Santa Soldier Bear - Meg Ripley Page 0,20

her snow leopard, didn’t seem to share the same desire. “Yeah. They have a big Christmas light event at night, and I’m going to take the kids. I thought they’d have fun.”

“Are you going by yourself?” He stood next to the couch with his hands on his hips as he surveyed the disaster area that the living room had become after an entire day of entertaining two children.

Melody laughed. “Since when is it impossible for one adult to leave the house with two children? I can handle them.”

“I’m sure you can, but I’m not sure you should.”

She didn’t like the dark look that had come over his face. It was as though he were completely somewhere else in his mind. “What do you mean?”

“This is a big city, and I’m sure an event like that draws a decent crowd. Plus, you’d be out after dark by yourself, trying to find your car in the parking lot…” He trailed off as he lifted his hands in the air in turn, weighing all the possible, horrible options. “And we don’t know what Ruby’s circumstances are,” he added.

Though she wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by that, Melody didn’t mind a little company. It would be a good excuse to spend more time with Roman, which had been difficult since they’d discovered Ruby. She’d hardly talked to him at all, and though things had been amicable after their night together, she didn’t want anything to feel awkward. “Sure. You can come if you want to.”

When they arrived at the L.A. Zoo an hour later, Melody quickly found a place to park and hopped out of the car, heading for the trunk. She whisked out one of the strollers and opened it with a snap. “I’m so excited! I have to admit I enjoy the lights just as much as the kids do, or maybe even more so since I understand all the work that goes into them. The weather is absolutely beautiful for this!” The temperatures had dropped into the fifties, making it just cool enough to bundle up and feel the coziness of the season without having to worry about keeping the kids warm.

Roman didn’t appear to be enjoying himself at all as he tried to figure out the stroller. He shook the handle as he bent over and ran his hand down the side. “Is there a button or a switch or something for this thing?”

Melody reached over. She grabbed the handle and the button next to it, and the stroller popped open with a flick of her wrist. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve been doing this for a while, so I’d better be familiar with the equipment. I’ll get the kids.”

When she had Lucas and Ruby buckled into their respective strollers, Melody was pleased to see Roman wrap his thick fingers around the handles of Ruby’s. He looked a little apprehensive, but it was clear to her now that he just didn’t have much experience with kids. She couldn’t knock him for that, and she certainly had to admire him for trying.

They meandered along the paved pathway as Lucas waxed ecstatic over all the sights and sounds. “Look! Lion!” he shouted, pointing at the large, illuminated decoration that stood proudly along the path. “Look, Ruby, look!” Her name came out more like ‘Wooby,’ and it positively melted Melody’s heart.

“Good job, Lucas. That is a lion. And what’s that over there?” She knelt next to the stroller and pointed, directing his eyes to a polar bear. It was a completely different experience than coming to the zoo during the day and seeing the live animals, but that was one of the things Melody loved about it.

“Bear!” Lucas squealed.

Roman smirked, leaning close to Melody as they moved on. “You know, I’d think there would be certain species he’d be less interested in seeing, considering he sees them all the time.”

Melody stopped herself from leaning into Roman’s warmth. Their soul-bond was hard to ignore, no matter how much logic she tried to apply to it. The night air, the bright lights, and even just seeing him watch the fascination on Ruby’s face only helped cement just how incredible he was inside her heart. The man didn’t know a damn thing about kids, and he was under no obligation to go there with her, yet there he was.

“You’d be surprised,” she admitted. “Lucas says his favorite animal is a bear. When I ask him why, he just