The Christmas Clue (16 page)

“Christmas morning,” Cass mumbled as she watched the sun rise.

A white Christmas, at that. No more howling wind. No more gray skies. It was sunny, and the snow had frosted the landscape. Everything was fresh, festive and glittering.

Well, except her own situation.

Talk about pure irony.

Dominic was dead, no longer a threat to her, and yet here she sat in the Rim Rock county jail. And she wasn’t alone. Sheriff Medina was nearby in his office, which was just across the hall from her locked cell. The sheriff was on the phone and had been most of the night. He was getting updates from the Texas Rangers and Justice Department agents who’d been called in to process the crime scene.

Ronald, too, was in the sheriff’s office, also on the phone getting updates from Gideon. Judging from the parts of the conversation that Cass could hear, Gideon was still at the crime scene.

Molly was in a carrier seat on the sheriff’s desk, next to a small fake Christmas tree. She was asleep.
Finally.
Matt had spent a good portion of the night trying to soothe and feed her, all the while making calls that would set Cass free.

He hadn’t succeeded.

Around 5:00 a.m., everyone had realized that Molly wouldn’t have enough formula and diapers to make it through the day. Since the town’s only grocery store was closed for Christmas, Matt had decided to drive back to the estate to get some.

Cass checked the massive wall clock to the right of the sheriff’s door. It was just after 7:30, which meant Matt had been gone for way too long—especially considering that it only took twenty minutes to get to the estate.

She turned away from the tiny barred window and cleared her throat to get Ronald’s attention. “Could you please check on Matt?”

“I just tried to call him, but there was no answer. There are a lot of dead spots out here where there’s no reception.”

Cass hadn’t thought she could feel any lower, but that did it. “He could have been in an accident. The roads haven’t been plowed yet.”

Ronald stood and walked across the hall to her cell. Probably so he wouldn’t have to speak loudly and risk waking Molly. “Matt knows how to drive in snow.”

Yes. But that didn’t relieve her concerns for his safety and for the investigation.

For everything.

Maybe it was the fact that it was Christmas morning and she was in a jail cell, but Cass couldn’t help but think about her future.

If she even had one.

The disks had likely been destroyed in the explosion. So there was no proof to exonerate her. But no Dominic to point a finger at her, either. Still, maybe the Justice Department would use Dominic’s deposition or something.

In other words, she might stay in jail for the rest of her life.

“Annette’s being taken to a psychiatric hospital,” Ronald informed her. “She appears to have had a total breakdown.”

Cass had expected that. After all, the woman had killed her own brother.

“There isn’t any evidence to arrest Dominic’s new business partner,” Ronald continued. “But we’ll put some agents on him. Eventually, he’ll make a wrong step.”

Cass didn’t care one iota about that. He was the reason the Justice Department had made the deal with Dominic. And that was the reason they weren’t working hard to clear her name.

“Shouldn’t you go out and look for Matt?” she asked.

Ronald’s mouth flattened. “He knows how to drive in snow.”

“So you’ve said.”

“And I’m not supposed to leave you,” Ronald added. “Gideon’s orders. He thinks you might try to escape.”

She tipped her head toward Molly. “Not on your life. Do you really think I’d risk you or the sheriff trying to shoot at me with Matt’s baby just one room away?”

His flattened mouth softened a bit. “You really care for that little girl.”

“Yes.” And Cass hadn’t known just how much until she said it aloud. “Matt won’t have any trouble keeping custody of her, will he?”

“No. The adoption was illegal. He said he’ll file for temporary custody tomorrow. Then, once he has proven paternity, custody will be permanent.”

Good. That was something at least—Matt would be able to raise his daughter without a legal battle.

“What about the gunman I shot?” Cass asked. “Will he be okay?”

Ronald lifted his eyebrow. “He’ll be fine. I’m just surprised that you’re concerned about him.”

“Despite what you think of me, I don’t enjoy shooting people.” Other images of a shooting went through her mind. “Did Matt tell you about the other guard, the one in the bushes?”

“He did. Clearly a case of self-defense.”

That was good, too. Another good thing that she could add—no one seemed ready and willing to arrest Matt for anything that’d happened. As difficult as it was for Cass to be behind bars, it made her life much easier to know that Matt would be free. And happy with his daughter.

