Santa Soldier Bear - Meg Ripley
1
“I’m a little nervous about showing up like this.” Roman glanced away from the busy rush-hour traffic and down at the Santa suit he’d put on at Amar’s behest. He’d always said he’d do anything for a fellow soldier, but this was a little much. The crimson velvet outfit was rimmed in brilliant white fur that was far too warm for southern California.
“Don’t worry about it,” Amar said in his headset, the voice familiar from his days in the service. “We decided to have this party to really kick off the Christmas season, and I promised the rest of the Force that there would be a surprise. It’ll be a blast.”
“Dude, easy for you to say. You’re not dressed in a getup like this,” Roman growled. He followed the GPS’s directions, turning onto a road lined with palm trees and impressive homes. It was a far cry from what he’d gotten used to between his time in the Army and the time he’d spent in Wyoming. “When you said you wanted me to come down to spend Christmas with you, I didn’t realize you’d be suckering me into playing Santa.”
“Come on, don’t be such a stick in the mud. I didn’t want you to be alone for the holidays after everything that went down this year.”
Roman paused, knowing what he was about to say, but he let it go.
“You’ll have fun,” Amar promised. “Are you almost here?”
“Yeah, I think so. This is one hell of a place.” He pulled his rented truck to a stop in front of an enormous modern home. Covered porches stuck out at all angles, taking advantage of the stunning view. From the maps Roman had looked at earlier, he knew it butted up close to some of the nature preserves in the area, making it a great spot for shifters. The house was far different from the ranches and farmhouses he was used to seeing back in Wyoming, where he’d moved six months ago. It didn’t look much like Christmas, either, despite the giant plastic candy canes sticking out of the flowerbed along the walkway, but he was happy to spend time with Amar. It would be good to see him and to meet this Special Ops Shifter Force that he’d talked so much about.
“I see you out there. Just wait a few minutes, then come straight through the front door. I’ll make sure it’s unlocked.”
“If you say so. I hope this goes well, but you owe me either way.” The last thing Roman wanted was to be the center of attention, but there was no way to avoid it. Everyone would be looking at him, whether he was just Amar’s friend or Santa.
“Big time. Now get your ass in here.” There was a click as Amar hung up.
With a sigh, Roman hopped out of his truck. The rental agency had looked at him strangely when he’d turned down the sedans and coupes they’d offered. Even though he didn’t have hay or fencing materials to haul around right now, Roman was used to something a little more functional. He opened the back door and pulled out the velvet bag full of packages, praying no one drove by. Even though he didn’t know anyone in L.A., he’d still rather be seen by as few people as possible in this getup. Tugging on the hat that matched the outfit, he headed for the front door and ambled in as Amar had asked.
Roman got past the festive wreath on the front door, covered in jingle bells that greeted him merrily, and headed straight into the massive open floorplan. Someone had gone all out with the decorations. Garland twined down the banister, and white lights twinkled from every horizontal surface. A colossal Christmas tree dripping with ornaments reached up to the highest point on the ceiling, and a pile of perfectly wrapped presents had already been placed under it. The stockings along the mantel looked as though they’d been hung with plenty of care, showing their owners’ names printed in silver glitter. The scent of cinnamon and pine permeated the air, and old holiday music filtered through the room.
Heads turned to stare, and Roman remembered who he was supposed to be. He might as well make the most of this. “Ho ho ho! I hear there are some good boys and girls here tonight!”
“Santa?” A little face peeked out from behind the leg of a dark-haired woman, his blue eyes full of wonder, hope, and a little fear.
The boy’s mother