Have Yourself a Naughty Little Santa

by Karin Tabke

  She brought it down a notch. “Fair enough.”

  As they walked to the rental hut, the woman smiled up at Ricco with that doey-eyed look every woman seemed to reserve just for him. She had to be older than him by fifteen years. Ricco grinned back as if she’d been the only woman on the planet. “Thanks, Margie.”

  “Any time, Ricco.” Then Margie smiled at Kim and said, “You have the best teacher in town. He’s been skating like Wayne Gretzky since he was six years old.”

  Kim offered an awkward smile. “Lucky me,” she said, then moved past them both. The warmth and sincerity of these Evergreen people was downright creepy. Who acted like that?

  Ricco caught up to Kim as she walked toward the inn. “That was kind of rude.”

  She turned and he nearly crashed into her, but he caught himself. “Look, you Evergreen folks have your way, I have mine. Sorry if I don’t get all warm and fuzzy like every freak up here.”

  “Since when is simple common courtesy freakish?”

  “Since everyone in this town is like a Stepford person!”

  Ricco laughed, but the amusement was thin. “Granted, the folks here are a bit isolated, but it’s by choice. Three weeks out of the year the same people flock here to get a taste of these Stepford people. It makes them feel human again. It gives them the courage to go back to their conveyor belt lives, where they interact like robots and drones. Don’t knock it until you try it, Cinderella. Pollyanna life for a week or two, especially during the holidays, doesn’t hurt anyone.”

  She nodded her head. “Is that why you come up here?”

  “My family is here. Those Stepford people you find so contemptuous took my mother, my sisters, and me in when no one else would. They didn’t ask for anything in return. We owe far more than we can ever repay.”

  “Is that why you were clearing the roads?”

  “Among other things, yes.”

  “What about the buyout offer?”

  He started to walk toward the inn. “Land’s Edge can offer the moon, but the town will pass.”

  “How can you say that? If the offer is strong—”

  He stopped and turned her to face him. He put his hands on her shoulders and bent down, then said slowly and firmly, “Evergreen is not for sale. Now or ever.”

  “But—”

  “No buts.”

  For a long moment Kim stood still, wanting to thunk this guy in the head. She wanted to warn him that she and Nick were batting a thousand when they put their heads together and decided they wanted to acquire a property. Losing was not an option, and giving up was unheard of. If the town of Evergreen dug in, for each day they resisted the price would drop, and in the end it would be Land’s Edge getting the deal, not the residents of this quaint little Christmas town.

  Ricco nudged her forward. They walked in silence for a few minutes, but Kim couldn’t let the subject die. “It’s suicide to stay if the town is sinking financially. Why not grab a few bucks and start up somewhere else?”

  Ricco stopped and let out an exasperated breath. “There is no option because there isn’t another place like Evergreen in California. Because families have been here for generations and have no intention of splitting up.”

  “What’s so special?”

  His brows rose, and he turned her back to face the rink, which had thinned considerably since they had stepped on it. The gazebo beyond was softly illumined in white lights. The homes, inns, and stores that fronted the main drag were gaily decorated, the warmth and invitation blatant. “That! And the people who reside behind each and every door in this town. You will not find a more honest, genuine, easygoing group of people anywhere else on the planet. There is no crime here. No strife here. There are roots here. We’re a family. A family who sticks together through thick and thin. It will never change.”

  “If it’s so great, why don’t you live here year-round?”

  He stared down at her for a long minute. The tight muscles in his jaw flexed. “It’s…”

  “It’s what?”

  He shrugged and gestured for her to follow. “I need more.”

  “But Evergreen has everything,” she sarcastically countered.

  “It will for me one day. But now isn’t the day.”

  His words ended on a final note. Instead of entering the inn from the front door, Ricco walked her along the back to the kitchen door. Ezzy looked up from the cleared table, where she sat going over what looked like a shopping list. A baby monitor sat inches from her right elbow. Her eyes were puffy and red. Kim quickly excused herself and moved down the hallway, but she hovered over the railing as she very slowly walked up the stairway. She told herself she wanted to hear something that might help her land Evergreen, but the truth was, she wanted to know what had happened after they’d left.

