Page 4 of Christmas Deal

The passenger door opens, and a woman with ivory skin, pink lips, and long, red hair slides out. Even with her body hidden beneath a large winter coat, it’s clear that she has curves for days.

Unable to pry my eyes off of her, I watch as she opens the backdoor of the truck. She fumbles with something for a moment, and then there’s a plump baby in her arms. Agirl, if the baby’s puffy, pink snowsuit is any indication.

The woman kisses the baby’s face, and the baby giggles and coos in response.

And then William is there by their side, looking even better than he did in high school. The gangly teenager is gone, replaced by a tall, rugged man. The sleeves of his flannel shirt are rolled up to his elbows, exposing muscled forearms. His thick but well-groomed beard is new, too.

New within the last twenty years, anyway.My fingers itch to comb through it.

But he’s already taken.Not only that…he has afamily.

William tickles the little girl’s neck, and she bursts into a fit of giggles. The gorgeous woman laughs, a happy sound that causes a bubble of jealousy to form in my chest.

The flash of emotion sends a surge of heat through my body, and for the first time in what feels like hours, I no longer feel numb with the cold.

“Do you know who this car belongs to?” the woman asks William, pointing to my rental.

“No clue,” he tells her. Then he raises his voice, “Hello? Is someone here?”

Now’s the time to yell back, to announce my presence and be rescued from the wild dogs. Neither animal has left their position at the foot of the tree, though they’ve stopped barking and stare at William with their tales wagging. At his presence, they’ve morphed from vicious, barking beasts into seemingly docile pets.

“Get the baby inside,” William tells the redhead. “I’ll carry in some firewood for the woodstove.”

He walks past my tree, trailing a hand over each dog’s head to pet them as he passes by on his way to the woodpile.

Lifting the tarp that protects the chopped wood from the elements, he removes several pieces. Arms loaded with firewood and snow gathering on his broad shoulders, he heads back to the cabin to provide for his perfectfamily.

It’s like a scene fromLittle Houseon thefreakingPrairie.

One of the dogs jumps against the tree trunk, renewing his barking efforts. William freezes in his tracks. “What is it, boy?”

I watch in horror as he follows the dog’s gaze up the length of the tree. He sees me, jumping back in shock. The wood falls from his arms, clattering onto the ground.

“Who’s up there?” he calls, steel in his tone. “This is private property, and I’m armed.” He holds a hand up to his eyes to shield them from the falling snow, peering up at me. His face, always so serious, even as a teenager, looks downright terrifying now.

I never should have come here.

Stupid fortune cookie…

Three

William

Myheartslamsagainstmy rib cage. It’s not every day you find a trespasser lurking in a tree in your front yard.

In fact, this sort of thing never happens in Mercury Ridge.

What does this guy want?Is he staking out my house for a burglary? Or did he have more nefarious plans in mind?

I squint against the snow to try to get a better look at him, but the snow is falling thick and fast now. The sun has started to set behind the house, casting the front yard in shadow. Dressed in all black, the trespasser is difficult to see.

“Who’s up there?” I bellow again.

I pause, waiting for an answer. There isn’t one.

“William,” Sierra calls from the porch, uncertainty and fear in her voice, “what’s going on?”

All my training for the Mercury Ridge Search and Rescue Team erupts to the forefront of my brain.Objective 1: make sure Sierra and the baby are safe.

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