“Hey. We weren’t even finished.” Zeke sneered. “What’s your old man gonna say?”
“He’s gonna say what the hell were you thinking? He told you to lay low until we finished the next job. And getting arrested for assault ain’t laying low,” Josh muttered accusingly. “Just go. I’ll get back with you tonight about what’s gonna happen next.”
All Josh had to do was mention John Turner and, without another word, Zeke and Rex darted outside from the cave.
Josh looked down at the woman. Oh, shit, it was Nina Chandler—she was only a high school girl, and a junior as he recalled. As if she didn’t have enough trouble in her life taking care of her mother, who was supposedly dying from cancer. He needed to earn her trust, otherwise all the strategically made plans for rounding up the thugs who were working for his father would’ve been devised for nothing.
“It’s okay, Nina,” Josh reassured softly, dropping onto the ground beside her. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
She blinked, suddenly appearing curious.
It was definitely a good sign—curiosity was much better than fear.
“You know my name?”
“Sure,” he answered with a rueful grin.
She began to sit up.
“Wait a minute,” Josh voiced with concern. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
Dazedly looking down at her clothes, she tugged her ripped sweater over her shoulder.
When Josh began to stand up, she suddenly appeared panicked and reached for his hand.
Considering his bad reputation, it was kind of amazing to Josh when she clasped his hand warmly.
“That’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. I was just going to give you my jacket,” he reassured gently.
She nodded her head up and down while attempting to pull her own coat back on.
Finally standing up, Josh pulled off his leather jacket and laid it over Nina’s shoulders. “We’d better get your arms into the sleeves and zip it up. You’re probably in a little bit of shock.”
But she was doing awfully well for someone who’d nearly been assaulted.
When he finally had her zipped into the jacket, he looked her over carefully. Only a couple of years younger than he was, she was a pretty little thing with silky brown hair.
And eyes so blue they were nearly lavender.
Funny, he’d never noticed that before.
Growing up, he’s always sympathized with this girl. She was an outsider, like him, but for different reasons. Her mom was a single parent and had been battling cancer for the last ten years, so Nina had only a few close friends. She must’ve felt that staying close to home was a necessity.
Which was something Josh really admired about her.
Josh cleared his throat. “I’m Josh, by the way.”
She must’ve been feeling better because she grinned. “I know.”
Not surprising, considering his rep here in town.
He sighed because he needed to ask the question. “What about pressing charges against those two?”
She looked fearful again. “I’m not going to do it, because I couldn’t handle what would happen if I did. I have too many other things to worry about right now.”
It was a relief for Josh to hear because their plans for the upcoming weekend would be able to remain in place.
But damn he hated to see Zeke and Rex get away with what they’d just done. “You mean because of your mom?”
She grimaced. “I guess everyone knows?”
He had a sudden urge to let her in on the truth, even though he knew that he couldn’t. But there was something about this girl that made him want her to know that he wasn’t who he appeared to be.
Nodding his agreement, he hesitated before he continued. “I want you to know that I’m not the badass that you probably think I am, and normally I’d be urging you to turn those two in.”
Nina’s eyes went wide. “But aren’t they your friends?”
Josh spit out, “No way.” But then he sighed. “But you can’t tell anyone that. Alright?”
She was looking curious again.
Why not just tell her some of the truth? There were very few people he could talk to.
“I just wanted to reassure you that these guys will be taken care of, and behind bars, where they deserve to be. And it’ll most likely happen in the next few weeks.”
This time she sat up attentively.
But then she began trembling as delayed shock set in, and she started crying softly.
Although she was resistant at first, Josh moved in closer, and wrapped an arm over her shoulders before whispering into her ear, “You can trust me. Okay? We can stay here as long as you’d like. And then I’m going to get you home safely. Alright?”
Still crying quietly, Nina released a long, ragged sigh before nodding her head in agreement against his shoulder.
Snowflakes began falling while Josh stared outside through the opening of the cave as he held her close. It was hard to believe Christmas was less than a month away, and sometime after the first of the year his new life would begin.
And his stepbrother Luke would finally be safe.
It was strange but the longer he held this girl in his arms, the more reluctant he was becoming about assuming the new cover which would enable him to start over.
And the longer they sat and stared at the falling flakes of snow, the more aware of her he was.
She smelled like...what?
Roses, maybe. Clean, fresh and...pure.
Josh started. What was he thinking?
But when he started to pull away, she clung to him more tightly, gazing into his face with concern.
He just couldn’t seem to help himself when he brushed his lips lightly against hers in reassurance.
Wow.
Josh’s eyes went wide because it seemed to be such a magical moment, and Nina was staring into his eyes with the same bewilderment he was feeling himself.
He shook his head dazedly. “I’m...sorry?”
“Huh.” She blinked. “Why?”
He grinned. “I s’pose you’re just curious about kissing someone like me. Huh? I got a pretty bad rep here in town.”
Standing up, she became indignant. Even though he was reluctant to let her go, it was exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for.
“You kissed me.”
