“Don’t be afraid to yell at him. His hearing aid doesn’t work very well,” Ethel told me.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” I replied. “It must be hard for him.”
“And for us. We’re always having to yell at Ed,” Bill said. “Makes my voice hoarse, if you want to know the truth.”
“Here. Have another candy cane,” I said, reaching back in my bag. “It might help.”
“Thank you, son,” he said, taking it from me.
“Don’t forget to open your present,” I said, nodding toward the box sitting on his lap.
“If it’s a reindeer like everyone else has, I’d like to save it for my great granddaughter, if that’s okay? I haven’t been able to get her a gift for Christmas,” he said, a sad look on his face. ‘I just can’t get around anymore.”
I patted his shoulder softly. “Be my guest, Bill.”
“Thank you,” he replied.
When all of the gifts were given out, I walked around and spent some time with each of the residents. A few of the elderly grabbed my hand with tears in their eyes, thanking me for just being there.
“I know you’re not really Santa,” a woman named Phyllis said in a low voice. “But, you made us feel young again. Thank you, dear fellow.”
I patted her hand. “You’re welcome, Phyllis. It’s my pleasure.”
And I meant it.
The longer I spent visiting with each of them, the more I began to realize how much I’d needed it, too. I’d been so self-absorbed in wanting to do my own thing that I’d forgotten how precious life was, how quickly it could pass by, and how lonely it could be. I even got a little choked up when one of the women thought I was her son, who I later learned had been killed on nine-eleven. Unfortunately, she had Alzheimer’s and was confused. I let her think I was him, although I don’t know if it was the right thing to do. But, seeing the joy on her face, I knew she’d needed it.
When it was time to leave, I was emotionally drained but felt like I’d done something meaningful. In fact, I felt ashamed for wanting to skip such an important event for these people. Sure, someone else could have played Santa, but I was glad to have gotten the opportunity and had learned some valuable lessons. Ironically, I’d been the one giving the gifts but had received so much more in return.
“Santa has to leave now,” I said, waving at everyone. “I wish I could stay longer, but we’re very busy at the North Pole this time of year.”
“What he say about the North Pole?” Ed asked, looking confused.
“He’s going back,” Ethel yelled, winking at me.
“Oh.” Ed’s thoughtful look turned into a lecherous smile. “Speaking of poles… Next year can you bring me a doll, Santa? The kind you blow up and has three holes?”
Tank and I looked at each other and chuckled.
“What are you talking about?” Ethel asked loudly, looking confused. “Why would a grown man want a doll?”
“Santa knows,” Ed said, winking at me.
Finally realizing what he was talking about, she scolded him. “Oh, yuck. You wouldn’t know what to do with one of those things.”
“Maybe, I should practice on you first,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
Her cheeks turned bright red. “Well, I never,” she said, stomping away.
“I know. Which is why I need me a doll,” Ed said.
“Just stay on Santa’s good list,” I said loudly, winking at him.
“My clock is ticking. If I get a chance to be naughty, you’d better believe I will be,” he hollered back.
We all laughed.
AS WE WERE leaving, Tank put his arm over my shoulder. “I have to say, I was pretty proud of you in there, Dodge. You took the ball, ran with it, and made a touchdown.”
I smiled. “It was actually fun and hell, I learned some things in there, too.”
He winked. “I knew you would. That’s why I picked you specifically to play Santa.”
I raised my eyebrow.
“I thought you could use a little Christmas spirit. You seemed to have found it in there.”
“Yeah, I think I did,” I replied.
He patted me on the back and then started dishing out orders for the next day.
As I was leaving the parking lot, I looked over at the nursing home one last time and felt a sense of peace that I hadn’t in a long time.
Chapter 26
Chloe
WHEN I WOKE up the next morning, I saw that it had started to snow again. Unfortunately, the forecast indicated that by nightfall, we’d have a blizzard on our hands, with record inches of snow accumulating. I’m not going to lie. I’m one of those people who don’t mind snowstorms. In fact, I think they’re beautiful, especially when you don’t have to drive anywhere. Today was going to be a mess however. I wasn’t looking forward to driving in it and almost wished I would have taken Tank’s offer of having someone pick me up.
Sighing, I switched off the television, made myself some coffee, and unpacked a few more boxes. At around ten, I had some oatmeal and fruit, and then jumped in the shower. When I was finished, I put on a pair of blue jeans and an ugly Christmas sweater, deciding that I wouldn’t wear the elf costume to the hospital. The kids would know me right away and I didn’t want them to start second-guessing the man playing Santa Claus. I didn’t want anything destroying the magic he would bring that day. I had to believe that once Graham stepped foot inside of the Cancer Ward, he’d also want to make the moment as real for the children as he could. At least, I hoped he was that kind of man.
I dried my hair, curled it, and then carefully applied some makeup. Spotting the bottle of perfume on my sink, which was collecting dust, I put some on. I normally didn’t wear any to the hospital, but found myself wanting to smell and look extra special for a certain someone, whether he appreciated it or not. As I was applying my lipstick, there was a knock at the door. When I went to answer it, I was shocked to see the guy from yesterday standing in the hallway. The biker named Cleaner.
