Santa's Posse (24 page)

Kellie wondered
what was happening, when a different deputy appeared beside her.  “Miss
Sanders, will you come with me?”

She appeared as
perplexed as Miles, but rose when the deputy took her elbow.  He escorted her
to the front.  Pointing, he said, “There’s Santa’s lap.  Sit please.”

She hesitated, but
to her surprise, Miles got into the spirit of things and reached up and pulled
her onto his lap.  The crowed began chuckling and cheering, wondering what was
happening.  Kellie smiled nervously, and attempted to stand.  He only pulled
her back onto his lap, wrapping a strong arm around her. 

“Don’t go,” he
whispered, and then said loud enough for the crowd to hear, “typically, the
person sitting on Santa’s lap gets to tell him what he or she wants for Christmas.”

The group echoed
their agreement. 

“Kellie, tell ol’
Santa Claus what you want for Christmas!” a male voice shouted. 

Miles raised a
silencing hand.  “But today, Santa has a request.”

“Go Santa!” a male
voice encouraged.

“You betcha, Kris
Kringle!” a woman yelled.

“Miles…” Kellie
murmured.  “What are you doing?”

“You’ll see,” he
whispered back.

“We know you’ve got
something to say to her, Santa?” a voice called.  “Tell her!”

“Yeah!” another
voice urged.

Miles gave Kellie
a quick kiss on the cheek, and then eased her off his lap.  He feared he might
have just embarrassed her, and really hadn’t intended to.  He did have
something to say to the crowd, however, and despite being surprised when he was
told to sit in the chair, it gave him an opportunity to address some things
that needed attention.    He stood up and took Kellie’s hand.  He smiled
broadly at the crowd.  “You know,” he said, “one thing I’ve realized working at
the mall…”

“Yeah?” several
voices prompted.

He grinned.  “I’ve
realized we’re like a family here.  I see many of you everyday, and there are
definitely many of you to see!”

The crowd laughed,
and echoed their agreement.

“And like a
family,” he said, “sometimes people perhaps talk to one another about things
they really shouldn’t and cross boundaries they shouldn’t…”  He flashed a quick
grin.  “You know, they speculate about others, or engage in gossip about
others…”  He sobered slightly.  “It’s human nature, we all do it, but
sometimes, people get hurt.”

The group
quieted.  Many knew exactly what he was talking about. 

“I want you all to
know, I appreciate your concern about me.  I do.  You’re my friends.”  He
turned to Kellie.  “And Kellie is also my friend, although…”    

“What?” someone
yelled.

“Tell us,
commander!” another shouted.

“Although,” he
said, drawing out the word and smiling cheekily.  “The nature of Kellie’s and
my relationship is…”

“Yes, commander!”
someone shouted in a voice rife with suggestive meaning.

“Our relationship
is…”  He grinned again.  “None of your business!” 

With that
announcement, he grabbed her hand and tugged her away from the crowd and into
the precinct.  They heard the group’s collective groan behind them, followed by
cheerful laughter. 

He hurriedly
directed her to his office and ducked into the restroom to change.  He was out
in a matter of minutes, draped the suit over the back of a chair with a shudder,
and then retrieved her from his office.  “Let’s get out of here,” he said. 
“Quick!”

He didn’t have to
tell her twice and they hurried out to the parking lot and to his truck.  “I’ll
drive you to your car, follow you home, and then, if you’re still up for it, we
could go to dinner.”  He turned to her briefly, an expectant look on his face.

She nodded, suddenly
preoccupied with worry over what had just happened in the mall.  She thought
about what he’d just said to the group of volunteers.  It had been embarrassing
being put in front of the crowd.  She had also been surprised to find herself
in Miles’ lap, but she realized he had been trying to put a stop to the rumors.  
She feared, however, that his actions might have had the opposite effect, since
he had certainly given them something more to gossip about. 

She sighed and he heard. 
“Are you all right?”

She nodded,
attempting a smile.  Her thoughts remained tumultuous as she reviewed the
evening.  Had it been prudent for him to make it known to his friends and
coworkers that he had feelings for her?   But then again, they had all come to
their own conclusions without his help.  Was it really any secret?  She
couldn’t deny that she had feelings for him.  She had confided as much to Jill. 
    

Back in her car,
she drove home and parked.  He met her at her car, and together they walked
back to his truck.  He paused before opening the door for her.  “Not much is
open this late,” he said, suddenly remembering it was a week night.

“A burger from a drive-through
sounds great,” she said with a yawn. 

“Sounds like a
plan,” he said.

Once they’d gotten
their food, they decided to eat at her condo, and he held her hand as they
walked to the door.  Inside, they decided to forgo plates, but instead, dropped
onto the couch and ate their food, leaning over the coffee table.  Once done
eating, Miles eased back onto the couch.  He watched Kellie through heavily-lidded
eyes, and she could see that, like her, he was exhausted.  She pushed her
burger away, feeling full all of a sudden.

“You should go
home and get some sleep,” she told him.

He shook his head
and smiled.  “Uh uh.  You’ve finally agreed to talk to me, and we’re going to
talk.  Can’t tell you what a blow it was to my ego, having you shun me over the
past several weeks.”

