Saving Santa

by Velvet Vaughn

  "I was just kidding about that," she murmured, totally enchanted. He was gorgeous. She shook her head to gather her thoughts. "I have to get to work. I've left the remote by the bed and you can use my computer if you need to check your email or anything."

  "Actually, if you could just give me a lift, I'd appreciate it. I've got things to do."

  "Absolutely not," she bellowed. "You were shot, Kris. With a gun. Real bullets. Hello? Bang, bang. The hole in your shoulder? Your ribs are severely bruised, probably cracked. You have a possible concussion. You've been ordered to rest and I will make sure you do."

  "But—"

  "No buts. Promise me you will lay back down and rest."

  He looked like he wanted to argue but he finally relented. "Fine. But I won't rest. I've had enough sleep. And tomorrow I'm out of here."

  "We'll see," she muttered under her breath as she grabbed her purse. "I left my number by the bed. If you need anything, just ring. I'll call you to remind you to take the meds."

  "How will you know who to call since you don't know my name, Magnolia Blossom?"

  "You don’t remember me bathing you or taking you to the bathroom, or heck, what day it is, but that you remember?"

  Those white teeth flashed again. "The important things stick."

  "Well, it's just Maggie." She pulled on her Columbia parka and zipped it up. As she tugged the gloves from the pockets, she reminded him of his promise.

  "Yeah, yeah," he agreed reluctantly. "And it's Carter."

  "What's carter?"

  "My name."

  "It fits you," she said. "What's your last name?"

  "Ah, ah, ah," he wiggled a finger back and forth. "A guy needs a little mystery, keeps the ladies interested."

  She burst out laughing. Yes, they definitely had the same sense of humor. "Fine. I'll just call you Carter Kringle. It'll be time for your antibiotics in four hours. They're on the bedside table. If you feel like eating, the fridge is full. Help yourself. I'll bring something for supper. You aren't a vegetarian, are you?"

  "Oh good Lord, no," he said, making it sound like vegetarianism shared equal footing with cannibalism.

  "Any requests?"

  "Surprise me."

  "You're not going to rob me blind while I'm gone are you?"

  Chapter Five

  Carter wolfed down three cinnamon raisin bagels and felt marginally better. Despite his protests, he'd fallen back asleep for four hours after Maggie left, only waking when she called to remind him of the antibiotics. After swallowing the pills, the dizziness had faded and his appetite returned with a vengeance. His shoulder and ribs were a dull ache. He'd had worse injuries in special ops so he knew he could get back out there. The only problem was he didn't have a plan yet.

  He gazed at the large tree dominating Maggie's living room. It was strewn with lights and garland and a mish-mash of odd-shaped ornaments. It made him smile wistfully. They'd always had a real tree growing up, covered with things that he and Cami created. Thinking about those days made him think of his sister and RJ.

  A small part of him, okay a large part of him didn't want to leave Magnolia Blossom. She made him feel things, long for things that he had no business wishing for. His life was a mess. He didn't have a job, but he had a pretty good nest egg. His maternal grandparents had set them both up with generous trust funds so he didn't need to work. But Cami ran through hers on drugs and bad choices in men so he needed to make sure she was taken care of. He should've been around more to watch over her, but she wanted to lead her own life. He was just glad she'd asked for help with RJ.

  RJ. He had to get him away from Rebel as soon as possible. He'd be so scared and there was no one there who would take care of him.

  Carter's lids drooped. How could he still be sleepy? He knew the body needed to rest in order to heal, and he did have quite a few injuries. He padded over to the bed, intending to just lie down for a few minutes. A ringing phone woke him up. He glanced at the clock. He'd lost another four hours. He palmed the pill and answered, intending to tell Maggie that he'd taken it already.

  "Hello?"

  There was a pause, then a decidedly masculine voice drawled, "Okay, I was expecting a machine. And a voice about fifteen octaves higher. Who is this?"

  "You must've dialed the wrong number." Carter hung up before the man could ask questions. He should've checked caller-id before answering. The phone rang again. Was it the man calling back? And just who was the man calling his Magnolia Blossom? Shaking his head to clear those thoughts, he looked at the display this time. It was the same number Maggie called from earlier. His voice was tentative. "Hello?"

