Undercover Christmas. B.J. Daniels
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Did Chase think he had to lock his door to protect himself from her? Did he really think she’d come to his room tonight and throw herself at him? The man couldn’t be that big a fool, could he?
Tossing the book on the night table, she threw back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed, set on sharing a few choice words with Mr. Chase Calloway, even if it meant through a three-inch-thick door.
The lights flickered, and before her feet could touch the floor, went out. Marni held her breath, waiting for them to come back on. They didn’t. And she had a feeling they wouldn’t. As Vanessa had reminded her earlier, the electricity often went out during snowstorms in Montana. This far from civilization, it could be out for hours. Even days. Great. And just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse.
A thud came from the adjoining room and Chase swore loudly after stumbling into what sounded like a piece of good-size furniture. She smiled, ashamed but no less amused. Served him right for being such a jerk.
Content, she slipped back under the covers. The embers in the fireplace cast a pale patina over the room. If she had been anywhere else, she might have thought it cozy. Outside, the snow fell in a dense suffocating silence. Marni watched it for a few moments, trying not to think about the other people in this house. The night seemed colder, Marni thought, or maybe it was just knowing the electricity had gone off. She felt alone and far from home. At least Elise and the baby were fine, she assured herself. Then she closed her eyes, hoping for the oblivion of sleep.
December 21
Morning came like a blessing. But unfortunately, Marni’s nightmares followed her into the daylight. One dream in particular haunted her: Chase standing over her, his blue eyes dark with evil as he told her she would never have the baby. Then something in his hands. An ax? Marni shivered and looked toward the window.
If the remnants of her bad dreams weren’t enough, she found herself still trapped by the snowstorm raging outside. Wind plastered snow to the windowpanes and sent icy gusts hammering at the glass.
With a curse, Marni threw off the covers and lumbered from the bed, keenly aware of Sam. She hurriedly dressed, hoping to speak to Chase before he went down to breakfast. But when she tapped softly at their adjoining door, she received no response. She tried the door. It wasn’t locked. When had he unlocked it? She thought about him standing over her in the dream. The dying firelight in his eyes. The ax in his large calloused hands.
“Chase?” She stepped into his room. What surprised her was the open suitcase lying in the bottom of the empty closet. Marni frowned as she surveyed her surroundings. The room was exactly like the one she’d spent the night in. A guest room. Chase didn’t live here. She shook her head, continuously amazed at how little her twin knew about the man she’d fallen so desperately in love with. The man who’d fathered her child.
The bed didn’t look as if it had been slept in and Marni guessed it probably hadn’t, judging from the appearance of the chair pulled up in front of the fire. The cushions were crushed as if he’d battled them in the night searching for comfort and sleep. Marni smiled, taking some pleasure in the thought that Chase might not have slept as soundly as she’d suspected.
As she headed downstairs, she found herself keeping a firm grip on the railing. Her near accident the night before had proved to her just how uncoordinated she’d become thanks to Sam. She couldn’t even see her toes.
None of the family appeared to be up yet, although it was nearing time for breakfast. She could hear someone in the kitchen banging pots and pans, and smell the rich scent of coffee. Coffee sounded wonderful, although she wasn’t sure a pregnant woman should be drinking caffeine. Marni peeked into the dining room, hoping to sneak a cup anyway.
“Mr. Calloway and his son are in the library,” a voice announced behind Marni, making her jump.
She swung around to find Hilda looking harried and flushed. “There’s coffee and juice in the library. Mr. Calloway said you’d be joining him.”
He did, did he? She wondered which son was with him and hoped it was Chase.
Without a word, Hilda hurried away and Marni headed down the hall toward the library. The sound of angry voices drifted out, making her hesitate long before she reached the library door. She recognized the two male voices at once, confirming what she’d hoped, that Chase was in there with his father. In the cold light of morning, Marni was more determined than ever to get things settled between them—one way or another.
She stepped through the open library door and stopped abruptly at the sound of Chase’s angry words.
“You’re going to get Elise and her baby killed if you don’t do something about this mess.”
Chase stood, hunched over his crutches, in front of the blazing fire. His father stood next to him, a hand on the thick-timbered fireplace mantel as if he needed the support. Both had their backs to her.
“Why do you have to be so damned stubborn about this?” Chase demanded. “Isn’t it enough that someone tried to kill you?”
Marni slipped behind the end of the bookcase, aware she planned to spy on the pair shamelessly. But if Elise and the baby really were in danger—She told herself not even to try to justify her actions. Silent as a mouse, Marni peeked around the edge of the bookcase.
“Ridiculous,” Jabe snapped, pushing himself away from the fireplace. “It was just some fool in a pickup going too fast. Didn’t see us until it was too late, if he saw us at all.” Jabe dropped into a chair in front of the fireplace and reached to pour himself more coffee from the pot on the end table. “Probably some drunk driver.”
“Like hell,” Chase said, turning on his father. “A drunk driver tried to run you down only minutes before you were threatening to change your will? Not even you can believe that. You just don’t want to admit you made a mistake in the first place with this first grandchild foolishness. Or is it that you can’t face that it has to be someone in this family or someone closely connected to this family that’s trying to kill you now?”
Jabe raised his head to look at his son. “Is that the reason you’ve been staying here? You think my life is in danger?” He sounded touched that Chase would try to protect him.
Marni was touched as well by this side of Chase Calloway, and surprised.
“You saved my life that night,” Jabe said. “I owe you, son, but—”
“You don’t owe me anything,” Chase snapped. “It was a reflex action, one if I’d given some thought to, I would probably have done differently.’”
Jabe clearly didn’t buy that any more than Marni did. No matter what Chase said, he cared about his father. And it seemed he’d saved Jabe’s life in some heroic feat that had left him with a broken leg and memory loss. Marni almost felt guilty for still doubting Chase’s memory loss. Almost.
“I just don’t want you to concern yourself with my welfare,” Jabe said.
“It’s not only your fool neck on the line anymore,” Chase retorted. “What about this woman and her baby? What about Felicia’s baby? Are you willing to jeopardize all their lives, as well?”
“Why would anyone want to harm my grandchildren?” He sounded shocked that Chase should even think such a thing.
Chase dragged a hand through his dark locks in obvious frustration. “Because of that damned will of yours.”
“Have either Elise or Felicia been threatened in any way?” Jabe asked reasonably.
Chase let out a curse. “By the time that happens it could be too late.”
Jabe shook his head. “I’m not going back on my decision when I don’t believe for a moment that my grand-children or their mothers are in any