Chapter Eighteen

What was it about Christmas lights that made everything in life seem okay? Or maybe it was what the lights represented for me—comfort food, shared laughs, and family … including the ornery law dog across the puzzle table from me.

“Quit looking at me with that goofy grin, Parker.”

“Come on, Cooper.” I looked down at the puzzle pieces, searching for one with part of a green stocking. “Can’t we just put away our fangs for one night? It’s Christmas, for Pete’s sake.”

And Susan has left the state.

Earlier, after our little talk, Susan had finished packing and caught a ride south to Denver with Mr. Peabody, who lived down near Colorado Springs. According to Mr. Peabody, the storm had stayed north and the roads were mostly clear a little ways south of Rapid City. The Denver airport was Susan’s best bet with Rapid’s airport not only still closed, but also backed up from cancelled flights.

Mom and Dad had seen her off. I figured she and I had said enough to each other down in the basement. She knew the deal—one “fuckup” for another, as in her dissolving “my” bogus marriage in exchange for me manipulating Rex into her hands.

Later in the afternoon, Doc and the kids had gone outside to play in the snow, staying out so long that I’d donned my old coat and gone out to see what they were up to. I found them in the side yard, along with a couple more new snowmen.

I stopped short at the sight of Addy battling one of the snowmen with my old softball bat. She raced in, swinging and dodging, performing moves that made my eyebrows hit my hairline.

Then it was Layne’s turn with his new trident. He attacked another one of the snowmen, jabbing and spinning. His moves were fiercer than those he’d been practicing earlier in the living room in front of Cornelius.

I raised my gloved hand to my mouth. Something about the intensity on their faces told me this wasn’t just play for them. They were small warriors, training for battle.

“They’re sparring,” Doc said, joining me.

“Where did they learn those moves?” That couldn’t be innate, could it? Maybe with Addy, who was next in line to wear my shoes, but Layne? Only females could be Executioners.

“I’ve been training them.”

I gaped at him. He was watching the two kids lunge and swing, destroying the snowmen. When had he trained my kids to … Oh! “Is this what you guys have been doing all of this time at the Rec Center?”

He nodded. “It started when Layne got suspended for defending your reputation at school. He wanted me to teach him how to fight. Instead, I taught him self-defense. Addy was eager to join us.” He glanced my way. “Of course, like her mother, she’s a natural with any sort of bat or other bludgeoning weapon.”

I turned back to my daughter in time to see her slide on her knees under a snowman’s twig arm, hop up on the backside of it, and land a blow to its middle section. “You’ve been teaching my kids how to defend themselves,” I stated, as if cementing it in my head.

“I wanted to talk to you first and make sure you were okay with it, but the kids wanted to keep it a secret. They hoped to surprise you.” I could feel his gaze on me. “I understand if you’re upset about me not getting your permission first.”

Layne landed a series of blows to his snowman’s middle, and then spun around to add a kick that knocked off a twig arm. Addy shouted in approval, high-fiving her brother.

For months now I’d fretted about what would happen if any of my enemies came looking for my kids, picturing them as lambs to the slaughter. My heart swelled. The two warriors in front of me were not lambs. Sure, they were small, but maybe, just maybe, they could surprise an enemy enough to escape capture. Then I could hunt down whatever son of a bitch dared to come for my family and do what I was born to do.

I smiled at Doc. A real smile this time, not one of my think-positive faces. “You have given my kids the tools to stay alive in a world full of monsters. How could I be upset about a gift like that?”

“Mom!” Addy called, running toward me.

I leaned closer to Doc. “I’m going to rock your world tonight, Candy Cane.”

His smile matched mine. “I have a sprig of mistletoe with your name on it.”

Addy reached us, her cheeks pink, her grin broad. “How long have you been standing here?”

I pulled her in for a quick hug. “Long enough to see you and your brother kicking some serious snowman butt.” Taking her hand, I led her over to Layne, who was breathing heavy, steam rising in puffs from his mouth. “You are both amazing! Where did you learn all of these killer moves?”

