“There’s another tray in my car,” she says. I leave her and Maria chatting in the bar and take the tray into the kitchen. When I come out, I grab her keys off the bar and head outside for the second tray. As soon as my boots touch the wooden porch I hear something rustle around on the side of the bar. Figuring it’s probably a deer or maybe a raccoon, I brush it off and start for the steps. Then, I hear it again and this time it’s accompanied by a shrill screech. I freeze, my eyes sliding from my right to left. I spot a baseball bat at the other end of the porch and quickly grab it before descending the stairs. Quiet like a mouse, I hitch the bat over my shoulder and round the side of the bar.
The screeching stops, but it’s replaced with the soft cries of a child. I round the corner and that’s when I see a tall lanky man standing next to the dumpster, beside him stands two little boys who shiver and tug on his leg.
“Daddy, I’m cold,” one says.
“Daddy, I’m hungry,” the other adds.
The bat falls from my hands, landing on the gravel with a thud and the man reacts quickly, pulling his two small children closer to his sides. Gunther’s eyes meet mine and I hold up my hands, assuring him I’m not going to hurt him.
“Daddy, it’s Santa!” the younger boy cries.
“I thought you said he wasn’t real,” the older one says, looking up at his dad.
That hurts my heart seeing as he doesn’t appear to be more than five years old—six tops and the little guy…well, he looks to be around my Anna’s age.
Suddenly, the little one releases his hold on Gunther and charges for me. His little arms wrap around my legs and I swear to God, I have to hold back tears. Apparently, I’ve become a big softie in my old age.
I force a swallow and crouch down in front of the boy.
“Hi there little fella. What’s your name?”
His blue eyes stare up at me with confusion.
“Don’t you know it?”
“Um…”
This Santa gig is tough.
Gunther combs his fingers roughly through his hair and starts for the boy.
“We were just leaving,” he mutters, grabbing the boy’s hand. “Let’s go, Frank.”
Shock courses through me and before I realize what I’m doing, I reach for the boy’s hand. I lift my eyes to Gunther.
“Please,” I rasp. “Don’t go.” I bring my gaze back to Frank and when I blink a single tear falls from the corner of my eye.
“Your name is Frank?”
He nods and points to his older brother.
“And that’s my brother, Jackson.”
I smile at the older boy.
“Nice to meet you, Jackson.”
“Are you really Santa Claus?” Jackson asks wearily.
“What do you think?”
He shrugs his shoulders, but little Frank reaches for my beard and gives it a tug. His eyes light up and he turns to his brother.
“He’s real!” However, his excitement is short-lived and when he brings his attention back to me there is a frown on his face. “We were good boys this year, and we didn’t get anything.”
“Well, I’m don’t actually come until tonight when you’re sleeping,” I explain.
“But how are you going to bring us presents if we don’t have a chimney.”
“I have a magic key.”
“He’s not really Santa Claus, Frank,” Jackson interrupts. “If you were the real Santa you’d know we don’t have a home.”
“Stop,” Frank argues. “If you talk mean to Santa, he won’t bring Mommy back.”
I lift my chin and stare up at Gunther, watching as he roughly pulls at the ends of his hair.
“Gunther…” I call, forcing his eyes back to me.
Clenching his jaw, his lower lip quivers as he says, “She left. I don’t know where she went and there’s no one to watch them. That’s why I haven’t shown up for work. The motel we were staying at kicked us out last night and…” His cracks as he tears his eyes away from me and roughly wipes at the tears falling down his cheeks. Sighing, his shoulders slump with defeat as he forces his gaze back to me. “They were hungry, and I didn’t know where else to go,” he admits hoarsely.
“Well, you came to the right place,” I tell him, turning back to the boys. “Let’s get you guys inside. Santa has tons of food and a sack of presents. I can’t bring back your Mom, but I can keep you warm and safe.”
“What’s going on over here?”
I turn at the sound of Parrish’s voice and slowly rise. His dark eyes move from Gunther to the two boys and back to me.
Placing one hand on Frank’s shoulder and the other on Jackson’s, I meet my brother’s gaze.
“This here is Jack and this little fella is Frank. They’re Gunther’s boys and the three of them will be spending Christmas with us,” I reveal.
So leave an empty chair.
You may not see them, but they will be there.
THE END
Merry Christmas from the real Scotto family—also known as the Bosco family.
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About the Author
Janine Infante Bosco lives in New York City and is an International Bestselling Author. When she was thirteen, she began to write her own stories and her passion for writing took off as the years went on. At eighteen, she even wrote a full screenplay with dreams of one day becoming a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Janine writes emotionally charged novels with an emphasis on family bonds, strong willed female characters, and alpha male men who will do anything for the women they love. She loves to interact with fans and fellow avid romance readers like herself.
When she isn't writing, she is busy planning the Tempted & Tantalizing Author Event, an annual book signing in her hometown of Staten Island, New York. She also recently started a mystery box subscription services that caters to bad boy characters and the various authors who write them.
She is proud of her success as an author and the friendships she's made in the book community but her greatest accomplishment to date would be her two sons Joseph and Paul.
Also by Janine Infante Bosco
The Tempted Series
Illicit Temptations
Forbidden Temptations
Uncontrollable Temptations
Reckless Temptations
Lethal Temptations
Eternal Temptations
The Satan’s Knights MC New York
Drifter
Wanderer
Roamer
Loner
From The Ruins
The Devil Don’t Sleep
Riding The Edge
Parrish
Blackout
Rite Of Passage
Shifting Gears
Breaking The Chains
Walking The Line
Oh, Holy Knight
A Satan’s Knights & Tempted Series Novella
Detours & Dead Ends
The Tempted Series 2.0
Fight Or Flight
Ride Or Die
Below The Belt
The Pastore Crime Family Series
Connected
Straightened Out
Cocky Hero Club
Cocky Jerk
Stand Alones
Raging Inferno
Oh Holy Knight Page 7