Deadly Christmas Secrets Read online

  “About getting married and raising a family?” Her pulse jumped at the thought, hope and exhilaration coursing through her blood. She could imagine having children, making Christmas traditions that would be passed on for generations, reading books to tiny kids and listening to their laughter while they played. She could also imagine being Logan’s wife, standing beside him through the good and bad and everything in between.

  She could imagine so much more than she’d ever thought would be possible.

  All because of Logan.

  “I never wanted either of those things until I met you, Harper. Too much responsibility. Too many obligations. With you, though? Those things are like the BB gun I wanted for Christmas when I was ten—something I long for, something I never stop thinking about.”

  It was her turn to laugh. “You were in Nepal rescuing a missionary team last week, so something tells me marriage and a family weren’t the only things you were thinking about.”

  “Even when I was in Nepal, you were always on my mind, and you’re the only reason I want either of those things,” he responded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears and frowning. “You’ve been crying.”

  “Not really.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “Okay,” she admitted. “A little.”

  “Thinking about your sister?” he asked gently.

  “Thinking about how wonderfully things turned out. Despite all the hard times and the challenges and the sorrow. Amelia is in a really good place, and that makes me happy.”

  “How about you, Harper? Are you in a really good place?” he asked, his hands sliding up her waist, smoothing over her arms, settling on her shoulders. Her breath caught, and she knew what she had to say, what she had to tell him.

  All the nerves flew away as she looked into his eyes and all the fear and anxiety disappeared.

  “Do you remember when I gave you a piece of my heart?” she asked, and he smiled.

  “How could I forget? I carried it with me to Nepal and thought about it every time I got lonely.”

  That made her smile. He made her smile.

  “The thing is,” she said, holding up the bowl Amelia had made, “I’ve been drifting for a long time, trying to figure out where I belong. For a while, I thought I belonged in my cabin, making my pottery and avoiding the world, but I was wrong.”

  “Were you?” he said, his fingers threading through her hair, his eyes dark and filled with everything she had longed for.

  “Yes.”

  “Have you discovered where you do belong?” he asked, his lips brushing hers, the sweetness of that one touch settling deep into her soul.

  “Anywhere you are,” she responded. “I love you, Logan. Not with a piece of my heart. With all of it.”

  “I love you, too,” he said. “For now and always.”

  He kissed her again, sealing their love, sealing a promise of a future together, and then he took her hand and led her down the stairs into the loud and wonderful embrace of their families.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from STANDOFF AT CHRISTMAS by Margaret Daley.

  Dear Reader,

  There are times when life is hard. We struggle, we worry, we fight to hold on to what we’ve striven so hard for, but the more we struggle, the harder it is to grasp. It is easy to stand in those moments, wondering where God is. It is easy to think that He has turned from us. Yet the Bible is clear—in the deepest darkness, He is there. In the hardest moments, He is there. He will never leave or forsake those who love Him, and in this promise, we can rest. Whatever your today, I pray that your tomorrow will be bright and filled with His presence.

  I love to hear from readers. You can reach me at [email protected] or visit me on Facebook or Twitter.

  Blessings,

  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 six new stories from Love Inspired Suspense every month!

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  Standoff at Christmas

  by Margaret Daley

  ONE

  Rachel Hart left the warmth of her office building to trudge through the snow toward the processing center at the Port Aurora Fishery. The lights on in the building beckoned her in the predawn morning. The sun was just rising to the east in Port Aurora, Alaska, and then it would set by three in the afternoon.

  She was used to the winters, having lived most of her twenty-eight years in the town, but today she wished the sun would shine for more than six hours. She looked up at the dark clouds rolling in and quickened her pace. An omen?

  She lifted her cell phone and listened again to the message from Aunt Betty. “Rachel, I’ve got to talk to you. Today. Alone. Something’s wrong. I don’t know what to do. I’m taking my break at nine this morning.” Luckily, today was payday, so Rachel could use her position as bookkeeper as an excuse to visit the processing center.

  The urgency in her aunt’s voice shivered down Rachel’s spine. What’s wrong? Aunt Betty is always so cheerful and calm. She must have called earlier while Rachel was away from her office.

  Entering the building, Rachel walked down the hallway that led to the mail room for the employees who worked in the processing center. It was part of the large break room next to the office where Sean O’Hara managed this part of the company.

  When she popped into the break room, Aunt Betty sat at the table with one of the newer employees. “I’ve got your paychecks.” Rachel covered the distance to the two women and handed Betty and Ingrid their checks. “The next one will come with a bonus right before we close down for Christmas.” She wanted to pull her aunt out in the hallway and find out what was wrong, but when she looked at the older woman with touches of gray hair around her face, her brown eyes widened and she shook her head slightly.

  “I’m just thankful for the extra hours.” Aunt Betty opened the envelope, looked at the amount and forced a grin, the corners of her mouth twitching.

  In past years the fishery had closed down during the winter months, and the crabs were sent to another plant. Rachel had been thrilled about that part of the fishery’s expansion in the last year. So had everyone else, especially Aunt Betty.

