Classified Christmas Mission. Lynette Eason

fine.” She tucked her right hand under her left armpit to warm her nearly frozen fingers. She needed to keep them limber in order to be able to pull the trigger should the need arise.

      “A snowmobile picked up that wounded guy,” he said. “I never heard it approach.”

      “They parked far enough away then walked in.”

      “And when the shooting started, they realized we could hold our own on the firepower. One of them went after it.”

      “He had to in order to pick up the guy I shot.”

      “Yeah.”

      The chains on the tires gripped through the snow and ice and Lance was able to move at a steady, if slow, pace toward his home.

      “You’ll need to check with hospitals nearby and see if anyone comes in with a GSW,” she said.

      “Yep.”

      She sighed. “Sorry. I know you know how to handle this.”

      “It’s fine. You never know. You might say something I don’t think of.”

      “Right.” She looked at Sam. His eyes were open and he was taking everything in. She leaned toward him. “Sam, what is one thirteen?”

      He blinked then crossed his arms across his belly and started rocking. “One thirteen.”

      “I know. What is it?” she pressed.

      “One thirteen. One thirteen. Number One Dad. Number One Dad.”

      “It has something to do with your dad, huh, Sam?”

      Sam closed his eyes and continued his rhythmic rocking, counting his backward and forward motion, lips moving silently. Amber knew the child well enough that pressing him now would get her nowhere. She looked out the back window and saw no headlights. In fact, the darkness of the night pressed in all around her. It made her feel safe. Deceptively safe, she knew, but for the moment, she relished it.

      Then Lance was pulling into his gravel drive, the chains on the tires crunching the snow and small rocks. “I’m going to park in the garage.”

      “Great.”

      The door to the three-car garage went up and he pulled the large SUV into the space on the left. The area on the right held a boat and two snowmobiles. He shut the engine off. “Come on in.”

      It had been a while since Amber had seen his home. Krissy, his wife, had been alive the last time she’d set foot on the property and he’d made a lot of changes since then.

      He opened the back door on Sam’s side and held a hand out to the boy. Sam ignored him and climbed out on his own. Amber shrugged and slid across the seat to follow him. Sam stopped at the door and looked at his feet. Lance unlocked the door, punched in the code for the alarm then led them through a mudroom and into a kitchen. He flipped the lights on then stood still for a moment, listening. Amber did the same, her hand on her weapon.

      “Alarm was armed. All looks okay. Stay here a minute.”

      She did and he disappeared down a hall. When he returned, he looked slightly less tense. “We’re good.”

      “They might have seen your car. They could show up any minute if they got the plate.”

      “Maybe. We’ll be prepared for that.” He sent several texts from his phone while she looked around.

      “Wow.”

      “What?” he asked, finally looking up.

      “Your kitchen. It’s really nice.”

      He let his eyes roam the area as though seeing it for the first time. “Oh. Thanks.”

      “This does not look like it used to. Did you suddenly come into some money?” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, was that rude?”

      He crossed the room and flipped another switch. The den lit up. As well as a seven-foot-tall Christmas tree in the corner near the fireplace. The lights blinked off and on, a colorful display of festivity. A stark contrast to the darkness she and Sam were battling. He turned with a small smile. “No. It wasn’t rude. I did get some money from Krissy’s life insurance policy, but mostly I’m just handy with a hammer and some power tools. I had a bit of time on my hands after she died.” He shrugged. “I couldn’t spend it all hidden away in my little cave in the mountains. Apparently, it made people worry about me.”

      “You still go there?” He’d always loved the caves in the hills. He knew that area better than anyone.

      “Sure. It’s a stress reliever for me. My get-away-from-everything place.”

      She scowled. “Maybe I should use it as my get-away-from-the-bad-guys place.”

      He smiled. “Come on and I’ll show you the guest bedroom. You want to stay in the same room with Sam, I suppose?”

      “Yes, that’s probably best.”

      “All of my family lives out of town now. Dad got a job transfer a couple of years ago and my sister and her husband and kids live in Nashville. They come visit every now and then. The kids love the ranch.”

      “How is Janine? I heard she made you an uncle again a few months ago.”

      “Yep.” He smiled. “That makes four for her. Two girls and two boys. She said Billy wanted a basketball team with two subs.”

      “Seven kids?”

      “I know.”

      “Think they’ll really go for seven?”

      “Looks like it. She’s homeschooling and seems to love every minute of it—even the days when she’s pulling out her hair and trying to balance their finances.” He smiled. “So, I know you’re tired. I’ve got two guest bedrooms. The one at the end of the hall has its own bath. Why don’t you use that one?”

      “Thanks.” She glanced at the clock hanging on his wall. “It’s only midnight. I thought it might be two or three in the morning.”

      “Feels like it. Follow me.”

      She did and soon she had Sam tucked in. The child was so tired he didn’t have the energy to protest or oppose his new surroundings. He simply closed his eyes and fell asleep.

      She heard footsteps in the hall and turned, her hand going to her weapon.

      “It’s just me,” Lance said.

      She relaxed a fraction. “Sorry.”

      “Your adrenaline is still racing.”

      “Must be.”

      “You’ll need to crash again soon.”

      She lifted a brow. “Hmm.”

      His lips curved in a slight smile and he handed her a pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt. “The pants belong to my sister who visits every so often. The shirt is mine. It’ll swallow you, but it’s clean and warm. The bathroom is stocked with whatever you need.”

      “Thanks.” She took the clothes and he stared a moment longer. She couldn’t read his expression and wasn’t sure she wanted to. “Is there something else?”

      He started to shake his head then stopped. “You’re not the same Amber Starke I used to know.”

      Amber let out a low laugh. “No, I’m definitely not the girl you used to know.” She paused. “Is that a bad thing?”

      “No. Not bad. Maybe not good either. But interesting. Definitely interesting.” He turned and left, and Amber watched him disappear into the den.

      Now what did he mean by that? He obviously felt the same tug of attraction she did. And while the thought was exhilarating, it was also...unnerving. She hadn’t planned to be in Wrangler’s Corner long, much less be attracted to a man she thought was lost