Chapter 26

 

Chloe

 

 

WHEN I WOKE up the next morning, I saw that it had started to snow again. Unfortunately, the forecast indicated that by nightfall, we’d have a blizzard on our hands, with record inches of snow accumulating. I’m not going to lie. I’m one of those people who don’t mind snowstorms. In fact, I think they’re beautiful, especially when you don’t have to drive anywhere. Today was going to be a mess however. I wasn’t looking forward to driving in it and almost wished I would have taken Tank’s offer of having someone pick me up.

Sighing, I switched off the television, made myself some coffee, and unpacked a few more boxes. At around ten, I had some oatmeal and fruit, and then jumped in the shower. When I was finished, I put on a pair of blue jeans and an ugly Christmas sweater, deciding that I wouldn’t wear the elf costume to the hospital. The kids would know me right away and I didn’t want them to start second-guessing the man playing Santa Claus. I didn’t want anything destroying the magic he would bring that day. I had to believe that once Graham stepped foot inside of the Cancer Ward, he’d also want to make the moment as real for the children as he could. At least, I hoped he was that kind of man.

I dried my hair, curled it, and then carefully applied some makeup. Spotting the bottle of perfume on my sink, which was collecting dust, I put some on. I normally didn’t wear any to the hospital, but found myself wanting to smell and look extra special for a certain someone, whether he appreciated it or not. As I was applying my lipstick, there was a knock at the door. When I went to answer it, I was shocked to see the guy from yesterday standing in the hallway. The biker named Cleaner.

“Hi. Remember me?” he asked, a warm smile on his face.

I gave him a puzzled look. “Yes. Sorry, I wasn’t expecting anyone from the club to show up here.”

“Didn’t Tank call you? The roads are already getting bad, so I volunteered to pick you up.”

“Oh, just a second.” I hurried over to grab my phone from the kitchen counter and found that I indeed had a message from Tank. I walked back over and let Cleaner in. “I was so busy getting ready, I forgot to check my phone I guess,” I said, smiling. “I told him that I’d drive myself, but I’m glad you showed up. I wasn’t looking forward to driving through a blizzard later.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you home safe-and-sound,” he said. “And by the way, you can call me Anthony if you’d like. Cleaner is my road name, but to tell you the truth, it’s annoying as hell.”

“Can’t you change it?”

“Nah. The club gave it to me. They’re amused by it, apparently.”

“Why do they call you Cleaner, anyway?”

“I don’t know. I guess that I’m always cleaning up after everyone. The guys are slobs.”

I smiled.

His eyes flickered over me. “Anyway, are you ready? You look like a million bucks. Even with that ugly sweater.”

Blushing, I looked down at my reindeer sweater, which I actually thought was cute and comfortable. “Thanks. Yeah, I just have to grab my elf costume for later. And my purse.”

“Mine is outside in my Jeep. You know, we don’t have to be at the hospital for another hour. Maybe you’d like to get a cup of coffee or have breakfast beforehand?”

“I just had something to eat and coffee, but we could get to the hospital early and grab a bite in the cafeteria, if you’re hungry.” The least I could do was treat him to breakfast for racing out here to pick me up.

He smiled. “Isn’t hospital food supposed to be nasty?”

“It’s really not that bad. Especially around the holidays,” I said. “Let me go get my things and we can leave.”

“Sounds good.”

I put on my winter jacket and a pair of long, black boots. Grabbing my purse, and the bag with the elf costume, I thanked him again for picking me up.

“No problem. I figured you were getting tired of Dodger and his sulking.”

I chuckled. “He is kind of a Grinch, huh?”

“Yeah. I think he might have found his Christmas spirit last night though.”

“Oh really?”

He told me about their trip to the nursing home and how, by the end of the evening, Graham had actually admitted to enjoying himself.

I smiled. “That’s fantastic. I was hoping he’d have a change of heart about everything.”

“He seems to. We’ll see what today brings, though. Old people are one thing. Children are little shits and will surely test his patience. I know my nephews are handfuls, at least. They’re always misbehaving and getting into trouble.”

