Christmas in Texas (14 page)

She bowed her head. “As long as he can’t hurt Jack…”

“Amen.”

This conversation had gone on long enough. It was time to
change the subject. “While you were sleeping, I fixed dinner and ate mine. Yours
is in the fridge. All I have to do is warm it up. If you’ll entertain Jack for a
minute more, I’ll put it on the kitchen table.”

“Terrific. We’ll just examine the tree up close and decide what
kind of ornaments we want to put on it.”

Through the open space between the living room and kitchen she
said, “Do you have any?”

“No. After the funeral, my family helped me move here. I told
my sisters to take anything they wanted. I’ll buy some more.”

She nodded. “I did virtually the same thing in my haste to get
away from Jerry. In order not to have anything to do with him, I just walked out
and left it all for him except a few of my own belongings. The furnished
apartment saved my life.”

“They have their uses. Many’s the time I’ve had to use one on a
long stakeout.” He wandered into the kitchen. “Umm. You made tacos. They smell
good.”

“Help yourself.” She walked over and took Jack from him. “While
you eat, I’m going to put him down. I can see his eyelids drooping.”

Flynn gave him a kiss on top of his head. “See you in the
morning, little guy.”

“I’ll say good-night, too.” She reached for the bottle she’d
warmed. “My thanks will never be enough for what you’re doing for us.”

Afraid she might break down, she headed for the bedroom,
picking up the quilt off the living-room floor as she did so. As much as she
wanted to stay and talk with Flynn while he ate, she decided it would be better
to keep everything professional between them. After his kindness to her, the
last thing he wanted was some needy, clingy woman waiting on his every word. She
imagined every eligible female for miles had their eye on him.

Jack went down without a fuss, allowing her to get ready for
bed and slide under the covers. When she’d been shoved into the snow, she
couldn’t have dreamed she’d end up in this man’s home being totally cared for.
She admired him more than anyone she knew.

While she lay there, it suddenly dawned on her that for the
first time in ages she was finding her thoughts focused on someone other than
herself and Jack. Her heart ached for the man in the other part of the house
who’d lost the two most important people in his life. They now had faces. Had it
been a mistake to ask him to see their picture? She feared it had dredged up the
pain he’d tried so hard to suppress.

Scalding tears she couldn’t hold back trickled out of the
corners of her eyes onto the pillow.

Chapter Five

Andrea was a great cook. Flynn ate everything with
relish and put his dishes in the dishwasher, but he was wide awake after his
long sleep and wouldn’t want bed for a while. Deciding he was too wired to be
this inactive, he turned off the gas fire and left for the store. With security
outside watching the house, he could leave without worry.

He had twenty minutes before it closed. In that amount of time
he could pick out some ornaments. By the time he’d put them on the tree, he
might be ready to go back to bed.

But to his chagrin, an hour later all the activity still hadn’t
tired him out. Once he’d climbed under the bedding, he lay awake for a long time
thinking about the woman at the other end of the hall. Jack wasn’t the only
person in this house who’d gotten to him.

Surprisingly, he didn’t awaken until nine the next morning,
evidence he was still catching up on lost sleep. He could smell bacon cooking.
It appeared his house guest liked to stay busy, too. It took him back to weekend
mornings with Michelle.

Flynn rolled out of bed and stretched before heading to the
bathroom. When he looked in the mirror, it hit him what was different about this
morning. He no longer experienced that stabbing pain of loss that had always
been there since the plane crash.

The psychiatrist had told him there’d come a day when he’d
realize he was healing and life started to look good to him again. His doctor
had said it would sneak up on him when he least expected it because the mind and
heart took their own sweet time.

That was a fact.

Maybe it was finding Jack alive and uniting him with his mother
that had done the trick. Whatever dynamic had been in play, it had helped him
turn a corner. The Jack Daniel’s would stay on the shelf untouched this
holiday.

Before anything else, he called the hospital and learned the
patient had been released and transferred to Marfa. Since he’d be driving there
in a little while, he discarded the idea of relaxing in his new pair of sweats
and put on a blue-and-red plaid flannel shirt and jeans. Once he’d pulled on his
boots, he made his way through the house to the living room filled with warmth
from the fireplace.

Andrea sat crossed-legged in front of the tree with Jack at her
side. This time she looked breathtaking dressed in a long-sleeved navy
turtleneck and jeans. Her baby lay on his back on the quilt while she teased him
with some plastic toy keys. The whole time she made him reach for them, his
excited body was in perpetual motion. He wore a smile on his precious face that
tugged at Flynn’s heart.

“I can see the Christmas elf has been at it again,” he drawled.
Without thinking about it, he sat down on the other side of the baby and leaned
over to kiss him.

