Page 1 of Welcome Home for Christmas
Chapter 1
Troy Matthews’s morning had started off with a bang when a few grunts had decided to road race down the 35-mile-per-hour back roads on base. Then a rebellious teen had issued a blanket threat at the military high school, warranting all of the MPs to raid the building. The kid had a big mouth, but that’s all he’d had despite his claims of more. He definitely wouldn’t be making Santa’s good list this year.
Then again, neither would Troy.
It was lunchtime now and Troy could only imagine what the rest of the day held. He walked back into his office, thirsty for a Coke to accompany the stack of paperwork he was going to have to complete regarding the morning’s festivities, and stopped cold. He shared an office with fellow military police officer Griffin Black, who was already seated behind his desk and pretending not to notice that Troy had entered.
“What’s this?” Troy asked, frowning at the small Charlie Brown tree housed in a Styrofoam cup on his desk. A single string of tinsel wrapped around it.
Griffin glanced back. “It’s a Christmas tree. I’m not giving up on you, buddy.”
Troy lifted the cup of tree and carried it to the opposite side of the room. His friend’s persistence was almost amusing.Almost.
“Busy morning,” Griffin commented then. He’d been at the high school scene, too.
Troy sat behind his desk and nodded, grabbing his Coke and popping the tab. “You can say that again.”
“Guess it’s true that Christmas brings out the crazy in people.”
Troy chuckled. “What’s January through November’s excuse?”
Griffin joined in his laughter. Troy expected that Griffin would return to his work, but he continued to stare across the distance at him.
“Am I just beautiful or are you staring for a reason?” Troy asked, waggling his eyebrows.
“I need a favor.”
“More help training Jaws?” Jaws was Griffin’s K-9 partner.
“No. This isn’t about work.”
“Well, what then?”
“First, you have to say yes,” Griffin told him.
Troy turned his chair to face his friend. “To a favor that I don’t know about? Do you think I’m one of the Christmas crazies?”
Griffin shrugged. “My favor involves helping orphans, man. You wouldn’t turn that down, would you?”
Troy shook his head, setting his Coke down. “Of course not.” He’d been lucky enough to grow up in a family with two parents and three siblings. And Troy knew that Griffin had been adopted. He didn’t like to think of a kid who didn’t have anyone in the world. That had to be scary. And lonely.
Griffin nodded. “I can see it on your face. You’re going to say yes.”
“To helping orphans? Hell, yeah.” Troy nodded. Maybe everyone thought he was being a Scrooge this year because he didn’t want to celebrate Christmas, but he wasn’t heartless. He just didn’t want to do rounds with his older brother David at the Christmas dinner table again, or see his mother in tears over their feuding like last year. Troy had chosen the military over running the family’s many businesses in Paradise Point, and he was proud of his service. His father, now passed, had also been proud of him. If his brother David wasn’t, well, Troy could care less.
Griffin punched a triumphant fist into the air, a little too happy about Troy’s agreement.
Charlie Myer, the K-9 team’s kennel master, knocked on their office door. “Did he get you, too?” he asked Troy.
“I guess so,” Troy admitted. He just wasn’t yet sure what he’d gotten into.
“Well, you’re in good company. We’re all doing it.”
Troy nodded, narrowing his eyes at Griffin. “Doing what?” he asked. “What exactly is the favor?”
Griffin shrugged. “There’s going to be an auction at the Veterans’ Center in Seaside this Friday to help raise money to buy presents for the children at Mercy’s Place. They were robbed last week, you know.”
“Yeah.” Troy had heard. What kind of asshole stole presents from orphans at Christmas? “What do you need me to donate?”
