Santa Cam (MyHeartChannel Romance)

by Maria Hoagland

  A woman in her fifties tapped Talia on her shoulder. “Come.” She beckoned. “They’re about to start, and you won’t want to miss it!” Was it Talia’s imagination, or did the woman look closer at her with a hint of recognition? “It’s over in the community center where it’s warm.” The woman rubbed her parka-covered arms as if she were cold, and then grabbed on to her husband’s arm next to her. “Come with us.”

  As much as Talia was enjoying the magical setting of Cobble Creek at Christmas and wished she could read each of the ornaments on the community tree, going inside might help her keep her toes in the long run.

  With one last wave of her hand motioning for Talia to follow, the woman looked up at her husband with adoration, and then settled her hand in his coat pocket with his. They were adorable. Someday Talia hoped she too would have the kind of long-term happiness that this couple and her parents had been lucky enough to find. It was the short-term part of the relationship she couldn’t seem to get past.

  The throng of people in the community center might have been enough to keep them all warm, but the heat blasting from the vents sure didn’t hurt. At the front of the open room was a stage set up for a live band, though no one was there yet. A couple of microphone stands stood empty center stage. Obviously, whatever was going to happen would happen there. Off to one side, a refreshment table ran a brisk business of baked goods being sold under a sign saying all proceeds would go to the wildland fire department.

  Tapping on one of the microphones brought Talia’s attention to the stage again. Now a man in a black suit and pin-striped vest and coat combination pounded on the mic one more time until everyone quieted.

  “Thank you, Cobble Creek, for joining us tonight for our annual Christmas celebration. As you know, this year, the city council decided to switch up our themes a little. When someone sent the suggestion to me in an email and I saw it written for the first time, I was trying to figure out what a number sign had to do with three words run all together.” He shook his head. “Kids these days,” he grumbled good-naturedly, and the crowd honored him with a rippling of laughter. “Apparently, you all know it is actually hashtag ‘See the Good.’”

  The way he paused between each word had Talia biting her lip to keep from busting up.

  “It has been fantastic to see the comments filling our community tree. When Tess Scott suggested the tree, I wasn’t sure it would take off, but you, my friends and neighbors, have responded overwhelmingly. Our fabulous community has been even better thanks to each. Thank you for seeing and sharing the good around you.”

  Talia felt the prick of tears in her eyes. They might not know who she was—in fact, it was probably better that they didn’t—but knowing that her #SeeTheGood campaign had had real-life effects made her heart swell to the point it was leaking out the corners of her eyes. She didn’t know these people, but she loved them dearly.

  “Now, I’m assuming you all are here tonight to see the man who inspired all this change—” The crowd exploded with cheers and applause, and the speaker waited for it to fade before he continued. “Cobble Creek’s very own professional soccer player, Camden Sharpe, or better known as the one and only Santa Cam!”

  Of all the cheering going on around Talia, it was the exuberance of the couple who’d brought her in here that surprised her the most. The previously reserved woman standing next to her wolf-whistled and screamed, “That’s my boy!”

  For a second, Talia felt the blood drain from her face. She’d been talking with Cam’s parents? She gulped. They were nice people, but she was glad they didn’t know who she was.

  Cam jogged onto the stage and took the other microphone. “Thank you for that introduction, Mayor Armstrong. And thank you for that reception, Cobble Creek!”

  Cam’s huge grin had Talia weak in the knees. At least he didn’t know she was there.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been in front of a more enthusiastic crowd—at least not since winning the gold a couple years back.”

  Talia didn’t think the building could hold that much noise.

  “I didn’t even get this kind of reaction when those kids at Ed’s Family Fun Center saw me come out in my Santa suit.”

  The crowd was loving every word coming from his mouth.

  “But seriously, folks, I was so humbled when I got home a few days ago to see the focus of this year’s festival. Nothing says Christmas better than focusing on the joy and love that surrounds us. I hope that by noticing those things, you were able to recognize opportunities to serve those around you and be the good as well as see the good.”

