Save Me, Santa: A Chirstmas Anthology of Romance & Suspense (26 page)

“Father!” Ross groaned. A flush rose from his neck to his cheeks and up to his temple. Mo could actually see the rising anger and half expected steam to burst from his ears. “I can't believe this. You've topped yourself this time. And not in a good way.”

“Artistic performance, eh?” Officer Tim said. “We'll be charging you both with terroristic threats, kidnapping, creating a hoax device, and anything else we can think of.”

“No,” Santa Ari said. “Bertram Enterprises assured me they would take care of all the police permits.”

Bertram chuckled.

Ross's father could really go to jail over this.

Ross stared at his father with a cross between horror and worry. He obviously loved the old geezer. And, since she loved Ross, there was only one thing to do.

“I don't want to press charges against anyone,” she said. “This was just a joke. A bad joke, but a joke.”

By then the bomb tech had joined them. “There
will
be charges. You've all wasted police time and resources, not to mention endangering the public.”

“I have a First Amendment right to free speech,” Kafakis shouted.

“I'll pay to reimburse the city for any costs,” Ross said.

“Besides, there's no real proof against Ross's father,” Mo added. “He didn't know what lengths Kafakis would go to.”

Bertram bristled. “Of course I—”

His words were cut-off by Mo's elbow plowing into his mid-section. “Shut it, old man.”

“My father is self-deporting tomorrow,” Ross assured them. “He's going back to England.”

After further discussions amongst those present—and probably with the district attorney by telephone—they agreed not to charge Bertram. Kafakis wasn't to be as lucky.

“Can you wait here for just a second?” Mo asked Officer Tim. After retrieving a certain envelope from Ross's car, she returned.

Kafakis saw the envelope and frowned. “Doesn't count if I'm under duress.”

“That's ridiculous. Of course it does.” She smacked the envelope into his chest and then tucked it into his Santa belt. “Consider yourself served, cinnamon stick.”

“I knew I shouldn't have continued with this gig once I knew the prank was on you,” Kafakis said.

“Why did you?” she asked.

“I thought Ross Grant would be impressed enough to give me a part in his film after all.”

“Yeah.” Her laugh came out as a snort. “Not bloody likely.”

With a wave, Officer Tim led Kafakis away to his patrol car.

Mo rejoined Ross and his father at the base of the statue.

Ross was in the midst of giving his father a dressing down. “If you ever do something like this again I'll… I don't know… I can't believe you… just because you don't approve of Mo… I don't know how—”

“I approve of Mo,” Bertram interrupted.

“You do?” she asked in amazement.

Bertram faced her. “Of course I approve. I've never seen my son so happy. I'm sorry if my sense of humor has made it seem as if I didn't like you. I like you and your family very much.”

Awwww. Tears choked Mo's throat. This time tears of happiness.

“So I approve,” Bertram continued. “In spite of you being a bloody Yank.”

“Father!”

“I'm joking.” Bertram took Mo by the shoulders and kissed her forehead. “Happy Christmas, my dear girl.”

“Thank you… Pater,” Mo said.

Bertram chuckled. “May we celebrate many more together.”

“Ummm. Yeah.” Mo wasn't sure she could take many more Christmases like this one.

Ross reached for Mo and then held her to him in a tight hug. “Don't worry, love. We'll spend next Christmas with my mother.”

Good news: Ross thought they'd still be together next Christmas.

Ross caressed her cheek. “And no matter what people say, my mother is not nearly as horrible as my father.”

Bad news: another crazy parent.

Mo stifled a groan and plastered a smile on her face. After all, hadn't Ross been willing to explode with her? She could stand to put up with his parents, couldn't she?

And when Ross's lips touched hers, Mo sank against him, reveling in the deepening kiss.

This had turned out to be not such a shitake Christmas after all.

The End

Acknowledgements

My deepest appreciation to Sgt. Robert VonLoewenfeldt—Savannah-Chatham Metro Police—for consulting with me on the bomb squad aspects of this story. He is the bravest and most dedicated public servant I've ever known. One couldn't have a better or more generous friend. Thank you, Rob. My eternal gratitude goes to my excellent friend, Charles Cory. He's been an invaluable critique partner and particularly helpful in his advice on making Ross and Bertram more authentic-sounding Brits.

Dedication

This story is dedicated to my Aunt Jackie (Eugenia Soncrant). Thank you for your love and support throughout my lifetime. I love you and miss you already.

More from Patricia Mason

If you enjoyed the humorous suspense of
A Very Shitake Christmas
, please leave a review at
Amazon.com
. And please check out these books by Patricia Mason:

In Deep Shitake
(humorous romantic suspense – Shitake Series #1)
– when a sexy female private eye meets a handsome movie star, they are embroiled in mistaken identity, murder and mayhem.
http://amzn.com/B007VDZ0JA

Shitake Happens
–
(Shitake Series #0.5) –
Find out what Mo Tuttle was up to prior to meeting her hero in this hilarious prequel.
http://amzn.com/B009PSQ8BI

About Patricia Mason

Patricia Mason is the award-winning author of steamy romantic suspense and thriller fiction. She also writes young adult paranormal romance and urban fantasy under the pen name P.R. Mason. Pat escaped from the Midwest winters of her youth by moving, in 2001, to the strange and wonderful city of Savannah, Georgia. She now lives there, happily spending her days as the subject of her cat overlord's mind control experimentation. You can learn more about Pat and her work at her websites.

http://www.patriciamason.net

http://www.prmason.net
.

Copyright

Amazon Edition, Licensing Notes

Save Me, Santa

Copyright © 2012

This eBook is licensed for your personal use only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission from the authors.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is coincidental.