5 Ronan

The line to meet Santa Claus at the mall stretched back to the food court, but was moving quickly thanks to the mall having four different Santas. Ten had wanted to get Santa pictures taken before they left Massachusetts, but Ronan thought it would be more fun to take them in Florida, so Brooke and Delta could join in the fun.

“We’re gonna get a thin-a-blonde after our pictures, right, Dad” Everly asked, tugging impatiently on Ronan’s hand.

“What’s a thin-a-blonde?” Ronan had no idea what his daughter was asking for. Was it a present she wanted for Christmas?

“You know, one of those big cinnamon rolls with lots of ooey-gooey icing.” Everly’s blue eyes danced with anticipation.

“Oh, a Cinnabon.” Ronan laughed. “Yeah, we’ll get one for everyone after we take our pictures.” He was so hungry, he could probably eat a half dozen. Make that a baker’s dozen.

“We’re almost next,” Ten said. “Is everyone ready?” He turned on selfie mode and bared his smile, obviously making sure none of the poppy seeds from that morning’s bagels were stuck in his teeth.

All the kids shouted, “Yes!” and started jumping around. Everly fussed with her dress, while Aurora fluffed her hair, with Jace’s help.

“Do I get to sit on Santa’s lap?” Ronan asked Ten with a devious grin.

“Have you been a good little boy this year?” Ten whispered into Ronan’s ear.

Ronan shook his head. “I’ve been a very naughty and dirty boy and I’ve got the pictures to prove it.” Ronan blushed from head to toe. He’d never taken pictures like that before, just in case they fell into the wrong hands and scarred his kids, Nana Kaye, or Jude for life.

“Wolf! We’re next!” Jude motioned the little boy forward. Cope had Lizbet ready to go in her candy cane stripped dress.

Ronan watched while Cope arranged the kids on Santa’s lap and stayed for one picture. Jude and Cope stepped away for the next one. Right after the pic was taken, Lizbet started to cry.

“It’s okay, little lady,” the mall Santa said.

Ronan could have sworn he knew that voice, but he wasn’t sure how. With the man dressed in a full Santa costume and wearing the hat and beard, it wasn’t possible to tell who he was. Ronan was probably just hearing things. His law enforcement instincts followed him everywhere, which wasn’t always a good thing. Aside from River’s family, he didn’t know anyone in this part of Florida.

“Who’s next?” Santa asked, opening his arms wide.

Everly walked up to him. “Hello, Mr. Santa. I’d like a unicorn for Christmas, please.”

“A unicorn?” Santa laughed. “I’m not so sure I can get one of those for you, little lady.”

Everly frowned at the man. “You’re Santa, nothing is impossible for you.”

Santa laughed with a few hearty Ho-Ho-Hos. “Unicorns are very special animals,” he began sounding very serious. “They live with their families their whole lives long.”

“Like elephants!” Everly said.

“Exactly, and if I took one of those unicorns to bring to you, the rest of her family would be so sad.” Santa pouted, breaking a cardinal rule of Christmas.

“I don’t want the unicorns to be sad, Mr. Santa. Can you bring me a unicorn stuffie, instead?” Everly flashed a charming smile at Jolly Old St. Nick.

“I sure can and I’ll tell the unicorns you said hello. Are you ready for your picture?” Santa turned toward the camera.

“We’ve got one more to add to the picture.” Ronan set Ezra on Santa’s lap. “Okay, buddy, you’ve got this.”

“Ronan O’Mara, is that you?” Santa asked, after the pictures were taken and the kids had hopped off his lap.

“Yeah, it sure is. I thought your voice sounded familiar, but I don’t know from where.” It was bugging the hell out of Ronan that he couldn’t place the mall Santa.

“You seriously don’t remember me, princess?” Santa asked, his voice dripped with New England sarcasm.

“Holy shit, Shane! Is that you?” Ronan couldn’t believe it.

“Yeah, it is. With language like that, I’m betting you’re on the naughty list.” Santa laughed at his own joke.

Ronan leaned closer to his old partner so the kids wouldn’t hear his conversation. “You’re not wrong there. I didn’t know you were in St. Pete.”

“I moved down here a few years ago and got my PI license. I’m living the dream, man. I take the cases I want to take. I sleep late, lay on the beach. Life is good. Did you move down here too?”

Ronan shook his head. “My husband’s brother lives here and we came down to visit for Christmas. We’ll be here for the next two weeks if you want to get together.” He pulled out his wallet and grabbed a business card. “My cell is on there.”

Santa Shane stuck the card into his coat. “I’ll give you a call later tonight and we’ll make plans.”

