A Kiss in Winter Read online

  “You think he’s going to come after me?” She’d been so focused on Macie and the calendar, she hadn’t considered she could be the ultimate target. It would be worth it if she could be assured James would leave Macie alone.

  Mick said, “He might not have started out with that plan. His acts are escalating. I don’t think he’ll stop with the calendar subjects. He needs something more… personal. Even if he’s following the whole thing through, your artist photo and bio are the very last things on the back of the calendar.”

  “But my photo isn’t any bigger than a postage stamp.” The second it was out of her mouth, she realized how stupid it sounded.

  Mick said, “Detective Odell is having trouble locating Kingery. He’s been gone from his last known address for over six months.”

  “We’re still working on it,” Odell added. “The guy doesn’t have anything traceable—credit cards, bank accounts, and the like. But we’ll find him. Until then, I would suggest perhaps you take a vacation—”

  Caroline’s head snapped up. “Leave? I can’t. I have work obligations.” She thought of all the things happening for Macie right now. “Macie can’t just take off from school. SATs are soon. She’s got college AP classes. Besides, where could I go if he really wants to come after me?”

  “We figured you would say that,” Mick said. “And I can’t disagree. This guy is methodical and determined. Your leaving might slow him down, but it’s not going to stop him. Our best bet is to keep you here, where the authorities are alert to the situation. I’ve already called a security company. They should be here by ten o’clock to install an alarm system.”

  “Maybe I’d like to be consulted first!” She pulled her hand from Mick’s. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I’d like to have shopped around, and I have to work out some sort of payment plan—I don’t have that kind of cash right now.”

  Mick looked like he was bracing himself for a hurricane. “There isn’t time. You need it now. I’ve taken care of it. You can pay me back.”

  As she opened her mouth to unleash on him, he added, “I thought you’d find that preferable to me moving in here and sleeping on your couch.”

  Detective Odell nodded his agreement. “We can’t have a man here 24/7. Our force isn’t equipped for that. The alarm will be wired to call in to the station. Our response will be as close to immediate as we can manage.”

  She didn’t want to use Mick as a crutch—which, she’d come to realize during the past twenty-four hours, was exactly what she’d been doing. She’d run to him at every turn. Having him under her roof would only lead to her needing him more. Using his money temporarily was the lesser of the evils. She nodded her agreement.

  “Let me get your coffee, Detective.”

  “I really need to get back to the station. But it’d be great if you’d fill the thermos I have in the car. Our station has the crappiest coffee in the state. Mrs. Whidston makes it. Nobody has the heart to tell her it stinks.”

  “Sure.”

  He left to retrieve his thermos.

  Caroline sat staring at Mick.

  “Hey,” he said, “I’m trying not to be intrusive. I care about you too much to see something happen to you or Macie.”

  How could a woman argue with that? His taking over wasn’t really what bothered her. It was her desire to let him do it that scared her witless. Her mother’s voice echoed in the deep recesses of her mind: Caroline, honey, it’s going to be great. Jared (or Danny, or Toby, or whoever her current boyfriend was) is going to take care of us. It was the ultimate solution to all problems. Too bad her mother hadn’t realized that was the biggest problem of all.

  Chapter 22

  Macie opened her locker to find a Halloween card had been slipped through one of the ventilation slits. Her first thought was that Caleb had put it there. The front of the card was a grinning jack-o’-lantern. When she opened the card, she was surprised to find an old photograph of her and Laurel tucked inside. They stood side by side, both of their smiles missing front teeth. It had been taken at their first-grade Halloween party. She was M&M plain, and Laurel M&M peanut.

  She moved the photo out of the way to read the card. Beneath a sunken and shriveled version of the jack-o’-lantern on the front, it said: Pumpkins will come and go, but best friends are forever. Beneath that Laurel had signed: I’m glad we’re back. Love, Laurel.

  The days Macie had spent living at the Bennett farm had made it impossible for her and Laurel to avoid one another, as they’d been doing for the previous few weeks. Forced close proximity made them realize that their biggest problem was made bigger the longer they didn’t talk about it.

  It was good to be “back.”

  Macie decided she probably ought to thank this wacko who was tearing up the stuff that Caroline had taken pictures of. If not for him, she and Laurel might have continued to drift farther apart.

  On the other hand, the wacko was making Caroline’s life a living hell. She wasn’t eating, she wasn’t sleeping. Worst of all, from her attitude this morning, Macie suspected Caroline was looking to dump Farmer Hunky. She had to be losing her mind.

  Even though Mick had talked to his mother on the phone and she seemed perfectly all right, worry over her rubbed a raw place on his mood. He’d been banging around the barn all day, doing the most physically exerting jobs he could find. But when he came out of the barn, his heart lightened. Caroline’s van was pulled up next to the house. Then he saw her, sitting on the back steps of the house with the afternoon sunshine igniting the fire in her hair, and his heart took flight.

  His step quickened as he approached the house.

  She stood, smiling. But there was something not so welcoming in her eyes that stopped him before he leaned down and kissed her hello. She said, “You look like hell.”

  “And you look like an angel,” he said truthfully.