“Doc taught us,” Layne said.

“We wanted to surprise you with what we’ve learned,” Addy added.

“Trust me, I’m completely flabber-boozled.” I picked up one of my favorite fast-pitch bats from my softball days, hefting it back and forth in my hands. The length and balance were made for increased swing speed and improved control. I’d hit more home runs than I could remember with this puppy. “How about it, you two? Feel like taking on your ol’ ma to save the kingdom from doom?”

“Okay!” Addy grabbed her bat. “But you need to be ready for us, because Doc’s a good teacher.”

“We’ll try to take it easy on you.” Layne raised his trident, taking a defensive position.

I gripped the bat. “Bring it, buddy.”

By the time we had tired from all of the swinging and dodging and laughing, I’d been slain multiple times by each of my kids. I was lying in the snow after yet another “deathblow” by Layne’s trident when my mom yelled from the front porch that she had hot cocoa waiting.

Doc came over to help me up as the kids raced around to the front of the house. He brushed the snow off of me. “You fought bravely, but your children showed no mercy.”

I laughed. “You trained them well.”

He grabbed my bat from the snow at my feet. “They’re naturals. After having seen you in action multiple times, I’m not surprised.”

I stepped closer, lifting my face to his. “You interested in seeing me in action, too?”

He bent lower, his lips hovering over mine. “Always.”

“Good.” I went up on my toes, meeting his lips. At the same time, I slid a handful of snow under his coat and shirt.

His eyes widened as the ice hit his skin, his stomach tightening as he gasped. Before he could pull away, I shoved him backward, catching the back of his ankle with my toe. He fell flat on his back in the snow.

Leaning over him, I teased, “How do you like that action, big boy?”

He sat upright. “You’ll pay for that, Vixen.”

His hand shot out toward my leg, but I dodged out of reach. Scrambling to his feet, he chased after me as I zigzagged through the snow.

I’d made it to the front porch by the time he caught me and lifted me over his shoulder. I squealed and struggled as he carried me to the yard where he plopped me down on my back and straddled my hips.

He scooped up a handful of snow. “Now, where should I put this?”

“Don’t do it, mon amour,” I said between giggles. “You love me, remember?”

“Don’t even try that Morticia Addams trick with me. She loved pain.”

Shoot. That was true. “How about we make a deal?”

“You’ve wheeled and dealed enough today, sweetheart.”

I’d told Doc the whole ugly story of what had happened in Susan’s room after I returned topside. He wasn’t thrilled about my agreement to help her snag Rex if she untangled me from the Hooch mess, wondering how that would play out with the kids in the future. Truth be told, I seriously doubted Susan would fix the mess she’d made, so the Rex deal was most likely a moot point.

“What if I offer to give you my body tonight?” I asked.

“I was going to take it anyway.”

I laughed. “Cocky. Nice. I like that.”

“Yes, you will.” He grabbed the bottom of my shirt. “Now, about this snow.”

I opened my mouth to beg him not to do it, but before I could get a word out, Natalie came flying in from the side. She tackled Doc, driving him into the snow.

“Grab some snow, Vi!” she shouted, trying to hold him down with Addy’s assistance.

“Pile up!” Addy yelled and threw herself on top of Doc’s chest. The three of us pinned him long enough to stuff a couple more handfuls of snow under his shirt before my dad came out and threatened to help Doc if we didn’t stop.

“You’re lucky my dad came to your rescue,” I teased Doc, helping him to his feet.

He shook out his shirt, laughing under his breath still. He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. “You’re right. I’m very lucky.”

We headed inside to find all sorts of treats waiting for us in the kitchen, including hot buttered rum along with the cocoa.

After my hands and nose finally warmed up, I heard the sound of “Jingle Bells” coming from the living room.

“Is that a harmonica?” I asked my mom, who’d just breezed into the room with a pile of empty plates.

“Yes. Your friend Cornelius agreed to play some Christmas songs on it for the kids. He told Layne it belonged to his grandmother.” She set the plates next to the sink. “He explained that she used the harmonica to soothe the spirits when they were feeling particularly ornery.” She started back toward the living room but then stopped and aimed a frown in my direction. “That man is an odd duck, Violet.”

