Mistletoe Reunion Threat. Virginia Vaughan
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hurled at Ashlynn. “The police are sifting through her files and following up on that. We’re looking into different angles.”
“I’m telling you I had nothing to do with this. I want to find Jacob and bring him home.”
“Ashlynn told me you’re suing for custody. If you thought you might lose, that’s a good motive to have her killed.”
Stephen shook his head. “I’ve already decided to drop that suit. I called my attorney this afternoon. I hoped Ashlynn and I could work this out between ourselves.”
“That’s convenient. You drop the custody suit and suddenly Jacob goes missing.”
“I’ve already told you I had nothing to do with that. I would never hurt Jacob. I’ve helped raise him these past three years. I love him like he’s my own child.” He fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair but his words had a feel of truth to them.
But one point struck Garrett as odd. “When you say you love him like he’s your own child, are you implying that Jacob isn’t your biological son?”
Stephen nodded. “Jacob was already born when Ashlynn and I got married, but that doesn’t mean he’s not my son. He is.”
Garrett looked toward the closed door where she’d disappeared as a rush of thoughts flooded him. If it was true that Ashlynn’s ex wasn’t the father of her child...who was?
* * *
Ashlynn went to the bedroom Stephen had fixed up for Jacob. The boy loved being here and Stephen was a good father. She picked up one of the stuffed animals on the bed and hugged it to herself. Where was Jacob right now? She couldn’t help wondering if he was safe. Was he crying for her? Shame and guilt filled her. She should have been there for him.
That’s why her marriage had broken down, too. Stephen had told her she spent too much time worrying about work and not about him. He’d called her obsessed and maybe he was right.
She’d always hated the injustice of the world, mostly because in her childhood she’d been a victim of life. She’d made a vow to herself that she would provide a better life for her child, and while she hadn’t gotten off to a good start—his own father hadn’t wanted him—she had mostly succeeded.
Jacob would never have to worry about the lights being turned off for lack of payment or going hungry because his father spent all their grocery money on booze. Yes, Stephen had been a good husband and father. He’d provided for them well, and still did. Yet she hadn’t been able to keep it all together for him and he’d obviously sensed it and felt alienated. She’d never loved Stephen the way he’d wanted her to, and she knew the reason was standing in his kitchen right now.
The connection she’d shared with Garrett could never be topped. She’d done a disservice to Stephen by marrying him when she couldn’t forget Garrett, but she’d done what she’d thought was best for her baby at the time. She’d given him the father who wanted him and could provide a good life for him. And she had loved Stephen and been hurt when he’d left her, although that pain had been nothing like she’d felt when Garrett walked away.
Indignation bristled through her at that reminder. She would never allow him to hurt Jacob. She may need him, even be grateful to him, for helping her find Jacob, but once her son was home safely, Garrett Lewis could not be a part of their lives.
* * *
Garrett scanned the living room, looking at photos that were all around. A large Christmas tree that looked flawlessly decorated stood in the corner. Not an ornament was out of place. It looked too picture-perfect for a house with a four-year-old and he doubted Stephen Morris had done the job himself. His gaze landed on the mantel and pictures depicting happier times with Stephen, Ashlynn and Jacob—a trip to Niagara Falls, a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower, Jacob’s second birthday party, complete with cake and candles and Billie the Bear, a franchise he recognized as a local favorite for kids.
He turned away from the photos. They were painful to look at. That should have been him with Ashlynn and only his foolishness had prevented it. Letting her go had been one of his greatest mistakes, but at the same time he knew it had been for the best. He hadn’t been seriously injured in the ambush that took the lives of many of his friends, but it had shattered his life in ways he was still discovering.
Only Colton had escaped physically unscathed, although Garrett knew he’d carried emotional wounds deep inside him until he’d met Laura Jackson recently and found a reason to believe in life again. Garrett missed the times he and Colton had spent working together after leaving the rangers, just the two of them on privately funded search-and-rescue missions. After Colton had hung up his gear and retired to ranch life, the solitude had quickly turned to loneliness for Garrett.
That was when his friend and former Ranger buddy Josh Adams had heard about the opening at the local police agency and all his ranger friends had encouraged him to take the job. Garrett was glad he’d finally relented. He enjoyed the camaraderie with others and enjoyed putting his skills in action in a way that didn’t always have to put his life in danger. Only a few days ago, he’d convinced himself he was content with his life now, but seeing Ashlynn, hearing her voice and having her need him, had sent him once again into a tailspin. And having evidence of her perfect life before him in high-quality photos didn’t make it any easier. Ashlynn might now be single, but he’d done too much to ever be worthy of a woman like her.
“Are you him?” Stephen asked from the doorway, causing Garrett to startle. “Are you the one who broke her heart?”
Heat rose in his face as he realized Stephen Morris had just managed to sneak up on him, all because he’d had Ashlynn on his mind.
“She never got over it,” Stephen continued. “I tried to make it work between us. I thought she would learn to love me the way I loved her, but that never happened. I just wish she could have—”
Suddenly, a shot rang out. Garrett ducked, reaching for his gun as he watched the bullet burst through the glass in the window and slam into Stephen’s chest. The force of it knocked Stephen from his feet, tossing him backward. He landed on the edge of the sofa then slid to the floor, the life draining from him in a matter of moments.
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