Lone Star Burn_Undercover Heart

by Judy Kentrus

  He took her hand and placed a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist. “I care for you very deeply and those feelings happened very quickly for me, too. I don’t think we should hide what we feel for each other.”

  “Are you saying we should jump into bed every other minute?”

  “I would have no problem with that,” he grinned, “but I’d like to see where this goes.”

  She stared into his beautiful aqua eyes and pressed the flat of his hand against her cheek. “Daniel Thompson, you make me nuts, but I’d like to see where this goes, too.”

  “There is something we have to consider,” he said. “The picture Danielle drew the other night was quite explicit.”

  “Her picture threw me, too. I still think it’s just a phase. I can talk to her, but I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.”

  “Easy for you to say.”

  Saturday morning, Caleb paced in front of the security counter that had been set up to check in the children. Their combined whirlwind of three weeks of hard work was about to come to fruition. He was nervous and hoped everything would meet her satisfaction.

  “Stop pacing. You’ll wear a hole in the floor.”

  Caleb turned at the sound of her voice and grinned. “Right on time. I’m at a loss for words. You look like Mrs. Claus, ready to bake a batch of cookies, right down to the frilly white apron covering your red dress.”

  “I wanted to surprise you. On the way up here, I passed four Helping Hands boxes and they were already half full! I am so pleased!”

  “I’ve already gotten feedback from the other stores and the program is being very well received.” He glanced down and noticed the large green cloth bags. “Is that the cookie dough?”

  “Yes. I want to get it in the refrigerator.”

  “Where’s Danielle?”

  “Checking out the sports theme memorabilia that she plans to add to her list for Santa.”

  “Do you want to wait for her?”

  “No, she knows where we are.” She slipped her hand through the bend in Caleb’s arm that was covered by a long-sleeve green sweater. “I feel like a kid waking up on Christmas morning, eager to see what Santa brought. Let’s go.”

  Before entering the room, Caleb introduced Erin to the two security guards who fit right in with their elf costumes. They’d been fully briefed on how they were to handle the attendees.

  He opened the door and let her enter first. She’d barely stepped into the room and stopped. He put a supportive arm around her waist and patiently waited while she took it all in.

  “Now I know how those children felt when they stepped into Willy Wonka’s candy garden. I don’t know where to look first! You’ve recreated every aspect of the room I designed on paper and added extra touches of your own.”

  He stayed behind when she stepped away from his arm and headed to Mrs. Claus’s reading corner, denoted by the red, green, and white plaid rug. The thick cushion of the high-back velvet green chair would be comfortable while reading to the children.

  “This is something that wasn’t in my plans,” she said, running a hand over the rich wood mantel of a real gas fireplace with glass safety doors that protected the dancing flames.

  Erin moved to the work tables that had been spaced to allow access from all sides. The gleaming white supply cabinets were easily accessible along one wall. She opened one of the doors to reveal the neatly stacked supplies ready for their projects.

  Caleb brought her two green cloth bags to the kitchen unit. A small table and four chairs fronted the red appliances and white cabinets. In the center of the table was a ceramic cookie jar in the shape of Santa Claus that sat atop a Christmas-tree-themed runner.

  “From the look on your face, we did good.”

  “Oh, Daniel, you did more than good.” Erin walked over to him and slid her arms around his waist. “It’s perfect, thank you.” She stood on tippy toes and brushed his lips with a light kiss.

  He was pleased she’d initiated the kiss he’d been craving since they parted company the other night. It felt natural to wrap his arms around her and draw her closer. No more holding back. They were a couple.

  “Nice. More?” At her quick nod, he lowered his mouth to hers and turned his head to deepen and extend the length of the kiss that was being fed by their unspoken love. It felt so right sharing a kiss in the middle of the room they’d envisioned and designed together.

  “Are you ready for the onslaught?” she asked, extracting herself from his arms and smoothing the front of her apron that didn’t need adjusting.

