Page 78 of Christmas Homecoming Secrets
Hearing the resolve in Heather’s voice, Jade knew there was no way she was letting Bryce walk in and be confronted by the woman’s bullets. She sent up a prayer. “Fine. Let’s go.” She sent her weapon skidding across the plywood and stood, holding her hands where Heather could see them.
She connected her gaze to Heather’s and found no softening of the woman’s resolve. Scrambling for a plan, she walked to the front door, and Heather fell into step behind her. Jade didn’t have to turn to see the gun still pointed at her back.
Heather stayed close, and Jade figured she was using Jade’s body to hide the weapon in case one of her neighbors decided to look out a window. Heather had parked her small Honda in the driveway since she kept a lot of her art supplies in the one-car garage, and with each step toward the vehicle, Jade knew she was going to have to do something.
A horn blasted behind her and she whirled, kicked out and caught Heather’s arm with the side of her foot. Heather hollered and went to her knees while the gun spun away from her. Jade lunged and slammed an elbow into Heather’s head. The woman screamed but didn’t lose her balance. Instead, she threw her body forward and wrapped her hand around the weapon.
“Jade!”
From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Bryce moving toward her. Time slowed as Heather turned, lifted the weapon and aimed it at Jade. Jade froze, her senses on hyperalert. Movement to her left. A blur flashed in front of her, then slammed into her. She registered the crack of the gun in Heather’s hand as the air in her lungs whooshed out.
Another pop from behind her and Heather went down screaming and holding her left shoulder.
“Stay down! Stay down!” Tom’s harsh order reached her.
From underneath the heavy body on top of hers, Jade could see Tom approaching, his weapon still aimed at Heather.
With Tom covering Heather, Jade scrambled out from beneath the crushing weight, heart pounding, blood rushing in her veins. “Bryce!”
He coughed and groaned. Jade ran her hands over him, looking for the bullet wound. His hand covered hers. “Got the vest,” he wheezed.
Jade jumped to her feet to see Heather going after the weapon she’d dropped.
“I said stay down!” Tom stopped his approach, and Jade knew she had only a millisecond to act.
She threw herself between Heather and Tom’s gun. “Don’t shoot her!” Then lunged and punched the woman in her wounded shoulder.
Heather screeched and went down. Jade grabbed the weapon and tossed it out of reach, then flipped Heather on her stomach.
Tom hurried to her side and clapped the handcuffs around Heather’s wrists. Jade looked up at him. “Thank you.”
He glared. “I understood something was wrong when you saidcousin. That was smart. However, getting between Heather and me was just plain stupid. I almost shot you.”
“I know, but I couldn’t let you do it.”
His frown deepened, but his eyes flashed understanding. “Ambulance is on the way.”
“Good. I’m going to check on Bryce.” She scrambled back to him to find him breathing and staring at the sky. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just trying to catch my breath.”
She dropped her head to his shoulder. “How’d you know to honk the horn?”
“The way Heather was walking with you. I knew she had a gun on you.”
“You saved my life.”
His arm stole around her. “I had to. Because I can’t imagine living without you. Or even Mia now. Tell me you’ll give me a chance to be the kind of father she deserves. I’ll do my best to be worthy of her.”
Jade kissed him. Hard and swift and with all of the love her heart held for him. “There’s nothing I want more. I love you, Bryce.”
He hugged her tight. “I don’t deserve you,” he whispered.
Paramedics descended, and Jade waved them away still lying across Bryce’s chest. “Check Heather first.”
“We’ve got paramedics on her. Heard your hero here took a bullet.”
“To the vest,” Jade said.
