Hope White - Christmas Haven

“As well as can be expected,” he said. “He’s probably got only a few months.”

“I’m so sorry.” Julie’s mom glanced into her tea.

“Yeah, well, he led a productive life,” Morgan said. “Family, career, he had it all.”

Insinuating Julie had given up one for another.

“Bill is a good man,” Mom said.

Morgan shifted in his chair. His father appeared to be a good man to the outside world, and most of the time he was good. But Morgan and Julie knew there was another side to the chief, a dark, tortured side.

“How long are you staying around?” Morgan asked.

“A few days,” Julie said. That had been the original plan, although now she wondered if everyone would be better off if she got out of town sooner rather than later.

She still didn’t know how dangerous this situation was or what her pursuers wanted from her.

Sure you do. You witnessed a crime. They want you dead .

She shuddered.

“Honey, let me get you a sweater.” Mom jumped up and went to the front hall closet.

Morgan leaned across the table, narrowing his intense, blue-green eyes at her. “Are you going to tell me what’s really going on?”

She couldn’t rip her gaze from his. He knew something was wrong and he wasn’t going to back off. But she didn’t want to involve her family or Morgan in whatever danger was stalking her, and she surely didn’t need a lecture about the dangers of her job.

“It’s not your problem.” She got up and went to get a spoon to stir sugar into her tea.

“It is my problem if you’re in trouble and you’ve brought it to my town.”

She closed her eyes. Right. It was about Morgan protecting his citizens, not about him being worried about her.

Julie was about to tell him to mind his own business when Mom breezed into the kitchen.

“Here you go,” her mom said, hesitating. She glanced from Morgan to Julie. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Mom. Everything’s fine,” Julie said.

With a shake of his head, Morgan downed his tea and stood. “Thanks for the tea and cookies, Mrs. Burns.”

“You’re very welcome,” Mom said with a questioning frown.

“Good night.” With a nod Morgan left, shutting the front door with a resounding click.

Julie sighed and closed her eyes.

“Jules, sweetie, talk to me.” Mom placed her hand on Julie’s shoulder.

“I’m just burned out at work.”

“Julie?”

She glanced at her mom.

“I love you with all my heart,” Mom said. “I think a part of Morgan’s heart still loves you, too. We’re worried—”

“I’m fine,” Julie snapped, sitting at the kitchen table.

Mom walked up to her and rubbed her shoulders. “Whatever it is, we can work it out together.”

Julie wasn’t so sure. If the police couldn’t help Julie, Mom and Morgan surely couldn’t. Nor did she want to get them involved with whatever criminal element was stalking her.

She loved her mom too much.

Which would make it that much harder to leave again. But she had to. She couldn’t risk trouble following her here, to her mom’s house, to Morgan’s town.

“Honey, please,” her mother pleaded.

“Something happened at work.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Julie shook her head. “I can’t. Not yet.”

Mom frowned. “Well, you’ll tell me when you’re ready. But, sweetie, you can’t run from your problems. You should know that.”

Was she referring to Suzy’s death? Or to Morgan?

Sadness washed over her. So much loss.

Mom stroked Julie’s hair. “It’s okay. You’re home now. And Lana can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t wait to see her, either.”

“She’s coming for breakfast.”

“Awesome.” And it was. Julie kept so busy at work that she had little time to miss them. But right now, sitting in Mom’s floral kitchen, she remembered the joy and laughter they’d shared. An ache crawled through her chest.

“You look exhausted. How about I tuck you in?” Mom offered.

“That would be great.”

Morgan pulled out of the Burnses’ driveway, but didn’t go far. Parking a few houses down from the old Victorian, he eyed the upstairs window. Julie’s room.

He guessed whatever made her scream out in her sleep was the same thing that drove her back home to the safety of family and friends. And now she was having second thoughts.

He could read it in her eyes.

It still amazed him how connected they were after all these years. Why didn’t she trust him enough to ask for his help? Because he still wasn’t good enough? He was only a small-town cop and she needed…what?

He whipped out his cell phone and called Ethan Beck, an old friend who was a detective with the Seattle Police Department.

“Beck.”

“Hey, E, it’s Morgan Wright.”

“As in Chief Morgan Wright?”

“Knock it off.”

Morgan and Ethan had recently reconnected thanks to another old friend, Jake Walters.

“Good to hear from you, man,” Ethan said. “Jake told me you were chief pooh-bah out there in Port Whisper. How’s that goin’?”

“It has its good days and bad.” Like today. “Listen, I need a favor.”

“Name it.”

“An old friend’s returned to town and I think she’s in trouble.”

“Is she cute? Available?”

“Yes and no.”

“Really?” Ethan teased.

“Can you check your database for anything on Julie Burns, female, twenty-eight? Seattle social worker for Teen Life.”

“You mean the Julie Burns?”

“Yup.”

“What am I looking for?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You think she’s into something criminal?”

The terror in her golden eyes flashed across his mind. “No, but my gut tells me she’s in trouble.”

“I’ll see what I can find.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure. You hear about Jake and Robin? They’re engaged.”

Morgan took a deep breath. “No, I hadn’t heard. That’s great news.”

“How soon do you need this information about Julie?”

“As soon as you can get it.”

“Check. Take care, buddy.”

“You, too.”

Morgan ended the call and dropped the phone on the seat beside him. Staring up at Julie’s room, he leaned back and considered what could be going on with his fragile ex-girlfriend.

She was suffering from some kind of post-trauma issue, that’s for sure. Maybe her work had finally gotten to her, listening to the gut-wrenching stories of abused teenagers, counseling them, hoping they’d find a better life, only to have them return to an abusive living situation.

It had to get to her, haunt her dreams, trigger nightmares.

Yet she’d called out Morgan’s name when she’d awakened from the nightmare in his truck.

Maybe she’d been dreaming about one of their last fights, the harsh words he’d uttered out of sheer agony of losing the one person he’d trusted most.

He wondered what life would have looked like had he followed her to Seattle, left his father and chosen another line of work. But his life was here, making his father proud, earning his respect and protecting the citizens of Port Whisper.

It had been his destiny.

At one point he thought Julie had been a part of that destiny.

“Get over it already.” He thought he had. He’d fallen in love with Renee, at least he thought it was love, and he’d appreciated Anna’s company, her bright smile and sense of humor.

Seeing Jules again, rescuing her from whatever threat was stalking her, brought it all back to the surface.

Regret burned in his chest. No, he’d done the right thing by letting her go to follow her dream. The pit in his stomach said otherwise.

He clicked the radio on and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. Something told him to stay close. He had tomorrow off. He could go the night without sleep.