Yeah, he was. I smiled. But so was I.

I left Doc and the others in the kitchen sipping their rum and followed Mom into the living room, joining my kids, Natalie, and Harvey. The kids and mom sang along to Cornelius’s harmonica, with Harvey crooning in now and then, while Natalie and I watched and laughed.

Hours later, after it grew dark outside, Reid offered to take the kids out in the snowcat to see the neighborhood Christmas lights. They jumped up and down at the opportunity. Aunt Zoe, Mom, Dad, and Harvey went along with them, which left Doc, Cooper, Natalie, Cornelius, and me to hang out in front of the Christmas tree.

And that’s when my goofy grin fell on Cooper.

I looked over at the soft, glowing lights of the tree again, my heart feeling fat and sappy. For the moment, besides Susan’s surprise Christmas gift of a dead husband, life was good. My coffer overflowed with the wealth of friendship, family, and love.

My focus returned to the puzzle, finding a piece of the fireplace that Cooper was putting together. I held it out across the card table. “You need this, Cooper.”

He took it, stared at it, and fit it into place with a grunt.

“You’re welcome, law dog.”

“You two working on that puzzle together is so sweet,” Natalie teased from where she was sprawled out on the loveseat. “Look at them, Doc. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they actually liked each other.”

Doc looked up from a book on World War II weapons that he’d borrowed from my dad’s man-cave library. “Neither of them are biting each other at the moment. Must be the alcohol keeping their snarling at bay. What do you think, Cornelius? You’re on the front line over there.”

Cornelius was helping put the puzzle together from an upside-down view. When I’d offered to turn the table around, he’d told me that his third-eye chakra saw more clearly when items were rotated 180 degrees.

He held up a puzzle piece with Santa’s red velvet suit, turning it this way and that in his fingers. “Two equally assertive members of a pack will find themselves in constant conflict unless they can develop mutual trust.” He fit the piece into the puzzle. “I’d theorize that the detective and the Executioner have bonded over a common goal.”

“You’re wrong, Dr. Frankenstein,” Cooper said. “My goal is to catch the bad guys. Parker’s is to kill them.” He tossed a piece of a stocking onto my side of the table. When I glanced up at him, he pointed out where it should go.

“I can see where it belongs, Cooper.” I fit the piece in place. “Puzzle solving is one of my specialties. It’s why I’m so good at solving your cases for you.”

Natalie laughed. “Ka-pow! My girl isn’t pulling her punches tonight.”

I met Cooper’s steely glare with a grin. “I’m kidding, Coop. We all know that you’re an amazing detective with skills that would make Sherlock Holmes green with envy.”

“Shut up and do the puzzle, Parker.”

“Hey! You didn’t correct me on your name.”

A small grin played at the corner of his lips. “I know. Merry Christmas. That’s your gift from me. Tomorrow, it’s back to ‘Cooper’ or I’ll shoot you.”

Chuckling, I stood and stretched. “I love you, too, law dog. Anyone want a refill?” I held up my empty glass. Aunt Zoe’s famous whiskey slush was starting to make my limbs feel nice and loose. “Coop?” I asked, using my present.

At his stiff nod, I grabbed his glass. Doc and Cornelius declined, still nursing theirs.

Natalie followed me to the kitchen. “Do you really think Susan will deliver on her promise to fix her mess?” She pulled the tub of whiskey slush from the freezer.

I’d filled in Natalie, too, about Susan’s story. “I’d like to, but she doesn’t have the best track record.” I joined her at the counter, pointing at her nearly empty glass. “You need any more of that?”

“No. I’ve found my happy place for the moment and am going to sip this and then chill here for a while.”

My happy place was back up in Deadwood with Doc and my kids by my side. It was fun being with my family all afternoon and evening, but I’d grown to love the sights and sounds and smells of Deadwood, snow or not.

