by Diane Bator
“Okay, a sugar cookie with sprinkles then.” He chuckled as he nuzzled her ear. “I’ll go head Clancy off. What are you doing today?”
Christina traced his jawline with one finger. She’d love to barricade the door and stay in the apartment with Leo all day, but Clancy would never let that happen. He’d keep pestering them both until they opened the door. “Cleaning the bakery. I’ve been doing double duty since Sophie quit, so I slacked off on a few chores.”
“You really need a life, babe.” Leo left her with one last kiss which made her toes tingle.
As he walked out the door, Christina had a gut feeling she’d never have the pleasure of waking up next to him again. A tear escaped down her cheek. She rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but relaxation eluded her. She had a lot of energy to burn and nowhere better to go.
Waking up with Leo was like staring down a whole double-decker chocolate cake, decadent, sinful, and a once in a lifetime binge. He was an amazing memory that could never happen again and she needed to find another outlet for the incredible surge of energy he’d stirred up within her. Cleaning or baking sprang to mind. If she had her art supplies, she’d paint. Prolifically.
With the bakery closed for the day, Christina washed everything in sight. It took most of the morning before she found the note tucked in the cooler. “On the fifth day of Christmas, someone gave to me five golden things.” Her Secret Santa had an interesting imagination. This time, he’d left a drum, a guitar, a harp, a saxophone and a golden ring with a massive rhinestone to hang on the tree’s lush branches.
After she hung the new ornaments, she sat on the freshly washed floor to gaze at the tree. She’d never choose any of those decorations herself. Well, maybe the peacock, which reminded her of Brady. While he wasn’t as ostentatious as the bird, he loved to preen and posture. A lone tear strayed down her cheek. She wasn’t sure if she missed Brady as much as she missed the odd life she’d led with him.
“You should make sure your doors are locked after hours.” Leo cleared his throat and stood in the doorway with two paper cups.
Christina was positive the door was locked since she’d checked the deadbolt—one of the many things Mel was supposed to fix before her mother died—only ten minutes earlier. “I’ll get it fixed tomorrow. What are you doing here?”
“I brought chamomile tea.” He handed her a cup. “I talked to Clancy earlier. He said you’ve had a rough few days and he’ll leave you alone to enjoy your day off.”
She scowled. “Is that all he said?”
“He told me you’d put up some decorations.” Leo sat beside her and crossed his legs. He studied the Christmas tree. “The tree looks great. When did you get it?”
Christina eyed him warily. Another suspect. This one apparently able to open locked doors while carrying two cups of tea. “Five days ago. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you?”
Leo sipped his tea. “Aside from it being a tree? What should I know?”
“Maybe how it got here.”
He shook his head. “Sorry, babe. I’m sticking with the elves in the mail slot theory.”
She breathed in the scent of chamomile with a hint of mint. “Thanks for the tea. I still don’t know what you’re doing here though.”
“Being a friend.” Leo hung his teabag on the lowest branch of the tree.
“Some friend.” Christina pulled the teabag off the tree, tossing it into a nearby trash can.
“Nice shot. You ever play for the Pistons?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “What did you say you wanted?”
“Besides round two with you right here under the Christmas tree?” He grinned. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay then I’ll leave.”
Christina spit her mouthful in a spray onto the floor and her face burned. Before her imagination could get the best of her, she shifted away from his warmth. “I’m fine. Get out.”
“You don’t mean that.” Leo dropped one arm across her shoulder. He smelled of pine, chamomile tea and something she couldn’t place. Oranges? Cinnamon?
She wanted to drop her head onto his shoulder and cry. No one would ever need to know she’d fallen apart, especially Clancy. Instead, she pulled away and stayed strong. “I think you should leave now.”
“You should come with me.” He gave her a sideways glance. “Let’s go check out the real world. You’ve been cooped up sniffing flour for far too long.”
Christina sighed, staring at a tiny white light on the tree as she shook her head. “No, I’m tired. Apparently, I didn’t get much sleep last night and need to get up early tomorrow. I have things to take care of.”
