Her Christmas Guardian

by Shirlee McCoy

  Unlike his son, he’d known about Scout’s pregnancy. He’d overheard Amber discussing it with her, knew that Amber had told Scout to leave town. He and Alaina had both suspected that the child was Christopher’s, and they’d decided to make moving away easy for Scout. They’d asked Gaige to find her a job opportunity and an inexpensive rental in a nice neighborhood. Gaige had met Eleanor while he was in River Valley, opening doors that probably would have stayed closed for Scout if not for the Schoepflin family.

  She shivered.

  She’d spent years afraid of being found, and she’d never really been hidden.

  Scout walked to the Christmas tree she’d set up in the corner of the living room. With Eleanor dead, the fate of her little house was up in the air. Next year, Scout and Lucy might be somewhere else. Maybe it would be for the best. Even with the little tree decorated with tinsel and Christmas lights, the house didn’t feel like home. Not like it used to.

  Funny how that didn’t matter as much as it used to.

  Lucy zipped past, reaching for the sparkly pink frame that hung from the tree.

  “Pretty, Mommy,” she said.

  “It is,” she responded, her throat tight with hundreds of memories of Amber as a child and a teenager and an adult. She missed her friend, but she saw hints of her in Lucy’s face.

  Lucy reached for another frame. Hand carved from pinewood, it held a photo of Scout, Boone and Lucy, sitting at a booth in a diner on Main Street. Scout had just got her staples out, and Boone had taken them to lunch to celebrate. He’d asked the waitress to snap the photo, and Scout’s cheeks had been pink with embarrassment. In the photo, she’d been looking at him, and he’d been looking at Lucy, and the love they all had for each other nearly jumped out of the frame.

  She missed Boone more than she wanted to let herself admit.

  He’d been on a mission for a week, gone somewhere that he couldn’t talk about, doing things he couldn’t explain. He’d given her the frame the night before he’d left, told her to put another picture inside. One that didn’t have his ugly mug in it.

  He must have known that she wouldn’t do it.

  He must have known that she would walk to the frame every other minute of every day just to see him smiling that soft easy smile of his.

  “Boone! I want Boone,” Lucy cried.

  “He’ll visit as soon as he finishes his job.”

  “When?” Lucy asked, her little hands on her hips, her lower lip out. She hadn’t been sleeping well since the kidnapping. She did well at day care and fine while the sun was out, but as soon as bedtime rolled around, she tossed and turned, woke crying, sobbed about things living under the bed and in the closet. The sleepless nights were taking a toll on both of them, but with Christmas just around the corner, Scout was trying to be cheerful.

  “I don’t know when he’ll be back, but I’m hoping it will be soon.” Boone hadn’t been able to give her anything more than a vague time frame. A week. Maybe two. If he was going to be longer, he’d promised that someone from HEART would contact her.

  “I want Boone!” Lucy insisted, and Scout picked her up, snuggling her close, inhaling the sweet smell of baby shampoo and lotion.

  “Me, too, but he’s not here.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Mommy,” Lucy said, pressing her palms to Scout’s cheeks. “I want cake.”

  The request made Scout chuckle. “Not at this time of the morning.”

  “We have cake for Boone.”

  True. She’d made a different flavor cake every day that Boone was in town. Thinking about how much he’d enjoyed each flavor and each kind of frosting made her smile.

  “Tell you what,” she said, glancing out the window at the dark morning and gray-blue clouds that drifted lazily across the moon. Somewhere, it was full light, and somewhere Boone was working hard to reunite another family. “Let’s make cake.”

  “Cake!” Lucy squealed with glee, running into the kitchen ahead of her.

  They took out the bowls and the hand mixer, the eggs and the flour. Scout had never made a coconut cake for Boone, but she thought he’d like her grandmother’s recipe.

  It didn’t take long to mix the batter, and soon the scent of vanilla and coconut filled the air. They spent two hours baking and frosting the cake. It was still dark when they finished. Outside, the first snowflakes of the season drifted lazily from the sky.

  “Look,” Scout said, lifting Lucy so she could see out the window over the sink. “It’s snowing.”

  “Let’s go play,” Lucy mumbled, half-asleep, the adventure of being awake and baking cake before the sun came up finally wearing her down.

  “Not yet. We’ll wait until the sun rises.”

  “And Boone comes?”

  “Sure,” she said, because she had to trust that he would come. That wherever he was, God would bring him back to them.

  She carried Lucy into the living room, laying her down on the new love seat and covering her with a throw. She turned off the lamp, plugged in the Christmas-tree lights so that they twinkled multicolored in the darkness.

  She thought about turning on some Christmas music, letting the quiet sounds of it soothe her to sleep, but she didn’t bother, just lay on the couch watching the snow fall on the front yard, praying that wherever Boone was, he was safe.

  Headlights flashed on the newly fallen snow, splashing over her driveway and across the shrubs and trees that lined it.

