The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl is happy to present this excerpt from Santa Baby by Colleen Keehne.
Bruce Springsteen’s gravelly voice singing about Santa Claus coming to town streamed from the jukebox in one corner of the diner. Multicolored twinkling lights covered the long bar near the back, coloring the glasses of beer and drinks that lined it. The tree at the far end of the bar was seven feet of old fashioned, symmetrical White Spruce. The colors of the dancing lights reflected in the shiny ornaments and tinsel that hung from its full branches. A silver star tree topper gave the tree a finished look. Patrons sat scattered among the tables and along the bar, eating or nursing drinks as they chatted. Rudy’s Diner was the only place to gather in the small but bustling town of Mistletoe, North Pole.
Bruce’s voice faded away, replaced by Elvis Presley lamenting his blue Christmas. The diner’s door opened as two tall, bulky men walked in, stopping inside the doorway. Both men were dressed for Mistletoe’s dry polar climate: insulated pants, down parkas with fur-trimmed hoods, boots, and gloves. Their brown eyes scanned the room, stopping a moment to give the tall, buxom blond waitress an appreciative once over. Her tight jeans and t-shirt showed off her ample curves. Turning, as if feeling their gazes on her, she grinned at them.
“Hey guys, take a seat anywhere.” She waved them in toward the open dining area. “Be with ya in a minute.” Both men watched as Kandy disappeared through the swinging doors. They shrugged out of their parkas, hanging them on the large pegboard next to the door.
Jamie, Kandy’s best friend and newest member of Rudy’s staff, looked up at the clock over the doors that led into the dining room. 7:30 p.m. “Two more hours,” she thought. All she wanted to do was go home, roll into bed, and sleep for days. Sleep had been elusive the last few weeks because of a sense that something was going to happen, she just didn’t know what. Closing her eyes, she could almost feel the coolness of her sheets as she imagined herself sliding between them. A bump from behind brought her back to the diner’s staff area.
“Hey Jamie, you OK?” Kandy asked. “Sorry about the bump girlfriend, but Rudy is yelling for you.”
“Yeah, I’m fine, just tired.” Jamie gave Kandy a small smile before she walked toward the kitchen. Stopping, she turned around and looked at Kandy. “I have this feeling that something is going to happen.”
“Happen?” Kandy asked. She had known Jamie since they were freshman roommates at the University of Oregon and had learned to take Jamie’s premonitions seriously.
“Yeah,” Jamie said, “I haven’t been sleeping. The feeling has been getting stronger each day. I think it’s going to be soon.” She shook her head, trying to dispel the overwhelming anxiety.
Kandy’s eyes grew wide. Jamie was never able to pin down what was going to happen or when with her premonitions. But, good or bad, they always came true. “Something bad?” She asked. “Soon?” She glanced toward the kitchen where Rudy bellowed for Jamie.
I don’t know,” Jamie answered, walking to the pickup counter between the serving area and the kitchen where three steaming plates waited for her.
“Jamie…orders up!” Rudy yelled from the kitchen. “Table six!”
“Rudy, I’m right here,” Jamie pointed out with a smile. “You can stop yelling.” Rudy grinned at her. He only had one volume when he was in the kitchen.
Jamie moved the plates from the pickup window to a large tray and added some condiments then headed toward table six. A shiver of anticipation raced through her body as she moved through the dining room.
Meanwhile, the two newcomers had settled in at a large round table off to one side of the diner. After sitting down, each had grabbed a menu from the stack in the middle of the table. As they looked them over, Bing Crosby’s voice crooned from the jukebox, wishing everyone a Mele Kalimaka. It was a catchy tune, and before the song was over, both men were singing along with it. A sigh drew their attention to Kandy, who stood next to the table.
“God…I’ll have that blasted song stuck in my head for the rest of the night!” she groaned, rolling her eyes at the two men’s less than stellar musical talents. “Lucas, Myles.” She nodded at each man. “What’ll it be?”
