Naughty & Nice

by J. S. Scott

  Ruffling his hair, Santa stood up and said in a booming voice, “Time for me to go. I have a lot of houses to visit tonight.”

  “Is all of this for us?” Timmy asked in an astonished voice.

  Kara blinked as Santa stroked his very authentic looking white beard and winked at Timmy. “They’re for every one of you who has been very good this year.” His jolly, red face became sober for a moment as he added, “Some things that you should have had years ago.”

  Timmy was down on his knees, looking through the gifts. “Some are for me,” he exclaimed excitedly.

  Kara smiled at the pseudo Santa. “Thank you,” she said in a voice low enough that Timmy couldn’t hear.

  “You’re very welcome, Kara,” he answered with a beaming smile.

  How does he know that I’m Kara and not Maddie?

  She’d never met the man before, and Maddie had arranged the delivery.

  Santa looked at her and Simon’s conjoined hands, and then his eyes moved to Sam and Maddie, specifically at their clasped hands before he said solemnly, “Love each other well. You all deserve that.” In a louder voice, he bellowed, “Ho, Ho, Ho. Merry Christmas.” Lifting a black gloved hand, he strode confidently out the door.

  “There’s a present here for you, too, Kara. And for Simon, Sam and Maddie,” Timmy squealed happily.

  Maddie and Kara exchanged a startled look. “Oh, no. He must have made a mistake,” Kara muttered, distressed. She let go of Simon’s hand and ran after the delivery guy, Maddie on her heels.

  Both of them stopped abruptly as they reached the area of the circular drive where the sleigh had been parked.

  “He’s gone. How could he have left that quickly?” Kara asked Maddie breathlessly. She looked down the drive, seeing no sign of life.

  All was quiet.

  “I don’t know,” Maddie answered, sounding as confounded as Kara. “There shouldn’t be any gifts for us in there, but we’ll act cool. Timmy’s so excited. I’ll try to figure it out later.”

  Kara nodded to her, and the women made their way back to the pool house, only to find the “boys” already opening their gifts.

  To Kara’s relief, it was everything she and Maddie had bought for them. Both women kneeled beside the tree and watched as the men and boy plowed through the mound of gifts, all of them grinning like children.

  Maddie said she found a collection of tattered baseball cards in the back of the closet after she and Sam had gotten married. When she’d asked him why he no longer collected them, Sam told her the cards she’d found were a few common ones that he’d been able to get cheaply or for free as a kid, and he’d given up the hobby when he was a young boy. Sam loved baseball, and most of her gifts to him were related to the sport, including an incredible collection of cards and memorabilia that he was now eyeing like an enraptured kid.

  Kara already knew about Simon’s coin collecting, but she noticed he very seldom bought himself any, though he could very well afford it. Honestly, she was pretty certain it was because he was too busy thinking about her and had put the hobby on the back burner. She’d bought him a ton of hard-to-find coins and a bunch of other totally useless gifts that he might never use, but had probably coveted as a child.

  Currently, all three “boys” were trying to put together a massive train set that had been a gift with all three of their names on it.

  “If we’re careful, we can give it to Noah someday,” Timmy offered generously as Simon helped him put together a few of the railroad cars.

  Sam ran a hand over the top of Timmy’s head as he answered, “An excellent idea and very generous of you, Tim. But we get to play with it first.” He shot Tim a mischievous grin.

  Kara and Maddie sat back and let the men and Timmy have the space to play with their train set.

  “They look so happy,” Maddie said softly, as she stretched her legs out beside Kara’s.

  “Aren’t you going to open your gifts?” Timmy asked, looking up from his train set to wave at the packages still under the tree.

  The two women looked at each other and nodded slowly. Really, what choice did they have? Kara knew it would be weird if they didn’t.

  Thankfully, there was only one for each of them, and she took the packages that Timmy brought over to them before returning to his task.