  “As far as I’m concerned, my job is done.” Caleb watched her put three containers of cookie dough in the refrigerator. “Santa Traditions is in your capable hands.”

  “Where will you be while all this craziness is going on?”

  “Right here. The store manager and manager of the toy department will be here later in the morning and will be bringing in a reporter from a newspaper syndicate. Would you mind if they asked you some questions?”

  “You’re comfortable letting the soapbox queen to talk to the media?”

  Erin pulled out one of the chairs at the table and extracted two to-go cups of coffee from one of her green bags and set them on the table. “Sit for a minute before the stampede.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart.” Caleb suddenly realized what he’d called her. It had just slipped out. Was he assuming too much? The tension in his body eased when the surprised confusion he saw in her eyes turned to pleasant acceptance.

  Erin picked up her own cup with shaky hands. “The last person who called me sweetheart was my mother, but it sounded quite nice coming from you. I like it. Just do me a favor and only call me that when we’re alone. I’m not denying we’re a couple,” she quickly added. “I’m just thinking of Danielle. Since I’m the one who has ridden a horse and you haven’t, she needs to accept us as we are.”

  “Thanks a lot, sweetheart,” he replied with a teasing grin. “I have no problem with that. “As for the media, I trust you to answer any questions they have. I’ll make myself scarce when they come. As a thank you for all your hard work, I’d like to take you and Danielle out for dinner this evening.”

  “We’ll take a rain check. I made a meatloaf this morning and, yes, I remembered to turn on the crock pot. You’re invited to join us. We’re going to put up our tree this evening. Tomorrow I’ll be putting the lights on the bushes if you have nothing better to do.”

  “There is no place else I’d rather be.”

  “Excuse me, Mr. Thompson, there’s a little girl named Danielle who is looking for her mom.”

  They both turned to face the female guard from Adams Security.

  “Thanks, that’s my daughter. She’ll be working here today as a helper.”

  “No, problem, but let’s get her logged into our system to make sure everything is working properly. We’ve got a new feature. When they’re logged in, we take their picture and it goes on their wristband.”

  Danielle came in a few minutes later sporting a red band on her wrist, and moved directly to the huge Christmas tree that shared the corner with Mrs. Claus’s chair. “Wow, Mr. Thompson, this is great! The ornaments are really cool. Trains and planes.”

  Erin put an arm around her daughter’s shoulder and glanced at the PR man. “That’s something I never thought of. I love the theme because it reflects your favorite things.”

  The whimsical dancing reindeer on Danielle’s shirt made Caleb smile and the words “Santa’s Helper” were written across the front of her red and white felt hat that brushed her eyebrows. He wanted to put his arm around them, but it was too soon.

  “Any other time I would feel uncomfortable someone knows me so well, but with you…” Caleb shrugged a shoulder. “Before we’re inundated with people from the store, and the children, you two stand in front of the tree. I want to take your picture. I’ve already photographed everything to show our PR department what the perfect room looks like.”

  Caleb left the ro
om a few minutes later. Parents and children lined up to get signed in a little after nine-thirty. The influx was more than they anticipated. He instructed the security guards that, just for today, parents could put their child’s name on a list for the next session.

  He moved further down the hall to get out of the craziness, and paused beside the freight elevator. He pulled out his phone and reviewed the pictures. The one with Erin and Danielle was already a part of his heart. He loved them so much.

  He retrieved his lawyer’s cell number and attached the photo.

  Ryan, I’ve met the woman of my dreams and plan to marry her. Consult one of your lawyer friends about adoption. No, I’m not crazy, just very much in love. No rush getting back to me. I haven’t told her how I feel.

  Chapter 13

  Erin stood back and took in all the activity. The excitement in the children’s voices told her everyone was having a good time. This was the third session of the day. They’d managed to entertain sixty children. Unfortunately, a number of children were turned away, but parents said they would come back next week. The Girl Scouts and 4H volunteers had been great. She’d brought a couple gallons of milk and baked extra cookies to share with the teenagers.