“Uncle Ronan, is it my turn yet?” Brooke asked.

“It sure is, honey. You and Delta are next, then we’ll get a picture with all of you kids in it.” Ronan helped his niece onto Santa’s lap and got out of the way so River could do the same with Delta.

“Do you know him?” Ten asked, when Ronan found him and the kids at the kiosk they’d all agreed to meet at after the pictures.

“Yeah, that’s Shane Matheson, he was my training partner when I was promoted to Homicide. We both worked under Captain Davidson, before I went to rehab.” Ronan shook his head, hating the old memory his brain dredged up with Ronan drunk and passed out on the toilet, like Elvis before he died. “Anywho, he retired a few years ago and now he’s here working as a PI. I gave him my card and he wants to get together for dinner.”

Ten elbowed his husband, and leaned on tiptoes to whisper into Ronan’s ear. “Maybe he could help with the Patrick Marsh situation. Shane could surveil Marsh and you and I could enjoy this vacation.”

“We’ll see,” Ronan said, sounding non-committal. Ten had a good idea with bringing Shane into the investigation. He was licensed in the State of Florida and if the cops stopped to ask what he was doing surveilling the house, all he’d have to do was show his credentials.

Ten pointed back toward Santa. “Look at that.”

Ronan turned and saw all the kids piled around Santa. Everly and Aurora were laughing at something Jude was saying, while Wolf stomped his foot impatiently. He had a feeling the little boy was as hungry as he was. “Let’s get in there.”

After a little arranging, all four families fit into frame and several pictures were snapped. After the picture packages were paid for, Ronan headed toward the food court and fulfilled his promise to get thin-a-blondes for everyone.

Fitz got Aurora settled and took the seat beside Ronan. “Man, Santa’s voice sounded so familiar.”

“He didn’t tell you who he was when you got your pictures taken?” Ronan thought back to his time at the BPD, Fitz wouldn’t have interacted a whole lot with Homicide, once he took over the cold case unit, but most of the detective knew each other.

“No, but Aurora was on the verge of a meltdown with her dress, so there wasn’t a lot of time for small talk. Who was he?” Fitz asked, taking a huge bite from his cinnamon roll.

“Shane Matheson.”

“No kidding.” Fitz shook his head. “We consulted together on a few cases before you came to work for me. He was a great detective with incredible instincts. Didn’t you partner with him at some point?”

Ronan nodded. “He was my partner for my first six months in homicide under Captain Davidson.”

“Good man. Great cop. What’s he doing down here?”

“He’s working as a PI. Ten suggested we could ask him to help us with Patrick Marsh. We’d be able to pay him as a consultant, like we used to do with Tennyson and Jude when we were with the BPD.” The more Ronan thought about it, the more he warmed to the idea. They’d worked a lot of difficult and emotionally draining cases over the last few months and Ronan could really use a break.

“Damn, that’s brilliant,” Fitz said. He pointed to Jace, who was sitting next to Aurora and wiping gooey icing from the side of her face. “He’s pissed about me wanting to visit Patrick Marsh while we’re here.”

“Can you blame him?” Ronan asked.

Fitz’s eyes widened. “Who are you and what have you done with my workaholic detective?”

“Come on, Fitz. You both work too much. According to what you said, Jace pulled a lot of strings and called in several favors to get these two weeks off and now here you are, wanting to work a case while we’re on vacation? It makes perfect sense.”

Fitz nodded. “I guess you’re right. Ten and Cope aren’t too happy with the idea of us working this case either. If we had Matheson working with us, that would leave us free for fun in the sun and would allow us to meet Patrick Marsh as River’s friends, rather than as members of the Salem Police.”

“I think that’s the best part in all of this,” Ronan reached for his second Cinnabon and cut it in half with his knife. “There will be booze and good food at the party. Patrick will have his guard down and we can question him like potential friends, instead of like the police.”

“I agree,” Fitz said. “I’ll offer him the case when he gets in touch and we’ll go from there. In the meantime, it will give me an olive branch to offer to my husband, who is completely adorable when he’s angry at me.” Fitz got up from his seat and moved toward Jace, who looked the other way. A few seconds later, he laughed at something Fitz said.

“I’m glad they got themselves sorted out,” Tennyson said. “I heard you tell him about Matheson. It’s pretty lucky for all three of the detectives that he fell into our laps like this.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“I couldn’t agree more, babe. Let’s pack up the kids so we can spend the rest of the day on the beach.” Ronan popped the remainder of his cinnamon roll into his mouth and savored the sweetness. Thanks to a chance meeting with his old friend, he was officially out of the doghouse.

Well, for the moment, anyway.