Holiday Treasure (Billionaire Bachelors - Book 10) (4 page)

Chapter Seven

K
yla fumbled in
her purse for her apartment key as she moved down the sidewalk toward the apartment building. Before she could look up, her legs tangled, and she felt herself falling forward as she heard someone let out an
oof
.

To her horror, Kyla found herself on the cold cement, on top of a small boy. Rolling quickly off him, she sat up and immediately reached out.

“Are you okay? I am so sorry,” she gasped as her hands ran over his arms and legs.

“I’m fine,” he said, though his wheezing told her that he’d had the breath knocked out of him. “My grandma needs help, though,” he said, almost pleading, his eyes desperate.

“Where is she? What’s the matter?” Kyla was instantly panicked. She didn’t handle emergencies very well.

“This way.” The boy grabbed her hand and began to pull her down the sidewalk. Kyla held his little hand and had to rush to keep pace with him as he moved. When they reached the bus stop halfway down the block, she found a woman sitting on the bench with a couple of plastic grocery sacks beside her and her shoulders hunched down low.

Kyla bent down to the woman, worried about what she would find. “Ma’am, are you okay?”

The woman looked up, her brow wrinkled, her gray eyes tired, and her hands showing clear signs of rheumatoid arthritis. “Oh, sweetie, I’m just fine. I did some shopping and I’m trying to get up the energy to carry the bags inside. Billy here was obviously alarmed — he’s such a good boy! — and he took off to find help before I could call him back. Thank you for bringing him to me. I worry when he wanders. He’s only five years old.”

“Let me help you with the bags. Billy found me and said you needed assistance.”

“Oh, that’s not your job, doll. I can do it. It just takes me a little bit longer these days.” The woman spoke with determination, though her voice sounded so exhausted.

“I’d be hurt if you didn’t let me help,” Kyla told her, and she grabbed both bags with one hand, though they
were
definitely heavy. She then held out the other hand to help the woman up.

“You’re too kind. I used to move around a lot easier, but old age, arthritis, and creaky bones are making it more difficult these days,” she said with a small laugh. “When they say seventy-five is the new fifty-five, they’re lying — at least when it comes to some of us.”

“I have days like that myself,” Kyla replied as she stood next to the woman and they began a slow walk back to the apartment building.

“I’m Vivian, by the way. What’s your name?”

“I’m Kyla. I met your grandson right outside my apartment building. Do you and Billy live in the apartments on this street?”

“Yes. I’ve been here for years, but my little boy just came to live with me not too long ago.”

Kyla wanted to ask how the woman had ended up with her grandson, but she’d heard the pain in Vivian’s voice, and she could tell the story wouldn’t be a pleasant one. In any case, she didn’t want to be intrusive.

“I’m surprised I haven’t run into you before now,” Kyla said as they made it to the building and she pushed open the slow-groaning doors.

“I don’t get out as much as I used to. I have someone who shops for me once a week, but Billy needed a few things, and the shopper won’t come back for three more days, so we had no choice but to go to the store.”

“Which apartment do you live in? Ground floor?” Kyla hoped so, since the elevators didn’t work and she couldn’t imagine that Vivian would able to climb the stairs without major effort.

“Yes, thankfully. I’m in one-sixteen.”

“We’re practically neighbors. I’m in one-twelve,” Kyla said.

“I hope you’ll come in for a cup of tea so I can thank you properly for helping me,” Vivian said as she pulled out a key and inserted it in the lock of her door.

“I would love to,” Kyla told her.

They stepped inside, and Kyla was impressed with the woman’s small apartment. It was spotless, and pictures filled the walls and the end tables by the couch. Holding pride of place in the center of the living room wall was a large framed picture featuring a smiling Billy and what looked like his parents. She again wondered why he was living with his grandmother now, but she couldn’t bear to ask.

“Oh, Billy, remember to pick up your toys, sweetie,” Vivian said as she nearly tripped over a bright little fire engine.

Was tripping the name of the game in this place?

“I’m sorry, Grandma,” Billy said, quickly grabbing the truck before he took it to what looked like his toy box.

“It’s okay. I just don’t want to fall over,” Vivian told him before moving to the kitchen and filling her teakettle with water and setting it on the stove, then taking two cups down.