  Kara tore off the paper on the gift and gasped as she revealed exactly what the contents were. Inside the paper was a gift she’d coveted when she was a young girl: a beautiful holiday Barbie in a pure white, lace and fur gown. She’d wanted it desperately as a girl, but knew it was too pricey to ask her parents to buy that Christmas. They’d been dirt poor, and Kara had been happy to get a normal Barbie from a discount store. But oh, how she’d wanted this one. And it was the very same doll from that very same year, brand new in the package. She clutched the box to her chest reflexively.

  “Please don’t tell me that you just got a gift that you wanted the most during your childhood,” Maddie whispered to her desperately.

  Kara turned her head and looked at Maddie. “I did,” she told her tremulously, holding out the now collectible Barbie for Maddie to see. “It’s even the same year.”

  “Oh, God,” Maddie whispered. “I got the thing I wanted most as a child, too. I wanted this Easy Bake Oven so badly, but I was in foster care. We got practical stuff. This is even the same model – it isn’t even in production anymore. It hasn’t been for years.”

  Kara watched as Maddie closed her eyes and clutched the box to her chest. “How can this be a coincidence?” she asked, stunned. Just how had these two presents with their names on them happened to get into this bunch?

  “Santa?” Maddie asked hesitantly.

  Kara looked around her, glancing at the three males, heads together, all of them grinning as they finally made the train go around the track. She looked down at the beautiful Barbie that she’d wanted so desperately so very long ago and held it to her chest, noticing that Maddie was still clutching her Easy Bake Oven. “I don’t care how it happened,” Kara finally admitted. “Maybe it was a wakeup call to make me start believing in Christmas miracles.”

  Maddie nodded slowly. “We have so much to be thankful for,” she conceded.

  “Like the fact that we both have daughters who we can pass these gifts down to?” Kara murmured, knowing she’d cherish the doll and give it to Ginny one day, and that she’d tell her the story of how it had come into her possession.

  “Yes,” Maddie sighed. “And sons we can be proud of and husbands who we love so much it’s almost painful. Maybe our childhoods were all crap, but Santa’s certainly making up for it now.” She winked at Kara.

  “So much has changed in the last few years,” Kara said, watching her husband and Timmy adoringly.

  “Thank God,” Maddie added, her voice overflowing with happiness and gratitude. “Because our old lives really sucked.”

  Kara laughed and put the doll carefully on the floor, holding her arms out for a big hug. Maddie stowed her precious gift on the floor and hugged her back.

  “Merry Christmas,” they said in unison.

  “Hey. Can we get into this action?” Simon asked gruffly.

  Kara let go of Maddie and looked up at her husband, smiling broadly as she noticed he was holding a sprig of mistletoe over her head.

  Next to her, Sam was standing in the same position, doing the same thing to Maddie.

  Kara stood and curled her hand around Simon’s neck and pulled his mouth to hers, giving him a slow, deep kiss full of emotion, trying to express without words how she was feeling.

  As he raised his head, he gazed at her tenderly, his heart in his eyes. “I love you, baby.”

  “I can’t reach,” Timmy said unhappily, a piece of mistletoe in his hand.

  Kara ruffled his hair and bent down to kiss his cheek. “You don’t even need the mistletoe, little man.”

  Simon hoisted Timmy up and into his arms, bussing the boy on the forehead. “Time to sleep, buddy. We can play with
more toys tomorrow,” he said with a grin.

  *****

  Kara got Ginny ready to go while Simon gathered up all of their stuff and loaded it into the car with the help of their driver. Finally, the four of them were situated in the back seat of Simon’s limo, all of them very tired but happy.

  She rested her head against Simon’s shoulder, her heart completely full of joy and contentment. Not so long ago, she’d been homeless, alone in the world without a single person who cared about her, except Maddie. “I’m so happy I could cry,” she whispered to Simon.

  “Don’t cry. I don’t like it,” he grumbled. “Just be happy.”

  “I already am.” She stretched and kissed his sexy, whiskered jaw. Her husband had never quite grasped the concept of happy tears.

  “I bet I could make you happier, once we get the kids to sleep,” Simon drawled in a low, wicked voice.

  Kara’s core clenched and heat flared between her thighs. She smiled into the darkness as she agreed, “I’m sure you can.”

  “I have a heart-wish saved for a special occasion,” Simon answered in a low, hopeful voice.

