Mission: Survive the Holidays

A Mountie Brotherhood story

Cally Roslin came to northern British Columbia to enjoy a charming Canadian Christmas—until somebody tries to kill her. But when she becomes the target of multiple attacks, Aaron Thrace, the handsome Mountie assigned to protect her, is certain it’s no coincidence. Danger is swiftly closing in on Cally, and with hazardous snowstorms on the horizon, there’ll soon be no place to run…

MICHELLE KARL is an unabashed bibliophile and a romantic suspense author. She lives in Canada with her husband and an assortment of critters, including a codependent cat and an opinionated parrot. When she’s not reading and consuming copious amounts of coffee, she writes the stories she’d like to find in her “to be read” pile. She also loves animals, world music and eating the last piece of cheesecake.

Also By Michelle Karl

Mountie Brotherhood

Wilderness Pursuit

Accidental Eyewitness

Christmas Under Fire

Fatal Freeze

Unknown Enemy

Outside the Law

Silent Night Threat

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Christmas Under Fire

Michelle Karl

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08653-0

CHRISTMAS UNDER FIRE

© 2018 Faith Boughan

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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“I thought I saw someone slip between the stores back there.”

Aaron frowned. “I’d like to say we don’t need to worry about it, but after all that’s happened, I’m not taking any chances. Come on, let’s get off the main drag.”

He led them down the next street, taking a shortcut around the block before meeting back up with the main street again. The moment they walked up to the corner, Cally gasped. The shadowy shape was back, and it appeared to be a person leaning against a wall under a store awning. It looked as though the person was waiting for something. Or someone.

“Aaron...” Cally couldn’t stop her voice from wavering.

“I see him,” Aaron said in a low tone. “Come on, we’re almost to the station. If we hurry—”

But as they took the first steps to resume their journey, Cally couldn’t resist the urge to look over her shoulder.

She almost screamed.

The white-clad figure had started moving, and the person was running straight for them.

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for joining Aaron and Cally during the holidays! No matter where you’re from or how you celebrate—or who you celebrate with!—I hope that it’s a season of peace and joy for you.

Like Cally, you might have a challenging family situation to manage. Or like Aaron, you may come from a loving, close-knit family that helps each other out in a pinch. Perhaps you’re experiencing a season of loss, like Cally, and I think it is especially important to acknowledge that Christmas can be a difficult time for those who are grieving. Wherever God has placed you this holiday season—and whomever He has placed you with—I hope you feel His presence and His grace in the busyness and in the quiet moments.

I’m honored that during the bustle of the season, you’ve chosen to spend time between these pages. Aaron is the final Thrace brother to be married in the Mountie Brotherhood series, so if you missed Sam’s and Leo’s stories, be sure to check them out, too!

Blessings,

Michelle

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

—Matthew 11:28

To everyone who demonstrated patience and grace while I was writing this book.

You know who you are. Thank you.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

ONE

Cally Roslin stepped out of the small airplane and shivered as a blast of icy northern wind cut through the dampness in the air. It seemed to slice into her heavy winter coat and snow pants and cling to her skin like a layer of frost. She’d experienced a Canadian winter before, but the late December temperatures in Toronto had felt nothing like this introduction to the climate of northern British Columbia. It made her miss the dry warmth of her homeland, the Kingdom of Amar. She clutched the edges of her puffy jacket’s hood around her face to keep her cheeks from taking the full brunt of the cold and gripped the railing with her other hand. The thick glove she wore squished against the metal, and she had to squint to keep her eyes open as she descended the metal staircase to the tarmac.

She sighed in relief as she reached the bottom step. An attendant wearing an airport ID badge quickly ushered her inside the main building—which was the only building for passengers, as far as she could see. Cally had checked out the website for the Rocky North Regional Airport before boarding the tiny aircraft in Vancouver for the second leg of her journey, and so she’d expected the rural, unsecured facility to be small and sparse. But she hadn’t realized how sparse until seeing it with her own eyes.

The terminal consisted of one open concourse with a few benches, vending machines, workstations and two side rooms marked as Gate One and Gate Two. The waiting areas for these looked about as large and exciting as her dentist’s office—which was to say, not at all. She saw no other passengers and only one other attendant working behind a service desk. At least the place was clean and warm, with bright lighting to counterbalance the diminishing daylight outside and a selection of garish Christmas decorations to celebrate the season. Despite only being around four o’clock in the afternoon, the sun looked ready to call it quits for the day.

Cold, dark and a little lonely. It’s what I wanted, isn’t it?

Cally scanned the room a second time. In an email exchange, her local friend, Ellen, whose wedding Cally had used as an excuse to get away from her life in Amar for a little while, had mentioned that a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer would be arriving to chauffeur her to a rental cabin in Fort Mason. The cozy place was to be her home for the next two weeks or so until the wedding, and she was looking forward to spending Christmas with her friend and finally having some blessed respite from everyone and everything else back home.

Cally had also received official communications from the RCMP before leaving for Canada, but was trying not to think much of it. The message had called her a foreign dignitary and said she’d been assigned a personal concierge for the duration of her trip, a federal law enforcement officer who she assumed was the same person Ellen had mentioned would be playing chauffeur.

But standing in the nearly empty terminal, Cally felt a twinge of relief at the absence of anyone waiting for her. She was no dignitary, and certainly not deserving of any special attention. Yes, she technically belonged to Amar’s royal bloodline, but her claim to the throne was so distant that it barely counted. Back home, it afforded her the lowest possible level of privilege, in the sense of a title and special designation on official forms and documents like her passport—and it got her into certain special events on the guest list—but she lived an average, everyday life. Especially after the sudden death of her husband eighteen months ago in a tragic car accident.

These days, she spent most of her time taking on freelance graphic design projects and binge-watching home renovation shows, in an attempt to hide inside her small apartment and avoid unwanted advice and “help” from her overbearing family. Not that the strategy worked most of the time. They’d never approved of her marrying Esai, a non-Amaran she’d met as a university student, in the first place. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d gone a full night without her mother or another relative phoning to tell her what she should do now that she was “free” and “back on the market.” She’d tried to explain how much their words hurt, but they either ignored her pleas or refused to understand. Some days she almost missed the rigid schedule and isolation of Amar’s compulsory year of military service.

“Excuse me, miss?”

Cally turned around to see the smiling female airport attendant taking tentative steps her way. “Yes?”

The woman clasped her hands together. “I’m so sorry, but the airport closes at four o’clock today, in five minutes. I see that your luggage has been brought inside, but do you have someone coming to pick you up? Or do you need help to arrange transportation?”