At the moment, I didn’t even mind all of the problems waiting for me up there, but that was probably the whiskey slush talking. I scooped a dollop of slush to keep my problems fenced in the background for a little longer.

I leaned closer to Natalie, shooting a glance at the doorway leading back to the living room. In a low voice, I said, “I double dog dare you to kiss Cooper under the mistletoe tonight.”

She reached out and flicked my forehead.

“Oww!” I pulled back. “What’d you do that for?”

“Because you’re being a drunken dipshidiot.”

“I’m not drunk.” I added another scoop of slush into my glass. “Just feeling more relaxed than usual.”

“You deserve it tonight after the day you’ve had, what with getting married and losing your husband so quickly. I can feel your grief.”

I scoffed. “That’s the fastest I’ve ever gone through a man in my history of dating.”

“Your soiled history.”

“Like your history is any more clean and sparkly than mine.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” She frowned toward the living room. “Yet another reason I need to keep my hands to myself.”

“You don’t know how things will go with Cooper until you give him a try.”

“If they don’t go well, how’s that going to affect our little group? It’s awkward enough with me trying to hide that I’m hot for his bod. If I stoke that fire and then the flames go out later, we have a bigger problem than what we’re dealing with now.”

“So you’re not even willing to try?”

She stared down into her glass. “I don’t know.”

“What are you going to do about the tension between you two?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you know?”

She took a sip of her drink. “That I need to head south for a couple of weeks and put some distance between us.”

“Distance makes the heart grow fonder.”

“In this case, I want it to clear my brain so I can think about the situation logically instead of getting sidetracked with naked thoughts about him.” She blew out a breath. “Have you smelled him tonight? Maybe it’s the whiskey talking, but I could eat him right up.”

“It’s the whiskey. He smells like Cooper plus cookies. And when have you ever thought logically about a guy?” I teased.

“I know, right?” She chuckled, but then sobered. “Seriously, ever since I went on this sabbatical from men, I’ve felt pretty damn good. No more insecurities, no more self-doubts, no more concerns about if what I’m doing or saying will cause a fight later. It’s been really freeing.”

“And lonely,” I pointed out. I knew that from experience. I’d been on an involuntary sabbatical from men more often than not since having children.

She scowled. “And lonely.”

I poured some lemon-lime soda pop over my whiskey slush. “I’m sure your cousins will be able to keep your mind off the bossy bonehead for a while.”

“I talked to Claire earlier. Gramps wants her to help him tear down the General Store’s rotting back deck and build a new one. She said she could use my help putting up with Gramps and his peanut gallery while we work.”

I put away the whiskey slush and soda pop. “You always enjoy working with your hands.”

“It’s relaxing.”

“What about the work you’ve been doing for Freesia at the old boarding house?”

“She’s going to be in Nevada until after New Year’s. Everything we’ve been doing is just for looks. There’s nothing structural that needs my attention.”

“I think you need to go then,” I said.

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you going to be okay while I’m gone?”

“Probably not. I’m sure I’ll pine for you hourly.”

She laughed. “Besides pining, will you be able to keep your nose out of danger until I get back? I wouldn’t want to miss out on any ghost hunts or monster parties.”

“I’ll do my best to wait for you before I run hell-bent into trouble again.” I raised my glass toward her. “Here’s to clearing your head.”

She clinked her almost empty glass against mine. “With any luck, I’ll be able to shake free of these sticky feelings and come back here a stronger and better woman.”

“I’d settle for better looking,” I joked, heading for the living room with drinks in hand.

She poked my ribs as I passed her, almost making me spill the drinks.

As I settled back into my chair in front of the puzzle, I glanced at Cooper. He was watching Natalie, who’d moved over by the window to stare out into the night. The longing on his face made my chest ache a little for him. If Natalie succeeded in her goal of conquering her libido, then he was going to be grouchier than a pissed-off wolverine for a long time to come. Maybe somebody should whisper in his ear about where she was going and why.

No, I needed to keep out of this, no matter how tempting it was to play cupid.

The front door opened and shut. I waited, expecting to hear my kids’ voices.

