Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Ally watched Joe’s expression carefully, noticing the subtle shift in his eyes as he glanced at her and Charlotte standing in the doorway.
They were dressed for their trip out in the snow, Charlotte in her white puffy coat and red scarf, clutching her mittens, and Ally in her black pants, white sweater, coat, and hat.
But something in Joe’s face made her pause.
He smiled softly and then crouched in front of Charlotte. “Why don’t you head in and watch cartoons until we’re ready to go, kiddo?”
Charlotte cheered, oblivious to the tension humming through the room, and ran down the hall toward the living room. The faint sound of the TV followed a moment later.
When she looked back at him, her stomach twisted. The warmth in his eyes had shifted into something graver. “What happened?” she asked quietly.
He rubbed the back of his neck, then stepped closer. His voice was low and careful, as if he was afraid of her reaction to what he had to say.
“You remember Peterson? The guy who was asking you questions the other day?”
Her heart sank. “Yeah… why?” God, was he back? Was he hiding out in the tunnels?
“I found him,” he said slowly, his gaze steady on hers. “Down in the tunnels.”
Her heart stopped, but then Joe’s reaction hit her and she furrowed her brows. “Found him?” A buzzing in her head started low.
His next words hit like ice. “Ally, he’s dead.”
For a moment, the room seemed to tilt. She swayed, her hand flying to her mouth. “What?” The word cracked out of her.
Joe closed the distance between them, his tone remained soft. “It looks like he was shot. I’ve already called Aiden. He’s on the way over with, well, I’m guessing everyone on the force.”
“Oh my God…” She turned instinctively toward the hallway where Charlotte’s laughter drifted faintly. “She can’t, she can’t see that.”
“She won’t,” he promised quickly, gripping her shoulders. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t.”
Ally nodded numbly, but tears blurred her vision. “Peterson… I didn’t like him, but… what was he doing down there?”
“I don’t know.” Joe squeezed her hand. “Let’s just sit tight until they get here, okay?”
She nodded, swallowing hard.
Within ten minutes, the peaceful morning turned chaotic. Tires crunched on snow outside the windows and they all heard several doors slam. Red and blue lights flashed through the frosted windows, casting beautiful patterns across the living room walls.
Charlotte gasped from the window. “Look, Mommy! Fireworks!”
Ally forced a small smile. “It’s beautiful, honey,” she said softly, praying her daughter wouldn’t sense her shaking hands.
Joe opened the front door as Aiden, Tom, Nick, and two other deputies climbed the walkway. There were more vehicles pulling in as well—a van, a couple of unmarked cars—until the yard looked like a small command center.
“Where is it?” Aiden asked.
“In the tunnels beneath the lighthouse,” Joe said, motioning them in. “We’d like to keep this quiet. Charlotte’s still here.”
Aiden nodded, glancing toward the window where Charlotte waved at them. “Understood.” He wiped the snow from his feet and stepped inside.
Nick followed and cleared the snow from his boots as well. Tom spoke quietly into his radio on the porch.
Aiden turned back. “Once you’ve shown us where... the three of you should head into town. Grab some lunch and keep the little one busy.”
Ally caught Joe’s eye and was grateful for the chance to escape. “We can do that.”
An hour later, after Joe had led the police through the tunnels and given his initial statement, Ally stood outside the lighthouse with her arms wrapped tightly around herself.
The snow had stopped, and the sunlight reflected off the sand dunes, making it dazzling bright.
When Joe emerged again, his expression was grim but oddly steady.
“Are you ready to get out of here for a while?” he asked.
“God, yes.” It whooshed out of her.
They drove Juliette’s SUV into town, stopping first at Aiden’s mother’s place to pick up the puppy she’d been watching overnight at her place.
She’d texted Joe to tell him he could pick Olaf up there, since she hadn’t wanted to leave the little one alone at the clinic.
The tiny yellow lab bounded out of the front door, ears flopping, and fell face-first into the snow. He stood up, shook his head, and did it several more times while Charlotte giggled.
“Is he yours?” she asked Joe.
“He is.” He knelt down and picked up the puppy.
“What is her name?”
“His name is Olaf.”
“Olaf!” Charlotte squealed and clapped. “I love him.” She walked over and slowly held out a hand to touch the puppy, who happily licked her fingers. Charlotte giggled.