  Surprised, she stood, walking to the window and watching as a car rolled along the driveway.

  No. Not a car.

  She pressed her face close to the glass, her heart jumping. An SUV.

  Boone!

  She was out the door and across the yard before he parked, throwing herself into his arms as he stepped out of the vehicle.

  “You’re back,” she cried, and he kissed the sound from her lips, kissed her forehead, her cheek.

  “You smell like cake,” he whispered in her ear, and she laughed through tears that shouldn’t have been falling.

  “Lucy and I were awake. She insisted we have cake.”

  “Is there any left?” he asked, his arm sliding around her waist, his hands strumming along her sides. He seemed thinner, his face shadowed by a beard that hadn’t been there when he left.

  “Plenty.”

  “Good, because Stella and Cyrus are with me, and they’re not happy.”

  “And cake isn’t going to make us happy,” Stella grumbled as she climbed out of the SUV. “You don’t shanghai someone and then think they’re going to be pleasant.”

  “I don’t mind being shanghaied as long as there’s a bed on the other end of the trip.” Cyrus got out and stretched, his body leaner than it had been the last time she’d seen him.

  Had he been ill?

  She didn’t ask, just led the way into the house while Stella mumbled about bringing her own car to the airport the next time they went on a mission together.

  “Shh,” Cyrus said as he walked into the house. “The kid is asleep, and that’s exactly what I want to be, too. You got a place I can bed down, Scout?”

  “Lucy’s room. It’s down the hall. The first room on the ri—”

  He was already gone, Stella following along behind him, shooting Boone a hard look as she went.

  “She’s not happy,” Scout said, and Boone shrugged.

  “She’ll get over it.”

  “What’d you do?”

  “Refused to bring her home. She wanted me to bring her into D.C. I wanted to come here. Since it was snowing, I was afraid I might not make it if I took a side trip.”

  “I would have been here when you did make it.”

  “I don’t know if I would have survived that long.”

 
“Without cake?” she joked, and he shook his head.

  “Without you and Lucy. I missed you, babe. More than I can say. There was a moment when I was gone that all I could do was pray that God was going to bring me home to you.”

  “He did.” She led him into the kitchen, pressed him down into a chair. “He will. Always. I have to believe that or I won’t be able to live my life while you’re gone.”

  He smiled, taking a cup of coffee that she handed him and setting it on the table.

  She put a slice of coconut cake down in front of him, but he didn’t touch it, just grabbed her hand, pulling her close. “How is Lucy?”

  “Ornery. She doesn’t sleep well. It shows.”

  “Time will heal that.” He stood and they were inches apart. She could see the dark circles under his eyes, the pale cast to his skin. He looked tired and a little sad, and her heart ached for him.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tight because she didn’t know what else to do. “Are you okay?”

  “I will be. After a few long walks in the snow with the woman I love. Did you put a new photo in the frame?”

  “And miss out on seeing your ugly mug every day?” she joked, wanting to ease some of the sadness from his eyes.

  He didn’t laugh, just studied her face intently. “Then you missed out.”

  “On what?”

  “My secret message.” He led her into the living room, handed her the frame. “Go ahead. Open it up.”

  Her fingers shook as she slid the back clasps open and lifted the back of the frame. There, on the back of the photo, were letters and numbers.

  D.B.A.

  S.C.

  L.C.

  Together 4 ever?

  She met his eyes, her heart pounding wildly.

  “Boone—”

  “I love you, Scout. I love your daughter. I don’t want to come home from a mission, go back to my empty apartment and wait until a decent hour to visit or call you. I don’t want to barge in on your life at four in the morning and have to leave a few hours later, because I have no right to stay.”

  “You have every right to stay.” She touched his cheeks, slid her hands to his shoulders, feeling all the tension that he’d carried on his trip and wanting desperately to take it away. “I can always make space for you and your team.”

  “I am not my team,” he responded. “Not when I’m here. Here, I am just me, and I want to come home to you and to Lucy. I want to know, when I’m crawling through mud and blood and searching for people that I don’t know and have never met, that when I come home, I’m returning to my family.”

  “And I want to know when you’re gone,” she responded softly, “that family is exactly what you’ll be returning to.”

  He smiled then, leaning down, kissing her so gently, her heart ached with it.

  “My world is right again,” he said quietly, and it was as if those words freed something in him, some of the old Boone peeking out from the depth of his eyes.

  “Mine, too,” Scout whispered, kissing him again, holding him tight, trying to will the peace that he deserved into his tired body.

  He broke away, his eyes dark with longing, his lips curving in that sweet, sweet smile. “Better stop, Scout, because I don’t think there’s a preacher who’d be willing to marry us at this time of the morning. Seeing as how that’s the case, there’s only one thing to do.”

  “What’s that?” she asked, and he grabbed her hand, smiled into her eyes.

  “Dig into that cake you made,” he responded, and she laughed as he tugged her back into the kitchen.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE YULETIDE RESCUE by Margaret Daley.

