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  Beth jumped to her feet. Eyes wide, she whispered, “What should I do? Do you think someone’s found you?”

  “Um, I don’t think they’d be knocking at the door if they had. At least, not like that. We’d better go find out.”

  Her hands clenched and it was obvious she was attempting to hide her fear.

  He hated that. A thousand recriminations hit him hard. “I’m sorry, Beth, but you’re going to have to go answer it. I’ll be right behind you, though.” Then he tried his best to concentrate only on his gun and his quick inspection of it.

  Pulling on a shirt that she’d left on the end of the bed sometime during the night, he followed her downstairs in his bare feet.

  Just as the knock came again. This time much, much harder.

  “Beth?” Mose Kramer called out.

  “It’s the sheriff,” she whispered to Chris. “What should we do?”

  If the sheriff was here, Chris knew he couldn’t embroil her into his mess any further. “You don’t need to do a thing. Go sit down in the kitchen. I’ll deal with him.”

  “I’m staying,” she said obstinately.

  “Beth? Hello?” the sheriff called out again, this time accompanying his call with a jangle of the doorknob.

  He was out of time. “Suit yourself,” Chris murmured as he turned the dead bolt to the right and finally opened the door with a new, desperate feeling of doom. “Hello, Sheriff,” he said.

  “You,” Mose said, staring at him with a healthy look of disdain. “I should have known.”

  The frigid air burst into the entryway and onto his bare feet. It was so cold he immediately felt the chill. “Want to come in?”

  Mose stepped right through the door, not sparing Chris a second glance. Instead his gaze seemed to be fastened on Beth. “Are you all right?” he asked as he walked toward her, bringing salt and ice onto the wood floor with him.

  “Mose, take off your boots,” Chris said.

  “My boots are the least of your worries, pup.”

  “You’re tracking snow and ice onto Beth’s clean floor.” To Chris’s pleasure, the sheriff immediately hunched over and started unlacing his boots.

  “Chris?” Beth mouthed.

  He attempted to smile, glad the little task was buying them both some time. Beth looked like she was about to faint from worry. And him? Well, he needed to decide just how much to tell the sheriff.

  Once his feet were clad in only white socks, Mose turned to Chris. “Looks like I’m staying for a while. Have a seat and tell me what in the world you’re doing here. And by the way, you look like you were on the losing end of a good fistfight.”

  “I was,” Chris said dryly.

  Beth was hovering by his side. “He should be in bed, Sheriff. He has stitches. And a fever.”

  Mose raised his eyebrows. “Stitches?”

  Chris was thankful that he’d let Beth’s fever comment slide. “They’re nothing to worry about.”

  “Not now. But they were before I stitched him up.”

  Mentally, Chris shook his head. Now she was happy about the stitches?

  “If you’ve got Beth stitching you up, I’m guessing you didn’t go to the hospital. Care to tell me why?”

  “I couldn’t risk it.”

  Mose leaned back, like he was settling in for the afternoon. “Hmm. It looks like I got here just in time. You’d best start talking.”

  Chris made his decision. He was going to have to trust Mose. “My cover was blown two days ago.”

  “Which is why you’re looking like you do.” Leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, he said, “Keep talking. I’m confused as to why you’re here instead of somewhere safer. I would have thought you fancy DEA agents would have had a better system for trouble.”

  “We do, but I’ve been ordered to stay in the area until after Christmas.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugged. “They wanted me out of the way so they could pursue all the leads without me being there. I’m a liability now.”

  “You still haven’t told me why you came here and not someplace else.”

  Chris hated revealing how weak he felt—and how alone he was. “I could barely drive. As you can see, I was beaten up pretty good. This place, it’s just about in the middle of nowhere, Mose. At least to most outsiders.”

  “These people you’ve been dealing with, are they working around here? ’Cause if they are, I need to know.”

  “They’re not. They’re farther south. Near Tennessee.”

