Holiday Secrets. Susan Sleeman

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СКАЧАТЬ but claustrophobia had set in and she’d had to open it again.

      The sound of boots stomping across the road brought her head up in time to catch Sheriff McKade marching over to Gavin.

      Gavin. What did she do about him? She’d been relieved to see him when he’d arrived. Practically thrown herself into his arms. But now what? Was he the reason for her numbness?

      She shifted to get a better look at the pair. They stood strong, staring across the road, backs to her with hands on their waists in identical stances. They were both over six feet. Both had a head of thick, black hair, though she knew gray strands that had grown in numbers over the years intricately laced the sheriff’s.

      Gavin suddenly crossed his arms and spun. His dark gaze landed on her and that familiar, angry frustration with his dad lingered in his eyes. Walt turned, as well. They spit a few more sentences at each other and Gavin suddenly stormed in her direction.

      Lexie sighed. Nothing had changed. The same old Gavin, and the same reason he’d left town. Left her.

      Gavin was the firstborn in a family of four siblings, and his father held his son to lofty standards that no one could live up to. Still, Gavin had wanted a career in law enforcement and the only option without leaving Lost Creek was to work as a deputy for his dad. He’d tried to make a go as a deputy for years. Really tried. Even if it meant he wasn’t always happy.

      Then one day he’d disagreed with direct orders from his father on how to handle a domestic disturbance. Walt had wanted to sit back and wait for things to play out. Not Gavin. He was more of a “take action and sort things out later” kind of guy. Fearing for the wife’s safety, he’d stepped in. Tensions escalated and he’d ended up in a shoot-out with the husband, catching his wife in the cross fire. Emily had survived, and Gavin wasn’t hurt, but from that day on, his father no longer trusted him.

      No matter how hard Gavin worked to right things between them, he failed and couldn’t continue to work with his father. His only choice was to leave town. At least, that was what he’d thought. Lexie still didn’t agree.

      Didn’t matter now, though. She’d had enough of her pity party and it was time to shake it off. To go on. For Adam. Her brother needed her.

      Gavin continued toward her, his strides long and powerful, his gaze focused.

      Why was he in town, anyway? If it was solely to talk to her, why wouldn’t he just tell her what he wanted to discuss? Why the big mystery?

      Gavin stopped before her and squatted down.

      How many times had she gazed into Gavin’s rich brown eyes and known he was the man she’d wanted to marry? He’d dashed that dream when he’d moved away and left her behind without a second thought.

      “Dad will take your statement,” he finally said. “I was hoping to put it off till tomorrow, but he refused. So I wanted to see if you needed anything, and I’ll take care of it while he’s talking to you.”

      For a moment, he worked the muscles in his jaw then forced a smile. The left side tipped up just a fraction higher, a quirk that never failed to make Lexie’s heart skip a beat.

      “I could get some water for you,” he offered. “A blanket. Or maybe I could call your aunt Ruth.”

      “Ruth? No. She’s on a much-needed vacation, and I don’t want to burden her with this until she gets back in a few days. But I do need to tell Adam about Dad.” Lexie saw Walt approaching. “I’ll give my statement to your dad and get going.”

      Gavin crossed his arms and gave her a steely look. “You’re not going anywhere alone until this killer is caught.”

      “So you really do think he’ll be coming after me,” she said, letting her fear usurp her unease over his sudden bossiness.

      “Yes,” he said, but his narrowed gaze told her that he didn’t like admitting it. “I’ll drive you home, and make sure you have a protective detail. I can help you tell Adam, too.”

      No way she wanted Gavin to talk to Adam. The two of them had formed a strong bond and Gavin had destroyed the kid when he’d moved away. She’d have to tell Adam he’d lost his father. Why add the unease of talking to Gavin?

      “I’m glad for the protection,” she said. “But I’ll deal with Adam on my own.”

      Walt arrived before them and slapped his hat on his head as he peered at Gavin. “Our first priority is to keep little Lexie safe. Since Ruth is in Florida, I planned to bring Lexie back to the ranch when I finish up here. I’ll send a deputy to get Adam, too.”

      Lexie disliked it when he called her “little Lexie” and when he talked about her as if she was a child. It came across as demeaning, even though she knew he didn’t mean it that way. He was just referring to her barely over five-foot height compared to his children, most of them six feet or more.

      “I’m not letting Lexie out of my sight until I’m sure she has a strong detail assigned to her care,” Gavin said. “Not with the threat the shooter made—and we have no way of knowing if he saw her. If he did, well...”

      His worried tone sent her heart beating faster. “Do you think Adam could be in danger, too?”

      “I suppose it’s possible,” Gavin said. “But I wouldn’t expect your father to confide obviously valuable information to a kid. There’d be no point. If I was the killer, I’d focus on you, and then if I struck out, I’d move on to Adam.”

      “I concur,” Walt added. “Especially since your dad has never even lived with Adam and isn’t much involved in his life.”

      They both made valid points. Her father had blamed Adam for the loss of the love of his life. Not a legitimate blame, but her dad had associated Adam with the pain and never bonded with him. He’d also claimed Lexie resembled her mother and had hardly been able to look at her. He’d promptly moved her and Adam into Aunt Ruth’s house, where they’d both lived for the last fourteen years. So when Lexie’s heart was shattered by the loss of her mother, she’d lost her father, too. Now she’d lost him for good. Tears threatened again, but she firmed her resolve to keep it together until she was alone.

      “Still, we’ll take no chances, and we’ll watch over Adam, too.” Gavin lifted his chin as if daring his father to disagree.

      “That we will.” The sheriff kept his gaze leveled on Lexie. “So what’ll it be, sweetheart? Gavin drives you home or you come to the ranch?”

      Even with the simmering tension between her and Gavin, being at Trails End Ranch with this strong law-enforcement family was a safe place while she thought through the implications of all that had happened tonight. Besides, she missed his mother, Winnie, and his grandparents, Jed and Betty. Jed would offer to protect her and both of the women would fuss over her, and right now, she could use a little comfort along with the added protection.

      “I rode Misty over here, and I need to get her home and brushed down.”

      “You can do that at the ranch. ’Sides, Tessa and Kendall would let me have an earful if I didn’t bring you home. I won’t even put voice to what Winnie would do to me.” At the mention of his daughters and wife, a slow smile slid across Walt’s lips.

      “Tessa and Kendall are both at the ranch?” СКАЧАТЬ