  She leaned into him and flicked her tongue over his ear. “You won’t need it tonight or any night that you want me.”

  “I always want you. You’re mine, Kara, and you always will be,” he answered in a harsh whisper, both of them keeping their voice down, even though Timmy was fast asleep, his head leaning sweetly against Ginny’s car seat.

  “And you’ll always be mine,” Kara retorted, running her palm down the side of his face.

  “Damn right,” he grumbled, his voice starting to sound lusty and bossy. “You’re the best damn present I’ve ever gotten. You always will be.”

  Kara bit back a smile, thinking that being loved by and loving the man beside her was the best gift she’d ever had, too.

  At one time, Kara hadn’t believed in miracles. Nothing miraculous had ever happened to her in her life, and she’d struggled through heartache and poverty, just trying to survive. But just like the Barbie she’d gotten tonight, sometimes marvelous and rare things did come in time. Simon was living proof.

  She sent up a silent thank you to Santa for reminding her that something as precious and rare as the love that she and Simon shared was worth the waiting and the pain.

  Just like Santa had advised them, she’d love him well. Men like Simon Hudson were rare, and as soon as the kids were settled and asleep, she’d show him just how much she loved him.

  Epilogue

  “Do you think I’ll get to take all this stuff with me, Simon?” Timmy asked anxiously on Christmas day, surrounded by a mound of presents that was taller than he was.

  Simon looked at the apprehension in the child’s eyes and scowled. Kara was in the kitchen making Christmas dinner, so he was holding a sleeping Ginny against his chest as he lounged on the couch and wondered if he’d bought enough presents for everyone. Yeah. Okay. Kara thought he’d gone way overboard, but the way he saw it, more was always better. As much as he loved his wife, Ginny, and Tim, he could buy several semi-trucks full of presents for them and it wouldn’t be enough to even try to show them how much they meant to him.

  Hesitating, Simon wasn’t sure what to tell Tim. Hell, yeah, the boy was keeping his stuff. And Simon was keeping the kid.

  Mine.

  As far as Simon was concerned, Tim was his to protect now, and over his dead body would anyone take his son away. The boy had been through enough, had spent enough of his young life feeling like nobody wanted him. He and Kara wanted Tim, and they were keeping him.

  “Come here,” he told the frightened boy in the gentlest voice possible, as he thought about someone —anyone—pulling the vulnerable seven-year-old away from his new home.

  Bullshit. Not. Happening.

  Tim stood up immediately from his place near the tree and scrambled onto the couch right next to Simon, wrapping a protective little arm around Ginny.

  Simon swallowed hard as he looked down at Tim and Ginny, the two of them already bonded. Tim was already a protective older brother to his daughter. “Don’t tell Kara I told you, but we want you to stay with us forever,” Simon said hoarsely. He wasn’t certain how Kara would feel about Simon telling Tim about their plans to adopt him so soon and without her present, but he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t stand to watch the boy so damn miserable.

  Tim looked up at him with a stunned expression. “Forever? You want me to stay?”

  Christ! Was it that hard for Tim to believe somebody actually wanted him? That just made Simon even more pissed off at the world. “Yeah. We want to adopt you, Tim. What do you think about that?”

  “Why?” Tim asked, his eyes full of wary hopefulness. “I’m sick. I’m a lot of work.”

  Simon nearly growled, but he restrained himself. “Do you feel sick right now?”

  Tim shook his head slowly. “No. I feel good. But I’ll feel sick sometimes.”

  Simon couldn’t argue with that. There probably would be times when Tim had problems, but handling it was part of being a parent. He was more than willing to deal with it. “You’re not sick. You have a disease that will cause you problems sometimes,” Simon answered honestly. “But that doesn’t matter to Kara and me. We love you, buddy. And we want you to be our son and Ginny’s brother. I’m hoping you want that, too,” he told Tim gruffly.

  He nearly groaned when large tears formed in the little boy’s eyes and started running down his cheeks as he looked up at Simon with an awed expression. “For real?” Tim asked, his expression still cautiously optimistic.