  Mose stared at him, then at Beth. “Beth, surely this isn’t what you expected when you agreed to look after the place for Frannie and Luke. Are you afraid? Do you want me to get him out of here for you?”

  Chris felt like closing his eyes in despair. Of course she was afraid. Anyone who looked at her could tell she was. And of course it would be best for her if he agreed to leave with Mose.

  But though all of that made sense, something inside him rejected the idea. Quite simply, he didn’t want to leave Beth. Their time together was going to be short enough. Selfishly, he wanted to stay by her side as long as possible.

  “I’m not afraid with Chris here.”

  “He’s the reason you should be afraid,” Mose said gently. “I don’t want to scare ya, but this man attracts some of the worst folks you can imagine. They’re desperate, and not a one of them has anything to lose.”

  “He has a gun.”

  The sheriff turned to him and glared. “Well, of course you do. Why wouldn’t you be armed in a country bed-and-breakfast?” Looking irritated enough to spit nails, Mose got to his feet. “Mr. Ellis—or whatever your name is—I think it would be best for everyone if you came along with me. I can put you up at my place. There’s a room up in my attic that you can have until you can be on your way.”

  Wearily, Chris got to his feet, too. “I’ll get my gear.”

  Beth stepped in between them. “Nee. I want him to stay.”

  “You don’t know what you’re saying, Beth,” Mose warned. “This man is dangerous.”

  “Not to me.” She looked at him beseechingly. “Tell him, Chris. Tell him that you’d never hurt me.”

  He ached to reach out to her, to take her into his arms and soothe her fears. “Of course, I’d never hurt you,” he said quietly. “But I can’t promise that no harm will come to you. There’s a difference.”

  To his amazement, tears formed in her eyes. “Please, don’t leave me alone.” Turning to Mose, she said, “There’s a chance those men, those drug dealers might already know he’s here, jah?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then there’s a chance that they could come here. I don’t want to be alone if they show up.”

  Mose stared at her. “What else is going on, Beth? What are you not telling me?”

  “Nothing is going on. It’s just that I simply know what I need to be doing—and that is taking care of Chris. He can take care of me if something happens.”

  Mose sat back down. “Beth, what is your mother going to say?”

  “Nothing, because I’m not going to tell her.”

  “This will come out sooner or later. You know it will.”

  Beth looked at Mose with a schoolteacher glare. “Nothing good will come from telling my mother about Chris, Mose. You know that as certainly as I do. Besides, in a few days this will only be a memory.”

  The sheriff stared at her hard before glancing his way. “Chris, I hope you know what havoc you’ve created.”

  “Believe me, if I felt like I had a choice, I would have stayed far away from here.” Knowing that some things had to be shared, he turned to Beth. “Would you please get me a sheet of paper and a pen? I need to write some names and numbers down for the sheriff.”

  When she left, Chris turned to Mose. “You have every right to ask me to go, but I’m asking you to let me stay until the twenty-sixth. By then I’ll be well enough to get around better and my boss will have been able to send someone out to run interference.”
<
br />   “Interference my foot. You’ve got a terrible problem here.”

  “I swear, I don’t think anyone will find me here. I wouldn’t have come otherwise.”

  Mose shook his head slowly. “I ain’t talking about your drug-dealing buddies, Chris Ellis.” He looked at him meaningfully. “She’s a good woman with a kind heart. I’d hate for you to stoop so low as to start taking advantage of an Amish woman’s kindness. Or make her think that something could ever be possible between the two of you.”

  Beth’s return prevented him from replying. Instead, he took the paper, and wrote down two names. “If something does happen, call Taylor King. She’s my partner. Or, you can call Ryan Holditch; he’s my direct report and is in the Chicago office.”

  Mose took the paper, studied the names for a minute, then stood up with great reluctance. “I can’t say I’m real pleased about this, but since it’s out of my jurisdiction and no crime has been committed, I guess it don’t matter much what I think.” Turning to Beth, he waved a finger. “Don’t forget to visit your mother. And don’t forget to use Frannie’s cell phone and call me if you change your mind about things.”

