Her Mistletoe Protector

by Laura Scott

  “A cabin?” Joey echoed, his eyes wide with enthusiasm. “Can we go to the cabin, Mom? Can we?”

  She couldn’t bear to deny Joey anything. At least not now. Of course, they’d have to go back home, eventually, to figure out their next steps, now that she didn’t have her company anymore. “If that’s what Nick thinks is best,” she murmured.

  “I don’t have enough cash to keep going to motels,” he said, his tone apologetic. “Besides, Morales is going to report back to whoever hired him that you weren’t there alone. I’m worried they might be able to spot my car if we stick around here. I think the cabin is the safest place for us to be right now.”

  Jonah didn’t look convinced. “I still don’t like leaving you alone,” he grumbled. “But Mallory’s due date is next week so I should head home. Promise you’ll call if you need me?”

  “Yes. And I’ll give you the address to my uncle’s cabin, too.” Nick rattled off the address as Jonah punched it into his phone.

  Soon, they were back on the road. Nick had managed to wrap gauze around his arm, which helped stop the bleeding. Jonah insisted on leaving the first-aid kit with them, and Rachel accepted it gratefully, knowing that as soon as they’d reached the cabin, she’d need to do a better job of cleaning up Nick’s wound.

  She stayed in the backseat with Joey, unwilling to leave him there alone. As Nick’s car ate up the miles, crossing over the Illinois/Wisconsin state line, she closed her eyes and clutched her son’s hand, wondering if their life would ever be normal again.

  * * *

  Nick glanced in the rearview mirror as he drove, noticing that Rachel had fallen asleep. He was glad she was getting some rest, but Joey, however, was still wide-awake. Dusk was already darkening the sky, and Nick’s goal was to make it to the cabin well before nightfall.

  “Are you doing okay back there?” he asked softly, trying not to disturb Rachel.

  Joey nodded, although his gaze seemed troubled. “The bad man isn’t going to come after me again, is he?”

  Nick’s heart lurched at the panic in Joey’s young voice. No matter what happened, the poor kid was going to have nightmares about the kidnapping for a long time to come. He made a mental note to discuss with Rachel the need for Joey to get counseling.

  He didn’t want to lie to the boy, but he didn’t want the child to live in fear, either. He chose his words carefully. “The reason I’m taking you and your mom to the cabin is to keep you safe from the bad man,” he said finally. “I’ve already called my boss and asked him to put out an arrest warrant for the bad man, too. Once he’s in jail he won’t be able to hurt you or your mom any more.”

  Joey nodded and seemed to relax at that explanation. “I’m glad you’re a police detective,” he said.

  Nick caught the boy’s gaze in the rearview mirror and flashed him a warm smile. “Me, too.” He paused, before asking, “Joey, you mentioned you were in a basement room with a mattress, a toilet and a locked door. Do you remember anything else? Anything that might help the police track down the bad man?”

  Joey’s lower lip trembled as if he might burst out sobbing. And as if she instinctively knew her son was upset, Rachel woke up. “Joey? What’s wrong?”

  “I c-can’t remember anything else,” he stuttered. “I couldn’t see because the bad man put a black hood over my head!”

  Nick winced when Rachel glared at him. “You don’t have to remember anything, sweetie,” she said gently, daring Nick to disagree. “I don’t want you to worry about the bad man anymore. All that matters is that you’re safe here with me. We’re going to make sure nothing happens to you, okay?”

  “Okay,” Joey mumbled.

  He sighed and dropped the touchy subject. He didn’t want to upset Joey, but at the same time, they needed to know what, if anything, the boy remembered.

  Maybe once they reached the cabin, Joey would relax enough to open up about his ordeal. Refusing to discuss what happened wasn’t going to help Rachel’s son get over what happened.

  But talking through the events just might.

