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GINA’S GAZE TRAVELED from the detective’s family photographs on his desk to the bandage on Carter’s arm. The paramedics had cut off the sleeve before examining the wound. “You’re lucky the bullet only grazed you,” she said.
“It still hurts,” he complained with a grimace.
“Poor baby.” Brandy chuckled. “Maybe they will give you an award for being a hero. That should make you feel better.”
He rolled his eyes. “Not interested. I’m just glad everyone is all right.”
His gaze locked on Gina’s and her heart fluttered. He did save her life. Brandy had told her about their conversations after she had accused Carter of using her to get the promotion he wanted. She knew herself well enough to know she had a deep-seated distrust of anyone who reminded her of the man who took her mother away. Was Carter’s decision to stay in Garland Creek and withdraw his name from consideration for the promotion enough to make her trust him?
She pressed her lips together into a thin smile when her gaze met his. Who am I fooling? I want him. An odd chuckle escaped her lips.
“What’s so funny?” He looked at her as if she were crazy.
“You saved my life.”
“Does that mean I’m forgiven?”
She leaned over and planted a kiss squarely on his lips. “What do you think?”
A loud ruckus in the hall interrupted the moment. They all rushed to peer through the office blinds. Gina couldn’t see anything, but she recognized the female voice yelling from the lobby. “It sounds like Emily, the maid from the resort.”
The three of them raced to the lobby in the front of the police station. A uniformed officer held Emily back with two hands to her shoulders. She tried to dodge him, bucking left and then right.
“Where is that two-timing jerk?” She dove to the side, but the officer blocked her again. She bounced up and down on her toes. “Leo! Where are you, you slime of the earth?”
Brandy pointed at her. “That’s the maid I saw Leo with at the resort.”
Gina remembered the surveillance camera footage she had gone through in Isaac’s office. Every time her aunt had dropped off a photograph inside of a guest cottage where a burglary later occurred, Leo and Emily were working nearby. Emily had watched Sophia. That was one reason Gina had never ruled Emily out. Leo, on the other hand, had never been looking in the direction of the cottages where the burglaries occurred. He didn’t seem interested, so Gina never suspected him.
“Wait here,” Gina told the others. “I need to talk to her.”
Emily tried to crawl under the officer’s leg, but he lifted her back up like a rag doll.
“Gina, where is that creep?” Emily asked, hanging from the officer’s arms.
“Officer, I think she might be able to clear up some confusion.” Gina had to know the truth; every detail. She turned to Emily. “Right before the burglaries occurred, how did Leo know the coast was clear?”
The color drained from the maid’s face. “I had no clue that jerk was using me to commit those crimes.”
Gina inched closer to Emily, but not too close in case the woman spun into another rage. “How did he use you?”
“He pretended he didn’t want anyone working at the resort to know we were dating. He told me to tell him when Sophia entered a cottage, so he could stop working and flirt with me without her catching us. He would slip me love notes when no one was looking. When I heard he was in the slammer, I put two-and-two together. Sophia only unlocks a cottage door if the guest is not there.” Tears slid down her cheeks. “He made me his lookout. And now I hear he’s been dating Violet the entire time. They were going to run away together. That two-timing jerk!”
****
CARTER STOOD IN FRONT of the resort’s fireplace waiting for Gina. They had only spent a few days together, but he felt like he had known her forever. He supposed that saving someone’s life created an inseparable bond. At least he hoped so. Not that he needed to save her to know he loved her. He smiled at the thought. He didn’t know the exact moment he fell, but he knew he fell hard.
He watched the flames dance as their warmth enveloped him. The clicking of heels on the tile yanked him out of his thoughts. Gina’s Aunt Sophia stepped over to him.
“I want to thank you for your part in clearing my name.” She placed a gentle hand on his back. “You’re a good man.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you’re back to work.”
“Not only am I back to work, but they also gave me a raise.” She laughed. “If I had known things were going to work out this way, I would have enjoyed my time off and gone shopping.”
Gina waved from across the lobby and raced to join them. “Two of my favorite people.”
Sophia gave her a quick hug. “I was about to tell Carter that the resort is doing its best to make amends to everyone who was victimized by Leo and Violet. The customers who had their jewelry stolen are receiving a week’s stay at the resort, including full spa packages and boutique gift certificates.”
“I just spoke to Isaac,” Gina added. “The police recovered all of the stolen jewelry. Violet had taken the gems out of their previous settings and placed them into new ones. As soon as the district attorney releases the evidence, Isaac’s girlfriend is going to have her jeweler restore the gems back into their original settings. She swears they will look as good as new, if not better.”
Sophia’s brow furrowed. “Isaac has a girlfriend?”
If Carter hadn’t seen the stout, balding man with his gorgeous girlfriend, he wouldn’t have believed it to be true. “She owns a high-end gift shop.”
“Oh, her.” Sophia shrugged at the unusual pair. “I also visited Amy. She’ll be all right, but she refuses to work in a hotel. I told her I would talk to the manager about securing a job for her at the corporate office after she graduates. It’s the least they can do for her.” She patted Gina’s arm. “I’ll see you two later. I have a lot of work to catch up on.”
“It looks like everyone got their Christmas back.” Carter studied the angel reigning over the tree. The silver and gold wings shimmered in the reflection of the white lights.
Gina rested her head on his shoulder. “When I was little I used to think Christmas tree angels came to life after I fell asleep. I pictured a beautiful golden-haired angel sitting on my bed making sure I had only peaceful dreams. I knew it was nothing but a fantasy after my mother left us. I told my father I didn’t want to have angels on my trees any longer, only stars.”
He remembered standing at his father’s home office door watching him work and wishing he would open presents with them. “Too bad I don’t have a time machine. I would go back and change the past for the both of us.”
“You might not have a time machine, but you did change everything. You showed me that I shouldn’t be so quick to judge people. And, you proved I could trust you.” Gina brought his hand to her lips. “As a result, I know this holiday season will be filled with joy. You brought back my Christmas.”
“And you showed me how to think about what I truly want for my future.” He pushed a silky strand of hair away from her chocolate-brown eyes. “I want you in my future. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Her eyes clouded with tears.
Out of the corner of his eye, out through the window, he caught sight of the blue-eyed husky sitting contentedly while watching them. “There’s . . .”
He blinked, and the dog disappeared.
Gina followed his gaze. “There’s what?”
“I swear I saw our dog, and he disappeared again.”
“You think that’s strange, I swear that ornament looks exactly like our dog and I didn’t see it there a minute ago.” She pointed to the top of Christmas tree where the angel reigned. Just below her skirt, next to a twinkling white light, a glass blue-eyed husky ornament hung next to a Santa ornament as if they belonged together.
Carter didn’t know what to think at first, and then decided to just have faith. “I’m never going to doubt Christmas magic again.”
She faced him, placing her hand on his shoulder. “I second that. Christmas magic brought us together.”
He pulled her into his arms, and they shared a kiss that promised many happy Christmases to come.
ALSO BY TINA SWAYZEE MCCRIGHT