Page 7 of Only One More Lie

That must be the lodge.

On the other side of the property, dipping low on a hill, she spotted a fence with several reindeer behind it.

This was the perfect Christmas village, wasn’t it?

Car doors slammed then they all trudged through the snow together toward the owner’s private cabin.

A young woman stood on the porch. Andi recognized the nineteen-year-old as Juniper Burrows. She’d looked up her picture before coming. A middle-aged man stood beside her. Based on their body language, they were in the middle of a heated exchange. The woman’s hands flew in the air, and the man crossed his arms as he shook his head.

He looked at their vehicles, scowled, and then stomped down the steps away from them.

Interesting.

Andi turned back to Juniper and observed the woman a moment. She wore an oversized white jacket with a red-and-white knit cap that reminded Andi of a candy cane. The tall, slender woman had fair skin and curly blonde hair that came past her chin. Snowflakes had landed on her long eyelashes as she stood there staring at them.

Andi climbed the porch steps. “You must be Juniper.”

Behind her, Matthew filmed their meeting. They liked to add video clips of their interviews to supplement their podcasts. The feature had been a real hit with their fans, who often went online to find more information about the cases they talked about. They’d already asked Juniper if it was okay to record everything, and she’d given her permission.

The rest of the team stood on the ground behind Andi, somberness on their faces as they prepared themselves to dive into this latest case. All talks of Slasher the Reindeer were forgotten.

Andi held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Juniper shook Andi’s hand and then glanced at the rest of the team. “It’s a real thrill—and honor—to meet you all. I’m a big fan. Of course, I wish the circumstances were different.”

Andi cast her a tight smile. “We do too.”

“You’re Andi—the brains of this podcast.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “What was that?”

Juniper shrugged. “You’re the brains. Duke is the instinct. Mariella the face, Simmy the heart, Ranger the muscle, and Matthew the logic.”

Andi rocked her head back and forth as she thought through the assessment. The woman wasn’t wrong. In fact, she’d pretty much hit the nail on the head.

“That’s the first time we’ve been described like that,” Andi said.

Juniper shrugged again. “I analyze things too much sometimes. It’s one of the hazards of living so far away from civilization and having limited contact with the outside world.”

“Thank you for having us here and letting us record everything,” Andi continued. “I know this interview won’t be easy for you.”

“People thought I was crazy when I decided to keep this place open after . . .” Her voice trailed, and she swallowed hard. “Anyway, I know that’s what my parents would have wanted. I just have one rule: no snowmen.”

“Makes sense to me.” Andi stomped some of the snow off her boots.

“Anyway . . .” Juniper drew in a deep breath as if mentally shifting gears. “It’s cold out here. Eleven degrees last time I checked. How about if I get you guys inside? I just made some peppermint hot chocolate. Really, I’m not trying to be a cliché. But Christmas is kind of what we do around here.”

“That sounds amazing,” Andi murmured.

“My friend Pepper—I call her Peppermint—has started a whole business based on the flavor,” Juniper continued. “She makes candy, hot chocolate, candles, etc. She even crocheted this hat I’m wearing.”

“She sounds fun.” Andi instantly envisioned what the woman was probably like—eccentric but driven.

They walked inside the cabin, shedding their shoes and coats at the door. A husky greeted them, and they all rubbed his head.

The place smelled like evergreen and cinnamon. A tall tree with sparkling lights stood next to a large window, reminding Andi just how close Christmas was.

She really needed to do some shopping. With everything going on and all her recent therapy appointments, she hadn’thad the chance. She wasn’t exactly in the holiday spirit, despite all the answered prayers in her life.

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