Page 34 of Deadly Past

Easier said than done. If he and Wynona were forced to flee, with the storm almost on top of them, it would be next to impossible and far more dangerous than standing their ground.

“Stay safe, Declan. This thing just keeps getting stranger and stranger.”

That was putting it mildly. Declan placed the phone in his pocket and gathered an armful of logs from the garage. The snow was blinding. Declan could hardly see more than a few feet in front of him.

When he went inside, Wynona had changed into a dark green sweater that accented her blonde hair. She looked lovely, and he recalled all the Christmases they’d spent together.

“Is anything wrong?” she asked and came over to where he stood with an armload of wood.

“No, nothing.” He told her about the call from JT. “As soon as the storm breaks, they’ll head this way.”

Wynona went over to the window and peered out. “It’s really coming down.”

He pulled in a breath and joined Wynona at the window.

“Is that a light on at Amos’s cabin?” Wynona pointed to the spot at the very edge of visibility to the right.

Declan leaned closer. “It is. I thought he and Cathy had left.” He shifted to Wynona.

“Maybe they had just gone out when Becky checked in on them.”

“I guess it’s possible.” But he didn’t believe it. “Let’s step away from the window.” With the darkness rapidly descending, it was next to impossible to see anything.

Wynona rubbed her arms then held her hands out in front of the fire.

The tension in his shoulders foreshadowed a showdown that was closing in. “Want some hot chocolate?” he asked to take both their minds off everything. “Maybe we can sit by the fire and play some Christmas music.”

Her eyes brightened. “I love that idea. I’ll make the hot chocolate. You see if you can find some music.”

He chuckled at her excitement. “That’s easy enough. I have a radio.”

She smiled over her shoulder as she went to the kitchen.

Declan clicked on the radio and searched for a station with Christmas music while the lights at Amos’s house weighed his thoughts down. With Amos’s condition, why had Cathy brought the older man here in the first place when she could have just brought what he wanted?

“Here you go.” Wynona handed him a cup of steaming hot chocolate. “Any luck?”

He turned to her and realized she meant the music. “Oh, yes.” The final twist of the old radio knob dialed in a Christian music station that was playing, “Joy to the World.”

“Perfect.” She went over to the fire and claimed one of the chairs. Declan gave himself a mental shake. He didn’t want to worry Wynona unnecessarily. Declan claimed the chair beside her and tried to ignore the alarm bells going off in his head.

“Do you remember that Christmas we shared at Bagram?”

He turned toward her and smiled. “I sure do. That poor excuse for a tree we picked out.” It was barely a tree, but it was all they could find.

She chuckled. “I know it was pathetic, but you know what? I must have replayed that Christmas in my head hundreds of times.”

The look on her face drove everything else from his thoughts. “Me, too,” he admitted. “Wynona—”

She clasped his hand. “I’ve missed you, Declan. Missed us.”

“Me, too.” Before he could push the words out to ask for a second chance, his phone rang. With frustration he pulled it from his pocket. JT’s number appeared on the screen. Declan answered the call and put it on speaker. “Merry Christmas.” Though he knew if JT was calling, it probably wasn’t to wish them well. “So, what’s up?”Please don’t let it be bad.

“I found out some disturbing news.”

The knot in his stomach tightened further. “Give it to us.” Though he wasn’t so sure he wanted to hear it.

“Cathy Meyers—Amos’s daughter—passed away six months ago.”

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