I'm Your Santa (16 page)

Bailey surreptitiously watched Trey from behind the stage curtain. This was the third time he'd been to their rehearsal. It was almost as if he forced himself to come with her. Since he'd watched,
It's a Wonderful Life
, he'd been pensive, almost sad.

She couldn't even imagine what his childhood had been like raised in an orphanage. And he probably didn't have much more now. A preacher was usually broke, and Trey didn't have his own church. And no family.

But
she
did.

Her family could be his family, and she'd bet the town would take up an offering for him. That was it. She smiled to herself. Planning ahead was the key to success. Leave nothing to chance.

“Okay, let's take a break,” Fallon said, then looked at her watch. “Only five minutes, though. I have to take the girls to the potty.”

Bailey hurried off the stage. “What do you think so far?”

“That you need a lot more practice?”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “We're free. What do you expect?” She drew in a deep breath. “I know what your problem has been the last few days.”

“Do I have a problem?”

She nodded. “I'm going to start a love offering for you.”

He choked. She was going to offer him her body? He quickly glanced around to see if anyone had overheard. Her brother would kill her, and him, if he found out she was offering herself.

What? Did she think he was a God or something? And she was making the ultimate sacrifice?

“Yeah, you know, where the town takes up a monetary donation. We've done it before for missionaries so why not a traveling preacher.”

Money, not her body. Disappointment and relief swept through him at the same time. He had a feeling disappointment was the stronger emotion.

“You think I'm broke?” She'd kill him if she knew how much money he had.

“You aren't penniless?”

He shook his head.

“Oh, then it must be the other.”

“The other what?”

“Nothing. By the way, we're going to my parents for dinner tonight.” She stood before he could tell her he didn't think he liked that idea any better.

Damn, what had he gotten himself into?

He didn't have long to find out. The day flew by. He was more than a little hesitant as he approached the door to Bailey's parents' house. If she hadn't been right beside him, he'd have turned around and hobbled away as fast as he could.

He didn't do parents.

His skin went from hot to cold in the space of a heartbeat. It was all he could do to keep his hands from slipping on the grips of his crutches.

If he said his foot throbbed would she buy it? He was an actor, he could pull it off.

The door opened. “Welcome!” A rotund man with thinning hair and a big smile on his face stood at the door. The woman who stood beside him had light brown hair and a welcoming smile. She was trim in a pair of brown slacks and a white top. Other than her hair being darker, she was an older version of Bailey.

The parents.

He'd never had to deal with them until now. The women he dated wouldn't dream of asking him to meet their parents. Definitely a taboo subject and they knew it.

Trey had no experience with parents. And he was afraid. Being afraid didn't sit well with him. Hell, he'd done some of his own stunts for films and hadn't been this nervous.

“Welcome,” the woman's voice was soft and sounded like what he would imagine an angel would sound like. Then to top that off, the warmth of her eyes reached deep down inside of him and squeezed his heart.

Man, he'd been in this town way too long.

“I'm Ginny and this is Waylon,” she said.

Trey mumbled something appropriate and they went inside. He could do this. He only needed to act, and that was the one thing in his life he knew he was good at. No problem.

Until he walked inside and saw there were quite a few people in the small house.

“Mike, you're home!” Bailey ran to a man that he assumed was one of the other brothers. With a wide smile, she dragged him over to be introduced. “This is the doctor in the family.”

He smiled when he looked down at Bailey, and Trey could see the resemblance.

“Barely.” He shook Trey's hand. “I've only been practicing a couple of years. Sometimes I amazed myself that I stayed in school long enough.”

His words were friendly but Trey knew Bailey's brother studied him, trying to decide if he was worthy enough to be in his little sister's company. He must've passed the test because his smile warmed a half of a degree.

Trey looked around the living room. Fallon waved, Wade nodded, the twins were eyeing the presents under the tree. Bailey's mother had slipped away to the other room.

“Have a seat,” her father said. “I was on crutches once and they were murder.”

“For all of us,” Wade spoke up with laughter in his voice. “He was like a human tank as he barreled his way through the house.”

“Man was not made to walk around on sticks,” he said with a frown, but his eyes twinkled.

Trey made his way to the sofa and took a seat. He needed a drink bad.

“I'll get you something to drink,” Bailey said, and he wondered if she could read his mind. No, not possible. He was still alive.

Janey, the bolder of the twins, sat beside him on the sofa. He shifted away. She scooted closer. Trey glanced nervously around the room. Couldn't they see the kid wasn't playing with her doll? Kids made him nervous and she was no exception.

“Santy is gonna come see me and sissy. Is Santy gonna come see you?”

“Uh…sure.”

“Do you like kids?”

No. They asked too many questions. “Sure,” he lied.

She slipped her hand in his. Hers was tiny, warm…and really sticky. But when she looked up and smiled, her eyes sparkled and her face glowed with childlike innocence, and he found himself returning it and relaxing just a little.

“What have you been eating?” He raised an eyebrow.

She put a finger over her lips. “Shh, candy cane. We're not 'posed to eat dem off the tree. Want me to get you one?”

He shook his head. Her shoulders drooped. He had a feeling they would've
shared
the candy cane, but with an adult involved there would be less chance of her getting into trouble.