  He didn’t voice his opinion though. Instead, he concentrated on trying to remember the route to his uncle’s cabin. The farther north he drove, the more the temperature dropped. There was evidence of a recent light snow, although nothing deep enough to worry about. He hadn’t been to Uncle Wally’s cabin in the past year, since his uncle had passed away, leaving the cabin to his mother. And since Nick’s parents had chosen to retire in Florida last year, he doubted anyone had been up there since he and Wally had been there the summer before his uncle’s passing.

  Nick’s wife and daughter had enjoyed spending time up there, too. He smiled remembering how Sophie had laughed as she played in the fallen leaves. For the first time, remembering his family didn’t cause his heart to ache. He’d treasure every moment they had together.

  He forced his attention on his surroundings. Twice he had to backtrack, because the area looked so different from what he remembered. But then he caught sight of the red fire sign with the numbers 472 and knew he’d found it. The gravel driveway was barely visible between towering evergreen trees, and so completely overgrown with brush and weeds that he only went far enough to make sure the car was out of sight from the road, before shutting off the engine.

  “Sorry, but we’ll have to walk in from here,” he said, grabbing the bag of clothes in one hand while keeping his weapon ready with the other. Just in case. “I’m afraid we’ll get stuck if we drive in any farther.”

  “That’s okay,” Rachel replied, opening her door and pushing it against the brush. Joey climbed out right behind her as if eager to be out of the car. He saw Rachel reach for Joey’s hand, but when her son eagerly strode through the tall brown grass without so much as glancing at her, she let her hand drop back to her side.

  “Be careful,” he called to Joey as he came over to walk beside Rachel, their feet crunching against the half-frozen brush.

  “I hope there aren’t poisonous snakes around here,” she said nervously, as she followed her son’s progress down the driveway.

  “December is too cold for snakes,” he assured her. He wanted to reach for her hand but sensed she was still angry with him. “I’m sorry, Rachel. I didn’t mean to upset you or Joey.”

  “Then stop asking him questions about what happened,” she said wearily. “Don’t you think he’s been through enough?”

  “I think you’ve both been through more than enough,” Nick said in a low voice. “But we can’t afford to relax now. For one thing, Morales knows we saw him and that you didn’t come to the barn alone.”

  “He has the money, what more could he want?” she asked.

  “I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure he planned to kill you both,” he rasped out.

  Before Rachel could respond, Joey shouted, “There’s the cabin!”

  Sure enough, Nick could make out the familiar log cabin through the bare tree branches. The place looked smaller than he remembered, but as long as the wood-burning stove worked, he thought they’d be fine.

  “We’ll need to discuss this more, later,” he said quietly to Rachel. “For now, let’s get settled, okay?”

  When she nodded, he lengthened his stride to catch up to Joey. Rachel didn’t want to believe she and Joey were still in danger, but he knew they were. And he vowed to do whatever it took to keep them safe.

  * * *

  Rachel explored the small kitchen area inside the cabin, relieved to note that there were plenty of canned goods, soups and stew for them to eat. Everything was coated in a thick layer of dust, but nothing was outdated or spoiled. She frowned, knowing that the place needed to be cleaned but that it would be impossible without water.

  “First we’ll build a fire to make it warm in here,” Nick was telling Joey. “Then we’re going to prime the pump outside.”


  “What does that mean?” Joey asked, hovering near Nick as he stacked wood in the large wood-burning stove in the center of the room. There were dried leaves and twigs, too, and soon he had a roaring fire going.

  “The well has to be closed up in the winter, or else the pipes will freeze,” Nick explained. “We’ll prime the pump to get the water running again. I’ll show you how it’s done.”

  Rachel watched Joey and Nick interact with a distinct male camaraderie. She knew her son longed for a male role model, which was one of the reasons she’d gotten him involved in sports like basketball. At least his coach was a decent role model for her son.

  But to see Joey bond with Nick like this was worrisome. What would happen once this nightmare was over? When Nick went back to his job, leaving her and Joey to make a new life for themselves? She and her son might even have to move in order for her to find work.

