Chapter Ten

One Hour Until Christmas …

By the time we rumbled into Rapid City, Old Man Winter had covered the prairie in almost a foot of snow. Judging by the thick flurries still coming down, he didn’t look to be taking a break anytime soon.

I texted Aunt Zoe as soon as I had cell service. I couldn’t spring Reid on her without a little warning, but I decided the best course of action was to ease into it: Please tell me Susan went out for milk, got lost in the storm, and won’t be there when I arrive.

You’re not that lucky, Aunt Zoe replied within seconds. Where are you?

Almost there. I glanced up at Reid and winced. Inviting him along was going to win me a night in the doghouse.

How long until you get here?

Maybe ten minutes. How’s Dad?

With any luck, my father would be sleeping when we arrived and not tackle Reid on the front lawn.

There was a slight pause, and then she replied with: Your father is fine. What’s going on?

Nothing.

I’m sure your nose is twitching, baby girl. Cough it up.

I hesitated, looking around at my fellow passengers in turn. Harvey had sprawled out on the bench next to me, snoozing as we bounced along. How he could sleep through the growling engine and periodic lurches was beyond me. Cornelius and Natalie were sitting on the bench across the cab where he was teaching her an old Japanese version of rock-paper-scissors that used a frog, a slug, and a snake instead. The Japanese game’s hand signs were different enough that it had taken Natalie half of the ride and plenty of laughs to get used to them. Up front, Doc was keeping Reid and Cooper company, sitting behind the center console on an army-style footlocker Reid used to store his tools. That left Elvis, who was sleeping in the cat carrier with the cage door open in case she needed to stretch her legs.

Short of singing Christmas carols, a suggestion by Harvey that Cooper shot down in a flash—as in he flashed his Colt .45 and threatened to put a bullet in the ass of the first one to burst into song—we were one jingly song short of a fun sleigh ride while dashing through the snow.

Unfortunately, the relaxed atmosphere inside the cozy cab had a short shelf life. I peered out through the snow-lined window. Very short, actually, as in my parents’ street was less than three miles away.

The trip down the hills had taken longer than Reid had predicted. This blizzard had been one hell of an opponent from the get-go.

After plowing a path through the snow to a nearby side road where I could safely leave my SUV, Reid had ushered us into the snowcat and started the trek through the winter wonderland. He’d been forced to take it slow on the way down out of the hills due to periodic whiteouts making it impossible to see. In a few places, he’d lowered his plow to break through drifts that were stacked up too high for safe passage. Several times, when he couldn’t see the markers lining the sides of bridges and cliff edges, we’d had to stop while Doc and Cooper took turns climbing out to clear snow off the front of the snowcat. But not once throughout the whole white-knuckle ordeal had Reid complained about having to come out in this blizzard to save us.

However, while Reid had remained cool, calm, and grinning through it all, I’d been a hot mess. Half of the time I was wringing my hands about the snowcat breaking down and leaving us stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing left to eat but Elvis the chicken. The rest of the time I was sweating inside and out about how mad Aunt Zoe and my dad were going to be when they found out I’d invited Reid to Christmas.

Now that we’d made it safely down to the prairie, I was beginning to think eating Elvis might have been the better of the two endings.

You still there? Aunt Zoe texted.

I need a favor, I wrote back.

What?

Get Dad drunk really quick.

Why?

I’m not alone.

I know. Your mother told me that Nat, Cornelius, and Willis are tagging along with Doc and you.

Cringing, I typed: There are more.

This time Aunt Zoe took longer to reply. Then one word popped up on my screen in all caps: WHO?

Cooper and one other.

Please tell me Reid Martin is not about to land on my doorstep.

Well, technically, it’s not YOUR doorstep. Her doorstep was in Deadwood buried under several feet of snow by now.

VIOLET LYNN!

Okay, okay. Reid is with us.

Explain.

The snowplow we were following broke down.

What’s that have to do with Reid?

I’ll tell you in about three minutes.

It turned out to be more like five because Reid dropped into a lower gear once we turned into my parents’ neighborhood so the rumbling engine wouldn’t wake up those little ones already dreaming of Santa and his reindeer.

Aunt Zoe was standing alone on the front porch when Reid rolled in behind her pickup and cut the engine. She wore my dad’s black puffy coat and a scowl reminiscent of the Grinch. Her long silver-streaked hair was plaited in a braid that draped down over her shoulder.