  • • •

  “RICCO,” ESMERALDA SOFTLY SAID.

  He was having none of it. It burned the hell out of him that his sisters would swarm around their father and his mother would cuff him for speaking out, and after all he had done! Or in Enrique Maza’s case, not done!

  He put his hand up. “Do not mention his name in my presence.”

  “He’s dying, Ricco.”

  His gut jumped, but the shock and the very fleeting feeling of regret were hammered down by his anger. “Good riddance.”

  “How can you say that? He’s our father!”

  Ricco set his fists down on the table across from her and slowly said, “He’s a fucking sperm donor, Ez. Accept that fact. He doesn’t give two shits about anyone but himself. Why the hell do you think it was so damn easy for him to walk away time after time? Hell, he was gone almost ten years during one stint! He’s here because he wants something. And if you all are so blind to him, then you live with the fallout. But leave me out of it!”

  “Ricco!” Esmeralda cried, reaching for her brother.

  He jerked his arm away from her. “He’s a shitty husband, a shitty father, and a shitty man, and I can’t for the life of me understand why the hell we’re even having this conversation.”

  “I want us to be a family, Ricco, for once!”

  “He made the choice for us a long time ago, Esmeralda. Our family exists without him.”

  He strode past her to the hallway and looked up the stairs to see Kim frozen in her tracks. His anger soared. “Did you get all of that, Miss Michaels? My father is a drunk and a deadbeat dad, and I can’t stand the thought of him. My sisters and mother think he’s some saint come home.” He moved up the stairway and stopped beside her. “Are you happy now? Evergreen isn’t so perfect after all.” He moved past her then, to his room, where he slammed the heavy door shut. He shucked his clothes and put on his sweats and running shoes. He needed to get away. He felt like he was being slowly strangled. His mother, his sisters, his nieces and nephews. They all wanted a piece of him, and it seemed the more he gave, the more they wanted, and if he continued to let them, there would be nothing left for himself.

  As often happened when he felt the yoke of emotional encumbrances tighten around his neck, Ricco bolted.

  An hour into his run he still felt the yoke around his neck. Anger, resentment, and hatred boiled in his heart, and the angrier he became with his sisters and his mother for even talking to the prick, much less welcoming him back with open arms, the angrier he became with the man who had in Ricco’s mind been nothing but a sperm donor. He hated the fact that he shared the same blood, the same DNA, and the same looks as Enrique Maza. He classified the man in the same genre as the scumbags he arrested. Ricco picked up his pace. There was no way on this earth or in his lifetime that Ricco would ever accept the man on any level except for the piece of shit he was.

  As he hit the north end of town for the fifth time, Ricco took solace in the fact that in a couple of weeks he’d be back on the streets in Montrose, where he faced his enemy head-on and the only emotional entanglements he’d be forced to face were those of victims. And even then he could turn himself off. While he was emp
athetic to their feelings, he was rarely sucked in. Too many times they’d turned on him, especially the women who’d been abused by their boyfriends or spouses. He’d shown up to many a call from a battered woman, only to be attacked by her when he hooked up the piece of crap who used her for a punching bag. He shook his head and kept running—from what, he wasn’t sure—but he didn’t look over his shoulder to find out. Instead he kept his eyes focused ahead and ran.

  Nine

  FROM HER WINDOW, KIM WATCHED RICCO RUN AWAY FROM the inn as if the bulls of Pamplona were breathing fire down his back. He was a paradox to her. On the one hand, he seemed to dote on his family. He was so loving and warm with his mother, his sisters, his nieces, and nephews, but when they wanted more from him, he resisted. And boy, did they want from him. All of the men in the family were gone. Ricco was here, and they expected him to step up and fill each pair of shoes. That was asking a lot. She could totally understand why he only came up once a year.

