Fatal Exchange (24 page)

E
mily dumped the rest of the ice cream into one of her mother’s crystal bowls, then licked the spoon. She’d regret the indulgence tomorrow, but for tonight she was giving herself permission to feed her grieving heart. And her heart desperately needed a sugar overdose. Losing Charlie wasn’t the issue. She was long past that. But knowing he’d used her had left her feeling vulnerable.

Tossing the empty container into the trash, she hopped up on the stool at the kitchen bar and looked around her mother’s newly decorated kitchen. Maple cabinets with glass fronts. Slate flooring, painted brick on the walls. The details they’d agonized over seemed insignificant after all they’d gone through in the past week.

How could I have been so wrong about someone
, God?

The furnace clicked on and Emily felt the blast of warm air against the back of her neck from the vent. She knew everyone was worried about her. Her mom, her dad. Avery . . . Grace had called to see how she was getting along. Had offered to stop by if she needed to talk. A dozen friends and teachers at school had left messages on her phone. Even their pastor had called to see if she needed any counseling. If she were honest with herself, she knew she did. Principal Farley had given her the week off, but she’d insisted she’d be back in school on Thursday. She
couldn’t expect her students to show up when she was at home hiding under the covers.

“Hey, Sis. Save any for me?”

Emily licked the back of the spoon and shot Avery a guilty look as she limped into the room with her cane. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again today.”

Avery picked up the empty carton of cookie dough ice cream. “I can tell.”

“I think there might be another quart in the freezer, unless Daddy got to it before me.”

“I’m fine, actually.” Avery dropped her purse on the counter. “Jackson just took Tess and me out to dinner and I ate far too much. I knew Mama and Daddy were out as well, so I just stopped by on our way home to check on you and pick up Tess’s schoolbag. They’re waiting in the car so we could have a moment alone to chat.”

Finding a moment alone had never been easy in this household. But Emily knew Avery well enough to know that brushing her away would only make her push more.

“You’re not sleeping here tonight?”

“With all the animals, Tess and I decided it’s easier to be at home.”

“How’s your leg?”

“Sore, but I’ll live.” Avery eased her jacket off and laid it on the bar chair. “How are you?”

“Well, let’s see.” Emily took a bite of the ice cream, wondering if she’d ever be able to push aside the haunting memories. “I was held hostage, saw someone killed—or so I thought. Found out that my ex-fiancé never loved me, ended up shooting him,
and
was held at knifepoint by a murderous cartel agent, so yeah . . . it’s been quite a week so far, and it’s only Tuesday.”

Avery set her hands on her hips and shook her head. “So, I’ll repeat my question. How are you? Sister to sister.”

“Sister to sister? Tired. Relieved. Grateful for what I have. Wondering how you do what you do day after day. I’ve never been in a situation where I felt completely out of control like that.” Recent memories surfaced as they’d been doing all day. It was going to take a long time for them to fade. “Like no matter what I did, I couldn’t stop the inevitable from happening.”

“I do the same thing you do. Take one day at a time. And pray that somehow, maybe I can make a difference in this crazy, mixed-up world.” Avery caught Emily’s gaze. “Just like you with your students.”

Emily shook her head. “At least what I do doesn’t involve criminals and flying bullets.”

Avery’s hand moved to her bandaged thigh. “There are days I could do without that part.”

“What about Tess?” Emily caught the worry in her sister’s eyes as she took another bite of ice cream. It was one thing to experience a terrifying situation, but for your child to have lived through it . . . “How is she handling things?”

Avery’s brow furrowed. “She’ll be going to counseling for a while to work through things—something she’s nervous about—but I know it’s important for her healing. She’s had to deal with a lot over the past few years, and now I’m worried about how yesterday’s trauma will impact her.”

“What happened yesterday affected all of us. You. Jackson. Mama. Dad. Mason. I also think it made us—or at least me—realize that life is too short to squabble about things that don’t matter. Have you talked any with Mama today?”

“We talked while you were taking a nap,” Avery said. “She’s battling with guilt over dropping Tess off late, convinced if she’d been on time, Tess would have been in her classroom and safe.”

“We can’t know that.”

