Page 82 of Flirting With Forever
She nodded and managed a smile at the older man. Officer in uniform or not, he seemed genuinely sincere and not at all the hardcore policeman the job no doubt required. “So, any suggestions on how I fix the mess I caused?”
Maybe it was a stupid question to ask a total stranger but ask she did.
“As a matter of fact, I might have a few.”
When you grumble like the Grinch on Christmas Eve, it might be time to hole up and emerge after the holidays are over, Gage mused as he stomped his way out of the townhouse.
Still no word from Sloane. And even though Christmas was tomorrow, he refused to let himself get his hopes up.
She was gone. She’d left. That’s all he needed to know and all the closure he might get.
“Thanks for stepping up, man!” Wolfe called as he slowed his rig and leaned an arm out the window. “The community center and pavilion were already booked, and the kids would be crushed if the police and fire Christmas party was cancelled because of a water-line break. They have tough enough lives already.”
Gage nodded his head in understanding and grabbed the door of his truck. Growing up after their parents had died in the accident, he and his brothers and baby sister had been guests of the event more years than he could count. As a company, Blackwell Enterprises donated heavily to the cause, buying gifts and food so every kid would have a good Christmas.
Gabriel waited while Gage climbed behind the wheel, and then they both headed toward the rentals building. The gravel area beside and behind the building wasn’t overly large but they could drag a Christmas tree outside to pretty things up and at least feed the kids a snack under the sunshine while they got a present.
When they arrived, Alec and Brooks had already brought a full-sized tree and set it up outside. They’d even dressed up a scrawny-looking Santa who sat in a beach chair beside it.
It wasn’t long before kids began to arrive. The adults outnumbered the kids, including Bruce Holloway and quite a few of his police buddies, along with Hudson, his friend Jameson and some of the other firefighters.
A woman Gage didn’t recognize stepped up and invited the kids to take pictures with Santa before they were handed a gift from one of the six bags of presents.
Santa talked softly with the kids as they paraded on and off his lap, but the guy had obviously never been to Santa School.
“What’s got you looking like you got coal in your stocking?” Bruce asked.
“The police couldn’t afford a decent Santa?” Gage asked in a low voice.
“What’s wrong with that one?”
“The costume doesn’t fit because he’s so scrawny, and he hasn’t said a single ho–ho-ho. What kind of Santa doesn’t say that at least once?”
Bruce scratched at his mustache, and Gage swore the man hid a smile.
“Probably the kind that doesn’t get paid. Next time I’ll tell the guys you volunteer. Until then, why don’t you go sit on Santa’s lap? Maybe it’ll help that bad mood of yours.”
Gage scoffed, and when he saw Alec exit the convenience store with a few bags of drinks, he headed that way to help distribute them. The sooner they got this over with, the better.
He dreaded spending Christmas Eve with his family and opening gifts, but no excuse would get him out of it. Until then, he’d work himself to the bone and hope to forget it was a holiday.
Five minutes later, he had one drink left and turned to find Santa eyeing him from behind the bushy beard and fake eyebrows beneath a too-big hat. Santa quickly looked away and patted the last kid to be given a gift, sending him on his way.
That seemed to be the signal because the crowd of kids and parents gathered for the event began to clear out, and as quickly as they’d arrived, they were gone, a lot of them heading across the street toward the pier.
Some of the firefighter trainees cleaned up the trash while Alec, Brooks and Wolfe talked in a huddle to Bruce. He should probably be sociable and go join them, but the Grinch in him refused.
He snagged one of the cookies still left on the tray and bit in just as a whiff of vanilla and raspberry hit his nose.
He frowned at the cookie, then whirled around to scan the area but saw no one except the guys and the sad, skinny Santa.
As though sensing his stare, Santa lifted his gloved hand and waved Gage over to the chair where the Santa still sat. But then a little girl had run up for a last-minute request and stared up at Gage with wary eyes as she asked if she could have two cookies. “Sure,” he said, using a napkin to snag them from the container and handing them off. “Did you tell Santa what you want for Christmas?”
“Yeah. Did you? My grandpa said I had to sit on Santa’s lap for my wish to come true, but I just told Santa what I wanted instead. Do you think I’ll get it?”
“I suppose that’s up to Santa. I mean, I have a wish, but I’m not sitting on his lap, either,” Gage said in a droll tone, attempting a joke and failing. “But feel free to ask Santa to grant my wish along with yours, okay?”
“What did you ask for?” the little girl questioned before taking a huge bite of a cookie.
