25. Jensen
25
JENSEN
I put the cruiser into park in front of the barn and step out onto the dirt drive as the little terror grunts in my passenger seat.
“Evenin’, Sheriff,” Montana says skeptically, his eyes narrowed. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I brought you a present,” I say casually.
“No.”
“You don’t even know what it is yet.”
“I don’t need to know what it is. And it’s not even Christmas.”
“That’s not real neighborly,” I muse as I round to the passenger seat just as Ellison comes out of the barn.
“What brings you out this way, Jensen?” she ask as she loops her arms around Montana’s waist.
“He was just leavin’,” Montana grumbles as I open the door and scoop the piglet into my arms.
“Brought you a present,” I say, smartly handing it to Ellison who squeals and does a little dance before looking at her fiancé.
“I hate you,” he groans at me while looking up at the sky and releasing a slew of curses.
“No, you don’t, and besides, I’ve been tryin’ to figure out all day where she came from. No one is missing a baby, and it’s not like I can just drop it over at Vetted Paws. They take dogs—not pigs.”
“You made the right call, Sheriff,” Ellison says sweetly even though her expression is pure mischief as she stares at Montana. “We can call her Buttercup.”
“Oh good, to go along with the rest of the menagerie of food- and plant-based names.”
“See?” she says with a wink. “You’re catching on. Oh! Do you think she’ll look cute in a Santa hat?”
“You’re making this up to me later,” he growls and she shrugs a shoulder.
“That’s not the threat you think it is.”
I snicker and try to cover it with a cough, but I’m unsuccessful because Montana whirls on me with a glare. “Laugh it up. I’ll be buying your daughter every obnoxious, talking, noisy toy I can find until she leaves for college. Christmas is coming.”
“Not for a while,” I say and watch as they exchange a look. “What?”
“It’s less than two weeks away. I just put our Christmas cards in the mail yesterday. They’re so cute! You’re gonna love them!” She beams up at Montana who tries to look exasperated but can’t because he’s used to her antics—expects them even.
“They’re not the one of Montana in his boxers, wearin’ a Santa hat, right? I already have that one.”
“No, this year’s card has the cows and lights and they’re so cute!”
I start to shake my head when my gaze gets snagged on the giant wreath hanging over the barn doors, and dread settles in my gut.
Pulling out my phone, I open the calendar app and stare at the little red circle around the fourteenth of December.
Son of a bitch.
I’d known Christmas was coming—known my parents would be visiting Indie and that I’d agreed to cover most of the holiday shift months ago before I’d ever known about Remi.
But in the weeks since my daughter and Nessa had landed in Blackstone Falls, that had somehow gotten lost in the sea of other things that needed my attention.
“Bet he’s gonna get Nessa something nice,” Ellison stage-whispers, bringing my focus back to the present.
Presents.
Shit.
“Darling Farms already has their lights up in the orchard,” Montana says as he looks down at his fiancée.
“That sounds romantic. Are you takin’ me, Max?”
“Dunno, Eddie. Are we still keeping that pig?”
“Obviously,” she says with a huff, their nicknames for each other sickeningly adorable.
“Yeah, I’m still takin’ you.” He chuckles, caving almost immediately and surprising no one.
“Looks like we all get what we want today,” Ellison says cheerfully as she turns back to the barn. “Thanks for stoppin’ by, Jensen!”
We both watch her go albeit for very different reasons. Montana is probably thinking about how he’s going to collect on her “making it up to him” with or without the light show, and I’m just enjoying the fact that she’s already named the little thing and is making it a home.
It’s one less thing on my list of things to do before I’m off for the night, which is good, because my list just got a hell of a lot longer.
“Hey, Ness, did you know it’s almost Christmas and uh…what are you doing?” I say as my gaze rakes over the island to the pile of rolls, peanut butter, and is that butter?
“I was having a craving and cabin fever was setting in, so I took Remi over to that bakery in Clementine Creek—you know the one?”
“The Poppy Seed,” I respond automatically as she points the knife in her hand at me before nodding and dipping it back in the jar.
“Right, so I was in there and did you know her brother makes these?” Nessa holds up a roll and waves it at me.
“Hank? Yeah, he does a lot of the bread there. I think there’s still a waitlist most days.”
“Oh nice. I got her number so I’ll have to get on that.” I blink at her, the peanut butter-covered knife waving around like an afterthought. “So anyway, I was craving these hard rolls because one time in college… I went to college in Maine but my roommate lived in upstate New York and she took me home with her for the weekend and they had these hard rolls at the convenience store.”
“I think I need to sit down,” I murmur as she picks up a second knife and slathers butter on the other side of the roll before putting the peanut butter side on top and holding it out for me.
No freaking way.
“Don’t knock it till you try it,” she says, eyes narrowed, as she waits for me to take the mutant sandwich before making her own.
Grabbing a napkin, I set both things on the island and turn my attention back to her. “You ate hard rolls from a convenience store?”
“Oh! And they had the best homemade ice cream too!” She takes a bite of the rolls and leans one hip against the island as her eyelids flutter shut, her T-shirt riding up and making my mouth water for far more than the food. “Stop staring and take a bite.”
Properly chastised, I do as she asks, even though it’s with far less enthusiasm than she had, and…frown…as I chew something I’d never put together in a million years but actually works.
“Huh.”
“It’s good, right?” she asks, her azure eyes dancing with amusement as she watches me. Her cheeks are flushed, her blonde hair is pulled up into a high ponytail, there’s not an ounce of makeup on her gorgeous face, and all I want to do is push everything on the island to the floor and lay her out to see if I can get her to blush that pretty pink color everywhere.
“I’m pretty annoyed that I don’t hate it.”
“That’s the spirit.” She grins and I shake my head as she takes another massive bite before setting it down and putting the lid on the peanut butter.
“Speaking of spirit, did you know Christmas is less than two weeks away?” I ask and her hand stills as she looks at me.
“Really?”
“I forgot too. I mean I didn’t forget but I work on Christmas—I always have. My parents usually go to visit Sawyer or Indie and we celebrate when they get back. I cover it so the deputies with families—kids—can spend the holiday with them. It’s always just been a day, but I have Remi now so it feels different missing it this year. I mean, we can still celebrate just not on Christmas.” She just stares at me so I keep talking. “What about your family? Do you have plans with them?”
“Um, wow. I really hadn’t thought about it.” She worries her bottom lip with her teeth and stares out across the room. “My parents are going to Aruba, and my sister has her own plans. Kinsley asked if I wanted to go home with her, but we haven’t talked about it since I got here.”
“Do you want to go spend the holiday with Kinsley?” My voice is as neutral as I can possibly make it. I don’t want to sway her decision, but I definitely want her to stay—to be here with us.
“Honestly?”
“Yeah.”
“I think Scarlett would have wanted us to be together for Christmas.” She swallows, the vulnerability flashing in her eyes making my heart race faster. “And I’m not sure how many chances I’ll have to do this with you.”
I want to shout from the rooftops that she can be with us forever if she wants. But I keep my mouth shut because I know that’s not what she wants to hear, and quite frankly, I don’t want to be with someone with one foot already out the door.
Instead I settle on, “You are always welcome here.”
“Don’t fall for me, Sheriff,” she whispers, and this time there’s far more sincerity than teasing in her tone.
“Just bein’ neighborly, Trouble.”
She clears her throat. “Then I guess we’re gonna have to get a tree. And decorations.”
“Luckily, I already have both.”