Page 87 of Sleigh My Heart

“Dad.”

Ava’s tug on his sleeve pulled him back to the present. “Yes, Honey?”

“You got eggshells in the batter.”

“Oops.” He picked the pieces from the bowl.

“Do you have sugar? Remember last year?”

“Yes, smarty pants. I have all the ingredients on the recipe.” He tapped her nose, leaving flour behind.

“Officer Michelle didn’t put the flour in until after the eggs.”

That’s because she knows how to make cookies. He was winging it here. Not that he’d tell his daughter that.

She peered into the bowl and frowned. “Why don’t you call her? I bet she’d come help us.”

His ribs tightened, clutching his lungs. Air. Not enough air.

He set the spoon down and looked at his daughter’s hopeful face. “Officer Michelle can’t help us today.”

He hadn’t told Ava that Michelle was injured. He wasn’t sure how. After Molly died, the last thing he wanted was to worry her.

“She told me if I need help, to call her. Especially after I told her you forgot the sugar last year.”

“Of course you told her.” His head tipped back, and he stared at the ceiling. He had to tell her. Since the night Mickey was here for dinner, every other word out of his daughter’s mouth was about Officer Michelle.

He picked her up and set her on the counter next to the bowl. Framing her in with his arms, he leaned down to look her square in the face. “Honey, Michelle had an… accident… at work. She is okay, but she’s in the hospital.”

A sheen glossed over her eyes. “Will she die?”

“No honey. Not today. She should be going home soon, but she’ll need her rest.”

She blinked. A fat tear rolled down her face.

“Honey, I know you like her. I do, too.” How to explain that these things could happen or worse because of her job?

Ava blew out a big chocolate-smelling breath. “Colin’s stepdad is a police officer. He said his mom worries all the time.”

“Your Grandma Jolley was one too.” Nick understood the strain that came with having a police officer for a family member.

“I don’t want Officer Michelle to die.”

Neither did he. But the question is. Could they live with the worry?

Chapter 23

After six days of bed rest and a ton of paperwork, Michelle needed to get out of the house.

Nick had texted her a couple times, even dropped off a picture that Ava painted. But she’d been sleeping, her sister Renae told her.

She doubted she’d see him today. It was the festival. One of the busiest days of his work year. And a little thing like being shot wasn’t going to make her miss it.

“I’m going to take the kids to get in line for Santa. Are you okay on your own?” The look in Renae’s eyes was all mama bear.

“Yes. You heard Jim last night. I was only winged. He’d been shot in the ass and still went back to work the next day.”

“Yeah, yeah. Our brother, the man of steel.” Michelle’s nieces and nephew pulled on Renae’s arms. “Alright already. Santa isn’t even here yet.” She shrugged, then let them lead her to the line of parents and children that wrapped around the food court through a maze of ropes.