It closed at four? That wasn’t something she’d accounted for—evidently she’d missed that on the airport website. But shouldn’t her supposed escort have already arrived, in that case? “I...someone is apparently on their way. I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”

As the woman walked away, it dawned on Cally that she should probably freshen up before the drive to Fort Mason. The journey from Amar to northern BC had taken all day, and her teeth felt fuzzy. Five minutes was plenty of time to get the job done.

Cally rolled her suitcase from the back doors to a small alcove by the front entrance, then slipped into the ladies’ washroom and headed for the wheelchair stall to hang up her winter gear before landing at the sink. She brushed her teeth, ran a brush through her knotted hair and swiped a coat of gloss on her dry lips. Feeling cleaner and more put-together than she had in hours, she ducked back into the washroom stall to bundle up again. A few minutes later, she was re-dressed and ready to go.

She stepped out of the washroom into a darkened airport.

“Hello? Anyone here?” Her stomach squeezed with confusion. Had everyone left and closed up for the day? How had they forgotten about her when her luggage was still out in the open—

She groaned. Because it wasn’t in the open. She’d moved it off into the alcove where it wouldn’t be in anyone’s way. She’d done too good a job at being unobtrusive. The attendant she’d spoken to probably saw the empty space where her suitcase had been and assumed she’d left. Cally hadn’t heard anyone come into the washroom, either, but then again, she’d left the stall door open while taking off her winter gear and putting it back on—so if anyone had glanced quickly inside, they’d have seen a full row of open stalls and surmised the room was empty.

The world outside the bay windows was dark, the sun’s rays having almost fully disappeared below the horizon. She checked the front doors and discovered she wasn’t locked in. The doors swung open when she pressed on the crash bar, but the world outside was nothing but parking lot and empty green space surrounded by heavy forest. If she left the building, the doors might very well lock behind her, and then she’d be out in the cold with no shelter. But what if her ride was still on his way? If he drove into the parking lot and saw a darkened building, he might simply turn around and leave.

Cally looked around for something to brace the door open a crack, to indicate somebody was still inside. Using her cell phone flashlight, she illuminated the space near the doors and saw a triangular doorstop. She shoved it under one of the doors, cracking it open by about ten centimeters.

Her stomach growled as she turned off her cell phone’s flashlight to conserve battery. She took note of the reception icon, which indicated that she didn’t have any service. She supposed that shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering her remote location. There had to be a courtesy phone around that she could use to call a taxi or emergency services to let somebody know she’d been left behind.

She glanced across the terminal concourse, searching for a phone in the dim light. A vending machine gave off a faint glow from the inside, illuminating the potato chips and chocolate bars within—but more important, the soft light reached far enough to reveal a wall-mounted phone next to it.

Perfect. I can call for a ride and grab a snack for the drive, something to tide me over until dinner. She took a step toward the phone.

The shadows to her right shifted.

She gasped and flinched, but sensed no further movement. Had she imagined it? She swung her gaze from one side to the other, but the room’s interior remained still and motionless.

And then the back of her neck felt prickly, as if she was being watched. She whirled around, but saw only darkness and the faint red glow of the emergency exit.

Maybe my original ride is finally here, she thought. Maybe he’s looking through the window wondering where I am. He could be in the parking lot right now, so I should probably check to make sure he doesn’t miss seeing the propped-open door and leave.

She took a step toward the front entrance, but glanced back at the phone and vending machine as a strange sense of wrongness washed over her.

Another shadow moved. Her insides twisted.

“Hello?” She whirled around, backing up to the entrance. “Who’s there? I have a law enforcement escort and a killer left hook, so you’d better not—”

A rough swath of fabric plunged over her head, covering her face and blocking the dim light. She screamed as she felt a tug at her arms.

Someone is trying to kidnap me!

“Leave me alone!” she screamed and lashed out with her fists. The attacker grabbed hold of her wrists, apparently trying to control her flailing limbs, so she drove her knee upward instead—but her opposite foot slipped on the slick tile floor and her kneecap smacked into a bench. Her leg buckled beneath her, and her wrists were wrenched from her captor’s grasp as she fell through the air.

Then she heard a bang. Something hard slammed into the back of her head, and the world went silent.

RCMP officer Aaron Thrace lunged through the airport’s main entrance and caught the woman as she fell, centimeters before she landed on the hard tile. Had something or someone hit her as he’d rushed inside? A shadowy figure took off across the moonlit terminal and, before Aaron could even draw his weapon, slammed into the crash bar of a door underneath an exit sign on the other side of the concourse and plunged into the frigid night air. Aaron wanted to follow after the perp and serve immediate justice for whatever had transpired in the seconds before his arrival, but the safety of the person in front of him came first.

The woman groaned as she came to, her eyes hazy and unfocused. He sat her down on one of the plastic chairs by the door, keeping watch on both her and their dark surroundings. Why on earth had she been inside the shuttered airport all alone? He’d called ahead and told the attendant at the front desk that he would be several minutes behind schedule due to traffic on the highway from Fort Mason, and the attendant had agreed to stick around until he arrived. Had someone duped the attendant into leaving? He had to assume that the woman in front of him was Ms. Roslin, the dignitary from Amar whom he’d been assigned to escort and assist for the duration of her visit. What had happened here?

“Ms. Roslin?” He pulled the swath of fabric, which had been knocked askew, from her face, and her eyes suddenly opened wide. She inhaled sharply and leaped up from the chair, backing away with a fierce growl. He held his hands up in a show of nonaggression. “Aaron Thrace, RCMP. I’m not going to harm you, but someone just tried to. Are you injured?”

The snarl slipped away as her features relaxed. “Oh. Oh! I don’t...no, I don’t think so. I was accidentally left behind in the airport and then someone came out of nowhere—”

Her gentle, lilting accent endeared her to him immediately, but intellectually he knew that was simply a cognitive reaction to hearing certain types of accents. Still, it was heartbreaking to hear a lovely voice like hers recounting such an agonizing ordeal. “If you’re uninjured, will you be all right waiting here while I search the perimeter?” She nodded but didn’t look confident about it. “Are you sure? I won’t be a minute. I’m going to check outside of these doors and then confirm it’s safe to bring you to the car. Did you notice if your attacker had a weapon?”

She shook her head this time, with greater resolution. “I didn’t see one, but it was dark. The person grabbed me with both hands. It felt like they were trying to get me under control—like they were going to pick me up and take me somewhere? I’m not sure, sorry. They did shove something over my head first...oh, maybe it was that scarf on the floor?”

Welcome to Canada, he thought bitterly. “All right. Sit tight and don’t move. Shout if you need me and I’ll be back in a snap.” He waited until she’d sat down again, then crossed the darkened concourse’s perimeter. Whoever had attacked her might have simply taken off when their abduction attempt had been thwarted, but the Rocky North Regional Airport wasn’t exactly located in a densely populated area. If anyone had driven off in a vehicle or run across the property to escape, Aaron was likely to spot the retreat. He hadn’t noticed any other cars in the parking lot, though, which meant that her attacker was probably still lurking around a corner, waiting for him and Ms. Roslin to leave first.