“I told her that.” Avery reached out and squeezed her hand.
“I know you’ve been told this, but if you need someone to talk to about what happened, I’m always here for you.”

“I know.” Emily nodded, not wanting to take for granted the support being offered. “I just need some space to work through everything. As for you, I’m glad you have Jackson to help you through this.”

“I can’t imagine a better man for Tess and me, and while I realize the road ahead isn’t going to be smooth at every turn, he’s the best thing that’s happened to me in a long, long time. He makes me happy, pushes me to be a better person, loves me . . .” Avery cocked her head. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“I understand Mason left for Colorado to be with his family early this morning.”

Emily knew where Avery was headed, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to go there. “His father passed away this afternoon.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I knew he was going there to visit family, but I didn’t know the situation was so serious.”

“It’s sad, actually. He hasn’t had a relationship with his father since he was a kid.”

“Is there something else you need to talk about?”

Leave it to Avery to pry. “Like?”

“You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”

Emily smiled. “No.”

“What’s going on between you and Mason?”

Emily dug the spoon into the bowl and pulled out a gooey bite. Not sure what her sister’s reaction was going to be. “You could tell?”

“The way he looked at you, the way you looked back. His hand on your back for support . . . Do you want me to go on?”

“No.” Emily felt her cheeks flush. “I’m not sure exactly what happened, and I certainly have no idea what the future holds,
but what if he’s the one, Avery? The idea both excites and terrifies me.”

“What did you tell him?”

Emily took the last bite of her ice cream, then headed for the sink to rinse the bowl. “That I needed time to think. Some space.”

“Don’t keep him at bay for too long. He’s cared about you for a long time.”

Emily turned around and leaned against the countertop. “You know that?”

“I know that Michael told me that he tried to ask you out once.”

“That was years ago.”

“I think it’s sweet, actually,” Avery said. “That his interest in you has never really waned.”

“You wouldn’t have thought it was sweet yesterday when you were convinced Mason was the department mole.”

“A lot has changed since yesterday.”

“Yeah, it has.”

The lives of so many had been altered forever. Rafael. Eduardo. Charlie was gone. And Mason had somehow managed to steal a corner of her heart.

“I’m sorry about Charlie. I knew he wasn’t the one for you, but I had no idea he was capable of such betrayal.”

“We all read him wrong.”

Avery touched her bandaged leg and shifted in her seat. “You have to understand that my investigation into Michael’s death was never motivated by anything against Mason personally.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“He was Michael’s best friend, ate Thanksgiving dinner with us, and sat in the den more times than I could ever count watching Sunday afternoon football with Dad. I was simply following the trail of evidence, and I couldn’t let personal feelings stop
me from finding the truth. Charlie planted just enough evidence to throw me off.”

How many people had Charlie hurt? “Apparently, he did a good job.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but I actually think Mason’s perfect for you.”

“Really?”

“We could always plan a double wedding.”

“Whoa, slow down.” Emily held up her hands and shook her head. “It’s not that simple. If, and I do mean if, things happen to work out between Mason and me, it’s going to be a long, slow time of getting to know each other. Yesterday was simply the first step.”

“Seems perfectly simple to me. I remember you talking to me about him once. It’s about time your feelings were brought to the surface.”

Emily moved to sit back down at the bar stool beside Avery. If she were honest, the feelings had been mutual. That’s what was scaring her. Trusting her heart felt like jumping off the deep end.

“What happened with Charlie . . . ,” she said. “It just scares me. I loved him, Avery, but despite his crazy babbling of us running away together, I’m not sure he even planned to marry me. Our relationship was a farce, and I didn’t have a clue. I don’t know how I missed something like that. Deciding to put my heart on the line again is scary.”

“We all missed the clues, but not all men are like Charlie.”

“I know Mason is different. I truly believe his heart is for God and now maybe even for me, but the whole thing has my head spinning. What if you’d been right about him? What if he was the mole?”

“He isn’t.”

“But what if he was? Would I be walking into another situation like I was in with Charlie?” Emily wrapped her fingers
around the edges of the bar stool. She’d tried to give Mason counsel on making choices. Maybe it was time to listen to her own advice.