  “Bullshit. I own a mirror. I look worse than you.”

  He reached around her, opening the back door. “You could have gone in.”

  Distance darkened in her eyes as she entered his kitchen. She stood looking out the window as he took his barn boots off.

  “Can I take your coat?” he asked, the strain of her mood making him oddly formal. She’s exhausted. Don’t make more of it than it is.

  “I have to get home before Macie comes home from school. I wanted to give you this.” Pulling an envelope from her purse, she handed it over to him.

  “What’s this?” he asked, accepting cautiously.

  “A cashier’s check for the alarm system.”

  “You didn’t need to—I thought you didn’t have the cash.”

  “I got a home equity loan.”

  When he tried to give the envelope back, she tucked her hands in her jacket pockets. He prompted, “With the kids in school, you might need this. Let’s just leave things as they are. You can pay me back after you get famous.”

  “No. I want it this way. I can’t expect you to take care of my problems.”

  With a cynical bark of a laugh, he said, “This can hardly be considered taking care of your problems. I’m just helping a friend. It’s done all the time.”

  “Not without strings.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Looking at her feet, she shook her head. Her hair fell forward, obscuring her expression. “Just take the check. I should have thought of it in the first place.” Her tone held enough self-contempt that he realized what a big issue this was to her.

  He folded the envelope in half and stuffed it in his hip pocket. “All right.” Stepping closer, he put his hands on her upper arms. “You do know there were no strings.”

  Her gaze slid away from his.

  “I care about you.” He put a finger under her chin and directed her gaze back at him. “There is nothing weak inside you. You’ve stood on your own long enough that you should know that.”

  Tears shimmered in her eyes. “It’s different with you. I’ve never felt so weak. And I can’t allow it, not no
w.”

  When he pulled her against his chest, he said, “You’re not weak. You’re dealing with an extraordinary circumstance. You can’t do it alone.”

  “Oh, but I can. I just don’t want to. That’s the real problem.”

  He held her tighter, even as he said the words that would let her go. “I made a promise to you. I won’t hold you here.”

  “It’s me, Mick. I might not want to go.” She pulled away and looked up at him. “We’re both too invested already. If we stay together, it’s only going to be harder—for both of us.”

  “If you feel that way, there has to be some middle ground. Just because you have to travel in your work doesn’t mean you can’t spend some time back here… with me.”

  “Middle ground asks for us both to concede too much. You told me that you’d finally discovered what you truly want. You want a life here, with children. I can’t ask you to compromise something so significant.” Taking another small step backward, she added, “You said wanting different things ruined your last relationship. It’s only a matter of time before you realize it’s the same with us.”

  It’s not the same with us. I never burned for any woman like I burn for you. Caroline had invaded every aspect of his life, every fiber of his being, was present in every conscious thought. Mick swallowed those words, knowing they would drive her away rather than draw her closer.

  Her hand came to his cheek, setting off a longing in his heart that made him understand the power of tragic love stories.

  “I care about you, too, Mick. That’s why I’m doing this.”

  With a quick kiss that left his body and his soul yearning for more, she walked out of the kitchen.

  He stood stock-still, stunned by her quick and final change of heart. He didn’t move from that spot until he heard her van pull away from the house.

  Detective Odell had left a message on Caroline’s answering machine, reassuring her that as of tomorrow, November 1, the bridge in Fleming County would be under close watch. They’d enlisted the pastor of the little church that sat a stone’s throw away from the bridge as an additional set of eyes. They were going to catch James Kingery in the act and that would be the end of it. Filling in the blanks of what he hadn’t said: they still didn’t have any lead as to where James Kingery was.

  Macie came in after volleyball practice and said, “Caleb’s coming back to pick me up for the Halloween party in twenty minutes.”

  “Oh, Macie, I don’t know. Tomorrow is November 1.” And maybe I don’t want to be alone tonight.

  “And I’m Miss December,” Macie said in a jovial voice. “I’ve still got time.”

  “Being glib about this isn’t the way to prove to me you’re going to be careful and alert,” Caroline said sternly.

  Instead of offering a childish argument, Macie said, “I am careful. I won’t be by myself. Caleb is taking me, and the whole senior class will be there. Plus, it’s still October. Crazy guy’s already done his thing for October.”

  It really wasn’t fair to use Kingery as an excuse to keep Macie home just because she didn’t want to be by herself.

  “Okay.” With the word, Caroline felt even more alone. Get used to it, baby, this is what you wanted, to be free.

  After Macie and Caleb left, the doorbell kept Caroline busy. More than once, she looked into the eager little faces of tiny devils and small scarecrows and wondered what her children with Mick would look like.

  By the end of the evening, she’d broken herself of the habit.

  At ten o’clock—the hour for older kids to begin their Halloween prank calls—her telephone rang.

  She answered, ready with a snappy comeback.

  “Ms. Rogers, this is Detective Odell.”

  Her stomach dropped to her toes. “What?”

  “Kingery torched the bridge.”

  “But it’s not November.” The stupid statement fell out of her mouth without thought.

  “Guess he figured it’d burn until after midnight. Firefighters think they’ll be able to save it, thanks to the pastor’s prompt call.”