Her brilliant blue eyes lit up when she saw him. “Well, good
morning! After putting all these shiny new ornaments on the tree by yourself, we
thought you might sleep in until noon at least. You must have been up half the
night. Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Good. I put your breakfast in the oven to stay warm.”

His lips twitched before he got to his feet. “No wonder Santa’s
so jolly and plump.” Suddenly in the Christmas mood, Flynn headed for the den
and turned on the radio to a music station playing Christmas music. With the
sound of “Jingle Bell Rock” filtering through the house, he headed for the
kitchen.

Equipped with scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns, he grabbed
a fork and went back to his spot in front of the tree. While he sat down to eat,
Jack watched him with attentive blue eyes. “I know your milk tastes good to you,
but it’s nothing like this. Just wait until you can eat your mom’s cooking.
You’ll flip!”

“Flynn…”

He flashed her a quick grin. “It’s only the truth.” After
putting his empty plate to the side he turned over on his stomach so he could
look Jack in the eye. “Hey, buddy—what do you want to do today? How about after
I come back from the jail, we watch a fun cartoon on TV and give your mom a
break?”

Andrea eyed him furtively. “I’m sure Jack would love it, but if
you’re going to the jail, could we go with you? I’d like to talk to the man who
stole my car yesterday.”

Just like that, the mood had changed. For a little while Flynn
had forgotten everything, including the reason she’d spent the night under his
roof. “It’s not normally allowed, and you’re supposed to be getting your rest
today.”

“I’ve done nothing but relax since you brought me to your home
twenty-four hours ago. I’d only talk to him for a few minutes. If Jerry hired
him, I want to know how he paid him of my hard-earned money. I bought and paid
for my own cars and would like to hear how he’s going to pay me back for the one
he crashed.”

Flynn couldn’t blame her for that. Not only had the creep
terrified her by stealing her baby, her only transportation was gone. He was
enraged for her in his own right.

“I’ll take you, but pack a few extras for Jack. The jail is in
Marfa, twenty-four miles from here. No telling how long we’ll be. Depending on
the situation and the attorney defending him, you might be able to have a few
minutes with him. Let’s leave now and get it over with. Then we’ll have the rest
of the day to enjoy ourselves.”

He watched her swallow hard. “Thank you, Flynn. I’ll get Jack
ready.”

While she stood up and took the baby back to the bedroom, he
shut off the radio and gas fire. After slipping on his parka, he took advantage
of his privacy and phoned security outside to let them know his plans.

Once he’d hung up, he reached the garage ahead of her and
changed the baby’s car seat to the rear of the Volvo. When he saw her in the
doorway, he reached for Jack and settled him in. “Here we go, buddy. I think
you’ll like riding in this better than in the truck, where it’s hard to see
around the seats.”

* * *

A
NDREA
MARVELED
OVER
Flynn’s concern
for her son’s welfare.
And mine.
He treated her like
a princess. That’s how she felt on this beautiful Christmas Eve day. Even the
sun had come out to warm the air and a lot of the snow had already melted.

Two days ago she’d been running for her life through an
unexpected blizzard, straight into a kidnapper’s clutches. This morning she
could truly breathe again. The sorrow and fear she’d been living with since the
last months of her pregnancy no longer held her in a vise. The remarkable man at
her side was the person solely responsible for this change.

If she felt any alarm, it was her own growing attraction to
him. She couldn’t blame it on hero worship, although she did think he was a
hero. No…this was another feeling taking over despite her determination to stay
emotionally distanced from him.

Once they were on the highway, Andrea asked him to tell her
about the murder case in Van Horn. Talking about his work would help keep her
focused on his profession rather than on him. “I’ve discovered you’re famous.
The story is all over the news, and the staff at the hospital sang your
praises.”

“Don’t believe it. A whole network was involved to get the job
done.”

“With
you
spearheading it,” she
reminded him. “Don’t you see? This will be the only time in my life I actually
have an opportunity to learn the facts from the horse’s mouth—so to speak.”

His deep laughter excited her. “That about covers it.”

“Flynn—”

He shook his head. “You don’t want to hear the gruesome
details.”

Modesty wasn’t the only thing holding him back. Something in
his tone made her realize he didn’t want to revisit it. That’s probably how he’d
survived since going into law enforcement. Put it away and move on to another
case.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that because of what you do, I got my son
back, and I know you’re going to see that Jerry no longer poses a threat. I’m
pretty much in awe of you.”

While she studied his distinctive profile, he gave her a rueful
smile. “That sounds good, but I’ll wait until the job is successfully done
before I take those words to heart.”

She had no doubts, but unfortunately she’d been caught looking
at him again. With her pulse racing, Andrea turned away and discovered they were
coming into Marfa. In a minute they drove up to the Presidio County Jail, a
one-story building.

“We’ve arrived and there hasn’t been a peep out of Jack.”

