If You Believe in Me by Natalie J. Damschroder Page A

Rina took the phone and hurried away before Amber could confront her about the tension in her voice.
    What the hell was going on?
    …
    Kale should have thought this through better.
    He swallowed a moan as a kid who had to weigh a buck twenty thudded hard on his left leg. What was he, fifteen? This event had always been designated twelve and under. They were growing underprivileged kids big these days.
    A half an hour ago, Kale had hidden in the dark storeroom, practically giddy with excitement that everything was coming together. The extra room in the plane had let him rest in relative comfort. He’d taken a pain pill and slept through the flight and taxiing to the gate at Boston Logan, only waking when the attendant had shaken him. The first rental car company he’d approached had a car available, and they’d given him a military discount. There’d been little traffic and no delays on his drive, and he’d arrived just before the rec center doors opened to let all the families in.
    He still couldn’t believe he’d sneaked in unseen—not just into the rec center, but into town, even. He’d waited in the storeroom next to the Santa outfit, hoping like hell the person who came to put it on would go along with his plan. And lo and behold, it had been his good old friend Danny.
    That’s when everything went to hell. Danny had walked in and closed the door, clicking on the light and reaching for the Santa suit at the same time.
    “Hi,” Kale had said, standing well out of reach when Danny jumped. But Danny was no soldier. He jumped back instead of forward. Watching the stream of emotion across his face stripped Kale of any happiness he’d held onto.
    Shock. Dawning understanding. Joy. All expected, all welcomed. But then despair so dark Kale had only seen it on the battlefield. Danny glanced over his shoulder, and Kale understood.
    His old friend was in love with Amber. Maybe was with Amber. The pain of it almost sent Kale to his knees.
    But then Danny hauled him into a hug, thumping him on the back. Laughing. Crying. Kale could hardly understand what the guy was saying through it all.
    “Holy shit, man, she was right! I can’t believe it. You’re alive!”
    “What?” Kale pulled back, his turn to be shocked. “What do you mean, I’m alive?”
    They spent ten minutes in rapid conversation, Kale in disbelief. He’d had no idea the government had told his family he was missing. That had to be an error, but holy hell, how long had they been left like that?
    His parents had decided he was dead. Thank God they were on a cruise. His surprise reappearance could have given them literal heart attacks. He hated the thought of abandoning his goal when he was so damned close to success, but maybe it would be smart.
    Danny shook his head at him. “Why didn’t you just walk into the rec center?”
    Kale snorted. “Because I’m an asshole.” He confessed his grand, romantic plan, aware his concerns were revealed in his voice.
    Danny said, “She never gave up, man. She’s never stopped loving you. Never stopped believing you’d be back. Go for it.” And he slapped Kale hard on the right shoulder, sending a shockwave down his side. Kale doubled over, still so taken aback by everything he’d just learned that he couldn’t hide his gasp of pain.
    Danny came up with the speaker idea, and Kale practiced making his ho ho hos sound like his friend’s. He changed into the Santa costume and dragged the bag of presents out after him, unable to lift it so much as an inch off the ground.
    The whole time he’d sat here, Amber had never looked at him. A couple of times she’d acted oddly, looking around or holding very still, and Kale thought she might be on to him. But then she went on with her job. Déjà vu. That short skirt flipping around her legs, the way she bent over to get the presents—she used to do it on purpose. Kale realized Danny had watched her last year and fought off a surge of jealousy that had him