“Uh-oh,” Reid said in the sudden silence. “That’s not a happy-to-see-me face.”

Harvey sat up and peered out the window. “Zoe’s got ‘er horns out already. Sparky must have spilled the beans about you joinin’ the roundup.”

“Guilty.” I pocketed my phone. “I wanted her to run interference with Dad. We don’t need a replay of our last family get-together. One barroom brawl played out in the front yard is enough for one month.”

Cooper frowned at Reid and then me. “I told you two this was a bad idea.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Reid said. “I know it’s a long shot with a limb in the way, but I have to try. Zo’s worth it.”

Harvey grunted. “Where do ya figure we can shuck our boots and stretch out for the night?”

“Doc and Vi will stay at her parents’.” Natalie pulled a key ring from her pocket and jingled the keys. “The rest of us can sleep next door at my aunt Deborah’s place. I’m taking care of her house while she’s down in Arizona. It has four bedrooms with beds in each, so we just need to throw on the sheets and blankets.”

“There are five of us,” Cooper pointed out, his gaze holding steady on Natalie.

“Nat can share a bunk with me,” Harvey said.

Cooper’s eyes moved to his uncle. “Why you?”

“Well, we both tend to saw logs in our sleep fer one thing.” Harvey grinned wide. “And I know I can keep my hands to myself all night long.”

Both Natalie and Cooper looked away, no argument from either on that score.

“Zo’s waving us in,” Reid said and pushed open his door. “Might as well go see if she’s in a swinging mood tonight. Anybody bring any mistletoe along?”

Cooper cursed and grumbled before following Reid’s lead.

“Coop must’ve forgotten his Christmas spirit back in Deadwood,” Doc said to me.

I chuckled. “I suspect he filled it full of bullet holes and buried it out back of Harvey’s ranch for the dog to find.”

“Yup. Ol’ Red will dig ‘er up in the spring and leave it on my doormat, same as he has with all the other pieces and parts he’s been findin’ lately.”

We all cringed at the reminder of things we’d come across out at Harvey’s ranch over the last few months. “Pieces and parts” summed it up in the least gruesome way possible.

Cornelius scooted forward on the bench seat. “I’d theorize that the solution for removing the steel rod from the detective’s sphincter is several rounds of mistletoe therapy over the next twenty-four hours.”

I agreed, pointing at Natalie. “Only you can save Christmas.”

She glared back. “Why don’t you try that experiment first and let me know how it turns out.”

A loud snort came from the old man next to me. “Coop will shoot Sparky just for puckerin’ up.”

The back doors opened, the main subject of our teasing ushering us out one by one, while Reid helped Natalie and me down.

I told Reid to leave Santa’s bag of presents in the snowcat for now, wanting to make sure the kids were in bed before sneaking their presents inside and stashing them under the tree.

Doc turned me toward the front door soon after my boots hit the snow. “Go check on the kids. I’ll bring your duffel bag and Elvis.”

I slipped and crunched up the front walk, smiling wide. We’d made it in time. For a moment up there on that snowy road, I’d almost lost hope.

Aunt Zoe hugged me when I joined her on the porch. “I’m glad you’re here,” she said and kissed my forehead.

“Even though I brought Reid?”

“Even though.”

“Please try to be nice to him. Reid saved our bacon. Without him and his snowcat, we’d have had to turn around and slide back down Strawberry Hill with our fingers crossed on making it into Deadwood alive.”

“I’ll keep that in mind while I’m handling any sharp kitchen utensils in his vicinity.”

I lowered my voice. “He has a ‘special something’ just for you.”

Her gaze narrowed. “I’ve seen his ‘special something’ before. If he thinks I’m letting it within ten feet of me, he’s got another think coming.”

I laughed and hugged her again. “Does Dad know Reid’s coming?”

“I just told him. Blake promised to keep his hands to himself and let me deal with this.”

“Good.”

“Your mother is in a panic, though.”

“Why’s that?”

“She doesn’t think she has enough eggs for all of us.”

“Eggs?” Only my mother would worry about eggs at a time like this. “Lucky for her I brought a chicken along.”

“You brought Elvis?”