It’s just important to look
at things both ways. To try to temporarily look past
the emotion of the moment that can blind us.

Emotion was blinding her. Making her want to give in to fear. But if she didn’t give Mason a chance, she’d never know what could be between them.

“Trust is hard,” Avery said. “I’ve had to struggle with some of the same fears with Jackson. Ethan died, leaving me alone. It’s scary to think that could happen again.”

“Is it worth it in the end?”

“Opening up your heart to loving someone? I’m learning that no matter how fast and how far you want to run, when you find that right person who can ground you, keep you focused in the right direction, challenge you spiritually . . . it’s worth whatever the risk to your heart.”

“So you’re saying I should give Mason a chance?”

“What do you think?” Avery asked.

“I’ve spent all day deliberating between calling him and swearing off men forever, because opening up my heart to someone else feels like a huge leap of faith.” Emily tried to put her thoughts into words. “But I think I’m ready to chuck my list of requirements. I’ve realized that I need to trust God and my own good sense. I know that Mason’s heart is for God, and I believe that in the end, all those things combined is better than any checklist I could ever come up with.”

“Good, because you can’t let Charlie scar your heart so bad you end up missing out on someone worth taking a chance on. And I definitely think Mason’s worth your taking that chance.”

E
mily sat down beside Mason on the couch, feeling the odd combination of excitement that he was here and complete awkwardness. She uncrossed her legs, trying to find a comfortable position, but the row of Mama’s decorative pillows propped up behind them forced her to sit up straight.

She eyed the neatly wrapped package sitting next to him. “You didn’t have to bring anything.”

He attempted to lean back against the pillow with the silk peacock appliqué and shot her an uncomfortable smile. “It’s the Hunt family sweater.”

“From last Christmas Eve.” She’d almost forgotten the tradition.

Mason had gone home with the family gag gift. The sweater—made from eight skeins of bright green and red and crocheted by Daddy’s now deceased older sister—had been passed back and forth among family members and close friends for over a decade.

“You need to make sure Jackson gets it this year.”

“Not a bad idea.” He jabbed at the offending pillow with his elbow and nodded. “I appreciate your parents inviting me over. They were always good to include me in your family holidays.”

Or at least they had until Michael’s death. Michael’s death had changed so many things.

She clasped her hands around her knees. “They’ve been waiting for you to return from Colorado so they can thank you in person for everything you did.”

Mason Taylor had accomplished the impossible and moved from enemy number one to a part of the family again.

She searched for something to say, hoping to avoid an uncomfortable silence. “Any updates on Rafael? I’ve tried to call several times, but I understand he went with his mother to see family in south Georgia for the holidays.”

“He did, but I was able to speak with the DA yesterday. The case against him has been dismissed.”

“Wow. That’s fantastic news. And Eduardo?”

“Things aren’t going to turn out quite so good for him. He’s looking at a page full of charges, all dealing with drug trafficking. Even though he’s a minor, as soon as he gets out of the hospital, he’ll end up spending some time behind bars.” Mason’s fingers tapped against the red-and-white snowman wrapping paper beside him. “How’s your sister?”

“She’s doing well. Healing nicely. And your rib cage?”

“The bruising is pretty much gone.”

“I’m glad.” Emily recrossed her legs. “They should be back any minute. All of them. My parents took Avery and Tess to the mall for some last-minute Christmas shopping.”

“I don’t mind.” He glanced at his watch. “I was early.”

“I’m glad. It gives us time to . . . to talk.”

Emily groaned inwardly. She’d spent the past few days anticipating Mason’s return and imagining where their relationship might be heading. But now that he was here, she felt like a tongue-tied teenager who was worried she was going to say something stupid. Or maybe she’d simply been wrong about them. Maybe now that the danger had passed, things were just back to the way they used to be. Maybe Mason was never going to be anything more than a family friend to her. Except she no
longer saw him as an old family friend, nor did she want him to see her that way.

Mason’s laugh pulled her from her thoughts.

She looked up at him, confused. “What’s so funny?”

He leaned forward. “Listen to us. We sound like two single misfits who’ve been set up by their best friends on a blind date only to discover they have nothing in common. What happened last week might have skewed our emotions some—but I’m hoping that my description doesn’t fit us.”

