Santa's Secret

“Like when Delaney’s name’s brought up?”

My hand freezes on it’s way to my mouth, which of course stays open until my brain decides to start functioning again and I close it. As casually as I can, I set my nacho filled chip down onto my plate and clear my throat. “Um… we used to be friends.”

“And you’re not now?”

I shrug. “I think as people grow up, the definition of friendship changes. I’m sure everyone wants to be her friend.”

“They do, but her circle is very limited. You’d be surprised by her life.”

“Oh, I’ve seen her in the papers,” I tell him, thankful I’ve dodged his earlier statement.

Calvin adjusts his large frame in the leather chair. “The real Delaney is nothing like you see in the media. She prefers to stay home and watch movies, over going to a party or a club. When you see her, it’s out of obligation. Either a director wants her someplace, or a company wants her dressed in their clothing, so they pay her to be in the right spot for a photo.”

“Really?”

He nods and starts in on his plate of food, leaving me to my thoughts. For years, seeing Delaney in the news, I thought she enjoyed having her picture taken, the glitz and glam that comes with being a Hollywood star, and the all-night parties Heather often read about. She used to tell me the things she read about Delaney, the things she was doing and what was going on in her love life. I never knew it was all a ruse.

“My wife used to keep me updated on Delaney, and we’d go see her movies when they would come out.”

“Used to?”

I nod and look at the ice where the teams are warming up. The arena is starting to fill up with people, and the noise level is getting louder. “She died almost two years ago, but up until she became sick, she was one

of those people who bought every magazine and read it cover to cover. Of course, with Delaney being our local hero, everyone kept tabs on her.”

“I think coming home was the right thing for her,” he adds. I agree, mostly because I know her family is happy to have her home for the holidays. “You avoided my statement though.”

“About what?” I ask, pretending I don’t have a clue as to what he’s talking about. Honestly, I feel like I’m in some warped version of reality television where the guys sit around and talk about their feelings, not the women. I think Calvin and I need to open a bottle of wine and light a few candles.

Calvin laughs. “It’s okay. I get it. She’s easy to crush on.”

“I don’t have a crush.”

He nods. “If you say so.”

I do say so. I don’t have time for childhood crushes or any other flirtation game, especially when it comes to Delaney. It’d be pointless considering how different our lives are. I’m here, a full-time single dad raising an impressionable young daughter, and Delaney’s everywhere, she doesn’t need my baggage to slow her down. Not that I’ve considered being with her or even stand a chance at being someone in her life. I’m no different than everyone else in town. We’re all star struck where she’s concerned.

“So anyway, how long have you worked for Delaney?” I ask, steering the conversation in a different direction.

“A few years now. I came on after Delaney had a run in with a stalker.”

“And your family is okay with you being here?”

“I’m not married. I’m also one of eight kids so if I’m not home for the holidays, my mother doesn’t necessarily miss me. She has a dozen plus grandkids running around, taking up her attention.”

“One of eight, huh? I thought I had a problem with my sister growing up, always in my stuff, bugging me every five seconds about whether one of my friends liked her. I can’t imagine having seven of them.”

Calvin laughs and nods toward Dominic. I turn to find him chatting with a few guys I don’t know. “That’s what I’m talking about. Our suite is private, and they shouldn’t be in here. I should go find our seats before I say something Delaney won’t like.” He gets up and tosses his plate in the trash. I make the quick decision to follow him down. In the corridor, we run into Gio, who tells us he’ll be down soon.

We find our seats quickly, and except for almost zero legroom, which affects Calvin more than it does me, but the seats are fantastic. “Do you like hockey?”

“I’ve only seen it on TV. I stick mostly to basketball and football. Delaney is nice enough to take me to the Laker games and bought season tickets to the Rams.”

“You seem to be more than a bodyguard.”

“Nope,” he says matter-of-factly. “I’m just the guy who doesn’t beg her for attention or disrespect her in the media.”

His jab against the media gives me pause. I feel like I’m missing something, but I’m not sure what. I know I can look her up and see what’s been going on in her life or even listen to the women who gossip like birds on a telephone wire, but I’ve prided myself on staying out of the Ramona Falls rumor mill as much as I can. Being a part of it when Delaney came back was enough to last me a good year or two. Besides, you never know who’s telling the truth.