Page 13 of One Night on the Naughty List

“No, it’s fine.” I smiled, hoping to put her at ease. “Natasha never wanted any. For a long time, I thought she’d change her mind. Then she didn’t and time went by and…” I trailed off. The kid thing hadn’t bothered me initially. Natasha and I were young, and I was starting my company. Besides, I had enough nieces and nephews to lavish attention on. By the time I realized I might like a child of my own, I was signing divorce papers.

“You could still have them,” Samantha said. There was a little pause, then she swallowed and added, “If you met the right person.”

Wind buffeted the car, but I hardly noticed. Quiet stretched between us as our gazes held. With the snow swirling outside and the air still warm from the heater, it was as if we sat inside a snow globe. Her scent teased my nose, and her brown eyes pulled me in, promising something sweet and soft and absolutely everything I needed.

“I could,” I heard myself say. “If I met the right person.”

Her lips parted.

I drifted toward her, my jacket rustling.

“Uncle Bain!” A muffled voice shot straight through the windshield.

Samantha and I jerked in unison, as if someone splashed us with cold water.

In a blink, half a dozen miniature versions of my brothers surrounded the SUV, and a chorus of “Uncle Bain!” filled the air. A pair of dark pigtails sporting glossy red-and-green plaid ribbons bobbed in and out of view outside my window. The door popped open, revealing a bunch of red-cheeked faces.

The owner of the pigtails grabbed my leg and let out a squeal. “Uncle Bain, you have to get inside right now, Santa is coming in TEN MINUTES!” The last part was said at a volume best suited for dolphins and bats.

“Calm down, pipsqueak.” I bent and pulled my youngest niece onto my lap. “This is Ella,” I told Samantha. “But I call her Elly Belly because she has this weird thing on her tummy that looks like a button.”

The little girl laughed, exposing a prominent gap where her two front teeth were missing. “It’s my belly button!”

I gave her a look of mock confusion. “What are you talking about? No one has a button on their belly.” I looked at Samantha. “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

She smiled and shook her head, playing along. “Never.”

Ella tipped her head to the side. “Uncle Bain.”

“What?”

“Everyone has a belly button!”

“Well, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do!”

One of my older nephews standing around the door rolled his eyes. “Of course he does, Ella, he’s teasing you.”

I grinned at him. “Hey, Patrick. What’s this about Santa showing up in ten minutes?” I gave him a meaningful look over the top of Ella’s head. At fourteen, he knew there was a reason I always seemed to disappear the moment Santa arrived.

“Grandma wants Santa to come before dinner so you should”—his gaze dipped to Ella—“ah, get inside.”

Ella squeezed my hand, her blue eyes pleading. “Hurry or we’ll miss him!” Clutching my hand, she scrambled off my lap and tugged, the strength of her grip surprising a laugh out of me.

“All right, we’re coming!” I gave Samantha a helpless look. “You ready for this?”

She unbuckled her seat belt. “I think so. Should I wait to change?” Her gaze darted to the gaggle of kids outside my door, and doubt shaded her eyes. “I brought something a little more formal to wear, but I can stay in jeans if we’re in a rush.”

I wanted to lean across the seat and kiss the anxiety off her face. But we had an audience, so I had to settle for a wink. “I think Santa will be happy to wait a bit longer. You have time.”

She nodded, but the apprehension remained.

Ah, to hell with it.

I grabbed her hand and planted a quick kiss on her knuckles. “Relax. My family is going to love you.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the kids nudge each other. A couple of the younger boys made smooching sounds. Ella piped up. “Uncle Bain, is that your girlfriend?”

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