  Emotion was creeping into his voice, and he paused to clear his throat. “It reminds me of a certain Christmas elf whose idea this was, who shared so much good with the world and with me personally. She may never know how much she touched my life at a time I needed it most.”

  If Talia was emotional before, Camden was threatening to make her a blubbery mess. She wiped at a tear and did her best to hold the rest in.

  Camden shook his head, and the microphone crackled. “It’s probably a good thing she doesn’t know how sappy she made me,” he said in a much more chipper tone. “Unless one of you is recording this and attaching it to her MyHeartChannel, which would actually make her laugh, I’m sure.”

  At this, Talia did let out a laugh, which caused the tears to spill over. She’d been wrong to walk away without giving him a chance to explain. In all her research and interviews, she hadn’t found a single person to say something bad about Camden. He wasn’t a player, except on the field. He didn’t cheat—in the game, in life, or in his relationships. He was kind and encouraging, funny and fun. And he had her heart.

  A tall woman with a stage presence Talia wouldn’t soon forget sauntered onto the stage, and the mayor relinquished his microphone to her. “Enough of this sap, Cam.”

  The crowd laughed and clapped as Rosalie Cayhill slipped an arm around Camden’s waist and looked up at him with adoration. Talia’s chest constricted and her hopes fell. Camden had brought Rosalie back to Cobble Creek with him? They must have been closer than she’d even suspected.

  “I’m here to kick you off the stage so we can listen to Brooke Holt.”

  He glared down at her playfully and then shoved her away. “You’re not the boss of me. You always thought you were, but I’m here to tell you—”

  Talia’s first instinct was to turn away, to run as she had the last Saturday, but she couldn’t. She was a journalist and she was here to investigate. The opportunity to find out the truth was in front of her right now.

  “Excuse me.” Talia turned to Camden’s mom at her side. “Who is that up there with Camden? Is that his newest girlfriend?” Or oldest. Something like that for sure.

  Mrs. Sharpe blinked her confusion and then laughed. “Oh, no. That’s his cousin. They’ve always loved teasing each other.” Her eyebrows squeezed together and then released. “Well, not exactly.” She chuckled. “They used to fight all the time when they were young. Especially when she was taller than him for about a year.”

  She laughed again at the memories, but then seemed to catch herself. Her eyes traveled over Talia’s face, exploring every feature. “You’re her, aren’t you?” Mrs. Sharpe’s eyes lit up like the Fourth of July. “You’re Talia Thomas,” she whispered, looking around as if she didn’t want people to overhear.

  “Yes,” Talia admitted, not sure where that put her now.

  Mrs. Sharpe grabbed Talia’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Oh, thank goodness. Now that you’re here, I might get an actual smile from Camden.”

  Shocked, Talia turned her attention back to the stage. She’d missed a bunch, apparently, because now two other people had joined Camden and Rosalie at the microphones, and a band was setting up behind them.

  “Cobble Creek’s other celebrity—” Camden was saying, but Rosalie cut him off.

  “And really, how many celebrities does one small town need?”

  The crowd laughed and clapped.

/>   “Country music sensation Brooke Holt is here to sing for us!” Cam finished as if the interruption had never happened.

  He handed the microphone to Brooke. As he did so, his eyes jumped to his parents, and he smiled. Talia knew the moment he saw her. His eyes flared open and he practically jumped off the stage. He was coming toward her; she knew it.

  His heading toward her took forever, and Talia’s mind didn’t stop the whole time. She heard the banter between Brooke Holt—really? The Brooke Holt? Talia didn’t have time to process that information—and her husband. She was trying to get him to sing with her, and he said something like, “You know I don’t dance. Why do you think I’ll sing for you?”

  Talia also noticed how no one around them saw how Camden came straight for her, barely giving his mother a glance. Her heartbeat soared as he took her in his arms, pulling her up off of her feet for a moment.