  The last thing she wanted was for Joey to be hurt again. He’d already suffered so much. The image of the way he’d reacted when Morales ripped the hood off his head was seared into her memory.

  Granted, Nick wasn’t going to hurt her son on purpose, not the way Morales had. But she knew, with deep certainty, that her son would eventually be hurt just the same.

  This was exactly why she hadn’t dated or tried to form any relationships with men. And even though she knew most men weren’t connected with the Mafia, she wasn’t sure she was ready to think about a relationship of any sort. Friendship, yes. But she’d stayed alone because she knew Joey was at a vulnerable and impressionable age. Avoiding relationships was easier than allowing Joey to get close to someone, only to be hurt if the relationship didn’t work out. When Nick and Joey went back outside to work on the pump, she grabbed several cans of stew and set them on the counter.

  Nick wanted to talk later, and that was just fine with her. Because she wanted to talk to him, too. He had to understand that he needed to keep his distance from Joey.

  For her son’s sake.

  The interior of the cabin warmed up to the point she could take off the bulky jacket and the dark sweatshirt, wearing just the long-sleeved crew neck T-shirt. She stripped off the sheets draping the furniture, sneezing as the dust ticked her nose.

  When Nick and Joey returned a few minutes later, they were both grinning from ear to ear. “We did it, Mom!” Joey exclaimed as he and Nick stamped their feet on the mat inside the doorway. “We primed the pump and now we have water.”

  “Great,” she said, forcing a smile when her son looked up at her. “I’m going to clean the place up a bit, and then I thought we’d have the canned beef stew for dinner.” Lowering her voice, she slanted a quick glance Nick’s way. “Don’t forget, we need to change the bandage on your arm, too.”

  “Plenty of time for that... Let’s eat first,” Nick said. “We’re lucky to have electricity. Apparently my parents are still paying the bills.”

  “The cabin belongs to your parents?” she asked, curious in spite of herself.

  “To my mother,” Nick corrected. “I’m going to hike back to the car to get my laptop.”

  “Can I come, too?” Joey asked.

  She opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted by the sound of Nick’s phone ringing. He scowled at the display and then walked down the hall, obviously seeking privacy as he answered. “Yeah?”

  She couldn’t hear much of the conversation and was still trying to figure out a way to prevent Joey from following Nick around like a lost puppy, when Nick came back to the main room, his expression grim.

  She tensed, fearing more bad news. “What’s wrong?”

  “They found the Jeep and, Morales, uh, is no longer a threat,” he said carefully, glancing at Joey in a way that told her the man who’d kidnapped her son was dead. “But I’m afraid there’s no sign of the duffel bag or the cash.”

  Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest and she couldn’t think of anything to say.

  “Unfortunately,” Nick continued, “whoever hired Morales appears to have gotten away with it.”

  TEN

  Nick mentally kicked himself as Rachel’s expression froze at the news. He felt helpless knowing that Morales had been killed and all of Rachel’s money was gone. The chance of finding out who had set up the kidnapping was slim to none at this point, now that their best lead— Morales—had just become, literally, a dead end.

  After a long moment, Rachel let out a sigh and shrugged, avoiding his direct gaze. He knew she had to be upset at losing her company like this, but if that was the case, she didn’t let on. “I’m glad Morales won’t be able to hurt anyone else ever again,” she murmured. “Maybe it’s wrong, but I can’t help thinking he ended up getting exactly what he deserved.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to explain how God expected them to forgive those who trespassed against them, but there was a tiny part of him that tended to agree with her. He could forgive Morales and even the guy who’d hired him, but he also knew that those who sinned often paid the price.

  If they were alone, he’d go into more detail about the crime scene, but since Joey was listening, he chose his words carefully. “The man behind all this is a professional, but we can’t give up. We’ll figure out who it is sooner or later.”

  “I know,” she agreed, although her expression didn’t exactly radiate confidence.

  “Do you want to come for a walk with us to the car?” he offered. Oddly enough, he didn’t want to leave her here in the cabin alone, especially after giving her such depressing news. “Shouldn’t take us more than fifteen minutes or so.”