“I couldn’t leave her at your place without Harvey there. Addy would’ve freaked out.”

She nodded. “It would definitely be a blue Christmas without Elvis.”

I grinned at her echo of my earlier thought. “Exactly.”

“Head inside, baby girl. Hope just got your kids to bed. They’re waiting for a kiss good night.”

I started to open the door, but then hesitated as Reid crested the top porch step, curiosity making me slow to turtle speed.

“Merry Christmas, Zo,” he said, his voice deeper than usual. I could hear the uncertainty in it. “Well, almost Christmas.”

Aunt Zoe sniffed. “You’re good, Martin. This was a very shrewd chess move on your part.”

His arms spread wide. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t even try to play innocent. If you thought you could come here and convince me to change my answer, you’re wasting your time.”

Her answer to what?

I opened my mouth to pry, but caught myself at the last moment. Slipping inside the house, I quietly closed the door behind me. I’d have to badger Aunt Zoe for details later when I had a chance to catch her alone.

The foyer smelled like fresh-baked apple pie. I drooled all over myself as I kicked off my boots. My mother came around the corner from the dining room as I was unbuttoning my coat. She looked radiant in the shiny gold dressing gown she wore only around the holidays. Her blond hair flowed over her shoulders, her cheeks warmed with a pink blush.

“I’m so glad to see you,” she said, pulling me in for a squeeze. I could smell the rum on her. That explained the blush.

“I told you I’d make it,” I said when she held me at arm’s length.

“And I told you that blizzard was coming, but did you listen to me? Of course not. What do I know?”

“Let her be, Hope,” my father said from behind her. A Santa hat covered his black hair, the silver at his temples blending with the white furry trim. “She made it in before midnight. We’re lucky to have her here at all with this storm.”

I rushed into his arms, one of my favorite places, and snuggled against his soft red flannel shirt for a moment. Ah, there it was. Home sweet home.

“I brought Reid,” I admitted right out of the gate.

“I heard.”

I frowned up at him. “He saved the day, so please try to be good.”

“Your aunt already gave me a lecture, and I agreed not to shoot him in the ass on sight.”

Well, that was a start. “What about tomorrow?”

He kissed the top of my head before letting me go. “One day at a time, Goldilocks.”

“I can’t believe you brought five additional guests, Violet,” Mom said, helping me take off my coat.

“I couldn’t leave them alone on Christmas.”

“Your heart always has been too big when it comes to lonely critters, human or not.” She squeezed my chin. “We’re going to need more eggs.”

“You’re in luck. I invited a chicken to Christmas, too.”

Dad laughed and stepped around us, opening the front door in time to pull Natalie inside.

She gave both of my parents a kiss on the cheek. Doc followed shortly, shaking my father’s hand and then letting my mother hug and coo about him while he charmed her with compliments.

I left the foyer, hurrying past the dining table and down the hallway, avoiding the living room in case Susan was lurking there. Addy and Layne shared my brother’s old room whenever they came to stay at my parents, which was now equipped with bunk beds since Quint stayed at his condo the few days a year he was actually in town.

Addy squealed when I stepped through the doorway. She rolled out of bed and threw herself at me, wrapping me in her little arms when I lowered to her level. “I was so worried you wouldn’t make it through the snow, Mom.”

This moment had been worth the angst and frustrations of the last twelve hours. I held her tight and breathed her in, smelling the coconut-scented bubble bath that Mom kept in the spare bathroom for when my kids were visiting. I stroked my daughter’s hair, soaking up her heated hug. While Addy and I shared the same hair color, unlike my thick curly mess, her hair always reminded me of blond corn silk.

“No blizzard is going to keep me from you two,” I whispered. I swallowed the lump in my throat and smiled, holding out Buck the unicorn for her to take. “Guess who else I brought along?”

She took Buck and hugged him to her cheek. “Grammy already told us. You brought Natalie.”

“I’m not talking about Nat. This special guest has a red comb, white feathers, and a poodle sweater.”

“Elvis!” Addy jumped free of my arms, bouncing up and down around the room.

Dang. That silly chicken received as much joy at making it in time for Christmas as I had, maybe more.

I rose and looked at my son, who was sitting on the top bunk with his legs dangling over the side rail. “Hey, big guy, do I get a Christmas Eve hug or what?”

