A Laramie, Texas Christmas. Cathy Gillen Thacker

he has a beard,” she confirmed, squirming in Kevin’s arms, even as he tried to help her back on her feet. Not an easy task, since she was still slightly off balance and had a child in her arms. “But this man is not Santa Claus.”

      “No kidding,” a low male voice agreed. Kevin relaxed at the sight of the uniformed lawman coming around the corner of the house. Rio Vasquez had his hand on his holster, but when he spotted the three of them tangled up on the partially collapsed wooden stairs, he dropped his arm and quickened his steps.

      “Thank heaven you’re here!” Kevin’s would-be jailer said.

      Rio gave Kevin an odd look that gave nothing away before turning back to the copper-haired beauty. “You’re the woman who called in to report an attempted burglary on Miss Sadie’s property?”

      “Yes. I’m Noelle Kringle,” she stated firmly, agitated color flooding her cheeks as she squirmed out of Kevin’s arms.

      He told himself he wasn’t sorry to let her go, that he hadn’t really enjoyed holding her soft warm body next to his, any more than he had enjoyed inhaling the lavender scent of her perfume.

      “I’m glad you’re here, Deputy…Vasquez,” Noelle said haughtily, reading the name on his badge. “I was trying to make a citizen’s arrest.”

      Kevin had to give his buddy credit—Rio didn’t so much as flinch, even at the phony-sounding name. Instead, he merely lifted his brow and waited for “Noelle Kringle” to go on.

      “I saw him checking out the stuff in my van,” Noelle continued, with an accusing look aimed Kevin’s way.

      “Which is when you called the sheriff’s department and then hung up on the 9-1-1 operator,” Rio guessed.

      Noelle nodded. “I came out to stop him from taking anything. He wouldn’t leave when I asked him to. So I decided to detain him until you arrived.”

      Rio made a few notes on the pad in front of him while Noelle shifted her son to her other hip. Noting that the little boy was looking at the holiday storybook he had dropped, Kevin leaned forward to retrieve it. After making sure there were no splinters clinging to it, he handed it back to the kid and was rewarded with a beaming smile.

      “Not to mention the fact that he scared me half to death sneaking up on the house that way.”

      “I would hardly call it sneaking. I turned off the road, drove up the lane and got out of my Jeep.”

      “Only after sitting out on the berm for a good two or three minutes, casing the property.”

      Kevin shrugged. “Things looked suspicious. I know Miss Sadie’s been out of town. I figured I’d come on up here and figure out what was going on.”

      Noelle turned back to Rio. “He also claimed he was a lawman, if you can believe that!”

      Rio played along. “Really.”

      “Of course he didn’t have a badge.”

      Kevin wasn’t sure whether he was more irked or amused. “I didn’t take it with me. I usually don’t when I go fishing for two weeks. I mean, who am I going to arrest—a recalcitrant bass?”

      Rio narrowed his black eyes in typical enough-with-the-monkey-business manner. “What do you have to say for yourself, McCabe?” he asked.

      “Well…” Kevin took his time coming to any conclusions. “I was pretty scared.” He pointed at the discarded “weapon.” “She was threatening me with that plastic candy cane over there.”

      Unable to help himself, Rio grinned, then began to chuckle.

      Realization flooded Noelle. She did not look pleased by her conclusion, Kevin noted.

      “You two know each other?” she asked.

      Rio nodded slowly. “Kevin is a deputy with the Laramie County Sheriff’s Department, too. Although you’d never know it by looking at him now.”

      Some of the color left Noelle’s face. She blinked at Kevin in astonishment. “So you were telling the truth!”

      She didn’t need to look quite so amazed. “Ah—yeah.” Kevin looked at Rio. “Can you believe it? She didn’t think I was a McCabe, either.”

      Rio swept off his hat and ran his fingers through his black hair. A commiserating smirk dominated his handsome features. “Is that right?”

      “She said I looked too disreputable to be a member of that clan.”

      “Well.” Rio sighed and set his hat back on his head. “It is an upstanding family. You do not look the least bit respectable.”

      “Right.” Kevin turned back to Noelle, whose eyes were alive with emotion as she cuddled her toddler close to her chest. “What was it you called me—a trespassing bum?”

      She flushed a becoming pink, while Rio laughed. “In her defense, you do look pretty seedy at the moment,” he teased.

      Kevin pretended to be irked. “Speak for yourself.” He paused, ready to get down to business. “So what’s going on with Miss Sadie?”

      “Do you mind if we go inside?” Noelle interrupted, shivering. “It’s a little chilly for my son.”

      “Sure.”

      Because of the state of the side staircase, they had to enter through the front door, which she unlocked with a key. The last time Kevin had been inside the home had been to pay his respects the previous January, after Miss Sadie’s husband, Alfred, died. It had been immaculate. Now, it was dusty and bore the faintly stale air of a house that had been unoccupied. More alarming still, the formal living room was covered with ripped envelopes, and papers were scattered across the floor. Half a dozen suitcases stood in the foyer, and it looked as if a pot of tea had splashed against one cream-colored wall. “What the heck happened here?” he said in shock. “Did someone break in while Miss Sadie was on her cruise?”

      Noelle and Rio exchanged a glance that left Kevin feeling he was the one on the outside looking in.

      “The property was fine when she arrived home from her cruise day before yesterday,” Noelle said. “The problem occurred when she made herself a pot of tea, sat down to catch up on her mail and found out she’d been the victim of identity theft. She got so upset she forgot her suitcases were in the hall, and she tripped as she was headed back to the kitchen to make another pot of tea and telephone the authorities.”

      Rio added grimly, “She broke her leg and had to have surgery yesterday.”

      “And now she’s been moved to the nursing home across the street for the next six to eight weeks,” Noelle continued.

      “Your brother Riley is her family doctor and is taking care of her,” Rio said.

      Kevin looked at Noelle. “How did you get involved?”

      “I’m good friends with her great-nephew, Dash Nelson, and I’ve done a lot of work as an event planner for Miss Sadie in Houston.”

      That made sense. Kevin knew Miss Sadie split her time between her place in the city and her country home in Laramie County, spending equal amounts in each. Sadie Nelson was a noted philanthropist, always masterminding one charity event or another.

      “Dash asked me if I would come up and pick up some things to take over to the nursing home for her. Dressing table, favorite rocking chair…things like that. I didn’t think her jewelry—much of which is very valuable—should be left out here under the circumstances, so I put that in the van, too. I figured I would give it to Dash for safekeeping when he gets here later this evening, until Miss Sadie is feeling better.”

      Kevin had a passing acquaintance with the Houston-based attorney. He was a nice guy. Upstanding. Devoted to his aunt Sadie and late uncle Alfred.

      Noelle set her squirming son down on the floor. He