Leo didn’t move. “Why do you hate Christmas so much?”
“I don’t hate it. A lot of bad things have happened on Christmas.” She looked him in the eye. “Things that I don’t want to talk about with a total stranger.”
“After last night, you still consider me a total stranger? Interesting.” Leo leaned over to kiss her, his breath sweet with tea and mint. He got up and walked toward the front door then paused. “I don’t know what else I have to do to convince you.”
Christina’s mouth dropped open and she sat beneath the tree too stunned to do much more than watch him leave. The front door closed with a click. She got up to check the lock on the door, making sure to slide the deadbolt firmly closed. Secret Santa Suspect Number Two.
Chapter 15
The bright sunshine reflected off the snow and hurt Leo’s eyes as he tiptoed along the fine line between sanity and a serious case of lunacy. All because of Christina. He swore flames danced around him and the stench of frozen brimstone hung in the frozen air. Hell would have been a suitable place for him after he’d taken advantage of her last night. He completely deserved any bizarre form of torture Lucifer—or Clancy—could summon.
Through habit, he glanced back at the bakery then slowed his pace on his way to the coffee shop to give Danny an update. Jo took his order for tea and a cookie then he slumped into the chair across from his business partner.
“You look like crap.” Danny slid a folder toward him.
Leo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You know how sometimes when you do something it seems like a great idea at the time?”
Danny narrowed his eyes. “Did you sleep with her? Aw, Leo, please tell me you didn’t sleep with Clancy’s sister.”
“Kind of.”
“I did not need to know that.” Danny bowed his head and sipped his coffee. “Why would you go and do something so stupid?”
“Clancy drugged her in an attempt to get information. By the time I got there, he’d already had a couple of drinks and just kept going. I’m not sure if he planned to loosen her up before he interrogated her or what, but his plans kind of backfired.”
Danny snorted. “While I’m pretty sure he didn’t drug her so you could take her to bed. I also don’t think he’d approve of your interrogation methods.”
“I guess we’re done here for today.” Leo pushed back his chair. “Keep in mind, I wasn’t the only one doing a strip search.”
“Too much information. Thanks for the visual. Sit down. We still need to talk.”
Leo tugged the tea bag from his cup. “What do you know about this case that you’re not telling me?”
Danny grimaced. “Actually, I was going to ask you the same question. Are you positive Christina is Rose Ryan?”
“Yes. I met with both Brady and his lawyer. I met with her boss, Marty Upshaw and some of the girls she works with. I’ve shown her picture at the University and searched their apartment. Do you know what I found?”
“Nothing that would link her to anything criminal.” Danny leaned forward. “Except her relationships to Brady, Marty Upshaw and Gage. Wait a sec, doesn’t Marty own Rascalz?”
“Yeah.”
Danny lowered his voice. “What did she do there?”
He squirmed in his seat. “Brady sent her to work there. Marty’s his ex-boyfrie
nd and Brady owes him a huge amount of money.”
“She worked for Marty Upshaw? Are you kidding me?” Danny scrubbed his face with one hand. “Please tell me she was a cocktail waitress.”
Leo took a bite of cookie.
“Holy crap.” He sat back and frowned. “Do you think she was involved in the murder?”
“No, she’s been looking after the bakery since her mom died.” Leo sipped his tea. “Despite her attitude, she seems to take her job seriously. By the end of the day, she’s too tired to string three sentences together, let along hop a bus to Newville to kill someone.”
“Doesn’t she have a car?”
Leo reached for the file folder on the table. “From what I gather, she doesn’t even have a valid driver’s license.”
Danny glanced up when two people entered Java Jo’s. “I guess that leaves us with only one suspect. Brady Ryan.”
“Actually—”
“Leo. Danny.” Katie placed her hand on Danny’s shoulder. “You two are here pretty early. What’s going on? New case?”
“Must be.” Lucy smiled. “They look pretty intense.”