Standing up beside her, he looked her over thoughtfully. “So, I did. Didn’t I?” Reaching over, he brushed off the pine needles from his leather jacket before zipping it up to her chin.
He stared into her eyes again. “Hey—what about you? Didn’t you kiss me back?”
Looking taken aback, she blushed.
And Josh smiled his satisfaction.
“Oh. Were you trying to distract me?”
Bending down and scooping Nina’s stocking cap from the ground, he tugged it on over her head. “Nah, not really,” he muttered, almost to himself.
“Oh. I...” She shook her head in obvious confusion.
He could tell she was still a little leery about trusting him completely.
“Ready?” he asked softly.
She nodded her head up and down.
He reached for her hand.
When she hesitated, he said, “You’re probably gonna be feeling kind of wobbly, and the path will be slick with the snow. Let’s get you out of here.”
With a shaky nod of agreement, she put her hand in his.
Stepping outside from the cave, they walked beside each other down the path, and Josh could feel Nina’s eyes upon him as they made their way to the beach.
“It’s so pretty out here tonight,” she said, staring upward at the falling snow.
“Kind of freaky after something so horrific almost happened to you. Isn’t it?”
They were quiet as they continued walking across the beach.
“Josh?” She halted. “How do you seem to know what to say and do for me? I don’t know how I would’ve even gone on if something more wo
uld’ve happened, and you hadn’t shown up when you did.”
His expression became shuttered and, not answering, he tugged her back suddenly into motion.
When she stiffened, something about her movements made him realize that she might’ve caught on to the truth, so Josh continued to remain quiet as their feet crunched through the snow while walking across the ice-crusted beach.
Finally reaching the parking lot, they began approaching his bike.
Josh broke the silence. “Hey, what were you doing here today anyway? There isn’t a hockey game or any Christmas events going on at the rink tonight.”
The Dragonfly Pointe Inn was located more centrally on the point, and Jake Loughlin, its owner, had created a hockey rink for the local teams along with a skating rink open to the public. There was usually a lot of activity around Christmastime here because of the charity events the inn hosted for the special needs school that the Loughlins sponsored.
As Josh pulled out his keys once they reached the bike, Nina was looking at his reconditioned Harley somewhat doubtingly. “I live near the Dragonfly Falls subdivision, and I usually walk the nature trail a few times a week.” She gazed into his eyes. “I have some help during the day with my mom when I’m away at school, but my mom’s best friend comes and visits a few times a week because she insists that I need more of a break.”
Nodding his understanding, Josh looked at her thoughtfully as she stared at the bike. “Ever rode one of these before?”
When Nina grimaced, Josh grinned. She was looking awfully nervous.
“Don’t you wear a helmet?” she asked, appearing concerned.
“Usually.” This time Josh grimaced. “But it got...broke.” A pretty lame word considering his dad had smashed it against the concrete floor in the garage during one of his fits of rage.
“You should be fine without one for the little bit of distance that we gotta go,” Josh muttered, wiping the snow from the bike seat with his sleeve.
When Nina began unzipping the leather jacket, Josh held out his hand and stopped her.
“Leave it on. You’ll need it more than I do.” The leather jacket wasn’t warm, but it was the only coat Josh owned, so he’d put on a T-shirt under the thermal underwear he was wearing.
Giving her a side glance, he hiked his leg over the seat of the Harley, kicking up the stand.
“Need any help?” he asked. Only around five feet tall, she was a tiny little thing, and Josh couldn’t help grinning at her reflection in his rear-view mirror as she scrambled onto the seat behind him.
When she hesitantly laid her hands over each side of his waist, Josh reached back pulling her arms around him tightly. “You don’t want to fall off,” he told her gruffly.
Revving up the engine, he rolled the bike forward, turning around and driving through the deserted parking lot.
The Dragonfly Falls subdivision was only a little over a mile away, so he turned north onto Beach Road, exiting the lot. Josh could feel Nina’s arms relax around his waist as he drove along the road at a much slower speed than usual, and he grinned watching her expression through the rearview mirror.
When she tapped on his shoulder, he headed down an isolated road toward the cottage she was pointing at, located near the water’s edge.
The home was situated on a beautiful lot along the lakefront, and Josh frowned. Not actually part of the subdivision, the house was older and a decent size. But needing paint as well as a new roof and gutters, it was most obviously in a state of disrepair.
He halted in the road, kicking down the stand, waiting for Nina to dismount.
After she was standing beside the Harley, she looked at Josh somewhat uncertainly.
Josh sighed, swinging his leg across the seat of his bike and standing up.
He gazed into her eyes. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
Biting her lip, she nodded her head up and down. It appeared that the events of the last hour were catching up with her.
Josh glanced around the isolated property. Since no one was around, he reached out pulling her gently into his arms, patting her reassuringly on the back.
When she wrapped her arms around him tightly, he inhaled her fragrance one last time. It was crazy, he knew, but he had a feeling he’d be thinking about the last hour that he’d spend with her for a very long time.
He whispered into her ear, “If you need to talk to anyone about this, or if you change your mind about pressing charges, you can contact Sam Danielson and discuss it with him.”