  She cleaned the cookie cutters and put them in a plastic storage case until next week. The gingerbread men the children had made were in small bakery boxes with their names. Mrs. Murphy was reading a story to the children who were waiting for the paint to dry on their wooden ornaments.

  From what she could tell, the kids’ favorite activity was decorating the transparent ornaments that would hold their picture. When she explained the process to Daniel, he’d provided the special paper and a printer for the craft area. Their second favorite was painting wooden ornaments in various shapes, especially sports logos. Numerous spills had been quickly handled, especially with the abundance of paper towels.

  Danielle had a blast, since she knew many of the kids. She’d acted like an ambassador of good will and directed their attention to the huge tree. When Erin announced the end of each session, the kids wanted to know when they could come back because they’d had such a great time.

  She’d seen very little of Daniel. He’d stopped in with the manager of the store and the head of the toy department a little after the second session had started. He’d introduced her as the brains behind the program. They praised her ideas and ingenuity, but she said it was a total team effort. All the teachers had contributed to Santa Traditions. They’d apologized for their brief visit because they were busier than ever.

  “Excuse me, Ms. MacKenna.”

  She finished wiping down the table and smiled at the female security guard. “You look like you could use a cookie.”

  “It’s been crazy, but fun. There’s a gentleman outside who says he’s from Ganette Press, the news syndicate, here to interview you.”

  “Mr. Thompson said someone would be coming. Has he shown you proper identification?”

  “That’s the first thing we checked. For security reasons, we prefer he not enter the room with the children. I’ll stay in here if you want to meet him somewhere else in the store.”

  Erin glanced at her watch. “The children will be leaving in ten minutes. Have him wait and I’ll talk to him in here. Have you seen Mr. Thompson?”

  “I called him first when the reporter showed up. He said he didn’t have to be here and you would handle things.”

  “No problem.”

  The room was uncommonly quiet when the children and volunteers left. Elaine Madison had just finished working in the toy department and stopped in to see if Danielle wanted to leave with her. She could play with Louis until Erin got home.

  When her cell phone rang, her heart smiled when she read the caller ID.

  “Hi. I thought you forgot about me.”

  “Never, sweetheart.”

  “What have you been doing all day?”

  “Working a register, helping re-stock shelves in the toy department, you name it. I’ve also gotten fantastic feedback on Santa Traditions. It’s a winner and so are you.”

  “I’m about to be interviewed for the newspaper. Anything you don’t want me to say, like you’ve got a hot tamale and a magic finger that drives me crazy?”

  “If we were alone, I’d show you exactly what that combination could do,” he teased. “But seriously, talk about our programs and answer his questions. Call me when you’re done.”

  “See you later at my house for dinner.”

  She ran a comb through her hair and removed the apron that had suffered numerous stains during the baking sessions. She sat in one of the kitchen chairs and sipped from the cup of tea she’d just made. Leave it to Daniel to make sure the kitchen was supplied with mugs and tea bags. There was a soft knock on the door frame and she offered the reporter a hesitant smile. She’d never been interviewed before and prayed she didn’t say the wrong thing.

  He looked to be in his mid-sixties and his gray hair was thinning. He wasn’t able to close the button on his dark blue sports jacket and the buttons on his white dress shirt strained over his very rounded belly. Gold-framed glasses shielded hazel eyes and puffy cheeks were that of a jolly old elf. He walked into the room with a slow, confident saunter and smiled.

  “Ms. MacKenna, Don Malone. Please accept my apologies for being late. The interview I had with Tony Carlton at the Double C ran late.”

  Erin accepted his warm hand clasp. “No problem. My daughter goes riding at his ranch. I preferred we do this without children present, for security reasons. Have a seat in Mrs. Claus’s kitchen.”

  “Mrs. Claus’s kitchen, I like that,” he said and looked around the room. “I’m the liaison between Hughes and our media syndicate. This is remarkable. I visited three other stores that are doing Santa Traditions, including New York City, and this is by far the nicest and most elaborate. I was told you designed this room.”