Layne tried to act cool and reserved with his damp dark blond hair combed back, but when I stepped closer and held up my arms, his face split in a big, puppy-loving grin. He bent forward and gave me a hug that lasted twice as long as usual.

“Don’t do that again, Mom,” he whispered in my ear before pulling away.

I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I tweaked his chin playfully. “I won’t, sweetheart.”

“Where’s Doc?” he asked, frowning behind me toward the doorway.

“He’s saying ‘Hi’ to your grandparents. Why?” I worried my lower lip. I thought my son had made it beyond being jealous of a man in my life when it came to Doc.

Layne’s forehead creased. “Addy had a bad dream about him last night.”

A shadow fell over my Christmas glow. Addy had been having dreams more and more lately that mirrored true events happening in my freak-filled world. Doc and I weren’t sure if she was exhibiting signs of being able to see the future, the past, or both. There was also the distinct possibility that she was eavesdropping on our adult conversations and suffering from the side effects of a wild imagination. Of the two, I preferred the latter by far.

I looked at my daughter, who was twirling in the middle of the room, singing some song about taking a road trip with her chicken someday. She didn’t seem to be bothered by her nightmare at the moment.

“Addy, what was your dream about?”

She stopped spinning and grabbed the bunk bed ladder to steady herself. Her head wobbling slightly, she told me in a breathless voice, “The monster’s pets were attacking Doc and I couldn’t save him.”

I sat on that for a couple of breaths. “What monster?”

She scrunched up her face in thought. “It was hard to see it in the dark, but I remember it had orange eyes.”

Orange eyes? A rush of panic flooded me. I clutched the railing next to Layne’s legs. I knew a monster with orange eyes. He haunted me in the darkness, too.

“Addy, was the monster stinky?” I pressed. Did it have little horns on its head? Pustules covering its jet-black skin?

“I don’t remember it stinking.”

Lucky her. I could still smell the sulfur odor if I thought too much about it.

“I mostly remember its pets,” she continued. “At first I thought they were wolves, but then I realized they were bigger, more like ugly bears, with long teeth and claws.”

Long teeth and claws? I’d also run into a couple of troublesome creatures that fit that description.

“Oh,” she added, holding up her index finger. “They could also stand up on their three back legs. That made them really, really tall. They made Doc look like a kid.”

“Three legs?” That was new.

“Yeah. One leg might have been a thick tail, though.”

“How could you see these things so well in the dark?”

She shrugged. “Doc gave me his candle so I could find my way home.”

A chill raced through me. I’d recently used a candle in my version of “the dark.” Actually, I’d used Doc’s candle in there, too. Was Addy tapping into my thoughts somehow?

“It was after he gave me his candle that the pets attacked Doc and started biting him.”

“What bit me?” Doc asked, standing in the doorway with Elvis’s crate in his hand. His expression sobered when he looked from Addy to me. His eyebrows rose.

I shook my head. I’d fill him in after the kids went to bed. Or maybe even after Christmas was over and life returned to its normal bizarre status quo.

Addy cried out and raced to Doc, hugging him around the waist. She beamed up at him. “I’m so glad you’re here. I was afraid you’d miss Santa’s visit.”

Doc tugged playfully on a strand of hair next to her ear. “Not even a blizzard could keep your mom and me away tonight.”

Addy detached herself, taking Elvis from Doc and freeing the chicken from the cage.

“Hey, Layne.” Doc held out his fist toward Layne, who bumped it back with his own. “Have you been taking care of your sister?”

“Mostly. But she gets bossy. You know how girls are.”

“Yeah, they’re the worst,” Doc joked, draping his arm around my neck. “Aren’t you two kids supposed to be all snug in your beds by now and dreaming about dancing mice or something like that?”

“Dancing sugarplums,” Addy corrected him.

“Right, dancing sugarplums.” Doc winked at me. “One of my favorite sights.”

“Well, well, well,” said a sultry voice, dumping a bucket of ice water on our reunion. “Isn’t this a cozy family scene?”

My shoulders tightened so fast that something cracked in my neck. I turned toward the door, my gunslinger glare cocked and loaded.

Susan leaned against the doorframe in a short red velvet robe with plenty of leg showing for this cold winter night. She set her sights above my head. “Finally, I get to meet the real Doc Nyce.”