Once Kyla set the heavy bags on the counter, Billy began emptying them and putting everything away. Impressive, she thought, for a child that age.

“I’m in kindergarten this year,” he said shyly.

“That’s wonderful, Billy. Do you have a lot of friends?” Kyla really wanted to help Vivian, but was afraid to offend the woman by offering.

“Not yet, but I just started at my new school,” Billy said and then a sheen of tears appeared in his eyes.

Before Kyla could ask another question, the teapot whistled.

“Do you like cream and sugar with your tea?” Vivian asked.

“Yes to both, please,” Kyla answered before thanking Vivian and joining her at the small kitchen table.

“Ah, a woman after my own heart. Not too many people like cream in their tea,” she said with a smile.

“I spent a semester of college in London and got used to the overseas habit. Now, I’m hooked,” Kyla said with a fond smile. At that moment in her life, everything had been beautiful and the world was at her fingertips. She had never been able to break the European way of drinking her tea, and she hadn’t want to.

By the time she left, Kyla had even more questions about Vivian and Billy, and the sadness that seemed to reside in both of their eyes even when they smiled. Hopefully she would get to know them both well enough to feel comfortable asking where his parents were. But what if it was something awful? She didn’t know if she could handle that.

Sometimes, questions were better left unanswered. As she moved into her apartment and looked at the picture of her family she kept on her living room wall, she thought of all the unanswered questions she still had about her own life and those nearest and dearest to her.

Curiosity caused pain. Maybe she should just not worry about Vivian and Billy. And yet, as she moved toward her room, she knew that wasn’t going to happen. With a sigh, she got ready for bed. This holiday season continued to hang heavy on her shoulders.

Chapter Eight

T
hree days.

It had been three long days and nights, and Tanner hadn’t managed to get two seconds alone with his neighbor. Today was the day. He’d been avoiding letting her know that he was Santa, but she was good at avoiding things, too — or rather at avoiding him. He hadn’t seen her in the apartment building since the day he moved in.

He’d paced the long, freezing-cold hallways, and he’d already called in to have the heating fixed. They were sure taking their sweet time getting the problem solved, though. How had his tenants put up with this for so long? Anyway, there he paced, hoping Kyla would come out.

She never did.

So here he was at the mall an hour early, with a cup of coffee in his hand. He’d strike up a conversation, ask her out on a date, and they’d go from there.

Oh, hell. What in the world had he been thinking? He couldn’t ask her out on a date. He wasn’t allowed to go anywhere but the stupid mall and the even stupider apartments. How was he supposed to get laid when he wasn’t able to use his best moves?

Wait!

He didn’t need to buy her an expensive dinner to get her beneath him. He was great-looking and charming, wasn’t he? And he knew how to get a girl. Not that he’d had to do much chasing. Women naturally chased after him. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t remember a time he’d had to be the pursuer. Of course, that was when he could flash his money and family name, and he couldn’t do that now. This might prove an interesting challenge — courting a dame with just his looks and charm alone. Challenge accepted.

This could be fun.

Stepping into the break room, which also happened to be the changing area, he smiled when he found Kyla sitting on the bench, her costume in hand as she rubbed at her eyes sleepily.

“Good morning,” he said.

Her head snapped up and she eyed him warily.

“What are you doing here?” She glanced over at the door as if she thought he was a stalker ready to pounce and she was ensuring a safe exit strategy.

He’d never had
that
reaction before. No, it wasn’t quite the ego boost he’d been expecting from her.

“I’m just getting ready to go to work,” he said as he approached — slowly, carefully, unthreateningly, he hoped — and held out the coffee.

She eyed it as if it were poison. Sheesh. His first attempt at giving a woman coffee was an epic fail. Sure, it was mall coffee, but it still had caffeine in it, for crap’s sake.

“You work here?”

She still didn’t take the offered cup, so Tanner set it down on the bench next to her before heading over to his assigned locker and reaching in for the costume. When he pulled out the Santa suit, her eyes widened.

“You’re Santa?” she gasped.

“Yep, been working with you all week,” he replied, and he began stripping down to his boxers and tank top before piling the padding on.

“I…uh…didn’t know,” she said as she stood up stiffly.