  Dear Reader,

  Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes change nothing. Sometimes they change everything. For Scout Cramer, one mistake has caused her to lose her home, her job and her friendships. It has also given her the greatest blessing she has ever received. When her young daughter is kidnapped, she will do anything to bring her home safely. With the help of HEART member Boone Anderson, Scout embarks on a desperate hunt that challenges her faith and forces her to look at a past she thought she left far behind. The journey is a difficult one, but through it Scout learns that the most difficult struggles often bring the greatest reward.

  I hope you enjoyed this second installment in the Mission: Rescue series! And I hope that as you read it, you were reminded that our pasts do not define us. In the midst of our greatest failures, God reaches down, pulls us up and offers redemption, forgiveness and love.

  I love hearing from readers. If you have time, drop me a line at shirlee@shirleemccoy.com.

  Blessings,

  Questions for Discussion

  How are Boone’s struggles and Scout’s similar? Aside from wanting their daughters back safely, what is it that they both long for?

  Scout made a mistake that completely changed her life. Are you sympathetic to that mistake? Why or why not?

  While God’s forgiveness is most important, is there a valid reason for thinking that we must also be willing to forgive ourselves? Why is forgiving ourselves sometimes more difficult than forgiving others?

  Do you have things in your past that are still impacting your life? If so, what steps do you think are necessary to let go and move on?

  Boone carries around guilt because of what happened with his wife and daughter. Do you think his guilt is justified? Are there things Boone could have done differently that would have led to a different outcome?

  Amber is an interesting character. She is a wild child with a heart of gold. Why is it that she and Scout became such good friends?

  What led to Amber’s death? Do you think that her actions were foolish? Explain.

  Do you see Scout as a weak or strong character? Explain.

  Neither Scout nor Boone is looking for love. Why is it that they fall for each other?

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.

  You enjoy a dash of danger. Love Inspired Suspense stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.

  Enjoy four new stories from Love Inspired Suspense every month!

  Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

  Harlequin.com/newsletters

  Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  HarlequinBlog.com

  ONE

  In the bush plane high above the Alaskan landscape northwest of Anchorage, Dr. Aubrey Mathison swept her gaze over the barren snow-covered terrain below, the endless white broken by evergreens and leafless trees. Even through the headset she wore, she heard the loud droning noise of the engine saturate the cockpit.

  She glanced toward the east as the sky grew light. Streaks of purple, rose and orange fanned outward as the sun rose at ten-thirty in the morning. The sight awed her. God’s beauty stretched for miles before her.

  “I think these trips to the villages are one of my favorite parts of my job,” Bree said to the pilot sitting next to her in the single-engine aircraft. She’d spent a month in Daring, Alaska, on the Bering Sea. Now it was time to go home to Anchorage for some rest and relaxation.

  Jeremiah Elliot slid a glance toward her. “It’s why I love to fly. Nothing beats the view.”

  Jeremiah was more than just her neighbor; he was like an uncle to her. He’d been her father’s best friend for years and had watched out for her and her mom after Dad died eight years ago. She’d been thankful for Jeremiah since she’d spent a lot of time away from Alaska not long after her dad died while she’d been attending medical school.

  “But
I’m glad to be returning home.” Bree glanced toward Jeremiah.

  He winced, deep grooves carving lines into his aged, weatherworn face.

  Alert, Bree sat up. “Something wrong?”

  “Just indigestion. I’ve flown feeling worse than this. No doubt I shouldn’t have eaten that third helping of pancakes before takeoff.”

  “Three helpings! You need to watch your weight. Your metabolism is slowing down as you get older.”

  “Quit being a doctor,” Jeremiah grumbled and rubbed his arm. “Sixty isn’t that old.”

  “Maybe we should land before Anchorage.”

  “No way. I’m tough, and a little heartburn isn’t going to get me down.”

  She released a long breath. “Uncle Jeremiah—”

  “Girl, don’t you call me that. It won’t work. You’re as bad as your mom when she wanted her way.” He looked at her, his mouth set in a frown.

  Bree sent Jeremiah a grin. “At least I come by it honestly.” The thought of her recently deceased mother not being with her this Christmas dimmed her smile. She turned to stare out the windshield as Jeremiah flew low over the treetops.

  “I have to drop off some Christmas presents at a friend’s cabin, and that’s the only stop we’ll make before reaching Anchorage.”

  “Is your friend’s place here?” She pointed to the ground.

  “No, just wanted you to see that moose down below. Beautiful animal.”

  As Bree admired the moose, Jeremiah pulled the plane up higher. He would often go up and down to show her something interesting. “You know I need to learn to fly. Will you teach me?”

  “Sure, when summer comes. Don’t have to deal with snow and ice then.”

  “Not to mention subzero temps.”

  A half hour later, Jeremiah landed the ski plane on a section of flat snowy ground near a frozen stream not far from a cabin. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He shifted in the seat and grabbed a bag.