  “But I’m also excited to have a few weeks off for the holidays.” Her hand shaking, Aunt Betty stuck her paycheck in her pocket.

  Rachel wanted to ask the other employee to leave but swallowed those words and instead said, “Me, too. Jake Nichols got in late last night for the holidays.” She should be excited, but a lot had happened between them since they were teenagers. Jake had been her best friend while growing up, but when he left town eight years ago, they lost touch.

  “I know Lawrence is glad to see Jake here, especially after what happened in Anchorage in August.” Aunt Betty finished off her coffee.

  “What happened?” Ingrid asked, having only recently been hired.

  Rachel moved to the mailboxes and began stuffing the envelopes into them, hoping Ingrid left soon. “There was a serial bomber. Jake, a K-9 officer in Anchorage, was working one of the crime sites, searching for survivors or missing people, when the building collapsed on him. He nearly died.” And he had made it clear he didn’t want her to come see him while he was recovering. That hurt—still did.

  Ingrid hugged her arms. “Oh my. Search and rescue is dangerous, but I’m finding out it’s even more so here in Alaska with so much wilder
ness.”

  “Where are you from?” Rachel asked as she finished her task.

  “Seattle.”

  “That’s where Brad Howard’s new partner is from.”

  “Who?”

  Rachel paused at the exit. “Peter Rodin. Have you heard of him?”

  “He was on the news from time to time,” Ingrid said.

  Aunt Betty’s eyebrows rose. “About what?”

  “His foundation gives money to various projects for the city.” Ingrid rose and headed toward Rachel. “My break is over.”

  Relieved the woman was leaving, she moved to the side to let Ingrid pass, while her aunt’s expression morphed into the apprehensive look she’d worn when Rachel first came into the break room.

  When Aunt Betty remained in her seat, Ingrid said from the hallway, “Aren’t you going back to work?”

  Her aunt blinked several times. “Yes, I just want Rachel to pass a message on to my sister about this weekend.”

  Ingrid started toward the end of the hallway but much slower than her usual brisk pace.

  As soon as Ingrid turned the corner and disappeared, Rachel moved toward her aunt. “What’s going on? I got your message.”

  Waving to Rachel to come closer, Betty pushed to her feet. “I’m glad Jake is home. He’s a police officer. He might know what’s going on and help. I need some...” Her aunt’s voice faded into the silence.

  Rachel heard footsteps and glanced toward the door. Sean O’Hara came into the break room.

  “Hello, ladies.” Sean’s eyes brightened as they took in Rachel. “Ah, payday. That’s always a good day around here.”

  “Yes, it is. I need to get back to work.” As a pallor crossed her features, Aunt Betty took her paper cup, crushed it and tossed it into the trash can by the door as she left.

  Her concern growing, Rachel watched her leave as though a grizzly bear was hot on her tail. This wasn’t like her aunt. What did she want with Jake? What had her scared? She’d get in touch with her later. Maybe she would swing by her house on the way home today. Aunt Betty only lived a mile away from Aunt Linda’s, the older of her two aunts, and the one she lived with.

  “I saw Jake down the hall. I told him I’d give him the grand tour. I know you two were good friends growing up. You’re welcome to come along.”

  “Jake is here?” He and Sean had been friends in high school, too, so it wasn’t that odd.

  “Yeah, he couldn’t believe all the changes around here. He wants to see the new vessels, processing center and shipping warehouse.”

  Rachel couldn’t shake the worried expression on Aunt Betty’s face. This might be her chance to see if she could talk to her on the floor, rather than wait until later. “Make it the short tour. I need to get back to work. Everyone will want their checks.”

  “I just came inside. It started snowing.”

  “Right on time, for a change.”

  Sean chuckled. “Predicting the weather isn’t an exact science. But I’ll be glad to get home before the hard stuff hits, which shouldn’t be until tonight.”

  Jake Nichols turned as they approached him at the entrance into the large processing room. She took in his tall, muscular build, blue eyes and short black hair—the same and yet something had changed in the last couple of years since she’d visited Anchorage. It had to be the accident that nearly took his life in August.

  Jake’s look warmed when he saw her. Maybe in the next month they would be able to renew their friendship, and he would come back to Port Aurora more frequently.

  “Rachel was in the break room. She thought she would join us like old times.” Sean opened the wide double doors into the cavernous space where the fish and shellfish were processed for shipping to the rest of the United States.

  Sean began pointing out some of the additional machines and the areas that were expanded this year. Rachel stepped away and glimpsed Aunt Betty decked out in her protective clothing with white hat and long gloves at the end of a conveyor belt. While Sean strolled with Jake to various stations, Rachel hurried toward her aunt. Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel spied Ingrid approaching Aunt Betty. Her aunt locked eyes with Rachel and shook her head. She came to a halt. Suddenly, she felt like she was in the middle of a spy movie, which was ridiculous. Aunt Betty could be melodramatic at times, but usually she was levelheaded.