  “Thank you, but all of the teachers at the Davy Crockett Primary School worked on the development of the plan.”

  “I noticed the Helping Hands donation boxes. That’s another program being run in all of the stores this year. My contact in the PR department said it was your idea. The reviews have been mixed. Some people called it a gimmick to draw shoppers, and others commended Hughes for their humanitarianism.”

  “It’s not a gimmick!” Erin caught herself before she slammed her hand on the table. “Those are the thoughts of narrow-minded simpletons! The items in those boxes are going to people in need!” Erin calmed and regrouped her composure. “I told Mr. Thompson about the tradition we do every year. Daniel thought it was a great idea and expanded on the promotion. Isn’t he your contact in the PR department?”

  “Daniel?” The reporter’s thick white brows crinkled. “Are you sure you’re dealing with Daniel Thompson?”

  A sinking feeling swirled in her stomach and it wasn’t from her cup of tea. Hesitation laced her voice. “Yes, a gentleman by the name of Daniel Thompson met with the principal and teachers of our school over two weeks ago to pitch the Santa Traditions program. The person originally hired never showed up for work. We presented our plan and he was instrumental in making sure we got everything we needed.”

  “I don’t know who you’re dealing with. I’m sorry to tell you Daniel Thompson was killed two months ago in a mountain climbing accident. It wasn’t publicized at the express wishes of the family. I know because I’m personal friends with his father.”

  “Who have we been dealing with, then?” Her heart was racing like she’d run a marathon. Who did I sleep with?

  “I can make a call to my contact in the PR department, but that will have to wait until Monday because the offices are closed. Can you describe the man you met?”

  “He’s about six feet two inches, has russet brown hair. Oh, he wears dark-framed glasses and has aqua-blue eyes.”

  The slow smile of recognition filling the reporter’s very mature face told Erin he knew the identity of the person she described.

&nb
sp; “Ms. MacKenna, you met with Caleb Thompson, Daniel’s brother. They’re twins, but far from identical.”

  “Caleb? That’s crazy! And I’m going to kill that bastard. “Why would he pretend to be his brother?”

  Don shrugged his large shoulders. “I don’t know, but it would be a good idea to ask him yourself. As the president of the company he can be hard to reach, but I can call his father to get a direct phone number.”

  “President! Of Hughes?” Erin could barely get the words out. Liar! Imposter!

  “Guess that’s something else you’ll have to ask him.”

  Erin tightened the grip of her hands in her lap, pretending they were around Daniel, no, Caleb Thompson’s throat. “This is all very upsetting. Would you mind if we concluded this interview? If you need additional information, you can contact Mr. Walters, the principal of our school. He can answer any other questions you might have.”

  Don stood up and smiled at the pretty woman who’d just suffered a great shock. “Ms. MacKenna, I believe I’ve opened a giant can of worms. They couldn’t pay me enough to be in Caleb Thompson’s shoes right now. If I want to remain gainfully employed, I’ll keep this part of the interview to myself.”

  “Mr. Malone, I would really appreciate your discretion. Any kind of scandal could ruin the Santa Traditions and Helping Hands projects. They’re wonderful programs that will benefit children and those in need. As for a phone number, I believe I can handle that on my own. Obviously, Mr. Caleb Thompson doesn’t know that you never mess with an Irish woman with red hair.”

  “That, I can believe!” His hearty laugh filled the room when he left.

  Erin put a hand to the tightened knot in her stomach. Her shock at learning the truth turned to anger. President! Liar! Was everything he told me a lie? I knew he was too good to be true and I fell for his smooth line. Magic finger, my ass. Nothing like being played for a fool!

  “Time to get out of here,” she announced to the empty room, and collected her belongings from the cabinet under the sink. She paused before extinguishing the lights to appreciate the beautiful room they’d designed together. No wonder he’d been able to get all this done in record time.