  She nodded to herself. She could relate. Sort of. It wasn’t like she had ever had anyone who’d wanted something from her. Except her parents’ money. In college there had been guys who, when they’d learned who her parents were, had wanted to get all up on her. But they’d never really wanted it bad enough to stick around. Ken, her first husband, was a prime example. So was Giorgio, her rebound husband.

  It didn’t bother her that her parents never expected any emotional interaction from her. If she was honest, neither did she. It made life real easy. It was why she’d agreed to marry Nick. He couldn’t hurt her.

  So maybe she and Ricco weren’t all that much alike after all. Well, except they both wanted to keep free of the type of encumbrances that required an emotional commitment. It was, she supposed, why he liked to come home for a few weeks a year. He could get his fill, then leave.

  Since it wasn’t too late, Kim decided to give Nick an update call. She didn’t want to do it from the inn phone, however, so she slipped her jacket back on and went out front to catch a signal. She scowled. One bar. She moved down the street a bit and picked up another one. A little farther and she picked up three. That would do. As she pressed the speed dial, she found herself wishing she didn’t have to speak with him. His curt manner was beginning to really annoy her.

  “Gold.”

  “You know damn well it’s me, why do you have to answer like that?”

  “Are you PMSing or something?”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Since you landed in Reno you’ve been bitchy.”

  “I thought that’s what you loved about me.”

  “What I admire about you is the fact that you don’t allow your emotions to get involved. Can you keep it that way?”

  “You know what, Gold? Maybe you can find yourself another boardroom and bedroom partner.”

  “Kimberly, what’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing, I just think you’re rude.”

  “Would it make you feel better if I told you I miss you?”

  “Maybe.”

  “And that I’m looking forward to your return?”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  Kim smiled and felt some of her aggression ease. “This place is ripe for a takeover.”

  “Talk dirty to me, baby.”

  Kim laughed. “As we already knew, the last five years have been fiscal busts. The weather has been a detractor. This place is nestled in the Sierras, and the snow pack has been dense. But last year they went out on a financial limb and purchased a fleet of snowplows that if manned properly can have the roads cleared in a snap. I expect by tomorrow I’ll be seeing a lot of traffic. But the really interesting thing is, the city council voted last year to take out a loan against the property the city buildings are on, as well as the buildings themselves. They lent that money to the residents whose businesses have foundered. Not only that, they pulled out money for all of those prime-time television ads. I got the impression from a conversation this evening that a balloon payment is imminent.”

  “How much?”

  “I’m not sure, but if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say in the neighborhood of a few million.”

  “That’s chump change.”

  “To us, yes. To this town? It would be like cutting a main artery. I’m going to do some digging and find out who holds the notes.”

  “We can up the offer.”

  Kim walked down the street, her eyes alert. The temperature had dropped and the breeze had picked up. The streets were quiet. A coyote howled off in the distance. “I’m not sure if money is the answer here, Nick. This town is weird. The people are so nice and friendly and warm and helpful, it’s freaky. Like they’re Stepford people.”

  “As in fake?”

  “No, quite the contrary. There is no crime in this town. No one locks their doors at night. I haven’t seen a cop. I think they have their own little department. Probably Andy Griffith and what’s that deputy? Opie?”

  “No, Opie was the kid. Barney Fife.”

  “Well, whatever. I bet if someone broke the law around here, the town would have a party for the poor dope and forgive him so long as he promised never ever to do it again. The ladies would bring a fruitcake and hot cocoa to seal the deal.”

  “You’re making me sick to my stomach.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty nauseating.” Kim stiffened. She heard a woman’s voice in the background, then Nick shushing her. “Where are you?” she asked him.

  “My office.”

  That didn’t surprise her. “Who’s there with you?”

  “Gina. We’re working on the Napa deal.”

  Ah yes, the Beauchamp Vineyard buyout. A piece of cake. So why was Gina there? A little voice gnawed at Kim’s subconscious. She ignored it. Besides, if what she suspected was really happening, was what she’d done with Ricco any different? No, it wasn’t, but at least she wasn’t fucking her CFO’s secretary.

