A Laramie, Texas Christmas

The timer dinged, and Noelle pivoted toward the microwave. She peered inside, checked the contents of the dinners and started the oven up again. “Is Miss Sadie going to be liable for the massive amount of debt whoever did this ran up in her name?”

Kevin noted it seemed important to Noelle that Miss Sadie not suffer. That alone proved nothing. A lot of white collar criminals felt they were stealing from businesses that were reimbursed by insurance companies, not people, and therefore justified it on some level because the victim was a faceless corporation.

Kevin tackled the last stack of mail. “On Miss Sadie’s own credit cards, there’s probably a set limit she’ll be liable for, possibly as low as fifty dollars, depending on the terms of her agreement with the bank that issued them. But she won’t be liable for the cards that were fraudulently applied for and issued during her absence. Unfortunately, it is going to take awhile to prove that was done by someone other than Miss Sadie herself, and get all this straightened out…and during that time her name is going to be mud at all the banks. It looks like she is maxed out on all her current cards.”

Noelle filled two glasses with ice and water. “How can this happen?”

Kevin leaned back in his chair and watched her slice up a lemon. It was a simple domestic act, yet it filled him with pleasure. “Someone got hold of Miss Sadie’s personal information, signed her up for cards and used a Houston post office box as her mailing address,” he explained. “Once the cards were issued and activated, it looks like the thieves began ordering goods off the Internet and had them delivered as “gifts” to other people at post office boxes around the state.”

Noelle’s brow furrowed. “Shouldn’t someone have figured this out?” she complained.

Kevin noted that this woman was either innocent of any wrongdoing, or an Oscar-caliber actress. He leaned back as she put the beverage in front of him. “Obviously, given the volume of letters Miss Sadie received at her permanent Laramie and Houston addresses, people were questioning what was going on and putting holds on various accounts until they heard from her. Unfortunately, because she was on her cruise, no one was able to reach her. It looks like most of the activity took place in a three-week period at the end of November. Do you know what day she left on her cruise?” he asked curiously.

Noelle nodded. She plucked silverware out of one drawer, napkins from another. “October twenty-ninth. I met with her right before she left.”

“And she got back…?” Aware they were about to eat, Kevin moved the stacks of sorted mail out of the way.

“Three days ago,” Noelle replied. “Miss Sadie spent the night in Houston, then picked up her mail at the nearby post office the following morning. She had her regular driver bring her out to Laramie, where she stopped at the post office, picked up that mail, and headed out here to Blackberry Hill. She said she waited until she got to the house to start going through it all, so she had no idea what was going on.”

The microwave dinged again. Noelle removed the dinners from the oven and handed him the beef and broccoli, keeping the lemon chicken and broccoli for herself. They peeled off the plastic covers. Steam curled through the air, giving the kitchen a distinctive Asian aroma.

“How are you going to track the thieves?” Noelle asked, taking a seat opposite Kevin.

“I’m going to start by talking to everyone close to Miss Sadie, and have her fill out some forms about who works in her home, or on the property, or has occasion to see her private papers. Whoever did this had to have access to her birth date, social security number, bank information and so on. In all likelihood it’s someone close to her she would never suspect, which is why I’m going to be taking a hard look at the background of everyone around her.”

Noelle seemed nervous again. “Couldn’t it have been a stranger?” she asked, a troubled look in her eyes.

Kevin struggled to contain his disappointment. He did not want Noelle to have anything to do with this. “It could have been,” he agreed carefully.

She released the breath she had been holding. “But you don’t think it is.” She kept her eyes on his.

Kevin debated how much to tell her. “I find the timing odd,” he said finally. “Miss Sadie goes off for a six-week cruise, and two days later, a flurry of bank card applications are entered in her name. She has a stellar credit rating, so the cards are issued promptly—probably all within hours of each other. Ten days later, purchases begin. And then magically stop right before she gets home from her cruise. Common sense says it was no accident that this happened while she was out of touch.”

Noelle’s expression turned contemplative. She put her fork down and dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “So what next?”

I try like hell to remain objective. “I talk to my friends in Houston who specialize in identity theft for the HPD. There may be others in the area who are reporting similar fraud.”