She smiled
sheepishly, relieved to see the sparkle of humor in his eyes.  “About all
that…”

He reached for her
hand and held it.  “So you know, I get it.  I know about all the rumors flying
around about us, and I’m sorry I didn’t do something to nip it in the bud
sooner.”

“I really don’t
know what you could have done,” she said with a rueful shake of her head. 

He grimaced
slightly.  “I could have addressed each and every individual when I heard
something, but … I didn’t.  I tend not to care about what people say about me,
but I should have taken your feelings into consideration.  I should have
realized how important your reputation is to you, and I should have anticipated
and understood your fears as to how those rumors might impact your ability to
do your job.”  He held up a finger and shook his head apologetically.  “I also
should have thought twice about pulling you behind a clothes rack that day I
was trying to avoid Dolores, because, I know now that that particular stupid
move almost led to our undoing…”

“Miles…” she said
with a wince.  “I’m sorry if I overreacted…”

“No, I understand,”
he interjected.  “A little bird told me…”

“Ah!” Kellie
cried.  “That
stupid
bird!  If I had a shot gun, I’d put that big mouthed
bird out of its big mouthed misery.”

He watched her, his
mouth agape.  “Jill was just trying to help,” he said, biting back a shocked chuckle. 
“Please don’t shoot her.  I’ve always liked Jill.”

She fell back
against the couch.  “Oh, it was Jill who talked to you?  Oh, okay.  I won’t
shoot
her
,” she said with a sheepish smile. 

He reached for her
and pulled her close then.  “Glad to hear it.  Anyway, Jill tells me you were
worried about your reputation, with all the rampant speculation going on about
us.  I get that.  I really should have been more sensitive, but I was being
selfish.  I was so happy that I’d found you and…”

She gasped.  She
suddenly remembered all the warnings she’d received from people.  She had been cautioned
so often about hurting him, the words still sounded in her ears.  He saw the
stricken look on her face and frowned with concern.

“Kellie, what’s
wrong?”

“I … don’t want to
hurt you,” she admitted.  “Everybody warned me that you’ve …”  She snared his
gaze, and he nodded, urging her to continue.  She swallowed.  “Everybody,
and
I
mean everybody
, warned me about hurting you.  I was told you’ve
experienced…”  She met his gaze again, afraid to continue, not wanting to bring
up bad memories.  But he only nodded again.  “I’ve been told you went through a
very hard time.”

“I did,” he said,
“and I’ve learned to cope with my past and I’ve moved on.”

“But…”

“What?” 

 “One of your best
friends warned me that…”

“Warned you that
what?”

She emitted a
sigh.  “She told me you’re fragile, that…”

He suddenly rose
from the couch.  He turned to face her, spreading his muscular arms and
watching her with a thoroughly stunned expression on his handsome face.  “Do I
look fragile to you?”

“No.  But…”

“What?” he said,
still wearing an incredulous look on his face.

“You don’t date.”

He burst out
laughing.  “Sure I do!”

“But the people at
the mall said you haven’t dated in years.”

“Do you think I’d
tell
them
?  You’ve met ‘em!  Would you tell ‘em anything?  Besides, as
we’ve both learned, we don’t have to tell them anything.  They’re more than
content to fill in the blanks.” 

She chewed her
lower lip.  “Well, you do have a point.”  She was silent for a moment,
processing, but frowned again. 

“Kellie, what is
it?”

“I’m thinking that
what you just did at the mall isn’t going to stop any rumors.  I think you’ve
just added fuel to the fire.”

He weighed her
point, but then shook his head.  “No, I think they’re appropriately chastened.”

“Do you really
think so?”

“I do.”  The
timbre of his voice lowered and he smiled.  “Kellie, come here.”

She rose from the
couch and took a couple slow steps toward him.  She laughed shakily.  “I should
have talked to you long before tonight, huh?”

“I really wish you
had,” he answered honestly.

“Where do we go
from here?” she asked, hesitantly meeting his eyes.

“Well, first, you
come here,” he said with an impatient growl, reaching out and pulling her into
his arms.  He wrapped her in a tender embrace and sighed contentedly.  “You
want to know what I want for Christmas?” he asked.  “What I
really
want?”

She pulled back,
met his gaze, and nodded. 

“I want you to
give me a chance,” he said earnestly.  “If someone says or does something that
worries you, come to me please.”  He searched her face.  “Kellie, you wondered
if I date?  The truth is, I did—right up until I met you, and then, I just
wasn’t interested in anyone else.”  He smiled sheepishly.  “I, uh—.”

“Yes,” she
prompted.

“I love you.”  He
shook his head, as if he had discovered the most wondrous gift of all.  “Do you
think you could…?”  He gazed at her, his eyes sparkling with expectation.  “In
time … could you…?”

“Miles, I already
do love you,” she assured him in a whisper.  “You’re so darn loveable.  Just ask
your posse.”  She cocked her head in contemplation, and then grinned.  “On
second thought, let’s leave them out of this.”

He nodded in
agreement.  “Let’s.”  He stared deeply into her eyes for a long moment, and then,
kissed her.