Aaron rested his hand on his Taser but didn’t draw it. Canadian regulations required him to keep his weapons holstered the majority of the time, until he had a perfectly good reason to draw one. And without a blatant threat in front of him, he simply had to pay close attention to his surroundings and be quick on the draw if necessary.

He leaned against the edge of the window and squinted into the darkness. If he’d known the scene would be so dark, he’d have brought night vision goggles. He thought he might have a pair in the back of his patrol car, but that was on the other side of the terminal concourse. He was unwilling to take his charge outside until he was certain she’d be safe—because even if the culprit had used both hands to grab at Ms. Roslin, it didn’t guarantee that the person wasn’t armed.

When he didn’t spot any movement outside the windows, he glanced back at the woman. Her slight form was curled into the chair, knees pulled up to her chest and arms wrapped around her shins. She’d bowed her head, and he wondered if she might be praying. His heart tightened at her vulnerability, and he felt a sudden, unwanted tug at his core. To have come so far from home during what should be a joyful time of year, only to be attacked the moment she landed at her destination...well, that was a terrible way to start off a Christmas holiday.

His briefing on Ms. Roslin’s visit had also mentioned that she was a recent widow, which he suspected might explain why she’d closed herself off so quickly. She was likely feeling frightened and alone. While he could never claim to understand what she’d gone through, the sense of loneliness resonated with him. His youngest brother, Sam, had gotten married earlier in the year, and his other brother Leo’s wedding was scheduled for just a few weeks from now as a Christmas-themed affair. Aaron didn’t even have a date to accompany him to the wedding.

Not that it bothered him. Much. He had a job to do, and that responsibility came first.

He checked the washrooms, turning on as many lights as possible as he moved from space to space. Both of the two small lounges designated as flight gates had their doors locked from the inside, so the attacker couldn’t get back into the airport unless he happened to have a key to the main entrance.

Aaron jogged back to the front doors and gently pushed the right door open. His patrol car sat about ten meters away—not too far, but hopefully at enough of a distance that he’d see anyone running at them with enough time to react. With no movement on either side of the building, and dim outdoor lights illuminating the front walkway under the entrance overhang, he made a decision.

“Ms. Roslin, I’d like to get you situated inside my patrol car. Are you ready to move?”

“Yes, please.” She glanced around as though looking for something. “And I realize this might seem like a silly concern, all things considered, but what about my luggage? I don’t mind if someone can bring it along later, but I might need to stop at a store for some basics on the way if that’s all right. And if you think it’s safe to do so.”

“Where is it? Does it contain anything critical?”

She pointed to a dark alcove on the other side of the doorway. “It’s standard size, rolling wheels. I have my passport and papers in my purse, but the suitcase has a bottle of melatonin tablets to help me sleep.”

Not too critical, then. He suspected she’d be able to find melatonin at the pharmacy, so that wasn’t a problem. It’d be an extra layer of complication and a potential risk to bring her suitcase along. However, the airport wouldn’t open again until ten o’clock the next morning, and the backup he’d be calling to check out the crime scene would be coming from Fort St. Jacob, a slightly larger town located a few hours south of Fort Mason. Fort St. Jacob had more RCMP officers in their detachment, and unlike at Fort Mason, half of them hadn’t temporarily left the area for the holidays—but it’d still be a significant burden on their already limited time for one of the Fort St. Jacob officers to bring the suitcase up to Fort Mason.

He made a decision, found her suitcase and rolled it over. It wasn’t light, but he’d be able to lift it quickly into the patrol car’s trunk. “I’m going to get you into the car first. If I deem it safe after the fact, I’ll load the suitcase. Is that acceptable?”

“Of course.” Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. In retrospect, he’d been a little harsh with his tone, which was unnecessary. She stood and unzipped the collar of her puffy winter jacket, readjusting a chunky knit scarf and a necklace that had somehow become tangled together in the scuffle, then zipped all her layers back into place.

“Did you knit your scarf yourself?” He tried to put her at ease, because he needed her to listen. When she nodded, eyes wide at the strangeness of the question in the moment, he knew she was paying attention. “It’s really nice. Okay, we’re about to head outside. Wait for my signal. Stay close. If anything happens, keep behind me.” He ushered her to the door, opened it a crack and looked out a second time. It’d be a great help if you could give me an all clear, God.

Instead, a light dusting of snow began to fall. As peaceful as gently falling snow looked during the daytime, right now it meant obscured vision in the darkness—for himself and the attacker. It’d be annoying to drive through on the way back to town, but for the moment, he’d have to try using the reduced visibility to his advantage. He unlocked the patrol car remotely, then scanned the area one more time.

“We go in three, two, one...and move.” With his arm draped over her back, he hurried her toward the car. He surveyed the area as they moved, but they reached the vehicle without incident. He kept watch as she slipped inside. The coast seemed clear, which meant retrieving her suitcase was the right call. “I’m locking this while I get your luggage. I’ll be gone only a few seconds.”

He shut the car door before he could hear her response and jogged back to the terminal. He opened the airport door just far enough to slide inside, pull the suitcase out and close the doors. Because he didn’t feel comfortable simply driving away with the front doors of the airport unsecured, he took a pair of handcuffs off his belt and clipped them around the handles. It was a pretty shoddy way to secure the place, but it wouldn’t take long for additional RCMP officers to arrive once he called in the incident.

A rustling nearby made him pause. He squinted into the light around the front entrance. The falling snow—which had already grown denser—in front of the illuminated area made it hard to see into the dark spaces where the light didn’t reach.

A sense of intuitive dread washed over him, and before his brain and body made the connection, a black shape darted out of the shadows...and headed straight toward him.

TWO

Cally muffled her scream with a gloved hand as the black-clad attacker darted out of the shadows toward Officer Thrace. She watched with helpless frustration as the officer withdrew his Taser and dropped into a firing stance, but the assailant changed course and sidestepped him, instead grabbing onto the handle of Cally’s rolling suitcase.

What on earth...?

The aggressor must have underestimated the weight of the suitcase, because as soon as he—Cally could only assume the person was a he—wrapped his fingers around the handle, he lurched, momentum coming to a halt. Her breath grew shallow as Aaron jumped at him, looking prepared to wrestle him to the ground, but the man released the handle and bolted instead toward the patrol car.

Did the man have a weapon after all? She squished into the corner of the back seat, trying to make herself as small a target as possible—but right before the black-clad figure reached the car, he ducked and reappeared in the rear window, racing across the airport’s property before plunging into the tree line of the forest that surrounded the facility.

