Her Christmas Hero: Christmas Justice / Snow Blind / Christmas at Thunder Horse Ranch

Alias: Sheriff Garrett Galloway.

* * *

THE WORDS SCREAMED from the page. Garrett groaned and gripped the wooden slats of the chair until his fingers cramped. Ivy had found out about him. This couldn’t be happening. If she knew...others knew as well.

James’s plan had failed. And God knew who he could trust.

Laurel launched out of her chair and faced him. “You are Derek Bradley? The traitor?” She backed away, shaking her head.

“Laurel—”

“You caused the deaths of dozens of agents. My father told me. He said you finally got paid back. You died with your wife...and daughter.” Her hand slapped against her mouth, and her eyes widened. “It was a car bomb.”

“I should have died. My wife and daughter did die,” Garrett said, his voice holding a bitterness that burned his throat. How many times had he begged to die only to have first James, then the doctors, fight to save him? How many weeks had he lain in his hospital bed planning revenge when he discovered who had taken them from him?

Laurel’s eyes were wide with horror. “Like Ivy.”

Garrett gave a stiff nod. “I was running late on my way home from the office. I’d promised my wife I’d get home early, but I’d been hell-bent on tracking down an insider. I’d discovered a few hints, nothing concrete, but enough to keep me asking questions, pursuing leads in areas where I had limited need to know.” He could barely look at the knowledge in her eyes. She knew what was coming, but he had to get it out. She had to understand. “I was running late, tying my tie. Lisa took my daughter and put her in the c-car.” He cleared his throat. “I’d just walked out the door, dropped my keys. Lisa was tired of waiting. She turned on the engine and it blew. I had my back to the car or else the explosion would have taken me out.”

“But why doesn’t everyone know you’re alive?”

Garrett shoved his hands back through his hair. “Your father. I don’t know how, but he knew something was wrong at the agency. He’d seen some questionable information cross his desk. I was being framed. He came by right after the bomb went off. Just lucky, I guess, because he fixed it.” Garrett raised his chin and met Laurel’s gaze. “Derek Bradley died that night with his family.”

Laurel’s entire body shook. “My father called you a traitor.”

“Your father didn’t know if I would survive. He knew I wouldn’t if whoever set the bomb realized their mistake. So he created a new identity and took me to a hospital in Texas, and I recuperated there. By the time I came out of the coma, I was dead and buried, and Garrett Galloway was born.”

“How could no one find out?”

“I was in a coma for months, under another name. James tried to identify the leak, but there were no leads. By the time I woke up the case was closed. I had several months of physical therapy.”

“If you’re telling the truth, why didn’t he warn Ivy?” Laurel’s pleading gaze tugged at Garrett. She paced back and forth, her movements jerky, uncoordinated. She swiped at her eyes. “Why didn’t my father protect Ivy? He could have told her to quit. She might still be alive.”

“I don’t know.” Garrett stepped in front of her and took her shoulders, tilting his head to force her to look him in the eyes. “I know your father. James McCallister loved his family more than anything. If you want to blame anyone, blame me. I shouldn’t have stayed Garrett Galloway this long. I let your father convince me he was closing in on the traitor, that if they thought I was still dead they’d eventually get complacent. I agreed to let him continue the search.”

“Dad could convince someone in North Dakota to buy ice in the winter,” Laurel said, shaking her head. “He always thought he knew the best for everyone else.”

“He believed I’d take too many risks. He was right.” Garrett had to face the truth. “I’m sorry, Laurel. So sorry. If I’d come back, maybe I could have forced the traitor’s hand.”

She scrubbed her hands over her face and stepped out of his embrace. “This doesn’t make sense. Ivy knew about you and your case. She said you were right. You have to know something.”

“I discovered there was a mole in the organization, but I never figured out who.”

“Maybe Ivy did.” Laurel’s expression turned eager. She plopped into the computer chair and scrolled down her sister’s file. Garrett leaned over her shoulder. She’d taken his identity in stride. The more time he spent with James’s daughter, the more Garrett recognized the similarities. Smart, tenacious, optimistic. Traits he admired in his mentor. Qualities he liked in Laurel. A little too much.

He shifted closer, aware of the pulse throbbing at her throat, the slight increase in her breathing. He wanted to squeeze her shoulder, offer her encouragement, but he didn’t want to distract her either. He backed away, forcing himself to focus on the file. Lists of operations, lots of questions, brainstorming. Ivy had been smart, curious and methodical. And her quest had gotten her killed.

As Laurel scrolled, an uneasy tingle settled at the nape of Garrett’s neck. Every operation involved James somehow. Several involved Garrett; some didn’t.

“Slow down,” he said softly, his voice tense.

“Ivy had more questions than answers.” Laurel shot him a sidelong glance then stilled her hand. “What’s wrong?”

That she read him meant he was out of practice. He guarded his expression. “Probably nothing.”

“I can see it in your eyes.” She snapped the words in challenge. “You’ve already lied about your identity, Derek. Don’t lie about anything else. I deserve the truth. So does Ivy. And Molly.”

“I’m Garrett now.” He stiffened, but knew she was right. If something happened to him, she couldn’t be in the dark. She had to be cautious. Around everyone. “James was involved in all the cases Ivy investigated.”

Laurel’s back straightened and her expression hardened. “My father is not a traitor. Who else was involved?”

“I didn’t say he was—”

“You were thinking it. Tell me.”

He couldn’t deny the thought had crossed his mind.

“I was involved,” he said.

“You know, Garrett, sometimes you have to have faith in the people you love. Even when the whole world seems screwed up, there are people who live by honor out there.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “You’re proof of that. My father trusted you with his family when he was in trouble. So have I. My father deserves the same consideration. Unless you really are a traitor.”

Man, Laurel McCallister went right for the jugular with a few well-placed words.

“Then why aren’t you afraid of me? Are you afraid that I might betray you?”

“You would have killed us already. Instead, you saved us. You sacrificed your hideaway. You put yourself at risk. Face it, Garrett, you’re a hero. Just like my dad believed.” Laurel scrolled to the end of the file. “There’s a link here.”

She clicked it. Another password. She tried the same one.

Access denied.

After three more attempts, Laurel shoved back from the keyboard with a frustrated curse. “I’m out of ideas.”

Laurel shook her head, and he could see the fatigue and disappointment on her face. He kneaded her shoulders. “You’re good with that machine. Is there another way to figure out the password? Are you a code breaker?”

“It’s not my area, but...” She drummed her fingers on the table. “Maybe I can do one better.” She chewed on her lip. “I developed a code-breaking computer program with some friends when I was in college.” She winced. “We nearly got kicked out of the computer-science department when our adviser found out. I could run it from here, but it will take a while.”

“As in we’ll be connected to the network for a long time?”

Laurel nodded, and then her eyes brightened. “Unless I download the file.”

At this point, it was worth the risk. “Do it.”

Laurel clicked through options so quickly Garrett’s eyes nearly crossed. “You never hesitate.”

“My dad and Ivy have the gift of thinking on their feet. I do better with zeros and ones.”

“Mommy!” Molly screamed at the top of her lungs. “Daddy!”