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  Slay Bells

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Hildie McQueen

  Slay Bells

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Hildie McQueen

  Pink Door Publishing

  Editor: Sabra Harp

  Cover Artist: Erin Damrin-Hill

  © Hildie McQueen 2020

  EPUB Edition

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  If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to your retailer and purchase your own copy.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  SLAY BELLS

  by Hildie McQueen

  Big-city girl Gabriela Diaz is prepared for the worst when she accepts a writing assignment in rural Montana, but she’s pleasantly surprised by the jubilant atmosphere and warm welcome of the townspeople. Unfortunately, as she begins working on an article about their small-town Christmas festival, she discovers a dead body, putting her face-to-face with a local—and hunky—detective.

  Weary from his all-work and no-play schedule, Detective Jeremy Hawkins braces for a busy season helping at his family’s Christmas festival. When a beautiful writer arrives in town, his holidays immediately take a turn for the better. But a murder investigation, possible charges against him, and a pesky ex-girlfriend don’t exactly spell romance.

  Can Gabriela and Jeremy find love amidst the mayhem and sleigh bells?

  Dedication

  Slay Bells is dedicated to my amazing readers. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book. I know you will be pleased and enjoy the fun holiday story. Don’t forget to leave a review once you’ve finished it!

  Happy Reading!

  Hildie

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Book

  Dedication

  Also by Hildie McQueen

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  About the Author

  Other Contemporary Romances by Hildie McQueen

  Also by Hildie McQueen

  Laurel Creek Series

  Jaded: Luke

  Broken: Taylor

  Ruined: Tobias

  Brash: Frederick

  Montana Cowboys

  Montana Bachelor

  Montana Boss

  Montana Beau

  Montana Born

  Montana Bred

  Standalone

  Even Heroes Cry

  The Last Hero

  Melody of Secrets

  Chapter One

  Gabriela Diaz’ editor at Today’s Lifestyle magazine caught her at a weak moment and she’d accepted the assignment no one else wanted. Who in their right mind would leave the vibrant city of San Diego during the holidays for an assignment at a location that could easily pass for Siberia? Her best friend, Mila had kicked her under the conference table, but it was too late, she’d already raised her hand.

  “Wonderful, we have a volunteer,” Genevieve, her boss, said with a surprised expression. Her eyes narrowed and overly plumped lips curved with satisfaction. “Gabriela, you will love it. I’m sure.”

  The meeting continued, but Gabriela didn’t hear a thing, her mind had gone blank after accepting the assignment. There was so much to do and if she left, it would be impossible to complete a myriad of tasks, not just for work, but personal as well.

  “What the hell is wrong with you? You’re going to miss all the parties and gift exchanges, unless you fly back every weekend,” Mila hissed when leaving the meeting.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Could be I haven’t slept more than a couple hours a night in weeks, my damn ex is harassing everyone I know for my address, and oh let’s not forget, my dog died.” At the last remark, Gabriela sniffed. “Poor Bailey.”

  “I can ask to go with you,” Mila offered weakly. In Gabriela’s opinion, a true measure of a good friend was one who would go with you to a shithole assignment. Then she considered that the other friend would of course turn her down.

  Just then their boss click-clacked her way toward them. The newest Manolos or Jimmy Choos making quick work across the shiny office flooring. “Gawbreela, I appreciate your willingness to take the travel assignment,” Genevieve said, making Gabriela cringe at the way her boss always mispronounced her name. “You will love Montana, it’s beautiful.”

  “Have you been Genevieve?” Gabriela knew the woman had not, but asked anyway.

  Genevieve’s lips curved just enough to make her look like the Grinch. “I have seen many, many pictures. Each time the caption states that they cannot do it justice.”

  Both Mila and Gabriela stared at the woman waiting to hear what other idiotic thing she’d say.

  Genevieve turned as if someone called. “Oh, I have a phone call.” She hurried off to answer the imaginary call.

  “She’s a number,” Mila said, shaking her head. “Knows damn well the only place she goes in the west is wherever shirtless men serve her drinks. Las Vegas probably has a welcome sign with her name on it.”

  Gabriela giggled. “She is a perve, but I have to say, that last party she posted on social media did look fun.”

  “The one with the guys wearing tiny aprons and nothing else? Scandalous,” Mila said. “Let’s go have lunch.”

  After salads and gossip, they walked back to their offices. Downtown San Diego was vibrant, the weather chilly, but never cold, just enough of a breeze to give the illusion of the upcoming holiday season.

  “You should probably go pack,” Mila suggested. “It sounded like they needed you to leave right away.”

  Gabriela hesitated in front of the elevators, not quite sure where to go and what to do. She didn’t have the energy to go home and do any research on the place where she’d be spending the holidays.

