Chapter Fifteen Christmas Eve
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHRISTMAS EVE
The Boudreau Big House glowed like a beacon against the dark Texas night.
Every window radiated golden light, and the massive Christmas tree visible through the front picture window sparkled with hundreds of twinkling lights.
Each branch had been lovingly decorated with ornaments the children had made throughout the many years they’d lived there, each one obviously cherished and lovingly preserved.
Outside, the driveway overflowed with trucks and SUVs belonging to the large family who had gathered to celebrate both the holiday and the safe return of their own.
Inside, the sprawling ranch house hummed with conversation and laughter.
The scent of pine garlands intermingled with the aroma of Ms. Patti’s famous pot roast, a Christmas Eve tradition that even a kidnapping crisis couldn’t disrupt.
The dining table was stretched to its fullest capacity with extra leaves added to accommodate the crowd—Boudreaus by blood, by marriage, and those, like Dusty, who had been adopted into the family circle by affection.
Sharon stood by the fireplace, nursing a mug of mulled cider, still trying to acclimate to the normalcy of a family celebration after the nightmare at Madison’s estate.
Three days had passed since the rescue, but she kept finding herself startled by sudden movements, her body not yet convinced of its safety.
“You hanging in there?”
Sharon turned to find Ms. Patti beside her, her friend’s eyes warm with concern.
“Better than yesterday,” Sharon replied honestly. “Though I still wake up thinking I’m back in that place.”
Ms. Patti squeezed her arm. “That’ll fade. And in the meantime, you’ve got an entire army of Boudreaus standing guard.”
“I can’t believe how much things have changed for me since I stumbled into Shiloh Springs.
” Sharon smiled, glancing across the room where Dusty was deep in conversation with Lucas, Shiloh, and Dean, who had stayed on in Texas.
He’d claimed he wanted to check on his place in Galveston, yet he hadn’t managed to leave Shiloh Springs.
Not that she blamed him, she didn’t want to leave Shiloh Springs again ever.
Though the three men appeared casual, Sharon knew they were planning safeguards and contingencies.
Cooper might be in custody, but his parting threat weighed on all of them.
Sharon had the feeling his threat was empty and without teeth.
The man would do everything he could to make a deal.
She hoped the district attorney and the feds threw the book at him and he never saw the outside of a prison again.
All the charges against her had been dropped, and she was now free to live her life any way she wanted. She glanced at Dusty again, smiling as he snuck a dinner roll off the table, tearing off a piece and stuffing it in his mouth.
“He hasn’t left your side since you got back,” Ms. Patti observed, following Sharon’s gaze to Dusty. “Not that anyone’s surprised. That man’s been half in love with you since you first came to town.”
Sharon felt warmth rise to her cheeks. “We haven’t really had a chance to talk about…
us. Everything’s been about security, and statements to the FBI and the police.
We know it’s not anywhere near over yet, but we’re not giving in or giving up.
Talking about anything else has had to take a back seat. ”
“If I’m any judge of character, I’d say you share his feelings.”
Heat flooded into her cheeks. “I care about Dusty—”
“If you don’t love him with all your heart, sugar, you’d better walk away now before you break his heart. That man is like a son to me, and I won’t see him hurt.”
“I’ll never intentionally hurt him, I swear.
It’s just…it’s so fast. How do I trust my feelings?
I’ve honestly never felt like this before, and it’s kind of overwhelming.
Scary and intense and…kind of beautiful all at once.
I know we need to talk, but I thought maybe we should wait until we’ve known each other a little longer. ”
Ms. Patti squeezed her hand. “If it’s the right person, time doesn’t matter, sugar.
I knew the minute I saw my Douglas that he’d be the man I married.
” Ms. Patti looked across at Douglas, a wistful expression crossing her face.
“Of course, that’s a long story, suitable for a different time. But I knew he was the one.”
“Really?” Sharon felt the tightness that had settled in her chest lighten until she felt like she could float across the room.
“Absolutely. Now promise me you’ll tell that man you love him. Put him out of his misery, because he’s head over heels in love with you. If you wait, the right time might never come, and you’ll miss your chance. Is that what you want?”
“No!”
“Well, Christmas Eve seems like as good a time as any,” Ms. Patti said with a grin, nudging Sharon’s shoulder. “Go on, talk to him.”
