Read Online Santa's Posse by Rosemarie Naramore - Free Book Online Page A

said.  “I’m not actually dead.”
    “And I’m actually
quite glad you’re not dead,” he said, smiling into her eyes.
    Kellie felt her
cheeks flame.  She wasn’t sure why her body reacted so ridiculously to his
close proximity.  He was simply a man, for Pete’s sakes.  A friend.  A
co-worker of sorts.  A neighbor.  Drop dead gorgeous. 
    She took a step
back, and nearly fell over the chair behind her.  “Good grief,” she muttered,
as she struggled to remain upright.  Fortunately, he caught her arm in time to
keep her from taking an embarrassing tumble, and had the good graces not to
comment.  The sparkle in his eyes, however, alerted her to his amusement. 
     “For your
information,” she told him, “I’m not usually such a klutz.”  She appeared to
search her memory.  “Nope.  I’m not a klutz.  I’m typically sure-footed,
athletic, in fact.  I can actually ice skate, roller skate, and skateboard.  I can dance, too.  Take that to the bank,” she added for good
measure.
    “I didn’t say
anything,” he said, raising his hands as if surrendering, and then grinning all
the way to the door.  With a salute, he left her office.   
    Jill took all of a
tenth of a second to enter.  “Inquiring minds want to know,” she said in a
sing-song voice.
    “What?” Kellie
asked, glancing up from a memo in front of her.  “What do inquiring minds want
to know?”
    “You know very
well what inquiring minds want to know.”
    Kellie laughed. 
“We’re just friends.  Turns out Miles lives at the same condominium complex as
I do.”
    “Really?  That’s
fantastic!”
    “It has its
perks,” Kellie admitted.
    “So you two went
to a movie together?”
    “Yes.  On
Saturday.”
    “And did I hear
right?  He helped you with your bed?”
    “Yep.  He put it
together for me.  If it wasn’t for him, I’d have tossed the thing out the
window and slept on a mattress for the rest of my days.”
    “He likes you,”
Jill said, smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary.
    “Yes, but is he
going to ask me to prom?” She laughed when Jill shot her a dispirited glance.
    “You stop that.  I’m
telling you, Miles Blake looks at you and likes what he sees.  And I’m telling
you, that’s significant— meaningful ,” she added with a crisp shake of her
head.
    “Oh, right,
because he doesn’t date.”
    “He doesn’t,” she
said adamantly.  “Or, didn’t.  Not for a very long time anyway.  A little bird
told me…?”
    “A little bird,” she
said with a sigh.  “Who is this little bird?” 
    “I’d rather not
say, but anyway, a little bird told me that Miles has been propositioned by
nearly every single, and some not-so-single women at this mall, and do you know
what?”
    “What?”  Kellie
shook her head.  “What does not-so-single mean, by the way?”
    “Stop that.  You
know what it means.  And Miles turned ‘em down.  Everyone.  Did it in his usual
sweet-natured fashion, but…  He just wasn’t interested.”
    “Rumors,” she
muttered.
    “No, really.  That
man was so in love with his wife.  He was devoted to her.  It was such a sad
thing—her accident.  Anyway, he stayed in the house they had shared together up
until the last year or so.  I guess he finally sold the place and moved into
that condo because he realized he needed to get on with his life.  Hmmm,” she
murmured, “maybe you’re his next step in getting on with his life.”
    “Who says I want
the responsibility?” Kellie said crossly.  “Who says I’m looking for a man?”
    “Well, are you?”
she asked, and Kellie didn’t miss the sudden seriousness of her expression.
    “I … don’t think
so,” she admitted.  “I mean, I haven’t really thought about it.  The truth is,
I’ve been so focused on my job that, well, a man hasn’t really fit into the
plan.”
    “The plan,” Jill
repeated.
    She nodded.  “I
mean, I’ve dated casually, but as far as looking for a serious