  “I won’t forget.”

  After he slipped on his boots and tied the laces, Mose glanced at Chris one more time. “You really do look poorly, Chris. You might consider taking a long rest.”

  “I’ll do that. Thank you.”

  Mose tipped his hat, scowled at him one more time, then let himself out.

  When the door closed behind Mose, Beth heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh, Chris, I was so worried that he was going to make you leave.”

  Before he could reply, she sat down next to him and treated him to a perfectly beautiful smile of triumph. “Everything is going to be just fine now. I know it.”

  She would stay safe. He would do anything it took to make sure of that.

  But as he counted the hours until he left her forever, nothing felt “just fine.” Of course, what did it matter if his heart was breaking?

  Needing some time to collect himself, he said, “Beth, why don’t you go see your mother for a little bit? Mose was right. You should probably reassure her. We don’t want her sending anyone else over here to check up on you.”

  “I don’t want to leave you alone. Your fever could get worse.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but I took some ibuprofen. And all I’m going to do is take a nap. I really do think a visit to your mom is a good idea. When you get back, I’ll make us a fire and we can sit here on the couch. How about that?”

  “I think that sounds gut. But don’t you start thinking you got anything over on me, Chris. I’m still intent on looking out for you.”

  “I’m planning on it,” he murmured. When she hopped up, he followed, only much more slowly. His body was exhausted and his brain felt like mush. He wasn’t going to be able to do another single thing until he got some sleep.

  “See you in a bit,” he said as he headed toward the stairs. And, he hoped, sweet oblivion.

  Chapter 8

  Every Christmas, I get my mamm a new set of cozy flannel pajamas. She used to get them for me, you see. Now it’s my turn to treat her.

  BETH BYLER

  A surprise greeted Beth when she stopped by her house to check up on her mother. Two of her aunts were in her mother’s sewing room, sitting on either side of her mother’s wheelchair. From the looks of it, all three seemed to be in deep conversation over a pile of fabrics.

  Her mother and aunts had spent many hours designing, piecing, and stitching quilts for the annual Amish Country Quilt Show. Four years ago, they’d even earned an honorable mention. From their intent expressions, Beth was sure they were getting ready to enter again.

  “Uh-oh,” Beth teased. “Are you three planning a new prize-winner?”

  Practically in unison, all three jumped, then looked at her with pleased expressions.

  Aunt Josephine was the first to recover. “Beth!” she said as she got to her feet and trotted over to give her a hug. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!”

  “I could say the same about you. I didn’t know you were going to pay Mamm a visit today,” she said after she hugged Jo, Aunt Evelyn, and finally her mother. “Seeing the three of you together is a wonderful-gut surprise.”

  “Were your ears ringing?” Aunt Jo asked with a sly wink. “We were just talking about you.”

  “Oh?” Carefully, she kept her face expressionless. “I can’t think of a reason why.”

  “Oh, Beth,” her mother chided. “You are always so standoffish.”

  “I’m not.” She was simply private. Taking a seat across from her mother, Beth attempted to look carefree, though her insides were churning. She’d come over to check up on her mother, grab a few personal things, then hurry back to Chris’s side.

  With her aunts here—especially given the way they were looking at her as if she were the new project instead of the quilt—getting in and out of the house in a timely manner might be harder than anticipated.

  “Don’t look so worried, daughter. I was simply telling Jo and Evelyn here that you’ve been working too hard. And on Christmas, too.”

  “Imagine our surprise to hear that you were helping out at the Yellow Bird Inn,” Aunt Jo said. “We didn’t even think you could cook.”

  Although she might be a rather private person, her inability to bake well was one thing that she had never been able to hide. “I’m learning to cook better. And Frannie left a lot of things in her freezer for my suppers.” Smiling mischievously, she added, “I’ll have you know that I’ve become mighty gut at thawing frozen food.”