  “You’re here?” He still didn’t let go. “I’m so glad you’re here.” He set her down on wobbly feet but held on to her hands.

  She couldn’t take her eyes off of his face. His smile, so warm and comfortable, was the one she wanted to look at every day for the rest of her life. “It seems we might have had some kind of misunderstanding,” she said. She bit her lip. She couldn’t talk about it or she’d start to cry, but she wanted him to know how much she regretted the space she’d put between them.

  “Those happen.” He cupped her cheek in his palm, looking at her like she was more precious to him than the MLS Cup. “And I’ll make it up to you.” His eyes flicked to her lips before catching her gaze again. “But first …” He leaned in so only she could hear. “What do you say we do our Santa Cam and Jingle the Elf routine? They kept some costumes in the back for me.”

  The invitation was so unexpected, so perfect, she laughed, genuine and unrestrained. The first strains of Brooke Holt’s biggest hit, “Bet on Us,” started, competing with the sound of her joy.

  “Is that a yes?”

  “What do you think?” She put her hand on her hip and raised her eyebrows.

  “I think I love you, Jingle the Elf Talia Joy Thomas.”

  Stunned, she blinked at him. “I love you too,” she whispered as she closed the gap between the two of them.

  He met her halfway, for the briefest but sweetest of kisses. Their eyes said what their lips could not in the middle of the crowd, but the promise of more was there.

  “I love you, Santa Cam.”

  23

  Eleven Months Later

  “Yes! We did it!” Eighteen-year-old Jake Brown practically jumped into Camden Sharpe’s arms as the crowd spilled over the stadium railings to rush the field. “We won, mate!”

  Cam hugged his teammate, who bounced off to congratulate the other players on the field. He was still a teenager who made Cam feel old in all of his thirty-two years, but he brought an energy to the club that the team couldn’t do without. He just needed to find a way to channel it. Luckily for the entire squad, he’d figured it out—and so had the rest of them. A year ago, when DFW United failed to make it to the MLS finals, the club had been devastated, and now here they were, league champions. What a difference a year made.

  He looked up at the stadium lights, taking a quiet moment in the chaos of victory to collect himself. As captain of the team, he knew there would be interviews for the cable sports networks, a rundown in the locker room with manager Shane Jones and the club owners, and all kinds of celebration, but Cam had one more thing on his mind. And it was kind of a big one.

  Who would have known after the match he’d be more nervous than before it? But things had gone well on the pitch for him and his team, and he had to believe the streak would continue. He’d worked hard and prepared, and now was the time to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

  “Camden!” Talia came running at him, her platinum blond hair flying behind her and her soccer jersey with his #6 claiming her as his own. She ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck before he could stop her.

  “I’m all sweaty and gross,” he tried to warn her, but she didn’t seem to care; she kissed him, and he loved every second.

  “You were so amazing! That goal line clearance where you saved the goalie—ahh!” She put both hands over her chest. “It was beautiful!” She took a moment to breathe—probably her first since she’d come up to him. “Congratulations.” She snuggled into his side, where the dirt and turf had been ground in during who knew how many slide tackles.

  “Thank you. We worked hard as a team, and everyone stepped up.”

  Reporters and cameras were making their way toward the players. Cam dropped his arm from around her. Talia and his cousin Rosalie, who had come up behind her and pretended she hadn’t just watched their public display of affection, followed his gaze.

  “Ah, time to get back to work.” Talia stepped away from him. “I’ll see you after?”

  “Of course.” He smiled at her. He really did have the best person for him in his life, and he couldn’t be more grateful she was always by his side.

  “Are we still on for our #SeeTheGood exclusive?” Rosalie asked. While the auctioneering business was still working out well for her, Cam’s cousin had become interested in running her own MyHeartChannel and had been shadowing Talia for the past few weeks.

  “We sure are.” He gave his cousin a smile only she would understand. “A few minutes for reporters, a quick speech from the manager—”

  “And a shower?” Rosalie nodded vigorously.

