Page 14 of Playing Santa

“It’s alright, let him go. There’s nothing in there but a TV and some trophies.”

“You are such an asshole.” She smiles and shakes her head. I know what she means. I take too much for granted. I have more than one man deserves.

“So you like to cook?” I ask again because I can tell she does.

“I like to cook but baking is my specialty. Baking cakes.” I remember her birthday cake. The one she’d made the day her parents died. She’s turned the tragedy into something special. Amazing. I remember to speak.

“Sounds delicious.” I want to say more, but bite my tongue to stop myself from blurting the next thing that comes to mind--asking for a home cooked meal some time. Too bold, too pushy.

She shrugs, one eye on Jimmy in the family room and one eye examining every detail of the kitchen as if she’s going to paint a picture later.

“I’m sorry--don’t mind me,” she says. “We were going to talk about the dog sitting arrangements.”

“Right. I’d like you to start tomorrow if you can manage it. Get here as soon as you can to walk Dasher and hang out with her until I get home so she’s not lonely. Then on Friday stay over while I travel to Los Angeles for an away game.” I pull open a drawer and lift out my spare keys.

“You can have these. I’ll leave an envelope for you tomorrow with your fee for the week.” I reach into my pocket and pull out a wad of money, trying to hide it, but I see her eyes go wide. Shit. I am an asshole.

“What are you—”

“Here’s a twenty for your Uber ride over tomorrow. Should cover it.”

She nods. “I’ll leave the change.”

“Any questions?” I don’t know why I feel so stiff and formal now after we’ve shared our stories—or she’s shared hers, so much of herself. We should be more connected, not less.

Who am I kidding? It’s the money that snaps the connection of course. But hell if I’m not going to pay her and hell if she and Jimmy aren’t perfect to help me out with Dasher.

“Where do you keep the puppy food?”

I go to the walk-in pantry to show her. She follows and I hear her suck in a breath behind me. I turn and she’s standing in the door, a hand to her chest and face tight.

“Jesus, you expecting world war three with all this food, Sean?” She steps inside and looks around, touching the shelves and all the cans and boxes and bottles filling them.

“Honestly, I have no idea what’s in here. I had the housekeeper stock it for me. My mom might have helped out too last time she was here.”

She nods, clears her throat. “Of course. I’m being silly. Tactless. I mentioned that I might be tactless, right?” she lets out a shaky breath. “It’s just that you live in such a different world than I do. It’s jarring to see it up close and personal, the kinds of things I usually only see on television.”

“You must have been okay before your parent passed away?”

She nods her head. “Yes, you’re right. It seems like another lifetime ago. My old life, the normal one, hardly seems real anymore.”

“Seems to me you’ve made it back to normal now. You’ve made a home for you and Jimmy.”

She looks at me and looks around my kitchen. “Right again. Who needs a shiny kitchen when you have a beautiful healthy son.” When she smiles at me, it takes my breath away.

Chapter 4

Ronnie

My hand shakes with nerves as I open the back door to Sean’s house and Jimmy and I enter through a mud room. I barely get the kid’s coat off before he runs off calling for Dasher who answers with wild yipping.

Heading into the kitchen, I see an envelope propped against a vase of flowers on the slick island. When the hell did he have a chance to go out and get flowers since I saw him yesterday? I move through the room to the island slowly, as if my presence here is an intrusion and any disturbance will somehow leave a mark.

The envelope has my name on it, written in strong bold lettering. His handwriting is exactly like he is. Jimmy comes sliding into the room with Dasher in his arms.

“I got him out of the cage Mommy. I think he needs to go outside.”

The envelope will have to wait for later. After we bundle up again, we take Dasher outside, but we end up staying in the yard while Dasher runs around and Jimmy uses up all the energy he has stored up from a day at school. When we go back inside, Jimmy asks, “Can we stay here, Mommy?”