She pulled out from his arms, looking surprised. “The police chief?”
“Yeah.” Josh hesitated. “Or Jake Loughlin, the owner of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn. They’ll both be able to help.”
She was looking mightily curious now, so Josh laid a hand lightly over her mouth before she could ask more questions. “Ssh,” he said gruffly. “it’s better not to know.”
But when he took his hand away, she was obviously concerned. “But, Josh? Why can’t I just talk to you?”
“I’m...,” he stared at her intently, “going away.”
“Oh.” Nina just stood there, gazing into his eyes, looking disappointed.
And then she did something totally unexpected. Standing on her toes, she kissed him on the cheek, whispering into his ear, “I knew you weren’t the bad guy everyone seemed to think you were. There’s always been something different about you, that I’ve never been able to figure out.”
Josh blinked, standing still for a long, startled moment.
Nina pulled off the leather jacket and handed it back over to Josh.
Josh put the coat on. “Take care, Nina,” he finally said softly before climbing back onto the bike.
“You too Josh,” she answered, standing in place and watching as he turned the bike around, revving up the engine.
Nina waved back when he held up his hand and drove away.
* * *
He hadn’t been this distracted for a very long time, Josh thought as he drove through town. For the first time in his life, he was thinking about what he’d leave behind once he departed Crystal Rock. Despite growing up contending with some intense personal issues, Josh had always known there was something pretty special about Crystal Rock, and Dragonfly Pointe in particular. His thirteen-year-old stepbrother Luke had always felt the same way too.
Turning into the alleyway behind the Crystal Rock Police Station, Josh parked his bike behind the dumpster belonging to the Crystal Rock Café, and before he dismounted his bike, he pulled out the key hidden inside his boot.
Making his way to the back door of the station, he shivered while looking around. Three to four inches of snow was in the forecast for tonight, and the snow was coming down pretty hard now.
Unlocking the station door, he strolled through the doorway, locking it back up once he was inside.
He ran down the staircase to the basement where he found FBI Special Agent, Jake Loughlin, talking on his phone.
Jake nodded at Josh, disconnecting from his call.
After removing his leather jacket and laying it over the back of a chair, Josh stripped off his thermal top and T-shirt.
Approaching Josh, Jake frowned and began disconnecting the wire taped to Josh’s chest.
“You heard?” Josh muttered.
“Yeah,” Jake answered. “We came straight back here after you left the beach on your bike.”
“Sorry about that. I know you wanted more.”
“Don’t you dare be sorry, Kid,” Jake growled. “I’m proud of you. In fact, there’s been reports of a couple of attacks on girls in Eau Claire, where those idiots are from.”
“Yeah. They’re probably behind it. This ain’t the first time I’ve had to stop them from going after someone. One night, they were ready to attack an old man who was just walking down the street, and there was another woman one time, behind the Crystal Rock Tap, who they were thinking about pouncing on.”
Jake shook his head, continuing to look concerned.
> “So what’s the next step, Jake?” Josh asked, pulling his T-shirt back on.
“We just need to know where they’re planning on striking next so we can be ready.” Jake hesitated. “Are you sure you can’t weasel the information from your old man?”
“Damn sure. He never lets me know until a few hours ahead.”
“And you’re positive that Zeke and Rex already know what day it’ll happen?”
Josh nodded yes firmly. “Yeah. Dad needs them to be ready here in town.
Jake sighed. “Plus, it’d sure be nice to know if you’ll be loading up the goods on the water or from the road.”
“Boat or truck—that’s another thing I won’t know until we’re on site. I’m sorry to say that I’m the last person he’ll give any information to anymore.” Josh paused. “I really ripped him apart when I caught him with Luke...”
“And he beat you within an inch of your life,” Jake said grimly.
Josh shrugged, turning away. He couldn’t let what’d happened to him while he was growing up keep happening to Luke too. But before he’d built up the courage to talk to the police chief here in town, Jake Loughlin had approached Josh when thirteen-year-old Luke had somehow loaded and driven Josh, who’d been barely conscious, to the doctor’s office in Dad’s beat up pickup. Luke had saved Josh’s life. As usual, Dad had been drunk and hadn’t even known the vehicle was missing since Luke had managed to get the truck back home before Dad had awoken the next morning.
“Sit down, Josh,” Jake said, motioning him into the chair he was unfolding. “There’s something important I need to tell you.”
Josh quickly took a seat.
After unfolding another chair, Jake was staring at him intently when he sat across from him. “You probably know that I haven’t owned the Dragonfly Pointe Inn for very long?”
When Josh nodded his agreement, Jake continued, “I grew up here in Crystal Rock. And I was in nearly the same situation that both you and Luke are in now.”
Josh was skeptical. “Really?” he answered politely. How could this guy know anything about what he was going through? He seemed to have it all—money, property, respect and even a beautiful wife.
“Yes, really,” Jake answered, softly. “When I returned to Crystal Rock, I discovered something about my dad that I never knew.” Jake paused and then sighed. “He had a younger brother.”
Two Hearts Find Christmas Page 2