Their next stop was the property Joe had found online and was thinking of purchasing. It was a two-story craftsman with white trim, a wraparound porch, and a yard framed by snow-covered pines. The ocean wasn’t far, and Ally could hear the faint crash of waves on the wind.
The inside was cozy, with polished wood floors, a massive stone fireplace that took up an entire wall, and a sunroom that overlooked the backyard, which would be perfect for morning coffee or curling up with a book.
Charlotte ran through the empty rooms as Olaf scampered behind her, sliding on the slick floor. “Can we live here?” she shouted and disappeared into a room.
Ally chuckled nervously, feeling something in her chest tighten. She had always wished for a place like this for them. Someplace safe. Warm. Away from Ted.
Joe leaned against the kitchen counter as his eyes moved slowly over the space. “I think this’ll do just fine,” he said, almost to himself. “What do you think?” He turned to her.
“I think that I’m super jealous that you’re buying it,” she admitted softly.
He smiled at her. “I’ve been saving up for years for a place like this.
Since Lisa. Then, after, I just never pulled the trigger.
” She saw him wince and, at the mention of guns and triggers, remembered what was waiting back at the house for them.
“I realize now that I didn’t want to live in the city.
I just didn’t know it until I came to Pride.
” He sighed. “The town is unreal, like the kind you read about or see in those movies. The girlie kind.”
She chuckled and realized that she had felt the same thing, only it hadn’t been possible for her to move here until now.
“What now?” she asked him.
“Now I make an offer on the place. The real estate agent thinks that, if they accept it, I can be in here by the end of January.”
“That’s wonderful,” she said, silently dreading looking for a place for her and Charlotte to rent soon. When Max and Juliette returned in a little over two months, they would need to give them their space back.
“How about we head into town and grab some pizza?” Joe suggested after a little silence.
From the other room, Charlotte immediately cheered, “Pizza!” and began chanting the word like a victory song.
Ally laughed despite the heaviness that had settled in her chest. “Guess that’s a yes,” she murmured, slipping on her coat.
The drive into town was short and quiet.
The snow was piled high on the sidewalks and rooftops, and downtown glowed under strands of twinkling white lights.
Every shop window was filled with garlands and painted snowflakes.
The familiar warmth of Baked, the little brick-oven pizza place on Main Street, wrapped around them as soon as they stepped inside.
Christmas music played softly on the speakers, and the scent of garlic and melted cheese filled the air. They were halfway to their table when Ally spotted Faye and Nate waving them over from a corner booth.
“Oh, perfect,” Faye said as they approached, though her voice carried an undertone of concern. “We were just talking about you.”
Charlotte slid in beside Faye without hesitation and hugged her aunt.
Joe tucked Olaf under the table, and the dog curled up at Joe’s feet as if he’d been doing so for years.
“Aunt Faye!” Charlotte chirped. “We looked at a house, and Joe got a puppy he named Olaf.”
Faye laughed. “That’s a perfect name for a puppy.”
Her sister gave her a look that said what’s up? And we’ll talk later when Joe isn’t sitting right there.
“You’re thinking of moving here?” Faye asked Joe.
He nodded. “Yeah, the place has grown on me.” He turned as the waitress came over to take their drink orders.
“How are things at the house?” Nate asked casually, though his tone was careful. “We heard there was some…”—his eyes moved to Charlotte, who was coloring on the kids menu—“excitement.”
She could tell they had heard what was going on up there and knew that they couldn’t talk freely, not with Charlotte sitting right there.
“Yeah,” Joe said, reaching for the drink the waitress just sat in front of him. “Excitement. Aiden and the rest are up there taking care of… things.”
Ally glanced up in time to see Faye’s eyes flicker with quiet understanding. Word traveled fast in a small town, especially when police sirens and crime scene vans showed up at the lighthouse.
“That’s good,” Faye said, keeping her tone light. “But you three were okay? Nothing…”
Ally reached over and squeezed her sister’s hand lightly. Then she signed a very quick description of what had happened the night before and that morning. She knew that Charlotte knew basic sign language, but figured they were safe keeping their conversation brief.
“I’m glad you’re okay and that Joe was there,” Faye signed back.
