Her Mistletoe Protector Read online

  “‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’”

  He continued through verse twenty and when he finished reading, he was humbled to realize that both Joey and Rachel were staring at him, as if hanging on every word.

  “And that is the true meaning of Christmas,” he murmured, encouraged that this would be another step for both of them in their journey to believe.

  * * *

  Rachel loved listening to Nick read from the Bible, but she also felt bad that she hadn’t taught Joey about God and the story of Jesus before now.

  “That was a nice story,” Joey said with a wide yawn.

  She kissed the top of his head. “It was a wonderful story, wasn’t it? I want you to think about God whenever you feel afraid, okay?”

  “I will,” Joey’s voice was soft and sleepy.

  Nick set the Bible aside and returned to the kitchen table to continue working on the timeline.

  She needed to help Nick, but she didn’t want to leave her son. It wasn’t until Joey’s head tipped to the side, indicating he’d fallen asleep, that she eased away and went to sit beside Nick.

  “I suppose you think I’m a terrible mother,” she said softly.

  He glanced at her in surprise. “Why would I think that?”

  The shame was almost too much to bear, but she forced herself to get this out in the open. “Because I didn’t teach Joey about God. Because I didn’t raise him to believe.”

  “It’s never too late to start, Rachel,” Nick murmured. He reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “And no, I don’t think you’re a terrible mother at all. If you weren’t raised to believe in God, then it’s no wonder you raised your son the same way.”

  She was silent for a long moment, wishing she dared to ask him to hold her. She thought back to her childhood. “I think my parents believed in God—at least, I remember going to church when I was young. But by the time I was Joey’s age, we suddenly stopped going to church...and I pretty much forgot most of what I learned.”

  “Do you know why your parents stopped attending church?” he asked. The way he took her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers gave her the strength she needed.

  “My mother lost her parents when I was nine, and they died about six months apart. And then when I was in high school, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She passed away my freshman year in college.” The pain of losing her mother had been terrible, but she and her father had clung together to get through it. Easy to look back now and piece together what had happened. The deaths of her grandparents had hit her mother hard, and maybe for some reason she’d pulled away from God. Her father, too, especially after losing her mother.

  “I’ve seen that happen sometimes, where a sudden death causes a loss of faith,” Nick said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “But to be honest, Rachel, those are the times when you should lean on God the most. I know it’s hard—I struggled to keep my faith after my Becky and Sophie died.”

  “I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for you.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “Becky and I were high-school sweethearts so when I lost her, I felt like I lost my best friend. But now, after all these months, sometimes I have trouble remembering exactly what she looked like.”

  “Oh, Nick,” she murmured. No one had ever loved her the way Nick had loved his wife.

  He forced a smile. “I guess that might be God’s way of making me realize I have a different path to follow. I know it’s not easy, but if you open your heart to the Lord, you will be rewarded.”

  Maybe he was right. Certainly she’d felt some sense of peace when she’d prayed for Joey’s safety. She stared down at their entwined fingers for a moment, feeling connected to Nick in a way she’d never experienced with Anthony.

  The thought scared her. She didn’t want to have feelings for Nick. Didn’t want to open herself up to the possibility of rejection. She trusted Nick to keep her and Joey safe, but to trust him with her heart? That was asking too much.

  The expression in his eyes when he spoke of his wife made her realize that he might not be ready for a relationship, either.

  She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “So, let’s get back to that timeline, huh?” she suggested, releasing his hand and turning toward the notebook paper he’d left on the table. “Where did we leave off?”

  There was a troubled look in his eyes as he stared at her for a long moment before he sighed and turned toward the timeline. “We left off at the time of Josie Gardner’s suicide or possible murder,” he said.

  She nodded. Was she wrong about what Nick wanted? Maybe, but, somehow, it was easier to talk about who might have kidnapped her son than her tangled feelings toward Nick.

  * * *

  The rest of the day passed by quicker than she would have imagined. Dark clouds rolled in, bringing the threat of a storm, but while the wind kicked up a bit, no snowflakes fell.

  Nick walked around outside again, and she was reassured by his diligence. He continued to work on the timeline long after they’d taken a break for dinner.

  She bowed her head while Nick thanked God once again for providing the hot meal and shelter. There weren’t many options for dinner, so they had to eat more of the canned beef stew again but no one complained.

  “Are we going to be home in time for Christmas?” Joey asked.

  “Christmas is three days away, I’m sure we’ll be home by then,” she assured him.

  Nick looked as if he didn’t necessarily agree. “We can celebrate Christmas here, too, if we have to,” he pointed out.

  She knew he was right. “If we have to, we will,” she agreed. “But hopefully things will get back to normal soon.”

  After dinner, Nick continued to work on the timeline. She found a game of checkers on the pantry shelf and played a few games with Joey to help keep him occupied. Soon Nick came over and asked if he could play the winner, and she was truly disappointed when Joey beat her.

