Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Walt

“I want Mama’s nightmares to go away, Santa, Sir.”

The little boy in his lap wasn’t the first to ask, and Walt wasn’t sure he could keep his rage in check. He’d have given almost anything for a few minutes alone with the men who had harmed these women and children so badly.

Susan stiffened next to him, but the cheerful smile never left her pretty face as she knelt to face the child. “Hey, Peter, remember me?”

“Yes.” He peered at her, then quickly lowered his head. “I mean, yes, Ma’am.”

“Yay! I was hoping you would.” When the child gave her a tremulous smile, she added, “I remember how sweet and nice you are to everyone.”

“The nightmares make Mama cry. I don’t like it.”

“Want to know a secret?” she asked.

The child wiped a somewhat grubby fist over his brown eyes and shook his head. “Secrets are bad.”

“Not always. Secrets can be fun.” Before the boy could escape his lap, she held out a gift. “This present is kind of a secret.”

“How?”

“Do you know what’s inside?”

Peter glanced at the box, then returned his gaze to Susan’s face. “No, Ma’am.”

“It’s a secret until you open it, but you already know it’s going to be something you’ll like.” She put the present in his lap. “Nightmares aren’t so nice, but I promise they’ll get better.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I sometimes have them too.” Susan touched Peter’s chin to make him look at her, then stroked a lock of blonde hair from his eyes. “It’s scary until I wake up and remember it’s just my brain playing yucky tricks. And then I remember they aren’t real. You know what else?”

“What?”

“I can make them go away.” She looked around as if to make sure no one could hear her, but several of the mothers were in earshot. “I just tell those bad dreams they aren’t real. Sometimes, I pretend the dream is a mean dragon, and I’m a princess with a sword. Then I use my sword to chase that dragon until he hides in his cave.”

Peter giggled, then blinked as if the sound surprised him. “I don’t want to be a princess. Can I be the dragon chasing away an evil knight instead?”

“Absolutely.” She cupped the back of his head and kissed his forehead. “A big dragon could chase lots of bad things away.”

“I will! I’ll be the biggest, bravest dragon ever.” Peter climbed from Walt’s lap and raced to his mother, completely forgetting his present.

“I need a minute.” She rose to her feet and Walt caught her hand.

“Susan—”

“I said I need a minute.” After jerking free, she strode from the gym.

Instead of following, he continued passing out presents. As much as he wanted to comfort her, he also wanted her to know that he’d respect her wishes but he couldn’t stand the thought of her suffering alone.

Listening to over a dozen children wish for peace and safety about killed him, but it had to be worse for her because she’d been there and still bore the scars.

Fuck, she was mighty. Susan smiled instead of giving in to the rage. She gave a child comfort and hope and didn’t miss a goddamned beat.

Thankfully, she returned as he was giving out the last of the gifts. The tightness in his chest eased, yet he didn’t miss the slight redness around her eyes. Before she could wade into the crowd to play Santa’s elf, he crossed the room and caught her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir. Thank you.” After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “I’m sorry I ran off.”

“Nope.” Walt straightened her hat and booped her nose. “No saying sorry for taking what you need. Understand?”

“I—”

“We have more surprises outside!” Kate called from the entrance to the gym. “After that, we’ll have snacks!”

Their shouts of delight echoing, the children swarmed Kate, making her laugh as she led them outside.

“I guess it’s time for reindeer rides,” Susan murmured. “I’ll try not to say sorry again.”

“Good girl.” Walt took her hand and placed it in the crook of his elbow. “I know how hard this has been for you.”

“Hard, but also…” She leaned against him and sighed. “It’s nice too. I just wish I could give them more.”

“I’m thinking you’ll always want to give more,” he murmured. “I’m also thinking you’ll forget what you need.”

“You say that like it’s bad.”

Laughing softly, he nodded as he led her to the play area where Ian and Valentina waited with a large Belgian mare. Ian grinned as he settled three children on the horse’s broad back. Valentina and Kate took up positions as side-walkers to ensure their safety.

“Can Cinnamon fly, Mr. Ian?” one asked.

“She sure can!” Ian quickened his pace, making the kids squeal with delight. “But only when everyone is asleep and dreaming of Christmas treats.”

Susan smiled and tightened her fingers around his hand. “I think you’re right.”

“About what?”

“It’s hard to remember what I want for myself when I see their joy.” She turned and wrapped her arms around his waist, then squeezed him with a hug. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure.” Slowly, making sure not to scare her, he returned her hug. “You’re not the only one who likes to make other people happy.”