“Maybe people on the same cruise?” Noelle asked hopefully.

Clearly, she was looking for an easy solution to the puzzle. “Or people who all used the same travel agency to book vacations. Then again, a common thread could be people whose homes are all monitored by the same security company, companies that would have been informed of the prolonged absence of the residents. And we can’t rule out that it could be an isolated incident—just someone close to Miss Sadie who wanted to give their family a good Christmas.”

Noelle picked up her fork and toyed with her food once again. “I find it hard to believe anyone close to Miss Sadie would do this to her,” she said stubbornly.

“You prefer the stranger angle.”

“Yes.”

So did he, truth be known. However, Kevin had learned the hard way that not everyone could be trusted. “Desperation makes people do awful things.”

Noelle shook her head in frustration. “But to take advantage of an eighty-five-year-old woman who is one of the sweetest, most generous people I’ve ever met…”

“I agree. It’s awful. But I can’t let my personal feelings for Miss Sadie hamper my investigation, which is why I’m going to take a hard look at everyone around Miss Sadie.” Kevin paused. “Including,” he said meaningfully, looking straight at her, “you.”

NOELLE HAD EXPECTED she would be investigated, given all Kevin had just said about the likely suspect being someone with easy proximity to Miss Sadie. She hadn’t expected it to hurt so much. Temper igniting, she pushed away from the table and headed to the sink. “Don’t forget Dash.”

Kevin finished his meal. “I won’t.”

“Or my son, Mikey,” Noelle continued heatedly, dumping the remains of her dinner into the disposal, her appetite gone. “He could have done it, too.”

Kevin dropped his own black plastic dish into the trash and carried the silverware over to the dishwasher. “You’re offended.”

Noelle glared at him. “I’d like to say I understand you’re just doing your job.”

He took the disposable dish out of her hand and threw it away, too. “But you can’t.” He turned back to face her.

Trying not to notice how fit and handsome he looked in his starched khaki uniform, Noelle shook her head. “No. I can’t. I don’t like being accused of something I did not do.” It brought back too many memories of a time she would rather forget.

He gave her a steady, assessing look.

Noelle jerked in a breath, aware she had inadvertently revealed too much. To her relief, the front door opened and then closed.

Seconds later, Dash strolled into the kitchen. “Sorry it took me so long to get here,” he told Kevin. “I wanted to stay until I was sure that Aunt Sadie was settled for the night.” He glanced at Noelle. “Were you able to find all the paperwork Detective McCabe needed?”

Kevin lifted a hand, interrupting, “You can both call me Kevin.”

“I don’t know if that is such a good idea,” Noelle interjected coolly. Temper still simmering, she looked at Dash, confiding, “It seems we’re all suspects in the identity theft.”

“As it should be,” Dash replied, obviously in total agreement. He crossed to Noelle’s side and put a companionable arm about her shoulders. “Not that it will take Kevin long to eliminate you.” He grinned, switching from lawyer mode to Southern charm in the time it took to draw a breath. “Me, on the other hand, well, we all know what a disreputable character I am.”

Noelle smiled. Dash was one of the most honest, caring men she had ever met. He also knew the secrets of her past. If he didn’t think she had anything to worry about, she probably didn’t. Getting his silent message to relax and let things unfold as they would, she forced the tension from her limbs.

His mood abruptly all-business, Kevin gathered up the papers on the end of the table. “Do you want to make copies for me now, or drop them off at the station tomorrow?”

Noelle hesitated. Neither option appealed to her.

“I’ll do it right now on Aunt Sadie’s copier in the study upstairs,” Dash said. He looked at Noelle with easy familiarity.

“Thanks,” Noelle said quietly, glad for the help.

“No problem. Any chance I could get a mug of very strong coffee before I hit the road?”

Noelle had expected Dash would not stay in Laramie for long. Still, she was disappointed. She could have used someone to run interference between her and Kevin. Thus far, Dash had proved very adept at it. “You have to go back to Houston tonight?”

He nodded. “I’ve got to be in court again tomorrow, so I’ll need to leave as soon as I get these copied for Kevin. Be right back.” He exited the kitchen.

