Santa's Posse Read Online Free PDF Page B

conking me upside my head.  I managed to live through it.”
    He gave a rueful
laugh.  “I have little sisters.  I barely lived through it.”
    She continued
toward the bedroom, where Miles promptly scooped up the instructions to the bed
frame.  “Looks easy enough,” he said finally.  When she gave him a chagrined
glance, he smiled.  “Er, I mean, wow, this looks complicated.”
    “That’s better,”
she murmured.  “At least pretend I’m not a moron.”
    “Hey, enough of
that talk,” he said with a chuckle, and then quickly got down to business.  He had
the frame assembled in no time. 
    He was just
finishing up tightening the last bolt attaching the headboard to the frame when
Kellie heard her doorbell ring.  It wasn’t until she swung open the door and
saw the delivery man holding out a pizza to her that she remembered she’d
called in an order.  “Oh, hold on just a sec,” she told him.
    She quickly
retrieved her purse and paid him.  After depositing the pizza box onto the
island in her kitchen, she hurried back to check on Miles.  She found him
wiping black gunk off his hands.  “All done,” he told her.  “Where’s your
mattress?”
    “Oh, don’t worry
about it,” she said.  “I’ll put the bed together later.”
    “Really, it’s not
a problem.  Why don’t we get it done?”
    She glanced back
toward the kitchen.  “I ordered a pizza earlier and it’s here.  Are you
hungry?”
    He smiled.  “Looks
like you’re springing for dinner after all.”
    “It’s the least I
can do,” she said.  “I really appreciate…”
    He waved off her
gratitude.  “Not a problem.”
    She directed him
to the only piece of furniture in her living room—her sofa, while she pulled up
a box to serve as a table and then retrieved paper plates and the pizza.  After
putting the items onto the makeshift table, she grabbed sodas from the
refrigerator.  “I hope you like root beer,” she said, “since it’s all I’ve
got.”
    “Root beer’s
great.”
    The two visited
while they ate the pepperoni pizza, and Kellie found herself enjoying Miles’ company. 
She learned he’d been a deputy for twelve years, and had been a commander for the
last two of those years. 
    “What’s next for
you?” she asked.  “Do you plan on continuing your rise up the chain of
command?”
    He considered the
question.  “I’m not sure.  I like where I’m at.  How about you?  What’s next? 
The Mall of America?”
    She chuckled. 
“You never know.”
    They sat
companionably for a moment longer, but he startled her when he reached out to
check the bump on her head.  Suddenly, he rose to retrieve a napkin, which he
doused with dish soap.  He returned and began gently scrubbing the black mark
off her forehead.  She quickly took the rag from him.
    “What the heck is
that stuff?” he said.
    “Something off the
bed frame,” she told him.  “Why?”
    “It’s stubborn,
and I want a look at the goose egg on your head.  If I’m not mistaken, it’s
turning an angry shade of purple.”
    “Ah, well,” she
said dismissively.  “I’ll live.” 
    Just the same, she
rose and went to the powder room to check out the damage.  She gasped.  She
looked horrible.  She’d forgotten she was dressed in well-worn jeans, an old
t-shirt, and socks that had seen better days.  By the time her eyes traveled to
her forehead, she’d already decided she looked a fright.  But the knot on the
forehead added emphasis to her rough appearance.
    She hastily
scrubbed away the rest of the stubborn grease, exposing the lump that was
indeed purple.  She hadn’t realized how hard a blow she’d sustained.  When she
returned to Miles, his eyes widened.  “Great,” he muttered worriedly, “welcome
to the neighborhood.”
    “It’s nothing,”
she assured him.  “Besides, it was my fault.  I wasn’t watching where I was
going.”
    “What day is it?”
he demanded.
    She gave him a
puzzled glance.  “Uh,