  Jesus. The kid was killing him. Where the hell was Kara? She dealt with this stuff better than he did. Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned it. “Yeah. For real. And don’t cry. I don’t like it,” he grumbled, swiping the tears from Tim’s face with gentle fingers.

  Tim lifted his own palm and scrubbed at the tears. “Because it’s not manly, right?”

  Simon could have easily lied and agreed, but he answered honestly. “No, Tim. I don’t like it because when somebody I care about cries, it makes me sad, too.”

  “What about happy tears?” Tim sniffled.

  “I never saw happy tears when I was young. I don’t think I’ve quite figured them out yet,” Simon replied, smiling at him. “Kara does that happy tears thing, but for me, crying means sadness.”

  “I’m not sad, Simon. I’m just scared,” Tim said hesitantly.

  Simon frowned. “Why?”

  “I want to stay with you, Kara, and Ginny so much. But I’m afraid something bad will happen. It usually does.”

  “It won’t,” Simon vowed. “I promise. You trust me, right?”

  Tim nodded eagerly.

  “You remember what I said about keeping my promises?”

  Tim inclined his head solemnly.

  “You’ll be my son, just like Ginny is my daughter,” Simon promised, a lump forming in his throat.

  Kara had been right. A child didn’t have to have his own DNA to steal his heart. This boy had burrowed himself into that stubborn organ the moment he’d accepted Simon exactly the way he was, scars and all.

  “If you adopt me, will I be able to call you dad?” Tim asked hopefully. “And will Kara be my mom? And I’ll be able to call Ginny my sister?”

  “Yes, yes, and yes. You don’t have to wait until the adoption is final. You’re our boy,” Simon answered protectively.

  Finally, a broad smile appeared on Tim’s face and Simon relaxed. Holy hell. He hoped he never had to see this child cry ever again, happy tears or not.

  “What’s going on in here?” Kara asked curiously as she stepped into the living room.

  “You’re going to be my mom,” Timmy chattered excitedly.

  Simon’s heart accelerated as his wife looked at him questioningly. He nodded, unable to get anything past the lump in his throat.

  Dressed casually like the rest of them, Kara’s body was being lovingly hugged by a worn pair of jeans and Christmas sweatshirt. He
r face was flushed from being in the kitchen, and her bright blue eyes were smiling at him.

  Mine.

  As usual, he wanted her the moment he saw her, but his love went so much deeper than the physical. She was the missing part of his soul, and he was finally whole. Ginny and Tim were a huge bonus, making everything so fucking perfect, it was frightening.

  Kara thought he had saved her, but really, she’d been the one to rescue him from a profound loneliness he’d never even acknowledged until he’d met her, a loneliness that no longer existed.

  I have a family of my own now.

  He grinned at her as Tim threw himself into her arms and hugged her like he never wanted to let go.

  Simon understood exactly how the kid felt.

  “You’re really going to be my mom?” Timmy questioned enthusiastically.

  Kara hefted the boy up and sat down beside Simon, holding Tim on her lap. “I really am. I want to be your mom,” she told the boy softly.

  “Then Santa was right. He said not to worry, that you’d be my mom and dad someday. I should have believed in him,” Tim said worriedly.

  “Santa said that?” Kara whispered quietly into the boy’s ear, looking startled.

  Timmy nodded at her.

  Simon looked at his wife and she shot him an alarmed look. He wondered if she was upset because he’d already mentioned adoption to Tim. “What’s the matter?”

  Tim gave Kara a final hug and slid off her lap to go organize and play with his Christmas gifts.

  Kara smiled at him and shook her head. “Nothing important. I’ll tell you later. But I think I should start believing in Santa.”

  “I’m sorry I told Tim without you being here, but he was worried,” Simon told her quietly, keeping his voice down so the child didn’t overhear them.

  “It’s okay,” Kara whispered, resting her head against his biceps with a yawn.

  “Tired?” he asked with a grin.

  “Yes. Somebody has been keeping me up late,” she answered in a sleepy voice.

  “Just trying to remind you how much I appreciate your body,” Simon replied. Shit. He already had a boner the size of Texas just from thinking about the night before, and the night before that.