“Hi. Remember me?” he asked, a warm smile on his face.
I gave him a puzzled look. “Yes. Sorry, I wasn’t expecting anyone from the club to show up here.”
“Didn’t Tank call you? The roads are already getting bad, so I volunteered to pick you up.”
“Oh, just a second.” I hurried over to grab my phone from the kitchen counter and found that I indeed had a message from Tank. I walked back over and let Cleaner in. “I was so busy getting ready, I forgot to check my phone I guess,” I said, smiling. “I told him that I’d drive myself, but I’m glad you showed up. I wasn’t looking forward to driving through a blizzard later.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll get you home safe-and-sound,” he said. “And by the way, you can call me Anthony if you’d like. Cleaner is my road name, but to tell you the truth, it’s annoying as hell.”
“Can’t you change it?”
“Nah. The club gave it to me. They’re amused by it, apparently.”
“Why do they call you Cleaner, anyway?”
“I don’t know. I guess that I’m always cleaning up after everyone. The guys are slobs.”
I smiled.
His eyes flickered over me. “Anyway, are you ready? You look like a million bucks. Even with that ugly sweater.”
Blushing, I looked down at my reindeer sweater, which I actually thought was cute and comfortable. “Thanks. Yeah, I just have to grab my elf costume for later. And my purse.”
“Mine is outside in my Jeep. You know, we don’t have to be at the hospital for another hour. Maybe you’d like to get a cup of coffee or have breakfast beforehand?”
“I just had something to eat and coffee, but we could get to the hospital early and grab a bite in the cafeteria, if you’re hungry.” The least I could do was treat him to breakfast for racing out here to pick me up.
He smiled. “Isn’t hospital food supposed to be nasty?”
“It’s really not that bad. Especially around the holidays,” I said. “Let
me go get my things and we can leave.”
“Sounds good.”
I put on my winter jacket and a pair of long, black boots. Grabbing my purse, and the bag with the elf costume, I thanked him again for picking me up.
“No problem. I figured you were getting tired of Dodger and his sulking.”
I chuckled. “He is kind of a Grinch, huh?”
“Yeah. I think he might have found his Christmas spirit last night though.”
“Oh really?”
He told me about their trip to the nursing home and how, by the end of the evening, Graham had actually admitted to enjoying himself.
I smiled. “That’s fantastic. I was hoping he’d have a change of heart about everything.”
“He seems to. We’ll see what today brings, though. Old people are one thing. Children are little shits and will surely test his patience. I know my nephews are handfuls, at least. They’re always misbehaving and getting into trouble.”
“How old are they?”
“Nine and eleven.”
“I think that for Santa, they’ll be on their best behavior,” I replied, locking the deadbolt on my door. “Nobody wants coal in their stockings.”
“You’ve got a point.”
I turned around and Anthony was standing so close, I could barely move.
“Oh, uh, should we go?” I said, laughing nervously.
“Yeah,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “I just have to say that you smell really good.”
“Thanks.”
He leaned forward and sniffed my hair. “It’s days like this that I’m happy to be just a Prospect, otherwise I wouldn’t be giving such a beautiful lady a ride.”
Yuck.
I definitely wasn’t interested. And his flirting was making me uncomfortable.
Forcing a smile to my face, I thanked him and side-stepped my way from the door. As I started walking down the hallway, he began to follow me, whistling “Pretty Woman”.
I rolled my eyes and ignored it.
“Why don’t you hold my hand when we get outside so you don’t slip out there? It’s very icy,” he said, when we made it to the front entryway.
“I’ll be fine,” I replied, looking at the steps, which looked slippery but manageable.
“Okay,” he replied in a tone that sounded like I was making a mistake. “Ladies first.”
I smiled and made my way down the ten steps in front of me without issue. Unfortunately, my boots had no traction. I ended up slipping on a patch of ice on the sidewalk instead of the steps. Before I went down, Anthony had me by the waist, saving me from a painful fall.
“Thanks,” I replied as he let go of me.
“Told you it was slippery. Here,” he held out his hand. “That last thing you want is to fall on your ass with those boots.”
Reluctantly, I took his hand and he led me to a silver Jeep Wrangler. He opened the door and then before I could protest, picked me up by the waist and set me down in the seat. With a twinkle in his eyes, he stood there staring at me as I turned my body and faced forward in the seat.
“Don’t forget your seatbelt,” he said.
Before I could pull it over my chest, Anthony was doing it for me, making everything that much more awkward.
“Uh, thanks,” I said, trying not to lose my temper.
“Want to make sure my girl is strapped in safely.”
I blinked.
Oh God.
“I’m hardly a girl,” I replied, thinking out loud.
He winked. “Obviously, no.”
After he shut the door, I let out a weary sigh and watched him walk around the Jeep and get inside.
“I’m going to warn you now,” he said, starting the engine. “With the roads as slippery as they are, you’re going to hear some language come out of my mouth you might not be used to. I’d like to apologize now.”
“Hey, not a fucking problem,” I replied with a small smile.
Anthony chuckled. “Glad to know you’re not as angelic as Dodger thinks.”
I stared at him in surprise. “He said that?”