  "It's your friendly four-hour medicine call," she chirped. "How are you feeling?"

  "Better," he said. He wanted to bring up the male caller but she cut him off before he could. "I have another call, so I have to run. I'll be home in a couple of hours with food." She hung up.

  He dropped the phone and reclined against the pillow. The garage door woke him next. He was getting annoyed with his body shutting down when he had so much to do.

  He gingerly eased out of bed and met Maggie as she entered the house, an enticing aroma wafting from the flat boxes in her hands.

  "How does pizza sound?"

  "Perfect," he said, his mouth watering.

  "Go ahead and dig in. I'm going to change. I wasn't sure what you liked," she said over her shoulder as she padded to the bedroom. "So I thought, heck, we have the same sense of humor, maybe we have the same taste, too."

  He opened the lid and a pizza overflowing with toppings greeted him. "Supreme? My favorite. We do have the same taste."

  She smiled as she disappeared behind the door. He wanted to wait for her, but his stomach wouldn't let him. He swallowed the first piece in three bites. He was on his third piece when she returned.

  "Thanks for leaving some for me," she quipped. "I figured you'd be hungry, so I got two. Eat up."

  She didn't have to tell him twice. He gobbled down piece four and five. She placed a cold bottle of water in front of him and then slid into the chair across from him.

  "So, I hear you talked to my brother?"

  He choked on the water and held up a hand to stop her before she could pound his back again. "I wouldn't say talked, really. I told him he had the wrong number."

  Maggie laughed. "He said you told him that he dialed wrong, when all he did was punch a speed dial button."

  "Did he give you a hard time?"

  "Oh, yeah. But hey, that's what big brothers are for."

  He was the same way with Cami. Thinking about her made his appetite wane.

  "What's wrong?"

  He shook his head. "What do you mean?"

  "You were smiling one minute and looking troubled and sad the next."

  "Just thinking of my sister."

  "Oh, you have a sister. Younger or older?"

  "Younger," he said. "And I've failed her so many times."

  Maggie placed her piece of pizza down and covered his hand with hers. "How have you failed her?"

  He flipped his around so that they were holding hands. She didn't pull away. He took strength from her. "She got mixed up in drugs and dangerous men. She made some bad choices and I wasn't around to take care of her."

  "What about your parents?"

  "They were killed in a car crash a few years ago."

  Her hand squeezed his. "I'm sorry."

  "Yeah, me, too. They were amazing. How about your parents?"

  She smiled fondly. "They're oddball, super-eccentric and completely nutty."

  "Why do you say that?"

  "Well, you know my moniker. They saddled my brothers with Nature Rain and Earth Replenish."

  His mouth dropped open. "You're kidding me."

  Her teeth gleamed as she shook her head. "When they were ten and eight, they petitioned the court to have their names legally changed to Noah Robert and Ethan Reynolds. Our grandfather was Robert Reynolds."

  "Your parents didn't object
?"

  "No, they were all about making sure we were independent and loved. So they signed off on the change. But they still call them Nature and Earth." She chuckled. "They didn't bring girls home in high school."

  He laughed. "If you dislike your name so much, why didn't you change it? Don’t get me wrong, I love it."

  She shrugged. "I guess it's not so bad. And besides, my initials led to a degree."

  "MBA," he deduced.

  She nodded. "Yep. Masters of Business. It was important that my brothers kept their initials, too. And they're just as fitting. Noah's a sharpshooter, so NRA fit and Ethan was the star pitcher on the baseball team, so ERA was perfect."

  "Do your parents live around here? I think I'd like to meet them."

  "They did, but they retired to Florida last year."

  They ate a few more bites of pizza and Maggie looked thoughtful. "I bet your sister didn't want you to take care of her."

  "Why do you say that?"

  "Because I'm that way with my brothers. Their overprotectiveness drives me crazy."

  He shrugged. "It's what big brothers do. What did you tell yours about me?"

