Our First Christmas by Lisa Jackson Page B

hill?”
    â€œPartway. I barely lifted my lids, and I could see the light. But he stopped. His phone rang. An odd ringtone.”
    â€œCan you place it?”
    Eyes closed, she chased the memory that darted back into the shadows.
    â€œDon’t worry about it. What happened next?”
    â€œThe light lingered on the car for a long time, and I was sure he’d come the rest of the way and kill me. But he didn’t. Finally, he turned and left.”
    â€œJust like that?”
    â€œI heard the rattle of his car as he drove off.”
    â€œHe had a busted tire. He stopped at a gas station a few miles from here.”
    â€œDo you think it was an accident? I mean, why not finish the job?”
    â€œMaybe he didn’t want to kill you. Or maybe he was sloppy. My guess is sloppy. Assumed the accident had done its job.”
    A cold shiver shuddered through her as she studied the isolated land. “The accident didn’t get me but this land would have. Doubtful anyone would have found me for days, and with the cold temperatures, who’s to say if I would have made it.”
    â€œYour father would have gone looking for you.”
    â€œHe was having a huge party. Tons of guests. I knew I’d barely see him, and I could have easily been missed until morning at the earliest. I have a reputation for being late.”
    Lucas worked his jaw, as if chewing on a retort. “You were found, and that’s all that counts.”
    â€œThe papers were stolen from my office along with my memory.”
    â€œYou’ll remember.”
    â€œBut when? You said time was critical.”
    â€œDon’t worry about time. This is not your fault.”
    â€œIt feels like my fault. If I’d left on time, none of this would have happened.”
    â€œYou can’t say that.”
    â€œIt would have at least been daylight, and I’d have seen who was trailing me.”
    â€œLet it go.”
    She touched the broken branch of a scrub, knowing she’d snapped it when she’d slammed past.
    â€œLet’s get out of here.”
    â€œWhere do we go?” She felt so weary now. Home for her was a plain, cold house littered with dozens of unpacked boxes. She couldn’t return to her office, not now when she felt so vulnerable. It had been her safe haven, and it had been violated.
    â€œThere’s a motel nearby. It’s clean and doesn’t get much traffic this time of year. We can hold up there for the night, and tomorrow I can take you wherever you want to go.”
    The night’s reprieve lifted her spirits. She liked being with Lucas, and though she doubted they had a future beyond the case, now was good enough. “Sounds good.”
    When she climbed into the SUV, his scent, a blend of fresh air and soap, wrapped around her as he turned on the heat. She held her hands up to the vents, letting the warmth spread through her chilled fingers. She didn’t know the area well, only venturing out here when she made the annual drive to her father’s Christmas party. With unspoken emotions hounding her each year, she’d vowed to find the joy in this trip but it always eluded her.
    For a while, they drove as the sun slowly dipped and vanished into the horizon, leaving a wake of reds and yellows that slowly faded to blackness. “I’m starving,” she said.
    His face would have been lost to the shadows if not for the light from the console. “I know a barbecue place. If we hurry, we might be able to grab some takeout before they close for the evening.”
    â€œWhy would they close so early?”
    â€œHolidays.”
    â€œRight. I keep forgetting.” A half smile teased her lips. “There are people who love the holidays.”
    He tossed her a curious glance. “You must have liked the holidays at some point?”
    â€œSure. I loved them before my parents’ divorce.”
    â€œFavorite memory?”
    She carried in her heart a