Standoff at Christmas by Margaret Daley

Author:Margaret Daley [Daley, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460389300
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

NINE

Rachel circled the living room for the tenth time and glanced at her watch. Nine thirty. Where was Jake? She paused at the front window and stared into the night, hoping to see two headlights coming. Nothing but darkness.

Mitch came up beside her and sat, looking up at her.

“I know, boy. Something doesn’t feel right. He should have been home by now.”

“Child, my grandson can take care of himself. He was meeting with Sean. You three used to hang out together in high school. You know how those two will get to talking and forget the time.”

“You’re right. But if anything happened to him because of me, I don’t know what...” Emotions crowded into her throat, stopping her words. She swallowed hard but couldn’t continue. She didn’t want to lose him again, especially now that he was back in her life. This time she hoped he would visit Port Aurora more often, and she would go to Anchorage to see him. And maybe in time they—

Lawrence wedged himself between the Christmas tree and her. “I know how you feel. You love him.”

“Of course I love him. He’s my best friend. I’m not letting him disappear from my life for the next eight years.” He’d hurt her when he’d left and she’d mostly stayed away, nursing her wounds.

Lawrence angled his head toward her. “I think it’s more than friendship, but you two are too busy running away from commitment to see it.”

Was that true? In the past week so many feelings had surfaced. Anger at him for keeping his distance. Relief that he was here to help with Aunt Betty’s case. And then she thought of the kiss they’d shared—not anything like two good friends would. But Lawrence had a point. They both had commitment issues.

“Tell you what, Rachel. We’ll give him another half an hour, and then I’ll drive you to town. We’ll take Mitch and hunt him down.”

“He’s at the Harbor Bar and Grill. I could call them and see if he’s still there.”

“Give him some time. I know a lot has been happening in Port Aurora, but the town is still essentially the same.”

She turned toward Lawrence. “Is it? This past year we have added over five hundred to our population. With growth can come more crime, and if there is drug smuggling going down in the town, then it will only get worse.”

“We still don’t know that for sure.”

“Both Jake and I strongly suspect it. We’ll find the evidence to prove it if it’s there. We can’t ignore the scent of drugs on those papers in my office.”

“Let me call the grill.” Lawrence covered the space to the phone sitting on an end table in the living room, and dialed the number.

Rachel went back to her vigilance at the window. Is this the way wives of police officers are when their husbands are late?

Lawrence hung up and approached Rachel. “He’s been gone for over half an hour. We’re less than fifteen minutes from town.”

“Then we have to go out looking for him.

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