Andrea looked over her shoulder. “A drive usually puts him to
sleep.”

“I’m afraid snooze time is over for the little guy. The jail is
a busy, noisy place with visitors coming and going. Let me carry him in for
you.”

Flynn got out to take care of Jack while she gathered the
diaper bag and they walked inside. He’d been right. There were a dozen people in
the lounge area obviously waiting to visit detainees. One young woman, who was
maybe twenty, held a crying baby. Two of the adults were having an argument and
didn’t seem to care if anyone heard them. On the day before Christmas, the
reality of the situation was all the more depressing.

After kissing Jack’s forehead, Flynn handed her the baby. “Sit
down over here while I go in and find out what’s going on. After I come back
out, I’ll tend Jack so you can have a turn. That is
if
they let you.”

“Be careful—” she said before she realized how stupid and
personal it sounded.

His eyes turned that soft gray color again. “That was nice to
hear. It’s been a long time.”

She could feel herself blushing. “It just came out. I don’t
know why I said it.”

He studied her for a second longer. “I promise not to be long.”
He headed for a door marked Authorized Personnel Only.

The woman with the baby walked over to her. “I need to change
my kid. Do you have an extra diaper?”

“Sure.” Andrea dug in the bag for one.

“I’m here to see my boyfriend. He got busted last night for
getting in a fight. What about you?”

Andrea handed her a diaper and some wipes. “I’m here to talk to
a man who was brought in from the hospital.”

“What did he do?”

“He kidnapped my baby, but a Texas Ranger caught him.”

The woman’s painted brows arched. “You’re talking about the
stud who walked in here with you?”

Flynn
was
a stud, and so much more,
there weren’t enough words to describe him. “Yes.”

“Kind of reminds me of the hunk on the pack of cigarettes my
grandad used to smoke. You know, the Marlboro Man?”

Andrea knew and nodded.

The younger woman eyed her for a moment longer before she took
off for the restroom. No sooner had she disappeared than Flynn came striding
into the lounge, the essence of the man the younger mother had been
describing.

Andrea had thought he would have been gone a lot longer. Her
heart thudded at the sight of him. Jack recognized him at once and squirmed to
be held by him.

She laughed. “Look at that! My son’s a traitor.”

Flynn’s eyes smiled as he reached for the baby. After putting
him against his shoulder he said, “While this case is still unfolding, I can’t
get permission for you to talk to him. Not until after he’s arraigned by the
federal court judge.”

“Why? I only want to ask him a few questions.”

“I know, but as I suspected, he wasn’t working alone. The guy
driving the truck camper was an accomplice and is still on the loose. The police
have an APB out on him. Once he’s caught, then you’ll get your turn to talk to
both of them.”

“How did you find out this much?”

“After he refused to talk to me at the hospital, I gave
instructions he could be allowed one phone call. The sheriff told me he made it
to a P.I. firm he works for in Carlsbad. He goes by the name Stanley
Cooper.”

“He’s a P.I.?” Andrea asked incredulously.

“No. He’s someone they keep on the payroll to do certain kinds
of dirty jobs for the firm. They’ve sent down their attorney, who has advised
his client to remain silent.”

Once again she was outraged. “And Jerry found them…”

“It goes without saying they’re a sleazy outfit.” He sounded
thoughtful before he added, “This case is turning into something bigger than
anyone had supposed.”

“In what way?”

“My boss just got word back to me that the fingerprints I had
sent to the database on the patient have identified him as Cooper Stanley, an
alias he uses. He’s done jail time before. At the moment there’s a warrant out
for a Cooper Stanley in Arizona for grand theft and shooting an officer.”

Andrea shuddered. “Jerry must have paid a lot of money for that
firm to agree to kidnapping Jack. Where did he get it?”

Flynn grimaced. She noticed he had such a strong instinct to
protect, he unconsciously held Jack tighter. “I can tell you this much. That
place is going to be out of business and several people, including your husband,
are going to be behind bars before too much longer.” He looked her square in the
eye. “Grab your things and let’s go.”

Relieved to get out of such a depressing place, she followed
him through the main doors of the jail to his car. A few minutes later he pulled
up in front of a restaurant called the Food Shark and shut off the engine.

“I’m ready for lunch. Let’s go in. The chef serves slow-roasted
pork tacos in an ancho-cocoa rub I know you’ll like. We’ll take some of their
famous brown butter cookies to eat on the way home.”

“Sounds delicious. Let me just change Jack and feed him a
bottle, then he’ll be good while we’re inside.”

“He’s always good.”

“That’s because he’s used to you and enjoys all the attention
you shower on him. He’s getting spoiled.”

Flynn’s eyes penetrated hers. “Don’t you know every guy likes
to be spoiled once in a while?”

“Just as long as he doesn’t get in the habit. Within a few
days, we’ll have to leave.”