Once again, Noelle and Kevin were alone. Noelle could feel him sizing her up. Trying to figure out the exact nature of her relationship with Dash. Maybe it was petty of her, but she hoped he stayed confused.

“Is there anyone in Houston you think I might need to investigate?” Kevin asked matter-of-factly.

“Besides me and Dash, you mean?” Noelle retorted sweetly.

He waited, unsmiling.

Okay, she was overreacting, given the circumstances. But darn it all, Kevin didn’t know what she had been through in the years before she had been rescued by Dash and his legal expertise. “I can’t think of anyone,” she said finally, forcing herself to remain detached.

“Thanks, anyway.”

Noelle made a show of wiping down the table. “I do have a question.”

He leaned against the counter. “Fire away.”

Wishing she weren’t so aware of his presence, Noelle retreated into scrupulous politeness. “I’d like to get the steps repaired and painted before Christmas. Do you know of anyone who could do it for me on short notice?”

Kevin nodded. “I’ll have someone here tomorrow evening to tear down the rotten wood. The steps can be rebuilt Saturday morning, a coat of waterproofing put on. Primer and paint can be applied the following day—as long as the weather holds and there is no rain.”

That would certainly take care of it. “Thank you,” Noelle said grudgingly.

“In return, I want something from you.”

It figured. “You’re kidding,” she said sarcastically.

He held out his hands, palm up. “Nothing in life is free.”

Especially when it came to Kevin McCabe. “What do you want?” she demanded, on edge again.

“The sheriff’s department organizes a Blue Santa operation every year. It’s a good cause. A lot of residents volunteer. We gather up toys and donations of food and clothing that are distributed to the needy throughout the county. We schedule an exciting appearance by Santa. For the record, I got tapped for that this year.”

Now that would be something to see. “Should have kept your beard,” she taunted lightly. “Although you would have had to do something to make it white.”

He let her remarks pass. “We also hand out presents to the kids and gift baskets for the adults, and then we have a potluck dinner for everyone—volunteers, their families and the folks we help—over at the community center on the evening of December twenty-third.”

Noelle was impressed despite herself. “That sounds laudable.”

“And fun. Anyway, every year we split up the work. Because I was out of town fishing for the first two weeks of the drive, I ended up being responsible for two things, in addition to playing Santa. The decorations for the dinner…”

Noelle shrugged, aware that every time she got near him, her heart beat faster, her senses got sharper and the isolation she’d felt since her husband’s death became a little more acute. She thought she had been living fully. Obviously, she hadn’t been.

Deciding she had looked into Kevin’s eyes far too long, she turned away once again. “That doesn’t sound too hard.”

He watched her wipe down the counters and the inside of the microwave. “Maybe not for you,” he chided. “You make your living putting together events.”

Promising herself she was not going to fall prey to the attraction simmering between them, she forced her gaze back to the rugged contours of his face. “What’s the second thing?”

His mouth flattened into a grim line. “Baby doll revitalization.”

She couldn’t help it. She began to laugh.

His eyes narrowed. “It’s not funny. People are very generous about donating. And we appreciate it, as do the kids who receive the gifts. But some of these dolls aren’t in the best of shape, to put it lightly. And I’m in charge of making sure they all seem like new.”

Noelle looked him up and down. “I can see this would be tough for you.”

Kevin rolled his eyes in exasperation. “You have no idea.”

“Didn’t spend a lot of time playing with dolls when you were a kid?”

“Can’t say that I did. I’m begging you to help me out.”

Twisting her arm was more like it. “There must be someone else you could ask,” Noelle replied. “A sister, mother, some woman who is terribly interested in you.”

“True—except they’ve already volunteered and are set to help out in various other ways.”

“Maybe they wouldn’t mind taking on another task.”

“But then I’d owe them,” Kevin retorted, as if that would be the worst thing in the world.

“And you wouldn’t owe me?” Noelle asked curiously.

“Not if I fix Miss Sadie’s steps for you. Then we’d be even.”

“Whoa. Who said anything about you repairing the steps?” Noelle said.

