by Carol Henry
“Katelyn, don’t you look cute dressed as an elf. What a great idea.”
Katelyn groaned as one of the Scout leaders cornered her on her way past the Scouts. Two of the Boy Scouts stopped fooling around and looked her way. Really looked at her for the first time, and grinned.
“Looking hot,” one of the older Scouts said before they both turned back to washing dishes.
Crap! More attention than she wanted.
Katelyn dashed past them only to have Santa look her way when she walked in. He was doing it again. Nodding and smiling. And unnerving her. She was going to have words with her father after today’s event ended. At twenty-six, she was just too old to be parading around as an elf. The darn outfit was drawing too much attention. She tugged at her miniskirt. Good Lord, he was watching her again. Was the man a pervert?
“Watch out, Katelyn,” Cara shouted, stepping in front of her, leaning forward to rescue yet another frantic frightened child running away from Santa, screaming and heading hell-bent-for-election right at Katelyn’s knees.
Gads! It was going to be a long morning.
****
Mark had all he could do to keep his eyes and mind on the kids all morning. Carrying on a conversation while watching Katelyn Sullivan out of the corner of his eyes was driving him nuts. She was more beautiful now than she had been six years ago. And hot damn, the elf outfit was just about the sexiest getup he’d seen in a long time. On her, it was like a beacon sending out come-hither signals, like the lighthouse next to her parent’s restaurant. And he had no trouble receiving those signals—loud and clear. They had drifted apart after high school when she went off to attend college and he joined the military. Was she in a relationship now? There’d been rumors, but folks in town weren’t being very forthcoming with details. Lobster Cove’s rumor mill tended to be part myth, part truth, and all wrong sometimes, if he remembered correctly. Hell, he could only imagine what they’d been spreading about him—where he had disappeared to, and why he was back with a two-year-old son in tow. Secret missions for the military left little room for confiding in family or sharing secrets with loved ones. Not sure what his parents had told anyone, but he did know they’d kept his career and his wife’s death to themselves. Of course, they didn’t know the entire story, either.
Dammit! He was tired of guarding secrets.
Katelyn herded a pair of twin boys in his direction. His heart raced as she drew near enough for him to touch her. Instead, he lifted the two four-year-olds on to his knees.
“Ho, ho, ho, Miss Elf. Who do we have here?” He looked directly into her eyes instead of the boys’, hoping she’d recognize him.
She didn’t.
“This is Ryan and Ethan Holmes, Santa. They have a list for you to take back to the North Pole.”
Mark ignored the list and continued gazing into Katelyn’s baby blues. The boys wiggled, diverting his attention back to the main reason he was there—to play Santa. He sighed as she walked away, and vowed he’d find an opportunity to talk to her before the end of the day.
It seemed ages before there was a break in the action. Everyone was busy eating or playing with the toys he’d handed out. The damn beard was getting itchy and his neck was sweating up a storm—rivulets of sweat trickled down his back. And if he wasn’t mistaken, the front of his pants was a bit wet where one of the babies had sat with a soggy diaper. He didn’t really mind, he was used to dealing with his own little boy from the time Kurtis was a baby. He hoped his son wouldn’t catch on that he was playing Santa when his parents arrived with him in tow. Others hadn’t figured it out yet, but then he hadn’t been in town for the last six years, so not many of the younger kids would know him. His heart swelled just thinking about how precious his own son had become over the past two years. Being a parent was priority one. He had to keep that in mind. The reason he was back in Lobster Cove.
While the children were occupied with their breakfast, Mark stood, stretched, and then started working the room. He leaned over and whispered in ears, gave out hugs, and made it a point to engage those who hadn’t dare sit on his lap. When he reached the back of the room where the three adult elves were gathered, he determined now was his chance to speak to Katelyn. See if she remembered him.
“So, my little Elves, are you ready to sit on Santa’s lap and tell me what good little girls you’ve been all year?”
“Oh, Santa,” one of the elves crooned. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Oh, my, God! Was that little Cara Cruz? With a pierced nose?
“It’s much too crowded in here with all these children running around, I don’t think it would look at all proper for one of your elves to sit on your lap in front of them. Perhaps later when we’re alone?” The other one purred, and gave him a wink.
Mark gulped. Oh, my, God! Cara’s twin, Blanca? Her short hair made her look like a sexy business woman now, a grown-up version of her bad-girl twin. As elves, they looked more like double trouble personified. Didn’t need to go there.
He leaned toward Katelyn, slipped an arm around her shoulders, and drew her in for a hug.
“Ho, ho, ho, Miss Elf. And what do you want for Christmas?”
The contact was electrifying clear down to his black fur-lined hotter-than-hell boots. He wiggled his toes and had a hard time controlling his voice. He had to let go of her or embarrass himself right then and there—fat red suit or no fat red suit, Santa had to keep up appearances in a room full of kids. But, God forgive him, he didn’t want to let her go. He hadn’t wanted to let her go six years ago, but he’d had no choice back then. He didn’t want to drag her into the kind of military life he’d signed up for. Now? Hell if he knew what he was doing—dredging up the past.
