Page 5 of Santa Daddy’s Curvy Little

"I just thought you might need some cheering up," she informed me, her voice quivering as she attempted to sound brave. Looking back down at the muffins and coffee in her hands, she continued. "I'll leave this in the office in case you want it." As she started to walk away, I reached out and caught her arm.

"Look, I'm sorry," I told her as she turned to look back at me. "I'm just not sure why you're even wasting your time with me." She frowned as she stared at me.

"What in Earth are you talking about?" she asked, sounding surprised. "All I'm doing is trying to be nice and help you have a nice day at work. The kids know when you're upset, and it affects their trip to visit Santa." I raised an eyebrow at her, feeling suspicious once again of her kind acts.

"So, my mother didn't convince you to try to get to know me or anything?" I asked, and she shook her head, seeming even more confused.

"Why on Earth would she do that?" she asked, solidifying her innocence in my eyes. "I'll admit that I know about the talk about what happened, but that's none of my business. All I want is to have a good day at the best job I've ever had." Wincing, I lowered my gaze.

I had officially blown any and all chances I had with her before even realizing that I had that chance in the first place. In all honesty, I should have known better. A Daddy always keeps his cool no matter what childish antics a Little gets into, and I had just accused an unconfirmed Little of working with my mother to get me to move on.

"I'm really sorry," I repeated, truly meaning it more than I had ever met anything in my life. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you like that and assuming the worst. Can you ever forgive me?" She went silent a moment as she stared me down, and I grew fearful of the way she might react.

"I forgive you," she finally responded, and my heart started to soar.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Lana

From the moment I forgave him for lashing out at me the way that he did, I noticed immediately that he started acting a bit different, and I didn't know what to think. It was as if he had turned over a new leaf almost instantly, and I wasn't the only one who noticed it. Several parents of children who came to visit kept whispering about the new Santa when they thought no one could hear them, and a lot of them thought it was because Roger had finally been replaced.

In all honesty, I felt guilty for making him feel uncomfortable for so long due to my gestures. I never realized that he thought that I was working with his mother to get him to move on from what happened the year before, and I even felt ashamed because of it. All this time, I thought he was just not a morning person or was tired of the way people whispered about him behind his back, but, in all honesty, the truth I had discovered was so much worse. That day, he accepted the peace offering of muffins and coffee, but, when we went on our lunch break, he stopped me on the way to the office.

"Do you have any plans for after work tonight?" he asked as he gave me a gentle smile, and I felt a wave of shock wash over me as I took in his reaction.

"Not really," I told him. "Normally, I just go home and do some cleaning or make cookies to take to my parents." He smiled as he nodded understandingly.

"How would you like to join me for dinner?" he finally asked. "My treat after everything you've done to help me through the last week." I stopped and thought for a moment, still confused by his request.

Roger James wanted to have dinner with me? After he accused me of conspiracy with his mother and thought that I was working to make him move on? At first, I was extremely skeptical, but, after seeing the way he was smiling, I realized that he was doing everything in his power to make up for his mistakes. After carefully considering this, I finally nodded.

"That would be lovely," I agreed, my heart racing at a million beats per second. "I think that it would give us a real chance to talk." Nodding in agreement, he smiled back.

"Agreed," he said as he watched me closely. He started to let go of my arm, but he stopped as he seemed to remember something. "Oh, before I forget, I was going to order lunch from the diner and have it brought here. Would you like something other than pretzel bites for lunch?" I frowned a little, my skepticism returning as I stared at him.

"I don't have a lot of money," I admitted, feeling sheepish as I remembered that I had only bought a few muffins this morning. "I had to replace my debit card and won't be able to make it to the bank until after work if at all." He smiled and shook his head.

"Again, this would be my treat," he reassured me, and my stomach growled in response as I considered this, making him chuckle. "Old Sally had the best hot sandwiches and soup in town. I'd be surprised if you turned it down and skipped out on the best opportunity to try her food." While part of me wanted to say no to the generous offer, I was craving a grilled cheese sandwich.

"If you're sure," I finally agreed hesitantly. "I do have a small question for you, though." He frowned as he watched me closely, looking worried.

"What is it?" he finally asked, and ai took a deep breath.

"Are you acting this nice because you feel entitled to after this morning?" I asked, wincing as I spoke. "Or is there something else I should know?" He didn't seem offended by my question, which was a huge relief, but he did pause to consider my question, seeming as perplexed by it as I felt.

"In all honesty," he finally began, and my breath caught in my chest, "it's a mixture of both." I frowned at his vague confession as he spoke. "If it's all the same to you, though, I think I would prefer to explain it over dinner, please." He stared at me expectantly, waiting for my response, and I considered his request for a moment.

It seemed fair, especially since we were in a very public area, acting completely out of character. Besides, after hearing the urgent tone in his voice, I quickly realized that this was beyond just trying to make up for his angry outburst that morning. In fact, while I was certain that I was only getting my hopes up and was on the verge of getting my heart broken, I was starting to feel like there was just so much more he wanted to say and was struggling to say. After considering all this, I finally nodded in agreement.

"Very well," I told him with a gentle smile. "I'll hear you out at dinner." Immediately, he beamed at me in surprise and delight, and, before either of us could even comprehend what he was doing, he pulled me into his arms and held me in the tightest bear hug.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Roger

A huge weight had been lifted from my chest, and I couldn't believe how much better I felt knowing that Lana had not only forgiven me, but she had accepted my offer to dinner that same night. Now, I felt like I could finally start to settle down and focus more on the work. I still felt guilty for having snapped at Lana the way I had, but, having gotten confirmation that she had forgiven me, I felt a lot better now than I had before.

By the time the work day was finally over, I couldn’t believe how slow the day had dragged by despite the constant visitation from children, and I was relieved to finally get to spend a bit more alone time with Lana. While she went to the bathroom to change out of her costume, I made my way to the office to prepare for our night together. Thanks to how excited I was, I had planned the entire evening right down to the last detail, and I was excited to get to spend time with her.