  With the sun peeking out through the clouds outside, it was a beautiful day in San Diego and the last thing she wanted to do on a Friday afternoon was look at pictures of snow and forests or whatever else they had in Montana.

  “On the bright side, it will get me away. Perhaps, it’s the cosmos telling me I need to get away.” Gabriela tried to sound serious, but she’d never been one for believing in what she often referred to as “woo-woo things.”

  Mila gave her a bland stare. “I believe Pluto is circling Uranus.”

  However, one part of what she’d said was definitely true. The assignment would get her away from the pestering ex-boyfriend and the constant reminders of Bailey’s death. She’d owned the dog since it was a puppy, over twelve years. The dog had been a gift for her sixteenth birthday from her grandmother. It had been a wonderful day. They’d gone to her favorite restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory, to eat, after spending most of the day at the in Old Town, a place she never g
rew tired of. Then to end the day, upon returning home, she’d found a furry whining puppy on her bed.

  The more Gabriela considered it, the more she realized that perhaps it would be a good time to get away. The holidays made single people depressed or desperate and she didn’t want to be either one. What she needed was cheering up.

  However, her assignment didn’t seem like a place to cheer anyone up. An entire month in Montana, where she’d spend the entire time knee deep in snow was nobody’s idea of cheerful.

  Later that day, she lowered to her sofa with a cup of tea and let out a breath. It had been an exceptionally long day since leaving the office.

  Her cell dinged. It was a text from Mila.

  At least you’ll get out of the office gift exchange!

  Leave it to her friend to find something positive in everything. It was true. She could buy scarves, sweaters, boots and cute jackets. And it wouldn’t be a total waste of money since on occasion she did travel to places with colder climates and she’d be able to wear them. Plus, there were times when she went to the mountains for fun trips with friends.

  Hours later, she finally arrived home. After two trips to the car to retrieve her purchases, Gabriela went to the kitchen and poured a glass of wine. She clicked on her sound system and jazzy music filled the empty space.

  Without prompting, her gaze went to where her dog’s food bowls had always been. She shook her head to keep from dwelling on the loss. Too many changes close together did not make a happy girl.

  Although her breakup had been a long time coming, it was still a big change. The move to the city center was something she had wanted for a long time and her ex had fought against.

  Although the city was a bit noisy at times, it was easier to get to work and do things now that she was single. It was nice to have so many things near her home. Her friends could come over and go out for drinks without having to drive.

  A sigh escaped at considering that now any type of socializing would have to wait until after she returned from Montana.

  Her parents had asked that she move into their house after the break-up, and she had for a few weeks, but Gabriela soon realized she was too old and too independent to move back permanently. She’d quickly found an apartment in a newly renovated building in Midtown. It was the perfect location, albeit parking in the multi-level structure was a challenge and an annoyance at times.

  Ceiling to floor windows showcased the view of the city and a glimpse of the pool area. Everything in her new place was sleek and modern, from the marbled countertops to the pristine white tiled floors. Her mother had taken one look at the place and called it hotel living. Her father had refused to step out to the sixth-floor balcony.

  And yet, it was precisely what she needed, a place so unlike her last that it would not bring any reminders of the past. When Gabriela bought the unit, she’d asked to keep all of the staged furniture. It had been worth the price because all she’d had to bring were her clothes, computer, some books, and a few art pieces. Everything else from her last apartment, she’d sold, given away, or left behind.

  The buzzer sounded, announcing a visitor. Gabriela rolled her eyes. If her mother had come again to try to talk her into a blind date, she was going to scream. “Yes?” she said into the screen that showed the profile of a man. “What can I do for you?”

  “Delivery for Miss Jones.” The man lifted a huge flower arrangement.

  Gabriela narrowed her eyes. “I’ll come down.”

  Her blood ran ice cold. If her ex, Randolph, had found out her address, she wasn’t sure what to do. The man was acting crazy lately. He’d lost all kinds of composure when she’d broken their relationship off. She’d already filed a restraining order on him just to deter him from trying to reach her.

  The bouquet was beautiful, made mostly of white flowers with hints of lavender. It would be a shame to throw it away if they were from her ex. She accepted the delivery with a tight smile, and the young guy left whistling without a care in the world.

  Once inside her apartment, Gabriela placed the vase on the kitchen counter and nipped the small card. Her shoulders sagged and she smiled at the note.

  Her grandmother’s greeting made her lips curve.

  Pull up those tiny panties you wear and smile!

  Nothing is ever as bad as it seems.

  Love, Abuela

  Gabriela smiled at how opportune the message was. Her phone lit up when she touched the surface and she called her grandmother for a chat.

  Tomorrow she’d pack, and then her adventure would begin. She’d made a crazy impulsive decision that she couldn’t take back. Maybe life was not as bad as it seemed.

  After all, Montana awaited.