“How old are they?”

“Nine and eleven.”

“I think that for Santa, they’ll be on their best behavior,” I replied, locking the deadbolt on my door. “Nobody wants coal in their stockings.”

“You’ve got a point.”

I turned around and Anthony was standing so close, I could barely move.

“Oh, uh, should we go?” I said, laughing nervously.

“Yeah,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “I just have to say that you smell really good.”

“Thanks.”

He leaned forward and sniffed my hair. “It’s days like this that I’m happy to be just a Prospect, otherwise I wouldn’t be giving such a beautiful lady a ride.”

Yuck.

I definitely wasn’t interested. And his flirting was making me uncomfortable.

Forcing a smile to my face, I thanked him and side-stepped my way from the door. As I started walking down the hallway, he began to follow me, whistling “Pretty Woman”.

I rolled my eyes and ignored it.

“Why don’t you hold my hand when we get outside so you don’t slip out there? It’s very icy,” he said, when we made it to the front entryway. 

“I’ll be fine,” I replied, looking at the steps, which looked slippery but manageable.

“Okay,” he replied in a tone that sounded like I was making a mistake. “Ladies first.”

I smiled and made my way down the ten steps in front of me without issue. Unfortunately, my boots had no traction. I ended up slipping on a patch of ice on the sidewalk instead of the steps. Before I went down, Anthony had me by the waist, saving me from a painful fall.

“Thanks,” I replied as he let go of me.

“Told you it was slippery. Here,” he held out his hand. “That last thing you want is to fall on your ass with those boots.”

Reluctantly, I took his hand and he led me to a silver Jeep Wrangler. He opened the door and then before I could protest, picked me up by the waist and set me down in the seat. With a twinkle in his eyes, he stood there staring at me as I turned my body and faced forward in the seat.

“Don’t forget your seatbelt,” he said.

Before I could pull it over my chest, Anthony was doing it for me, making everything that much more awkward.

“Uh, thanks,” I said, trying not to lose my temper.

“Want to make sure my girl is strapped in safely.”

I blinked.

Oh God.

“I’m hardly a girl,” I replied, thinking out loud.

He winked. “Obviously, no.”

After he shut the door, I let out a weary sigh and watched him walk around the Jeep and get inside.

“I’m going to warn you now,” he said, starting the engine. “With the roads as slippery as they are, you’re going to hear some language come out of my mouth you might not be used to. I’d like to apologize now.”

“Hey, not a fucking problem,” I replied with a small smile.

Anthony chuckled. “Glad to know you’re not as angelic as Dodger thinks.”

I stared at him in surprise. “He said that?”

“Hell, yeah. To be honest, I think he likes you,” Anthony said. “But is too chicken-shit to do anything about it. I asked him point-blank if he was interested, but he said he wasn’t. I think he’s lying, though.”

“Why do you think he’s chicken-shit?”

“I think he believes you’re too good for him. Like you’re some saint who might fall from grace if he gets too close.”

“That’s ridiculous,” I replied, shocked that Graham thought of me in that way.

“I’m not afraid though,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Hold up,” I replied, not wanting him to get any ideas and getting sick of the ridiculous lines he was trying to use on me. “You seem like a really great guy, and I do appreciate the compliments, but I’d like us to just be friends.”

He gave me a pouty look.

I took a deep breath and told him the truth. Something that I was also admitting to myself for the very first time. “I’m already interested in someone else.”

Anthony studied my face and then smiled. “It’s Dodger, isn’t it?”

“Maybe.”

“It is,” he said and laughed. “He must not have a clue.”

“Probably not,” I admitted.

“So, you two need to get together then?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Of course you do. If I can’t have you, then I’m making sure you get a shot with the guy you do want.”

“What if he really doesn’t like me? What if you’re wrong?”

“He likes you. A lot,” he replied as we pulled out of the parking lot, “Even if he doesn’t know it yet.”