She giggled and pulled back far enough to look at him. “Does that mean you’ll tell me your plans for the weekend?”

“Nope.” He turned until they could see the kids enjoying the draft horse pony rides. “That would spoil the surprise.”

Susan

After all the children, and more than a few of their mothers, got rides on Cinnamon, Ian loaded her into a large horse trailer, then drove away with Dr. Lopez. Susan relaxed, letting her shoulders drop as the kiddos raced to the playground.

Between planning the Snow Park party and playing elf to Walt’s Santa, she was exhausted after her long day, but it was a good tired because of how much she’d accomplished.

She almost felt like she was dreaming. Who knew she’d be able to plan a whole party by herself? Best of all, she had fun doing it—once she got over her nerves.

Maybe the rest of what Kendra wanted her to do would be just as amazing.

“We did good,” she murmured, enjoying Walt’s warmth against her. “Thank you for being Santa for them.”

“It was my pleasure.” He grimaced and adjusted the pillow tied to his abdomen. “Do you mind helping me with my costume again? We’ll head out for our weekend after we change.”

“Not at all. I?—”

A child screamed, a bitter, fearful cry of pain, and she spun to face the playground.

No.

She froze, paralyzed as Noah Turner, one of the worst of the Shepherds, grabbed his daughter by her hair and dragged her from the playground. When her mother tried to stop him, he punched her and kept moving.

Be sweet, Susan. Behave. Be good. You know better than to fight.

“No!”

Walt’s hand tightened on her arm, but she pulled free and crossed the playground at a dead run.

“Susan! Stop!”

She slammed into Noah hard enough to knock the wind out of herself, making him lose his grip on the little girl’s hair and fall to the ground with her on top of him.

“Bitch!”

Without conscious thought, her hand cracked across his face. Still cursing her, he returned the blow, making her cheek throb, but she didn’t stop hitting him—not even when the fury in his eyes turned to fear, or when his nose started bleeding.

For the first time in her life, Susan wanted to hurt someone. Needing to see more blood, she punched him in the nose again and smiled when she heard a crack.

“Ow! Damn you!” Noah slapped at her hands, then yanked her hair in a desperate attempt to get her off him.

Dimly, she heard people shouting, and she screamed when someone lifted her into the air and trapped her flailing arms.

“Let me go!” She kicked wildly and heard someone grunt. “I’m going to?—”

“Shh,” Walt crooned in her ear. “I’ve got you, babygirl. It’s okay. Relax and take a deep breath with me.”

Her heart rate slowed as she obeyed, and Walt hugged her tighter before setting her on her feet. The last of her anger faded as she continued to breathe with him.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, Sir. I—” She cut herself off and her mouth firmed into a thin line as Kate and another guard stood over Noah with their pistols trained on his face. “I’m not going to say I’m sorry because I would do it again.”

Walt sighed and chuckled softly. “You were very brave, but?—”

“You stupid bitch!” Noah shouted as blood dripped from his nose. “I have rights, and you can’t?—”

“I have a nine pointed at your forehead, dumbass,” Kate replied evenly as sirens sounded in the distance. “You have the right to give me a reason to use it. In fact, I wish you would.”

“Let’s go,” Walt wrapped his arm around Susan’s waist and tried to urge her toward the building.

“Not yet, Sir. I need to say something first.” Planting her feet, Susan smiled.

Whatever Noah saw in her face made him go silent.

“Amelia might have been too afraid to press charges against you when you hit her and your children, but I’m not. You also attempted to abduct a child in front of dozens of witnesses, so I’m going to make sure you go to prison for a very long time.”

“Yass, queen,” Kate murmured. Her smile widened as the police hauled Noah to his feet and arrested him. “You really do need to learn to throw a punch though. You’re lucky you didn’t break your hand.”

“Oh, I—” Susan picked up the elf hat she’d lost in the struggle and winced at her throbbing fingers. They were beginning to swell, and her knuckles were scraped raw. “I guess I am lucky.”

“Unfortunately, you can’t press charges, Ms. Metz,” an officer she remembered from the original trials said. “Kate said you hit him first.”

“Yes, Ma’am. I did.” She lifted her chin and tried to look brave, but her knees trembled. “Am I in trouble?”

“No.” The officer’s face softened, and she squeezed Susan’s shoulder. “After you give us a statement, you’ll be free to go.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

When she finished giving the officers her statement, Walt escorted her inside. He wasn’t smiling like he usually did. Instead, his lips were a thin line, and he didn’t say a word until they reached the restroom.

Gulp.

Holding the door for her, he said, “You can change first. When we’re done, we need to have a little talk.”