Teddy’s dependable Subaru had never looked tinier than with Jolly Old Saint Nick crowded in the backseat, looking ready to murder someone if Teddy so much as took a turn too fast. He’d insisted that Rhonda take the front seat, some sort of chivalry Teddy found both exasperating and cute. This was Rhonda. She’d made him eat a dandelion once. With a ladybug still on it. She’d dared him off the rope swing down by the river, resulting in a dislocated shoulder for him and a month’s grounding for her. She could totally ride in the backseat, let the sergeant major and his ample legs take the front, where, not coincidentally, he could also talk more easily with Teddy.
Not that this cranky Santa seemed particularly enamored of him or easy to get to know, but Teddy was determined to give the guy a pleasant day, especially after the disastrous start. Not that he’d call it a disaster—any time he got a glimpse of a muscled ass that spectacular was a win—but Nick’s discomfort had been almost palpable. And yeah, he seemed to be rather attached to his rank and title, but Teddy simply wasn’t that formal. Commander Grace had always insisted that they call her Miriam, and he was on a first name basis with plenty of other military personnel.
“So the first stop is the old Lee barn,” he said. “That’s outside of town, then we’ll work our way back to the resource center with a few other stops.”
“Are people really going to be able to guess one barn from another?” Nick sounded highly skeptical.
“Oh yeah. The Lee barn is part of a historic estate and it’s open for tours during daylight hours.”
“But after dark…” Rhonda laughed knowingly. “The estate is a favorite make-out spot for teenagers, and no amount of chase off from the police can stop them. Everyone will recognize the barn, but no one will want to cop to why. That’s why it’s perfect.”
“I see. Watch the road, MacNally. Posted limit is fifty-five. You don’t need a ticket.”
“We’re good.” Teddy tried not to show his irritation at the rebuke. He supposed he could have compromised and let Nick drive himself to the sites, but as usual Teddy had had a plan and didn’t want to deviate from it, even if it meant putting up with the backseat driving. “And it’s Teddy. There are so many MacNallys in and around Mineral Spirits that you’ll get twenty heads swiveling if you call for MacNally.”
“And that’s a low estimate,” Rhonda added.
He took the turnoff for the Lee estate at a safe, respectable speed, but a glance in the rearview told him that Sergeant Stuffy Butt still winced. Expression aside, the rest of his face was pretty nice to look at. Very closely cropped hair some indeterminate shade between brown and gray, eyes the color of Lake Ontario in spring, rugged features that went along with his oversize build but Teddy could bet he’d have a killer smile—
“Pedestrians ahead.”
Teddy fought the urge to sigh. The chances of him seeing that smile, killer or not, seemed to be shrinking by the minute.
“On it.” He parked in the rear of the lot, more hyperaware of his parking technique than usual. “Let’s walk to the barn.”
“Let me help with the equipment.” Nick insisted on taking Rhonda’s camera bag which, naturally, got more adoring looks and eye-batting from her.
“So appreciated.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Barn’s this way.” Teddy tried not to grumble—wasn’t any of his business if they wanted to start a mutual admiration society. He’d put on boots to drive, so he carried his shoes, which were more like slippers and no match for the crusty remnants of snow on the ground. The first real snowfall had been two weeks ago, but it was only a dusting compared to what his weather app was predicting for this weekend, starting tonight. As they walked, he glanced at the shimmering gray skies.
“It might snow this afternoon even. You got your snow tires on, right?” he said to the other two, mainly to Rhonda, who tended to put these things off.
“Yes, Mother.” She tweaked his elf hat. “So where are you from anyway, Saint Nick?”
“Everywhere.” His massive shoulders shrugged. “Grew up in Phoenix, but I’ve been stationed all over the world. Mainly warmer places though as far as the US goes. First time I ever drove in snow was here. I’ve got decent all-weather tires though.”
Teddy’s parents had drilled into him the importance of changing tires each fall and spring, but he wasn’t out to start an argument with the guy, so he simply nodded.
“Tell me your favorite place you’ve been stationed,” Rhonda urged.
“Spent some time in California. San Diego was nice enough. Good fishing. Most recently was at Fort Stewart down by Savannah, but spent the bulk of that deployed overseas. But… Hawaii was a good few years.” His eyes took on a faraway cast, and Teddy would have given a lot to know the full story there.
“I wouldn’t know what to do with myself with all that sun and water,” Rhonda said after thinking for a second. “Plus, no hockey.”
“You play?” Nick blinked.
“Of course.” Rhonda pulled herself up to her full height, a good three or four inches on Teddy but still shorter than the good sergeant’s mammoth frame, which had to be at least six foot four. “I’m a killer defender in our rec league. Teddy here’s a decent winger. You follow hockey any?”
“Never. Sorry. But your pro football team’s not bad this year.”
Rhonda laughed. “Buffalo’s almost four hours away. We don’t get to many games. Teddy’s brother’s a huge fan though. But to me, hockey’s so much faster. Football has way too much hurry-up-and-wait.”
“Guess I can see that. I don’t mind though.” Nick followed them down the path and into the restored barn. It was a massive faded redwood structure that had been painstakingly restored along with the rest of the farmhouse property.
“Okay, let’s get your wig and beard on.” Rhonda turned a critical eye on Nick. “Let me help.”
“I’ve got—” Nick’s protest died as Rhonda did her typical pushy thing and plucked the wig from his grasp. Watching her try to flirt with their Santa model had not been on Teddy’s agenda for the day. He’d been picturing another man like Wallace Grace who was older than his wife with thinning hair and a paunch that padded well for the Santa part. Instead, they’d received this muscled Polish God, and it was no wonder Rhonda lost her head a little. And if Teddy knew a brief flare of jealousy, he quickly tamped it down. Chances were extremely high that this guy had some adorable woman and a flock of tall children waiting back on base.
