Page 69 of Home for Christmas in July

I race from the room, pulling out my phone to call DeputyWells. And that’s when I see my notification. Text from Noe. I swipe to open it and read the two-word message with horror:

He’s here.

Like somethingout of the worst Christmas song ever, eight puzzled Santas, six pissed-off bikers, three horrified nieces, two freaked-out daughters, two fitness instructors, and a retired teacher crowd around the family room looking down at Noelle’s cracked phone as I recount the writing on the bathroom mirror, the blood I found in the hallway near the side exit, and the description Sunny and Brent gave me.

“How’d he get in?” Enrique says with a deep frown.

“I think must havebeenin. Maybe he checked in as a guest. I was focused on keeping peopleout.Meanwhile, the threat was inside all along.” I would love to kick my own ass right now.

“Wait, where’s Holly?” Ivy asks.

“She knows what’s going on. But somebody has to be in charge of the party. And she’s going to need some help.” I stare at my daughters.

Finally, Merry raises a reluctant hand. “I should stay and take care of the food.”

Rosemary, seated between her sisters, gets an elbow to each rib. “Ow! Fine, I’ll help Merry. Some guy who says he’s a baker also offered to help.”

“Enzo?” Merry sniffs. “We don’t need him.”

“Great.” I turn to Thyme and Sage. “The police are going towant to interview Sunny and Brent. Brent’s parents said he really took a shine to you at the library. Maybe you could sit in with him when the cops talk to him.”

They nod in unison. “Sure.”

Ivy narrows her eyes. “How do you plan to sideline me, Dad?”

I shake my head. “You’re coming with us, actually. We need drivers because a bunch of people walked here and we don’t have time to waste while they go get their cars. But you’re staying in the station wagon. Are we clear?”

“We’re clear,” she says with an excited grin, ignoring the daggers the other members of the family are shooting at her.

Enrique raises his hand. “You think he took her back to the lodge, right?”

I hope he took her back to the lodge. Because if he left town, I don’t know what to do.

“That’s my current thinking.”

“Why?”

“When I first told the police about the break-in, they weren’t overly interested in checking it out. The deputy said even if it was Bianchi who broke in, once he saw the cardboard we taped over the window, he’d abandon it as a hideout because it wasn’t safe anymore.”

“Makes sense. So why are we going there?”

“Because Noelle said he’s smart. And he probably realizes the police will assume he’ll avoid that spot because it’s not secure. So taking her there is unexpected. And he knows Brent and Sunny saw him leave with her. So he’ll have to assume there’s law enforcement looking for him all the wayfrom the Canadian border to the New York airports. He’ll have no choice but to lay low. The lodge is the best bet.”

I must sound more confident than I feel because all around the room heads are nodding.

“Any other questions?”

Nobody says a word.

“Good. Now let’s roll out before the police get here and try to stop us.”

CHAPTER 29

Noelle

Icome to with a banger of a headache and dust tickling my nostrils. I can’t hear Dante, but I know he’s in here somewhere. Whereverhereis. I keep my eyelids mostly closed but peer out from under my eyelashes to try to get my bearings. I’m in a dark, musty, quiet room. The air is cool. I’m on my back on a couch that’s covered in rough, scratchy fabric. Outside I hear birds chirping.

“Hello, Noelle.”

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