  It would be a good idea, but there wouldn’t be time for that. “Then the team will come out for the trophy ceremony, and afterwards, you’ll get your exclusive.”

  “Sounds good,” Rosalie said.

  Cam watched as his girlfriend and one of his favorite family members traipsed off the field. Somehow over the past year, the two had become fast friends, and that pleased him more than he’d expected. Maybe in the near future they would all be family.

  Which was why he was wearing his lucky socks.

  An hour later, when the Cup had been awarded to the Shooting Stars and the last of the reporters and players were vacating the field, Camden was finally going to be able to have the moment he’d been planning for months.

  He left the center of the field where celebrations were still ongoing and walked off towards a relatively quiet corner of the sideline where Rosalie had the MyHeartChannel equipment set up. Near the tripod, Rosalie had a garment bag draped across a chair. Slyly, she gave her jacket pocket a pat, telling him all was ready. Showtime.

  “Are you ready for this?” Talia asked Rosalie. She stepped back behind the camera, her bottom lip caught in her teeth.

  He could see she was having trouble relinquishing the interview, and he couldn’t blame her. She’d worked hard to become an independent and was always the one running the interviews. From a business perspective, an exclusive for her channel after such an important match had the potential to bring some big numbers. She wasn’t one to step back and do nothing more than push record and stop as necessary.

  “Actually . . .” Rosalie scrunched up her face for a moment, acting her part well. “I think you should take this interview. You’re better prepared.” As she walked back to take the spot behind the camera, Talia moved out, though she seemed reluctant.

  Talia gave her a confused look and shook her head. “I didn’t come up with questions.” As if she couldn’t do it in her sleep. “I figured it was something the two of you had been working on, so it wouldn’t be right for me to take over. I’m not prepared.”

  “Yes, you are.” Cam stepped forward and grabbed her hands. It wouldn’t be her first post-match interview or anything. That she was nervous about it surprised him. “I mean, you don’t have to do an interview.” He shrugged, feigning a nonchalance he didn’t feel. He wanted to do this interview. With her. “I could—” He motioned a hand toward the slew of reporters interviewing his teammates back in the fray.

  She put up both hands. “No. I’m good.” She didn�
��t let him finish his threat.

  The three of them took their customary places—Rosalie behind the camera, and Cam and Talia side by side. Talia nodded at Rosalie, who pushed record.

  “Camden Sharpe, congratulations on winning the MLS Cup.”

  Her pause indicated that it was his turn. “Thanks, Talia. Our team set a goal to be here this year. We really came together, and everyone worked hard. It’s nice when that hard work pays off.” Speaking of preparations, Cam should have done more of his own. The questions, even though she didn’t know she’d be asking them, were obvious, and he’d answered the same ones countless times, but he was a bit distracted this time.

  “DFW United played phenomenally well. A well-fought win, and bit of a Cinderella story after last season.”

  For a few minutes, they lobbed questions and answers, comments and highlights back and forth, easing into the interview. Cam was impressed. Even without prepping, she was a natural, and he couldn’t think of another reporter he’d rather spar with.

  “So what’s next in your career, Cam?”

  She’d meant in his soccer career, and he knew it, but the first thing that jumped to mind had nothing to do with his favorite sport. “For the team—maintaining our title. We’ll be back here next year. And the same for me personally. I love playing for DFW United, love Texas, and love the game. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” He was part of a legendary team, and he was just part of the talent, but he’d do his best to contribute. But that wasn’t the only thing on his mind, and this seemed to be the opening he’d been searching for.

  He paused long enough to signal the change in subject, but not long enough for her to ask another question. It was his turn to do the interview. “You know, now that soccer is over, Santa season is coming up.”

  She quirked an eyebrow at him. “You mean the Christmas season?” Talia teased. She was so good on camera; even not knowing what was coming, she looked like she’d been the one to plan the segment.