“So, did your family follow you to Fort End?” He figured a little fishing expedition could ward off more of Rhonda trying to get somewhere.
“Nope.” Nick held still while Rhonda fussed over him, tugging the wig and beard this way and that. “Not married.”
Rhonda’s eyes took on a predictably feral glint and Teddy barely suppressed a groan.
“Single? So nothing stopping you from having a drink with me after the shoot? The Lucky Scot has great happy hour specials.” She beamed at him.
“Uh… I’m a bit old…” A faint pink tinge spread across Nick’s cheeks.
“You are not.” Rhonda lightly punched him on the arm. “Now, I’m going to take some fabulous pictures of you, and then we’re going to get a drink, and if you’re nice, I’ll show you the proofs.”
“I don’t really drink…” Nick coughed and looked skyward like he wouldn’t mind if one of the two-hundred-year-old beams came crashing down on him.
Teddy took pity on him. “Rhonda. Not everyone is interested, okay?”
“Fine. Guess I am an acquired taste.” Rhonda’s face fell, a pretty good copy of her face as a kid when she didn’t get her way.
“You’re lovely,” Nick rushed to reassure her. “But I…uh…different team, you know?”
“Oh.” Rhonda’s eyebrows danced near her wool hat, and Teddy was sure his own eyes were similarly wide. “Teddy, why do all the cute ones have to play for your team? Life just isn’t fair.”
Gee. Thanks for the outing, cuz. Teddy sighed. He was out, had been for years, but still, Rhonda didn’t have to all but thrust him at the sergeant major, who looked less than thrilled at this bit of news. And Rhonda seriously had little clue how wrong she was. Unless he felt like doing the more-than-two-hour drive to Syracuse, pickings were exceptionally slim, especially this time of year. Cute, middling, or otherwise, his dating app had precious few profiles, especially if he eliminated married guys on the make, which he did.
“We should get the picture, right?” Nick’s voice was back to commanding. “Snow is starting.” He gestured at the open door, where sure enough, a few flurries were dancing around on the wind. “Where do you want me?”
“I got permission for you to sit in the historic sleigh over here.” Rhonda led them farther into the barn to where a few old carts and buggies were parked along with a sleigh. “Teddy will sit next to you and hold up the sign for which clue this is. He’s in all the pictures to remind people to give early and often.”
“All right.” The sergeant major’s shoulders squared, and Teddy could totally picture him wrestling an unruly soldier into line. He marched over to the sleigh, perfect posture the whole way, as if Teddy were a battalion he was leading into battle. The man made a decent Santa, but Teddy really wished he could see him in uniform. He had a thing for all the Fort End guys as it was, but he had a feeling Nick would be spectacular all decked out.
Nick left plenty of room for Teddy to climb in next to him with the small sign. Still though, it was a small sleigh, and his thigh pressed against the other man’s. He smelled like a classic aftershave Teddy had tried when he first started shaving but had quickly discarded in favor of trendier products. It made sense that Nick would be a traditionalist—everything about him said he was solid, a stoic giant more concerned with deeds than appearances, who didn’t like fast changes of direction.
“Okay, smile!” Rhonda ordered. Teddy turned so he could finally see what Nick looked like with a smile. “Teddy. Look at the camera, please.”
Busted. His cheeks heated, and he tried to give Rhonda his best grin to get this over with fast.
“Santa.” Her voice got sterner. “You do get that you’re supposed to be jolly, right? Smile. Laugh. Teddy, tell him a joke or something.”
“Should I describe your prom dress?” He couldn’t resist, but the barb only got a groan from Rhonda, not even a chuckle from their grumpy Santa.
“How about your last date?” she tossed back.
And that did get the barest hint of laugh from Nick. “You guys sure you’re cousins? You fight like siblings.”
“We have the same New Year’s birthday,” Rhonda explained. “But all of our family is this close—there’re over twenty first cousins in our generation just on the MacNally side. Every party is a reunion.”
“Sounds fun.”
“It is. You should come to Thanksgiving.” Rhonda nodded at him. “Right, Teddy? Tell him he’d love it.”
“You’ve seriously never seen so much pie in one place.” Teddy tried again for humor.
“You did get that I’m not looking for a date, right?” Nick sounded like he was starting to run out of patience with them both.
“It wouldn’t be.” Teddy was fast to reassure him, lest he think Rhonda really was trying to push him off on Teddy. “Our family always welcomes people with no other Thanksgiving plans—there’re usually at least a few guests from Fort End.”
“I’m not much on pie. Can you try again for a picture?”
“You say that but you haven’t tried my mom’s pineapple cream pie or Aunt Cathy’s cannoli pie. And if you don’t like whipped cream or dairy, Uncle Gus made this salted caramel apple pie last year that was better than sex.”
He realized what he’d said a moment too late as Nick snort-laughed.
“Perfect!” Rhonda crowed as the camera snapped. “A few more… Lean in now, and really grin, that’s it…”
And damn it, Teddy was too busy looking at the camera and he’d missed Nick’s grin. Oh well. There was always the next location. Maybe he’d earn a real smile yet. And while he wasn’t foolish enough to go chasing the guy as blatantly as Rhonda had, he did have to admit that cozying up with Santa was hardly a hardship, and he couldn’t deny the little seed of hope in his gut. Maybe Teddy could be just what the grumpy sergeant major needed in his stocking.
“On to the next shoot?” Nick was already climbing out of the sleigh, voice making it clear he was ready to speed things up.
Okay. Maybe Teddy’s plan was going to take a bit of effort. But most things in life worth having took work. And Teddy could already tell Nick would be well worth the quest.