Risky Christmas. Jill Sorenson

the moment of wonder. Her heart did a funny little jump inside her chest, half pain, half joy. She wished John was here beside her, but doubted he’d have appreciated the sight.

      Swallowing hard, she tore her gaze away. It seemed strange to enjoy another man’s company, and unfair to compare him to her husband. She’d been unhappy with John and she hardly knew Brian.

      Nor could she get to know him. In the past twenty-four hours, they’d exchanged a meal and shared some very personal information. It was almost as if they’d skipped the acquaintance stage—and she wasn’t supposed to make close connections.

      She certainly couldn’t risk being more than friends.

      Her pulse throbbed with the realization that the idea appealed to her. He was handsome and compelling, an irresistible combination of light and dark. He had strong, callused hands. She wanted him to touch her.

      “I have to go,” she blurted.

      If he was disappointed by her announcement, he didn’t show it. They headed back and the girls danced along the shore once again, kicking up sand and saltwater. Leah avoided Brian’s gaze and he made no attempt to engage her in conversation.

      He didn’t speak at all until they reached his front walk. “Thanks for bringing me along,” he said. “It was nice.”

      Mandy and Alyssa ran next door and started ringing the bell for fun, a move that never failed to exasperate Leah.

      Brian took one look at her annoyed expression and laughed. “They like to try your patience.”

      “Constantly.”

      “It’s a good sign. Kids are supposed to misbehave.”

      Leah thought it might be a sign of lax discipline, but she kept that to herself. It was clear that he preferred her parenting style over whatever he’d experienced as a child. At best, he’d been neglected.

      “Why don’t you let me give you a swimming lesson?”

      “Stop that!” she called out to the girls, dodging his question. The idea of diving into the ocean terrified her.

      “I know a place with a heated pool. No big waves.”

      “That’s a very kind offer, but I can’t.”

      His eyes drifted south, settling on her damp tank top for a split second before rising back to her face. “Okay.”

      She forced a smile. Although she wanted to linger, she said goodbye and hurried away. Every moment she spent with him made her long for another, and she couldn’t bear to pin her heart on false hopes.

      She’d had enough loss in her life.

      Chapter 4

      The week passed quickly.

      Leah kept busy with the girls, taking them to the park and the movies and even the San Diego Zoo. They enjoyed a glorious stretch of warm weather. The winter break would be over soon, so she was glad they’d made the most of their time.

      Brian had been relegated to the back of her mind.

      Mostly.

      The girls spoke of him less often and no longer begged to pay him a visit. Like all children, they had short attention spans. Soon they would stop asking about him.

      Leah couldn’t forget him so easily. He’d always been visible, walking to the beach, working out of his truck. Now his presence seemed magnified. They exchanged polite smiles but avoided meaningful eye contact. It was difficult to pretend he wasn’t there. She felt him, even when she couldn’t see him. She wondered if he felt her.

      By Friday afternoon she’d grown restless. Before Brian knocked on her door, her lackluster existence had been bearable. His vibrancy and strength made her long for the things she didn’t know she’d missed.

      Cooking usually improved her outlook, so she decided to go to the market. Maybe a plate of fun party snacks would fill the emptiness inside her. It was almost New Year’s Eve. She could pretend she was hosting an upscale soiree.

      Witnesses in the program were encouraged to change their regular routines. Other than dropping off the kids at school and showing up to work on time, Leah kept a random schedule. Her habits as Leanne Houck, like going to Starbucks every morning or wearing designer clothes, were not part of her new persona.

      And she could no longer afford those luxuries she once took for granted. Shopping at Green Market was her one indulgence. She went there to buy fresh produce and quality ingredients every week or so.

      This afternoon she had a hankering for fresh mozzarella and imported olives. The selection of goods varied by region, and the Oceanside store had more foreign items than her old standby in Kansas City. Leah grabbed a cart and strolled up and down the aisles, perusing the well-stocked shelves.

      When Alyssa started fussing, Leah handed her a piece of sugar-free bubble gum from the bottom of her purse.

      “No fair,” Mandy said, stomping her foot. “I want one.”

      Leah couldn’t find anything but a stray quarter. “You can buy a gumball from the machine at the front of the store.”

      Alyssa tried to climb out of the cart. “Me, too!”

      Sighing, Leah lifted her up and set her down. “Hold your sister’s hand,” she ordered Mandy. “And come right back.”

      They raced off.

      “Walk!” she called after them, wincing at the loudness of her voice. She’d always admired serene parents but had no idea how to be one. It wasn’t like she wanted to screech at her children in public.

      Browsing the spices, she found a jar of saffron. There was a round mirror on the wall across from her, placed high enough that the store owner could keep an eye on the customers. When Leah glanced up, intending to make sure the girls hadn’t wandered too far, she caught a glimpse of a stocky man standing in the next aisle over.

      He turned and walked away, but not before she saw his face.

      It was Mariano Felix, her husband’s killer.

      The spice jar fell from her hand, shattering on the floor. Felix continued around the corner and disappeared.

      Leah’s heart seized in her chest. She’d only seen him for a split second. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Felix had distinctive wavy black hair and thick eyebrows. This man’s hair was shorter but his features were the same.

      Abandoning her cart, she ran toward the front of the store, looking for Mandy and Alyssa. No longer concerned with appearing calm, she yelled their names. They weren’t at the candy machines near the entrance.

      She spun around, searching the immediate vicinity. People were staring at her.

      When a man in a tie approached, blocking her view of the parking lot, she felt like shoving him out of the way. “Is there a problem, ma’am?”

      “My daughters are missing!”

      “I can page them on the loudspeaker,” he said.

      Leah didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t sure which direction they’d gone. What if Felix had followed them outside?

      She was about to bolt through the front entrance, screaming bloody murder, when she saw two small, dark-haired heads by the restroom door. There was a drinking fountain against the far wall. Of course.

      Mandy and Alyssa walked toward her, hand in hand.

      “I see them,” Leah said, nodding at the grocer. Instead of taking her children and leaving the store, she ducked into the bathroom with them, her pulse pounding. With shaking hands, she removed the cell phone from her purse and dialed the U.S. Marshals Service.

      “What’s wrong?” Mandy asked.

      “Never do that again,” Leah said, somewhere between furious