"Yeah, real sexy." He stuck out his pillowed stomach and twisted part of the white beard.
Talia doubled over in laughter, clutching her midsection. "Oh my gosh. You're hilarious."
A knock sounded on the door. "You guys ready?" came Brayden's voice.
"Ready as we're going to be," Cruz muttered.
"Yeah," called Talia. She grabbed Cruz's hand and tugged, leading him to the door. She opened it, and Brayden's face lit up.
"You two are perfect! I'm so glad the other two came down with the stomach flu. Follow me."
Cruz would almost rather be sick than dressed like this. They followed Brayden to the Santa setup. There was an enormous green velvet chair, obviously meant for Cruz. It left plenty of room for kids to sit on either side. A large, beautifully decorated Christmas tree sat behind the chair. Oversized boxes covered in gift-wrap and bows sat everywhere—under the tree and next to Cruz's seat. A large bucket overflowing with candy canes sat not far from the chair. Brightly colored lights hung on the wall behind the scene.
Cheers and applause sounded. Talia squeezed his hand, and Brayden announced their arrival—not that they needed it with all the shouting—while Cruz took his seat. Here Comes Santa Claus blared out of speakers from somewhere.
"We have a long line," Brayden said, "so please only tell Santa a few things that you'd like. After the picture is taken, Mrs. Claus will give you a candy cane. Are you ready?"
Kids yelled, jumped, and danced around. Brayden moved out of the way for the first child, a little girl in a blue and green plaid dress. She smiled shyly at Cruz and stopped just at his feet.
Cruz forgot about all the people watching him and focused on her. He braced himself. "Ho, ho, ho. Are you excited for Christmas?"
She nodded, sticking a finger in her mouth.
"Come on over here and tell Santa what you want under your tree."
The little girl stared at him, not budging. Cruz glanced at the parents, and the dad came forward and lifted the girl. Because of the pillows, she barely rested on his knees.
"And what do you want for Christmas?" he asked. "Ho, ho, ho."
Her face lit up. "I want a dollhouse and a pony."
The girl's parents both shook their heads, eyes wide.
"I'm not sure a pony would fit in my sleigh," Cruz said in his best Santa voice. "But we'll see if I can get my helpers to fit a dollhouse."
She smiled, and her mom mouthed, "Thank you."
The cameraman moved in front of them. "Say candy canes."
"Candy canes!" Cruz and the little girl said in unison. The man snapped a few shots, and then the girl jumped down, thanking Cruz.
Talia handed the little girl a cane and then placed her hand on his shoulder. "You're a wonderful Santa," she whispered in his ear.
Twenty Nine
Cruz threw himself onto his bed, his jacket still on. His eyelids were too heavy to bother with taking it off. He'd fallen asleep in a lot worse ways during his high school and college days. He pulled up the blankets, barely noticing the Star Wars sheets that he still needed to change.
What if Talia ever came in and saw those? He rarely made his bed, so that wasn't out of the question.
"This afternoon," he mumbled. It was barely noon on Sunday, and it had already been the busiest weekend of his life. At least that he could remember. Unfortunately, there were too many that he couldn't recall, thanks to wild parties and too much alcohol. After the tree lighting, the evening with Talia and Allen, working on his shop, pretending to be Santa—and probably catching twelve different colds from kids, then returning back to his shop until midnight, and going to the church service that morning, he was beat. He could probably sleep until the next morning.
He closed his eyes and let sweet sleep take over, which it did very quickly. It was a deep sleep with nearly no dreams.
A knock pulled him out of the slumber, but he rolled over, pulling his stylish sheets over his head, mumbling something not even he could make sense of. Another knock. He ignored it, his body crying out for more sleep.
Finally, the familiar squeak of his childhood door opened. Good. That meant the person disrupting him would see he wasn't to be bothered.
"Cruz," said his mom.
He didn't say anything.
"You need to get up. Not only have you been asleep for the last four hours, but Sullivan and Dakota are here."
Cruz sat up, twisted in the blankets. "What are they doing here?"