Katelyn frowned, shook her head, and stepped away. His arm dropped to his side. He latched on to his thick black belt and pretended to shake his belly, and focused on the twins. “Ho, ho, ho. I think I better double-check my list. Sounds like you two might have been naughtier than you’re letting on.”
The two girls giggled like ten-year-olds, their hands flew to their ample chests, and damned if they didn’t both just wink at him again. Katelyn, on the other hand, simply shook her head and turned her back on them.
“I think you’d better get back to your post, Santa. There’s a new line of anxious children waiting.”
Damn. She was right. And it looked as if they were about to help themselves to the sack of goodies and the dish of candy canes he’d left sitting next to his chair, unattended. He raised his left hand and gave the jingle bells a hearty shake. “Ho, ho, ho,” he called on his way to the front of the room.
Two of the young girls in line began to cry. Their mother scooped one of them up, and the poor distraught child wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck and clung for dear life. One of the smaller boys shoved another into the tree. The branches swayed and two of the bulbs hit the floor. Thankfully, they were unbreakable.
Before he walked to his throne-type chair, Katelyn and the other elves were on the scene putting order to the chaos. Candy canes were handed out to those waiting their turn.
Someone plugged in a CD player, and Christmas tunes blared into the room. Half the parents in the middle of eating pancakes erupted into song with none other than “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” The rest of them joined in. The young ones clapped their hands, and a few even started dancing around the tables. He should have been pleased with the turn of events—everyone was having a ball.
Mark had been away for so long he’d forgotten how Lobster Cove’s close-knit community treated everyone like family. He hadn’t expected to be thrown back into the thick of things quite so soon. He hadn’t expected Katelyn to give him the cold shoulder so effectively. But then, he really hadn’t expected her to greet him with open arms. Damn. His life was half a mess—he was still picking up the pieces after his wife’s untimely death, dealing with a child, and looking to start over in the States.
Dear, God. How am I ever going to handle comi
ng home this Christmas after seeing Katie dressed like a sexy elf?
Chapter Two
Katelyn took off her winter outerwear, kicked off her boots and slipped into her sneakers. She loved working at the Hearts and Hands Daycare as part of her class project for credit. She joined Linda Claussen, Carl’s wife, and Carolyn Clark, one of the part-time daycare providers, in the small kitchen area where they were preparing morning snacks for the children.
“So, have you heard Mark Logan is back in town?” Linda asked.
Katelyn didn’t reply. She was more than aware of who Mark Logan was—Linda didn’t have to mention his last name. She hadn’t seen him yet, but her mother told her he was back in Lobster Cove. He hadn’t contacted her since high school. In fact, it was as if he didn’t exist. Not even his parents had mentioned him in all those years—to anyone. And in a small community like Lobster Cove, it was unusual. The rumor mill had been silent in regards to Mark Logan.
Until now.
For all she knew, he was married with a family.
Parents started to arrive with their children, ending their conversation, and giving Katelyn a reprieve from replying to Linda’s question. The day progressed and Katelyn was lost in a world of joy as she played with the children, read to them, helped them with their craft projects, and then helped them put on their winter garments at the end of the day. She waved goodbye to the last parent and kid for the day—Connie Blye, a single mother who was late picking up her son, Jason. Again. But Katelyn didn’t mind. Single parents had it tough holding down a job, trying to make ends meet, and raising a child on their own. After all, if she hadn’t miscarried in her second month, it could be her.
Many of the children in Hearts and Hands Daycare, like Jason, were the products of broken homes, or single mothers left high and dry to fend the best they could after their husbands had met their fates on the open seas, or in the military. Thankfully, the majority of these parents had support from their own parents, and the community. Thanks to Eugenia McClintock’s annual donation to several organizations like the Hearts and Hands Daycare, the funding helped provide an excellent program for the children, keeping the cost to attend low for the parents.
“Late again, huh?” Linda called from behind the small kitchenette enclosure, the overhead flap swinging shut for the night. She and Linda hadn’t had a chance to talk, other than to discuss the events for the day’s agenda.
“Yes, but I don’t mind. She wasn’t that late coming home from work. Besides, Jason is such a doll. No trouble at all. He loves spending time on his own in the reading corner or playing with the building blocks.”
“You’re too accommodating.”
“We have to be here to close for the night, anyway. You know I love these little kids, so it’s no problem.”
“Did you hear me this morning? Did you know Mark Logan was back in town?”
“Yes, the rumor mill is alive and well.” She chastised herself for being disappointed she hadn’t run into him yet. After all, he was in the past. Sven was her future.
“I know you had a thing for him back in high school.”
Little did Linda know about her “thing” for Mark. No one knew about her pregnancy, and she wanted to keep it that way.
“That was a long time ago. We haven’t kept in touch since graduation. I’m sure he’s moved on with his life. He’s probably forgotten all about me.” Katelyn set the tray of plastic cups, now half empty of various colors of washable paint and matching brushes, on the counter.