Across the room, Dusty looked up as if sensing their discussion, his eyes meeting Sharon’s. Days of exhaustion and debriefings had done nothing to diminish the intensity of his gaze. When he looked at her like that, Sharon could almost believe they were the only two people in the crowded room.
Ms. Patti’s voice cut through the din of conversation. “All right, everyone! Dinner in five minutes. Joshua, stop sampling the bread, or I’ll smack your hand with a wooden spoon, grown man or not!”
The crowd shifted as people began migrating toward the enormous dining table. Sharon set down her cider and was about to join them when she felt a gentle touch on her elbow.
“Can I steal you away for a minute?” Dusty asked, his voice low enough only she could hear.
Sharon nodded, her heart suddenly racing as if she were a teenager rather than a grown woman. Dusty guided her toward the back of the house, his hand warm against the small of her back as they slipped through the kitchen and out on the back steps.
The night air was crisp but not unbearable, the Texas winter mild compared to the bitter cold of Chicago.
The porch was decorated with strings of white lights that cast a soft glow over the wooden boards.
Beyond, the ranch spread out in darkness, the outlines of barns and outbuildings visible against the night sky.
“Are you cold?” Dusty asked as Sharon wrapped her arms around herself.
“I’m okay,” she assured him. “The air feels good, actually. Reminds me I’m really here, if you know what I mean.”
Dusty’s expression tightened momentarily at the reference to her time as Madison’s captive. “I should’ve gotten to you sooner.”
Sharon shook her head, stepping closer to him. “Don’t. You came for me against impossible odds. That’s all that matters.”
They stood in silence for a moment, close but not touching, the sounds of the family celebration muffled through the door behind them.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you,” Dusty finally said, “but it never seemed like the right time.”
“About what happened in Chicago?” Sharon asked.
“Not about what happened in Chicago,” he corrected, turning to face her fully. “About us.”
Sharon’s breath caught in her throat. “Us?”
“I told myself I was coming after you because it was the right thing to do,” Dusty continued, his voice becoming rougher.
“That I’d do the same for anyone. But that was a lie.
” He stepped closer, eliminating the space between them.
“I came because it was you, Sharon. Because the thought of a world without you in it wasn’t something I could live with.
In that barn, with the rest of the world outside and there was just you and me, I promised I would always come for you, that I’d always find you. I meant it then, and I mean it today.”
Sharon raised her hand to touch his face, feeling the stubble beneath her fingertips. “Dusty—”
“Let me finish,” he said gently, covering her hand with his own. “When Madison’s men took you, I realized I’d been a fool. Playing it safe, keeping my distance because I was afraid of what might happen if I admitted how I felt.”
Snow began to fall, delicate flakes drifting down around them, catching in Dusty’s golden hair.
“And how do you feel?” Sharon whispered, hardly daring to breathe.
“I love you,” he said simply, the words hanging in the cold air between them. “Not just as a friend. Not just as someone I helped one night on the road to Shiloh Springs. I’m in love with you, Sharon Elliott Wells. Have been for longer than I care to admit.”
Tears welled in Sharon’s eyes, blurring the lights strung above them.
“I love you, too,” she said, her voice breaking.
“I think I’ve loved you since that first day when you pulled up in your cruiser, so big and tall and yet gentle with me.
I was scared to death, walking along that deserted road, and I think you knew.
Yet you never said anything, simply drove me into town and made sure I had breakfast and coffee. ”
Dusty laughed, the sound warming her more than any fire could. “Not exactly a romantic first meeting.”
“It was perfect,” she insisted. “Just like you.”
He shook his head. “I’m far from perfect, darlin’.”
“You’re perfect for me.”
Dusty’s hands settled at her waist, drawing her closer. “So where are we headed from here?”
“Forward,” Sharon said with certainty. “Together. Whatever Cooper was involved in, whatever threats might still be out there—we face them together.”
“You sure about that?” he asked, his expression serious. “My life isn’t simple. This job, the risks—”
Sharon pressed a finger to his lips. “I’m not looking for simple. I’m looking for real. And what we have is the most real thing I’ve ever known.”
From inside the house, the grandfather clock in the hallway began to chime, the sound carrying through the back door and into the night. The sounds of conversations and laughter came from inside the house, the happy voices filling the night.