Page 2 of A Moon Lake Christmas Hero

Did he kill my parents? Was I the target?

Or was it just coincidence?

Either way, I wasn’t there.

At least if I’d been with them, I could’ve done something. Anything. And maybe they would still be alive today.

“Where are you?” Jessie’s voice pulled me back from the deep, dark void of my thoughts. I didn’t tell her about Bob. Didn’t tell her about my suspicions and the fear that kept me up at night.

“I’m almost there. I’m driving alongside the lake right now. It’s beautiful.”

And it was. Jessie had told me about Moon Lake, the small town she’d moved to when she found herself pregnant and alone.

Apparently, she’d followed her brother, who had opened a bar in Moon Lake after he retired from the military.

Jessie chuckled. “It sure is. Especially at Christmas.” Then she squealed. “I can’t wait until you get here.”

I laughed. Somehow, I wasn’t sure if Jessie had convinced her husband and small-town doctor, Alan, to create the position just for me. Because, let’s be honest. Did a small town in the middle of nowhere really need a doctor and a nurse practitioner, and midwife?

Weren’t small towns supposed to be disappearing since the younger generations were moving into the big cities?

Well, if what Alan had told me during my interview online was true, that trend was reversed in the small towns in and around Moon Lake.

And looking outside at the lake, the surface smooth as glass and the snow-capped mountains surrounding it, covered with lush green forests—hidden under heaps of snow, I could totally understand why. It was like a scene out of a fairy tale. The only thing missing was the castle, the horse-drawn sleigh, and the prince.

Not that I was searching for one.

“Your welcoming committee is already here.”

“Welcoming committee?” What welcoming committee? I wasn’t prepared to meet anyone but Alan and Jessie. I looked down at the orange stains on my jeans and padded jacket. Shit.

Should’ve gone for something plain and not-crumbly to snack on.

“It’s just Alan, Richard Travers, our sheriff, and James Cullen, our residential superman.”

“Residential superman?”

Jessie chuckled again. “That’s just the title us girls have given him. He’s the mayor, but also the head of our local volunteer firefighters, hotshot billionaire real-estate mogul, and single dad of two adorable little twin girls. And to top it all off, he’s super sexy.”

“That sounds too good to be true.” Also, too busy to do any of those things right. But, apparently, he was good with people because why else would Jessie be gushing about him?

“He’s grumpy, I’ll give you that, but wait till you see his eyes. They’re mesmerizing. And I say that as a very happily married woman who is not at all attracted to him. But man, his eyes are something else.”

I scoffed. If something sounded too good to be true, it was most of the time, at least in my experience. “So if he’s so super busy, why is he there?”

Jessie’s voice turned serious and a bit hesitant. “The town will be paying half your salary.”

“And?” It wasn’t unusual for the town to pay for its healthcare providers, was it?

There was a pause.

“What aren’t you telling me, Jess?”

“He’s not so hot on the idea of hiring you. But don’t be nervous. Once he gets to know you and sees how ace you are at your job, he will be a fan. I promise. I just wanted to let you know so you can mentally prepare yourself.”

Mentally prepare? What about physically prepare? I needed a hot shower, and a change of clothes. Stat.

My eyes fell on the sign for a sharp turn, and I pumped the brakes to slow down. At least there wasn’t any ice on the road.

---