  As she watched Nick and Joey play, she was struck by how easy it was to feel they were a family. Had she been wrong to warn Nick to keep his distance? He was everything a role model should be: kind and considerate...strong yet gentle. What a wonderful husband and father he must have been. So different from her ex.

  Joey won again, and he let out a whoop. She had to make sure her yearning for a family of her own wasn’t visible on her face when she gave Joey a high five.

  Several games later, after Joey had yawned for the fifth time in a row, she deemed it time for bed. “Say good-night to Nick,” she reminded her son.

  “Good night, Nick, you’re the best dad ever,” Joey said.

  Her breath froze in her chest and she stared at her son in horror. Why had he said that? It was as if she’d somehow projected her secret wishes into her son.

  “You’re welcome, Joey,” Nick said thickly. “Get some sleep, now, okay?”

  “Come on, Joey,” she mumbled, completely mortified by the turn of events. “Good night, Nick.”

  “Good night.” Nick gave her a searching look, which she avoided meeting head-on—too afraid he’d see the same sentiment in her eyes. He picked up the Bible and as much as she was tempted to stay and listen while he read some more she had no choice but to go with her son, who was still afraid of the dark. Besides, she couldn’t imagine trying to explain why Joey had called him the best dad ever.

  She’d never been more acutely aware of how her son had been impacted by growing
up without a father. Had he been looking for a surrogate father this whole time?

  Was it any wonder he’d latched on to Nick?

  She and Joey took turns in the bathroom, the scent of the aftershave far less obvious now, though still lingering in the air. Joey wrinkled his nose but otherwise seemed fine as he crawled under the pile of quilts on the bed.

  Joey immediately fell asleep but, just like the night before, her mind refused to settle. She tried to remember some of the Bible phrases Nick had read but could only recall a line or two.

  She kept replaying the moment that Joey had called Nick the best dad ever. She hoped Nick didn’t put too much importance on what her son had said. The way she already had.

  At some point she must have dozed, because a noise startled her awake. Another wild animal moving through the woods? She stayed perfectly still, straining to listen.

  After several moments, she crawled from beneath the quilts and moved silently over to the window overlooking the back side of the cabin. There weren’t any stars out as they were well hidden behind a blanket of clouds.

  She heard it again, the same thunk that had woken her. Did animals make that kind of sound? Somehow she doubted it. She stuffed her feet into her athletic shoes and cautiously made her way down the hall to find Nick.

  * * *

  Nick shot upright when he felt a hand on his arm. “What?” he asked harshly, blinking the sleep from his eyes as he gazed up at Rachel.

  “Get up, I think I heard something outside,” she whispered.

  His pulse kicked into triple digits and he swung around to put his feet on the floor. “Are you sure?” he asked in a low, raspy voice as he quickly slid his feet into his shoes and tied the laces.

  “I don’t think it was an animal,” she said, her eyes wide with fear. “It was a thunking noise and I heard it twice.”

  Nick wrestled with guilt, knowing that he should have taken Jonah’s advice and found a new place to stay. But it was too late for self-recriminations. He needed to get Rachel and Joey safely out of the cabin. “Wake up Joey and make sure he’s wearing his winter jacket and his shoes, okay?”

  “Okay.” To her credit, Rachel didn’t panic and went to do exactly as she was told.

  He used the poker to break up the remains of the fire, and closed the iron doors on the fireplace, to help douse the flames and eliminate even that small bit of light. The room was plunged into darkness and it took him a minute for his eyes to adjust. He tucked his weapon in his shoulder harness and then went over to peer out the large picture window.

  He couldn’t see much, but that was okay, since it helped keep them hidden, as well. When Rachel and Joey returned, he crossed over to them. “Be as quiet as possible, okay? Follow me...we’re going outside.”

  Rachel snagged his arm. “Aren’t we safer in here?”

  “No, we’re boxed in. Try to trust me on this, Rachel.”

  He could barely see her in the darkness. “I do trust you, Nick.”

  Whether or not he deserved her trust remained to be seen. But they had to move, so he simply led the way over to the front door. As quietly as possible, he eased back the dead bolt, although the click was louder than he liked. Without wasting time, he opened the door and cast a quick glance around the clearing.

  Joey and Rachel crowded behind him, waiting silently for his direction. He took a moment to pray for their safety, before guiding them out onto the front porch, keeping as close to the cabin as possible.

  Rachel sent Joey first, and then followed from behind. He didn’t have to tell her to make sure the door didn’t slam shut as she softly closed it before making her way over to where they stood. The night was so cold they could see their breath in the air, and the frozen leaves and brush would make it far more difficult to move silently through the woods.

  First, he needed to figure out which was the best direction to go. He waited for a long moment, listening to the sounds of the night. It was too cold for any insects, but at least the wind had died down.

  As much as he wanted to use the car to escape, he couldn’t deny the possibility that the intruder had already found it and disabled it. At least, that’s what he would have done.

