Page 28 of Christmas With The Broken Mountain Man
"Among other talents," I murmur against her throat.
We're deliciously late getting out of bed.
The deputy Tom sends is a young woman named Martinez who immediately hits it off with Destiny. By the time I'm ready to leave, they're swapping cookie recipes and discussing local holiday traditions.
"You'll be okay?" I ask Destiny one last time at the door.
"I'll be fine." She rises on tiptoes to kiss my cheek. "Go help your clients. I'll be here when you get back."
The simple promise contains multitudes. I squeeze her hand before heading out, already counting the minutes until I can return.
My office in town is a small, converted Victorian with a waiting room, consultation room, and private office in the back. I spend the morning with two of my regular clients, a teenager dealing with PTSD after a car accident and an older woman working through grief after losing her husband.
Between sessions, I call Tom for an update.
"No sign of our friend," he reports. "But the motel clerk confirmed he checked out this morning."
"Heading back to California?"
"Can't say for sure. But I've got eyes on all the roads in and out of the county."
"Thanks, Tom." I hesitate. "There's something else. Destiny mentioned her ex has connections with law enforcement in California."
"Yeah, I figured as much from her reluctance to file reports. Don't worry, I'm keeping this close to the vest. Only people who know the full situation are me and Deputy Martinez."
The reassurance eases some of my concern. If Greg has contacts in Nevada, they're not in Whisper Vale, a town where everyone knows everyone, and outsiders are spotted immediately.
"One more thing," Tom adds. "Riley called the station this morning. Wanted to invite you and Destiny to the community Christmas party at the school tomorrow night. Said she forgot to mention it at dinner."
The annual Christmas party is Whisper Vale's biggest holiday event after the tree lighting, food, music, dancing, the works. A perfect opportunity to solidify our cover story.
"Tell her we'll be there."
After my final session, I stop by Jared's General Store to pick up more Christmas decorations. The place is packed with holiday shoppers, and I'm halfway through my list when I spot Jax by the tool section.
"Fancy meeting you here," he says with a knowing grin, eyeing the tinsel and ornaments in my basket. "Christmas shopping for your 'fiancée'?"
"Something like that." I add a box of candy canes to my haul.
"This is quite the transformation." Jax gestures to my basket. "Last year you didn't even put up a tree."
"Things change."
"People change." His expression grows serious. "Especially when they find someone worth changing for."
I can't argue with that. Destiny has brought light into corners of my life I'd forgotten existed, parts of myself I'd locked away after Sarah left.
"It's happening pretty fast," I admit, keeping my voice low. "Four days ago, she was a stranger."
"Some connections don't follow conventional timelines." Jax claps me on the shoulder. "Riley and I knew after one weekend."
"This is different."
"Is it?" He raises an eyebrow. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks a lot like what Riley and I found. That rare thing people spend lifetimes searching for."
I don't respond immediately, pretending to study a display of Christmas lights. "I think I'm in love with her," I finally say, the words both terrifying and liberating.
Jax grins. "No shit. I could have told you that at dinner."
