Page 36 of A Ranger for Christmas
“He was having a huge party. Tons of guests. I knew I’d barely see him, and I could have easily been missed until morning at the earliest. I have a reputation for being late.”
Lucas worked his jaw, as if chewing on a retort. “You were found, and that’s all that counts.”
“The papers were stolen from my office along with my memory.”
“You’ll remember.”
“But when? You said time was critical.”
“Don’t worry about time. This is not your fault.”
“It feels like my fault. If I’d left on time, none of this would have happened.”
“You can’t say that.”
“It would have at least been daylight, and I’d have seen who was trailing me.”
“Let it go.”
She touched the broken branch of a scrub, knowing she’d snapped it when she’d slammed past.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Where do we go?” She felt so weary now. Home for her was a plain, cold house littered with dozens of unpacked boxes. She couldn’t return to her office, not now when she felt so vulnerable. It had been her safe haven, and it had been violated.
“There’s a motel nearby. It’s clean and doesn’t get much traffic this time of year. We can hold up there for the night, and tomorrow I can take you wherever you want to go.”
The night’s reprieve lifted her spirits. She liked being with Lucas, and though she doubted they had a future beyond the case, now was good enough. “Sounds good.”
When she climbed into the SUV, his scent, a blend of fresh air and soap, wrapped around her as he turned on the heat. She held her hands up to the vents, letting the warmth spread through her chilled fingers. She didn’t know the area well, only venturing out here when she made the annual drive to her father’s Christmas party. With unspoken emotions hounding her each year, she’d vowed to find the joy in this trip but it always eluded her.
For a while, they drove as the sun slowly dipped and vanished into the horizon, leaving a wake of reds and yellows that slowly faded to blackness. “I’m starving,” she said.
His face would have been lost to the shadows if not for the light from the console. “I know a barbecue place. If we hurry, we might be able to grab some takeout before they close for the evening.”
“Why would they close so early?”
“Holidays.”
“Right. I keep forgetting.” A half smile teased her lips. “There are people who love the holidays.”
He tossed her a curious glance. “You must have liked the holidays at some point?”
“Sure. I loved them before my parents’ divorce.”
“Favorite memory?”
She carried in her heart a box of dusty memories and from time to time opened the lid to peer inside. Most times, it was too painful to view, so she kept the lid closed. But today was about remembering, and if conjuring a forgotten Christmas moment helped her remember the rest, she’d do it. “I was six. And my dad bought me a new bike. It was blue with streamers and training wheels. It was awesome. My parents weren’t ones to splurge at the holidays. They believed it was a time for family and not huge presents. They kept telling me it was too expensive. And I accepted that I’d get the customary gift-wrapped socks and shirts. But when I came downstairs and saw the bike under the tree, I squealed. Both my parents looked pleased with themselves.”
A smile softened his face but he remained silent.
“Mom explained that Dad had put the bike together in his office and stowed it at the neighbor’s until Christmas Eve after I went to bed. It was a cold day, but I didn’t care. I rode for hours.” Two years later, her parents were divorced. “After the divorce, Christmas was not fun. Mom insisted on having me for the holiday, but she also refused to cook that day so we ended up at the Chinese restaurant eating our Christmas dinner.”
When her mother had gotten sick, Marisa had brought a small tree into her hospital room. Her mother had thanked her, but when Marisa had returned the next day the tree was gone, her mother making the excuse that she’d given it to the nurses to enjoy at the front desk.
“Don’t know if we can scrounge Chinese out here.”
“That’s fine. I love Chinese food any other time of year but now. Barbecue will work.”
