Tall, Dark, Texas Ranger / Once Upon A Christmas Eve. Patricia Thayer

man came up to Santos. Their body language told him that this was more than just a friendly conversation. After a few minutes, the stranger walked off. Next Santos glanced around and he, too, started to leave the barbecue area. He acted as if he were going for a smoke, holding an unlit cigarette as he backed into the wooded area behind the cabins.

      Keeping his distance, Coop followed Rey through the trees behind the cabin. Santos kept walking, looking over his shoulder.

      Coop circled around to the other side, using the trees and brush for cover. If Rey was going for a smoke he was walking quite a ways to do it. He finally stopped in a clearing.

      Behind a large tree, Coop waited and soon two more men made their way out of the trees.

      He crouched lower and managed to move a little closer so he could try to decipher their voices from the music and noise coming from the party. They were speaking in Spanish. No surprise.

      Growing up in El Paso, he knew enough to get by, but with everyone speaking at once, he only managed some key words, like “delivery” but he needed to hear a time or a date.

      What the hell was being delivered? Drugs? Was this what the informant was trying to tell them? Give us the times and dates of the deliveries. Was this what Stephanie and Santos wanted from Lilly? Damn, he needed more answers.

      Suddenly he heard his name and turned around to see Lilly coming toward him. Coop glanced toward the clearing. The others had heard her, too. The men dispersed, except for Santos who headed their way.

      There wasn’t anything Coop could do but fake his way out of it. When Lilly finally reached him, he grabbed hold of her and pulled her against him as his mouth covered hers.