  Chapter Two

  Jeremy Hawkins let out a breath and stared at the man who’d slumped over. The naked man sat on the ground his back against the wall of a convenience store.

  “Get up Henry.”

  “I won’t,” Henry said, his teeth chattering. “You cops can’t just go around bossin’ people. I have rights.”

  The gas station clerk had called him after Henry had walked in every five minutes to warm up and go into the bathroom. They normally didn’t mind Henry, but this day on his last trip inside, he’d emerged out of the bathroom naked and announced his plans to sleep outside. He’d called it a naked bear challenge.

  “You’re going to die of hypothermia,” Jeremy said and held out a blanket. “Here wrap this around yourself and come on. I’ll buy you pie and coffee.”

  “Pie?” Henry narrowed his eyes. He didn’t reach for the blanket. “What kind of pie?”

  “I hear they’ve got cherry over at Deanne’s.” It was a lie. Jeremy had no idea what they were serving, but he’d try anything before having to wrestle with a naked man. “Come on. After that, you can crash on my couch.”

  “Nope. Your dog doesn’t like me.”

  “You hid ham in your pocket last time. He was just trying to get to it. Besides, he lives at the ranch now.”

  Henry considered the offer for a long moment, making a show of stroking his chin with a shaky hand. “I suppose I could use some pie. But then I’ll still do this challenge. The guys over at the VFW are doing it too.”

  “I just drove by, they are playing cards, fully clothed.” The VFW had been a functioning branch of the establishment at one time. Now, Tom, a retired Army man, owned the old VFW building. It remained a gathering place for older men to play cards, darts, or pool. The owner offered a place for a few homeless vets to stay out of the elements and in return he had company.

  “They’re traitors and cowards then,” Henry pronounced and grabbed the blanket. “You better be true to your word and get me some pie.”

  After apple pie, much to Henry’s chagrin, and coffee, Jeremy pulled up with a now dressed and sleepy man at the VFW. They walked in and the owner Tom looked up. “What’s up?”

  Jeremy gave him a pointed look. “Who challenged Henry to spend the night outside naked?”

  Tom shook his head and stared at Henry. “Did you really do it? We were kidding Henry.” His booming laughter rang out. “Did anyone get pictures?”

  Henry shuffled in without looking at anyone. “I’m gonna stay here Sarg.” He often called Jeremy that, referring to when he’d served in the Army. “I feel lucky today.” Settling onto a chair, a smiling Henry waited to be dealt into the game.

  “Wanna join in?” Tom asked.

  Although it was tempting to join the card game, Jeremy left. He was off duty and although he didn’t exactly have exciting plans, he preferred to spend Friday nights home watching television.

  Some weekend nights he would meet a few guys for a couple beers at the local watering hole that was cops and firemen frequented. Afterwards, he’d head home for another couple beers while zoning out in front of the television.

  Yeah, so he didn’t exactly lead an exciting life, but the way he saw it, his job as detective at the Missoula PD kept him busy enough most days.

&
nbsp; His cell chimed. It was a woman named Cassandra, who he’d hooked up with on and off over the last year. Rarely as of late, since she made it clear that she expected them to take it to the next level.

  Although he’d decided to break things off, he’d not had the energy to do it yet. Admitted, he was being a coward. Breakups were always hurtful. In his defense, he and Cassandra hadn’t been out in the last few months, mostly because he’d postponed or canceled.

  He answered it.

  “What you up to?” Cassandra purred into the phone, her code sentence for “wanna hook up tonight?”

  “About to crash. I had a long day.”

  There was a beat of silence. “Seems you’ve been having a lot of those lately.”

  “We should talk…” Jeremy began, but she cut him off.

  “I’m not in the mood to talk. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you call me when your days are not so long?” she snapped and hung up.

  Jeremy groaned.

  His cell chimed again. “What now?”

  It was his mother and Jeremy cringed at his tone. Thankfully she didn’t seem to notice. “Honey don’t forget to pick up your aunt Rita tomorrow at the airport,” his mother exclaimed way too loudly, which signaled she had him on speakerphone. “Her flight arrives at four.”

  “Hey son,” his father screamed out. “Watching the game?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Jeremy? Did you hear me?” his mother called out again.

  “Yes Ma’am. Pick up Aunt Rita at four.”

  “I haven’t told her about the broken china. Don’t tell her what the dogs did when I went over to check on her house. I’ll tell her.”

  “You know she’ll notice as soon as we walk in?”

  “Yes, I know that could happen. I thought it would be best to tell her in person. You know how she gets.” His mother’s tone became excited. “Oh, let’s go to that wonderful Mexican place for dinner tomorrow. Bring your Aunt Rita directly there. Your father and I will meet you. I’ll break the news to her after she’s had one of those top shelf margaritas.”