Sweet Montana Christmas by Casey Dawes Read Free Book Online Page A

but she’d never tell you directly.” Her smile dimmed. “She’s more of a master manipulator.”
    “Ah.” Sue Anne must be like her mother. Why else was he doing plumbing? “What about you? Any siblings?”
    “No.” The smile was completely gone now, and the conversation seemed on the verge of tanking.
    “What does she do?” He tried to start it up again.
    “Volunteers at high society events. Places where she can be seen, maybe finally pick up a husband.”
    Ouch. No love lost there. Family wasn’t such a good topic of conversation after all.
    “Can you come over to look at it?” she asked.
    “At what?”
    “The plumbing.” The smile was back, all trace of pain gone from her face.
    Inwardly, he sighed. “My shift starts in an hour. How about late tomorrow morning?” The plumber might fix it before he even got there. Then he could buy some chocolates and leave.
    Fat chance.

Chapter 5
    Zach’s bones ached, never a good sign. As he drove toward the airport, his body told him he was going against his best interest. Helping Sue Anne with her plumbing was leading him deeper into the maze of interpersonal feelings.
    Ugh. Even after he’d slimmed down and had more success with girls, he’d never been sure how they actually
worked
. His fights with Erin had confirmed his ineptness.
    As he drove north on Reserve Street, he made his plan. He’d go to the shop tomorrow, fix the plumbing, get some chocolate, and that would be the end of it.
    The big box stores slid by as he took the Broadway exit.
    Time to focus on the day ahead. He needed to study, make sure there wasn’t anything he didn’t know about the FAA test. He couldn’t afford to screw up a second time. Provided no one did anything foolish on the slick roads or runways, he should have time between his patrol shifts to study. He didn’t know which he preferred—unending time when nothing happened or the heart-stopping craziness of an accident or problem.
    Missoula was calmer than Denver, which was to be expected in a city thirty times smaller than the capital of Colorado. It was more a small town than a city. When he went out anywhere, the chances were good he’d run into someone he knew.
    Like Sue Anne.
    How was he going to avoid her?
    The snow-packed mountain range to the southwest gleamed in the sun. He needed some outdoor time anyway. He’d give his buddy in Coeur d’Alene a call and see if he and his wife were up for a visit. That would get him out of town for a while. When he came back, he’d lay low, shop when Sue Anne should be at her store, and work out before his shift or early morning.
    Good thing Gold’s was a twenty-four-hour gym.
    He grinned as he pulled into the parking lot. Game. Set. Match.
    He was back in control.
    Five hours later, he was no longer sure being in control was even possible. A meth-head tried to board a plane, travelers lost not one but two cars, and a dog that someone let off its leash somehow found its way into the baggage tunnels.
    To add to his irritation, Pat had been chosen to run one of the training drills to prepare for the FAA test. It had been nine months since the last time the government ran Missoula through the hoops, so they were due for an Alert 4 in the next three months.
    Alert 4. The exact same test he’d screwed up in Denver. Teams had three minutes to respond to an emergency on the runway. Three minutes could be a very short time on a runway made for long-distance carriers.
    But Pat? Why not him?
    By the time he headed into the terminal after the drill, Zach had built up a head of steam about being passed over. Without thinking it through, he knocked on the chief’s door.
    “What can I do for you, Zach?” Chief Johnson was a tall, thick-set, blond man, one of the many of Scandinavian descent who seemed to be everywhere in Montana.
    No invitation to sit down. Not good.
    He cleared his throat and stayed standing.
    “I was wondering when I could lead a team drill. I’ve been studying my ass