Page 9 of A Holly Jolly Mix Up (Sweet Christmas Kisses #12)

Andrew

“This case is boggling my brain and putting the entire town on edge,” my partner, Randy, sighs.

“Yeah, I’ve only been at it for five days and I’m frustrated by it. It seems like every night, these yahoos are out there looting businesses in town. We need to figure this out,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair.

“We’ll come back tomorrow with fresh eyes. Hopefully, we’ll catch something.”

“I’m going to stop by a couple of the neighboring businesses on the way home. I want to talk to the owners before they close.”

“Just give it a rest ‘til morning,” Randy begs. “If you’re out there on the streets, you know that I’m going to feel compelled to follow you.”

Randy and I have been partners since I moved here a few years ago.

We’re both highly decorated and have worked in big cities prior, so sometimes, we’ll work with other detectives in the surrounding cities on bigger cases.

But in a town this size, the cases are usually minor, like traffic violations or petty crimes by juveniles.

Except this one. It’s the most damage we’ve seen.

Mostly everybody knows everybody so no need for him to tag along. Plus, his wife is nearly seven months pregnant with their first child. Interviewing a few people doesn’t require her to be left alone this evening.

“You go on home to that wife of yours,” I tell him, as Jane crosses my mind. “I got this. Tell her I said hi.”

“And you give Angus an extra treat from Uncle Randy.” He laughs then cocks his head to the side.

“Hey, you never did tell me how your vacation went. You came back looking more…stressed or maybe—” he considers his words for a moment.

“Conflicted? I normally can read you like an open book, but this last week, you’ve been suspiciously quiet. ”

“I had a nice time. Just not quite the vacation I envisioned.”

“Well, we need to have you over for dinner soon and go into more detail on that.”

“The second we have this criminal behind bars, I’m in.”

“It’s a plan. Be safe out there tonight, and if anything of note comes up when you go by the other stores, call me. ”

Despite loving my job, everything feels duller since Jane left without warning.

Our connection was like an electric jolt, igniting a spark that still lingers in my mind.

No matter how many hours I pour into my work, her memory refuses to release its hold on me.

It’s like trying to outrun a shadow when the sun is behind you, it’s always there.

When I arrive home, my faithful companion greets me with his usual enthusiasm, his tail wagging so hard that it seems he might take flight. His brown eyes shine with joy and expectation, a stark contrast to the bleak scenes I’ve been dealing with today.

Angus howls at me.

“I know, buddy,” I tell him, heading straight for the backyard. “I have your ball, and I promise you’ll be exhausted when we’re done—or at least, I will be.”

Angus runs, retrieves the ball, and stops for pets.

Then he repeats the whole routine, several times.

When we head inside, I stub my toe on two massive boxes right inside the back door.

I took my Christmas tree and decorations down from the attic and put them in that spot three days ago.

Somehow, Jane took my will to celebrate this season with her.

It feels a little pathetic. A little over the top.

I knew the woman for three days, and half of that, I was in searing pain from her pepper spraying me.

But what can I say? She left a huge Jane outline in my heart, and I wish she felt the same way I do.

I could use my resources to look her up, but…

if she wanted to keep in touch, she would have left a way to contact her.

But I want to get into the holidays; I want to find joy at this time of year. That’s it, no more wallowing.

“Angus,” I call out to him, determined. “We’re decorating when I get back.”

He cocks his head to his side.

“I mean it. We aren’t going to let our melancholy hearts ruin this. It was three days out of a lifetime! She couldn’t have been our soulmate. She left us,” I mutter as I pet him. “Without even a fully formed note to explain.”

Angus barks twice.

“Exactly. I’m going to do a quick stroll to those shops where the last crime was and see if anyone remembers anything else that we can add to our case.

Also, to ensure nothing else is going on tonight,” I whisper as I reach onto the counter to grab Angus a treat.

“Then I’ll be back to grill up a steak and put up the tree.

We don’t need a strikingly beautiful woman to make our holiday amazing. Right?”

Angus replies with a noise that sounds more like a moan than an agreement.

“Cheer up, buddy.” I give him one last scratch on the head before leaving the house .

I set off for the quaint downtown shops as a little gurgle comes to life inside my chest. The Christmas lights are in full glory tonight all the way down Main Street.

All the sweet memories of past Christmases rush through my head.

I truly love this time of year—the lights and decorations, the towns’ cheerfulness, and the cold weather and delicious treats.

While it would have been wonderful to have a special someone to spend it with, that’ll come one day.

I just need to keep up the hope and be open to someone. Someone who isn’t Jane.

The corner store where the robbery happened last night comes into view.

Mr. Bradford’s window is boarded up, and some of his display was affected by the shattered glass.

But he’s standing outside with a cocoa stand that’s abuzz with people.

He takes orders and hands paper mugs with a radiant smile.

He’s not letting one bad seed ruin his Christmas spirit.

I open the door of the shop to the right of his.

Since I got back, I’ve been meaning to come by to see how Regina is anyway.

Another officer had taken statements from the nearby shop owners so I didn’t see her this morning.

But she always keeps mystery novels set aside for me.

You’d think I would want something not related to my job, but I thoroughly enjoy reading crime and mystery novels.

Even when I think I might know the way the plot will go, the author spins it in a different direction.

Regina is always such a pleasure to talk with too.

She’s run the store since I moved here and is a wealth of knowledge.

She would fill me in on the latest releases, town information, and world history facts.

Maybe she caught wind of something and has a tidbit of something, anything, to help us catch this criminal.

“Regina?” I call out as I glance about the place. She must have done some reorganizing. It looks more tidy, and…something else is different too.

The soft tone of someone reading a book aloud distracts me. I turn toward the kid’s section where the voice is coming from. As I grow closer, the voice becomes more clear. It’s not Regina.

Goosebumps ripple down my spine. “He tiptoed through the house.”

That’s when she appears in sight. Jane. My heart is thrumming so loud, the whole town could probably hear it.

“Past the stockings and the twinkling lights,” she continues, unaware of my presence.

She’s sitting on a stool with children surrounding her eagerly listening to what she’s reading. Parents are standing along the back bookshelf .

Is it really her? I’m not imagining this, am I? Do I miss her so much that I’m mistaking someone else for her? Cause that would be utterly embarrassing.

She closes the book, asking the children a few questions.

“Thank you for coming to our story hour today. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.” The kids start to scatter, and she lowers her voice. “Parents, there is a little treat by the register from the bakery, if you don’t mind them having it.”

A few parents thank her then she spins around. That’s when her striking green eyes meet mine for the first time in…way too long. Her mouth slightly opens as she holds my gaze. I give a little wave of my hand and smile, hoping it’s a dashing smile and not a goofy one.

A sea of kids come running around us, cheering, “Cookies!”

“Andrew?” she finally asks, walking toward me. “How did you…Why are…” Her cheeks are becoming a beautiful shade of red.

I chuckle because I feel the same way. I can’t form a word, let alone a sentence, at this moment. I want to walk forward and lay a hand on that sweet cheek of hers just to prove to myself that she is real. That she is here, with me, once again.