The Holiday Secret. Kathryn Springer

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       Chapter Two

      “Daddy!”

      The next morning, Carter had a split second to brace himself for impact as the bedroom door flew open and a tiny missile in pink flannel hurtled toward him. “You’re here!”

      The guilt that had clamped around Carter’s heart like a vise after Jennifer ended their marriage tightened its grip. Like the duty belt he’d been issued after accepting a job with the sheriff’s department, Carter had adjusted to the added weight. If only it were as easy to set aside at the end of his shift.

      He scooped Bea up in his arms, caught a whiff of something sweet. “Someone smells like maple syrup.”

      “Gramma is making gingerbread pancakes for Miss El’ry.” Bea snuggled against his chest.

      “Who?” Carter couldn’t remember his mother mentioning a new guest, but with all the overtime he’d been putting in lately, it wasn’t as if they’d had a lot of time to talk.

      “Miss El’ry. She got here last night. I saw her out the window when I was waiting for you to come home.” Bea looked up at him, all big blue eyes and rosy, sleep-flushed cheeks, not a hint of reproach on her sweet face.

      Which only added another layer of guilt.

      “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Carter wished he could tell Bea that he’d be there to tuck her in tonight, but past experience had taught him not to make promises he couldn’t keep.

      “That’s aw’right. Gramma read me a bedtime story.”

      Carter made a mental note to thank his mom. Again. He didn’t know what he’d do without her.

      Transitioning from Navy SEAL to full-time deputy had been easier than taking on the role of single dad. Fortunately for him, nurturing little girls seemed to come as naturally to Karen Bristow as welcoming people into her home.

      Carter didn’t feel qualified for either one.

      Dimpled hands patted Carter’s cheeks. “We said prayers for you, too, Daddy.”

      He dredged up a smile. It was a good thing someone did, because prayer was beyond his skill set, too. Especially when the ones Carter had lobbed toward the heavens when he was deployed, when his marriage was falling apart, seemed to have fallen far short of their mark.

      “How about you get ready for school and I’ll meet you downstairs in a few minutes?” Carter tweaked Bea’s button nose. “Someone has to make sure the guests don’t eat all those pancakes.”

      “Okay!” His daughter bolted for the door the moment her feet touched the floor.

      Carter finished getting ready and yanked on a pair of wool socks and hiking boots before he ventured from the room. His days of walking barefoot down to the kitchen had ended three years ago, when he’d moved back to the UP.

      When it came to his daughter, though, he was willing to make some sacrifices. Living at the Evergreen gave Bea the stability she needed and Carter peace of mind.

      His mom took care of Bea while he was at work and in return, Carter acted as groundskeeper and general handyman. A win-win situation for all three of them, but Carter wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to strangers traipsing in and out of the house...

      “Good morning!”

      The middle-aged couple who greeted Carter on the landing was a perfect example. Avid cross-country skiers, they’d dressed the part in matching ski pants and soft-shell jackets in a blinding shade of tangerine.

      “Morning.” Carter paused to let the couple descend the stairs first and was about to follow when the sound of a giggle—a slightly muffled but very familiar giggle—snatched the breath from his lungs.

      How many times had he warned Bea not to venture into the guest wing alone? It was the first rule Carter had established after they’d moved into the inn and one she’d never broken. Until now.

      He strode toward an open door halfway down the hall, all of his focus directed on finding his daughter...

      There.

      In a chair by the fireplace. Dressed in her favorite red sweater and candy-cane-striped leggings. And smiling from ear to ear.

      Safe.

      The adrenaline surging through Carter’s veins dissipated a little—until he turned his attention to the other occupant in the room.

      Aquamarine eyes locked with his and Carter felt the floor shift below his feet.

      No. Way.

      “This is Miss El’ry, Daddy,” Bea announced. “I gave her one of the snowflakes I made at the library.”