"Apparently you and Sullivan are supposed to look at houses."
"That was today?" Cruz swore and then glanced up at his mom. "Sorry."
"I hope you don't speak that way in front of Talia."
He took a deep breath, untangling himself from the sheets. He stood and made eye contact with her. "I appreciate your concern, but you gotta stop with that."
Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"With the jabs about how I'm not good enough for her. She and Allen both think I am, and that's all that matters."
"Cruz, I didn't mean—"
"I'm serious, Mom. It's not cool. If you can't support me, then at least don't say anything."
She frowned. "I'm sorry I came across that way. I thought you knew that I believe any girl would be lucky to have you. You're funny, sweet, talented, sm—"
"Okay, that wasn't a reach for flattery. I just need you to stop saying stuff like that, okay? I'm totally aware of the fact that she's a preacher's kid. I ain't never treated anyone better. No one's ever made me want to be a better person."
His mom's expression softened. "Oh, honey."
Cruz was not in the mood for this conversation. "Look, I gotta get into something comfortable and probably fix my hair. Can you tell them I'll be out in a minute?"
"Sure." She turned around.
"Do you know if Dakota's coming with us?"
"Not sure. I can ask her."
"No, don't bother. Just tell them I'll be out there."
She nodded and then closed the door. Cruz slid off his jacket and put it on a chair. Then he opened his dresser. He pulled out a brown shirt he didn't recognize and unfolded it. Scooby Doo. It was so old it had to be from junior high. He would have to find a way to get back at his brother even though he was now married and out of the house. Although, he had to give Zachary props for finding that. He had no idea where it had been hiding for years.
Cruz found some normal clothes, threw them on, and then went into the bathroom and fixed his hair as best he could with water and gel. It wasn't the best, but whatever.
He went into the living room and found his parents talking with his two cousins.
"Cruz!" exclaimed Dakota. She jumped from the recliner, her long red hair flying behind, and wrapped him in a huge hug. She stepped back, keeping her hands on his arms. "Look at you."
"Uh…?" Nothing had changed since the last time he saw her.
"You're in love."
"That's hardly a secret," he said. "Not with the way things travel among the Hunters."
"Yeah, but it's written all over your face. When Sully, here, told me you guys were going to look at houses, I had to make the trip. Tell me all about her." Her green eyes lit up.
"I can do ya one better."
"Really?" she asked. "What?"
"I'll see if she wants to come with us."
"House hunting?" Dakota didn't appear convinced.
Cruz took a step back and glanced away. "Well, she agreed to marry me, so she really should be there."
"What?" exclaimed his mom. "When did this happen?"
Everyone else in the room stared at him.
He let out a nervous laugh. "I didn't exactly propose. Her dad was asking me about where I saw our relationship going, and before I knew it, I found myself asking his permission to marry her. She overheard… and well, she agreed."
Dakota's mouth dropped. "You asked a girl's dad permission to marry her?"
"Yeah," he said. "Who would've seen that coming?"
"And she's a pas
tor's daughter?" Sullivan asked, standing. He stretched, his V-neck pulling and showing off part of the tat on his chest. Then he ran his hands through his sandy brown hair.
"Wonders never cease," Dakota said.
Sullivan held up a fist. "Congratulations, man. You look stoked. She must be some girl."
Cruz bumped his fist. "She is."
"Well," Dakota said, wide-eyed. "Don't keep us waiting. Call her."
"I can't believe you didn't tell us," his mom said. She came over and wrapped her arms around him.
"He hasn't proposed yet," said his dad. He came over and gave him a hug.
She frowned. "He may as well have."
"Don't worry, Mom. Everyone will know as soon as I do. Okay?"
"All right."
Cruz pulled out his phone and called Talia's number. His parents and cousins were all staring at him. "Be right back." He went back into his room for some privacy as the phone rang.
"Hi, Cruz," came Talia's sweet voice. "I thought you were going to sleep all afternoon."