“Is there any cherry pie left?” a familiar, deep voice called out.

I jumped out of my chair. “Quint!”

Natalie whirled from the window, a grin plastered on her face. “He made it!”

We raced to the foyer, both of us tackling my brother as he shrugged off his canvas winter coat.

After we gave him a moment to breathe, he looked around. His dark hair was a little longer than usual, curling around his collar, but his hazel eyes were bright and full of laughter and love, same as always. “Where is everyone?”

I told him, ending with Susan heading to Denver.

“Why Denver?”

Natalie and I frowned at each other.

“It’s a long story,” she said.

I pulled Quint toward the living room. “I’ll explain it later. Come say hello to everyone else. I don’t think you’ve met Cornelius.”

A half hour later, the snowcat had returned and my mom and Aunt Zoe were spoiling my brother with hugs and cherry pie in the kitchen. Reid had taken my place at the puzzle table while Dad, the kids, and Natalie watched John Candy play the lovable Uncle Buck on the television. They’d finally burned out on Christmas shows.

Doc closed his book and wiggled his finger at me to come hither, leading the way to my old bedroom. He closed the door behind me. “Reid and Coop need to head back to Deadwood in the morning. They’re taking the snowcat.”

I nodded. “I wondered how long they could stay away before being called back to duty.”

“I’m thinking about going with them so we can get your Honda off the side of the road. I can follow Reid’s plow down Strawberry Hill.”

“What about the snowstorm?” The flakes had stopped falling down in Rapid City, but that didn’t mean the storm wasn’t still dumping in the hills.

“It’s stopped up there, too. Coop checked in with the facilities crew. They’ve been plowing through the holiday to clear the main roads. Strawberry and most of US 385 should be in pretty good shape by morning.”

“Those poor guys didn’t even get to enjoy Christmas.”

“Coop said they were offered triple pay for their time.”

“Oh, good.” Extra money at Christmas always helped to cover the credit card bills that rolled in come January.

“Do you want to stay down here with your parents for another day or come back to Deadwood with us?”

“Let me talk to the kids and Aunt Zoe, see what they want to do.”

“Don’t forget about Elvis.”

“Ha! That chicken stays with Addy. I’m off chicken duty for now.” I sat down on the bed. “I think Natalie will want to go with you guys. She told me today she’s heading down to Arizona as soon as she can get home and packed.”

“Arizona, huh? Is she running to or from something?”

“From.”

Doc nodded, catching my drift. “That’s going to burn.”

“I know. I’m tempted to say something to him.”

“Violet, do you really—”

“But I won’t,” I cut in before he could warn me to mind my own business. I crossed my fingers behind my back, though, in case I had a change of heart.

“Cornelius wants to head back with us,” Doc said. “He’s anxious to check his video recordings to see what Jane’s ghost has been up to while he was gone.”

Of course he was. “What about Harvey?”

“He’s in limbo. Your mom asked him to teach her how to cook Yorkshire pudding and a couple of his other dishes she’d heard about from your aunt.”

“You think Aunt Zoe will be happy or sad that Reid is leaving?”

“They seem to be getting along at the moment.”

“Yeah, but she keeps watching him with narrowed eyes when he’s not looking. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.”

“Me either. You Parker women don’t make it easy on a poor guy.”

“Give me a break. I roll over and show you my belly at a mere eyebrow wiggle.”

“And a sexy belly it is.” Doc came over and sat down next to me. “There’s one other thing I need to talk to you about before we head back out with everyone else.”

“What?”

He took my hand and dropped something in my palm. I looked down and laughed. “What am I supposed to do with this?” I held up the mistletoe that he’d plucked from Susan’s decapitated snowman.

“I believe the instruction manual said something about holding it over your head and puckering your lips.”

“Are you sure I’m not supposed to stick it down the front of my pants again?”

His grin was positively wicked. “We’ll try that later.” He took my hand with the mistletoe and lifted it high between us. “For now, give me those lips, Boots.”

I licked them, closed my eyes, and waited for my last Christmas present of the day.

Doc delivered it and then some.