Molly made a small sound of protest, and Cass immediately stepped to the side so she could see the carrier. The baby had obviously woken up. She didn’t wake up quietly, either. She began to cry.

Ronald hurried back across the hall to pick her up. He also took her out of the office, probably so her cries wouldn’t interrupt the sheriff’s phone conversation.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Cass assured her when Ronald came closer. Cass felt the outside of Molly’s diaper. “She’s wet.”

Ronald looked as if she’d just announced the end of the world.

“Get me a diaper and open this cell door,” Cass suggested.

Ronald stood there, volleying glances between a crying Molly and her. Molly’s cries won out because he grabbed the key from the sheriff’s desk, a diaper, and he opened the cell door.

Cass didn’t know which gave her more relief—hearing that door open or having Molly placed in her arms. Just holding Molly made her smile.

She wasn’t exactly a pro at changing a baby, but Cass quickly figured it out. Molly squirmed and fought the process a little, but in the end Cass managed. Well, for the most part. The little swatches of tape that held the diaper in place were askew.

When she was done, Cass pulled the baby to her chest and rocked her. Molly settled down almost immediately. The moment was perfect. Almost.

Then she heard the front door open. No winter rush of wind, but there were footsteps. She held her breath. And was rewarded when Matt came down the corridor. He had a diaper bag in one hand and his equipment bag in the other.

He smiled when he saw her holding Molly, and Cass smiled, too. Things weren’t perfect yet, but they were getting there.

“I was worried about you,” she confessed.

“Sorry. Things just took a little longer than I’d planned.” He stepped into the cell and sat on the cot next to them. “Before the battery on my phone died, I arranged for a flight to San Antonio.”

“Oh.” There went her near-perfect feeling. “Well, that’s great. A jail isn’t any place for a baby.” Her heart was breaking, but she forced herself to keep things light. “Besides, I’m not very good at diapering.”

Matt took his daughter and inspected Cass’s work. “Neither of us is good at it.”

Molly didn’t make a sound. She sat there in her daddy’s lap and stared at him. Ronald must have decided he had something to do because he went back into the sheriff’s office. So, with the exception of the phone conversation and Cass’s own heart pounding in her ears, the place was silent.

Uncomfortably
silent.

“You’re going to make a great father,” she said.

“I talked to Gideon,” he said at the same moment.

Cass’s heart slowed significantly. “And?”

“The jail was for your own safety. Gideon was afraid that one of Dominic’s guards might still be loyal to him even after death.”

It took awhile for Cass to grasp that. “So, am I under arrest?”

He shook his head. “There’ll be an investigation, but when the dust settles, I don’t think anyone will take what Dominic had said over your word.”

The air just sort of swooshed out of her lungs, and Cass went limp with relief. She dropped her head on Matt’s shoulder and got a pat on the cheek from Molly. She got an even nicer gift from Matt.

He kissed her.

It was sweet and warm. And short. Molly reached out and batted them with her tiny hand.

“So, what do you think?” Matt asked his daughter. “Would you like Cass for a mom?”

Molly grinned and pumped her legs and arms.

“That’s a yes,” Matt concluded. He turned to Cass. “And what about you—would you like to be Molly’s mom?”

Cass didn’t even have to think about it. “More than anything.”

“Anything?” he questioned. “Because I was hoping that you’d want me to go along with this Mommy and Molly package.”

Oh, mercy. A slow heartbeat. Now, a fast one. And it took her several moments just to speak. “More than anything,” she repeated. “I’m in love with you.”

“Really?” he asked, as if that were a surprise.

She nodded. “Back at the estate, when I thought I’d lost you, I knew I couldn’t lose you.”

All right. That wasn’t exactly the way Cass meant to say it. She wasn’t making sense, but she could feel. Every inch of her knew this was right. Matt made it even more right by kissing her again. This one wasn’t sweet and warm. It was long and hot.

The kind of kiss to seal promises made for life.

Matt pulled away from her and ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “Hmm.” And he smiled. It was a naughty smile. One that made her think of what she wanted to do to him once they were alone. “You taste…”

“Expensive?” she provided.

“No.”

Cass smiled. “Happy?”

Matt shook his head. “You taste like the woman I love.”

The words made it all the way to her heart.

Cass gathered her family into her arms and kissed them both.

ISBN: 978-1-4268-0861-6

THE CHRISTMAS CLUE

Copyright © 2007 by Delores Fossen

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