  She smiled. "I told him that you were a big, sexy stud-muffin that I ordered for myself for Christmas. I had to threaten bodily harm when he promised to come over here and rearrange your, and I quote, pretty-boy face if you touched me."

  They both burst out laughing but he had to grasp his ribs when they protested. "I think I'd like your brother," he said.

  "Yeah, he's not so bad," she said fondly. "Seriously, I told him that you were an old friend looking for a place to crash for a few days. I'm pretty sure he won't drop by unannounced."

  They cleaned up the food and slid the left-over pizza in the fridge. "Why don't you watch TV," Maggie offered. "I want to shower and then maybe we can talk?" She posed the question casually, but he knew she was dying to hear his story and how he'd ended up with a bullet wound.

  He moved to the living room, again marveling at the sheer size of her Christmas tree. He flicked on the remote, then hit the button for the fireplace. The flames licked to life behind the glass. He switched on SportsCenter and leaned back to watch.

  Chapter Six

  Maggie took time to shave her legs and dab on perfume. Not that she was trying to seduce Carter. He was injured and too much of an unknown. But if planets aligned and he tried to kiss her again, she'd let him. She was inexplicitly drawn to him.

  She donned the Navy SEAL sweatshirt she stole from Noah and pulled on yoga pants. Casual but comfortable. She swished mouthwash one more time and then headed for the living room.

  Carter was fast asleep on the couch.

  She sighed. So much for a romantic night in front of the Christmas tree. She grabbed the afghan her grandma knitted and covered him, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead. He stirred but didn't wake. He'd taken the last of his antibiotics, so she didn't need to rouse him in a few hours. Hopefully the rest was strengthening his battered body. He obviously needed the sleep. She lowered the sound but left the TV playing. With one last wistful look, she headed to the bedroom.

  #

  Carter couldn't believe he'd fallen asleep again last night. His body was seriously betraying him. He'd had such a nice talk about family with Maggie. He knew she was dying to hear his story and he intended to tell her. Maybe she'd help him with a plan. And maybe he could steal that kiss he so desperately needed.

  He'd woken up just as she was leaving for work. It was the day before Christmas Eve so she was only working half a day. He promised her they would talk when she returned.

  He'd better let Cami know he was okay in case she heard any rumors. He dialed her number and waited. The phone rang three times before the machine picked up. He didn't want to leave a message, not knowing who might hear it. It was better if he stayed dead until he could figure out a plan. He glanced at the clock. Cami should be home. She worked at a retail store in the afternoons. It was part of her plea agreement the last time Rebel had her arrested for possession. Maybe they'd called her in to work early for the Christmas rush. He dialed the shop and when the phone was answered, he asked for Cami.

  "I'm sorry, she doesn't work here anymore."

  A shiver of unease snaked down his spine. She needed to keep the job and check in with her probation officer. "Since when?" He hadn't spoken to Cami in over two weeks.

  "She didn't come in all weekend and didn't call, so the manager fired her."

  "You haven't spoken to her?"

  "No. We haven't heard from her."

  He mumbled a thanks, disconnected and dialed Cami's cell again. Still no answer. It wasn't like her to be irresponsible when she was clean. Dread pooled in his stomach. If she was clean. He needed to check on his sister. He'd call a cab and explain to Maggie later.

  As if he conjured her, the garage door rumbled open and then a few minutes later, Maggie stepped into the kitchen.

  "You look rested," she remarked, dropping a fast food bag on the table in front of him. Despite the worry weighing him down, his stomach growled at the enticing aroma. "Dig in," she offered.

  He opened the bag to find three large sandwiches and two jumbo cartons of fries. "Smells delicious. What are you eating?"

  She smiled. "That hungry?"

  He smiled back. "Kidding." He pulled out a bag of fries and placed it on the paper plate she'd retrieved from the cabinet. "Diet Coke, water or milk?"

  "Water's fine," he said. She opened two plastic bottles and placed one in front of him. She dug into her sandwich with as much zest as he did and his heart flipped again. She tackled everything with a contagious zeal that was so appealing. She would be that way in bed, too.

