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She gave a cal crowd, “Sorry, kids, but Santa needs to check in with his elves to ht” She smiled brilliantly at the children and their parents “We’ll be back in ten minutes”
As expected,line Despite Dirk’s obvious need for a reprieve, she sensed his hesitation, liked him all the more for it Still, he’d said he needed a break and she’d seen in his eyes that he really did
“Cohtly, Abby looped her arm in a red-velvet-covered one and spoke loudly “Follow me, and I’ll take you to where you can use your special Santa phone to call the North Pole and put in the requests for presents you’ve heard so far There’s only two et started filling the orders right away”
Gratitude shining in his eyes, Dirk nodded, pasted on a fake smile, and waved at the crowd
“I can’t believe I let you talkher to lead hiathered at the community center just to meet him “This is madness Pure commercialized madness”
She still couldn’t believe he’d said yes, either Sure, he was the oneand lean Dr Dirk Kelley playing the role of Santa to dozens of children was another h for her to realize kids made him uncomfortable, that he was quiet and kept to himself Her friend and fellow nurse Danielle called him Dr Dreamboat Abby called him what she most wanted for Christmas, but had never said the words out loud, not even to her tabby cat, Mistletoe
Regardless, Dirk was doing her a huge favor and she was grateful S, she quirked a brow in his direction “Ah, Santa, where’s your Christmas spirit?”
He snorted “I lost it somewhere between demands for a new computer and the kid anted a Mercedes-Benz” He shook his red and white hat and white wig topped head in dis Tinkertoys and tricycles?”
Although he pretty ed “Now, Santa, stay with the tih tech and electronics these days You’ll have to get your elves with the program”
“Apparently,” he said wryly The moment they stepped out of the main ay of the community center and into the privacy of the es earlier, his broad shoulders sagged “I’ to last another hour Christ, Abs”
“Bah, hu to decide if he was serious about the Christh at his use of his pet nah her? That every ti in his arms, to the first tiether beneath her bedsheets? “Surely you can hed theatrically “Guessof the past, too”
“Don’t you believe it,” he warned, grinning for real for the first tileam despite his costume and obvious dislike of his role “My endurance is just fine Better than fine”
She raked her gaze over his red fur-covered body The padding beneath the suit didn’t begin to hide the wide shoulders and abundant htSanta as if they’d like to sit on his knee and ask for his… If they knew Santa was none other than scrumptious Dr Dirk Kelley, Santa would have had to beat the woiant candy cane
Besides, thanks to the particularly rough night they’d first worked together, Abby did know all about Dirk’s endurance If only she could forget what aical fingers What stamina the rest of him had delivered Twice
Dirk Kelley didn’t need a sleigh and flying reindeer to take a wohts