Page 66 of Just Add Mistletoe

Penny shrugged. “What does it really matter? Your laptop’s back, and I decided to be nice and deliver it. Some thanks I’mgetting . . .” She looked around the empty trailer. “Where did all your stuff go?”

Malcom pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to figure out what was really going on. He picked up his laptop from the counter. No charging cord, of course. “I don’t know what to think,” he said stiffly. “My place was ransacked, and suddenly you show up with my stolen property.”

“Here.” Penny ignored his statement and handed over a stapled set of papers. “We need you to sign this.”

Malcom hesitated, then took the papers from her. Leafing through them, he surmised that he’d just been given a nondisclosure, noncompete, and promise-not-to-sue document. Ridiculous. He held out the contract to her. “Send it to my lawyer. Bronson’s lawyer has his information.”

Penny refused to take it back. She set her hands on her hips. “Seriously, Malcom? This is your own brother. He’s working day and night to save everyone’s necks, including yours.” She pointed a long fingernail at Lori. “It’sher, isn’t it? The minute we start a project in Every Falls, all of a sudden, you’re dating a local girl. She and the whole town are in on this together—everyone knows everyone here. Like they’re all cousins. So weird. This woman has influenced you to turn your back on your family.”

Malcom opened his mouth to respond, but Lori cut in.

“You have thirty seconds to leave this trailer before I call the cops,” she said in a dead-calm voice. “Oh, and by the way, the chief of police is my dad’s cousin, and I’ve already sent him the video I just took of you inside this trailer.”

Penny gaped at her. “You’re a first-rate—”

Malcom stepped in front of Lori just as Penny lunged. Her claws—nails—landed on his chest. He staggered back a step, but managed to remain upright.

That’s when they all heard police sirens.

“Move, Malc!” Penny screeched. “This woman is mine!”

He grabbed her arms as she lunged again. “Stop, Penny. You’re making everything worse. Do you want assault added to your breaking-and-entering charges?”

Her chest heaved with anger. “This trailer belongs to the company. A company that you’re no longer a part of.”

“And it’s leaving the property tomorrow. A fact which Bronson already knows. You shouldn’t have come here, Penny. You shouldn’t have taken my laptop,” he added. Because suddenly he knew. Being this close to her reminded him of her expensive perfume. He’d caught a whiff of it when he was loading the papers into the boxes earlier tonight. But he’d brushed it off as being his imagination. Now, he realized she’d been the one to go through all his stuff.

“What were you hoping to find?” he ground out.

Penny jerked her arms away from his grasp, rubbing them. “The bankruptcy is all your fault, you know,” she hissed. “We were all on our way to being wealthy. I even laid myself at your feet and was willing to create a future together.”

The sirens cut off, and red and blue lights glowed against the white blinds.

“What does that even mean?” he asked. “You were going to frame me if things went south?”

Penny scrunched up her face. “You’re the one who made the mistakes, not me, not my sister, and not Bronson. Someday, you’ll pay for all of this.”

Someone banged on the door, and Lori opened it up before the police could bust in.

The next few minutes were a whirlwind as Penny proclaimed her innocence, but the cops insisted they talk to her separately, outside of the trailer.

After they were done with her, one of the cops came back inside. “Do you want to press charges, sir?”

Malcom scrubbed a hand through his hair. It was complicated, but Penny had literally stolen his property.

“This has to end,” Lori said quietly.

He nodded, then looked at the cop. “Yes, I do.”

LORI STOOD AT THE KITCHEN window, which gave her a view of the building lot. Three days ago, the work had resumed. After what seemed like a series of miracles, and brilliant planning by Malcom—plus an approved construction loan—the condo project was back on schedule. It was a little strange with the trailer gone from the lot, but it also signaled that life was moving forward.

The tea kettle whistled, and she moved to the stove and turned off the heat. Then she poured hot water into two mugs she’d set aside for hot chocolate. As she stirred scoops of the mix into the mugs, her thoughts shifted to Penny. The charges against her had been dismissed because there hadn’t been enough proof that she’d stolen the laptop. Besides, her name was on the company board, so her entering the trailer wasn’t considered trespassing, especially since Malcom had moved his stuff out. Regardless of the disappointment that Penny would get away with everything, Lori hoped she had learned her lesson and would stay away from Malcom from now on.

Tiger meowed and trotted to the door at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Malcom knocked, then opened the door. She’d left it unlocked for him. Without turning she could smell the food he’d brought.

“Breakfast?” he asked, his voice a nice low morning rumble.

She smiled, but didn’t turn from stirring the hot chocolate. Seconds later, he’d crossed the room and wrapped his armsabout her waist. She leaned her back against his chest, and he kissed her neck, then rested his chin on her shoulder.

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