Page 13 of Christmas Homecoming Secrets

“Thank you. Me too.” She rubbed the back of her neck with a groan. “It’s been a very long day.”

He walked over to massage her shoulders. “You’re wound up tighter than a spring, kiddo.”

“I’m sure.” She dropped her chin to her chest. “Mia mentioned my friend. Mom didn’t tell the kids who it was?”

“No.” He dropped his hands. “Just that you had a friend who was hurt and had to go help.”

“I see.” She rubbed her eyes. She’d have to tell them. They knew and loved Frank and would wonder why he wasn’t coming around anymore.

“Heather didn’t want to come stay with you?” he asked. “With us?”

“No. I tried to get her to come and even told her I’d stay at her place, but she said she was going to stay with her mother tonight, and then at Frank’s house—what was supposed to be their house—after the crime scene people do their thing and release it.

She said she needed to be with her mom, to process and grieve.

” Jade bit her lip and shook her head. “I don’t understand it.

I talked to Frank on a weekly basis, sometimes more, and I never knew he was doing something this dangerous. ”

“Probably didn’t tell you because he was afraid you’d tell Heather.”

“Maybe.” She shook her head. “He took Mia and the twins to his niece’s birthday party two weeks ago. Were they in danger when they were with him? Would he have risked that?”

Her father took her hands. “No, honey, you know Frank. He wouldn’t have put those kids in danger. Not knowingly.”

She pulled away from him and looked at the ceiling as though she might find the answers written there.

A gasp pulled her gaze back to her father. He was staring at her throat. “What happened to you?”

She touched the area with a grimace. “I got caught in a strand of lights.”

His eyes narrowed. “Caught how?”

“I… Someone at the tree lot attacked me and wrapped a strand of lights around my throat.”

He blanched and his face paled. “Jade,” he whispered. “Did they catch him?”

“No. Not yet. We’re hoping to get some footage from the security cameras there.”

He shook his head. “You’ve had too many life-threatening things happen lately, from getting attacked at the mill to the shooting at the range. Now this? It’s too much.”

“No kidding.”

He paused. “Take a shower and go to bed. I’ll stay here tonight.”

“We have officers watching the place, Dad. We’ll be okay.”

“Are you willing to risk Mia’s life on that? Yours?”

She hesitated. Then sighed. “I’ll get you some blankets and a pillow.”

“And I’m going to get my gun.”

* * *

Bryce climbed the stairs to his room with Sasha on his heels. She’d missed him and now didn’t want to leave his side. In his bathroom, with Sasha lying in front of the door to keep an eye on him, he removed the prosthesis with a groan and massaged his stump until the worst of the ache eased.

The ibuprofen had helped, but he considered taking something a little stronger. Then dismissed the idea. He didn’t want to be less than alert while they were looking for Frank’s killer.

Once he’d showered, he grabbed the crutches, made his way to the window and looked out. Even though it appeared the attacks hadn’t been aimed at him, he couldn’t help being on edge, antsy and worried about Jade.

“She’s a cop,” he told Sasha. “She’s trained to take care of herself, right?”

Sasha yawned.

The fact that she had fellow officers watching her house was the only thing that allowed him to go to his bed and collapse on it in an exhausted heap.

Sasha settled herself on her bed next to him.

It was only when he was getting nice and comfortable that he realized he’d left his phone in the bathroom.

With a groan, he sat up. Sasha jumped to attention.

“Sasha, phone.” He pointed to the bath. She ran to the room and disappeared inside.

When she returned, she dropped his phone onto the bed next to him.

He wiped the doggie drool off on his sleep pants and scratched her ears.

“Good job, girl. Now go get in your bed.”

Sasha obeyed. Sat there for less than three seconds, watching him before she got up and joined him back on the bed with a hopeful look. “Oh, fine,” Bryce said. “You can stay, just don’t tell Kristy.”

He knew Kristy really wouldn’t care, and he was glad for the company. When the dog realized he wasn’t going to make her get down, she rolled to her side with a contented sigh while Bryce stared at the ceiling and let the grief flow over him.

He shifted and closed his eyes. Which brought Jade’s beautiful face front and center in his mind. Someone had tried to kill her tonight and would have succeeded if he and Clay hadn’t finished strapping the tree to the car and gone looking for her.

Jade. What was he going to do about her? She’d always gotten under his skin, even as a teen. He’d stayed away from her, thinking she was too young for him, but when he’d seen her that day at the college…

He sat up and slid his legs to the edge of the bed. Well, leg and a half. The half was a good reminder why he needed to stuff down any feelings he might have for Jade. She deserved better. Someone whole. Someone who wouldn’t be a burden to her.

Sasha raised her head and eyed him. “Sorry, girl. I’m restless tonight.”

If he couldn’t sleep, he might as well work.

He sat down at the small desk in the corner and pulled the pad and pen over.

He wrote everything he knew about what Frank was working on and names he’d heard the man say.

When he finished, he sat back and read over it, disgusted to see it wasn’t much.

But he’d give it to Jade, and maybe she could make some sense out of it.

Bryce returned to his bed and lay down. Sasha raised her head once more, and Bryce thought she might very well be frowning at him.

He grabbed his phone and texted Jade. Are you awake?

No answer.

Okay, so I was thinking. Maybe we can decorate the tree sometime after lunch. Make an afternoon of it if you feel up to it. Just text me in the morning and let me know what you think.

He set the phone back on his end table and shut his eyes, praying he wouldn’t dream, but knowing Sasha would wake him if he did.