time, and with Jacob gone, he might feel as if his only choice was to shift his loyalty back to the cartel. Being there was an opportunity to feel the guy out and reassure him that he was still on the case. “I just wanted to stop in and see if there was any word on the baby?” he asked loudly, glancing around the office trailer and taking inventory of the security cameras. Everything at the docks was monitored.
Emilio looked nervous as he caught the code word. “Nothing yet. In fact, it’s about a week overdue.”
Jacob smiled, patting the man on the back. To anyone watching, he was just an old friend stopping by for a visit. One who expertly turned his face away from all camera angles. “Well, they always come when they’re ready. Be sure to let me know as soon as he or she arrives,” he said.
“Jake, are you sure about this?” Emilio sat behind his desk, and Jacob could see his hands shaking.
Reaching casually for the volume button on the stereo, the sound of “Jingle Bell Rock” drowning out his words, he leaned closer as he said, “Yes. I’m sure. And this is your way out once and for all, Emilio. Call the number I gave you immediately as soon as you know anything.”
“He’s coming here himself,” the man mumbled.
Jacob forced his voice to sound worry-free as he said, “I know. And that’s why I need to be here, too.” As soon as he could arrest the man in action, accepting his cargo, the faster Emilio could be free of his involvement, the court case could be over, and his sister and nephew could go home...he could go home.
The man swallowed hard. “Okay.”
Jacob touched his shoulder. “Emilio, we both need this.” This shot at redemption was the only way either of them could move on with their lives.
“I know, Jake. I won’t let you down.”
He nodded. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Emilio he was worried about.
“THE STATION DECIDED to enter a float after all?” Heather asked as Jacob entered the Millers’ barn the next day. The old stalls had been transformed into a place where they could work privately on their floats and store them until the parade.
Heather was wearing yoga pants and a sweatshirt, with her dark hair pulled back, and he almost didn’t recognize her as the same woman who tended bar every evening at the pool hall. This look was better, he decided. Though admittedly, he liked every look she had. There was just something about her that attracted him—her smart mouth, maybe.
For more reasons than one, he shook the thought away and cleared his throat. “Apparently they needed several more, so Sheriff Bishop signed us up.”
She looked around him and frowned. “Where’s the rest of your team?”
“Just me,” he said, feeling slightly embarrassed that he’d been deemed so unlikable by the folks in Brookhollow that he couldn’t even enlist the help of three people with his float.
Some of the guys at the fire hall had excuses for not wanting to help: Noah was already working on the community center’s float for his Turnaround program, and Ethan was helping Bailey with the garage’s float. Other guys just refused to acknowledge the email he’d sent out.
And Sheriff Bishop had simply tapped him on the shoulder and wished him luck, claiming one of them needed to be around the station in case of emergency.
Jacob was on his own, but it was worth it for the chance to check in with Emilio the day before. Besides, he’d throw a few things onto the trailer—a tree, an inflatable snowman and a cut-out Santa, maybe—and call it a day. It wasn’t as if he actually cared about winning the competition. And he knew as long as Sheriff Bishop’s nephews had something to ride on, the older man would be happy.
“The parade is in three weeks,” Heather said. “Most of us have been working on our floats for over a week now.” She glanced inside his stall and pointed to the empty flatbed he’d rented. “You’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
“Yes, I know. So, I better get started,” he said, moving around her and entering the stall where he’d placed all of his supplies the evening before. He still didn’t have a truck to pull the float in the parade yet, but he’d figure that out later. Or, with any luck, it would be someone else’s problem.
Heather followed him. “What’s your theme?”
Theme? As if. “Thought everyone had to keep their ideas hush-hush?” He stood tall, widening his chest and shoulders to prevent her from seeing beyond him. Without her crazy heels, she was only five-four, maybe five-five. Still as high energy as ever, though.
“We don’t have to,” she said with a shrug, curiosity shining in her eyes.
“Ah, but you chose to,” he said, winking at her. “Bye, Heather.” He entered his section and closed the door on her pout.
* * *
WITH VICTORIA’S MOTHER babysitting Harper and answering phones at the B and B, Heather and Victoria headed out early the next morning. Mike Ainsley had confirmed receipt of her résumé when she’d resent it to him, and within an hour, he’d requested an interview with her the following day, so the two women had decided to go interview-clothes shopping.
“Thanks for coming with me,” Heather said, as Victoria turned her truck onto Main Street, biting the curb. Heather bounced in the seat and laughed to herself. Her friend was the worst driver she knew.
Victoria didn’t seem to notice that she’d narrowly missed hitting the mailbox on the corner. “Of course. This is exciting. I’m happy for you,” she said, but her voice sounded forcibly chipper.
“I’m really sorry I’m leaving, Vic.”
“It’s totally fine. I knew you weren’t planning to stay forever.”
Even so, Heather couldn’t help but feel guilty. Victoria had lost her best friend and business partner in an accident five months before...and now Heather, too, was leaving. Her friend had been there for her when she’d lost so much, and abandoning her now made her stomach knot. “If you need me to stay longer...” Please, please, don’t say you need me to stay longer.
“No. You’re taking this opportunity—you deserve it. We really need to start thinking about a more permanent situation at the inn anyway.” She paused. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll go with you,” she said, teasing, but there was definite longing in her voice.
“You love your life here, don’t you?” Her friend had married her high school sweetheart, she was running a successful business, and now she was a mother to a beautiful baby girl. If she wasn’t happy with her choices, she was a terrific actress.
“Yes! Of course...it’s just some days, I miss it. I miss the city and the career...and feeling as though I was more than just mom and wife, you know?”
Actually, she didn’t, so she just nodded. Like her career-minded parents in the early days of their marriage, she’d never really felt a longing to have a family. She wondered if, like them, she’d have that urge someday. She wasn’t sure she would, and at thirty-five, her time to make the decision was growing short. Right now, she wanted to focus on putting the part of her life she knew she wanted back on track.
Main Street was anything but its usual calm as they approached. She frowned as Victoria parked, taking up two spaces outside Lily Duke’s clothing store. Daisies and Dukes was partitioned off with yellow police tape, and both sheriff cars were parked on the street in front of the building. The large storefront window was shattered, and the holiday display was destroyed.
“What on earth?” Victoria asked as she shut off the truck.
The two women climbed out and headed for the entrance.
“Sorry, ladies, this