Liam looked down. A pair of small blue eyes stared up at him. It was a black cat. It took a moment for his head to clear and for him to get his bearings. He wasn’t in Boston; he was on the stairs at Greystone.

  Someone yelled over the radio. “Liam, are you all right? Liam, goddammit, answer me.”

  “Good. I’m good, Chief. I’m in the basement. Must have played havoc with the com,” he lied to his father, who must already suspect what Liam had been denying. He was so far from good it wasn’t funny. “Found the problem,” he said as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

  To his left, barely visible behind cardboard boxes piled recariously close, sat two overheating commercial fog machines. They were damn lucky the units hadn’t caused a fire. He reported his findings to his father over the com at the same time Marco thundered down the stairs.

  When he reached the bottom, Marco searched Liam’s face and stabbed an angry, gloved finger in his chest. “Get your head out of your ass, Gallagher, before I do it for you.”

  “I know. I know. But now’s not the time to—” He broke off and frowned down at the cat head-butting his leg. For a second, Liam was afraid he’d zoned out again. But no, Marco would have seen it coming on and shook him out of it. The cat meowed and looked toward the tunnels. Liam didn’t read minds, cat or human
, but somehow he knew this was about Mia. As though the cat sensed he’d clued in, he took off. Liam ran after him.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Marco called out.

  “To find Mia,” he shouted back. His voice sounded like he’d been hacking up a lung. Maybe he had been during the flashback. Though now wasn’t the time to think about those missing minutes and what they would have meant had they been battling an actual blaze. He’d beat himself up over it later.

  As he made his way deeper into the tunnels, the smoke wasn’t as bad. He pulled off his breathing apparatus, stopping briefly to remove the tank and rest it carefully against the damp stone wall. He thought he’d lost the cat until he heard an impatient meow up ahead. The beam of light from Liam’s helmet caught the end of the cat’s tail just before it disappeared down a narrow passageway.

  As soon as Liam rounded the corner, he spotted the little girl. Sophie’s daughter sat with her back to the wall, her forehead resting on denim-clad knees that were pressed to her chest. She slowly raised her head and blinked into the bright light.

  “Hey, Mia.” He didn’t want to frighten her and crouched a couple yards away. Then he took off his helmet and set it on the ground, angling it so the light didn’t hit her in the eyes. He smiled. “I’m Liam Gallagher, a friend of your uncle Marco. Your mommy too. I’ve known her since she was a little girl not much older than you are.”

  She scuttled away from him, then came to her feet, her eyes darting from left to right. His chest tightened. He recognized the look on her face, the wide-eyed panic and fear of someone who’d suffered a trauma. He should know, since after tonight, he could no longer deny he’d suffered the same. “Your mommy gave me”—he racked his brain for the pig’s name—“Porky.” She looked at him. “Peppy the pig?”

  The faintest hint of a smile touched her adorable heart-shaped face. “Do you want your pig?” he asked, reaching in his pocket.

  She gave her head a quick shake, and Liam withdrew his hand from his pocket. He got it. The singed ear was a reminder of what she and her stuffed animal had been through. “You don’t have to be frightened, sweetheart. There wasn’t a fire, just a lot of smoke from the fog machines.” Within minutes, there might have been a fire. But looking at Mia, he couldn’t let his mind go there. Couldn’t think of her down here trapped and alone. “I know you’re scared, and you don’t know me, but your mommy’s worried about you, so whaddya say we get out of here?”

  She looked down, her long dark hair shielding her face, but not enough to hide the slight flush pinking her cheeks. He frowned and followed her gaze, wondering what…He briefly closed his eyes. She’d wet her pants.

  He cleared his throat. “Mia. Sweetheart.” Her big blue eyes flitted to his face, then darted away. “If I tell you a secret, do you promise not to tell anyone?” She glanced at him, then gave him a hesitant nod. “Okay, I’m holding you to that. When I was around your age…Now that I think about it, I was way older. Like ten.” He’d been five. “My brothers and cousins brought me down here to hunt for buried treasure. We had flashlights and shovels, and while we were digging, they told ghost stories. Really spooky ones. And then they turned the flashlights off. They left me down here for hours all by myself in the dark. I was so scared, I wet my pants.” That part was true. “So you see, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Happens to the best of us,” he said with a smile, and shrugged out of his jacket, holding it open for her. “You can put this on, and no one will know. It’ll be our secret. Sound good?” He’d find a way to tell Sophie without embarrassing Mia.

  She took a couple hesitant steps toward him. “Thatta girl,” he said, and leaned over to wrap the jacket around her tiny, delicate frame. “It’s pretty long. Is it okay if I pick you up so you don’t trip?” She nodded, and he lifted her into his arms. “You know what? You’re as brave as any firefighter I know, so you should probably wear this.” He put his helmet on her head, grinning when she disappeared beneath it. He tipped it up. “There you are.”

