Chapter Four

      Zach strode down the street with such a fierce determination to get away from Delia that he was becoming winded and short of breath. Or maybe it was seeing her again that had done that to him. Either way, his head was spinning and his pulse was racing.

       He’d done everything he could to put Delia’s return to Serendipity from his mind. In the last two days, he had cleaned the leaves out of the gutters of his ranch house, patched up the barn to keep his stock warmer against the cold Texas winter, and cut so much firewood that there was no more room to stack it against the side of the house. But even though he’d been tired and sweat soaked from all the hard labor, he hadn’t been able to forget that Delia Rae Ivers was back in town, not even for a second.

       And then he had to go and run into her while he was hanging Christmas lights at Cup o’ Jo. It just figured.

       Even though ten years had passed between them, she’d never left his mind—or his heart. As a teenager, he’d been devastated when she’d left suddenly without a word to him. He wished he could forget the way he’d spent a long, frustrating year acting out his anger and getting himself into increasing amounts of trouble.

       But then God had caught up with his wayward life and had changed his heart.

       Zach Bowden, the kid who’d gotten straight-A student-council president Delia Rae Ivers arrested and thrown in county jail on prom night in their senior year was now a reformed bad boy who had repented his sins and given his heart to God.

       But of course Delia wouldn’t know that. Nor would she have any reason to believe it.

       And why should he care? The best thing for him to do would be to avoid her completely, not that that was an option. He was a paramedic and she was the town doctor. Not a good combination.

       Lifting his hat, he combed his fingers through his hair and then jammed it back down again in frustration. Somehow, he had to get Delia Ivers out of his head.

       Reaching the end of the block, he turned toward the firehouse, where he’d parked his truck earlier. He wasn’t on call today, but Serendipity’s annual Christmas party was set to take place at the community center that evening and he had planned to change into his costume at the station.

       He’d already helped with the decorations at the center and in wrapping presents for the kids, but he had another role to play tonight—the jolly old elf himself.

       He’d been Santa for the past couple of years and he loved every second of it—interacting with the children and seeing their faces light up with hope and glee. Just before presents were handed out, Santa traditionally pulled the wide-eyed children into a circle and reverently shared the story of the nativity and the true meaning of Christmas.

       What more could a man ask for?

       Especially a single man with no children of his own.

       “Hey, buddy,” Ben greeted as Zach strode in the door of the station. “What’s up? I thought you were off today.”

       Zach grinned. “I am. I’m just here to change into my suit for the Christmas party tonight.”

       Ben chuckled and patted his stomach. “Oh, that’s right. The big red suit. Ho, ho, ho.”

       “Cut it out,” Zach said, scowling, but he wasn’t really offended. So what if the guys at the station gave him a hard time about playing Santa every year?

       “I’m just glad it’s not me,” Ben assured him.

       Zach reached into his locker and pulled out the red velvet suit with white trim and held the shirt across his chest as he peered at himself through the small mirror attached to the inside door. The outfit was a good deal too large around the middle, but then it was meant to be. He knew he’d have to stuff a pillow down the front to get the right effect. Fortunately, there were lots of those strewn across the cots in the firemen’s bunkhouse.

       He wondered if Delia would attend the annual Christmas celebration; and, if so, what she would think of him all gussied up in his red suit.

       She’d be surprised, that was for sure. Not that it mattered what she thought. He scoffed.

       “Just remember that if I didn’t volunteer for this gig, you guys would be drawing straws to do the honors,” he reminded his coworker jauntily. “Serendipity has been relying on men from the fire station to play Santa for years. You wouldn’t want to upset their tradition now, would you?”

       Ben held up his hands and shook his head. “Red isn’t my color.”

       “I didn’t think so.” Zach chuckled. “Are you planning on coming to the party?”

       “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Ben assured him. “I get really tired of my own cooking.”

       “Tell me about it,” Zach groaned as he slid his legs into the downy costume. Bachelor fare was nothing to rave about on his best days, and, like Ben, he wasn’t much of a cook. Mostly, he ate whatever he could scoop out of a can or pop into the microwave.

       “Let me help you with that,” Ben offered when the wide black belt Zach was trying to draw around his waist twisted in the back. It was next to impossible to hold the fluffy feather pillow to his stomach and latch the belt at the same time, so he was grateful for the assistance.

       “Well, you definitely look the part,” Ben complimented as he stepped back to view his own handiwork. “All you need is to gray up your eyebrows and put on your beard and you’re good to go.”

       “I’m not getting anywhere near that beard until the last possible moment,” Zach said, scratching his cheek at the very thought of it. “It itches something fierce.”

       Ben laughed and shook his head. “Why do you torture yourself?”

       Zach grinned. The answer to that question was easy.

       “For the kids, Ben. Only for the kids.”

       Tonight was the night. Her whole life was about to change—not to mention what this would do to Zach and Riley.

       It was bad enough running into Zach at the café, but now she had to face him this evening. She couldn’t avoid it any longer. Tonight, Delia would tell Zach the truth about his son.

       What other option did she have? She couldn’t turn back now. She’d made the decision to move back to Serendipity to be here for her mother, who was now wheelchair bound with multiple sclerosis. There was no way she could keep Zach from finding out about Riley. So far, she’d managed to keep Riley’s presence a secret from the town, but she couldn’t sequester him at his grandparents’ house forever—and he was bound to put the pieces together sooner or later. Better he learn the truth from her.

       If things went well, and she fervently hoped that they would, she might even be able to introduce Riley to his dad.

       And if the opposite happened, if Zach was furious with her for keeping Riley a secret from him—or worse, wanted nothing to do with his son at all—at least they would be in a public place where he couldn’t blow up at her and make a scene.

       “I understand that Santa Claus visits the party,” she told Riley as they drove the short distance to the community center. They were alone in the car. Her mother’s multiple sclerosis was flaring up again and her father had opted to stay home with her, urging Delia and Riley to go ahead and have a good time.

       “Mom,” Riley protested with a mothers-just-don’t-get-it groan. “I’m nine. I don’t believe in Santa anymore.”

       Delia chuckled. “Not even if he happens to be handing out presents?”

       “Really?” the boy asked, suddenly intrigued. When he turned his head in her direction, a lock