Joe took that moment to sign a reply. “I hope Aiden finds clues as to who shot him.”
“Mama,” Charlotte whined. “I need to go potty.”
She shifted out of the booth and took her daughter to the restroom, knowing Joe would fill them in on whatever questions they had while they were gone.
When they returned, Charlotte leaned over to Faye and said. “Mommy says we can make cookies tomorrow. Wanna come?”
Faye smiled warmly. “I wish I could honey, but I have to work. Maybe I can have one of those cookies when we come over on Christmas day?”
“Yes, I’ll save you one.” Charlotte cheered and went back to coloring.
Their waitress stopped by with steaming pizzas, one loaded with veggies, the other with just cheese for Charlotte. The conversation shifted to holiday plans and the Christmas parade the following week.
Still, Ally could feel the undercurrent of tension at the table—small glances exchanged between adults, half-finished sentences that carried weight without words.
When Charlotte giggled at Olaf trying to sneak a piece of her crust, Nate leaned slightly toward Joe, keeping his voice low. “Aiden just texted me and says that forensics is in there now and that it should be safe for you three to return in about an hour.”
Joe nodded once. “Thanks.”
Ally didn’t miss the glance Nate gave her—sympathetic, protective. “Are you okay?” he asked her quietly.
She smiled faintly, keeping her tone even for Charlotte’s sake. “I’m… hanging in there. It’s just a lot to take in.”
Faye reached across the table and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You don’t have to dealt with this alone. You can come stay at our place?”
The lump that had been sitting in Ally’s throat since morning rose again, and she swallowed hard and forced a small smile. “Thank you. But we’re good. Joe is staying there, watching out for us.”
Olaf barked suddenly, breaking the tension as Charlotte giggled, offering him a crust.
“Guess that’s his way of saying he wants dessert too,” Joe said, grinning. “Maybe we can walk across to the Brew-Ha-Ha for some hot chocolate and cookies,” he suggested.
When the check came, Nate insisted on covering it. “Consider it a welcome-to-town gift,” he said, smiling at Joe.
As they bundled up to leave, Faye hugged Ally tight. “Call me if you need anything,” she whispered. “Anything.”
The cold air hit Ally’s face as they stepped back onto the street. The warm glow of the town square invited them ahead while snowflakes continued to fall in thick clumps.
Thy started to head across the street, but Charlotte tugged on her hand. “Can we see the lights, Mommy?”
“Of course, baby,” Ally said softly, her gaze lifting toward the twinkling tree that sat in the center of the town square.
There were decorations on each lamp post and each of the trees in the town square had lights wrapped around them.
The gazebo was fully decked out in blue and white lights, and Santa’s sleigh sat at the base of the trees.
She knew that during the main holiday event that was coming up, the jolly man would be sitting front and center with his Mrs. and all the elves. There were rumors that a few live reindeer would be in attendance as well.
Charlotte was looking forward to it.
Joe took her other hand as they strolled down the pathway. “We’ll get through this,” he said quietly, voice low enough that only she could hear. “And we’ll keep it from her.” He motioned to her daughter, who was chasing Olaf through the snow.
“I know,” she whispered back, leaning slightly into him as they walked toward the town’s center. The chaos of the day faded a little, at least for a while, as they strolled under the quiet glow of Christmas lights.
When the sun started to dip behind the snowy rooftops, the three of them walked hand in hand through the town square, waiting for Aiden’s call that everything was clear for them to return home.
Strings of Christmas lights twinkled above them, draped between lampposts and trees.
The air smelled of cocoa, cinnamon, and gingerbread as holiday music drifted from the speakers.
Charlotte squealed and ran ahead of them, spinning under the lights while Olaf barked excitedly.
Joe’s gloved hand brushed Ally’s. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I’m just now sure how I’m going to be able to sleep there, knowing…”
He stopped and pulled her into his arms. “There was nothing we could do last night to stop it.”
“I know,” she agreed. “Who killed him? Why?” She shook her head.
“I’ll figure that out.” He took her hand and continued walking. “I promise.” He pulled her close and kissed her under the lights. At that moment, she could almost believe in anything.
Then, a dark figured stepped out from behind a tree and yelled, “Get away from my wife!”