Moments later, Cally grimaced at the heavy thud of her suitcase landing in the trunk. She pulled her gaze away from the trees and, out of habit, pressed her hand against the place her locket rested on her sternum. A gift from her uncle Zarek—the only relative who actually bothered to respect her boundaries and who hadn’t treated her as a pariah for marrying Esai—the locket held a precious photo inside of herself and her late husband, one of the few her mother hadn’t destroyed or deleted without permission after Esai’s passing. She couldn’t feel the locket through the numerous layers of heavy winter clothing, but knowing it was there brought her comfort. She closed her eyes for a moment to regather her bearings—and flinched as the patrol car door swung open with a creak.

“Not exactly the warm Canadian welcome you should have received,” Officer Thrace said, slipping into the driver’s seat. “Ms. Roslin, I’m so sorry that your first moments here were not positive. I assure you that the RCMP will be doing everything we can to figure out who that man is and what he wants, and the airport will undoubtedly be doing a thorough review of their closing procedures. Leaving you inside unattended was unacceptable, and you may be able to file charges, should you so desire.”

She sighed, trying to release some of the tension in her shoulders. “I’m sure that won’t be necessary, but I appreciate your concern. I’m just glad that we’re all right. Are you okay?”

He twisted around in his seat to look at her. “I am. I have to call the incident in while we drive, but can you think of any reason why someone would go after you or your belongings? Does anyone know you’re here who might wish you harm?”

That was the oddest and most incredulous notion so far. “No, I don’t think so. Honestly, Officer, only a couple people know I’m here... I’m actually trying to get away from most of my family, if you can believe it.” She chuckled without humor. “My friend Ellen knows I’m coming to visit, of course, but she’s engaged to an RCMP officer, so I really don’t think there’d be any connection that way.”

“Ellen Biers, right? Her fiancé is my younger brother.”

Well, that was news. “Really? Small world.”

“Small town, more like. Look, if you can’t see a connection, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s likely that you weren’t specifically targeted, but just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Considering you weren’t noticed and got left behind inside the airport, it’s entirely feasible that someone else could have hidden inside in order to commit a crime of opportunity. We’ve had some issues with theft and illegal weapons up north this year, so my gut reaction is that the individual was likely looking for something valuable to steal. He may have been trying to get a hold of you to snatch your purse or threaten you into handing over cash, valuables, the like. Trying to steal the suitcase seemed like a last-ditch effort from someone truly desperate—in need of money, trying to find something to steal and sell. Either way, like I said, it’s unacceptable, and on behalf of the RCMP and the nation of Canada, I can’t apologize enough.”

If what had happened hadn’t been so serious, she might have actually laughed in that moment. The man was so sincere and so concerned she almost hated to burst his bubble. “On behalf of, uh...myself, I accept your apology, and remind you that I’m nobody special. I don’t need the nation of Canada’s apology, nice as that is. I’m literally no one of importance, even in my own country—especially in my own country, so I’m honestly still a little baffled as to why I’m receiving a personal escort at all.”

Not that she was complaining. She was very glad he’d arrived when he did, and he cut a heroic, imposing figure in the shadowy light. She had a feeling that once they had better lighting, she might feel the same way about the rest of his features.

And then she immediately felt guilty for thinking like that at all.

Esai had been gone all of eighteen months. That was it, and yet some days it seemed as though she’d been alone for as long as she could remember. The car accident that had taken his life had happened so suddenly and so unexpectedly that some days the lack of closure brought tears to her eyes without warning. Other days, she accepted the events as God’s will. It was hard to balance the two, especially when the rest of her family continued to pelt her with their theories over what had happened in the accident, their opinions on Esai, and worst of all, their patronizing advice regarding Cally’s love life now that she was “free” of him. In the past six months alone, she’d been the victim of no less than two “accidental” blind dates and three “good-natured” interventions. Why couldn’t everyone just leave her be and accept that people processed grief in different ways and at their own pace?

When, and if, she was ready to love again, she’d know. And not a moment sooner.

Officer Thrace cleared his throat as he pulled the patrol car onto the road, and she tried to focus on the scenery outside the car window as he called in the incident. Thick flakes of soft snow fluttered past the glass and collected on the ground beside them as they drove.

He chuckled a few minutes later. “First time seeing snow?”

Heat rose to her cheeks. “No, but it’s been a very, very long time. Why do you ask?”

“There’s wonder in your eyes. That twinkle is almost as bright as the snowflakes outside. Just wait until the snow accumulates even higher over the next few days—you’ll get the real northern Canadian experience. Might even get to see some snowmen in the yards if it’s the right kind of fresh snow, or join in on a snowball fight at one of the community events coming up.”

“There are different kinds of snow?”

He grinned, putting her at ease. “Just you wait. And for the record, it’s not that it’s necessarily about who you are that you’re getting a personal escort, more about where you’re from and where you’ve chosen to visit. Since you do have that Amar royal family connection on all your official documentation, plus this is a rather remote area and our countries have recently ratified a stronger trade agreement, the RCMP thought it would be wise to give you some, uh...”

His voice trailed off, but she had a feeling she knew what he’d been about to say. “Special treatment?”

“Well, yes.”

“That’s very kind. But not necessary.” The window began to fog up next to her, and she rubbed it with her glove. “Though in retrospect, I do appreciate that you were scheduled to come to the airport. I’m scared to think what might have happened if you hadn’t shown up.”

He smiled at her through the rearview mirror. “I’d say that’s God’s timing, Ms. Roslin.”

“Cally,” she said. “Please just call me Cally. I’m here to get away from being Ms. Roslin for a little while, if you don’t mind.”

The conversation stalled as they drove, the snow falling thicker and faster on the dark road. Cally wondered how Officer Thrace could see anything as he navigated the route—the way the snow came at them, it looked like they were entering warp drive in a spaceship, like in one of those sci-fi movies Esai had loved so much. Her throat tightened at the thought.

“How far is it to Fort Mason?” she asked to distract herself.

“During the day and good weather, about thirty minutes. Right now, with the snow coming down the way it is...maybe another forty-five or so, hopefully less. RCMP patrol cars have high-quality snow tires on them. That sound you hear while we’re driving? Those are the chains the detachment has put on around this time of year so we can make it through big storms and deep ice freezes without too much trouble.”

Snow tires? Chains? Cally wondered what she’d gotten herself into. On the other hand, she’d wanted to get away from her old life. So what better way than to dive into a completely opposite climate, too?

The quiet in the car, save for the occasional chatter over the police radio, seemed to stretch thin. She didn’t want to interrupt the man while he drove, but at the same time, she still felt jumpy from the attack at the airport and didn’t want to dwell too deeply on those thoughts.

