Chapter 14
~ Sammie ~
Braden and I help Poppy into his modified Santa’s jacket. The health worker checks that the tubes are capped off, but we don’t want to chance threading his arm through a sleeve and catching it on anything. He also has tubes and stents in his torso, so we have to protect those areas from infection and not rub them against anything fuzzy.
Carefully, we drape the coat over his shoulders and button the front. Then, using Velcro strips, I reattach the pieces making up the sleeves and cuffs. After fitting the belt loosely around Poppy’s waist, I’m pretty proud to say no one can tell the jacket had been split apart.
“You’re wonderful,” Poppy says, looking at me with tender blue eyes. “I wish Braden had found you much earlier.”
“I would have if I knew about her.” Braden coughs to signal me to corroborate his story.
“My mom is a very independent person. She’s also very opinionated, and I doubt she wanted to share.” Everything I say is true, because even though my biological sperm donor is relatively well-off, my mom prefers to be the boss at her hole-in-the-wall restaurant. She even refused his offer to invest and expand it into a chain.
Braden is frowning and signaling me to stop when Poppy asks, “If she wanted to keep you to herself, why did she use DNA to find your father?”
“Uh, I don’t think Sammie was supposed to know that part,” Braden says.
“Oh…” I’m crestfallen and unable to think of a way to respond. “I thought you came looking for me.”
I should be hurt, right? That he didn’t care, and that my mother’s “story” is untrue.
He hugs me and kisses the top of my head. “I’m glad she came forward, because I didn’t have a clue. If I had known, you can bet I would have been turning over every leaf to find you.”
“Why did my mom reach out?”
“You’ll have to ask her. Maybe she thinks it’s time you knew my side of the family.”
“I’m glad. Doesn’t matter the reason,” I mumble to paper everything over.
“Ho, ho, ho, and just in time for Christmas.” Poppy holds his hands over his belly and gives me a wink. His lower torso and legs are covered with a green, red, and white plaid wool blanket, but he’s wearing a beard, and he looks the part. “I dub ye, Samantha Powers, my head Elfprentice.”
“High five, Santa.” I slap him one. “I have to go get dressed for the Powers family tree trimming party.”
“I told Jolene to let you guys raid the closets for whatever will fit.” He waves at us as we leave the room.
When Braden and I exit Poppy’s sickroom, I ask him, “Did I screw up?”
“You were great. He loves you. Keep it up.”
I waggle my eyebrows at him. “And you’ll give me a bonus?”
“Sure, but I have another proposal for you.”
“I’m all ears, as long as it’s big enough.”
We turn the corner toward the stairs, and Lindsay is coming down. She stops short and gives me one of those speculative “Mom” looks like she knows I’m up to something.
“Braden!” she yelps. “I thought Sammie was talking to Will, and I was about to break it up. Have you seen him?”
My face burns, and I hope it’s not turning red, but I’ve always been quick on my feet where lies are concerned. “I was telling my dad what Will said to me before I told him to bug off.”
She crosses her arms and doesn’t look at all like she buys it. “You’re the new girl here, and it’s up to your dad to make sure you behave.”
“Sammie’s always well behaved,” Braden says.
“Like you only found her what, a month ago?” She rolls her eyes. “Let me give you a hint. Teenage girls are a real handful—not a walk in the park. You need any help, come to me.”
“You need any help with your teenage boy, you let me know.” Braden’s voice deepens gruffly.
