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Feeling the contentment of the farm and his family surrounding him, Burke continued past the inn until he reached the road. There, he turned to survey the land, imagining Jay doing much the same when he’d first considered buying the farm. What had he seen and imagined?

From this vantage point, there wasn’t much to see other than snow and trees, although a flash of red near one of the fence posts caught his eye.

A knee-high box wrapped in bright red and green paper and topped with a red Christmas bow sat beside the post. For a moment, he wondered if Amber had left it there as a Christmas decoration, but discarded the idea immediately.

If that had been her intent, there would be a stack of boxes, artfully arranged like a tree. She’d always had an eye for decorating, and he remembered her waking early to rearrange the presents into shapes on Christmas mornings. One year, she’d stacked the presents like a snowman; another year, she’d laid them like a row of dominoes, ready to tip over. His favorite had been when she’d made a car out of all the gifts.

He wondered if she’d do that for her little one once the child was born. She and Gray had made a cozy nest on the inn’s third floor. She’d have lots of room to play with her present designs and her baby.

The large card on top of the present held one word in fancy letters. Malssum.

He grinned at that. Probably something for the entire family. Who would have left it here instead of bringing it down to the inn or farmhouse? Someone who wanted it to be a surprise.

Maybe one of the neighbors had dropped off goodies. He hadn’t met Mort and Callum yet, but knew they were generous with the produce they grew on the farm.

He was considering other options when he stooped to pick up the box and heard the click.

His blood ran cold.

He’d stepped on a metal plate beneath the present and had activated something.

Landmine?

IED?

His body reacted before his brain had any conscious thoughts. His experiences in the military told him it was likely far more dangerous to freeze in place and smarter to leap, unless it was a trigger pad that activated on release.

He didn’t have time to weigh the pros and cons. Instead, Burke followed his training and instincts, and hurled himself to the side as the box exploded beneath his feet.

Chapter 13

So Many Questions

Consciousness returned to Burke in a flash, just the way it had winked out. He lay sprawled in the snow, head at the bottom of the fence, his feet in the ditch.

Again, his body moved before he ordered it to. Military training was deeply ingrained, and his instincts had saved his ass on more than one occasion.

Ignoring the twinges, Burke rolled to his stomach, kept low, and checked his surroundings. His hand went automatically for a weapon, but he wasn’t wearing one.

He didn’t sense anyone watching him, but he hadn’t sensed the trap either. While he pulled his phone from his pocket, he did a mental check for injuries but found nothing serious. He’d rapped his head against the fence hard enough to knock him out momentarily, but he didn’t think it had been more than a few seconds. The cuts he felt from the explosive bits of the IED didn’t feel more than superficial. His training and winter gear had saved him there.

Burke pulled up the Apple Gang chat and debated what to say. He didn’t want anyone to freak out, but this was an actual threat. Someone had rigged the box with a mild explosive. Not enough to kill, but enough to prove it wasn’t a prank.

Finally, he typed—incident at entry to the farm road. Need trained eyes up here. Everyone else, stay locked inside. Will answer questions later.

That wouldn’t stop the questions from flying, but he would ignore them for now. Gray was the first to respond—on the way with Boomer.

Shit. That left Amber unprotected.

Seth replied next. Staying at the inn with Mara, Amber, Olivia, and the kids. He should have known Gray wouldn’t leave Amber alone.

Knox answered that he was on the way, and Dani typed that Lawson was driving them around from her cottage.

That would cover the nearest side road. Other than the road leading to Dani’s property, there weren’t any side roads for at least a mile in either direction. He hadn’t noticed any vehicles passing as he’d walked. He’d been focused on Jay’s past, but he probably would have noticed an engine sound disturbing the winter peace.

How long had the box been sitting there? What if Charlie or Ella Mae had reached for it? Or Rissa and Frizzle? His stomach roiled at the thought. The tiny dog wouldn’t have stood a chance against the explosion.

Burke shoved away the panic and the what-ifs, focusing on the present. He pushed to his feet, not bothering to stifle the groan because no one was near enough to hear him. No matter that the IED hadn’t been designed to kill, being tossed on your ass never felt good.