Maverick Christmas

“Yeah, in college. You said you didn’t leave Mississippi until after you got your degree.”

She hesitated way too long, and her hands tightened on her cup as if she thought it might jump off the table if she didn’t hold it down. She was saved by Mandy when she accidentally knocked over her drink, sending a river of chocolate across the table.

“It’s okay,” Chrysie said as she jumped up to get a handful of paper towels. “Accidents happen.”

“Some gotted on my pants,” Mandy said.

“And all over my hands,” Jenny said.

“Okay, everybody to the bathroom. Will you excuse us, Sheriff?”

“Absolutely.” Josh waited until they were out of sight before walking to the counter and using two fingers to pick up the measuring cup Chrysie had used for the milk. He’d watched and knew it would have a good set of fingerprints and figured she’d be less likely to miss it than one of her pretty cups. Careful not to smudge the prints, he slipped it into the plastic zip bag he’d brought with him.

He stashed it in the pocket of his jacket and went back to his pie and chocolate. When Chrysie returned, it was just to stick her head in the doorway.

“I hate to be a terrible hostess, but I need to get these clothes off to soak before the stains become permanent.”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her deep blue eyes. When he stared into their smoky depths, he saw the same vulnerability that had gotten to him last night.

“That’s okay. I need to get a move on myself. Thanks for the pie and chocolate.”

“You’re welcome.”

He couldn’t actually feel the weight of the cup in his pocket as he left, but he was intensely aware of it as he climbed behind the wheel of his truck. He hoped to hell the prints were not those of Cassandra Harwell.

Yet he was almost certain that they were. And just as certain that arresting her might top his list of the hardest things he’d ever had to do.

CHRYSIE’S HEART WAS pounding like mad as she watched the truck disappear down the road, not toward the Millers but back to the highway.

He knew. She was sure of it.

The references to Texas. The questions about her husband’s helicopter training, her parents and her education. And the missing measuring cup. He’d probably though she wouldn’t notice. He was wrong. She hadn’t avoided capture for three years by letting anything go unnoticed.

He had her fingerprints, and as soon as he had them tested, he’d be back to arrest her. She had to move quickly, had only hours, maybe minutes, to throw what she could into the car. Only moments to tear the girls away from the place they already thought of as home.

Tears burned at the back of her eyelids as she hurried to her bedroom and pulled the battered suitcases from the top shelf of the closet. She carried two to the girls’ room. Her hands flew as she packed their socks, undies and pajamas, hoping to finish before they wandered in and saw what she was doing.

Better to get them in the car and on the road without their knowing what was going on. That way they couldn’t say anything to anyone when they stopped at a service station for fuel or at a fast-food restaurant for a bite to eat.

She had no idea where they’d go now. Before, she’d always known, but this time she hadn’t been able to make herself think of that next move. Aohkii had seemed so perfect.

She took the suitcases to the back door, then went to the living room, where the girls were watching cartoons and coloring pictures in their new drawing pads. “I have a surprise for you,” she said, trying to keep her tone light. “We’re going on a little trip.”

Mandy jumped off the couch. “Are we going to get a heighted Christmas tree?”

“Not heighted, tall,” Jenny corrected. “Are we, Mommy?”

“Not yet, but we’ll have fun. We’ll be riding in the car for a while, so I want you to go to your room and pick out five toys you want to take with you.”

The crayon Jenny was using slipped from her fingers and rolled along the table before falling to the floor. She stared at Chrysie questioningly. “What about the Christmas play? We have to go to practice.”

“The next practice isn’t until Monday. We’ll be back by then.” She hated lying to Jenny. Hated that she had to let her believe they’d be coming back when they never would. But she simply couldn’t take a chance on Jenny saying anything until they were far away from Aohkii.

“I don’t want to go.”

Chrysie settled on the couch beside Jenny and put her arm around her thin shoulders. “It will be okay, sweetheart. I promise you we’ll have fun.” She touched her lips to the top of Jenny’s head and felt the wispy strands of hair against her face.

“I don’t want to move again, Mommy. I like it in Aohkii.”

Chrysie pulled her close. “We don’t have a lot of time, Jenny. Just go to your room and pick out five toys. I’ll explain everything later.”

Chrysie wanted to hate Josh McCain, wanted to blame him for all this unhappiness and pain, but she couldn’t. Her own mistakes had caused this. Mistakes that she could never undo.

All she could do now was hope to outrun the killers and the law.

CHRYSIE WAS TWENTY miles east of Aohkii when she heard the approaching police siren. Impulsively she pressed her foot onto the accelerator.

Seconds later, the car hit an icy spot and started to skid. The back end of the car fishtailed to the right. Chrysie fought the wheel to straighten the car, but they were going sideways now, skidding toward the ditch and a cluster of pine trees just off the road.

The girls started to scream. She started to pray. But the horrifying siren just kept wailing right through the deafening crash.

Chapter Four

Josh hit the brakes and jumped from his truck, cursing the snow that slowed his steps as he rushed to the wrecked car. Panic and guilt whirled in a rush of adrenaline. This was his fault. He should have handled the situation better, should have confronted Chrysie at the house instead of waiting to catch her when she made a run for it.

He could hear crying as he approached the car. He jerked open the back door. Mandy was still in her car seat but sobbing. Jenny was unbuckling her own seat belt while trying to comfort her little sister.

“Don’t cry, Mandy. We’re okay.”

Mandy’s sobs slowed to a whimper at the sight of Josh. The girls appeared to be unhurt. Chrysie was a different story. She wasn’t moving, and her head was leaning against the blood-smeared side window.

“It’s okay, girls,” Josh said. “I’m here and I’ll take care of everything.” He didn’t feel nearly that confident as he tried to open the front door of the car only to find it so jammed from the wreck that it didn’t budge. He raced around the car to the passenger-side door, and Chrysie groaned and opened her eyes as he slid in beside her.

“Mandy and Jenny?”

“They’re fine,” he said.

Chrysie twisted to see for herself. Both girls were out of their car seats now and leaning against the front seat.

“You’re bleeding, Mommy.” Jenny’s small voice quivered, and that sent another shot of guilt straight to Josh’s heart. Not only could he have killed them all in a stupid car chase, he was still about to rip their mother from them.

“I’m okay, sweetie.” Chrysie’s voice was slurred, and when she turned back to Josh her eyes were clouded with confusion.

A trickle of blood ran down her right temple and dripped onto her shirt. She reached up and ran her fingers across a knot just above her ear that had already swelled to the size of golf ball.

“I was…” Reality apparently kicked in, halting her words. She started to shake. “Don’t do this, Josh.”

His throat went dry. Arresting her shouldn’t be this damn hard.