The Santa Man

Chapter 7

"I'll bet you have daughters," Sarah said.

Hip gave her a strange look and pointed to a spot on the other side of the road, far back from his truck. "You'll want to stand over there, out of the way."

She was only too happy to do that, and over the next few minutes she watched anxiously as Hip-the-EMT-from-Willing pulled her little Subaru out of the ditch and back on the road.

He hopped out of his truck, leaving it running, and trudged over to the front of her car. She watched as he frowned, then unhooked the chain.

"What's the matter?" Sarah half slid across the road to join him.

"Tire." He pointed to the front right tire, which looked as if it had connected with a cement wall. "You may have an axle problem, too."

Her heart sank. She could see a great big repair bill in her future. And no way to get to Mexico to drown her transportation sorrows in tequila.

***

Hip tried not to stare at the woman from Missoula. He kept his gaze on the bent tire and not on the prettiest woman he'd ever seen in his life. Fluffy blond hair tumbled around her shoulders, shiny yellow curls that blew around her face when she walked. She was exquisite, with the pale soft skin and delicate features of a Christmas angel. Probably around mid-twenties. Too young for him, and too beautiful.

Those big blue eyes had filled with tears when he'd pointed out the problems with her old car.

"I'll call AAA again," she said, and turned to look up at him. She held out her hand to shake his. "Thank you so much for trying to help."

She thought he was going to leave her on the side of the road?

"It's twenty-one degrees," was all he could say, ignoring the outstretched hand gloved in pink leather. He wasn't about to shake her hand, wish her a Merry Christmas and drive away.

"I'll wait in the car." Her smile was bright and confident. "I have plenty of gas and can keep warm until the tow truck comes."

"They'll have to get someone from Lewistown. Or even Billings. It could be hours," he explained, stomping his feet to keep the circulation going. "You'd better come with me."

"But where are you going?"

Fair question. "I have more deliveries to make. You can keep in touch with AAA."He looked at his watch. If he drove her to Billings he'd never make it back in time to get the rest of the toys and food delivered before dark. "Maybe I can take you to Billings after that."

He couldn't believe he'd heard himself say the words, but a nice long drive to Billings with a beautiful woman wouldn't be the worst thing he could do on Christmas Eve.

Pathetic, that's what he was. A pretend Santa with a pretend girlfriend.

"My car—"

"Will spend the holidays in a garage, I expect," he said. "Let's get your stuff."