Page 87 of The Mistletoe Mix-up

“I appreciate that, and I want to thank you for all the pep talks. Both of you,” Sam said, getting up from the couch. “I guess now that you’re home, I should see myself out.”

“You don’t have to go,” Merry said, snuggling into Clark’s side.

“No, I probably should bounce. I need to mull over all this good advice and plan my next move.”

“Drive safe, then, and remember,” Merry said, pointing at him, “you are the prize.”

“Whatever the hell that means.”

“She means that while you think Wren is the best thing in the world, you deserve someone who feels the same way about you,” Clark said, his expression pensive.

Sam placed his hands over his chest, above his heart. “That was so sweet. I’m going to make that my next tattoo.” Sam turned, starting to push his jeans down. “What do you think? Should I put it on the left ass cheek or—” Clark chucked a throw pillow at him, hitting him square in the backside and making him stumble.

“Stop trying to show my wife your ass! You know she has a sensitive stomach.”

Sam chuckled, pulling his pants to rights. “Seriously, I love you both.”

“We love you, too,” they chorused.

Sam lost his smile and shivered. “That was very Stepford. The horror.”

He ducked out the door as the next pillow narrowly missed his head. As he crossed the front porch, heading to his Jeep, Sam sent Wren a text.

Leaving Clark’s. Feel like company?

Sam slipped his phone into the cupholder and climbed in, thinking about Merry’s and Clark’s advice. Honesty.

So simple and sound, it just might work.

Chapter Twenty- six

Wren was finishing up her patrol, taking the long way by the high school. The day had been full of domestic disputes and shoplifting calls. She’d arrested two teen girls for stealing lipstick from the supermarket, and when she was putting them in a holding cell, one of them swung her purse, hitting Wren in the head. It was as if there was a full moon coming up, and it was sending everyone into a tizzy of off-the-chart behaviors.

At least tonight she was looking forward to a nice, relaxing bath after she got home. Sam was hanging with his brother, and although he didn’t say he’d be out late, Wren figured they were probably going to take their time catching up. He and Clark hadn’t hung out since the guys had crashed book club, which was over a week ago.

Wren couldn’t believe that Sam had been at her place every night, but even more perplexing was why she hadn’t made him go home after the deed was done.

The simple answer was, she wanted Sam with her. When they slept and he cradled her against his body, she’d never felt safer. She’d even started leaving him breakfast in the microwave with little notes. Have a great day. Can’t wait to see you later.

It was as if she’d become a completely different person, a happier version of herself, and that was in large part due to how Sam made her feel.

Wren was curving along the backside of the high school when she saw something strange. It was a hooded figure pushing a wheelbarrow overflowing with what looked like ropes or snakes, who kept passing below the school lights.

“That’s not weird at all.”

She veered her cruiser slightly to the right, and her high beams caught the figure and what he was pushing.

It was a wheelbarrow full of Christmas lights.

“I got you now,” she said, flipping on her siren. Wren took off around the school and into the parking lot, gunning the engine to gain some ground on the thief. Duke bared his teeth from the back a split second before she saw the figure headed for the woods behind the Ag building.

“Not this time!” Wren parked the SUV and jumped out, releasing Duke from the back.

“Seek!” Wren said, racing after the dog.

“Stop, police officer!” she called, identifying herself. Wren could see him stumbling as he pushed the wheelbarrow over the rough terrain. Duke leaped through the air and knocked him to the ground. The wheelbarrow tilted and dumped its contents. The man struggled with Duke, but Wren was still too far away to do anything.

His hood had come off, but it was too dark to make out his facial features. Wren did see him reach for a large branch, holding it over his head.