She blew out a breath of relief, thankful she wasn’t the only one feeling the awkwardness of the situation. “Maybe we do need to start over, but first . . .” She pulled two of the frilly pillows from behind her, threw them onto the chair across from them, then sank back into the couch with a sigh of relief.

“Your mother won’t mind?”

“If she does, you can blame me.”

He smiled, grabbed the two pillows behind him, and chucked them onto the chair beside hers before settling back.

“Better?”

“Much.”

She felt herself starting to relax. “Tell me about your time with your family.”

His gaze dropped, but she didn’t miss the peace in his expression that had been lacking before he left. “Funny how something I dreaded so much turned into such a blessing. With my father gone, we’ll never have the relationship I always wanted, but I still feel a closure I never expected. Peace that when my dad died I was there, exactly where I needed to be.”

“I’m glad. I know that being there couldn’t have been easy, but now you can move on with no regrets.”

“I owe you for pushing me in the right direction, but what about you? You’ve had a lot of emotions to work through over the past week as well.”

She pressed her lips together. The nightmares had started that first night. She’d awakened drenched in sweat, terrified that Charlie was going to kill her. The dreams had come less frequently as the week progressed, but she knew it would take time for them to vanish completely.

“It’s going to be impossible to forget some of the things I saw. Especially shooting Charlie . . .” She stared beyond him at the lit Christmas tree in the corner of the room. “But I’ve spent a lot of time talking with Avery, Grace, and my parents, which has helped, and hopefully one day, I’ll be able to look past what happened.”

“I’ve always found it ironic that cops shoot bad guys on TV every episode,” he continued, “but in real life it’s not that way. Killing someone will always haunt you to some degree.”

“You know that from personal experience?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

She smiled up at him, realizing how remarkable it was that she’d found someone who not only cared about her, but who understood what she was going through as well. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I am too, because I’m sitting beside one of the most beautiful women I know.” Mason took her hand and ran his thumb across the back of her fingers. “Though I am worried about one thing. I’ve heard rumors at work that you’ve sworn off dating handsome officers in uniforms.”

“Really?” She laughed. “I’m not sure that will be a problem since I didn’t think you wore a uniform.”

“Is that my escape clause?”

“It very well could be.”

Emily’s smile was back as she breathed in the scent of Christmas. Cinnamon. Evergreen. And Mason’s tangy cologne. The fireplace crackled in the corner, casting shadows around the living room. The consequences of what had happened might
not vanish overnight, but for now all she wanted was to capture a few moments alone with the man sitting beside her.

His shoulder brushed against hers. Emily looked up at him and felt her heart race in anticipation. It was like days back in high school, waiting for the boy she liked to make a move. Because the more she got to know Mason, the more she liked him. His sense of humor, his compassion, his faith . . . His arm slid around her, then he ran his fingers along the base of her neck.

“You know,” she began, “this . . . attraction between us could be nothing more than reaction to the danger of facing a ransom situation. A kind of hero-victim syndrome.”

“Trying to play the devil’s advocate?”

She flashed him a smile. “I just want to make sure you realize what you’re getting into.”

“Oh, I’ve heard a lot of stories about the Hunt women. They’re stubborn, feisty—”

“What?”

“—and beautiful, as I’ve already said. I’m willing to take a chance if you are.” He raised her chin until she was looking into his eyes. “And I have an idea of where we could start.”

“Are you always so forward?”

“Only with a woman sitting beside me that I’m falling for.”

She felt her heart pound as he leaned in closer. The front door banged open, startling both of them as it blew in a gush of cold air and noisy laughter.

Emily pulled back. “Looks like everyone is back.”

“Bad timing.”

“Very bad timing.”

Avery stepped into the living room as Emily and Mason stood up, a gleam in her eye as she pulled off her gloves. “What have the two of you been up to?”

Emily swallowed her disappointment of the missed kiss and
smiled innocently at her sister. “We’ve been waiting for you to get back so we can start the festivities.”

Her father shut the door behind them, then shed his coat. “You know how it is shopping with three women who can’t make up their minds about anything. It takes forever.”

“Daddy.”