Tanner couldn’t fail to notice her shooting him what she thought was a covert glance. She didn’t look to be too horrified by what she saw, he thought, grinning to himself.

He knew he was a bit arrogant about his looks. Yes, the basics might have been the gift of good genes, but the body was something he worked hard for. He ran regularly, at minimum five days a week, and he lifted weights at the gym as often as his schedule allowed. Well, before he was in a facility without the option. Maybe he should consider having the contractor build a makeshift one just so he had somewhere to burn some of his pent-up time and frustration. Ahh, then again, it was under a month — now about twenty days — until he regained his freedom. His incredible physique could handle it.

“Like what you see?” he asked with his field-tested seductive smile.

She pressed her lips together into a grim slash as she took him in, starting with the bottom of his feet — thick socks covered his ridiculous ankle device, he was happy to remember — and then moving her eyes slowly upward, pausing pointedly on the padding he’d just placed around his middle. Her only reply was an unimpressed raised eyebrow.

“Hey, you’re the one who said you had a Santa fetish,” he reminded her with a wink.

“I also said that it, whatever
it
is, wasn’t going to happen with you,” she replied.

“Not exactly. You said I wouldn’t get to hear about it. I much prefer show over tell.” He could play this game with her all day long if she wanted.

“Let me make myself a bit more clear, then. It won’t happen with you.
Ever. Under any circumstances.
”

“That’s because you don’t know me. I’m a great guy,” he said, trying to strike a sexy pose — not too possible in this pathetic fat suit.

“Should I be wowed because I met you for two minutes the other day?”

“Well…yeah,” he said, pulling up the large Santa pants after giving up on trying to do anything even remotely resembling sexy.

She laughed. Actually laughed at him. Tanner really didn’t know how to handle that reaction.

“You are quite sure of yourself, Tanner.”

Kyla walked into the small bathroom, he assumed to change into her costume. Too bad she wanted to hide. He wouldn’t mind seeing her without much on — he’d prefer nothing at all, actually.

When she returned, he gave her an appreciative look, which she ignored. She eyed the coffee as if she really wanted it but was unwilling to take the chance the contents might be poisoned. So he sighed with exasperation, walked over, and picked up the cup. Pulling off the lid while looking straight at her, he took a gulp before putting the lid back on and holding the coffee out to her. “See, it’s not poisoned.”

“Okay, then,” she said. She accepted the cup and took a long swallow, sighing. “Mmm, you obviously pay attention.”

Yes, Tanner was very observant. He’d listened as the elves all spoke before they went on coffee runs. He knew she liked extra caramel in her coffee.

“I always pay attention to what a woman wants,” he said, using his best come-hither voice. She sauntered toward him with wantonly flared nostrils, parted lips and drooping eyelids, and Tanner was about to spring….um…to his…feet.

When she ran a finger up his padding, Tanner cursed the layers between them. “Good. I like a man who listens,” she purred, and leaned closer. He also leaned forward, getting ready to connect their lips.

The flat of her hand slammed against his chest.

He looked at her and waited. Huh?

“Not gonna happen.” With that, she turned and sashayed from the room. He was sure the added wiggle in her hips was just for him.

Instead of being angry, he allowed a huge grin to spread across his lips. She was obviously playing hard to get. But if she wanted to be chased, he could certainly accommodate her.

With a whistle springing from his lips, he followed her out the door. He didn’t even mind that he was about to be accosted by a pack of stinky kids. His eyes would be glued to her sweet ass the rest of the day anyway.

Well, maybe that wasn’t the best idea while he was holding kids on his lap. He’d save the looking for breaks.

Chapter Nine

T
anner’s day was
coming to a close when a small boy climbed up onto him. He had only this last kid to appease and then he could go home.
Let’s do this
, he said silently with what little sarcasm he had left after a full day of every sarcastic comment he could think of running through his brain.

“What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?” Tanner asked with a half-assed attempt at a Santa chuckle.

The boy peered up with wide eyes and a trembling lip.

Great. Just great.

“Come on, kid. How is Santa going to know what you want if you don’t tell him?”

The boy whispered something beneath his breath, but Tanner couldn’t hear it, so he leaned down. “What’s your name?”

