Dan Reed’s face fell when he saw the young gunman grab Angela, one of the friendliest waitresses in Santa’s Café. Please, don’t let her die, was the only thing that kept running through his mind. Working the tree lot as the night watchman, Dan was usually sleeping at this time. But since he couldn’t sleep, something had told him to come here for breakfast.

Now, he was glad he did.

Fear filled Angela’s eyes as the gunman pressed a pistol to Angela’s head, looking around nervously. Angela glanced at him with pleading eyes, but surprisingly, she was remaining remarkably calm. Although Dan had already planned to take control of the situation, he silently willed her to stay still and calm. During his time in Afghanistan, people had died due to panic.

Dan just hoped she wouldn’t be one of them.

“Guy, you don’t want to do this.” Dan held his hand up as he slowly slid out of the booth.

“Oh no? How do you know what I want to do?” He scoffed, shaking his head, his eyes wild. “I need money, and I need it fast!” He shifted the gun, training it on Dan. “Stop right there!”

Dan stopped and glanced over at Frank, the line cook, behind the counter. He was waiting with a butcher knife, but Dan slowly shook his head, barely noticeable by those not looking. As a retired Navy SEAL, he had seen his share of volatile situations, and he knew exactly what to do. Now, if he could just keep anyone from dying….

“Man, I don’t know what’s going on in your life or what brought you to this moment, but you don’t need to do this.” Dan shrugged. “You’re in Christmas Cove! Anyone here in town would be willing to help you out.”

“You’re lying!”

“No, I’m not.” Dan let out a deep breath. “A few years ago, one of the young women working at the jewelry store here in town lost everything in a fire, including her home, and The North Pole Lodge put her up, free of charge. When everyone in the town heard, donations to help her get on her feet started pouring in.”

“Shut up!” He waved the gun in front of him, pointed at Dan. “You’re confusing me!”

At least he wasn’t pointing the gun at Angela. He could deal with having a loaded gun pointed at him.

“Clean out the register! Now!” the gunman yelled to Serina the dining room manager, standing nearby. Dan had been here long enough to knew just about everyone in Christmas Cove, and he didn’t want anyone to die… including Angela.

To his surprise, Serina looked up at Dan as if asking him what to do.

Dan nodded slightly. “We’ll give you the money, man. Just let the woman go.” He took a step closer. “But if you kill her, then no one will be able to save you… not even me.”

The gunman scoffed, his eyebrows raising into his hairline. “And you can help me… after what I’ve done?”

Dan nodded. “I sure will try. Just let her go. The way I see it, you have two choices. You can take the money and go to the next town. But, eventually, the police will catch up with you.” Dan shrugged. “Or you can stay here, accept the consequences for your actions. But you can stay in Christmas Cove and change your life. There are people here who will help you.” Dan took another step forward, his hands still up. “But the decision has to be yours.”

“Shut up!” The man waved his gun around just as the police parked down the street.

Dan knew it was only a matter of minutes before it would be out of his hands and in the hands of the local sheriff. “What’s your name?”

“What?” the man looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Why do you want to know?”

Dan shrugged, taking a step closer. “Just humor me. What’s your name?”

“Sam.” The gunman’s eyes darted around the room, his eyes wild.

“Sam, no one here is going to hurt you.” Dan took a step closer.

His head snapped up as he pointed the run at Dan. “Stay back!”

“No problem.” Dan froze. “Sam, listen to me for a moment.”

“Why?” Sam’s eyes were pleading, even though they were still wild.

“Because I’ve been where you are right now.” Dan let out a deep breath. “I was in the military and was deployed in Afghanistan. During that time, I was in situations where I was the only man with a gun in a room filled with innocent people. Believe me, I did some things that I’m not proud of, but I did my best to defend my country and to do what was right. Now, you can do your best and what is right, too.”

“But you have no idea what I’ve been through!” Sam waved the gun as tears filled his eyes, threatening to spill over. “What I’m going through now.”

“Well, that’s not all,” Dan continued. “After serving my country, I came home to find my wife in bed with my best friend. But instead of killing them both, I took nothing with me. I just got into my car and drove. That’s when I ended up here, in Christmas Cove.” Dan took a slow step forward.

The Sheriff and his deputies rushed up the steps but saw what was going on inside and stopped, their hands on their weapons, waiting.

Dan knew they were out of time. “Sam, the people here treated me with kindness and showed me that there was another way. They accepted me unconditionally without expecting anything in return. So, believe me when I tell you that there is always another way.” Dan took a step slower and held out his hand. “Now, give me the gun. I promise you as sure as I’m standing here, I will help you through this. I know what it’s like. You’re not alone. But first, you have to give me the gun.”