I'll Be Home For Christmas by Erin Lanter

Author:Erin Lanter [Lanter, Erin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Erin Lanter
Published: 2022-06-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The back of Eli Nolan’s truck slid as he pulled off the highway and into the gravel parking lot in front of the sheriff’s station. Glad his grandfather had insisted that he invest in snow tires and a plow for the front of his truck, he’d been able to make it to work with minimal threat to life and limb.

He’d only lost focus for a second, and that was when his phone rang and he saw that Holly was calling. His immediate thought was that she might have heard from Marian, then convinced himself it was more likely that she was worried and wanted to find out if he knew anything yet.

Determining that it would be safer to let the call ring through to voicemail rather than answering on the treacherous roads, he let it go, promising himself he’d call her back as soon as he could.

He’d been disappointed last night when she told him she didn’t need him to keep her company but was glad she felt secure enough to handle the night alone.

His lips twitched as a smile spread across his face. There was just something about Holly that screamed at him to help her. He’d only dated a few girls, but none of them could hold a candle to Holly. She was tough and vulnerable all at the same time, and he couldn’t resist the combination. He knew about her police record, and though the lawman in him said he shouldn’t be dating her, he knew she’d changed. He’d watched over the past year as she became more trusting and more joyful. He relished the smile he brought to her face and was proud that he was able to make that beautiful face light up.

Lost in his thoughts about Holly, Eli slipped on a patch of ice and nearly fell. Willing himself to get his head out of the clouds, he pushed the front door of the station open and was greeted by a rush of warm air and the smell of coffee brewing. All thoughts of returning Holly’s call left his mind when he saw Joe already hunched over his desk.

“Looks like you’ve been here a while,” he said as he slid off his coat and tossed it over the back of his chair.

Joe looked up to meet his partner’s gaze. “Yeah, Nadine is worried sick this morning. Her mind keeps going to the worst possible scenario. Between you and me, I think losing the baby earlier this year made her more sensitive to losing people she loves.”

Eli arched an eyebrow. “Seems to me it had the same effect on you. I’ve seen the way you worry about her.”

Joe shrugged. “I guess so, but I don’t think it’s as general for me. I worry about Nadine and this baby. I don’t want anything to happen to my wife and child. It’s different. But for Nadine, I don’t know if she’d be able to handle losing someone else she loves.”

The two men were silent for a minute, then Eli tilted his head toward the papers Joe had spread out on his desk.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.