  “What about Kingery?”

  “The pastor gave a description of a car going the opposite direction as he approached the church that nearly ran him off the road. A light-colored Taurus—plates conveniently covered with mud.”

  “So Mrs. Cooper might have had something with the pizza delivery car.”

  “Maybe. We’ve got the description out on the wire now. The pastor saw him at nine-thirty. There’s no way Kingery could be to Redbud Mill yet, but I wanted you to be aware. Best to stay inside and keep that alarm on tonight. I’ll be in touch as soon as I have anything.”

  As soon as she hung up, she called Macie’s cell phone. It rang until it rolled over to voice mail. She left a message. Then she paced. She took deep breaths to slow her racing heart. There was no need to panic. Macie would call soon. She’d be home long before there was any danger.

  For the next half hour, Caroline prowled around the house, counting the minutes until Kingery could be in Redbud Mill. She was about to try Macie’s cell again when the doorbell rang.

  She turned on the porch light and looked out. Mick paced in a tight little circle in front of her door. His hair looked like he’d been running his hands through it. She disarmed the alarm and opened the door. As soon as she unlatched it, he stepped inside.

  “Odell called me,” he said.

  “I’ve been waiting for Macie to call back.”

  He looked at his watch. “Do you know where she is?”

  “Calloway’s barn. They have a Halloween party every year.”

  “I can drive out there—”

  “No.” Her response was so terse, he looked at her oddly. “No,” she repeated more civilly. “I’m sure I’ll hear from her soon. The music’s probably too loud. But she’ll check her phone; she always does.”

  “All right, then. Got any coffee?” He unzipped his jacket.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m taking off my jacket.”

  “Mick—”

  He met her argument with raised hands. “Don’t waste your breath. I know you don’t need me, and I’m not trying to rescue you. But I’m staying. I’ll just crawl over there in the corner and you won’t even know I’m here.”

  There was no way she wouldn’t know he was here. Her entire being electrified when he was nearby. She also knew he was right; arguing would be a complete waste of breath, at least until they heard back from Odell. So she asked, “You want cream and sugar in that coffee?”

  At eleven, Macie arrived home. “I came home as soon as I got the message. I didn’t want you to be here alone.” Then she looked beyond Caroline’s shoulder. “But I see you’re not.”

  “Detective Odell called Mick.” Caroline didn’t know why she felt the need to make it clear that she hadn’t called him.

  “Does Dr. Larsen think Crazy Dude is coming here?” Macie asked.

  “The police advised caution,” Mick answered.

  Caroline spun around. “Really, Mick! Stop working so hard not to state an opinion.”

  He shook off her comment without response.

  “Answer Macie’s question. Do you think Kingery is headed here tonight?”

  Mick’s steady gaze met hers. “My gut says no. But if he thinks the police have him made, it might force him to step things up. He’s definitely getting antsy.” Leaning back in his chair, no doubt making a show of his relaxed confidence, he added, “It doesn’t matter. They’ll get him tonight.”

  Macie said, “I’m going upstairs. I promised to call Caleb. He’s totally freaked. He’ll feel better knowing Dr. Larsen is here.”

  Eager to put space between her and Mick, Caroline said, “I’m going up, too. You can sleep in Sam’s room. First door at the top of the stairs.”

  “I imagine I’ll be staying down here.”

  Caroline went upstairs, knowing there would be no sleep again tonight.

  She had been in the kitchen for
an hour when Detective Odell called at six the next morning. The news was disappointing. Although they had stopped several white Tauruses, none of them carried a man of Kingery’s age.

  When Caroline hung up, she relayed the information to Mick, who was putting on his coat.

  “Set this alarm as soon as I’m out the door,” he said. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Mick, you can’t neglect everything to babysit us. Who knows how long it’s going to take to locate this guy? We’re not your responsibility.”

  He turned his coldest, most sober stare on her.

  “Lock the door,” he said. Then he went outside and stood looking back through the glass until she bolted the door and set the alarm.

  As she watched him go to his truck, he moved like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. The wounds from Chicago hadn’t yet scarred over. She cursed herself for dragging him into her problem. If she hadn’t been so weak, he would have been healing and tending his farm. What would it do to him if things ended badly again?

  When Mick arrived home, he was surprised to find his mother’s car parked next to the house. When he approached, he saw she had reclined the driver’s seat and was asleep wrapped in her fur coat.

  He tapped on the window. Her eyes came open, and she yawned. He opened the door and she got out.

  “Mom, what are you doing out here?”

  Drawing herself up, she said, “I’ve left your father.”

  “You’ve what?” He narrowed his eyes. “Did you sleep out here all night?” Jesus, what if Kingery had come to the house?

  “I didn’t expect you to be out all night. You look exhausted.”

  “I was in town.” He discreetly checked the car for empty bottles before he closed the door. “I’ll explain over breakfast.”

  “Oh,” she said with a wink and a smile. “No need to explain.”

  He ignored the pleased look on her face and led her to the back door.

  “After you left the other day, I decided something has to change. Charles can’t see the nose on his face. It’s going to require drastic measures.”