“Billy,” the boy whispered.

“Well, Billy, what toys can Santa bring you this year? I’m sure you have a long list.”

“I don’t want any more toys,” he said as a tear slid down his cheek.

Tanner’s stomach tightened as he looked at the grief on this child’s face. He didn’t understand why he cared, but the grief was so obvious. No. It had to just be that the kid was having a bad day. Where in the hell were his parents? He looked out and couldn’t see anyone likely.

“Of course you want some toys. Don’t all good little boys want toys?”

“I haven’t been a good boy,” he whispered, a sob coming up from deep down inside.

“How old are you, Billy?” Tanner asked.

“Five.”

“Well, don’t you want a set of Legos or maybe a Transformer?” Tanner hoped to speed this along.

“No.”

“Maybe a racetrack and some cars?”

“I just want my mommy and daddy back,” Billy choked out.

Tanner was stopped cold. “What?”

“They went to heaven, my grandma said, but I don’t want them to be in heaven. I promised my grandma I would be a good boy, that I wouldn’t chase Mary around the playground with my fake snake again. I promised to eat my vegetables. Grandma said it wasn’t my fault, but it has to be my fault. I just want them to come back home. I miss my mommy and daddy.”

This small child and his devastated eyes left Tanner speechless. How was he supposed to respond to
that
? What could he possibly say to ease the boy’s pain?

Nothing.

There was nothing he could say or do. This wasn’t something that even his money could fix; it wasn’t something tangible that he could put his hands on and twist until it got better. This was grief, and there was nothing but time that would heal it. If even that.

“Billy, it was nothing you did. Sometimes, the people we love the most have to go away. I don’t know why, but I bet they are watching out for you every single day, and they’re so very proud of you.” Tanner just hoped that his flailing around for words didn’t screw up this child for the rest of his life.

“Why did they have to leave?” Billy asked, gazing up at Tanner with such innocent eyes.

“I don’t know, Billy. Even Santa doesn’t have
all
the answers. I do know that they love you very much, though. You are one special little boy.”

Billy gave a watery smile, then leaned against Tanner’s chest and wrapped his arms around him.

“I love you, Santa,” Billy whispered, resting his little head beneath “Santa’s” chin, and Tanner’s heart felt as if it were going to melt.

What was this small child doing to him?

“I love you, too, Billy.” Tanner’s voice was slightly strained. Those were not words he ever spoke, and when he said
never
, he meant
never
. He cleared his throat as he felt an odd sting in his eyes.

Billy held on for several more minutes before he climbed from Tanner’s lap and climbed slowly down the steps with the help of one of the elves. He turned back and attempted a smile.

“I know you’re magic, Santa, ’cause my mommy always said that Christmas was magic and no dream was impossible when you came. So maybe you can just bring them back,” he said, sounding far older than a five-year-old child.

Tanner stood up and moved to Billy, kneeling down in front of him. “All the magic in the world can’t undo some things, Billy. I wish it could. Just don’t give up on Christmas or the things your mother told you that magic can do,” he said with desperation. For some reason it mattered to Tanner that this boy didn’t lose his love of Christmas and the magic of Santa.

Billy said no more as he walked away. Tanner watched him, looking for someone to take the young child’s hand, but he was still alone as he turned a corner. Who was at the mall with him? Should Tanner go and chase him down? Not knowing what to do, he just kneeled there, emptiness filling him. He’d never experienced a pain like what Billy was currently going through. He’d been too young to feel the impact when his mother had walked out on him and his siblings, and his family was close — or they had been close until the last few years.

But even that was changing again and he was speaking to his siblings a little more — really speaking to them — and even to his father. To top that off, he’d discovered he had all of these cousins. He’d never been alone and afraid like the child who’d just looked so trustingly into his eyes.

If Tanner was alone, it was by choice.

When he looked up, Tanner’s eyes connected with Kyla’s and she didn’t even try to hide the tears streaming down her face. She came toward him and touched his shoulder.

“You did a very good thing there,” she whispered before turning and walking away.

Tanner was stunned. After several long moments, he rose to his feet and went through the mall to the changing area. He needed to get as far from this place as he possibly could.

This Christmas couldn’t come and go fast enough.