“Have you been in law enforcement for a long time, Officer Thrace?”

When he answered, she heard the smile in his voice. “If I’m to call you Cally, you might as well call me Aaron while we’re in conversation. Fair?”

“Fair.”

“And yes, I have. My father was in the RCMP and I followed his footsteps. I was part of the Musical Ride in Ottawa for a while—it’s better if I show you what that is rather than explain it, but it’s essentially a part ceremonial, part entertainment event where the participating Mounties dress up in our traditional reds and ride horses in formation. It’s much more impressive than I’m making it sound, I assure you.”

“It sounds lovely, and I’d be happy to learn more. I love horses, but I’m not much of a rider.” She’d taken lessons as a child, but hadn’t been on a horse more than once or twice since then. Before she could ask what kind of horses the RCMP used, the car slipped sideways with a sudden lurch. She gasped in alarm, but Aaron appeared to be unfazed. “Is this kind of weather normal?”

“Every winter,” he said. “Some days—some years—it’s worse than others, but the visibility isn’t always this low. And these tires should help to keep us steady—they help grip the road if I need to correct quickly like that. The real danger is potentially not seeing other vehicles as they approach, especially when the space in the lanes is reduced and, like you can probably see outside your window, it’s almost impossible to see the center line.”

Potentially not seeing someone, like the man in the airport...who could be coming after me right now.

Cally tried to shove the thought away. It was irrational to think anyone was after her, especially after Officer Thrace—no, Aaron—had mentioned the area’s issues with theft. Still, she couldn’t help glancing out the rear window, searching for the glow of headlights or a shadowy movement on the road. How had the culprit gotten away? He’d run into the forest. Had there been a getaway car waiting? Surely he hadn’t just hoofed it through the snow until reaching his destination.

“When the center lane is obscured, it can be a real challenge to stay positioned on the correct side of the road,” Aaron continued, “though in rarer cases—”

She turned back around in her seat—and screamed as a massive black shape suddenly materialized in the road ahead of them.

Aaron shouted and swerved, yanking on the steering wheel so hard that the car slid and spun, the tail end careening sideways. When he tried to correct, the chains gripped hard and the car counterbalanced too far. The car pitched into the ditch, rolled forward and slammed into a tree with a jarring thump.

The airbag exploded with a bang. Cally’s forehead banged into the seat in front of her, then smacked against the headrest as she was jolted backward. Pain shot through her head for the second time that day. Blackness tried to creep around the edge of her vision but she willed it away, adrenaline keeping her awake as she tried to make sense of the scene outside the car window.

She blinked away the sparks and moved her limbs carefully, touching her sides and the back of her head to check for injury. To her relief, nothing seemed broken or badly damaged. In the back of her mind, she knew that God had been looking out for them—but thanking God for keeping them from harm seemed like too much.

He hadn’t been looking out for Esai, after all.

And then she realized that Aaron hadn’t moved.

Aaron blinked, trying to stave off the pounding in his head as his airbag deflated. His immediate thought was for Cally, but he was having trouble forming the words. His mouth felt like it was full of cotton balls, and his teeth hurt.

“Aaron?”

Thank you, Lord. At least they were both alive.

He tried to move his arm and found that he could. He gave her a thumbs-up to indicate he was all right, but it occurred to him after the fact that she wasn’t from North America and might not understand the gesture. Or it might mean something terribly rude in Amar.

“I’m all right,” she said, preempting his question. “Though I have an awful headache. Shaken but otherwise unharmed. Do you need help?”

It took several more tries before he was able to force the words out. “Mildly battered and bruised, but the car took the worst of it. Not as bad as what might have happened if I hadn’t swerved, though.”

With the airbag fully deflated, he was able to twist around in his seat to check on her. Cally regarded him with a mixture of incredulity and disbelief.

“You swerved? We weren’t attacked? I didn’t think it was wise to swerve for anything in the road.”

“Most of the time, no. It’s not. But that was a moose, and you definitely swerve for a moose.” He looked through the back window, trying to spot whether the animal was still on the road. If it was and anyone else came along during this weather, they might not have the benefit of snow tires with ice chains. Their swerve could have been much worse, especially if the tires hadn’t slowed their momentum before they ran into the tree—or, in an older vehicle, he might not have been able to react in time to avoid hitting the massive animal.

Cally still looked confused, so he continued his explanation. “Surviving an impact with a moose is...unlikely. You hit a moose, and a disproportionate amount of the time, the moose is going to win. Fatalities are a strong possibility.”

Color drained from Cally’s cheeks. “In that case, I’m very glad that we’re here in this ditch as an alternative. But how are we going to get out?”

He sighed and sat back in his seat, grabbing the radio handset as he did so. “We don’t have a lot of resources in our tiny town during the good weather months, and during the winter it gets even more complicated. I’ll call my brother to come pick you up in another patrol car so that you don’t have to sit around and wait for the towing company. It’ll get you to warmth faster, since it might take a little while for the tow truck to come.”

She lowered her eyes, and guilt sliced through Aaron from head to toe. Some introduction to their country and their town he’d given her. Although neither the airport incident nor the moose in the road had been his fault, he couldn’t help feeling he was already failing his first diplomatic mission—and truth be told, he suspected that this particular task had been given to him as a trial run. Among the members of his detachment, he had seniority. He’d been in Fort Mason for a long time compared to many RCMP assignments, a full eight years. His superiors had implied in several recent conversations that he was being considered for a higher position elsewhere in the country—perhaps back in Ottawa. And while he wasn’t sure how he felt about relocating away from his brothers and his life in Fort Mason, the truth was that he’d started to feel a little, well...lonely, now that both Leo and Sam had wonderful women in their lives.

Not that Aaron would ever tell them that, though. He was the eldest Thrace brother, the responsible one. The brother unfazed by anything, who always kept his cool, who demanded perfection of himself and others.

And everything that had happened in the past two hours had been a far cry from perfect.

He radioed in their position so that Leo could come and pick them up, but it would be up to a half hour of waiting in the car. Without knowing the extent of the damage to the vehicle, he didn’t feel comfortable running the engine while they waited—but that also meant they were about to get very cold, very quickly.

“Hang tight,” he told Cally. “There’s an emergency kit in the trunk with blankets, water and flares. I’m going to set the flares at the edge of the road to make our location visible, all right?”

She nodded and he climbed out of the car. Thankfully, the trunk latch hadn’t been damaged in the crash, so it was easy to retrieve the emergency kit and set the flares by the road. By the time he returned to pass the blanket and water to Cally, her eyes were closed, head resting against the window. Her breathing had softened and her lips had parted slightly in relaxation.