“Hell, yeah. To be honest, I think he likes you,” Anthony said. “But is too chicken-shit to do anything about it. I asked him point-blank if he was interested, but he said he wasn’t. I think he’s lying, though.”
“Why do you think he’s chicken-shit?”
“I think he believes you’re too good for him. Like you’re some saint who might fall from grace if he gets too close.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I replied, shocked that Graham thought of me in that way.
“I’m not afraid though,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Hold up,” I replied, not wanting him to get any ideas and getting sick of the ridiculous lines he was trying to use on me. “You seem like a really great guy, and I do appreciate the compliments, but I’d like us to just be friends.”
He gave me a pouty look.
I took a deep breath and told him the truth. Something that I was also admitting to myself for the very first time. “I’m already interested in someone else.”
Anthony studied my face and then smiled. “It’s Dodger, isn’t it?”
“Maybe.”
“It is,” he said and laughed. “He must not have a clue.”
“Probably not,” I admitted.
“So, you two need to get together then?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Of course you do. If I can’t have you, then I’m making sure you get a shot with the guy you do want.”
“What if he really doesn’t like me? What if you’re wrong?”
“He likes you. A lot,” he replied as we pulled out of the parking lot, “Even if he doesn’t know it yet.”
Chapter 27
Graham
I WAS STILL in good spirits the next morning, although I knew it was going to be a hectic day. Even the news about the weather being shitty didn’t bother me too much.
I popped open an energy drink and was about to fix myself something to eat, when my cell phone began to ring.
It was Tank.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Just checking in,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Make sure you hadn’t forgotten about the trip to the hospital.”
“Hell, no. I’ll be there.”
“Good.” He cleared his throat and I could hear him spitting on the other end of the phone. “Sorry. I think I’m getting a fucking sinus infection. I always get one this time of the year. Never fails. So, I’m not going to be there today. Wouldn’t want to give any of the kids what I have. They already have enough problems.”
“Bummer.”
“Yeah. Jessica claims if I take a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar a day, I’ll stay healthier. That shit is disgusting though.”
“I take the pills,” I told him. My adoptive mother was really into vitamins and I still took about eight different kinds a day. I usually stayed relatively healthy, but then again, I didn’t have kids like most of the club did.
“She said they don’t work as well. I told Jessica if she wanted to help me out, douche with it and sit on my face,” he said, chuckling. “We’ll both be happy. She didn’t find it as humorous as I did.”
I snorted.
“Anyway, it sounds like Chloe is going to be at the hospital too. Cleaner picked her up.”
I scowled. “Oh?”
“Yeah. I was going to ask you to do it, but he insisted. She wanted to drive herself, but the roads are shitty and we’re supposed to be getting a blizzard tonight.”
“Huh.” I imagined Cleaner flirting with Chloe like a mother-fucker, and her falling for it. The thought of them together made my blood boil.
“You be careful driving, too. Better yet, take the sled and let Rudolph worry about the storm.”
“Will do.”
Damn you Cleaner.
I wondered if I should say something to Tank about his intentions. He was the one who’d warned everyone not to flirt with her.
Everyone but me, at least.
“You weren’t paying attention, were you?” he asked, sounding amused.
“What?”
“Forget it. Look, the gifts for the kids are in my office at the clubhouse. More stuffed reindeer and candy canes. Could you swing by and get them on your way to the hospital?”
“Will do.”
“Repeat what I just said.”
“You want me to stop by the clubhouse and pick up the gifts. I heard you.”
Tank chuckled. “Just making sure. Thanks, brother. Call me later and let me know how it all went.”
“Sure.”
“By the way, Raptor and Adriana are already downtown, making the space we’ve rented for the Meet Santa program festive. They even made an oversized Santa chair for you to sit down on with the kids, so they can tell you what they want for Christmas.”
I hadn’t thought about that. I’d have kids sitting on my knee. Crying babies. Flashing cameras. And of course… Cleaner and Chloe dressed as elves, exchanging fleeting glances at each other. My Christmas spirit was beginning to wilt.
“Some of the Old Ladies are going to be selling ornaments, jewelry, and other shit too. Sounds like it’s going to be a real flee market. I’m actually bummed out that I can’t be there.”
“So am I,” I replied. Tank had set all of this up and had been hyped about it for weeks. It was a shame that he was going to miss out on his project.
“Raina is going to bring the kids, so at least they’ll have some fun.” He let out a weary sigh. “You know, I don’t know how this snow is going to affect everything. At least the blizzard isn’t starting until early evening.”
“I think we created enough buzz about it yesterday that people will show, snow or not. Especially for their kids.”
“Let’s hope so. Anyway, I gotta go. Raina just walked in with a Hot Toddy. Call me later.”
“Will do.”
We hung up and my mind shifted back to Cleaner. He was obviously doing what he set out to do - bag Chloe. The fuck if I was going to let that happen.
Knowing that I had to stop at the clubhouse now, I decided to forgo a homemade breakfast and pick up Mc Donald’s along the way. Not something that I really wanted, but nor did I want to be a hangry asshole later.
Christmas With The Biker_Gold Vipers Page 11
