Dear Santa(49)

“Where’s Billy?” she asked, looking around the crowd and not seeing him.

“I haven’t seen him for a while,” Peggy said, looking around.

“He must be in his office.” Lindy headed in that direction.

    When she walked into the kitchen no one raised an eyebrow. One of the chefs actually lifted his chin, indicating Billy was where she suspected.

A sense of anticipated happiness spread over her as she knocked at his door.

“Who is it?” he asked, sounding irritated.





CHAPTER EIGHTEEN





Instead of answering, Lindy opened the door. Billy looked up from his desk and wordlessly stared at her as if she were an apparition. He briefly closed his eyes before he slowly came to his feet and walked around the desk. It was almost as if he didn’t know what to say.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“I know. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.” She noticed that he kept his distance. And she knew why, too. Billy didn’t dare hope she was back for good this time.

“It’s good to see you, Lindy,” he said, placing his hand on the edge of his desk as if to steady himself. “I suppose you’re heading back tomorrow?”

“Yeah, unfortunately. Media Blast is going to want at least two weeks’ notice.”

    His gaze shot to hers. “You’re giving your notice?”

“It’ll take some time to find someone to sublet my apartment, so it might be longer than two weeks.”

Billy’s eyes met Lindy’s, and it seemed to take an inordinate amount of time for her words to sink in.

“You’re actually quitting your job?”

She nodded.

“I thought winning this proposal was a dream come true for you?”

“It thought it was, too.”

“Then why are you walking away from everything you’ve worked this hard to achieve?” he asked.

“Don’t you know? Can’t you guess?”

Billy maintained his distance.

“Because I realize that everything that is important to me is right here.”

Lindy couldn’t understand why he hesitated. She expected to have been in his arms long before now.

“Do I dare hope I’m someone who’s important to you, Lindy?”

It felt as if a giant vacuum cleaner had sucked all the oxygen out of the office.

“You should know, Billy Kincade, that you’re the reason I felt the need to return to my roots, to my family, to my closest childhood friend. But far and away, I knew I needed to come back to the boy who claimed I’d written my name on his nine-year-old heart.”

    He came to her then, reached for her hand, and placed it over his heart. “Your name is still there, Lindy, and it’s not going away.”

“And neither am I,” she promised.

He kissed her and it was every bit as good as she remembered. Every bit as wonderful as the first time during their sleigh ride.

Her face was flushed with warmth and love when they returned to the bar area where Peggy and the others sat waiting.

Just then the crowd started the countdown to the New Year.

Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

Then Lindy was in Billy’s arms. His lips were on hers as they brought in the next year together. It went without saying that this year and every year in the future, Lindy hoped to be spending with Billy Kincade.

Santa knew what he was doing when he told her she would have all her wishes fulfilled.

And she had far and above all she could have imagined or hoped for.





EPILOGUE





Lindy recognized the man in the red suit the minute she got into the line with the other mothers, holding their toddlers. She would always remember this particular Santa. He didn’t seem to have aged at all since the last time she’d seen him, all those winters ago.

“Where’s Daddy?” Adam, her three-year-old son asked.

“He’ll be here soon.” Billy had dropped her off at the Children’s Closet, where Lindy had once had the role of Santa’s helper, and now she was working with them as one of her many clients.

Sure enough, not more than five minutes later, Billy arrived, just in time for their son’s turn to sit on Santa’s lap.

Santa’s eyes twinkled as he smiled first at Adam, and then Lindy. “And who do we have here?” the big man asked.

    “This is Adam,” Lindy answered, seeing that her son appeared unable to speak. The little boy, who resembled his father in so many ways, looked upon Santa with complete awe. His mouth hung open, and his gaze remained riveted on Santa’s white beard.

“Well, hello, Adam,” Santa said. “I know your mommy and daddy. Your mommy used to write me letters.”

Adam remained speechless.

“What would you like for Christmas, young man?”

Without a pause, Adam said, “A brother.”

Hearing him, Billy’s eyes connected with Lindy’s. “Guess we need to get to work,” he mumbled, and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

Santa glanced toward them and grinned. “I’ll see what I can do, young fellow. Now, you be a good little boy for your mom and dad.”