Aaron draped the fabric across her, trying hard not to notice how lovely she looked as she rested. It pained his heart to think what might have happened to her if he hadn’t arrived at the airport the moment he did. He hoped the officers from Fort St. Jacob who would be examining the crime scene would find something to lead them to the culprit. Trying to steal someone’s belongings was one thing, but despite the reassurances he’d tried to offer up, he couldn’t rule out the attack as an attempted abduction, either. Either way, he refused to let the act go unpunished.

I won’t let anything happen to you, he thought. Whatever it takes, I’ll keep you safe.

THREE

About an hour later, Cally climbed out of the second patrol car she’d ridden in that afternoon. In front of her was a cozy-looking cabin—more of a small house, really—which Ellen had promised would be “modern enough to have central heating, but rural enough to leave the doors unlocked at night.” Cally imagined it’d look even better in daylight.

“Let me take a look around for you first,” Aaron said, jogging past her and up the front steps. He opened the door—which was unlocked, as Ellen had predicted—and disappeared inside. Leo, Aaron’s brother and fellow RCMP officer, grinned as he rounded the car to stand alongside her.

“If you need anything at any time, call him, okay? He’s very good at his job, and he’ll be upset if he hears you hesitated to ask.” Leo scratched the back of his neck. “Plus, he’s like...one of two officers on duty this week. I’m going down to Fort St. Jacob for my final tux fitting, and our youngest brother is teaching a training course with his wife in Vancouver until the end of the semester. They’ll be back next week in time for the wedding.”

“Congratulations,” Cally said, and despite her own heartbreak, she meant it. “I wish we’d had our first meeting under better circumstances, but I have no doubt now that Ellen has found a good man who can keep up with her. But how is it that there are so few officers on duty? Doesn’t the town need you?”

Leo shook his head. “Not particularly. We have a lot of seasonal residents during the spring and summer, so the population of Fort Mason and other small places up north tends to drop during the darkest and coldest winter months—December through February, usually—so the need isn’t as great. Even then, few folks venture outside their homes. With only six hours of daylight right now and temperatures averaging negative twenty degrees Celsius for the next few months, the only time you’ll see a lot of people at once is during the annual tree lighting ceremony in the middle of town on Saturday. We bring in extra officers, have a giant snowball fight, make maple taffy in the snow. There’s a skating rink, too... It’s great, you’ll love it. People from all over the area come here to attend, sometimes driving hours just to see it. Ah, he’s back.”

Aaron sauntered down the steps toward them, house key in his outstretched hand. “All clear. Listen, I’m going to be at the station for the rest of the day, but is there anything we can get for you first? The fridge inside is stocked with some basics, but I’m happy to have food, supplies, toiletries or whatever you need brought over. We don’t have a lot at this time of year, but we’ll make it work.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine. Do you normally leave houses unlocked around here?”

Aaron shrugged. “It’s a small town. No one really locks their doors.”

“But what about the thefts you mentioned?”

“Fort St. Jacob’s problem, not Fort Mason’s,” Leo interrupted. “Not to brag about our small town being better than that one—”

“—which we grew up in—” Aaron raised an eyebrow at his brother.

“—but especially at this time of year, anyone comes into town who’s a stranger, we’ll know about it. Everyone here is your neighbor. We all have to band together and be there for each other in a place as far north as this during the winter. It’s not unusual for folks to lend each other blankets or food or even a warm bed if a furnace conks out, for example. This town is full of good people.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Cally looked sideways at Aaron as his brother walked away to return to the patrol car. “Thanks again for being there for me today. I’m still feeling a little rattled, but I’m sure it’s nothing a good night’s sleep can’t take care of. Not that it’s nighttime yet.”

Aaron smiled. “Did I overhear Leo explaining how we only have six hours of daylight right now? It tricks the brain into thinking you’re tired early and can be hard to get used to. On the other hand, there’s a good possibility you might get to see the northern lights while you’re visiting, especially if we get a night with clear skies. Anyway, like I said, you need anything, call. There’s a list of emergency contacts by the landline inside, including the direct line to my personal cell. Call any time of the day or night.”

He climbed into the patrol car with his brother and waved as they pulled away. Cally waved back, feeling a pang of loneliness at being left by herself. She needed to get over that. She’d actually come up to the remote wilderness a few days early, before her scheduled girls’ day with Ellen at a nearby spa—a place that Ellen insisted was the only reason tourists visited this part of the province during the winter months. She’d told herself she needed to gather her bearings and spend some time in quiet contemplation without a million voices in her ears.

But now that she had nothing but the silence she’d craved, the world seemed strange and empty.

And, despite herself, she really hadn’t minded when Aaron was a part of it.

She willed herself to enter the house and explore the place she’d be living in for the next few weeks. Aaron hadn’t been kidding when he’d said the fridge was stocked. She made herself a quick dinner, trying to enjoy the peace and quiet that she’d wanted so badly. But rather than sink into the moment, she felt uneasy—not relaxed at all.

With a sigh of frustration, she dumped her dishes in the sink and headed to the front door to search her purse for an aspirin. Maybe treating her headache would help her to settle into the place and feel less anxious about being alone after what had happened in the airport. However, her purse wasn’t by the door. Nor was it with her suitcase, or hung up with her winter coat.

Did I leave it in the patrol car? She tried to visualize the ride to the cabin. She was quite sure she’d taken her purse with her when she’d switched patrol cars...but she couldn’t remember grabbing it when she’d arrived.

And as much as she didn’t want to burden Aaron after everything he’d already done for her, the plain fact was that her purse held her passport and travel documents, which she couldn’t afford to lose.

She picked up the landline receiver to call him, trying to infuse her voice with an apologetic timbre when he answered. “Hi, Officer Thrace? It’s Cally. I’m so sorry to bother you again, but I think I might have left my purse in the patrol car that brought me to the house. My passport and wallet are inside, so—”

“No need to apologize—I understand the importance,” he said. “I’ll go out and look for it. Hang tight. If it’s out there, I’ll bring it back to you right away.”

She hung up and sank into the couch cushions, feeling grateful and a mite bewildered at his kindness.

I’m not quite ready to talk to You again, God, but...if this is Your doing, thank You.

Her eyelids began to flutter, exhaustion from the day beginning to creep in. It was still early evening, but she thought that once she had her purse back, she might grab a cozy mystery novel from the living room shelf and head to bed early.

Several minutes passed—or maybe more, it was hard to tell due to the perpetual darkness outside—before Cally heard footsteps heading up the driveway. That was quick, she thought, pleased and surprised.

She pushed up off the couch and headed to the front door as the doorknob began to turn. It was strange that Aaron hadn’t knocked first, but maybe he didn’t want to disturb her in case she’d fallen asleep again, like she had in the back of his car while they waited for the tow truck.