  “Well, you two have at it. I’ll call you with an update when I have more information.” Kim hung up. And wanted to throw the phone into the gutter. Instead she squeezed it until her hand hurt. She turned and headed back to the inn. Her cell vibrated. She looked at the number. Nick. It occurred to her that she really didn’t care what he had to say. Let him and Gina have their fun. When she and Nick were married, the bodacious little brunette was history.

  She could deal with Nick’s affairs, but she would be damned if he was going to be boinking the secretary under Kim’s nose and having everyone at Land’s Edge knowing about it. He told her discreet? She expected the same from him. And with that, Kim’s thoughts turned to the man who would be sleeping just across the hall from her. Her body warmed, and her breasts swelled. She wanted him. She wanted another night like the night in Reno. She wanted to fall asleep on that wide, muscular chest and wake up there. She wanted him to take her over and over, and speak those sexy Spanish words to her and make her feel as special as Cinderella.

  When she entered the quietness of the inn she knew instinctively that Ricco was not back. She also knew he’d be gone for hours. He was in excellent shape, and she bet he could run a marathon no sweat. Her bed had been turned down, and a low fire burned in the stone fireplace, warming the room and giving it a soft glow. She liked it. Taking her time, Kim washed her face, cleaning up the sink as she finished. Then she slipped on a pair of hip-hugger flannel pj’s with a cropped flannel top. She made sure all of her clothes were neatly in their place and the bathroom was tidy, the soiled towels in the hamper, nothing out of place. Okay, so she had some OCD going on. Big deal. It was a godsend, with her business. Had she not been so organized and ready to jump at any given scenario, she would not have been where she was. She liked things neat and orderly. And to be in complete control. Otherwise her life was left to the whims of others.

  Before sliding beneath the soft comforter, she glanced around the room to find everything in its place. She let out a long breath and slid beneath the soft downy comforter. It had been qui
te a day, and she was tired. Closing her eyes, she let her mind go blank. Soon she drifted off to sleep.

  She didn’t know what woke her, but she instinctively knew someone was upstairs. For several minutes Kim listened to the sounds of the house and the low crackle of the fire. Off in the distance, the mournful howls of coyotes drifted across the lake into the little town of Evergreen. There was no traffic, no industry sounds, just the soft lulling sound of nature.

  A creaking floorboard outside her door alerted her to a presence. If she’d been anyplace else on earth, she would have been on high alert—afraid, wondering who was outside her door and if they had any nefarious intentions. But not here. Kim knew who was standing outside her door. She wanted to call to him to open the door, to come in, to take her to that place he’d taken her to the night before. But she lay still until she heard the soft click of his door shutting. In the quiet of the house she heard the far-off sound of water running. She smiled. He was in the shower.

  Her smile broadened as she thought of how shocked he would look if she slipped in with him and worked him into a lather.

  The water stopped. Her heart thudded against her chest. And suddenly she wasn’t tired. Kim slipped from the bed and walked to her door. Before she could change her mind, she opened it and stepped across the hall to the Dasher suite. Perfect moniker. She knocked.

  When the door opened, she caught her breath. Ricco stood tall, wet, and naked save for the towel wrapped around his waist. He didn’t seem surprised to see her. He smiled a smug little half smile and stepped back from the door, giving her complete access. She glared up at him. Damn him! Was she that predictable? Or did every woman he’d encountered come to his room looking for some love? She shook her head. She didn’t want love, she wanted to shoot to the stars again. But that wasn’t why she was standing there. She held out her hand, palm up. “I’d like my locket back.”

  He grinned wide. “That couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”

  Maybe it could, but she was feeling lonely too. She put her hands on her hips and just slightly thrust her chest his way. She knew she looked good. She had the body of a twenty-year-old, and firm boobs. Big firm ones. Ricco’s gaze traveled down her body and back up to her face. “You know you’re playing with fire, don’t you?”