  She hesitated but then nodded. She put both her sweatshirt and the jacket back on and crossed over to join them. He held the door as they trooped outside, and he sniffed, appreciating the woodsy scent intermingled with fireplace smoke that lingered in the air, bringing back fond memories of the good times he’d spent up here with Uncle Wally and with his family.

  Joey grabbed a small branch that had fallen from one of the trees and swatted the brush as they walked. Rachel stayed next to Nick, and his hand accidently brushed hers, making him wonder what she would say if he took her hand in his. She’d never said a word about the kiss, although he hadn’t mentioned it, either.

  But he’d certainly thought about it. Too much. He wanted to kiss her again. But this wasn’t the time or the place.

  “Are you okay?” he asked under his breath when Joey had gotten far enough ahead of them that he couldn’t hear them.

  “Fine,” she said, kicking a rock with the toe of her athletic shoe. “I knew the risk, right from the start. As I told you before, getting Joey back safe and sound was worth every penny.”

  Nick couldn’t help playing the what-if game. What if he’d insisted on getting the FBI involved? Would they have gotten Joey back and still have Rachel’s cash, too? Would they have caught the guy who’d killed Morales? Would Rachel and Joey be safe at home where they belonged?

  As much as he wanted Rachel and Joey to be okay, it bothered him to think about the fact that once this was over, he wouldn’t be seeing either of them again. Immediately, he felt guilty for even considering replacing Becky and Sophie with Rachel and Joey.

  No, he couldn’t do it. As much as he cared about Rachel and her son, he and Rachel would be much better off if they simply remained friends once this was over. Maybe he could be sort of a big brother to Joey. Do things like taking him to ball games or just playing catch. Surely, Rachel wouldn’t mind having some downtime—being a single mother couldn’t be easy.

  The more he thought about the possibility of staying in touch with Joey, the more he liked it.

  But, first, he had to keep Rachel and Joey safe, while figuring out a way to get her company back.

  “I’m going to need your help in order to keep investigating all the possibilities,” he murmured.

 
“I’m not sure how much help I’ll be,” she protested wearily. “And what’s the point of getting your computer? I can’t imagine there’s any internet available up here.”

  “The last time I came up with Uncle Wally, I was able to get a signal from someone else’s internet tower as they didn’t have it secured with a password.” He caught her surprised gaze and shrugged. “Figured it was worth a shot to see if the signal is still available.”

  “There’s the car,” Joey shouted, running forward as if they were in a race. “Open the trunk, Nick!”

  He caught a glimpse of annoyance in Rachel’s gaze and tried to figure out what he’d done to upset her as he pushed the button on his key fob, making the truck spring open. Joey grabbed his computer case and proudly brought it over to him. “Here you go,” he announced.

  “Thanks, Joey,” he said, looping the strap over his shoulder. Before he could say anything more, the boy ran back to shut the trunk for him, too. Nick grabbed the first-aid kit from the front seat and then locked the car.

  “We need to talk later,” Rachel whispered as Joey made his way back over to where they waited.

  “Okay,” he agreed, even though deep down he could tell by her tone that, whatever she wanted to talk about, it wasn’t going to be good.

  * * *

  Rachel knew she was overreacting to Joey’s eagerness to assist Nick, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. As they made their way back to the cabin, she quickened her pace to keep up with her son rather than lagging behind with Nick.

  “Hey, stop here a minute and look up at the stars,” she said to Joey. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

  “Wow, there’s so many,” Joey whispered in awe.

  “Out here in the country it’s easier to see them,” she explained. “Back home, the lights from the city tend to get in the way.”

  Nick came up to stand beside them, tipping his head back to enjoy the view, as well. For a moment, she could almost pretend they were a family, rather than hiding up here fearing for their lives.

  This was what Anthony had stolen from her all those years ago. And she hadn’t even really understood how much she’d missed what she’d never had, until now.