Christmas Justice (Carder Texas Connections #7)(26)

Laurel’s gaze fell to Molly. “I understand that. Going back will never be the same, will it?”

“Nothing is ever the same.”

Molly crossed her legs and gazed into the water. “Can I touch it?”

“It’s cold,” Garrett warned.

Molly tiptoed to the edge of the pool, squatted in front of it and dipped her hand into the water. She snatched it back with a yelp.

“I’m not swimming in there.” She raced back to Laurel and hugged her legs. “Too cold.”

“Molly, do you see this rock?” Garrett picked up a piece of dark granite.

“It sparkles.”

Molly’s eyes widened as the stone glittered in the sunlight. “Can I keep it to show my mommy when she comes back?”

“You can have it,” Garrett said, then lifted a familiar bag from the box.

Molly grinned. “Cookies?”

He set the treat aside. “Of course.”

Molly popped a cookie in her mouth. When she finished it off, her leg swung on the side of the rock. “Can I go ’sploring?”

Laurel started to shake her head, but Garrett interrupted, “We’ve made too much noise not to drive the animals away.” He turned to Molly. “Stay in sight. If you leave the clearing, we’ll have to go back to the house.”

“Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a nail in my eye,” Molly said, making a motion across her chest.

A chuckle escaped Garrett. She was so like his Ella. But so different, too. Molly jumped from the rock. She scampered to the edge of the clearing.

He folded Laurel’s hand in his. “She’ll be okay. I promise we’re making too much noise for the cougar to be interested,” he said.

“Bears?”

“Not here. Not enough vegetation and large animals.”

Laurel dropped her half-eaten sandwich in the box and stood. She watched Molly. “I’m scared for her.”

Garrett rose from the rock. “She’s a strong girl. She’s got a great aunt. You’ll both make it through this.”

“What if whoever killed Ivy gets away with it?”

Garrett couldn’t stop his teeth from grinding together. No way would he let that happen. Not while he still lived. But he couldn’t promise anything. The people after him had no morals, no conscience. If anyone got in their way, they killed them. And they didn’t care about the innocent ones who got hurt in the process.

He turned Laurel in his arms and stared into her eyes. “However this goes, I’ll make sure you and Molly find a way to be safe.”

Laurel lowered her lids. “They might get away with it.”

Garrett couldn’t deny the truth of her words. Instead, he tilted her chin up with his finger. His heart stuttered at her pain-filled gaze. She’d lost her sister, her brother-in-law, one niece and nephew, and she might have lost her father. She’d lost the life she once had. He wanted to make everything go away, but he might not be able to. “I won’t stop until I find them, Laurel.”

She shivered in his arms. He tugged her a bit closer, his gaze falling on Molly. The little girl had hunkered down, stacking pinecones. He wrapped Laurel in his arms, pulling her close, and rested his cheek against her hair. Her warmth seeped into his skin, even as the sun shone down on his face.

For one moment he could comfort her. She sighed, leaning against him. “I wish we could stay here forever and the rest of the world would stop,” she said.

Garrett closed his eyes, breathing in the fragrance of her hair. He turned and kissed her temple. Her arms tightened around his body. The comfort shifted into something more. Laurel tilted her head, her gaze stopping at his mouth. Garrett stilled, unable to stop the desire flaring just beneath the surface.

“I found a track, Sheriff Garrett,” Molly shouted.

Laurel stiffened in his arms. He sighed and touched his finger to her lips. “Sometime soon,” he promised. “When we can’t be interrupted.”

A pang of conscience needled the back of his neck. They were in danger and no one knew what was going to happen, but he couldn’t deny the pull between him and Laurel. He’d been so alone for so long. Having her in his arms made him...made him feel hope again.

She squeezed his hand, her gaze warm, her cobalt eyes flaring with a hidden fire. With a sigh of regret, he walked across the small clearing where Molly hunkered down just at the edge.

“What have you found, sugar?”

She pointed a few feet past the row of pines. Garrett stilled. The track was human.

He peered past the trees into a clearing. The remains of a campfire had been hastily shoved aside, but the ash and rocks used to surround the small flames couldn’t be mistaken.

Garrett’s hand hovered over his weapon. His voice soft and low, he reached out a hand. “Come on, Molly.”

“But I found a track.”

“And you did well, but we need to go.” He scooped her into his arms and strode away from the edge of the trees, one hand still inches from his weapon.

“What’d I do?” Molly whispered. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Laurel met him and he handed over the little girl. “What’s wrong?” Laurel pulled the girl to her. “Shh, Molly.”

“Company,” he said, his voice calm.