Deadly Christmas Pretense. Dana Mentink

froze, head angled down so the hair shadowed her face. He let go of her hand and slid a finger under her chin, gently tipping it upward. The eyes that greeted his were familiar, the combined green and brown of summer turning to fall. Familiar, but not completely. A halo of gold edged the irises, molten and vibrant. “Tam, your eyes have kind of a green tint, you know,” he said slowly. “But now I’m looking close, I see a wash of gold there, like the sun setting into the ocean.”

      Her throat convulsed as she swallowed. “Uh...” she managed to finally say. “I have to hurry and get back for the lunch rush.”

      He let the smile ease over his face as he leaned a fraction closer until the brim of his cowboy hat shadowed them both. “Just one question,” he murmured.

      She tried to look away but again he guided her gaze back to his with the lightest pressure under her chin. The gold was sparked with concern as she stared at him, one lip caught between her teeth.

      “Who are you really?” he said.

      Caught. Nan and the few patrons who’d assumed she was her sister had asked no questions. Even the man who’d seemed intent on killing her had mistaken her for Tammy. But there was no deceiving the cowboy who stood before her, every inch a stubbled and stubborn man, steely eyed and determined.

      She eased back a step, away from the touch of his long, calloused fingers, and folded her arms across her chest, desperately trying to identify an escape route. When she risked a look, he was regarding her from under the brim of his cowboy hat with a half smile that spoke of amusement rather than anger.

      “You’re not Tammy. What’s your name?” he asked.

      “Maggie,” she mumbled to her shoes.

      “A little louder, if you don’t mind,” he said, cocking his head slightly.

      Sucking in a breath, she leveled a square look at him, noting that his irises were the color of stonewashed denim.

      “My name is Maggie Lofton. I’m Tammy’s twin sister.”

      “You don’t say?” Now his smile was wider, as if the information amused him. “Not identical, now that I’m really looking.”

      His frank stare did not make her uncomfortable for some reason, just worried that she had already messed up on her impromptu investigation.

      “Fraternal,” she said. “I’m the younger one by two minutes.”

      He laughed at that and she found herself smiling.

      “Tammy told me she had a sister. I don’t recall hearing you were twins.”

      It was Maggie’s turn to fix him with a look. “You two dated for four months, didn’t you?”

      “Yes, ma’am.”

      “Did you tell her everything about your life?”

      That made him blink and look away for a moment, gaze shifting from her to the winter sky. “No,” he said. “I guess I didn’t.”

      “Okay, well I’m glad we talked and I’m sorry I wasn’t forthcoming right away. I, uh, have a good reason, if that means anything. Um, see you later.”

      “Uh-uh. You owe me an explanation.” The soft drawl in his voice did not lessen the intensity of his command.

      She wanted to tell him she owed him nothing, but she recalled the feel of his muscles struggling to haul her up over the lighthouse railing. In fact, she owed him her life. The reality of that made her want to sprint away into the tall green grass that edged the parking area.

      “I...” she started to say when his phone rang, too loud. She figured he had it turned up so that he could hear it.

      “Hang on one minute, ma’am,” he said.

      She sighed. “First off, now that you know my real name, you can knock off the ma’am thing. Second, I’m not waiting. I have to go.”

      But he was already answering the phone. The genial inquisitiveness in his expression turned to concern. “I’m on my way,” he told the caller.

      She took it as her reprieve until he shoved the phone into the rear pocket of his faded jeans.

      “That was my sister, Helen. She asked me to come ASAP to discuss a situation.”

      “Sounds serious. You should go.”

      He was silent for a moment, drawing out his keys. He whirled the key ring around his finger, expression calculating in a way that made her squirm. She’d just decided to forget the debt she owed Liam, get into the van and put as much distance as she could between the two of them when he spoke again.

      “Helen said she called over here to the Chuckwagon just now and heard I was chatting with you, so she told me to bring you along. That will suit, since you’re headed there anyway, right—” he added after a pause “—Maggie?”