Page 4 of Daddy's Naughty List

“Distinguished is another word for old, you know.”

“You’re not old.” She met his eyes, and a hint of a dimple revealed itself in her cheek. “You still have hair and all your teeth.”

He burst out laughing and had to steady himself with a hand on the buffet table. “Touché, little elf. Touché.”

“Anyway, it really is nice of you to be Santa for them. I—” She cut herself off and carried the soup bowls to a small two-top covered in a red tablecloth while he followed with their salads.

“What is it?” Hoping she was comfortable enough to share what she was thinking, he set the plates on the table, then held her chair.

“It’s nothing, really.” She sat and looked at her salad, then fiddled with her napkin. “It’s just that most of the kids are from the Shepherds. They’ve never had Christmas before.”

Walt stilled and tightened his fingers on the back of her chair. “That means you’ve never celebrated Christmas either.”

“I wanted to put up a tree, but I don’t have any decorations.” She waited for him to sit across from her before picking up her fork. After swallowing a bite of her salad, she added, “It’s okay though. I can do one next year. Carrie and Dr. Lopez promised to take me shopping when everything goes on sale.”

No, it was not fucking okay. He wished he could bring Jonas Jamison back to life and make sure he spent the rest of his days in prison.

Jonas didn’t just steal holidays—he stole their joy.

When he didn’t immediately reply, she peeked at him before returning her attention to her salad. “You probably already have an elf for tomorrow, but maybe I could come too?”

Her words sparked an idea to life, and he knew exactly what to give her.

“I would love for you to be my elf. Do you have plans for the next few days?”

“I was just going to clean and do laundry. I have three days off.”

“Good. When we finish with the party at the Caroline, you’ll be getting the full experience.”

She blinked and laid her fork on her plate. “What does that mean?”

“It’s a surprise.” He laid his napkin next to his plate and stood. “Excuse me for a few minutes. I’ll be right back.”

Susan

Walt strode from the break room before she could reply, leaving her wondering what kind of surprise he had in mind. She was almost too nervous to eat and only managed a few spoonfuls of her soup before he returned.

“So…” Walt joined her at the table and took a bite of his salad. “Let’s share our bucket lists. I want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and visit New Zealand. How about you?”

She nibbled on a piece of bread, then set it on her plate. “I’ve heard of a bucket list before, but I don’t know what it means.”

“People sometimes say someone kicks the bucket when they die, so it’s a list of things you want to do before that happens.”

“That makes sense, I think.” She ate some broccolini and chewed slowly to give herself time to think. “Maybe I need a new one. I already did most of the things I used to dream about.”

“That’s amazing!” The skin around his gorgeous blue eyes crinkled as he smiled in approval. “What was on your list, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“You helped with the big wish.” She lowered her head and studied her food. “I wanted to get out of the Shepherds. I learned to read, and Carrie’s teaching me to drive, and…”

“And?” Walt asked when she didn’t finish her sentence.

“I don’t know. College will be after I can pass the math placement test, but it’s hard to decide what I want to do next.”

“That’s the great thing about bucket lists.” He finished his salad and started on his soup. “You can change them whenever you want.”

“I guess so.” Susan picked at her roll. “I think I’d like to fly on a plane someday.”

“Oh, honey. Go big or go home. Sierra’s partner, Ezekiel, is a licensed flight instructor. I bet he’d be delighted to teach you to fly.”

---