Danny shrugged. “I was just touching base with Leo before he heads back to the city. What are you two up to? Where are the kids?”
“They stayed over at my neighbor’s house last night.” Lucy’s face reddened.
Katie flashed a smug smile and hustled Lucy toward the counter. “We’ve got to go.”
“What did I just miss?” Danny held out both hands, his expression blank.
Leo grinned. “Apparently, Clancy didn’t go straight home last night when he left the bar either. It seems Lucy and Clancy have become a serious item.”
Danny groaned. “After all the crap she went through with her ex? I thought she wanted to stay single and not mess up her kids’ lives again. I hope Katie talks some sense into her.”
“Looks like it might be too late for that.” Leo peered over Danny’s shoulder to where Katie and Lucy huddled at a corner table. “I’m glad she’s got her neighbors to look out for her. I know they all got off to a bad start.”
“As long as she’s happy.” Danny sipped his coffee. “Back to Rose Ryan.”
Leo’s face warmed. “Christina? What about her?”
“What’s really going on with the two of you?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Why?”
Danny smirked. “Because you’re as red-faced as Lucy. Is there something else you want to tell me?”
When the coffee shop door opened again, Clancy strolled inside. He gave Leo’s shoulder a light punch. Right on the tattoo. “Hey, you guys are up early. How’s the tat feeling?”
“Good until someone hits it.” Leo winced. “How was your date with Lucy last night?”
Clancy shook his head. “How’d you know about that?”
Leo pointed to where Katie and Lucy sat giggling.
“Probably a lot better than your date with my sister. Don’t worry, Lucy’s far safer with me than Christina is with you.” Clancy grinned.
Ain’t that the truth. Leo tightened his lips into a thin line. He grabbed his tea and pushed past Clancy. “I’d better go. I’ll call you when I find out more.”
Clancy followed. “Good idea. If you can’t take the heat, get out of the bakery.”
“Whoa, don’t start anything.” Danny followed close behind with the folder clutched in one hand.
Leo turned to look Clancy in the eye. “If you don’t want me to investigate your sister anymore, just say so.”
“You do whatever it takes to get the info you need to help. Just don’t crush her.” Clancy flared his nostrils and didn’t step back. “She acts tough, but she’s all marshmallow fluff on the inside.”
“Fine.” Leo folded his arms across his chest. “Same goes for Lucy. You know as well as I do the kind of hell she’s been through. Don’t hurt her or I’ll hurt you.”
Clancy nodded. “I went to Lucy’s house last night because I was drunk and angry at what I’d tried to do to Christina. She sent her kids next door for a sleepover then sat me down and we had a long talk. After that, we had a wild night of watching old movies and drinking tea before I went home early this morning. You satisfied?”
“Yeah.” Leo turned to walk away.
“I’m serious about my sister, Leo.” Clancy stood his ground. “Be careful.”
“I’ll do my best.” Leo kept walking.
Danny caught up after a few feet. “You want to know what’s in the folder?”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t want to bring this up while Clancy was here, but after you told me about Christina being Brady’s wife, I did some digging.” Danny hesitated. “Have you seen wedding photos or a marriage certificate?”
Leo pinched his nose between two fingers. He didn’t want to have this conversation. There was a lot of work ahead to prove who killed Gage. “Yeah. There was a photo in their apartment. They were in a cheesy Vegas chapel with Elvis.”
“But no marriage certificate.”
His heart raced and palms sweated in the cold morning air. Could Brady and Christina’s entire marriage be a sham? “I didn’t look for one.”
“Look for one.” Danny thrust the folder at him. “And read this over before you do anything else. You need to know the truth about Brady and Christina before you get in any deeper.”
Once Danny returned to the warmth of the coffee shop, Leo tucked the folder inside his jacket. He turned and headed toward the bakery, shoulders slumped and hands in his pockets as he shuffled through the snow. He needed to apologize to Christina before he left town again.