He winked at Avery. “Which has me worried, considering all the wedding shopping ahead of us.”

Emily caught the guarded look that passed between Avery and Jackson. “The wedding is still on . . . isn’t it?”

“Oh yes.” Avery hesitated, leaving Emily to wonder what was going on. “But there has been a slight change of plans.”

“Avery?” Mama frowned. “What kind of change of plans?”

“Instead of a fall wedding, we’ve been talking about Valentine’s Day.”

“
This
Valentine’s Day?” Mama handed her coat to Daddy, clearly not pleased with the announcement. “Do you realize that would give us less than two months to plan the wedding?”

Avery let Jackson help her out of her sweater, still careful about her injury. “If you want to talk about rushing things, we just walked in on your youngest daughter looking awfully cozy with a guy she’s never even gone on an official date with.”

“Wait a minute.” Emily felt her cheeks flush. “Don’t make this about me.”

“We could have opted for New Year’s, Mama,” Avery threw out.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Hunt.” Jackson wrapped his arms around Avery and Tess. “The three of us have been talking and we’re planning to keep things simple. We’re thinking about a small church wedding with just a few friends and family.”

“It sounds perfect, doesn’t it?” Avery asked.

“Now I’m not by any means trying to steal the spotlight from the happily engaged couple,” Daddy said, “but I think a change
of subject is in order, and we do have something else to celebrate tonight. I’ve been waiting to say it publicly. Mason, our family owes you a lot for what you did last week.”

“I was just doing my duty, sir.”

“Maybe, but you risked your life to save my daughter and my granddaughter, and for that I’ll be forever grateful. I want you to know that you’re always welcome in my house . . . as long as you realize that I’m not ready to walk my other daughter down the aisle anytime soon.”

Emily’s eyes widened. “Daddy!”

Perhaps getting to know each other in secret would have been a better alternative to having their first unofficial date at a family gathering on Christmas Eve.

“Daddy’s right,” Avery said. “And while it seems insignificant, I owe you a public apology, Mason. In the pursuit of justice, I went after the wrong man. The fact that Charlie framed you, and I didn’t catch it—”

“Please, no apologies. Charlie always was good at what he did, but unfortunately, that proficiency crossed over to the other side of the law. I just wish things hadn’t ended the way they did.”

“At least we can celebrate the fact that my three girls are okay, though there is one person missing from the celebration this evening.” Her father took her mother’s hand and drew it against his chest. “It’s been a long, hard year without Michael, but at least nothing can take away the memories we have of him.”

“We’ll have time to reminisce later.” Emily didn’t miss the tears in her mother’s eyes as she spoke. “Dinner will be on the table in ten minutes. So everyone go wash up and meet us in the dining room.”

A moment later, Emily was alone in the living room with Mason again. “Was this the reintroduction back into our family that you expected?”

“Considering I never expected the possibility of getting you with the package, no. It’s even better. And I noticed something else.” Mason grinned at her and looked up. “Mistletoe.”

“Maybe we should try again, because we can’t exactly break tradition, now can we?”

“That would definitely go against the holiday spirit.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. Their first kiss was everything she’d imagined. Passionate. Deep. Intense . . . and laced with that unquantifiable spark that was now burning within her. After a long, drawn-out moment, he took a step back, leaving her to catch her breath.

Mason’s smile widened. “I never thought I’d actually get to kiss Michael Hunt’s little sister.”

“I think he’d approve.”

“Not that I would ever give him the satisfaction of asking for his approval if he were here.” He ran his fingers across the turned-down collar of her vintage military jacket, sending shivers of delight down her spine. “I can’t make any promises about what the future holds for us, but I’d like to discover it with you.”

She smiled up at him. Maybe everything hadn’t healed, but her heart was ready to take that chance. “I’d like that too.”

He gripped the steering wheel with one hand, the coffee he’d bought down the street at a local convenience store with the other. He hadn’t expected that seeing them all together would be so emotional. The Christmas tree sat in the corner of the living room with its dancing white lights and his grandmother’s glass star on the top. He could hear strains of “Joy to the World” filling the cold night air. Christmas Eve had always been Mama’s favorite day of year.