Jessica R. Patch - Cold Case Christmas

“Nora, do you think you should push this?” Making a motion with her chin toward Dalton, Hailey let Nora know to talk in code so young ears didn’t hear.

“Don’t you want answers?”

“Yes, but not enough to bring on the extra trouble, if you know what I mean. Maybe we should move on. I don’t care to know about every single indiscretion, and quite frankly, I believe there were many.”

“But why? What was so bad in the marriage that would cause that?”

Hailey sighed and watched as Dalton jetted ahead, gawking in the taffy store. “People grow apart, Nora. They live in the same house, share the bills and running errands and after-school activities, but the spark dies.”

“I’m sorry about you and Nate.”

Hailey squeezed her hand but said nothing.

Nora had seen marriages that lasted. Burned bright all through the years. Rush’s parents for one. And her grandparents on Dad’s side. Mom had no family. No pictures. They’d burned in a house fire when Mom was young.

Hair rose on her neck and she scanned the area.

“So how are things with you and Rush?” Hailey asked.

Nora shook off the feeling of being watched again. “Fine. Good.” He was helping her look into a case. That’s it. Although sitting in his home, drinking coffee and reminiscing over old photos had shifted the place where she kept her feelings for him confined. “To be honest, I wish he’d be more aggressive on this investigation. He acts like he can’t question anyone until he has proof, but he can’t get proof without asking questions. It’s like people who need their first job but can’t get one without experience. How do you gain experience if you can’t get a job?”

Hailey snorted. “You’re babbling.”

“I suppose I am.” Rush frustrated her with his tippy-toeing around. She was beginning to think he was pacifying her with his promises to look into the past. He hadn’t done much of anything.

They stopped inside the candle shop and Nora bought an orange-cranberry candle. Outside, Nora spotted Candace Fick. “Hey, didn’t she and Mom have lunches every Thursday afternoon?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean she knows any more than we do.”

Carolers crooned, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

“You never know. I’m gonna hop over and see if we can have a lunch of our own. I’ll be right back.”

Blue lights flashed in the distance. Looked like Rush’s Bronco inching its way up the road. Butterflies swam in her stomach. Oh, no. No. No. She was not going to let herself swoon over him. For many reasons. One, she wasn’t even staying in Splendor Pines. She was moving to Florida—hopefully.

Two, he’d cheated on Ainsley, and if he’d cheat on her what was to say he wouldn’t cheat on Nora someday? There was no guarantee. And worst-case scenario, what if the rumors about her mother were true? What if Nora had her genes? Because if she were being honest she’d have to admit that even if she had known Rush was dating Ainsley, it wouldn’t have stopped her from spending time with him, holding his hand, embracing him, cuddling on the couch or even kissing him.

She was pulled from the souring thought. Literally.

A meaty hand yanked her by the collar behind the shops, thrusting her up against the brick, her face scraping against the rough exterior. “I told you to back off!” he hissed, and cut off her scream with his thick gloved hand. She flailed and elbowed him in the chest, but his heavy coat must have taken most of the blow. It barely slowed him down. Adrenaline coursed through her veins; blood swooshed in her temples.

He yanked a strand of lights from the trim of the building and wound them around her throat, tightening them. She couldn’t breathe! She grabbed at them, the twinkling rainbow hot around her neck and flashing in her eyes. In the distance, carolers sang, “O Christmas Tree.” A serenade to her—Nora the human Christmas tree.

Help! Someone!

The cord dug into her neck, stinging. Her eyes watered and her throat swelled. Blood heated in her cheeks.

Using her foot, she back kicked him. She missed his groin and knocked his upper thigh. He cursed and thrust her to the ground, never releasing his grip on her throat with the lights.

Spots formed in front of her eyes.

The snow burned cold on her cheek.

He practically sat on her back as if he was roping a calf. She felt along the snow and found her bag with the candle.

“Nora?”

Rush!

The attacker released his grip enough for her to gulp a breath of air and wiggle around to use the candle as a weapon. She held the handles of the plastic bag and swung it like a bat against the side of his face; he groaned and jumped off her.

Rush moved in on him, but he scrambled and found his footing, racing ahead into the crowd. Rush radioed their location as he gave chase. She coughed and unwound the Christmas lights from her neck, breathing in the cold, fresh winter air.

Jogging, Rush came back to her and knelt. “Are you okay?”

No. But she had to show a sign of strength. “Just need to catch my breath.”

He tipped her chin, searched her eyes. “Nora, be honest.” Concern pulsed in his. “Talk to me.”

“I’m fine.” She hid her shaking hands. “How’d you find me?”

Rush blew a heavy sigh. “Hailey said you went to talk to Candace Fick, but Candace said she never saw you. I got a gut feeling. Went looking for you from point A to B.”

Nora rubbed the tender area on her neck. “Anyone tell you that you ought to be in law enforcement? Private Eye? Detective? Human Metal Detector?”

“I’m glad you can find the funny in this.”

Nothing about this was funny, but she didn’t want to admit she might have bitten off more than she could chew. Because she couldn’t back down regardless.

“That’s me. The funny girl.”

Rush pulled Nora to her feet. He brushed a gloved thumb across her cheek. “Nora, this is getting out of hand and I’m worried.”

Join the club. “I’ll be okay. I’ve got you around.” She tried to play it off lightheartedly but it fell flat.

“I’m not always around, though. If I hadn’t been just down the street...”

She’d be dead right now. With no answers. She didn’t want to think about it. “Candace might know where Mom was going that night or who had been with her. They were friends.”

“Why hasn’t she come forward, then?” Rush asked.

“I don’t know.” Nora picked up the bag with the candle inside, brushed snow from it.

Rush pointed to the sleigh rides. “Why don’t we take a break and hitch a ride back to the lodge.”

“Isn’t your Bronco still here?”

“Don’t want to go ‘dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh’ with me?” Rush winked and slung his arm around Nora’s shoulders.

“As long as we don’t have to laugh all the way. My ribs won’t take it.” She ignored her heart’s warning to abandon his protective arms and charm and she leaned into him. Rumors were sure to abound.

Snuggled under a quilt with Nora on the sleigh ride had brought back so many memories. Rush had been smitten with her since he made fun of her pink sparkly tennis shoes in third grade and she shoved him down the hill on the playground. She’d been full of spunk and spice and still was. Normally, he’d appreciate that but it was fueling her need to keep pushing into the past. She didn’t trust him to do his job, and coupled with refusing to let her feelings out, it was utterly disappointing. Didn’t she see they were in this together?

Nora’s father stood on the steps of the chalet as the sleigh ride came to its end. Rush had texted him ten minutes earlier and filled him in on the newest attack.