Page 29 of This Christmas

They sat in one of the high booths by the windows and chatted about Charlotte’s letter to Santa while they waited.

When Faye finally made it over to them with Charlotte’s hot chocolate, complete with pink marshmallows and sprinkles, Joe ordered a black coffee.

“I’ll have a pumpkin spice coffee thing, the one you made for me yesterday,” she said with a smile.

Faye nodded before she turned back to Joe. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m Faye, Ally’s sister.” She held out a hand for Joe. “You are?”

Joe smiled and shook her hand. “Joe Dalton, PI. I recently quit working for Ally’s ex, and I’m doing my best to make up for that mistake.”

Faye’s eyes remained narrowed for a second before she laughed and nodded. Then she signed “I like him” to Ally before turning to make their drinks.

“Whew, I’m glad she likes me,” Joe said softly as he leaned toward her.

“You… know sign language?”

He nodded. “My sister who has four kids, one of them, Dean, was born deaf. He’s eight and, well, he runs the world already,” he said with a grin.

He leaned casually against the counter while they waited, but his eyes kept flicking toward the windows, scanning the street. That little habit, so subtle most people would miss it, didn’t escape her.

When the drinks were ready, Charlotte asked, “Mama, can I read one of the stories?” she asked, already eyeing the shelves of children’s books nearby.

“Of course, sweetheart.” Ally brushed her hair back and smiled. “Stay where I can see you.”

Charlotte headed over to the small table in the corner.

Joe waited until Charlotte settled with a book on her lap before he spoke. “Aiden filled me in on what happened over at Baked.”

Ally let out a shaky sigh. “It appears as if you know Aiden well?”

“Not well, but the day after I came into town, I informed the police why I was in town. They didn’t like it, but…” He shrugged. “Then, when I quit and found out about Peterson, I updated them on things. On my status.”

“Which is?” she asked, sipping her coffee.

His eyes met hers for a moment and held. “Undetermined at the moment,” he said with a slight smile.

She glanced toward the window, half-expecting to see Peterson’s car parked nearby. “It’s like Ted can’t stand the idea that I might actually have a normal day.”

Joe’s expression softened. “Word on the street is that Peterson’s working for Ted. But I’ve filled Aiden in on how he works. They’re going to patrol your place more often. I’ve also told them where he likes to park.”

Her gaze snapped to him. “You did?”

He nodded. “After Peterson showed up in the store, I wanted backup whenever he got near you two. They’ll keep an eye out for him, especially around town and near the house.”

The words hit harder than he probably realized. She wasn’t used to anyone having her back. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I, I don’t even know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” He sipped his coffee and watched her over the rim. “I just want to make sure you and Charlotte are safe.”

“That’s not your job,” she said softly, though she didn’t mean it to sound ungrateful.

He gave a half smile. “Maybe not. But I’m not good at walking away from something that doesn’t sit right.”

Something in his tone made her chest ache. She remembered the story he’d told her of the woman he’d wanted to build a life with. How she’d been ripped away from him, and the one responsible hadn’t been held accountable.

“You make it sound like this isn’t the first time you’ve dealt with men like Peterson.”

“It’s not,” he admitted, his gaze drifting to the window. “Guys like him aren’t paid just to dig, they’re paid to intimidate. There aren’t many lines they won’t cross.” He stopped as he looked back at her. “Let’s just say I try and pick my jobs carefully. Which is why, when I found the truth about your situation, I switched sides.”

“What does that mean?” she asked quietly. “Are you going to work for me now?”

He hesitated, then met her eyes. “I’m not taking your money, but if I can find something that your ex is doing that puts you or Charlotte in danger, I’ll provide your lawyer the proof so you can take him to court. But the fact is, he’s the DA. That makes it a lot harder.”

Her pulse quickened. She knew he was right. It was one of the reasons why, when she’d tried to hire a different lawyer in Portland to countersue Ted, she’d come up against brick walls. She was quickly told that no lawyer in town would touch her case.

Before she could ask more, Charlotte ran up, proudly holding out a book. “Mama, look! It’s about a reindeer that gets lost in the snow.”

Ally smiled, smoothing her daughter’s hair. “That sounds like a good one to take home.”

Joe smiled too, the tension fading from his face. “Sounds like a perfect book for Christmas time.”

Charlotte giggled and climbed into her mother’s lap, and for a brief, fragile moment, Ally let herself enjoy the normalcy of it, the warmth of the coffee, the steady hum of conversation around them, and the quiet strength of the man sitting across from her.

But deep down, she knew Peterson wasn’t done. And neither, she suspected, was Ted.