  No, their best bet was to stay hidden in the woods for as long as possible. He didn’t dare use his cell phone yet, as the light from the screen would only broadcast their position to whoever was out there.

  The closest grouping of evergreen trees was to the left in the nine-o’clock position, so he bent down to whisper in Rachel’s ear. “Follow me to the evergreens.”

  He could feel her head nod, her hair brushing his face. Satisfied, he inched across the porch, praying the boards wouldn’t creak.

  The trek to the group of evergreens seemed to take forever, but the moment they reached them, he felt himself relax. Thank goodness they were all wearing dark clothing, and, without the moon, he hoped their pale faces wouldn’t attract too much attention.

  “Stay here, I’m going to take a look around,” he whispered again, right next to Rachel’s ear.

  “No, wait,” she grabbed his arm in a tense grip. “I smell smoke.”

  He paused and tried to estimate how long the scent of smoke would linger in the air after he’d put out the fire inside the cabin.

  “There!” Rachel whispered urgently, pointing to an area behind the cabin.

  He saw what had captured her attention. Orange flames flickering in the darkness.

  Fire!

  FOURTEEN

  Rachel stared at the small flickering flames in horror. The kidnapper must have found them. Who else would do such a thing? She knew Nick thought Morales had been ordered to kill her and Joey, but they’d managed to get away. The kidnapper must have come back to finish the job. And what if she hadn’t woken up from the thunking noise? Would they have died inside the cabin? Had that been the kidnappers’ plan all along?

  Cold fear slid down her spine.

  Thank You, Lord, for saving us!

  “I think the outhouse might be on fire,” Nick whispered. “And if that’s the case, I’m afraid the fire will spread to the cabin.” He paused, looking out over the trees. “Looks like the wind is blowing north. We’ll need to head south so that we’re heading in the opposite direction.”

  “Okay.” She wasn’t about to argue. Joey’s hand was trembling inside of hers, from the cold or fear or both. She tightened her grip reassuringly, knowing she’d do whatever was necessary to keep him safe. “Lead the way.”

  Nick stayed between the trees, moving slowly and silently away from the cabin. She did her best to follow in his footsteps, but it seemed like twigs snapped loudly beneath her feet and her clothing brushed and snagged against the tree branches with every step. The cold night air blew sharp against her face, but she knew the fire was the bigger threat compared to the stinging cold.

  Although both could be deadly.

  They hadn’t made it very far when a loud crack echoed through the night.

  “Get down,” Nick urged.

  Someone was shooting at them! She instinctively dropped low, ducking behind a tree while covering Joey’s body with hers, protecting him the best she could.

  They waited motionless for what seemed like an hour but was likely only a few minutes. There was no further gunfire and she wasn’t sure if that was good news or bad.

  Was the kidnapper tracking them through the woods right now?

  “We need to split up,” Nick whispered, his mouth close to her ear.

  “No! We need to stick together!” she whispered back.

  “Listen to me.” Nick’s tone was harsh. “We need to get help. You and Joey are going to take my phone and head southeast. When you’re far enough away, call 911.”

  “I don’t even know where we are,” she murmured anxiously.

 
“The address here is 472 and Highway MM.”

  She silently repeated it to herself, committing the address to memory.

  “I’m going to draw the gunman away from you and Joey. So you need to get moving, now.”

  “I still think you should come with us,” she whispered again. She couldn’t help remembering the last time she’d tried to save her son by sending him out of the mangled wreck of their car only to watch him be captured and kidnapped. What if the same thing happened to Nick?

  “Go!” he said, and he turned and fired in the direction from which the gunshot had originated. “I’ll hold him off long enough for help to arrive.”

  She hesitated, torn between two impossible choices. She desperately wanted to get Joey to safety, but she also didn’t want to leave Nick, unable to bear the thought of anything happening to him. Yet she knew her son was depending on her so she did as Nick asked, staying low and easing back into the cover of the trees, keeping Joey close to her side.

  Joey must have understood the acute need for silence since he didn’t say a word as they made their way through a particularly thick grove. When they’d gone about twenty yards, she crouched behind a large tree and took out Nick’s phone. She unzipped her coat, using the edges of her jacket to help hide the unmistakable glow of the phone screen as she called 911. The operator seemed to take forever to answer, and when she finally did, she hoped she remembered everything correctly.

  “Please send help,” Rachel said urgently. “Someone is shooting at us and he’s also started a fire. The address is 472 and Highway MM.”

  “Are you hurt?” the dispatcher asked.

  “Not yet, but please hurry!” There was another loud crack followed by a cry of pain and she instinctively clutched Joey close, using her body as a shield to cover her son’s.

  Even though she’d dropped the phone, she could still hear the dispatcher’s voice talking. She frantically searched the ground with her fingertips. The snow was cold, making her fingers numb, but she eventually found the phone and powered it off.