“Yes. I hear he joined the military—became a big deal. One of those Navy SEALs. Secret Service. Or Special Ops Commandos. Or something no one can talk about. His parents have been very hush-hush about what he’s been doing all these years—where he’s been.”
Katelyn hadn’t seen Mark’s parents around town much—they kept to themselves after Mark graduated and joined the military. She had spent a lot of time at the Logans’ home when she and Mark had dated. They’d always been kind. They’d been like second parents. But when she and Mark broke it off and they’d each gone their separate ways, her path never crossed with the Logans. She’d seen them a few times at St. Joseph’s Church, but they mostly kept to themselves.
Linda finished washing a handful of dishes and stacked them in the drain board, and then wiped her hands on a paper towel.
“The sink is all yours.”
“Thanks.” Katelyn rinsed the leftover non-toxic paint in the sink, and ran the brushes under the spray from the faucet. The colors blended, swirling together in a kaleidoscopic fashion before gurgling down the drain. She placed the cups and brushes in the sudsy water to wash.
“Hey, I forgot to ask, how did playing elf go at the lodge on Sunday?” Linda picked up a towel to dry the dishes in the drying rack.
“Don’t ask. We had to wear skimpy elf outfits. I looked more like a circus clown than an elf. My father convinced the lodge members it would be ‘the cat’s pajamas’ to have elves there this year. I told him I was too old to be playing an elf, but I was speaking to deaf ears. Didn’t Carl fill you in?”
Linda laughed—despite her age, and having grown children of her own, she was always ready for anything—the zanier the better, and her husband, Carl, had a great sense of humor, as well—the two made a great couple. She was a fun coworker—the kids loved her.
“I bet the kids had a ball, didn’t they? Who filled in for Mr. Unger this year? Carl didn’t say. After Mr. Unger had his heart attack in January, he and his wife packed it in and went to Florida. Carl said they both love it down there.”
Mr. Unger was one of the older members of the lodge and a real sweetie. He’d always done a superb job playing Santa, his naturally white hair helped fool the kids. And the kids adored him.
“Dad didn’t say, either.” Katelyn shook her head. “He just handed me the elf outfit and told me I’d look great all decked out. Whoever it was, the kids loved him.”
“Carl said Santa was already upstairs putting on his outfit when he arrived.”
She was glad whoever played Santa this year had put his heart and soul into it. Katelyn froze in the process of wringing out a cloth. Whoever it was probably considered her a dork in that god-awful outfit the way he’d kept looking at her and smiling. Or, was it leering?
She proceeded to sponge the paint spatter off the plastic smocks the kids wore when they painted, and then dried them with a paper towel.
“Any kids from the daycare attend?”
“Most of them. Where were you, by the way?”
“Had to finish a few projects at home. Was Mark there with his little boy?”
Katelyn swung around to face Linda. “Excuse me? Mark has a little boy?” She shouldn’t be surprised. After all, she’d figured he’d moved on after graduation. However, in his line of work, she assumed he hadn’t time for a family—he hadn’t had time for her. The rumor mill was slipping—it hadn’t mentioned Mark had a child. How had they kept that a secret?
That meant he had a wife, and they were all here in Lobster Cove.
“Oops. I see you didn’t know. Sorry. I can’t believe he didn’t take his son to Breakfast with Santa. Jan said he might enroll him at Hearts and Hands. But it hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
“He wasn’t there—at least I didn’t see him. I didn’t know Mark was married or that he had a son.”
Oh my God! Mark had a son! Tears welled in her eyes. She looked away so Linda wouldn’t see how hard this piece of news had hit her. She’d lost a son—his son! And he had a son—with another woman. The irony was staggering.
“My impression was the military was his whole life.”
“Guess he met someone he couldn’t live without. Oh, drat. Sorry, Katelyn, didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
“It was a long time ago. Like I said, we both went our separate ways right after high school.”
Why hadn’t she seen Mark and his son at Breakfast with Santa? Had they arrived when she was in the kitchen eating? How old was his son?
How could he have fallen in love with someone else so soon after high school? After confessing his love for her? The idea of him with a son brought her to her knees. She had to get out of there, away from Linda, before the flood gates opened and she made a spectacle of herself.
“Carl’s ordering our special—pizza, and a movie on the tube tonight. Want to join us? The girls will be home for a change. It won’t be like you’re a third wheel or anything.”
“Thanks, but no. In fact, if you don’t mind, I need to get going. I need to get to Mariner’s to help the folks with the dinner crowd tonight. Mom’s got one of her specials going. It’s sure to be packed.”
“You go ahead. I’ll finish here.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Carl has everything for tonight under control. Go. I’m almost ready to close anyway. I’ll practically follow you out the door.”
She knew Linda didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. She was unaware of hers and Mark’s split six years ago—didn’t know about her miscarriage. Linda had hit a sore spot that obviously hadn’t healed. Implying she wasn’t the “one” for Mark was nothing short of depressing. And it didn’t help to learn he’d married and had a little boy. And they had returned home, and were living in Lobster Cove.
It should have been her little boy. Hers and Mark’s.