Page 51 of A Pen Pal for Christmas

“There was a lot of stuff thrown around…”

“I know,” I said, shaking my head. “I just really look forward to those letters, and if it was there, I would’ve seen it. I know it.”

One side of Hudson’s mouth quirked up. “Guess you’ve got a pretty good pen pal, huh?”

“I do. And the fact that Dane would take those letters and leave that other one in its place… It just makes it worse.”

His gaze darkened. “Come on. Let’s get to the station to see what Tommy’s heard.”

I nodded, grateful for him for the tenth time that morning. As we stepped out of the inn, the cold air nipped at my face, causing me to burrow down into my scarf. I wasn’t hiding, per say, but I didn’t hate the feeling of slipping into a cocoon with Hudson at my side.

“Sofia.”

The sound of my name made me stop short. I turned to see Dane walking toward us, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his coat. His face was drawn, his jaw tight, and for a brief second, I thought I saw worry etched into his features.

Hudson tensed immediately, his stance shifting just enough to put himself slightly in front of me. I rested a hand on his arm, a silent signal not to do anything rash.

His jaw ticked, but he stayed where he was, his sharp gaze locked on Dane.

“Sofia,” Dane said again as he stopped a few feet away. His eyes darted to Hudson, then back to me. “I heard about what happened. Are you okay?”

I folded my arms, unsure of how to respond. “Why do you care?”

“Because—” He blew out a breath, his hand raking through his hair. “Look, I know you don’t trust me right now, but I swear to you, I had nothing to do with it.”

Hudson’s voice was low, calm, and terrifyingly steady. “Prove it. Where were you last night between six and seven?”

Dane’s eyes snapped to Hudson, his jaw tightening further. “You sound like a TV cop.”

Hudson took a step forward.

Dane sighed. “I was in my car. It’s where I’ve been staying. I can’t afford anything else, so yeah. My car’s my only option right now.”

I frowned, studying him. There was no hint of his usual arrogance, no smugness in his tone. If anything, he looked… tired. And worried. But that didn’t mean I was ready to take his word for it.

“Where was your car parked?” Hudson asked through his teeth.

Clearly, he was nowhere near ready to believe Dane’s story.

“The hardware store,” Dane replied. “There’s a spot where I’ve been parking at night.”

Hudson nodded slowly, his arms crossed over his chest. “If there’s a camera nearby, we’ll check it. If you’re telling the truth, it’ll show you were in your car all night.”

Dane met his gaze without flinching. “Good. Do it. Then you’ll know it wasn’t me.”

The confidence in his tone caught me off guard. Dane was many things, but he wasn’t a good liar. If he was lying now, he was putting on the best performance of his life.

Dane started to take a step forward, but when Hudson stood impossibly taller, he thought better of it and stayed where he was. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I wouldn’t do that to you, Sofia. I’m messed up right now, and I know it. But I’m not like that.”

I wanted to scoff, to call him out on all the times he’d proven he was exactly the kind of man who could leave a note like the one on my car. But there was something about the way he stood there, shoulders hunched against the cold, his words trembling with a weight I wasn’t sure was real or crafted for sympathy.

He wasn’t wrong about being messed up—I knew that better than anyone. But was this just another one of his games, or had I been so caught up in my anger that I couldn’t see the truth staring me in the face?

“I don’t know what to believe,” I admitted, my voice barely more than a whisper.

His lips pressed into a tight line, but he nodded once, like he understood more than I’d said.

I glanced at Hudson, his expression unreadable as his attention flicked between me and Dane.

---