  Ingrid paused next to her aunt and said something. Aunt Betty nodded. Rachel would have to wait to appease her curiosity. She released a long breath and pivoted, searching for Jake and Sean.

  She caught up with them near the freezers. “I need to get back to headquarters. It was great seeing you again, Jake. You and your grandfather are supposed to come to dinner tonight. A welcome-home party.”

  “I’ll come with you.” Jake slanted his glance briefly toward Aunt Betty.

  Did he see that nonverbal exchange between her aunt and her? Jake had always been perceptive, which probably made him a good police officer. Rachel gave Jake a smile, waiting until he shook hands with Sean and joined her before heading out of the processing room. In the hallway leading to the exit, she asked, “What do you think of the new additions to the fishery?”

  “Impressive what has been done in a short time. Gramps told me things were automated and upgraded where they could be. What’s in the building next to this one? That’s new.”

  “The shipping warehouse. Everything going by boat to Anchorage is loaded easily when the vessel docks right outside. They even dredged the harbor to allow for bigger ships.”

  “How much is flown out?”

  “Maybe a third—more in the warmer months. Ready?” She peered at Jake as he reached to open the main door. His strong profile had been shaped by the recent events in his life—the lines sharper, adding a hard edge to his features.

  His hand on the knob, he peered sideways at her. For a few seconds his gaze trapped hers, and she didn’t want to look away.

  “Is something wrong with your aunt?”

  “I don’t know. She called upset, but we haven’t had a chance to talk alone yet. I’ll stop by after work to see what’s going on.”

  “When she went into the processing room, I said hi to her and she didn’t even acknowledge it. She just kept going. I know I’ve been gone, but that’s not like her. She’s the first to want to know everything about a person.”

  “I agree she isn’t acting normal.” Rachel headed into the lightly falling snow and made her way toward the office building.

  She’d make sure Aunt Betty came to dinner. She’d been invited. The storm shouldn’t hit full force until after midnight, and if she had to, Aunt Betty could stay at her sister’s.

  “Why were you at the processing center? I was surprised to see you there.”

  Jake smiled. “To see you. I saw you entering the building and came to say hi. I hear you were promoted to bookkeeper.”

  “Yes, which reminds me, I have to finish my rounds and give out the payroll checks. I’ll see you tonight.”

  * * *

  Midway through the afternoon, Rachel called Sean’s office to see if she could talk with Aunt Betty. His secretary told her that her aunt had clocked out early and gone home. Rachel tried Aunt Betty’s home number. No answer. She might not be home yet.

  When Rachel was ready to leave two hours later, she made the call to her aunt’s again, and the phone still rang and rang. Rachel’s worry mounted. What if she was sick and couldn’t answer it? She had looked pale earlier. And why had she wanted Jake’s help?

  Rachel hurried to her Jeep and navigated the snow-packed streets to the outskirts of Port Aurora. Aunt Betty’s house was on the same road out of town but before Aunt Linda’s house. Both her aunts and Lawrence Nichols, Jake’s grandfather, loved living a little out from town.

  When she reached Aunt Betty’s driv
e, she drove down it and parked in front of the cabin, not far from the shed where her aunt’s truck was. She was home.

  Rachel made her way to the covered front porch, the wind beginning to pick up and blow the snow around as it fell. Rachel knocked. A minute later she did again.

  When Betty didn’t come to answer the door, Rachel stepped to the side and peeked into the living room window. She froze at the sight of the chaos inside.

  * * *

  Jake finished getting the supplies for Gramps and strolled toward the checkout at the Port Aurora General Store. It had been good to see Rachel again. Talking to her this morning made him realize he missed their conversations. While in Anchorage, he’d kept himself busy, and he’d let their friendship slip. He should have come back to town before this. Port Aurora had been his home for years until... He shook the image of Celeste from his thoughts and put the items on the counter. Marge, the owner’s wife, began ringing up his purchases.

  A bell rang, announcing yet another customer coming into the popular store near the harbor. Jake glanced toward the person entering. He stiffened. He’d known he would see Celeste Howard—the woman who broke off their engagement eight years ago—during his extended stay at Gramps’s, but he’d hoped not the first day in town.

  Their gazes clashed. He gritted his teeth and swiveled his attention to Marge to pay for his supplies.

  Marge’s eyes twinkled. “She always comes in right before Brad leaves work and gets a drink at the café. She usually picks him up.” Marge, one of the best gossipers in Port Aurora, waited for his response.

  He smiled and said, “Thanks. Merry Christmas,” then grabbed his bag and started for the exit of the store, which was dripping with Christmas decorations.

  Celeste intercepted his departure. “Hi, Jake. It’s good to see you again. I heard about your injury. How are you?”

  She had meant everything to him at one time, but when he looked at her now, a cold rock hardened in his gut. “I’m fine, as you can see.” Then he continued his trek toward the door, welcoming the blast of icy wind as he stepped onto the porch.