  “Which is quite an accomplishment, to be sure.” Aunt Evelyn chuckled. “Don’t fret, Beth. We’re only teasing ya.”

  “My only concern is that you’re spending too much time working and not enough time enjoying yourself,” her mother said. “Here it is Christmas, and instead of enjoying some time with other young people, you’re taking on another job.”

  “I don’t mind work.” Hoping to move the conversation along, Beth said, “I didn’t know you were expecting company today, Mamm.”

  As she hoped, her mother’s expression brightened. “I didn’t know it, either. Seeing my sisters has made me mighty happy.”

  “We came over to surprise Patience. And you, of course,” Evelyn added politely. “And to offer another surprise. We want you both to spend Christmas in Charm.”

  “Who is in Charm?” Beth asked.

  “My daughter Martha and her family,” Evelyn explained. “They have a big house, with plenty of room for Patience’s wheelchair to move around in.”

  “Jah, no one should be home alone for Christmas,” Jo added. “My husband’s cousin Jim isn’t Amish, so he has a car. He’s offered to drive us there, since it’s on the way to Cleveland.”

  “That’s where Jim’s wife’s from,” Evelyn added helpfully. She paused. “Forgive me. That was probably far more information than you needed to know. But anyway, please do come. We want you both to join us.”

  Looking at her mother, noticing how much younger she looked in her sisters’ company, Beth felt like cheering. Her aunts’ offer was an answer to her prayers. “What a wonderful idea, Mamm. I hope you will go.”

  “I would like to go.” Looking at Jo and Evelyn with a fond expression, her mother added, “But Beth, you’ll come, too, jah?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t.”

  “But Beth, it won’t be the same without you.” Evelyn frowned.

  Beth gazed at her Aunt Evelyn and thought about how her aunt always had a kind word for everyone. She was guileless and sweet. Just as sweet as her sister Josephine was peppery.

  She would have liked to spend some time with them, to watch her mother laugh like she used to. But there was no way she could leave Chris, even if she’d wanted to. His injuries were still too severe.

  And his mood seemed fragile, too, as if he would be very hurt if she, too, abandoned him.

  “There’s a guest at the
Yellow Bird Inn. I need to be there to watch over things.” To her embarrassment, her cheeks started to burn at simply mentioning him! She hoped her blush wouldn’t betray her strong feelings.

  “But it’s Christmas,” Aunt Jo said.

  “It is. But it will still be Christmas even if I’m not with you,” she said lightly.

  “That is not what I meant, child.”

  Aunt Josephine glared at Beth. “I don’t understand why you’d be putting the inn before your family. Christmas is a time to be together, not to be apart.”

  “I know that, but this year will have to be different, I’m afraid. I made a promise to Frannie that I must keep.” Gently, she added, “Mamm, I am glad you will be in Charm with Josephine and Evelyn and their families. I want you to go.”

  “Frannie should have closed the place for the holidays, not accepted guests,” her mother said. “And if she did have guests, she should have tended to them herself. Not left them for you.”

  “Frannie didn’t think she was going to have any guests,” Beth said quickly, anxious to defend one of her best friends. “This one came as a surprise.” But of course, as soon as she said that, she wished she could take it back.

  Because she’d just opened the proverbial can of worms.

  “Oh?” Evelyn asked. “Who, exactly, showed up unannounced? Anyone we know?”

  There was no way she could share the truth. That would be asking for trouble, and would practically guarantee a long conversation and debate about whether Beth should be anywhere near a man like Chris.

  Thinking quickly, Beth blurted, “The woman who is staying at the inn is not from these parts.”

  “You should have told her you were closed for Christmas,” Josephine said with a raised brow.

  “Umm . . . Well . . . I would have, but she’s a nice lady who is having a bit of a hard time of it.”

  All three women leaned forward. “What do you mean by that?” Evelyn asked eagerly.

  Out of the air, the fibs continued. “Divorce,” she whispered, thinking that was just shocking enough for her mother and aunts to not question why a lady would be traveling alone at Christmas.