“Hey Kandy.” Myles tossed his menu down, a dimple showing as he grinned. “I’ll start with Alaskan Winter Ale.”
“Same thing for me,” Lucas muttered, still looking at the menu. “And an order of Spicy Fried Zucchini.”
Myles grimaced. “Man, you do remember what those did to you the last time you had them?” He looked at Kandy. “Gave him gas for a week. No one wanted to get near him.”
Kandy laughed, her large breasts jiggling under her tight t-shirt. Both men stared, mesmerized by the sight. A large hand reached out, slapping the back of Lucas’s head. “Hey!” Lucas protested, rubbing the spot and looking up at the tall man who had approached the table unnoticed. “What the hell Silas?”
Silas sat down with a scowl that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Dude…you know Rudy will kick your ass into next week if he catches you looking at Kandy that way.”
“Not likely, Silas,” Kandy snorted, “Then I’d be doing some ass kicking of my own. Where’s the rest of the crew?”
Silas tilted his head toward the door before dropping into an empty chair. Kandy glanced at the door as it blew open and four tall men walked in, followed by a willowy auburn-haired woman. The men were jostling each other and laughing. The woman strolled into the diner behind them, acting as if she didn’t know them. It was obvious she was a part of the group despite the distance she kept from the men. All five made their way to the table where Lucas, Myles, and Silas sat. Kandy greeted each of them by name as they pulled chairs out and sat down
“Hi Donny, Oliver, Adam, David.” The men nodded, and a chorus of hellos echoed around the table. Kandy looked at the lone woman among them. “Hi Vicky,” she said with a smile, “Things going OK?” Kandy knew that Vicky was coming off a broken relationship, and being surrounded by men could be painful for her now.
“Things are…improving,” Vicky replied. She left it at that. She tended to keep her feelings close to herself. With all male co-workers, she’d claimed it was better that way. Kandy nodded in commiseration.
“OK boys…” Kandy said. She had to speak louder to be heard over the cacophony of male voices. “You guys need some time before you order?” She pointed to Myles and Lucas. “I have two Alaskan Winter Ales and an order of Spicy Fried Zucchini.” At the mention of the fried zucchini, everyone at the table except Lucas groaned. He just grinned.
“Alaskan Winter Ale all around Kandy,” David said then continued to order for the table. “Nachos, Stuffed Mushroom Caps, and a couple orders of Cheesy Garlic Bread.” Everyone at the tabled nodded in agreement. Kandy scribbled their order on her order pad then turned toward the kitchen. As she walked away, seven pairs of eyes followed her tight, swaying ass. Vicky watched her table mates and rolled her eyes.
“Men!“ she thought then chuckled softly as Nat King Cole’s voice filled the room, singing about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Oh yeah, she knew of seven pairs of nuts that needed roasting.
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Santa Baby Synopsis
Looking for a slower pace of living after a family tragedy had derailed her life’s plans, Jamie Winters moves to Mistletoe, North Pole at the urging of her best friend, Kandy. Even though she envy’s the love shared between Kandy and her mate Rudy, Jamie’s not looking for a romantic relationship. That changes when she literally bumps into Chris Kringle, the CEO of North Pole, Inc while waitressing at Rudy’s Diner.
Chris Kringle falls for the curvy brunette with the dark chocolate eyes the moment his eyes land on her. And when she had swayed toward him, her hands landing on her cheat, he had known she was the One. His fated mate. But his wooing of her won’t be easy. She’s human and he’s… more than human. Can she accept what Chris is? He’ll have to tread carefully to make it work between them before the menace stalking NPI and the Kringle family steals Jamie away.
Santa Baby is available now at:
About Colleen Keehne
Colleen’s debut novel was published in October 2016. It took her a year and half to accomplish this feat. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, and holds down a full-time job. Throw into that mix two very spoiled cats and about 60 fish and you can see why it took so long. You can learn more about Coleen via her Amazon Author Page, her Author Page or her Goodreads Author Page.