“Miss Janey scoot off the sofa and stop bothering our guest.” Bailey handed him a soda, then took Janey by the hand. “Icky, someone has been stealing candy canes off the tree.”

“Shh, Auntie Baywee.” She glanced toward her mother.

“Then go wash up.”

“I think we both need to wash,” he said.

Bailey smiled. “She likes to hold hands. Come on and we'll all wash up.”

She led the way to the bathroom. It was crowded as they all squeezed inside. Janey laughed as Bailey held the little girl's hands under the water and together they washed up, lathering the soap until they had bubbles going everywhere. After drying her little hands, Janey scooted out of the tiny enclosure.

“Are you going to wash my hands, too?” He leaned on the crutches, staring into her face.

“Are you flirting with me?”

“Turn about is fair play. You've been flirting with me since I walked into the burger joint.”

“I didn't think preachers knew how to flirt.”

“Flirt…and a whole lot more.” He propped his crutch against the wall. She didn't move. He wanted to tell her to run away as fast as she could, but when he looked down into her eyes, she took his words away. Hell, she took his breath away.

Unable to stop himself, he slipped a hand behind her neck and pulled her closer, lowering his head and brushing his lips across hers. His body trembled with need and the force it took not to ravage her mouth.

She moaned, pressing against his. He slipped his hand behind her, skimming her back, slipping lower…

Laughter from the other room brought him crashing to earth. He ended the kiss, his breathing ragged.

“I'm sorry,” she said.

“I'm the one who kissed you,” he told her. “And I'm not sorry.”

Her laugh was shaky. “I guess preachers know how to flirt—and kiss.”

Yeah, and that was his problem. He could talk just about any woman into crawling between the covers with him. Bailey was different. Not like the women from his past. He wanted her, but his lie stood between them.

They rejoined the others who were moving into the dining room. Everyone was talking and laughing. Wade and Fallon settled the twins on their booster seats.

Trey glanced around the room. This was what a real family did during the holidays. He could feel the love they had for each other. He was the odd man out. A stranger on the outside who was being allowed to look through the window into their lives. But it wouldn't last.

What the hell was he doing here? He didn't belong. They were only being nice. He was trapped. He felt hot then cold. He couldn't breathe. He…

Bailey slipped her hand into his, then smiled up at him. Calmness swept over him.

Her father cleared his throat. Silence reigned at the table. Even the twins quieted as their grandfather stood.

He bowed his head. “Dear Lord, thank you for this food we are about to receive, thank you for bringing this young man into our lives so that he could share this meal with us, and Lord, thank you for my family. Amen.”

There was a mumbled amen, and the silence was broken as everyone began to talk at once.

“Trey has a Harley,” Wade said.

Trey shifted in his seat as all eyes turned toward him, then questions flew from everyone. Questions from what color to the size of the engine. Suddenly he wasn't on the outside looking in. This was one thing he could safely talk about. He had a passion for the Harley.

The conversation carried through the main course. By dessert they had pretty well exhausted that topic and Mike began to talk about his residency, but all of a sudden, the other twin, Julie, burst out crying, surprising everyone.

“Baby, what's wrong?” Wade jumped from his seat and hurried to his daughter.

“No one wants to hear me,” she said between sobs.

He hugged his daughter close and looked at Fallon with pleading eyes.

“Honey, we're so sorry. If you want to talk, go ahead,” Fallon said.

Julie dried her eyes with the back of her hands, sniffed loudly, then looked at everyone at the table.

“Don't you have anything to say, sweetie?” Bailey asked.

The little girl drew in a deep breath. “My mommy doesn't wear panties to bed at night.”

There was a nervous cough.

“And Auntie Bailey and the preacher were kissin' in the baffroom,” she continued since she had everyone's attention. “And Grandpa and Grandma were…”

“Okay,” Bailey's father quickly spoke up. “Who wants pie with whipped cream?”

“We'd better before all the family secrets are aired,” Wade said.

Trey nervously laughed along with everyone else. When he caught Bailey's gaze there was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. He would've thought she'd want to crawl under the table from embarrassment. She was, after all, a fourth-grade teacher.

He smiled and she winked back. Maybe there was more to this teacher than he'd first thought.

When she picked up her knife and tapped it against her glass, everyone looked her way. Now what was she up, too?

“I have a very special announcement to make,” she said. “I spoke with the pastors in town and they all want Trey to be one of the speakers during the Christmas service.”

Everyone clapped. Wade stood. “A toast. May all your Christmas wishes come true.”

His stomach churned. He couldn't do a Christmas service. What the hell could he say? Oh, God, he was going to throw up. Suddenly, he didn't feel like an actor. No, he felt like a fraud.

 

Later, in the car, he realized for the first time in his life he felt as though he'd been part of something. At least, until Bailey had made her announcement. When everyone discovered he'd duped them, they would turn against him and despise him for the lies he'd told.

“My family can be a little overwhelming at times,” Bailey said. “And that was without my other brother. He'll be here Christmas Eve.”

“I like your family. They were nice.” His glance moved to the window as the Christmas lights of town flashed and sparkled. There was a tall tree on the courthouse lawn decorated with tinsel and lights. A white angel sat on top.

It reminded him of the movie the other night. He closed his eyes, his fingers curling into fists. This wasn't good. He was starting to wish for something he could never have, something that wasn't real. He wasn't a traveling preacher. No, he was a phony.