She hurried the final few meters to reach the door. “Did you find it? That was—” But the words died in her throat as the edge of a white hoodie appeared through the crack of the open door.

Aaron hadn’t been wearing a hoodie; he’d been dressed in his dark-colored RCMP uniform, and had told her he’d be on shift until late that night.

The person who’d opened the door wasn’t Aaron.

She threw her weight forward, slamming her shoulder into the door. It caught the intruder off guard and sent him flying back with a shout. She didn’t recognize the voice. The instant the door closed, she twisted the lock into place.

Then she bolted for the back door.

She heard what sounded like heavy footsteps approaching the back door from the outside, but she turned the lock first, then took off to find the windows.

She shivered, her body growing cold with a mixture of fear and anger, despite the heavy sweater and several layers of T-shirts she wore underneath it to stay warm. She checked all the window latches in the front hall, then proceeded to the kitchen, the bathroom and the bedroom. That left only one other area to check. She had no idea if the person was still outside, or if they’d taken off once they’d discovered the house was no longer an easy target—or a place to squat, which she supposed might also be the reason they’d come through the front door. But after the events of earlier that day at the airport, she refused to take any chances.

She crouched, moving toward the front living room with as much stealth as she could muster. Her heart beat a loud rhythm in her ears, making it difficult to listen for footfalls outside. Finally, she managed to find the courage to check each window lock. None of them appeared to have been compromised. She tried to take mental stock of the house—she’d checked all the other windows and exits. Hadn’t she? She didn’t know the rental property at all. It was entirely possible that in her haste to lock the front and back doors and the main windows, she’d—

A door creaked. It sounded as though it came from a far hallway, on the other side of the kitchen.

Yes, she thought, her entire body trembling. I definitely missed one.

Aaron climbed out of the unmarked patrol car he’d signed out for the evening and sauntered up the driveway toward Cally’s cottage. He’d found her purse as soon as he’d opened the door of Leo’s car. It had been wedged between the front seat and the center console, easily missed after all that had happened and in the excitement of finally reaching the cabin.

He tried hard not to imagine Cally’s smile when he presented her purse—nor the way her entrancing brown eyes would light up with relief and happiness. It wasn’t his place to think of her like that, or to think of her at all outside the boundaries of his obligations. She was his assignment, nothing else.

But still...

Movement flashed at the edge of his vision. He paused, listening. Was he seeing things? It might have been a skunk or a low-flying bat.

And then he heard a shout from inside the house, and he didn’t waste another moment.

He bolted toward the noise, past the front door and around to the side patio. The patio door stood wide open, and sounds of a struggle came from inside. Aaron plunged into the house, following the clamor. Only a few lights were on, but there was no missing the figure cloaked in white outside one of the bedroom doors. The ski-masked intruder was slamming his shoulder against the door in an effort to get inside, while Cally shouted at him from within the room.

Aaron dove at the man, tackling him at the waist. They fell against the hardwood floor, the impact jarring Aaron’s knees and lower back. He tried to grab for the man’s arms, intending to pin them back, but the angle at which they’d both fallen left the intruder’s legs and feet too close to Aaron’s face.

The goon slammed his heel into Aaron’s jaw. Pain ratcheted through Aaron’s entire head, momentarily blinding him. A second hit clipped the side of his forehead, and he felt the man slip from his grasp. He tried to regain focus as the assailant scrambled across the floor, shoved past him and Cally—who’d exited the bedroom and was trying to take a swing at the intruder with a side table lamp—and rushed back out into the cover of night.

Aaron rose, took two steps and stumbled.

“Aaron!” Cally bounded over and caught him by the shoulders before he toppled over. “Should I call an ambulance?”

“No, no.” He tried to wave her off. The sparks in his vision were starting to clear, but he needed to call Leo right away and tell his brother which direction he planned to search for the home invader. “I need...I need to call...”

“You’re not calling anyone. I’ll do it.”

Aaron pressed his back against the wall and slid to the floor. “Thirty seconds and I’ll be on my feet again. That guy’s kick packed a wallop. I wasn’t expecting that.”

Cally exhaled sharply. “I wasn’t expecting someone to break into the house after all those promises everyone made to me about how safe this area is. I’d like to say there’s a first time for everything, but I’ve had quite enough of that today, thank you.”

How was everything going so wrong, so fast? He took several deep breaths, then pushed into the wall to stand again. His head still spun but he felt well enough to go out to the patrol car and call for backup. “Wait right here while I call this in. Lock the door when I step outside, and don’t open it again until I knock. I’ll go to the front door so you can look outside and see that I’m there.”

He heard the click of the patio door’s lock behind him as he left the house. It took only a few moments to call in the incident, and Aaron was still shaking his head in disbelief as Cally let him back indoors.

“I don’t know what to say. Usually this area is incredibly safe. Our biggest issue for the past decade has been drug use and illegal weapons, save one incident earlier this year that had nothing to do with our town. It was an outside company’s interference, and—you know what, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re a guest in Fort Mason and we’ve done nothing but let you down at every turn, and you haven’t even been here a full day. Are you all right? Did the intruder harm you in any way?”

His cheeks warmed at the look she gave him, a mixture of gratitude and skepticism. And here he thought he was too old to be embarrassed, but the events of the day so far made him, the town and by extension the entire province, look bad.

That potential transfer just keeps getting more and more unlikely... If she complained and the reasoning was found valid, he was certain there’d be an investigation into his ability to run the detachment, not to mention a possible demotion. It also didn’t help that he felt a certain personal responsibility to ensure that she not only had a good stay, but an excellent one. It would make him happy to see her happy.

Because it was his job. No other reason.

She was attractive, yes, but she was also a perfect stranger.

Still, his heart hitched a little when a crooked half smile appeared on her face. Why was she looking at him like that?

“Your shoulder,” she said, pointing to his arm. “You’ve got something hooked over your shoulder.”

It took longer than it should have for her words to register, thanks to the hit to his head—no other reason, he continued to rationalize—but when he patted his shoulder, he remembered.

“Yes! That’s why I was on my way over here so quickly.” He pulled the strap of her purse over his head. “It was in my brother’s car, between the front seats. Good thing I found it easily, or else I wouldn’t have arrived as quickly as I did.”

She took the purse and disappeared into the kitchen for a moment. Aaron checked and double-checked all the locks while he waited for her return. When she rejoined him, he couldn’t help but note the weariness in her expression.