He laughed. "Me, too. I forgot I'd set up a time with my cousin to look at houses."
"Oh?" She asked. A lot seemed to hang on that one word.
Cruz took a deep breath. "So, I was wondering if you want to come with us." He paused. "You could meet Sullivan and Dakota, and also"—his heart raced—"I'd like your opinions."
"On your cousins?" she asked.
Was he really not being clear, or was she worried about jumping to conclusions? "I want you to help me pick out a house because it's going to be ours to share."
"You do?" she squealed.
"Of course. I know it's not much notice, but can you be ready in a few minutes if we swing by to pick you up?"
"Yeah, sure. Wow, I hardly know what to say."
"You agreed to marry me, it's only fitting that we pick out the house together."
"I love you, Cruz."
His heart swelled to twice the size. "And I love you. See you in a few."
"I can't wait."
"Me, neither." He quickly ended the call—he didn't want to stop hearing her voice—but they were on their way to pick her up.
Cruz grabbed his jacket and slid it back on. It was still warm from his nap. He felt the pack of cigarettes in the pocket as he zipped it. Taking a deep breath, he slid his hand in and wrapped it around the box. It was nearly full, but he knew what he needed to do. He pulled it out and stared at it for a moment before chucking it in the garbage can.
If he was going to marry Talia, he needed to leave those behind. He would find a new way to deal with his stress.
"You ready?" came Dakota's voice from the other side of the door.
"Yep. Coming." He glanced over at his bed. First thing he was going to do when getting back home was to change the bedding. No matter how tired he was.
Cruz opened the door a crack and slid through, closing it behind him.
"Afraid I'm going to see something?" his cousin teased.
"Maybe. Come on."
"So, is the girlfriend coming? What's her name?"
"Talia."
"Oh, pretty. I like it. What's she like?" Dakota stared at him with her eyes wide.
"You'll see. Where do you get all your energy?" he asked. She had always been that way, as far as he could remember. Going on hyper-speed from morning until night.
"Just lucky. I can't wait to meet the sweet, innocent girl who won over Cruz." She said his name in an exaggerated tone.
"Leave the poor guy alone," Sullivan said, shaking his head at his sister. He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up the sleeves. "So, do you know which neighborhood you want to look at? I know we talked figures before, but depending on the type of financing you get, you can swing different areas."
"I'd like to say the nicer ones," Cruz said, "but I don't know if Talia wants to stay close to her dad and the church. Plus it might be nice to be near my shop, especially with the late hours on the weekends." He sat on the couch, thinking. "She might feel better being close to her dad. Or maybe she'd rather be in one of the neighborhoods with crime watch. Either near Jake and Tiffany or Rafael."
Sullivan took notes on his tablet. "Okay. What about Zachary and Jasmine's place? Or have you considered a condo near Brayden?"
Cruz rubbed his temples. Suddenly, living with his parents seemed so simple. "Let's see what Talia thinks first. I don't want to make any of these decisions without her."
"Aw," Dakota gushed.
Cruz rolled his eyes. She shoved him.
Sullivan shook his head. "You two haven't changed a bit."
"He started it," Dakota said and laughed. "Seriously, though, we should go. I want to meet this girl. But first, can we stop off at Rafael's shop? I ordered a dress, and he's got it on hold for me. I swear, it'll only take a minute." She batted her eyelashes.
"Sure," Cruz said, laughing. He'd never been able to say no to that girl.
They made their way into Sullivan's BMW and as they buckled in, Dakota's phone rang. She talked and giggled to the person on the other end until they reached Rafael's shop.
Dakota turned back to Cruz. "You mind running in and getting that for me? I paid for it online."
"Whatever." Cruz got out and hurried inside.
"Hey," Rafael called. "I didn't expect to see you."
"I'm here to pick up Dakota's dress."
"Oh, right. Hold on." Rafael went to the back room.
Cruz leaned against the counter and glanced around the room. Someone laughed nearby. It was a guy holding up a tie. He was on the phone, and he turned. It was Doug Crowley, a guy Julian had been friends with in high school. Doug had been nearly as annoying as Julian.