  She rewarded him with a smile that lit up her face and wrapped around his heart, squeezing tight.

  “Mia DiRossi, you’re going to be a heartbreaker just like your mother.”

  About the Author

  Debbie Mason is the USA Today bestselling author of the Christmas, Colorado and Harmony Harbor series. Her books have been praised for their “likable characters, clever dialogue and juicy plots” (RT Book Reviews). When she isn’t writing or reading, Debbie enjoys spending time with her very own real-life hero, three wonderful children, two adorable grandbabies, and a yappy Yorkie named Bella, in Ontario, Canada.

  ACCLAIM FOR DEBBIE MASON

  Primrose Lane

  “4 Stars! This is a book worth savoring as it has all the elements of a fantastic read.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  Starlight Bridge

  “4 Stars! Mason gives Ava and Griffin a second chance at love. There’s a mystery surrounding the sale of the estate…that adds a special appeal to the book.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  Mistletoe Cottage

  “Top Pick! 4½ Stars! Mason has a knockout with the first book in her Harmony Harbor series.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  Happy Ever After in Christmas

  “This charming story of two people struggling to trust their love and build a life together is certain to earn the author new fans.”

  —Bookpage.com

  Kiss Me in Christmas

  “This story has so much humor that at times I found myself laughing out loud, holding my sides and shaking my head…a complete joy to read.”

  —HarlequinJunkie.com

  Snowbound at Christmas

  “Heartfelt…a laugh-out-loud treat.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  Wedding Bells in Christmas

  “Romance readers will absolutely love this story of matchmaking and passion rekindled. Wedding Bells in Christmas is the very definition of a well-fought-for HEA.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  It Happened at Christmas

  “Debbie Mason gives the reader an excellent love story that can be read all year long… You must pick up It Happened at Christmas.”

  —NightOwlRomance.com

  Christmas in July

  “Debbie Mason’s books are the type of books that leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling…Christmas in July is a great read.”

  —FreshFiction.com

  The Trouble with Christmas

  “4 Stars! This is a wonderful story to read this holiday season, and the romance is timeless…This is one of those novels readers will enjoy each and every page of and tell friends about.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  Also by Debbie Mason

  The Harmony Harbor series

  Mistletoe Cottage

  “Christmas with an Angel” (short story)

  Starlight Bridge

  Primrose Lane

  The Christmas, Colorado series

  The Trouble with Christmas

  Christmas in July

  It Happened at Christmas

  Wedding Bells in Christmas

  Snowbound at Christmas

  Kiss Me at Christmas

  Happy Ever After in Christmas

  “Marry Me at Christmas” (short story)

  Fall in Love with Forever Romance

  SUGARPLUM WAY

  By Debbie Mason

  The USA Today bestselling Harmony Harbor series continues! As a romance author, Julia Landon’s job is to create happy-ever-afters. But she can’t seem to create one for herself—even after a steamy kiss under the mistletoe with Aiden Gallagher. After a bitter divorce, Aiden has no interest in making another commitment; he just wants to spend quality time with his daughter. But with Christmas right around the corner, both Aiden and Julia may find that Santa is about to grant a little girl’s special wish.

  TOTALLY HIS

  By Erin Nicholas

  In the newest of New York Times bestselling
author Erin Nicholas’s Opposites Attract series, actress Sophie Birch is used to looking out for herself. When her theater catches fire and a cop scoops her up to save her, she fights him every step of the way…even though his arms feel oh-so-good. Finn Kelly can’t help but appreciate how sexy the woman in his arms looks…even if she’s currently resisting arrest. But when Sophie finds herself in trouble again, can Finn convince her to lean on him?

  THE SCOT’S BRIDE

  By Paula Quinn

  For readers of Karen Hawkins, Monica McCarty, and Hannah Howell. Charlotte Cunningham refuses to abide by Patrick MacGregor, the barbaric highlander assigned to keep her out of trouble. But what’s Charlie to do when her biggest temptation is the man charged with keeping her a proper young lass?

  BACK IN THE GAME

  By Erin Kern

  Fans of Friday Night Lights will love the heartwarming Champion Valley series by bestselling author Erin Kern. Stella Davenport swore she’d never let anything get in the way of her dream—until sexy, broad-shouldered Brandon West walks back into her life. Brandon knows that love only leads to heartbreak, but Stella is a breath of fresh air he didn’t even know he’d been missing. When she’s offered her dream job in Chicago, will he be willing to put his heart on the line?

  LETHAL LIES

  By Rebecca Zanetti