  "So, what did you do this morning?" she asked in between bites of salty fries. "You slept, didn't you?"

  No sense in lying. "A little." He thought about his sister and the food congealed in his stomach into a lump. He needed Maggie's help, so it was time to tell her the whole story. She noticed his change of demeanor and cleared away the food. She held out a hand and led him to the couch.

  "Tell me."

  So he did.

  "My sister's had a hard time since our parents died. She was a junior in college. I was in the military, so I took leave to help with the funerals and settling their estate."

  "Special ops?" she guessed.

  He nodded. "Delta Force."

  She whistled. "Bad asses. But my brothers would still rag the heck out of you." She smiled. "They're former SEALS."

  That's where she got her spunk. Trying to keep up with her rock star brothers. "Sissies."

  She slapped a hand around his forearm. "For the love of bacon, please don’t say that to them."

  "Bacon?"

  She smiled unrepentantly. "What can I say, I love bacon."

  He was struck again at her beauty. She was so radiant when she smiled. And dammit, he loved bacon, too.

  "I'm sorry, go on," she urged.

  He shook his head to clear his wayward thoughts. "My sister assured me she was okay and I went back to my career. I didn't know she'd gotten hooked on drugs until I came home for a holiday. She'd been kicked out of school. She was so high, I couldn't even communicate with her. I got her to rehab, monitored her as best I could. She got out and went back to school. The same thing happened—about five more times." He ran a hand through his hair. "I tried to keep tabs on her, visit when I could. But I was gone for long periods of time. She finally got fed up with me trying to keep her clean so she quit speaking with me. I hadn't heard from her in three years."

  He stood up to pace but a wave of dizziness had him sitting down quickly. A soft, cool hand covered his. He took strength from it.

  "Cami called me four months ago in a panic. Her ex-boyfriend had taken their son and left. She has a history of hooking up with losers, so that wasn't unexpected, but this was the first I'd heard about a child. To say I was surprised was an understatement. I was just about to re-up. I found my calling in the Army. I planned on being ca
reer military."

  Her hand was now stroking his, encouraging him. "I struggled over what to do. I'd almost decided to go ahead and re-up when she called me in another panic. Her ex was a gangbanger, and not just any gang. The most notorious, deadliest band in the Midwest."

  "The Floyd Gang?"

  He jerked back. "You've heard of them?"

  She nodded. "I keep on top of all the local scum."

  He was shocked. "What do you do?"

  "I'm an agent with COBRA Securities."

  "No kidding? I've heard of them. They're famous. I'm impressed."

  "Well…" she hedged, glancing away, "I'm in the process of becoming a field agent."

  "Do you have to take courses or something?"

  "More like talk my stubborn bosses into it," she mumbled.

  He smiled. She was adorable when she was huffy. "So you…"

  "Run the office," she muttered. "Right now I take care of the office. Okay? But I'm taking self-defense classes and I've been practicing at the range."

  "Hey, no need to get defensive. I believe you."

  "You do?"

  He nodded. "You've got some impressive moves." She looked pleased. "So anyway, my conscience couldn't leave a child in the hands of a gang. I reluctantly accepted an Honorable Discharge and headed home. My sister had a contact in the gang that she swore was loyal to her. He sponsored me getting in, and then it was just a matter of being accepted by the leader."

  "Rebel Floyd."

  His eyes widened. "You do keep up with the local scum." She nodded. "Rebel's my sister's ex."

  She jumped to her feet. "Oh my God. Carter! Rebel's seriously a hard-core gangster. We've got to get your nephew out now."

  She spun to leave but he grabbed her arm. "Wait. We can't go running over there willy-nilly. We need a plan. They've got major security and I'm persona non grata."

  "Yes. You're right. A plan." She sat down but her instant protectiveness of his nephew did something to his heart.

  He continued with the story. "Rebel was leery of accepting me into the group at first. He had some big deal going down in a few months and he didn't trust unknowns. I tried to act nonchalant, like it didn't matter. Then I saw RJ. I knew I had to get in. RJ took to me instantly." He smiled. "It was like he knew we were related."