That Christmas Feeling by Catherine Palmer, Gail Gaymer Martin Page B

each time she spoke of such things. He teased her and made her laugh and protected her from the taunts of anyone who dared to put her down as a skinny redhead. If friendship meant communication and support and fun, then Rob certainly had been her friend.
    “I never really worked it out in my mind that way before,” Claire finally said. “But yes, Rob, you were my friend. Maybe my best friend.”
    His mouth curved into the hint of a smile. “I like that.”
    “So do I. And by the way, despite not listening to my great words of wisdom as well as you should have, you turned out all right. I’m proud of you, Rob. It’s wonderful that you went into law enforcement. And I’m thrilled that the aldermen appointed you chief.”
    “Really?” He blinked as if stunned. “I mean, that was my goal, but I never thought…it didn’t occur to me that anyone else would…” He looked at her. “No one has ever said they were proud of me.”
    “Are you serious? When I heard about you being police chief, I thought, Well, what do you know? That dimwit Rob West made something of himself after all.”
    He chuckled. “That’s not why I went after the job. Imean, I’m glad you feel good about what I do. But I really didn’t give a flip what anyone thought of me.”
    His expression sobered as he continued. “I should have cared more. Sherry didn’t want me on the force here in Buffalo. She would have preferred that I go into business. Be a store manager or run some sort of enterprise. She wanted to live in the city. I’m talking about Los Angeles or New York, you know, where she could have pursued her acting career. But I just couldn’t see myself behind a desk full-time, and I’d already made a commitment to the police academy when I found out she was pregnant. I stuck with my plan, but I understand now how selfish that must have looked to her. It caused a lot of trouble between us.”
    “I’m sorry, Rob.”
    “Well, a person makes mistakes.”
    Claire nodded. “You don’t have to tell me that. I’ve made enough of my own.”
    “Good thing I got right with the Lord, or I’d have drowned in remorse by now. It took me a long time to forgive myself for all the stupid, selfish things I did when I was younger. But once I realized that if God—the creator of the whole universe—could forgive Rob West, then it was a done deal. God had erased my mistakes, and I’d better start letting them go, too.”
    Claire couldn’t help leaning against his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. “That’s good advice, Rob. I need to do a better job of following it myself. But I hope you don’t regret choosing police work.”
    “I can’t regret it. I know it’s what I’m supposed to do.More than anything else, I want to help people. In high school it was all about fame and glory, you know? Quarterbacking the football team, winning wrestling trophies.”
    “Completing an outstanding history project with your brilliant partner.”
    He grinned. “That, too. But after a while the hero thing got to feeling shallow. It was what Sherry wanted me for, but not what I wanted for myself. I needed some challenges that really made a difference, you know? Not just pinning some guy to the mat. Or getting a football from one end of the field to the other.”
    “Though that is fascinating,” Claire said, holding up one of the decorated place mats.
    “Yeah, all right, I confess. I still like football a lot.”
    “Okay…and I guess I have to confess I no longer think you’re quite as dumb as a Missouri mule.”
    “Hey, I’m smart, Clarence Ross!” he declared. “I’m every bit as smart as you. Admit it!”
    “No way!” She giggled as he grabbed her hands. “What are you going to do, Chief, handcuff me?”
    “I might, so you’d better start talking, girl. Say ‘Rob West is smart.’”
    “No! Let go!” Laughing, she pushed on his chest as he struggled to hold her hands. “I’ll never talk. Na na—you can’t make