Rather than barge into the bakery through the back door, he used the key he’d copied from Clancy’s ring to open the front door then slunk inside. He braced for a lecture from Christina about breaking into the store and scaring her. Instead, he was greeted by singing.
Despite Christina’s insistence she hated Christmas music, the radio blared Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. She pranced around the kitchen singing into a spatula. Occasionally, she paused to press a cookie cutter into a sheet of dough on the table. She picked up a bowl and headed toward the mixer while she sang.
Leo raised his eyebrows. She wasn’t half bad. Put a slinky dress on her and...
He closed his eyes in a feeble effort to delete the image from his imagination. If anything, his lust verged on overdrive. When the music faded and drifted into Blue Christmas, Leo applauded her performance. “Nice job.”
Christina dropped the bowl, which bounced off the mixer stand and dusted her with icing sugar and glittering red sprinkles.
“Now you really look like a cookie.” He burst into laughter.
“Gee, thanks.” She frowned. “How did you get in here?”
“The front door was unlocked.”
“No, it wasn’t. I checked when you left earlier. What do you want?” She picked up the bowl and brushed powder off her apron.
“Right now?” He grinned. “After last night, do you really need to ask?”
She scooped a handful of flour off the table and flicked it at Leo. “I meant what are you doing here? You know I came to clean.”
“And bake me some sugar cookies?”
Christina snorted and cleaned up the spilled ingredients.
Leo sat on a stool and watched her measure fresh icing sugar into a clean bowl. “It’s cold out there and I missed you. Last night—”
“Don’t even bring that up.”
He raised one eyebrow. “Feeling a little guilty, are you? Clancy told me how much you missed me while I was out of town.”
“Clancy’s a liar.” She met his gaze. “Why are you really here? Does it have anything to do with Brady and his lawyer?”
“Why would you ask that?” Leo flinched.
Christina tapped her fingers on the table. “Because he called and told me if I ever saw you again to tell you to butt out. Why do you keep interfering in my life?”
“I’m a detective. It’s what I do.�
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“No.” She shook her head. “You seem to think you can play hero and have me indebted to you forever. Do you really think I’d leave Brady for the likes of you?”
Leo winced. “Did I ask you to?”
Her face hardened. “Get out of my bakery.”
“I have one question for you. Then I’ll leave.” He eased off the stool and stood in front of her. “Do you have a copy of your marriage certificate?”
“Why would I need that?”
“For proof.” Leo’s stomach lurched. “Have you ever even seen a copy?”
“Why would I need proof we’re really married?” When she backed away, Leo matched her movements step for step until she ran into the back door. “I trust Brady.”
“Do you?” He pulled her close and ran his hands through her hair. “From what I’ve seen, all he’s ever done is ruin your life to make his easier. I don’t think the whole being dumped then eloping story rings true. He’s smart, but he’s not all that compassionate.”
Her jaw clenched. “What is it you want from me?”
Leo leaned down and kissed her until heat poured off her face. Backing away slowly, he whispered, “Absolutely nothing you don’t want to give me.”
So much for guilt at leaving Brady to rot in jail. For now, at least, Leo walked away without a second thought, except of Christina in a slinky red dress belting out Christmas carols. Maybe he needed several more years of therapy.
Chapter 16
Who am I? The question smacked Christina in the face when she looked in the mirror at four that morning. Mel would call her a shaggy-haired, good-for-nothing, waste of time and talent. She should live her life in the bakery making cookies and raising shaggy-haired, good-for-nothing babies. Her mother would say she made the best sugar cookies in the world, but should travel and have a life before settling down to run the bakery and give her grandbabies. Clancy would say...
Best not to think about what Clancy would say, look how he turned out. A brilliant academic turned needle-wielding tattoo artist with a body half-covered in paint and a lack of traditional morals.
She snorted. Who was she to judge? Married to one man who controlled almost every move she made, sleeping with another, and dancing in a sleazy bar to pay off a debt that wasn’t even hers. Her mother would roll over in her grave and Clancy would put her in a grave if he knew. Or did he already know? Surely Leo had given him a full report by now.