Santa's Sweetheart (The Christmas Tree Ranch #4)(69)
*
The last colors of sunset were fading to twilight as the plane from Denver touched down on the runway at Lubbock International Airport. Grace glanced at her watch. The flight delay had been shorter than expected. There was still a chance she could make it to the ball—not for the beginning, but at least before the end. Otherwise she’d be faced with finding another way to break the ice with Sam.
As the plane came to a stop at the gate, she looped her purse over her shoulder and lifted her carry-on down from the overhead bin. Minutes later she was literally racing toward the exit to the long-term parking lot.
Keys. She fumbled in her purse, fingers groping for the weight and feel of them before she remembered zipping them into her coat pocket, where they’d be in easy reach. By the time she found the red Cadillac, the wind was blowing hard. Clutching her coat around her, she put her bag in the trunk and climbed into the car.
When Grace turned the key, the starter ground but didn’t catch. Grace’s heart sank. She tried again. This time the engine roared to life. Limp with relief, she put the car in reverse, backed out of the parking stall, and headed out of the airport. The dash clock read 7:05. She had a chance, but barely. And now it was starting to snow.
*
Fully dressed as Santa, Sam entered the high school through a side entrance. The mayor was waiting for him. “Where have you been?” he sputtered. “The kids have been asking where Santa Claus is. Alice has been out of her mind with worry.”
“You said seven-twenty, Rulon,” Sam replied calmly. “I said I’d be here, and I am—right on time.”
The mayor looked him up and down. “Not bad. I see the suit fits.”
“I told you it would.”
“Are you ready to do this?”
“I’m here.” Sam’s heart was pounding but he willed himself not to show it. “Let’s get the show on the road.”
“Oh, thank heaven!” Alice, dressed in ruffled red and green plaid taffeta, came clicking down the hallway in her stiletto-heeled pumps. “I was afraid you’d gotten cold feet. Come on, Sam. I’ll introduce you and then you’ll make your entrance. Do you know what to do?” She handed him a green bag filled with cellophane-wrapped candy canes.
“Don’t worry, I’ve seen Archie McNab play Santa half a dozen times. I’ll just do what he did.” Sam could only hope he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt.
He followed her to the gym entrance and waited outside the door while she walked to the front of the Christmas tree and rang a handbell for attention.
“Boys and girls, a special visitor just arrived from the North Pole to hear your Christmas wishes. When you’re ready to sit on his knee and talk to him, get in line over here. If your mom and dad want to take your photo with him, that’s just fine. Now here he is—everybody cheer for Santa Claus!”
As the applause rose, Sam strode into the gym. “Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas, boys and girls!” The voice came from somewhere so deep inside him that Sam barely recognized it himself. “I’ve been checking up on you. I know that you’ve been good. So tell me what you want to find under your Christmas tree.”
Most of the families were still at the tables eating, so the line was slow at first. The lull gave Sam a chance to scan the crowd. He spotted Maggie sharing a table with the McDermotts. She grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. At another table, Wynette and Buck seemed lost in each other’s eyes. He didn’t see Jess, Grace’s other roommate, but she’d never struck him as a social person.
Sam knew that Grace wouldn’t be here, although he looked for her anyway. Right now she could be anywhere—stuck in an airport, flying through clouds and snow, or driving on a dark road. With a storm in the forecast, travel could be a beast tonight.
Damn it, he wanted her safe. And he wanted her back in his arms. Whatever relationship issues she had, he loved her. There had to be a way to make things work for them.
He felt a tug at his sleeve. A wide-eyed little boy stood at the head of the growing line, waiting to be noticed. It was time for Santa to get back to work.
Being careful not to frighten him, he boosted the child onto his knee. “Well, young man,” he said in his deep Santa voice. “What can I bring you for Christmas?”
*
By the time Grace drove into the high school parking lot, snow was falling in thick, downy flakes. According to the dashboard clock, it was fifteen minutes after 9:00. Sam would likely be gone. But no—there was his truck. He was still here, though probably not for long.
She’d been racing ahead of the storm all the way from Lubbock. A few miles outside of Branding Iron, it had caught up with her. For safety’s sake, she’d been forced to slow to a crawl. Now she was finally here. But she’d arrived late.
There’d been no time to change her clothes. She’d be walking into the gym in her jeans. But if her crazy plan worked, Sam wouldn’t care, and nobody else mattered.
*
Sam had expected to finish by 9:00. But he should’ve known better. The kids had just kept coming, and he couldn’t deny any one of them a chance to talk to Santa.
By now the tables had been put away and the floor cleared for dancing. The ball idea had been a great success. People of all ages were enjoying the country music and dancing as couples or in lines. Everyone seemed to be having a great time.