Rafael came back out and handed a box to Cruz.
"Watch him." Cruz gestured toward Doug.
"Okay." Rafael arched a brow. "And tell Dakota hi for me."
"Will do."
Cruz ran back out to the car and gave Sullivan directions to Talia's house. She ran outside before the car had stopped.
"She's pretty," Dakota said. She got out and introduced herself before Cruz had even unbuckled. He climbed out and pulled Talia away from Dakota.
"I missed you," Cruz whispered in Talia's ear. He gave her a quick kiss.
"You two are so adorable I just want to squish something," Dakota said.
"Don't mind her," Cruz said. "She missed her dose of Ritalin this morning."
"Hey." Dakota laughed. "Watch out. I have a stockpile of embarrassing stories."
"I'm sure you do," Cruz muttered.
The car engine shut off and Sullivan stepped out. He introduced himself to Talia. "Do you mind if we go inside first? I have a few questions for you, mostly about location."
Her eyes widened. "Oh, sure. Come on in."
Thirty
Talia's heavy eyes fought to close as they drove to the next house. She was surprised that there were so many available houses in a town as small as Kittle Falls. They'd toured eight—nine?—homes already, and it was amazing how tiring it was. This was supposed to be their last one, but she wasn't sure she could lift her legs to get out of the car, much less wander around.
"Oh, look at this one," Dakota said. "Definitely the nicest of the bunch."
Talia's eyes flew open and she sat taller. A large, gorgeous house sprawled out in front of where Sullivan was pulling in. It appeared to be three levels, and the only thing she noticed was that the roof was missing tiles and had moss growing in some places.
"This one's about to go into foreclosure," Sullivan said. "It's a great deal because the owners want to make enough to avoid it."
"That's sad," Talia said.
Cruz took her hand. "I know you're tired, but do you want to have a look?"
Talia nodded. "Are you sure this is in our price range?" She glanced at Sullivan.
"It's actually going for less than the last two we saw. The owners just want what they owe, not what it's worth."
"Why hasn't it sold yet?" Cruz asked, sounding suspicious.
"Can't hurt to look," Talia said, stretching. She turned to Cruz. "What do you think so far?"
"Needs a new roof."
Sullivan scrolled through some information on his tablet. "That's another reason for the lower price point. According to this, everything else is in decent shape."
They all got out of the car and Sullivan found the lock box and let them in. The house smelled fresh, almost like a load of laundry was going, but everything was quiet. Cruz flipped on the light switch, and everything lit up, showing off nice high ceilings and a clean house with rooms going as far as the eye could see.
"Not bad," Cruz said. "What do you think?"
"It's beautiful," Talia said.
"Let's explore," Dakota said. "You know, if you guys don't get this, I might. I've been thinking about getting a summer home."
Talia glanced over at her, curious what she did that would allow her a summer home. "What do you do for a living?"
"I run a business in the wedding field."
"Oh, but isn't that your busy time of the year?" asked Talia.
"A girl has to take a break sometimes. And that's why I hire the best of the best. I can leave when I want to and not have to worry about anything. Oh, look at this." She ran into the kitchen. "I think I'm in love."
Talia glanced over at Cruz, and they both laughed. He wrapped his arm around her. "You want to see the kitchen?"
"Of course." They walked through the house, finding each room more beautiful than the last.
"I can't believe this place is cheaper than the last two," Talia said as they made their way back to the front entryway. "I would feel bad taking it from people who could get so much more for it."
Sullivan appeared from around the corner. "And yet you'd actually be helping them to avoid a devastating financial loss."
Talia glanced at Cruz. "Do you like it?"
"Are you kidding? What's not to love?"
"Should I put in an offer?" Sullivan asked.
Cruz held Talia's gaze and finally lifted an eyebrow. "Yes?"
"Definitely."
Sullivan sat on a stair with his tablet, sliding his finger and around and tapping. "Do you want to offer the asking price?"
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