“Thank you,” she said. “I guess it was silly of me to think I could escape drama, regardless of where I go. I feel like it’s following me. Not that being attacked in an airport and a home invasion are the same thing, but here we are and it’s kind of feeling that way. Everything back home is so harried, everyone has things to say even when they should probably keep their mouths shut—” She paused with her mouth open, then flicked her gaze up to meet Aaron’s with a look of mild horror. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to unload—”

“It’s quite all right. I’ve checked all your locks and they’re in good order. I wish I could explain why someone felt comfortable enough to waltz into this place unannounced, but I’m coming up short. My first thought was the person might be a squatter, but if that were the case, why not say something? And surely I’d have noticed some trash or disturbed blankets during my walk-through when we first arrived. I even checked the basement and didn’t notice anything unusual.

“It’s possible he was a standard home invader, but there aren’t a lot of people in this town right now. We’re going to notice anyone new, and if it was a local, well...my team should have this solved in due course. Rest assured that either myself or another officer will be going door-to-door first thing tomorrow morning and asking if residents have observed anything out of the norm or seen any newcomers lately. Leo is planning to delay his trip to Fort St. Jacob by a few days until it’s dealt with.”

She sighed and sank into the couch, resting her hands between her knees. “Thank you, but he doesn’t need to do that. I appreciate the attentiveness, though. I keep trying to think of a reason why someone would want to harm me, but I simply can’t imagine one. And like I said before, very few people know about my trip here.”

Aaron pressed his lips together to think for a moment. “Would any of those people who do know be under the impression that they could get to the Amaran royal family through you? Either via abduction or otherwise?”

She laughed, but it was a bitter sound. “They’d have to be well versed in Amar’s historical lineage, or have taken a close look at my passport. I mean, I suppose I’m in all the family tree information online, but someone would have to go looking for it. And to be quite honest, the connection is distant enough that I haven’t spoken to those relatives for years.” She paused, her voice growing soft as her gaze dropped to the floor. “Actually, that’s not quite true. The whole extended family came to Esai’s funeral, but it wasn’t exactly the grand catching-up affair that would prompt someone to think there’s enough of a relationship to matter. It was more a courtesy than anything. They’re not bad people—please don’t take it that way. The family is just very large, and that means the more distantly related, the more like strangers they are than family. Does that make sense?”

It did. “Apparently I have a whole host of third cousins living in Manitoba whom I’ve never met. And my mother’s great-aunt has lived in south Florida for as long as I can remember, but I’ve never met her, either. So I understand. And I guess anyone who stopped to think about it logically would make that connection, too, but if I know one thing, it’s that you can never assume logic when it comes to criminals.”

Cally groaned and flopped back against the couch cushions, covering her face with her hands. “What am I going to do? I’ll be honest, I’m wary about staying here at all. What if that person comes back and tries to get inside again? What if he gets desperate and breaks a window? Or for all you know, he could be out terrorizing another family right now, looking for things to sell for drug money or guns or—”

“Hey.” Aaron joined her on the couch and tapped her elbow. When she pulled her hands away from her face, several tears rolled down her cheek, leaving small streaks in her light pink blush. Her eyes, however, blazed with ferocity. “I have an officer out on patrol right now, keeping an eye on the town. Tonight, I’ll be right outside your door. No one’s getting into this house tonight, not even me.” She began to protest, but he held up his hand to stop her. “I realize it’s freezing out there, but we do have protocol for this type of thing. I have a portable, battery-operated heater in the car, someone is bringing coffee over and there’s special gear I can wear to conserve heat. Tonight, you can sleep soundly knowing you’re being watched over. What happens tomorrow, well, we should probably talk now about how that’s going to go. What were your plans?”

She grabbed one of the pillows beside her and clutched it to her chest as she drew her knees up to sit cross-legged. “I was supposed to spend a few days here getting settled, and then Ellen was to come and take us up to the Rocky Mountain Spa for a pre-wedding pampering retreat. I was sort of hoping to put up a little Christmas tree in the house and try stringing lights like you do here. We have different traditions back home—we do streamers and use other types of plants for decorations—so I thought it would be nice to experience something new.”

Aaron had experienced quite enough new things today, compared to the typically calm and quiet Decembers of Fort Mason and the surrounding area. And as much as he wanted to give Cally the chance to take part in North American Christmas traditions right away, he felt uneasy about leaving her to her own devices, particularly after the home invasion.

“Here’s an idea. Would you be willing to head up to the spa a few days early? I’ll take care of the arrangements, and I’m sure Ellen wouldn’t mind accommodating. I know she’s busy with wedding prep, but maybe you can work on it together at the spa. It’s a huge facility, really nice.”

Cally’s eyes brightened as she sniffled away the tears of moments ago. “You’ve been there?”

“I worked a few functions there, and have policed some community events. It’s basically an all-inclusive winter resort.” Not to mention he used to date the spa’s owner, many years ago. Tricia had been a lovely woman, but they weren’t right for each other. The breakup had been messy and difficult, and these days he often went out of his way to avoid policing spa functions or interacting with Tricia at all. The woman was a master at tracking him down, however. Maybe he could just drop Cally off without going inside.

Cally raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Then it’s good for me and Ellen that she knows the owner, because I’ve seen the price we’re paying and I’m quite certain it’s far less than what a resort would charge. Yes, I’ll go up early if it’s in our best interest, for safety’s sake.”

He stood and adjusted his coat, mentally taking stock of the supplies in the patrol car he’d borrowed. He planned to double-check when he got outside, but as long as another officer brought him a thermos of piping hot coffee, he’d be all right until morning.

Cally gently brushed his sleeve before he could walk away. “Aaron, I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me so far, but if you get cold or tired, please come inside and use the couch. I’ll give you the house key so that you can come and go if you want, all right?”

“That’s quite thoughtful, but I won’t need it.”

She frowned and grabbed his hand, pushing the key into his palm. His skin felt warm and electric where she’d touched him, and he pulled away quickly. She blinked in surprise.

“Sorry,” he said. “Tickles.”

Her smile was gentle but sincere as she pointed at the door. “Go if you must, but if I find out in the morning that you needed to come inside and didn’t, I’m going to be very cross. Don’t even try to fool me.”

He laughed gently at the sternness in her voice. “Okay, okay. I promise to take you up on your offer if it’s needed. In the meantime, get some rest—I have a feeling you need it.”

As he closed the door behind him, his smile slid from his face. He had no qualms about spending the night on watch outside the house—he was happy to do it, if it meant keeping someone safe. He’d do it for any of the townsfolk in a heartbeat.

What worried him more was the seemingly deliberate actions of the home invader.

The intruder hadn’t been there to rob the house, or to retrieve items after squatting there while the place was unoccupied. No, the way he’d slammed his shoulder into the bedroom door had looked intentional. As if he was there to specifically harm Cally.

And combined with what had happened at the airport earlier that day, Aaron had a very bad feeling about the entire situation. The question to which he needed a fast answer, however, was whether he could find the attacker and take him down before he struck again.

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