“I did.” He palmed his chest. “I’m a very handy carpenter, and truth be told, I feel a little bad about the way that all unfolded. This way, if I fix what I helped you break, I don’t have to feel guilty.”

“Or worry about your karma,” Noelle guessed, trying not to be amused…and failing mightily.

“Right.”

She blew out a gusty breath. “You are one complicated man.”

“So what do you say?” He moved closer, hands spread, and blasted her with a hopeful smile. “Do we have a deal?”

Noelle had never been one to swoon over a man in uniform, but there was no denying Kevin McCabe made an impression she was not likely to forget. One minute he was saving her and her son from sure injury, the next flirting. The man practically exuded honor, audaciousness and the determination to do right no matter what the cost. She didn’t know what he was up to now, but didn’t like it one bit.

Clearly aware he was annoying her terribly, he looked her over from head to toe, taking in the delicate hollow of her throat and the shadowy hint of cleavage in the open V of her white shirt. His gaze moved lower still to check out the fit of her tailored slacks before returning to her eyes. “You’re very sure of yourself.” She regarded him perceptively.

He gazed back with a charming smile, still holding her gaze. “Not so sure.”

The way he looked at her then—as if he was thinking what it might be like to make love to her—sent tremors of awareness tumbling through her. “What do you mean?” Noelle demanded, hanging on to her composure by a thread.

“For example—” he leaned toward her conspiratorially “—I’m not certain you want to kiss me, but your body language says you do.”

“Detective.” Noelle lifted her chin, drew a deep breath. “You’re not really thinking of putting the moves on me just now.” She inched back.

“Not thinking.” He stepped toward her, laced his hands around her waist and tugged her against him. “Which is,” he continued thoughtfully, looking down at her intently, “perhaps the problem.”

KEVIN HAD KNOWN he was in trouble the minute he accepted Noelle’s dinner invitation and entered the cozy confines of the kitchen. But he’d done it anyway, hoping the casual intimacy of the situation would seduce her into revealing all sorts of things about herself and her relationship with Dash and Miss Sadie. Kevin figured he could put his considerable attraction to her aside long enough to investigate her connection, or lack thereof, to the case he was working on. He’d intended to figure out why he had seen flashes of guilt and fear in her eyes whenever the subject of the identity theft came up.

However, he hadn’t expected to see raw vulnerability in her eyes in her most unguarded moments. She had the same hunted, despairing look the bullied kids had always had in school. The look that said they knew they had done nothing to deserve the treatment they were getting, but were braced to suffer all sorts of indignities anyway. Kevin had never been able to stand by while an underdog was suffering then, and he couldn’t do it now. To his chagrin, he found himself wanting to protect Noelle, not investigate her. He found himself wanting to get closer. Not as law enforcement. As a man. He found himself wanting to satisfy her obvious desire to be kissed. To bring her closer yet. To investigate the softness of her lips….

Noelle saw the kiss coming and could have avoided it, if she had wanted to. She didn’t. Maybe because this was the kind of kiss she had always dreamed about and never received. Gentle. Tender. Evocative. Maybe because she had known instinctively that the touch of his lips to hers would rock her to the core. And the reality was even better than she had ever imagined. Noelle was inundated with so many sensations at once. The hard warmth of his body. The yummy taste of his mouth. The clean masculine fragrance of his skin. Heavens, the man knew how to kiss, she thought, letting herself be drawn into the erotic moment. He knew how to exact a sensual response from her. Knew how to make her want and need. Knew how to…draw back.

Startled, she hitched in a breath and stared into his eyes. To her surprise, he looked as taken aback as she felt. Who knew what would have happened next had it not been for the sound of swift footsteps overhead, forcing them farther apart? Seconds later, Dash bounded down the back stairs, two stacks of papers in hand, one of which he handed to Kevin. “I made two copies of everything, one for me, one for you. The originals will stay here with Miss Sadie.”

“Good thinking,” Kevin said.

Dash smiled at Noelle, his presence effectively breaking the mood. “Coffee ready?” he asked cheerfully.

Noelle feigned normalcy. “It will be in a minute.” Just as soon as she put it on.

Kevin looked at Noelle, no sign of what had transpired between them on his handsome face. Instead, he seemed to be wondering what had come over him, as surely as she was wondering what had come over her! “I better be going, too,” he said.

