A Little Country Christmas - Carolyn Brown Page 0,72

“Only face-to-face conversation at the table.” Then she gave her mother a pointed look. “That means you too. No peeking at the doorbell cam every time Trudy Davis walks by with one of her dogs or an Amazon delivery person stops by.”

She stood on her toes and whispered in Peyton’s ear. “My mom has an online shopping problem. I try to explain the importance of buying local, but the woman just loves her Prime.” Dani was loud enough for Miranda to hear. Likely on purpose.

Peyton stifled a laugh while the older woman gave her daughter a light smack against the shoulder. “Hey. At least I’m not bidding half a week’s worth of pay on some life-sized Christmas ornament that will never fit on the back of that motorcycle.”

“She can use my truck,” Jorge called from the kitchen.

“Life-sized ornament?” Peyton asked.

“Shhh, Mami. It’s supposed to be a secret. You think I want the whole town knowing?” She nodded toward Jorge. “And that goes for you, too, Mr. Town Tattler. This is between me, the artist, and the Sheriff’s Department. Everyone else will find out on Christmas Eve.”

Peyton took his phone from his pocket as well and dropped it into the waiting basket.

“Hey,” he said. “Same model.”

“I know,” Dani started. “Got them mixed up this morning when they were still on the fl—” She stopped short before finishing the sentence, and Peyton bit back another laugh.

When our phones were on the floor where we took off all our clothes in front of the fireplace last night?

Yeah, that probably wasn’t how they should start the predinner conversation.

Miranda narrowed her dark brown eyes at them before turning to Jorge and asking for his phone.

“Smooth,” Peyton whispered.

Dani snorted. “It’s not like she doesn’t know. I just don’t need it to be family dinner fodder.”

Peyton kissed her on the nose and set his glass on the table so he could help carry crocks of soup and trays of food to the table.

Dani was right. Her mom had prepared a veritable feast. But his full belly was nothing compared to the fullness of his heart—or at least the feeling that the pieces of it that had been torn or cracked were finally starting to mend.

After dinner, Miranda put the coffee on while Jorge got a fire going in the living room.

“You didn’t bring in the new logs,” he called to whoever would listen.

“I got ’em,” Peyton said on his way into the living room. “Just tell me where they are.”

“Piled on the right side of the house—right side if you’re facing the front door, I mean. Left when you’re walking out the door.”

He nodded at Jorge. “I’m on it. Back in a minute.”

Peyton didn’t bother grabbing his vest from the closet but instead bounded out the door, making sure not to pull it all the way shut, then off the porch and to the left. But there was no pile of wood. He laughed and followed the perimeter of the house, through the small backyard, and around to the other side of the house—where he found the stack of firewood. He grabbed enough for at least the next three nights so Miranda wouldn’t have to carry any more in before Christmas. When he got back to the front door, he nudged it open and then closed again with his hip and strode straight into the living room to set it all down.

“That should hold you until the holiday,” he said, brushing off his hands and sweater. It was only when he was rid of the firewood that he noticed Jorge wasn’t waiting for him by the fireplace.

Peyton spun toward the kitchen where Miranda and Jorge stood behind the island, their expressions unreadable. That was—odd. But Dani walking toward him with her phone in her hand and a stricken expression on her face? That was—unsettling. And maybe a little scary. Because he’d seen Deputy Dani Garcia fired up with anger before, but that wasn’t what this was. She’d been hurt, and as soon as he found out who’d done it, he was going to make sure whoever it was never hurt her again.

“Dani, what—”

“Here,” she said, holding out the phone in her hand. “I accidentally answered it. Guess we also have the same ringtone. The Stranger Things theme music.” She let out a bitter laugh. “I didn’t even know you liked the show. And I also didn’t know you were interviewing for a position in the mayor’s office in Chicago. The woman who called wants to know if