Santa Assignment. Delores Fossen

far cry from the night you told me that I’d all but put a bullet in my wife.”

      Yes. Those were her words all right. Each bitter one of them.

      “Far cries aside,” she murmured, “you still haven’t seen my face.”

      It was a dare, another gauntlet. And this time, it worked. Brayden lifted his head, turned and nailed his gaze to hers. Unfortunately, his movement came at the same moment when she noticed the car creeping through the parking lot.

      Ashley tried to ignore it. Tried and failed. Before she could stop herself, she began to make mental notes of the specifics. A dark green van. Texas plates. Nondescript, except for the fact it had heavily tinted windows. So heavily tinted that she couldn’t see the driver.

      When it finally crawled by, she pulled her attention away from it and reaimed it at the man who was waiting for her to fulfill her part of the you still haven’t seen my face dare.

      “Want me to run a check on those plates?” Brayden asked.

      So, he’d noticed. Of course, he wouldn’t have been much of a cop if he hadn’t. “No thanks. Old habits, you know.”

      And those old habits ruled her life. In fact, when Ashley got right down to it, to that elusive bottom line, one of those old habits was the thing that worried her most about becoming pregnant. Giving up her life in Virginia was only part of the problem. Getting past her unresolved issues with Brayden was another. But the worst part was facing a fear that so far she’d had zero success in facing.

      She cursed herself.

      And cursed Brayden, as well.

      While she was at it, she cursed the medical community for not having a cure for her nephew.

      “You know those scenes in horror movies where the people go into a scary-looking house?” Brayden asked.

      Okay. That got her mind off her mental profanity. “Excuse me?”

      “Those scenes where people go inside even though they’re scared spitless and there’s this creepy music playing?”

      Now, he looked at her. And she looked at him. Even though the subject was intriguing, and somewhat confusing, Ashley got lost for in moment in those eyes.

      Mercy, where had that come from?

      “Those people are too stupid to live because they ignore all their instincts and do something, well, stupid,” he continued. “And the point is, you’re not stupid. So, that means I want you to accept my offer to stay in the guest room at my house. You might think I’m a couple of steps below navel lint, but I didn’t ask you to come here so you could get hurt.”

      As one-sided conversations went, that one packed a wallop. Brayden didn’t dismiss her fears. Didn’t give her one of those icy coplike glances. It was one nearly perfect moment in what had been far from perfect between them.

      And in that moment, Ashley knew exactly where this had to go. Maybe she’d always known but had needed this moment, this visit with Colton, for it to sink in. Now, she only hoped she could live with the decision she was about to make.

      “I’ll do it,” she heard herself say.

      Brayden nodded. “Good. It won’t take us long to get to the house. I’ve already upgraded the security system, and some officers have volunteered to drive by and keep an eye on the place. It’s as safe as I can make it.”

      He put the car in gear, but she caught his hand to stop him from leaving.

      “No, I mean…well, yes, to the guest room,” Ashley assured him. “Because you’re right—I’m not stupid.” Well, not about this anyway. “But yes to helping Colton, too.”

      His gaze rifled to hers again. But he didn’t say a word. He just waited for her to finish.

      Ashley did. After she gathered enough breath so she could speak.

      “I’ll have your baby, Brayden.”