Her throat dry, she nodded. “I’ll tell Miss Sadie you’re working hard to solve her case.”

“And I’ll tell her you’ve agreed to help with the Blue Santa holiday drive this year. That will please her. She’s one of our biggest contributors.”

Except I didn’t quite agree, Noelle thought as Dash walked Kevin to the front door before returning to the kitchen. You just sort of volunteered me. And I was too distracted to say no….

“Nice guy,” Dash remarked, returning to her side.

Complicated. And Noelle had always had a thing for complicated men, even though she rarely acted on it.

“And dedicated,” Dash continued.

“Not to mention suspicious,” Noelle said out loud, meeting Dash’s eyes. Telling herself she had to work harder to keep her defenses in place, she got out the coffee and filters. She could not end up flirting with Kevin McCabe again. Never mind kissing!

“You’re worried he’ll find out about your stay in juvie?” Dash guessed.

Her spine stiffening at the memory of that awful time in her life, Noelle put beans in the grinder and turned it on. “As well as what happened after I got out.”

Dash shrugged. “You could just tell him.”

And have Kevin McCabe look at her the way others had when they’d found out she’d spent time in lockup? “No. I’m not going back there, Dash, not even in my thoughts.” She looked him straight in the eye. “Not ever again.”

“SO HOW ARE THINGS OUT at Blackberry Hill?” Rio asked when Kevin walked into the station.

As out of control as ever, Kevin thought. What had gotten into him, anyway? Seducing a woman he had yet to eliminate as a suspect? He had meant to catch her off guard and get her to open up a little bit this evening. Instead, he had ended up letting his guard down, flirting, allowing the simmering attraction between them to flare up. He had given in to impulse and actually kissed her. And there had been nothing official at all about that move. That had been pure desire on his part. Passion was not something that typically drove his actions. He had much more control over himself than that. And yet there was something about Noelle Kringle that drew him like a bee to nectar. Despite her made-up name.

He had to do better.

Rio elbowed him in the side. “Did you ride off again somewhere? ’Cause you sure look like you’re standing here.”

“Sorry.” Kevin set the stack of papers on his desk and powered up his computer.

Rio went back to his hunt-and-peck typing. “I should be making you write up this danged report,” he complained, “since you’re the one who caused the problem this afternoon.”

Everyone knew how much Rio hated paperwork. Although, in Kevin’s estimation, his colleague made the process much more painful than it had to be by procrastinating forever before getting down to business. Of course, Kevin admitted, that was probably due to the fact that, like him, Rio had no one to go home to after work. Sometimes being single in a two-by-two world really bit. Never more so than during the holidays, which was why Kevin had decided to stop feeling sorry about the lack of a wife and kids in his life and go off fishing for the first half of December. So he wouldn’t have to think about the glaring void in his existence.

“You look more unhappy than I do.” Rio stopped typing abruptly and got up. He went over to refill his coffee cup with a brew that was thick as molasses and had all the aromatic qualities of used motor oil.

“I see you made the coffee again,” Kevin noted.

Overhearing, several of the other deputies chuckled.

Rio perched on the edge of Kevin’s desk. He took a sip of coffee and somehow managed not to wince. “So how long are Miss Sadie’s nephew and that babe—what was her name again—?”

Like Rio didn’t know. “Noelle Kringle,” Kevin said, for the benefit of everyone else in the room.

“—going to be around?” Rio finished curiously.

Kevin checked his e-mail and found 228 messages waiting for him. After deciding to get caught up later on what had happened while he was on vacation, he moved his cursor to the Background Check function. “Dash Nelson was going to head back to Houston this evening.” Kevin couldn’t say he was sorry about that. It would be a heck of a lot easier to investigate Noelle without her protector around.

“And what about Noelle?”

Kevin pushed aside the memory of her incredibly soft lips…and how sweet they had tasted. He had a job to do that did not include kissing her—or even dreaming about doing so—again. “I’m not sure how long she’s going to be here.” He got up to get himself some awful coffee. “At least a few more days.” Until the side entry steps were finished, he guessed.